Worth Watching: "Searching for Italy," “The Dropout” and “Somebody Somewhere.”
Plus helpful shows that help explain the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Hello,
Welcome to your Worth Watching newsletter.
Apologies that there hasn’t been a newsletter the last couple of weeks. I came down with Covid and I am currently on the mend. May I say that the ironic thing about being off work ill when you are a TV critic is that you simply end up catching up with all of the television you hadn’t got round to watching yet.
By the way… may I also say on the record that if anyone tells me that omicron is not really that bad and is “only a cold” I will commit ✨violence✨. Thank you.
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THE BEST HOUR OF TV ALL WEEK
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (all episodes on BBC iPlayer or on BBC Two Sundays) - There are many travel shows that consist of a celebrity heading to another country to meet the locals and try out the cuisine. Stanley Tucci’s travel show is by far the best. It simply is because, whilst other travel shows feature the celebrities visiting that country for the very first time, Tucci has visited Italy many, many times. You feel as if you are simply accompanying a trusted guide, who knows all of the best restaurants off by heart and can talk about them. Nothing could be sweeter.
I recommended this show in this newsletter six months ago, but it was only shown on the CNN International channel at something like 3am. By acquiring the first series is the best thing the BBC could have done. You can watch all episodes now on BBC iPlayer, but each episode is also scheduled on BBC Two every Sunday evening. This takes the edge off that back to work feeling.
Earlier this week on BBC Radio 5 Live, whilst recommending this programme, I accidentally called Stanley Tucci a “babe.” I have no regrets.
A COMPELLING SERIES ABOUT FRAUD
The Dropout (Disney+ - first three episodes out now, new episodes weekly) - There have been a lot of television shows about scammers and con artists recently, from the Netflix drama Inventing Anna (quick review: not worth your time) to Jobfished, a BBC Three documentary about how more than 50 people were duped into working for a company that didn’t actually exist.
This series is a welcome addition to this trend. It stars Amanda Seyfried as Elisabeth Holmes [above], a convicted fraudster who was once the CEO and founder of a healthcare company called Theranos. Her company claimed to have invented a device that could test whether you had one of hundreds of medical conditions, everything from cancer to HIV, simply from a couple of drops of your blood. Yet, despite receiving billions of dollars worth of funding and a lot of hype, the technology she touted never actually worked.
This drama, based on the podcast with the same name, explains how it all happened. It is a fascinating character profile on Holmes, but it occasionally falls too heavily on 00s nostalgia (there’s a Steve Jobs poster on Elisabeth’s wall and a Dido CD in her car). Plus there’s several scenes when Seyfried, who is 36 years old, pretends to be a college student. Yet, each hour long episode goes in a snap. It is an addictive watch.
A HEARTWARMING, LOVELY SERIES
Somebody Somewhere (NOW / Sky Q- all episodes) - A delightful and heartfelt HBO comedy drama, starring Bridget Everett [above left]. It is about a woman who feels lost after the death of her sister, only to become friends with Jeff [above right - the fantastic Jeff Hiller]. He takes her to the most unconventional church you can imagine.
What I love the most about this sitcom is how it depicts rural life with such depth. Usually depictions of people in the countryside are stereotyped or treated one dimensionally. This drama is rich in character.
Another show worth a look:
Mood (BBC Three) - The supremely talented Nicôle Lecky [above] has taken her one woman show, which looks at the online sex industry, from the Royal Court to television. Expect some really quite compelling musical numbers.
COMING SOON:
Jeremy Kyle - Death on Daytime (Channel 4 - next week) - A blistering and necessary documentary looking at the working environment of the daytime show.
Holding (ITV - from 14th March) - A television adaptation of the popular Graham Norton novel, starring Brenda Fricker, Siobhán McSweeney and Conleth Hill, directed by Kathy Burke.
WeCrashed (AppleTV+ - from 18th March) - A drama charting the dramatic rise and fall of WeWork, starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.
SHOWS THAT HELP EXPLAIN UKRAINE WELL:
Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took on Putin (All 4) - A decent 30 minute documentary, by Channel 4 News, looking at Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s life and how the comedian and former Dancing with the Stars winner ended up becoming the President of Ukraine.
Servant of the People (All 4) - In life imitating art, Zelenskyy once starred in a sitcom about a political outsider who ended up becoming the President of Ukraine. Like many broadcasters throughout Europe, Channel 4 have acquired all episodes of the sitcom. Watching this sitcom is tinged with sadness because of what has happened to Ukraine, but what stands out in this show is Zelenskyy’s love for his home country.
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (Netflix / YouTube) - A useful explainer documentary on Ukraine and Russia’s relations in the early 2010s. After Netflix decided to pull out of Russia, they also uploaded this documentary to watch for free on their YouTube account.
Storyville: Tango with Putin (BBC iPlayer) - A documentary that highlights the tightening media restrictions within Russia through the lens of an independent news station in the country.
IF YOU WANT A DISTRACTION FROM THE NEWS.
I asked people on Twitter for their recommendations. Here are some great responses:
Zen Motoring on BBC Three and Masterchef Australia on BBC iPlayer (both of recommended by Jen Stone, who says “it is like Gregg and John but x50”).
Gone Fishing on BBC iPlayer (recommended by LKandy)
Walking With… on BBC iPlayer (recommended by Josh Reid, who says that it is “really soothing and not in your face.”)
Taskmaster on All 4 (recommended by Ariadne, who says that it is “always a good shout. Series four is my happy place.”)
WHERE TO FIND ME THIS WEEK:
On Must Watch we reviewed ITV’s The Ipcress File, The Dropout on Disney+ and BBC Two’s Witchfinder. We also recommended shows as a distraction to the news.
On BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Podcast Radio Hour we spoke to Marianna Spring, the BBC’s specialist Disinformation reporter, about her new podcast Death by Conspiracy?
We also featured played excerpts from our favourite new podcasts, including Dua Lipa: At Your Service and Shaun Keaveny’s Creative Cul-de-Sac.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great week.
Scotty / @scottygb