tv
Nolan: Australia's Maverick Artist, BBC Four review – a lust for life in all its aspectsMonday, 21 January 2019
Reckless, unstoppable, one step ahead of everyone else, a hell of a lot of fun, utterly charming, street smart – descriptions of the artist Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) poured out from colleagues, rivals, curators, art historians and dealers, not to mention friends and family, in this persuasive film. Read more...
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Black Lake, Series 2 Finale, BBC Four review - Swedish chiller fails to thrillSunday, 20 January 2019
A bunch of young-ish people stuck in a rambling house in the middle of nowhere, a hatchet-faced senior citizen guarding a hoard of murky secrets, assorted missing persons, a derelict sanatorium, lots of creepy noises and no telephones… hang on, isn’t that exactly the same formula as in the first series of Black Lake... Read more... |
American History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley, BBC Four review - rewriting history in the Land of the FreeFriday, 18 January 2019
The multi-costumed Lucy Worsley is television marmite, loved or loathed: her gesticulating enthusiasm can grate, as can her stream of bland platitudes. Typically the title is Worsley-twee, evoking fibs instead of lies and falsehoods; are we in the nursery, as smart Nanny Worsley seems to think? Read more... |
Magnum P.I., Sky 1 review - slick and formulaic remake of Eighties originalThursday, 17 January 2019
Perhaps inspired by the success of the revived Hawaii Five-O, CBS and Universal have gone back to the Eighties, and back to Hawaii, to see if the venerable Magnum P.I. could benefit from a similar overhaul. Early evidence suggests that as formulaic American dramas go, it’s… sort of business as usual. Read more... |
Cold Feet, Series 8, ITV, review - mortality liteTuesday, 15 January 2019
How much more is there to say about the thrills and spills of midlife? Cold Feet made a surprisingly nimble return to ITV a couple of series ago after a long furlough. There was little evidence of stiff joints or saggy bottoms in Mike Bullen’s writing as he welcomed a gang of teens to the cast list. Read more... |
On Drums... Stewart Copeland!, BBC Four review - no drummer, no rock'n'rollFriday, 11 January 2019
On Drums was inhabited by a parade of fine-looking young and middle aged multi-ethnic anglophone drummers, all introduced by Stewart Copeland, the American drummer of the Police. Read more... |
Catastrophe, Series 4, Channel 4 review - final series starts stronglyWednesday, 09 January 2019
Some may have thought that Catastrophe (Channel 4) had neared the end of the road with the third series, but I disagree. It was still managing, with some deftness, to pull off the difficult trick of mixing broad humour with serious themes of love, attraction and the difficulties of parenthood. Read more... |
Call My Agent!, Netflix review - French movie stars turn out for witty and waspish TV showWednesday, 09 January 2019
Read theartsdesk review of Call My Agent!, Series 4 Read more... |
Brexit: The Uncivil War, Channel 4 review - Benedict Cumberbatch gets the best tunesTuesday, 08 January 2019
One day this all will be over. Give it half a century. In 50 years' time, there will be documentaries in which today’s young, by then old, will explain to generations yet unborn exactly how and why Britain went round the twist in 2016. Read more... |
Luther, Series 5, BBC One review - welcome return for Idris Elba's maverick 'tecWednesday, 02 January 2019
“Can you breathe?’ “Yeah.” “Shame, that”. Another ne’er-do-well is being banged to rights after a chase through container stacks in the dark. Luther is back, and he hasn’t upgraded his Volvo or changed his tweed coat – but we don’t really mind, do we? Read more... |
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