Recommended Television Programmes

[Roger Webb]

If it's not too late to cancel any ready-made plans BBC 4 are repeating Dan Cruickshank's exploration of the castles of Ludwig Ii of Bavaria, interesting for the Wagner connections, if I remember correctly. BBC 4 8.00pm

[Serial_Apologist]

If it's not too late to cancel any ready-made plans BBC 4 are repeating Dan Cruickshank's exploration of the castles of Ludwig Ii of Bavaria, interesting for the Wagner connections, if I remember correctly. BBC 4 8.00pm

Last night's Lost Temples of Cambodia, the first of three episodes on Channel 4, looked at the extraordinary ruins at Angkor Wat, centre of an advanced urban civilisation in the 11th century. How did such a society die out after some 500 years? In the case of the Incas it was mainly due to climate change. One hopes more will be revealed or at least suggested in the subsequent episodes.

[LMcD]

I'm not surprised to see that 'Miner's Strike - A Frontline Story', broadcast on BBC2 last night, has been receiving 5-star reviews. It was as even-handed a treatment as could reasonably be expected given the strength of feeling (to put it mildly) felt at the time by those involved and clearly still felt by many of them.. This excellent programme, while not taking sides, made it clear why the strike was never going to allow Mr Scargill to achieve his aims and why no other outcome was ever likely.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm not surprised to see that 'Miner's Strike - A Frontline Story', broadcast on BBC2 last night, has been receiving 5-star reviews. It was as even-handed a treatment as could reasonably be expected given the strength of feeling (to put it mildly) felt at the time by those involved and clearly still felt by many of them.. This excellent programme, while not taking sides, made it clear why the strike was never going to allow Mr Scargill to achieve his aims and why no other outcome was ever likely.

The strike did however succeed in achieving Thatcher's aims, which I do not believe had anything to do with aiming to replace coal with more environmentally friendly means of energy production which could have regenerated the areas decimated by mine closures, but rather with further weakening the trade union movement, resulting (in part) with where we now are - zero hours contracts, poaching the third word for cheap labour sourcings, etc. That too was tacit in the narrative's outcomes, which in any case the programme was not about (though it could have been presented as a coda). I have to say though that this documentary was the first in a long time by the BBC to present both sides of the politics, and, ruefully, it deserves some commending for that.

[smittims]

And as if to balance it (if indeed it does) we have 'Thatcher, a very British revolution'. It's interesting to see such programmes being screened in advance of (but not so close to it as to attract criticism) a General election. I suppose the BBC have an elaborate code as to what can and cannot be shown. I don't know if this programme comes not to praise Thatcher but to bury her, as I shan't be watching for more than one reason.

I remember many occasions over the last thirty years when any BBC documentary mentioned 1979 , even slightly, and we just had to be shown the famous footage of her arrival at no. 10 and reciting part of the prayer of S. Francis of Assisi. I imagine there must be many arguments within the BBc about such things.

[LMcD]

And as if to balance it (if indeed it does) we have 'Thatcher, a very British revolution'. It's interesting to see such programmes being screened in advance of (but not so close to it as to attract criticism) a General election. I suppose the BBC have an elaborate code as to what can and cannot be shown. I don't know if this programme comes not to praise Thatcher but to bury her, as I shan't be watching for more than one reason.

I remember many occasions over the last thirty years when any BBC documentary mentioned 1979 , even slightly, and we just had to be shown the famous footage of her arrival at no. 10 and reciting part of the prayer of S. Francis of Assisi. I imagine there must be many arguments within the BBc about such things.

Presumably Channel 4 also had such an ulterior motive, or followed some such code, when they broadcast their own series a week or so ago marking the 40th anniversary of the strike. If the BBC programme set out to prove anything, it was that the strike was bound to fail because the NUM mistakenly thought that they were taking on the NCB, only to realize that that were in fact taking on a government which had learnt the lessons of previous miners' strikes, had no intention of being defeated again, and was consequently well prepared - even for a national strike which might have prolonged the strike without, I suspect, changing the final outcome.

[Serial_Apologist]

Presumably Channel 4 also had such an ulterior motive, or followed some such code, when they broadcast their own series a week or so ago marking the 40th anniversary of the strike. If the BBC programme set out to prove anything, it was that the strike was bound to fail because the NUM mistakenly thought that they were taking on the NCB, only to realize that that were in fact taking on a government which had learnt the lessons of previous miners' strikes, had no intention of being defeated again, and was consequently well prepared - even for a national strike which might have prolonged the strike without, I suspect, changing the final outcome.

