"Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing" is Surprisingly Deep TV
Out this week too: "Fosse/Verdon" and the second "I Am..." Channel 4 film
Hello,
Here’s a few thoughts running through my mind right now:
Last week I recommended about Inside the Bruderhof, a documentary about a Sussex religious community that live like The Amish. Due to the 10 o’clock news overrunning because it was due to air the day that Boris became PM, BBC One decided to pull the show entirely. It has not been given a new air date either, which is weird. When it has got one, I’ll let you know.
Tuca & Bertie, an anthropomorphic Netflix cartoon that tenderly looks at how relationships, both romantic and with friends, are affected by anxiety and millennial work culture, has been cancelled after one season. We don’t know how well it performed (lol obviously), but ditching it so soon feels weirdly cruel.
In short, does this mean that THIS EMAIL NEWSLETTER IS CURSED?!
Some things to look out for this week:
I Am… Nicola (All 4), I Am… Kirsty (Channel 4, Tuesday 10pm) - You may have seen a lot of praise for this Dominic Savage directed anthology series. Co-developed by the actor that stars in each episode (Vicky McClure, Samantha Morton in these two, Gemma Chan in an episode coming next week), the films explore a particular issue that tends to take place behind closed doors, issues that might be deeply affecting your life. The first film looks at a manipulative, controlling relationship. The second: the spiral into debt caused by reckless spending by a spouse and the consequences of accepting money from loan sharks.
They are uncomfortable, claustrophobic hours of television, but they need to be. These are situations that exist, in our homes, right now, across the country. News reports can open us up to an issue, or show us stats and interview those connected. But it is drama that can really make you understand the control, the anxiety, the hopelessness of these situations. These are films that you know, from watching, will help those affected.
Mortimer & Whitehouse - Gone Fishing (BBC Two this Friday 8pm and BBC iPlayer) - If you told me that one of my favourite unexpected shows of last year consisted of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse going fishing, a show that would feature nothing else but them fishing, I wouldn’t have believed you, but we are where we are. I suppose the fact that it works is because it isn’t really a show about fishing at all. It’s about the conversations they have whilst doing so, the same sort of conversations you have at the pub with your best mate or the deep meaningful ones you have with a relative.
They both talk about health, youth, mortality and the wonderful nature and fragility of life. Make time for this show, even if you aren’t big fans of their other comedy work.
*WHISPERS* Bake Off released its first teaser for its latest Channel 4 series. That’s right, it will be back in several weeks and I cannot wait to bore everyone.
Fosse/Verdon (BBC Two this Friday, 9pm and then iPlayer) - Honestly, I had no idea who the Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse and his muse Gwen Verdon are, but I loved this FX series looking at their relationship. Starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as the two, stick with it past the first 20 minutes of episode one if you’re not taken by it right away, as it takes a while to get going.
The final scene, the flashback scene featuring the door opening between Fosse and Verdon, hit me right in the feels. Ring me the moment you get there.
FYI: I’m presenting a documentary about LGBT history for BBC Radio 5 Live. With acceptance of LGBT+ relationships stagnating and transphobic and homophobic hate crimes surging, what are lives of LGBT+ people right now really like? Are things still getting better? I admit, I don’t know that much about our shared history, it isn’t taught in schools, so I visited the Gay and Lesbian National Survey at The Keep in Brighton to read through anonymous submissions sent in over a thirty year period.
You can hear the documentary from 10.30pm this Thursday on 5 Live. As well as that, the latest Must Watch podcast is also available to hear on BBC Sounds. I’m co-hosting the Podcast Radio Hour with Amanda Litherland again this Friday on BBC Radio 4 Extra too. Subscribe to updates of when I do things on Facebook.
If you have any shows you want others to know about, respond to this email with your recommendation and where you found it and I’ll try to include it the next newsletter!
Have a good week and all my love,
Scotty x