Dark yes, but you’ll find Alice’s stars dead funny
GRIEF IS no laughing matter. Well, that was until writer Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly/the Durrells) got his hands on the subject. Finding Alice (ITV, Sunday) was a hit within 10 minutes as a wonderful cast of deft comic hands relished every line in what appears to be a comedy thriller, but which will likely grow darker with every episode. Nye’s take on the subject through Keeley Hawes’s Alice was that, yes, death is awful, but it’s also tragic-comic.
The early family scene sitting around in the gloomy living room where they were unable to open the curtains was priceless. “It’s a smart house…” said a proud parent of dead Harry (Jason Merrells). Apparently, Harry wasn’t fond of banisters and promptly fell down the stupid stairs. Or was he pushed? Or indeed coaxed down by an alien force communicating through the wi-fi? We all know that wi-fi has a mind of its own.
Then there was the visit to the hospital morgue. Alice seemed to take a liking to the mordant morgue attendant immediately. Too soon? She was then shown into the wrong viewing room to see a rather plump chap reposing on the slab.
His family arrived as Alice was told he’d been run over by a car. “That must have taken some doing!” It’s clear her sense of humour wasn’t appreciated.
But the drama was also starting to turn more serious, especially when Alice’s daughter saw a letter addressed to her father, confirming he’d now completed a “semen storage plan”. In a not unconnected twist, a mystery visitor then arrived at the house which must have made Alice wonder whether she was coming or going. Meanwhile, most of us were going to the next episode on ITV
Hub to watch more of this year’s – so far – most gripping comedy-drama. And there wasn’t a serial killer to be seen. Bliss.
There’s an impressive new entertainment show on ITV on Sunday nights. Casualty On Ice appears to have replaced that tired, old skating show
Dancing On Ice, presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. At least half of the first six contestants either injured themselves or, more excitingly, their professional partner. That happened in the case of Rebekah Vardy, wife of England footballer Jamie Vardy who, as we know, likes to have her battles in public.
On this occasion, Mrs Vardy managed to slice a chunk out of her ice partner’s right cheek. He put on a brave face – what was left of it – and must have wondered if he’d signed up for Celebrity Cage Fighting. With the studio resembling a crowded A&E waiting room, the show was strangely compelling.
ITV has said that next week any injured contestants will be sent straight to the blood bin for 10 minutes.
Channel 5 has discovered a cruel new way to make a travelogue: keep the presenter in the UK. Poor narrator Bill
Nighy! From the comfort of his own home studio no doubt, he narrated
World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys
(Channel 5, Monday). But the script he read made it sound like he was there. “We climbed up so and so mountains” or “when we arrived at so and so station”. The royal “we”, obviously.
Seasoned train traveller Michael Portillo would never have stood for this – and would have bought himself a special new pink shirt for the trip. Instead dear Bill, one of our finest actors, had to settle for a basket of apt adjectives – magnificent, splendid, incredible and stunning – to accompany the viewers on this Sicilian adventure. Free the Nighy One I say.
Bradley Walsh and his son Barney have been given a third series of father-and-son japes, this time around Europe. In
Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad
(ITV, Monday), the veteran presenter and actor tried daring activities that a 60-year-old wouldn’t do unless there was a large fee involved. Dear Bradley must be worth the cash, however.
Why? He once toured Germany with The Krankies. He deserves a gong for that alone, for charitable services to the world of comedy. This trip involved “house running” (walking down the side of a building), sleeping in a sausage hotel and jumping off a cliff into freezing water. One word for it: “Fandabbydozy”!
Finally,
Cornwall: This Fishing Life
(BBC Two, Monday) showed just how tough it can be, Brexit or not. And all credit to the show’s producers for mostly avoiding the mention of this delicate issue.
It wasn’t quite
The Deadliest Catch
(Discovery) but highly watchable, nonetheless, for seeing these fishermen sink their lives into such a precarious business.
I was hooked.