I agree with that. The difference lay in Thatcher's seeing the strike outcome as no less than historical, settling for all time the unresolved power balance between capital and organised labour, whereas for Scargill et al it was the survival or otherwise of the Tory government: a serious miscalculation with lasting consequences.

[vinteuil]

... the very wonderful Talking Pictures TV is showing all the MR James adaptations made in the 1970s.

Looking at the credits for last night's A Warning for the Curious [1972] I was tickled by the choices made for the music - I wonder if a BBC producer today would be so brave :

• Atmospheres - Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio, Baden Baden; Conductor: Ernest Bour (György Ligeti) [Heliodor – 2549 003]
• Density 21.5 - Flute: Severino Gazzelloni (Edgard Varèse) [Heliodor – 2549 002]
• Concerto for Cello and Orchestra - Hessian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Cello: Siegfried Palm; Conductor: Michael Gielen (György Ligeti) [Heliodor – 2549 004]
• Streichquartett No. 2 (i): Allegro Nervoso and (iv): Presto Furioso, Brutale, Tumultoso - LaSalle-Quartett; Cello: Jack Kirstein (György Ligeti) [Deutsche Grammophon, Avantgarde 2561 040]

[Serial_Apologist]

... the very wonderful Talking Pictures TV is showing all the MR James adaptations made in the 1970s.

Looking at the credits for last night's A Warning for the Curious [1972] I was tickled by the choices made for the music - I wonder if a BBC producer today would be so brave :

• Atmospheres - Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest German Radio, Baden Baden; Conductor: Ernest Bour (György Ligeti) [Heliodor – 2549 003]
• Density 21.5 - Flute: Severino Gazzelloni (Edgard Varèse) [Heliodor – 2549 002]
• Concerto for Cello and Orchestra - Hessian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Cello: Siegfried Palm; Conductor: Michael Gielen (György Ligeti) [Heliodor – 2549 004]
• Streichquartett No. 2 (i): Allegro Nervoso and (iv): Presto Furioso, Brutale, Tumultoso - LaSalle-Quartett; Cello: Jack Kirstein (György Ligeti) [Deutsche Grammophon, Avantgarde 2561 040]

Yesterday's TPTV showed 1965's classic "Dr Terror's House of Horrors" with the usual cast of suspects, and music by one Elizabeth Lutyens, and one Tubby Hayes! Ms Lutyens was provided with the instructions for musical intrusions, and this might have been the one she would later mention as including "'Tart's legs - 4 seconds' - what the so-and-so am I supposed to do with THAT???!"

[eighthobstruction]

....some great stuff from the 80-90's....on BBC iplayer Archive section - All Passion Spent (Vita Sackville -West).....Passage to India....Momento Mori (Muriel Spark) and a few others....really enjoyed a trip down memory lane....(originally Screen 2 offerings)

[Nick Armstrong]

....some great stuff from the 80-90's....on BBC iplayer Archive section - All Passion Spent (Vita Sackville -West).....Passage to India....Momento Mori (Muriel Spark) and a few others....really enjoyed a trip down memory lane....(originally Screen 2 offerings)

Yes some cherished old faces among that lot - good stuff

[LMcD]

....some great stuff from the 80-90's....on BBC iplayer Archive section - All Passion Spent (Vita Sackville -West).....Passage to India....Momento Mori (Muriel Spark) and a few others....really enjoyed a trip down memory lane....(originally Screen 2 offerings)

Part of a continuing BBC4 season of Wednesday night 'classic' dramas based on 'classic' novels. Next up is Anna Karenina. from 1961 with Claire Bloom.

[Nick Armstrong]

Next up is Anna Karenina from 1961 with Claire Bloom.

Indeed - stunning… and a just-pre-007 Sean Connery as Vronsky (Dr No began shooting in January 1962…)

[LMcD]

Indeed - stunning… and a just-pre-007 Sean Connery as Vronsky (Dr No began shooting in January 1962…)

I recorded this, but watched the 15-minute introduction in which the 91-year-old (!) Claire Bloom mentioned the choices that the director had to make when reducing a very long book into a TV play lasting 100 minutes or so. and compared it with 'Brideshead Revisited', in which she also appeared and which obviously didn't need to take so many liberties with the text of the book.

[smittims]

I recorded this but haven't seen it yet. In my experience the fault of some versions has been to omit the relationship between Levin and Kitty, which Tolstoy clearly intended as a counterbalance to the Anna/Vronsky disaster. In one version they were airbrushed out altogether. I still treasure the old film with Ralph Richardson, with music by Constant Lambert.