Recommended Television Programmes

[gurnemanz]

WILLIAMS: FORMULA ONE IN THE BLOOD (BBC2) was an absolutely wonderful film by Morgan Matthews, full of life and love, obsessive passion: pulling no punches about family conflict and tragedy - Frank Williams' own high-speed accident (which left him paraplegic), the deaths of Piers Courage and Ayrton Senna. I would almost put it on the same lofty level as Asif Kapadia's remarkable portrait of Senna himself - and it's just as upsetting when the story reaches that point; especially if, like me, you remember that day all too vividly. (Remember that poignant shot from the circling helicopter...? The sense of heartbreak has scarcely faded... )

Compulsive for motor racing fans, but I still recommend it to anyone - reminding us just how dangerous (and frequently fatal) the sport once was, the many people it touched and moved, it has that wider, human-made-story appeal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0002p1x/williams-formula-1-in-the-blood

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002p1x

A brilliantly told story giving fascinating insight into the mind of an obsessive. The sometimes hilariously droll observations of his best friend seemed to be so on the nail.

We are in the habit of making Sunday afternoon outings to National Gardens' scheme gardens. As we were visiting one of these a few years ago we came upon a small section of the large grounds dedicated to the memory of Ayrton Senna. We were somewhat surprised to see it, since we had turned up having no idea who owned the house. We soon found out. The garden at the Williams family home, Inholmes, is beatiful and well worth a visit. Checking my photos I discovered we were there in May 2013. Ginny Williams had died only two months earlier.

It was noticeable that Ayrton Senna, around whose death controversy still lingers, was not mentioned at any great length in the documentary.

[Nick Armstrong]

[I]WILLIAMS: FORMULA ONE IN THE BLOOD (BBC2) was an absolutely wonderful film

Couldn't agree more with your post, jayne. Yes the obsession and the tragedy, offset by the robust humour of FW's best friend (as highlighted by gurnemanz) and also the wonderful Frank Dernie, pioneering engineer at Williams in the '80s. The counterpoint between the bleak aftermath of FW's crippling road crash and Dernie's account of what an "arse" Nigel Mansell was, was brilliant (including his impression of Mansell whinging over the radio ). Then again, I was always a Nelson Piquet fan.

And how touching to hear Dernie describe how he introduced FW to music, especially Bach, during his recuperation. (Did you see Dernie's HiFi?! Wow - probably designed it himself )

Plus - shame on me - I realised for the first time I was at Williams's first GP victory: Regazzoni at Silverstone in 1979. Of course I remember him winning, but never realised it was their first (I'm very bad at stats...). Unforgettable: my dad had got us start-line grandstand seats, including my best mate, to celebrate the end of A-levels!

[jayne lee wilson]

Some hifi details here - click on "wigwam info" under "F1eng"..... I knew the speakers were horns (tune audio anima, he may have changed them out since...) and I recognised the very distinctive Devialet control, but we didn't see enough of it...

https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/91361-devialet-with-vinyl-phono-stage-options/?page=2

I felt Senna was given prominence enough given the focus of the film (too big a controversy to open up in context), but was Damon Hill mentioned very much? I don't think so, but I get a little wine-hazy-dozy late on...

[Nick Armstrong]

Some hifi details here - click on "wigwam info" under "F1eng"..... I knew the speakers were horns (tune audio anima, he may have changed them out since...) and I recognised the very distinctive Devialet control, but we didn't see enough of it...

https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/9...ptions/?page=2

Fascinating: Dernie himself!

was Damon Hill mentioned very much? I don't think so

You're right - he wasn't mentioned at all, as far as I can recall

[jayne lee wilson]

SYNTH-BRITANNIA…(BBC4)

Absolutely brilliant synth-pop history, amazingly comprehensive going from - Wendy Carlos (Clockwork Orange soundtrack etc) and Kraftwerk as crucial source and influence, through Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, onto Joy Divison and the early New Order (and how they got to Blue Monday)… Human League and OMD (Andy McCluskey impressively articulate…), Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Yazoo….

Showing how proud the music makers were of being in the vanguard, innovators and eventually hitmakers, building their own synths or buying them on credit out of catalogues, because they couldn’t afford the early stage-eating art-rock behemoths; the snobbishness and hostility of the Rock-biased music press of the time; And how the "new music" eventually ran its course, became dilute and commodified (anyone for Howard Jones..?)…
If you lived through & with it - endless stream of wonderfully memorable chart hits.... Enola Gay to Tainted Love to Only You to Vienna…

I just can’t get enough, I just can't get enough..…
So I watched it twice - what a very well-filled 90 minutes!

Too much Pop on BBC4? Of course, but when it’s this good….

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n93c4

[oddoneout]

Too much Pop on BBC4? Of course, but when it’s this good….

It's hardly yet another of the endless TOTP repeats, so I don't think it counts as too much pop. If I hadn't already crashed out I might well have watched it out of interest.

[Serial_Apologist]

SYNTH-BRITANNIA…(BBC4)

Absolutely brilliant synth-pop history, amazingly comprehensive going from - Wendy Carlos (Clockwork Orange soundtrack etc) and Kraftwerk as crucial source and influence, through Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, onto Joy Divison and the early New Order (and how they got to Blue Monday)… Human League and OMD (Andy McCluskey impressively articulate…), Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Yazoo….

