Compelling window on war
Latest pop-up channel offers six hours of new content daily, writes Bianca Coleman
THE latest pop-up channel on DStv 199 is History’s 100 Years Of War, which launched earlier this week and runs until November11 – an auspicious date because the channel commemorates the centenary of the armistice: the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month of 1918, when the guns on the western front finally fell silent, signalling the end of “the war to end all wars”.
If only that last part was true. War is unfailingly awful, and there are never any “winners”.
100 Years of War explores the impact and legacy of war and how, through the 20th century and beyond, conflict has shaped national character, international relations and the geopolitical stresses and strains of our world today. With six hours of new content daily, it’s a compelling and gripping channel into which you can dip in and out.
Since I was probably absent the day they covered the Boer
War at school, I’m keen to watch programming covering that topic, as well as South Africa – The Land of Hope, a three-part series that examines a time span from 1652-2010 in which the legacy of apartheid is examined against the backdrop of the transformed liberal rainbow nation.
The documentary line-up is comprehensive and includes the two world wars, and those that took place in Vietnam, Angola and the Gulf, as well as the exploits of soldiers and politicians who shaped the course of history, such as the British soldier who once had a young Adolf Hitler in the sights of his rifle on a battlefield, but didn’t take the shot.
Lighter fare is on offer on ITV Choice, which has a mini royal festival beginning next week, to mark Prince Charles’s 70th birthday. Meghan Markle appears in her first major royal documentary since her marriage to Prince Harry. Markle, or the duchess of Sussex as she is now titled, was interviewed – along with other members of the royal family – as part of a two-part series titled Queen Of The World (November 15, 8pm).
The Real Camilla: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall premiers on November 8 at 8pm. It’s also her 70th birthday year, during which cameras followed her around as she carried out her royal duties at home and abroad.
Balmoral (November 9 at 8pm) takes viewers inside the queen’s favourite hidey hole and the second season of Royal Recipes begins on Monday at 6.10pm in which Michael Buerk celebrates dishes served from the time of George IV to the reign of Elizabeth II. Two episodes of this series feature South African-born chef Carolyn Robb, who was the personal chef of Charles and Di when William and Harry were growing up.
“They both loved coming into the kitchen to bake cakes and cookies when they were little and it was always great fun. My happiest memory is of accompanying the family to the Scilly Isles, off Cornwall, for a wonderful summer holiday. It was a week of picnics, bicycle rides and exploring the island,” said Robb.
In the second episode of Royal Recipes, Robb shares one of Prince Charles’s favourites – soda bread.