Worth Watching: "Jim Henson: Idea Man," "In Vogue: The 90s"

It is your Worth Watching briefing.

Hello,

I’m back after a week’s holiday in Spain. Hope you’re good.

This is a decent month on television. Marvel’s Agatha All Along, a spin-off of the fantastic WandaVision, is out from today (I’ll be reviewing it for 5Live on Monday.)

The Great British Bake Off is back from next Tuesday 24th September, Strictly properly kicks off from this Saturday (Paul Merson and Karen Hauer are dancing the American Smooth to "Vindaloo" by Fat Les for some reason) and Drag Race UK starts again next Thursday, the 26th September.

And coming soon… the second series of Bad Sisters (Apple TV+), the third series of Heartstopper (Netflix) and the Jilly Cooper book adaptation Rivals (Disney+).

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Jim Henson: Idea Man (Disney+ - one off film) - The Muppets. Sesame Street. Fraggle Rock. Labyrinth. This documentary charts the life of the puppeteer and visionary Jim Henson, who created some of the most well-known characters on television and film.

There’s so much here. You’ll learn about how Kermit the Frog was made from a coat his mother owned and a ping pong ball cut in two. You’ll learn about the incredible pitch that Henson pitched networks for The Muppet Show (you can see it here, it really is something.) And why, after the show was passed by literally every American network, it ended up being filmed at Elstree, the same studio complex as Strictly.

He’s such a fascinating individual, and achieved so much in his short life (he died in his 50s), I don’t think a ninety minute documentary is long enough. But it’s a start.

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FOUR OTHER SHOWS WORTH WATCHING

In Vogue: The 90s (Disney+ - first three episodes out) - An extremely watchable series looking at American Vogue in the 1990s, and how breakthrough trends spotted by Editor Anna Wintour later transformed fashion, entertainment and celebrity.

It doesn’t reveal anything new to those already familiar with the fashion world, but as an outsider I learnt a lot about the thrill of catwalk shows and the life stories of iconic designers, such as Alexander McQueen. The real joy of the series, however, are the certain moments along the way, such as seeing Anna Wintour refusing to remove her sunglasses for her interviews and then wears them throughout the entire series.

Plus this documentary has the most A-List and ridiculous talking heads I have ever seen in any television show. So many in fact that Hillary Clinton is here and she only appears for only approximately ten seconds.

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