Robinson was the weakest link in this sprawling film
‘Modern feminists, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.” This was essentially the premise of provocatively titled documentary The Trouble with Women with Anne Robinson (BBC One). Provocatively titled partly thanks to that irritating repetition of “with”.
Journalist and “Queen of Mean” quizmistress Robinson broke Fleet Street’s glass ceiling during the Sixties. She imagined that, half a century later, we’d be much closer to achieving equality than we are. To investigate what’s gone wrong – and provide a contrary viewpoint during the BBC’S Suffragette centenary season – she looked at stereotypical pink toy packaging, met “grid girls” at Brands Hatch and discussed the #Metoo movement.
There are few things more infuriating for women than old-school feminists telling the younger generation they’re doing it wrong. There was a distinct whiff of that here, as Robinson posited that millennials were “fragile” and “lacking fight”.
The trouble wasn’t women, though, it was Robinson’s selective tonedeafness and scattergun thesis. I suspect the chapter-style graphics were added in post-production to provide much-needed structure. The vox pops, styled like a Dove skincare commercial, added little. A segment in defence of facelifts felt like a personal hobby horse for surgically preserved Robinson, rather than a logical part of the narrative.
Some material was tired, too. An experiment where Robinson asked schoolchildren to draw a mechanic, surgeon and firefighter – the vast majority sketched three men – and then brought in real-life female examples was effective but an exact repeat of No More Boys & Girls on BBC Two last year.
At least Robinson wasn’t entirely trenchant, belying her “grumpy old woman” persona by remaining flexible enough to change her mind. She was shocked at the extent of everyday sexism and impressed by the carers campaigning for wage parity from Glasgow City Council.
Indeed, she was most passionate and effective when focusing on the pay gap. I wished this sprawling film had either homed in on that tangible, timely issue or told a more personal story. The scenes where Robinson remembered her defiantly unconventional businesswoman mother were among the strongest. In trying to tackle everything at once, Robinson missed most of her targets.
It takes a brave amateur to tweak one of Mary Berry’s cake recipes, then serve up the result to the “doyenne of dough” herself. Berry’s verdict? “A bit cheeky.” Yet cancer research scientist Pippa Middlehurst got away with it and went on be crowned Britain’s Best Home Cook (BBC One).
After eight weeks of eliminations, we were down to three finalists: Pippa, civil servant Dipa Jahku and maths teacher Philip Friend. They had been “bench buddies” all series, meaning this final was more about camaraderie than cut-throat competition.
The judges threw a curveball by reversing the usual rounds. The first challenge was a Scotch egg with tartare sauce. Nobody nailed the runny yolk. Philip’s “resembled a genital deformity”.
Finally, the cooks prepared their ultimate main course and pudding, set tables and played host, with presenter Claudia Winkleman mucking in as waitress. Philip’s beef wellington and sticky ginger pud nearly stole it but Pippa’s massaman curry was just too tasty. Even that risky twist on Berry’s fraisier cake was a triumph.
Pippa had been judges’ favourite from the first episode and kept her nose in front throughout the contest. Such a predictable winner hardly added drama. Indeed, it summed up the series, which has been watchable but never truly achieved lift-off.
Witty Winkleman and twinkly Berry had excellent chemistry but the other judges – chef Dan Doherty and grocer Chris Bavin – felt like bystanders. If this series returns, one heavyweight male judge would be better than two mediocre ones.
Britain’s Best Home Cook also needs to find its own groove. It currently feels like an awkward mash-up of Masterchef, The Apprentice and The Great British Bake Off. Like the BBC’S other attempt to fill the cake-shaped hole in its schedules, The Big Family Cooking Showdown, it was too derivative, too bland, lacking that elusive magic. Bake Off was a bold commission. A hunch that paid off. The BBC needs to take a risk on new recipes, not just whisk together existing formats and hope they rise in the oven.
The Trouble with Women with Anne Robinson ★★ Britain’s Best Home Cook