Good TV Stuff

 

 

1. Back in Time for Dinner - BBC2 8pm - Tuesdays

Giles Coren and Polly Russell take a modern day family back in time to see what life and dinner were like years ago. I know there's been lots of programmes like this on TV over the years but they're still interesting, even if you've seen something similar before. They've done the 50s and 60s and this week's episode was the 70s - complete with the shops, fashions, furniture and lifestyle a typical family would have had. Mary Berry and Hairy Biker, Dave Myers have popped in along the way to offer advice and ideas and it's quite funny watching the mum, dad and two girls adapt to the living standards of the day. I reckon the star of the show though has to be the dad - it doesn't matter how they style him, he looks like he fits into each decade perfectly! (Also if someone could arrange for me to have units from the 1960s kitchen, that'd do very nicely thank you)

 

 

2. Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure - BBC2 9pm - Tuesdays

Two of my favourite comedians. In a car. On a road trip. Excellent viewing. Dara and Ed are best buds off screen as well and you can really see it in the show, they way they interact and tease each other is just fabulous to watch. They set out to follow the route of journalist Sullivan Richardson who drove the Pan-American Highway back in 1941 and the two comics try and stop at the same or similar places along the way. Ed peering over the top of an incredibly high bridge teasing Dara who was sat in the car chewing his fingernails (as he didn't like the height) is pretty hilarious. It's the last episode of the three-part series this week but the other two episodes should be on iPlayer if you want to catch up.

 

 

3. Only Connect - sadly just finished but watch out for a new series at some point on BBC2 (and catch up on iPlayer as well)

If you thought University Challenge was difficult, you should try watching Only Connect - there's many a time you're left staring at the screen thinking "what the…?" (or maybe that's just me and Andrew). Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz with two teams of "celibate research scientists" (her words, not mine) exercising their brains and competing to win. It's all about connections and thinking laterally - things like acronyms, synonyms and alternative names pop up quite often. I do quite like Victoria as well, together with David Mitchell I think they make a lovely couple and I do like her poker face and style of satire. Andrew reckons I'm a little bit like her - or at least that's the reason he claims is behind why he likes her!

 

 

4. All the Politics debates

Whatever everyone thinks about politics, you'd have a hard job to claim it didn't affect your life in some way (the NHS, education, how much tax you're paying, etc, etc). Even though the Miliband/Cameron one on Channel 4 and Sky was excruciating to watch in parts (due to Kay Burley and Paxman's lack of impartiality) it was still a decent show and very interesting to see how each one performed under pressure and on live TV. The seven-way leaders debate the other night was also very good and I'd agree with the general consensus - the women were the real winners of the night! (just a shame in England we can't vote for two of them). The next debates to keep your eye on take place on 16th April on BBC (with all the parties except the Tories) and on 30th April with Cameron, Clegg and Miliband on BBC answering questions from the audience.

 

 

5. Hinterland - BBC1 (Wales only at the mo but I’m hoping it'll be on iPlayer) - 9.30pm - Easter Monday

Think scandi-noir-type drama but set in Aberystwyth and believe me, it's pretty darn good. Very atmospheric with excellent use of the landscape (including the Old College belonging to the uni on the seafront) and really intriguing storylines. Richard Harrington (spotted in Poldark the other week) plays DCI Tom Mathias, a cop with a back story alongside DI Mared Rhys and each episode is shot two times: once completely in Welsh and once bilingually in English and Welsh. It was a four-part series on TV last year, tucked away late in the evening on BBC4 and they showed the version with both languages (with the Welsh bits having subtitles). The show on Easter Monday is a one-off special, first aired on 1st Jan on S4C and now being shown on BBC1. There's a second series in the pipeline I think and I really hope it's shown in a more visible slot – it's such a good show!

 

 

Also, Poldark and Banished (mainly for Julian Rhind-Tutt) but I thought those two were fairly obvious!

 

What are you enjoying on the good old-fashioned box at the moment?