New Elizabethans by Andrew Marr, BBC2
★★★★
On BBC2 last night Andrew Marr was by the despatch box in the House of Commons doing a fairly unconvincing impression of Winston Churchill.
It was a bizarre sight – but, hey, at least it made a change from watching Boris Johnson do it at each and every PMQs. Marr reckoned Churchill’s parliamentary address on the death of George VI in 1952 marked the beginning of Britain’s second Elizabethan age.
This three-part documentary set out to reveal the high-profile figures who Marr reckons shaped Britain during the current Queen’s reign.
By the looks of it, it was also an excuse for Marr to hitch a ride in as many fancy vintage cars as he could on the BBC’s taxi tab. On balance, he probably deserved a perk or two.
Even if you disagreed with the figures he chose, this opener was surprisingly engrossing.
Having sat through the latest series of The
Crown and countless Princess Diana exposés, it was also nice to see something about royalty that didn’t feature the Buckingham Palace mob very much.
Instead, Marr took us through a ripe and varied list of notable Britons including Diana Dors, Nancy Mitford, Mary Whitehouse, Roy Jenkins, Monty Python and Tracey Emin.
The most enjoyable thing about it though was the soundtrack, which brought us classics from the likes of The Searchers, The Kinks, The Who, Culture Club, Suede and Oasis.
It’s a pity poor old Gavin Williamson didn’t base his “we’re a much better country” claim yesterday on musical output.
He might have gotten away with it.
‘‘ It was an excuse for Marr to ride in as many vintage cars as he could on the BBC’s taxi tab