Recommendations: "Taskmaster," "Michael Palin," "Alison Hammond" and "The West Wing"
Here's some good TV recommendations.
Hello,
Welcome to Worth Watching. It’s the email where I tell you what television and streaming shows are worth your time. Thanks for subscribing.
I come with some good news - there are a lot of *new* television shows you can get stuck into at the moment. The production delays caused by the March lockdown will have quite an impact on the number of shows that we end up we with Spring, but it’s not a noticeable reduction this Autumn. Here are some choice picks:
Song Exploder (Netflix ) - The podcast series by Hrishikesh Hirway has been adapted into a television series, without it losing what made a success. Each episode looks at how a much-loved record was formed, by scouring over the lyrics and how each sound works together, without it ever becoming too technical. It could easily just be of interest to music production geeks, or so philosophical that it only interests the musician. A good place to start is the episode on how “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. became a global hit, even though it lacks a vocal chorus and is performed mostly on a mandolin.
The Trump Show (BBC iPlayer) - I know what you’re thinking. When Trump dominates so much of the news cycle, why on earth would you want to watch a three hour documentary looking back at his Presidency? The answer: that it brings into the sharp focus how dramatic the past four years have been, how the relentless news cycle has pushed huge stories out of your memory (his impeachment, Stormy Daniels, the lack of crowds at his inauguration). Also how time and again, Trump has come back when absolutely every pundit and expert has written him off. It’s something worth bearing in mind as we head to the US Election in just over a fortnight.
Taskmaster (Channel 4) - I never got round to watching this when it was on Dave. It’s a gameshow show where comedians are made to complete increasingly bizarre (and cheap looking) challenges. Right now I am watching, simply because it is so nonsense that it feels like a complete distraction from everything else. I like how the comedians asked to take part stick around for the whole series (this time it’s Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring). It’s also a relief to see a panel show where all the comedians aren’t trying to talk over each other, desperately attempting to get the best one-liner.
Michael Palin - Journeys of a Lifetime (BBC iPlayer and BBC Two, Sundays 8pm) - I have been a big fan of Michael Palin’s travel documentary work since I was a kid. I’ve also recommended watching his work during the lockdown, so you can only imagine how I pleased I was when I heard that BBC Two was to air a four-part series where he looks back at his favourite adventures. Ignore the talking heads. The bits where he reviews his work is the best bit.
There’s something particularly healing about seeing the rest of the world on a television at a time when you can’t easily go there. A comfort too in watching archive material, making you realise that this awful period has only ever been within our recent history. It also make you realise, heck, there’s a world out there. I was lucky enough to speak to Michael Palin earlier this month for The Guardian and this quote out to me:
“I think it’s very, very important to remember that we are this tiny part of a vast world, in which people right across the globe are suffering in various different ways from the pandemic. It’s a reminder that there are a lot of things that we do share, that you can’t just cut yourself off in certain countries and say: We’re all right, forget the rest.”
Alison Hammond - Back to School (ITV) - Alison Hammond is one of the best presenters on British television today. She’s also criminally underused in primetime. Earlier this month ITV offered her a one-off documentary where she ventures around the country to find out notable black figures in British history that have been so far largely not been taught about in schools (a reminder that they should).
The West Wing (All 4) - No need to dust off the DVD boxset! A streaming service has finally got the rights to all seasons of the beloved US political drama. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to spend the next few months rationing episodes, whilst listening to the podcast West Wing Weekly. You don’t necessarily need to watch the whole thing either, just the first four seasons (they’re the best ones).
Roadkill (BBC iPlayer) - Meanwhile this British political drama is not exactly spell-binding but is worth a look, simply because Hugh Laurie and Helen McCrory are in it and they are very good in it. The issue is that it is riddled in clichés. For example, when a journalist is fired from her job in the first twenty minutes, a later scene consists of her walking home carrying a cardboard box containing a pot plant. All episodes are available to watch on iPlayer.
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If you’re looking for more shows to keep your mind off *the news,* here’s some great recommendations from Twitter. Suggestions include: Ted Lasso, Veep, Ghosts, Gavin & Stacey, Peep Show, Selling Sunset and Schitt’s Creek.
A few tidbits:
BAKE OFF: I’m doing the Bake Off liveblog for The Guardian with 2019 favourite Michael Chakraverty this year. I’ve also written for The New York Times about how the show is giving us a slice of normality at an uneasy time.
RENEWALS: David Tennant and Michael Sheen’s Staged has been given a second series. Stath Lets Flats has also just been given a third series.
GOGGLEBOX: Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston and Vicky McClure from Line of Duty will be featuring in a one-off celebrity Gogglebox episode Friday evening (23rd October) to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.
MUST WATCH: We’ve had a lot of good guests on the 5 Live / BBC Sounds podcast in recent weeks, including Katherine Parkinson, Blake Harrison and Mathew Baynton. You can also read Hayley and I’s reviews all in one place. Subscribe to the podcast through the BBC Sounds app.
AND THAT’S HOW, FOR NOW: ITV has announced that the iconic kids show How is returning. One of the presenters? Fred Dinenage (who is 78 years young). Amazing.
I leave you with this quirky moment from BBC News.
If you have any TV recommendations, please do send them back to this email and I’ll see about including it in a future newsletter. And if you find this email useful, it would make such a difference if you tell them to subscribe through this page.
Thanks so much for reading.
Scotty / @scottygb