TV
highlights
Harry Hill Channel 4, Fri 30 May, 10.30pm.
The beetle-crusher-shod surrealist from another solar system lands a TV show all to himself. The recent Loaded cover star who also happens to be one of the most popular comics in Britain will deliver 30 minutes of stand-up, sketches and special guests every week. Expect regular appearances from Tenko’s Burt Kwok, 84-year-old Nana Hill and her 5ft stunt double and badger parades too. Oh yes. See feature, page 20.
Arts And Parts
Scottish, Sun 1 Jun, midnight.
New series of the late-night cultural discussmn show kicking off with The Crow Road writer Iain Banks (or Iain M. Banks as he’s know to his sci-fi fans) in a one-on-one situation with John Brown, writer of TV’s The Justice Game.
The Works BBCZ, Sun 1 Jun, 8.55pm.
The arts documentary series tells the incredible tale of Varian Fry, the man known as the Schindler of the art world. The American journalist, who died virtually unknown, rescued 2000 Europeans from Nazi persecution, among them some of the greatest intellectuals and artists of the 20th century. Sounds like a great plot for a moVie, don’t you think?
Absolutely Animals Channel 4, Mon 2 Jun, 8.30pm.
The trouble-shooting animal magazine programme returns for a new eight- part series. Animal-mad Wendy Turner and TV vet Mark Evans concentrate on issues affecting our furry/scaly friends with campaigning features, investigations into pet problems and an eight-part animal soap.
The Good Life
Channel 4, Mon 2 Jun, 9pm.
New two-part documentary series looking at the enduring myth of the countryside as a haven from the stresses and strains of urban life. Taking three vastly different domestic situations, the first programme shows how one family’s rural paradise can be another’s hand-to-mouth eXistence.
Touching Evil Scottish, Tue 3 Jun, 9pm.
Last in the not-bad thriller series starring Robson Green as a maverick detective with old-fashioned values. This week C reegan catches two killers on the loose, but has to enlist a convicted murderess in order to catch his men.
QED
BBCl, Tue 3 Jun, 10pm.
Now get this. Babe was a movie, but OED has dug up a top American scientist whose work raises the possibility that pigs are the most intelligent beings on the planet. Professor Stanley Curtis insists that pigs have highly developed cognitive powers, a theory he puts to the test by teaching two of them - Hamlet and Omelette — to play video games and operate computers. Planet Of The Pigs here we come.
The Chair
BBCZ, Wed 4 Jun, 7.10pm.
This week’s edition of the programme that probes into famous people’s minds, sees Peter Mandelson, spin doctor extraordinaire turned Minister Without Portfolio, in the chair with clinical psychologist Oliver James.
Firefighters BBCl,Wed 4 Jun, 8.15pm.
Fly-in-the-fire documentary series following the working days of two Merseyside fire stations, as they battle through smoke and flames to rescue women, children and even pet hamsters. In the first of six episodes, the Red Watch (known to their rivals as The Addams Family because of their huge disparity in shapes and sizes) are called to a raging fire caused by four-year-old Lours who put his mum’s lipstick in the microwave,
ER
Channel 4, Wed 4 Jun, 10pm.
Last in the current series of the addictive hospital drama, with trauma in store for Benton, Carter, Ross and Greene. Fatherhood beckons for Benton, but is the baby healthy? Greene has turned dangerously irritable after the doing he received in the hospital toilets, while Ross has girl trouble, again.
Firefighters. Wed 4 June, 88C1
TV & RADIO
Th Other Half 880, Sat 7 Jun.
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ls Dale Winton in search of world domination or what? The compere de campe extraordinaire of cult show Supermarket Sweep is back on screen with The Other Half - a kind of Blind Date meets Mr And Mrs crossed with Through The Keyhole. A truly frightening mix, but one which seems well-
suited to Winton's awesome talent.
Basically. right. post-modernism's answer to Larry Grayson has a ’guessing couple' attempting to pick the 'mystery other-half couple' from a list of candidates, with the victors getting the chance to grab a luxury holiday in
Hawaii or a booby prize.
The contestants are the usual wacky bunch who are on for a good laugh and public humiliation. Whilst in the swimming-pool. Sarah from Epsom mistook a stranger for her brother and pulled his trunks down! Sue from Romsey dreams of going hot-air ballooning with Keanu Reevesll George fae Paisley can make his ears poplll Chris from St Helens has a phobia for the sound of rubber-soled pumps rubbing togetherllll
Meanwhile, Dale himself is on the search for a mate, himself. ‘I would love one.’ he laughs. ’Please, let someone come soon.’ Saucy. (Brian Donaldson)
Damage Channel 5, Sun 8 Jun, l0.05pm.
Documentary which claims to be the first programme to expose a gruesome new trend among young girls in Britain who, usmg everything from razors and knives to broken glass are literally scarring themselves for life. ’Cutting is the anorexia of the 903,’ says one expert. ’But until now it has remained hidden from the public eye.’
Heroes Of Comedy Channel 4, Wed ll Jun, 9pm.
Frankie Howerd is this week’s hero, with rare archive footage of the much- Ioved comedian’s music hall days through to his legendary stand-up routines and many numerous film and televmon roles. With comments from Eric Sykes, Ned Sherrin and Barry Cryer,
radio
highlights
World Party Radio 1, Sun 1 Jun, 7pm.
Global Update presenter Jennifer Cox attempts to go behind the sun-kissed glamour of global clubbing and ask what effect the endless party convoys to lbiza, Goa, Thailand and even South America are having on the communities they invade for months on end.
The Mahaffys
Radio 4, Wed 4 Jun, 11.15pm.
New comedy series starring Pauline McLynn (Mrs 00er from Father Ted) as head of a strange family who live in
the small town of Tubberbiggle in the west of Ireland. Billed as The Simpsons meets Ballyki'ssange/ if you can imagine such a thing.
A Man With Lattitude Radio 4, Fri 6 Jun, 6.30pm.
DaVid Neil Lodge takes a gamble on this new interactive travel show where each week's route is decided with the throw of a dice. Over the course of the series Lodge has to travel from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, gurded by a map divided into a chequer-board and the show’s listeners, who help him plan where to stay and what to do on the route chosen by the dice.
Usual Suspects: Live Cabaret BBC Scotland, Fri 6 Jun, 9.50pm.
Possibly the liveliest arts show on radio goes into cabaret mode, promising midsummer madness from a line-up that includes tit-bits from the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Tim and Mollie O'Brien, the RSNO Brass Quintet, Anne Chaurand and Edinburgh-based company Telling Tales' current production Burke And Hare. If you can be bothered getting up off your sofa, the cabaret is free, so head down to the BBC Concert Hall, 5 Queen Street, Edinburgh where doors, and a licensed bar, open at 9.30pm. Call 0131 225 3131 for tickets.
In Concert — lamiroquai Live
Radio 1, Sun 8 Jun, 8pm.
The cat in the hat does his smoothly poppy, soul-funk-disco fUSIOii thing We at Finsbury Park with able assistance from Neneh Cherry, Lamb, Morcheeba, Urban Species and Lewis Taylor.
if) Mav~l7 fun 1997 THE lIST83