PICKS OF THE WEEK
Operation Maneater BBC Earth, Channel 184, Today, 18:00
Revenge really doesn’t solve any problems. In fact, you could argue that it perpetuates them, and not just with regards to humans — when people in certain parts of the world are killed by animal predators, their friends and family often retaliate.
That’s where English veterinary surgeon and TV presenter Mark Evans, above, hopes to make a difference, by exploring ways to prevent the predator attacks altogether to save both human and animal lives. The show focuses on three areas, starting with the Chobe River in Namibia, which is apparently the crocodile-attack capital of the world. It looks like they tried to train crocodiles not to attack humans, using tyres and bells — and Evans nearly got his face smashed in by a croc in the process.
Then they’ll travel to Canada, where fatal attacks by hungry polar bears are not uncommon. The problem with polar bears is that they’re stealthy. That might seem hard to believe, given their size, but they blend in well to snowy environments. Apparently they’ll be using military drones to chase the bears away from human areas.
And finally, they’ll head to Australia, where people are really worried about shark attacks.
Edge of Heaven
BBC First, Channel 119, Today, 19:50
This eccentric sitcom seems rather charming and it has the added bonus of the ’80s theme — an era a lot of people seem to love for reasons I don’t understand. It’s about a family running an ’80s-themed bed & breakfast in Margate, Kent. Judy (Camille Coduri) is the landlady, matriarch and Wham! fan of the family. Her husband Tandeep (Nitin Kundra) is the head cook, and her two kids, Alfie (Blake Harrison) and Ann-Marie (Laura Checkley), help or hinder in other ways. It certainly seems like a colourful and lively show. Might be worth a watch.
The Originals (season three)
Vuzu AMP, Channel 114, Thursday, 21:30
You know it’s a lacklustre week when I’m forced to pick a vampire TV series to feature on these pages. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to create a good vampire story — I’m just saying that any vampire story can be assumed to be rubbish until it proves itself otherwise.
Sadly, this one doesn’t. It’s a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries — need I say more? The Vampire Diaries is a supernatural TV show that focuses less on necks and the biting thereof, and more on tragic romances, angst and silly power struggles. The spinoff focuses on three characters from the original show, Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson (played by Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies and Claire Holt) — three siblings who have returned to their home in New Orleans to take back the reins of power they once held. If that sounds appealing to you, then knock yourself out. Me, I’ll chuckle at some clips of Christopher Lee in the old Hammer horrors on YouTube.
Horrible Bosses
e.tv, Channel 194, Wednesday, 22:00
Ah sod it. Let’s do a movie while we’re at it — one that I actually thought was funny. Chances are you’ve at least heard of this one. It’s a comedy starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day (pictured right) and Jason Sudeikis as Nick, Dale and Kurt, three friends whose bosses are making their lives hell — so they do what any of us would, ie hatch a plot to murder them.
Nick’s boss David is the highlight of the film, played by Kevin Spacey at his most cartoonishly villainous. He constantly pressures Nick to perform hard for a promotion he denies him at every turn. Dale’s boss Julia (Jennifer Aniston, pictured below) is a sex addict who is constantly trying to blackmail the faithful Dale into cheating on his wife — and the more he resists, the more determined she gets and the more extreme her tactics become. Kurt was the only one who had a decent boss (Donald Sutherland), but he dies early in the film and is replaced by his drug-addled son Bobby (Collin Farrell), who is determined to run his father’s company into the ground.
It’s well-executed comedy. One highlight of the movie for me was Jamie Foxx’s character, whose name is unprintable, an alleged badass criminal they pay for advice, much to their regret.