The Herald - The Herald Magazine
TV review: They are women from Derry, hear us roar with laughter
HE has run half-marathons barefoot in the snow, climbed Everest wearing shorts, and he’s not even from Glasgow … Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Wim Hof! The Dutch guru who believes cold is the cure to many ills is at the centre of Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof (BBC1, Tuesday), a reality show featuring eight celebs living in a tented village in the Italian Alps. A blend of I’m a Celebrity, Big Brother, and a travelogue, it immediately called to mind Peter Kay’s spoof TV movie, “Britain’s Got the Pop Factor and Possibly a new Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice”. No idea why.
Presented by the cruelly underemployed Holly Willoughby and the comedian Lee Mack, the intrepid eight had to jump into a hole in the ice and abseil a cliff face, while Wim cheered them on and said things like, “There’s a natural power in the cold. When we embrace it is when the magic happens.” Something tells me Wim has never spent a winter in a council flat in Easterhouse.
But he meant well and the celebs, at least three of whom I recognised, had their reasons for wanting to do such wild and crazy things. For Gabby Logan, 50 next year, it was important to show that “middle age is not beige”. Too right, and if I ever take my fawn-coloured cardigan off I’ll be right with her in sisterly solidarity.
Our Ada was not unemployed for long, then. Only a week ago Ada, or the actress who plays her, Sophie Rundle, was in 1930s Birmingham saying cheerio to Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders finale. Now Rundle has rocked up in nineteenth century Yorkshire as Ann, lover of Gentleman Jack (BBC1, Sunday). Time, sexuality, geography; Rundle ought to be a shoo-in as the next Doctor Who, except look how that worked out last time.
The second series opened with Anne Lister (played by Suranne Jones) back to her usual fire starting self with plans to move Ann in to her home, scandal be damned.
Jones plays the character as a female Flashman, a great fizzing ball of energy and determination She’s a treat to watch, her sly glances to
camera coming when you expect them and, even better, when you don’t. Add a cast that stretches from Stephanie Cole to Peter Davison and Sally Wainwright’s punchy script and Sunday night is sorted. Peaky who?
Gazza (BBC2, Wednesday),a two part documentary about the former Rangers, Spurs and Lazio star began in the strangest fashion, with its subject ambling away from the camera, face unseen, walking stick in hand, shouting encouragement to a fellow angler: “Keep going for it!” As if contemporary reality would be too much for viewers to bear at this early juncture the filmmakers cut to 32 years later when Gascoigne’s ascent to football superstardom began.
Here was Gazza as a handsome, cheeky boy, supremely gifted on the pitch, wholly clueless off it when it came to handling fame and money. It was a familiar, depressing story, too much so. Even those with a glancing knowledge of football would have known what was coming, and there was nothing new added.
All that was left was to watch the footage and let the talking heads, including his family, and tabloid journalists of the day, tell the tale. With some exceptions they went unseen too. Part two, taking in the Rangers experience, is next week. Brace yourselves.
Grand Designs: the Streets (Channel 4, Wednesday) revisited a self-build experiment in Oxfordshire in which the council parcels out the land and intrepid types construct the home of their dreams. Let a thousand self-builds bloom and all that. Or as presenter Kevin McCloud put it, welcome to a town without planning.
Sounds like it could be a right guddle, and so it has proven. Surveying the mishmash of styles and materials, Kevin, originally an enthusiast, was not sure he liked it. Trust me Kev, given the look on your face you really did not like it.
The next selfbuilders, Maite and her husband Carlos, had a grand design but no architectural training. Yet what could have been a nightmare turned
out to be an original, distinctive, and beautiful home. Best thing here, said Kevin, and he was spot on. If only the house could have been lifted clear of the architectural rabble surrounding it.
Thank Jesus, Mary and the wee donkey for the return
of Derry Girls (Channel 4, Tuesday). Except the chap you associate with that phrase was not the actor playing a police chief quizzing the girls over a break-in. No, as befits its brilliance, Derry Girls had someone even more A-list, more Hollywood, than auld Ted (won’t reveal
who in case you’re catching up). Lisa McGee’s sitcom has it all: great gags, intelligence, characters, and a big, big heart. The only downside is that this will be the last series.
If you have not already done so, fall in love now.