Worth Watching: 'George Michael: Outed,' 'Interior Design Masters' and 'Gogglebox: 10 Year Anniversary Special'
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A few days later than planned (due to being knocked out with the flu) here are some television recommendations for the week ahead.
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DOCUMENTARY OF THE WEEK
George Michael: Outed (Channel 4, both episodes on All 4) - A thought-provoking two-part documentary looking at the events leading up to George Michael publicly coming out as gay, and how his CNN interview became a defining moment of LGBTQ+ history and culture.
The attitudes of the tabloid press are a major focus here, who not only shared misleading scare stories about gay men at the height of the AIDS epidemic, but also outed men under the excuse of it being in the ‘public interest.’
At the end of the second episode, a montage highlighting how celebrities have still felt the need to come out publicly, alongside the latest statistics on the rise of homophobic and transphobic abuse shows that things have not necessarily changed for the better. The press has simply replaced a moral panic against gay people with a moral panic against trans people.
AN HOUR OF JOYFUL NONSENSE
Interior Design Masters (BBC One, new episodes out Tuesday 8pm) - A show where wannabe interior designers are given the opportunity to test their wares.
It is a bit like Changing Rooms, but with 10 places having a makeover at the same time rather than just two. At the end of the challenge, you — sat at home, glass of wine in hand — then say to the person next to you, “Oh, I wouldn’t have decorated it that way.”
And if you ever feel guilty that you have said something rather too harsh, along comes judge Michelle Ogundehin (above left) saying something just as bad, if not worse.
AN ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Gogglebox 10 Year Anniversary Special (Channel 4) - At a first glance you might think a 10 year anniversary of Gogglebox would just be a highlights package featuring some of the show’s best bits, but it is (unexpectedly) a far deeper watch than that.
Having shown us into the living rooms of the same households for up to a decade, you get to see how the families featured have changed and evolved over time. The show itself has provided a social history too, with ordinary Brits providing reactions through Brexit, Covid and five Prime Ministers.
There are also touching tributes to Goggleboxers no longer with us: Leon and June, Andy Michael, Pete McGarry and Mary Cook. It also features the show’s original narrator: the late, great Caroline Aherne.
THE BBC’S WEIRD WEEKEND
Gary Lineker “stepping back” from Match of the Day caused a boycott of BBC Sport programmes by the broadcaster’s presenters, and resulted in schedules being torn up at the last minute. It was a rather surreal weekend to be following from the sofa.
Firstly, BBC News said that they had reached out to BBC News for an interview.
Then, BBC One decided to replace Final Score with The Repair Shop, a show that is all about things that are broken and urgently need repairing.
Then, my tweet about BBC News asking the BBC onto BBC News was uploaded … to the BBC News website.
SHOWS COMING SOON TO TELEVISION:
Ted Lasso returns with series three on Wednesday 15th March.
Race Across The World series three lands on Wednesday 22nd March.
Succession will return for its fourth (and final) series on Monday 27th March.
WHERE TO FIND ME THIS WEEK:
I wrote an oral history of Gogglebox for The Guardian as the show celebrates its 10th anniversary.
I was on the BBC’s Eurovisioncast talking about the UK’s entry: Mae Muller.
On Must Watch this week we reviewed George Michael: Outed, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, and Interior Design Masters.
Thanks so much for reading.
Scotty @scottygb