Worth Watching: "Rivals" and "Threads"

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Now is good time to watch The West Wing again.

All episodes are currently available to stream on the Channel 4 website. A rewatch (or a first time view) of the celebrated political drama feels rather timely as the US election is around the corner. And you also have an excuse to dedicate hours of your time to it, as the political drama is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

I’ve already watched ten episodes in two days. The only downsides with watching The West Wing on Channel 4 are the constant adverts (it is worth forking out for Channel 4+ to skip them) and the fact that, for rights reasons, you can’t download episodes to watch on the go.

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Speaking of the US election, UK broadcasters are starting to announce their coverage.

• BBC News will have Sumi Somaskanda and Caitríona Perry hosting election results from Washington D.C., with the BBC partnering with CBS News for polling data and further pictures.

• Channel 4 will provide eight hours of overnight coverage, hosted by Emily Maitlis and Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Similar in vibe to their UK election coverage earlier this year, panelists announced so far have already raised eyebrows, as it includes Boris Johnson and Caitlyn Jenner. Channel 4 are also partnering with CNN, so UK viewers can expect to see John King and his ‘Magic Wall’ too.

• Sky News will have Mark Austin and Yalda Hakim hosting from D.C. Their poll and vote counting results will be provided by their partner NBC.

• No coverage plans have been announced by ITV as of yet.

FIVE SHOWS WORTH WATCHING

Rivals (Disney+ - out on Friday) - On the face of it, a television drama set in the 1980s about whether a regional ITV franchise can make a profitable talkshow (as well as fulfil its broadcasting requirements so that it can receive a new licence) might not sound like the most stimulating television drama. That is until you realise that this an adaptation of the book by Dame Jilly Cooper, whose work is renowned for her wit, warmth and interesting characters. Plus, of course, lots and lots of sex.

This eight part series Disney+ series is silly and extremely bingeable (it is also the least Disney series of all time). Yet, despite being an entertaining romp, the plot weaves in serious and timely issues such as racism, misogyny and the power imbalances between executives and those working on the studio floor.

The show’s focus sometimes gets lost when it deals with a myriad of other characters (there are a lot of them), but the show always reverts back to a compelling feud between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassall) and TV executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).

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Threads (BBC iPlayer - single episode) - I know. Sitting down to watch a film about the devastating impact of a nuclear war on the British population might not sound like the most tempting way to spend an evening, but I don’t think you’ll regret watching this iconic (and horrifying) 1984 film afterwards.

A rare broadcast of Threads was shown on BBC Four last week to mark its 40th anniversary, making it available on iPlayer for the first time. Threads does not sugarcoat the dire consequences of a nuclear war, but the fictional drama has also been based on extensive research and countless interviews with nuclear experts, so you are left feeling (obviously slightly traumatised) but utterly informed. And with chilling relationships between Russia and the United States, I would say that the film is as relevant now as it was back then.

I also recommend Mick Jackson Remembers…Threads on iPlayer, where the film’s director and producer explains how Threads was made. I raised an eyebrow when at one point he said “everybody on the set had a great time.” I mean, this is Threads he is talking about.

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