Recommended Television Programmes

[AuntDaisy]

... I wanted to like this : perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. It seemed preternaturally s l o w ... we gave up half way

I'd agree, it was slow. I missed the start; the ending was surprisingly moving.

Could you watch on Fast-Forward?

[Serial_Apologist]

I'd agree, it was slow. I missed the start; the ending was surprisingly moving.

Could you watch on Fast-Forward?

I did think of watching that. Instead I had already been captivated by episodes 1 & 2 of Until I Kill You over on ITV1. Starring Ann Maxwell Martin it portrayed the near-murder of Delia Balmer in the 1990s by a date from whom she had gone on to suffer an abusive relationship. Deplorable treatment by the police resulted in failures to link up with two actual murders (the "body in Regents Canal mystery" I recall from the time, and that of an American actress in Amsterdam). Far from victimhood Balmer's character was reputedly well-conveyed by Ms Martin in a memorable heart-stopping performance as prickly and made doubly so by her treatment by cops and court - she sustained horrific life-changing wounds from a knife attack conveyed in near-graphic detail. The real Delia Balmer relates her experiences in a documentary tonight, also on !TV1 at 9pm.

[Nick Armstrong]

A little gem from the early ‘90s on BBC Four this evening: Sir Michael Hordern on a geographical exploration of his love of Hardy’s life and writing. Having years ago had a memorable driving holiday with my old dad tracking down Talbothays Dairy, Flintcombe Ash, the remains of Egdon Heath etc etc, the documentary made me want to go back down there…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-hardys-dorset

There’s a 5-minute follow-up programme tonight at 22.45 on BBC Four, of Sir Michael H reading two of Hardy’s poems.