AE on Telly News (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

60 Days with the Gypsies (Channel 4)

The interest here is to predict what side 'the explorer' Ed Stafford comes down on. Presumably it will be broadly (maybe even effusively) pro-Gypsy with a few solemn asides about 'there is fault on both sides' . But the bit I'm looking forward to is when the gypsy elders get together and say, "We want a full picture of gypsy life to emerge so we'll let everybody and everything let rip when it comes to anti-social behaviour."

[Mick Harper]

The Coming Storm BBC Radio 4

[Mick Harper]

I have only managed the first part of the gypsy programme but a few interesting things have happened already. The first is that it is being filmed at the height of summer when the alfresco life is fairly roseate. Secondly, when asked where all the rubbish goes, a woman pointed off camera and said in a reassuring tone, "Oh we put it altogether over there." Our man Stafford didn't take us over there to have a look nor did he editorialise about what happens to it after they left (which they did within a few days, peaceably, after an official visit). I find this inexcusable on both parties' part.

Then we got the extraordinary news that 'gypsies never use the toilets in their own caravans'. I assumed Ed was having his leg pulled until we heard from a gentleman returning from a nearby MacDonald's commenting on the cleanliness of their lavatories.

The gypsies were very late-risers and Ed told us why. They had been up half the night carousing to very loud music. This came after shots of all the surrounding houses with people leaning out their windows on their mobiles to the police to 'get them out of there'.

Finally our ace reporter accompanied one gypsy to work. He was 'a landscape gardener, mostly relying on cold calls.' He didn't get any work but Ed was hugely worried about how the geezer heavied an old lady into having some work done. And that was in a couple of hours and with a camera crew accompanying him! When asked why he hadn't got any work he explained that some gypsies did a poor job and they all got tarred with the same brush.

I'm not sure my prejudices can stand another half hour of this.

[Grant]

My wife used to work for a charity which owned a few acres of land. Every year the gypsies would turn up illegally and live there for a few weeks. They would shit on the land and wander round shooting rabbits. When they left it cost the charity thousands to clear the waste left behind presumably as a result of one of the gypsies’ favourite rackets - waste disposal. There were also piles of dead rabbits.

And how did they get them out? You pay a few grand to the council-approved Traveller Liaison Officer who is a gypsy himself. He probably keeps some commission.

[Mick Harper]

The Burnt Orange Heresy (Netflix)

I am only ten minutes in but two things of note. First, Mick Jagger and Donald Sutherland are in it, both of whom I was compared to in my extreme youth. That only just occurred to me because the reason I am posting this is because of a scene featuring a couple driving along a winding road along a lakeside in a mountainous part of (I think) Ireland. The driver keeps turning to the passenger, engaging in lengthy bouts of dialogue with her before (it appears) suddenly remembering to look to his front. Meanwhile I am screaming at him to look where he is going. I'm finding the scene unwatchable.

Of course he would be intent on looking to his front in this particular situation but in my normal (but rare) excursions being driven in a car (I don't drive myself) I am always in this position even though it would normally be on a motorway. As you might have guessed I am one of the world's most exhilarating conversationalists but also one of the world's most nervous passengers. Not for myself, you understand, I am quite fearless, but on behalf of the world. They wouldn't want to lose me. This results in the following bouts of dialogue:

Mick: Would you mind not turning towards me when you're talking.
Driver: You're quite right, bad habit.
Mick: Would you mind not turning towards me when you're talking.
Driver: Sorry, keep forgetting.
Mick: If you do it once more, I will not speak for the rest of the journey.
But as I say, my journeys in other people's cars are quite rare.

PS None of this applies to Hatty. She's always too busy bitching about having to wear a peaked cap.

[Mick Harper]

Re: the second half of the Gypsy programme. It has been pulled from the schedules at short notice. That's interesting though even more interesting is I can't find anything as to why. It may have something to do with this (from the Daily Express)

[Wile E. Coyote]

Vicky McClure seems to be channeling her inner James Stewart, ie always plays exactly the same part, the vulnerable righteous dependable stalwart, ("alright mate") who somehow overcomes incredible odds.

Keep it up Vicky, now all your need to do is disable all those bombs and replace them with smart metres.

[Mick Harper]

I never know whether your misspellings are deliberate. Do you mean she made the hard yards when getting away? Or whether your puns are deliberate. If so, James Stalwart is awfully good.

However, since you mention Ms McClure, her image gazed back at me from the front cover of the Guardian mag for some days whenever I was ... er... in the bathroom and I couldn't work out who she was. All I knew was I didn't like the look of her one little bit. When I belatedly discovered who she was I really liked the look of her. Context is everything.

[Mick Harper]

Further to my comments that only Al-Jazeerra was worth watching for Ukraine coverage, patrons should check out France 24 (channel 624 on Virgin). It's in English but I know many of you are fluent in the language.

[Wile E. Coyote]

If you take a true story, add a good helping of homage to Ealing Comedy, mix a knowing splash of Social Realim colouring, and then spice with a small pinch of political correctness you get "The Duke."

It's a comfort watch. Seven out of Ten. Good performances all round.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kempton_Bunton

[Mick Harper]

The Ipcress File (ITV)

In my youth (and all my life in so far as these things can be judged) The Iprcess File was both my favourite book and my favourite film. It's pretty weird being both but there you are. You can imagine therefore how much I was dreading this. But it was OK.

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

Ukraine All Channels

It started off very well but is sagging as the plotlines become both more predictable and less believable. The basic error was to go for such a stark black hat/white hat approach. It has allowed for no character development. The Zelensky character showed some promise as he started to forget his junior status and struck some aggressive attitudes towards the principals but there seems to have been some sort of script conference and he has now returned to his role as plucky loser. Even so, may have to be written out of the series later.

'Putin' was excellent value but seems to have vanished from proceedings. Possibly contractual difficulties, always a problem when using a big star in a soap. Ditto Macron who seems to have regretted getting involved at all. Biden was definitely a mistake. Should have stayed retired in my opinion.

The 'refugees' have been very poor. One can see more animation at your local foodbank. Of course it was a mistake setting it in winter, who needs huddled masses? Some good footage of old ladies crossing rivers on planks of wood but everyone seems to get across safely. In fact the casualties (always off camera) are absurdly low for what is purported to be a full-on modern war. More later.

[Grant]

I always laugh when I see the people climbing over the blown-up bridge (I’m a sociopath). I find it amusing that the commentator never mentions who blew it up. Presumably it wasn’t those pesky Russians who would have rather kept it intact.

Amazing how the hive mind is coalescing around a set of received opinions - brave Zelezny, mad Putin, democratic Ukraine etc - without any attempt to try to understand why the Russians attacked. I’m not saying Putin was right but surely people should try to understand what’s happening rather than just absorb their opinions direct from Tom Bradby.

I even had to sleep in the spare bed on Monday because I was too pro Russia!

[Mick Harper]

Nice one. I used to tell her I had a headache.