Showing how proud the music makers were of being in the vanguard, innovators and eventually hitmakers, building their own synths or buying them on credit out of catalogues, because they couldn’t afford the early stage-eating art-rock behemoths; the snobbishness and hostility of the Rock-biased music press of the time; And how the "new music" eventually ran its course, became dilute and commodified (anyone for Howard Jones..?)…
If you lived through & with it - endless stream of wonderfully memorable chart hits.... Enola Gay to Tainted Love to Only You to Vienna…

I just can’t get enough, I just can't get enough..…
So I watched it twice - what a very well-filled 90 minutes!

Too much Pop on BBC4? Of course, but when it’s this good….


https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n93c4

Thanks jayne - I've been watching the documentary on Marianne Faithfull. I must watch this tomorrow.

[LMcD]

'Red Riding Hood' - the latest 'Armchair Theatre' offering from Talking Pictures TV, with Keith Barron exuding an air of quiet menace and Rita Tushingham as his latest victim-cum-conspirator. (And there's NO intrusive 'background' music!)

[gradus]

'Red Riding Hood' - the latest 'Armchair Theatre' offering from Talking Pictures TV, with Keith Barron exuding an air of quiet menace and Rita Tushingham as his latest victim-cum-conspirator. (And there's NO intrusive 'background' music!)

I watched this too, presumably performed live to camera -filmed sequences excepted. A strange tale with the director taking full advantage of the top 'eye-acting' from Rita Tushingham and a subtle performance from Keith Barron. Excellent tv and makes me want to see more Armchair Theatre.

[LMcD]

I watched this too, presumably performed live to camera -filmed sequences excepted. A strange tale with the director taking full advantage of the top 'eye-acting' from Rita Tushingham and a subtle performance from Keith Barron. Excellent tv and makes me want to see more Armchair Theatre.

This was episode 5 (of 10) in series 15, so presumably TPTV will show the remaining 5 followed, it is to be hoped, by series 16.

[Nick Armstrong]

A strange tale with the director taking full advantage of the top 'eye-acting' from Rita Tushingham and a subtle performance from Keith Barron. Excellent tv and makes me want to see more Armchair Theatre.

Oh dear, I found it pretty grotesque and unwatchable - not least the Tushingham eyes

Much more gripping and watchable (I found) was the first ever episode this evening of Callan from 1967, Edward Woodward and Anthony Valentine on the track of a Nazi war criminal (complete with strains of Twilight of the Gods). I'll be watching more.

[johncorrigan]

Much more gripping and watchable (I found) was the first ever episode this evening of Callan from 1967, Edward Woodward and Anthony Valentine on the track of a Nazi war criminal (complete with strains of Twilight of the Gods). I'll be watching more.

I used to think that Lonely was a brilliant character in Callan, Cal, but I suppose he doesn't appear till later on.

I hadn't seen the first season of 'Fleabag' but it was being heavily trailed and I couldn't resist the call of Andrew Scott, as well as Olivia Colman and Bill Paterson...nuff said! At times I thought I was watching a Bunuel re-enactment this evening. Laughed a lot and totally terrific script by Fleabag herself,Phoebe Waller-Bridge ...if the rest of the series is anything like as good as tonight's I reckon I'm in for a right tasty treat.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I hadn't seen the first season of 'Fleabag' but it was being heavily trailed and I couldn't resist the call of Andrew Scott, as well as Olivia Colman and Bill Paterson...nuff said! At times I thought I was watching a Bunuel re-enactment this evening. Laughed a lot and totally terrific script by Fleabag herself,Phoebe Waller-Bridge ...if the rest of the series is anything like as good as tonight's I reckon I'm in for a right tasty treat.

- I was so hooked by this episode, I went straight to the i-Player and watched Episode 1 of the First Series (which is available for three months). Grotesque, horrific, and hilarious, the central character obnoxious and fragile; self-centred and yet somehow appealing. That's my viewing sorted out for the next few days.

(Phoebe Waller-Bridge was also responsible for the scripts of Killing Eve ... and is a really good actress, too: phenomenally talented!)

[Anastasius]

(Although sadly it looks like only the first ep of Greyzone is on C4, one has to resort to the annoying 'hub' for the rest... )

Don't know of the others you mention, will investigate

And more internationally (but on BBC1), Baptiste from The Missing returns on Saturday 17th in a six-parter called Shell: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c47sx7 Tom Hollander involved too, never a bad thing.


Preview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...eview-baptiste

Baptiste is superb. Spellbinding. Tom Hollander is a very very good actor IMO. So many actors are single-faceted (ie they seem to just play themselves) but Tom Hollander is really talented.

[Serial_Apologist]

- I was so hooked by this episode, I went straight to the i-Player and watched Episode 1 of the First Series (which is available for three months). Grotesque, horrific, and hilarious, the central character obnoxious and fragile; self-centred and yet somehow appealing. That's my viewing sorted out for the next few days.

(Phoebe Waller-Bridge was also responsible for the scripts of Killing Eve ... and is a really good actress, too: phenomenally talented!)

I kept on waiting for something else to happen, but it never did: are those open-front dresses blue tacked onto the wearer? I've often wondered...