Soapbox
Soaps have never had it so bad, it seems. Which, of course, makes them all the more enjoyable. Eastenders's saintly Ruth Fowler is not the brightest of women. She hasn’t yet sussed out that she married into soapland's most miserable family - she probably thinks it's just a bad patch. Ruth has been convinced by Gita, who's probably delighted to find a friend even duller than herself, that she and Mark should take up fostering. Great idea, Ruth — take a kid from a troubled background and put them among the Fowlers, where every child is either in jail or pregnant before they're seventeen.
But Mark has other things on his mind, having just heard that blood counts show his HIV status could be getting worse. Todd Carly, who will forever be Tucker Jenkins to me, was the ideal choice to play Mark — growing up on-screen from a handsome tear away to a prematurely middle-aged, bushy-browed fruit and veg salesman, frighteningly like his late, unlamented Uncle Pete.
Although at times the HIV storyline has been more of a public service broadcast than a drama, Mark's desperate attempts to live a boring, normal life and the terror he hides under surface gruffness, have been more affecting than any histnonics.
It compares well with Brookside's latest venture into sensationalised suffering — Jacqw Dixon's wait to discover whether the acid thrown in her eyes by evil prossie Leanne has blinded her for life (although it would be surprising if it does: Brooky is not known for its disabled characters). Alex Fletcher is a good enough actress, but I had difficulty concentrating on her weeping and wailing for wondering where she got those rather attractive shades.
The Dixons could challenge the Fowlers when it comes to unluckiness. In recent years, Ron has been divorced, lost one son to a car crash and another -- almost — to exeCLition in Thailand, had his house burnt down, suffered a heart attack and discovered his baby 'son’ was his grandson. Oh, and he has had to get off With Jimmy Corkhill’s Wife. Now his business has failed, It woold be tragic, really, if he wasn't such a creep.
(Andrea Mullaney)
Jacqui Dixon: not seeing so clearly now
tv
highlights
Heart Of The Matter BBCI, Sun 15 Jun, 10.30pm.
The topical medical affairs series talks to Dr Stephen Whittle, who is apparently not alone in the belief that there is more to the sexes than just man and woman. Presenter Joan Bakewell meets Arthur, a married man who believes he is a woman with a penis, but whose Wife likes to think of him as a man with a cleavage. Del, on the other hand, is a talented photographer who was born female but has decided to 'privilege’ his male side.
Breaking The News BBC2, Sun 15 Jun, 8pm.
New four-part series covering the development of TV broadcast journalism around the globe from its infancy in the mid-405 to the present day. Concentrating on the US, Soviet
Union and Britain, the stOry is told first- hand by the anchors, reporters, editors,
producers and cameramen who made it happen.
Todayln Channel 4, Mon 16 Jun, 7.50pm.
As an opener to its Banged Up season, Channel 4 goes behind bars at Category C prison HMP Wymott for a series of four short films monitoring prison life. Recorded on the day of transmission, the first programme looks at a day in the life of an ’average’ prisoner.
NYPD Blue Channel 4, Mon I6 Jun, 10pm.
New series of the excellent American police drama With wobbly camera techniques. The first episode zooms in on Detective Sipowicz, investigating a murder where the Victim's body has been found dumped in a trunk on the street and Simone, who is ready to propose to Russell.
My Sister Channel 4, Tue I7 Jun, 9pm.
First in a two-part documentary looking at the love/hate nature of sibling relationships. Nineteen-year-old Michelle Taylor cared for her younger brothers and sisters from the age of five, while Wendy Sharples lost her sister as a child and now tortures herself With all the cruel things she imagines she did to Maxme when she was alive The second programme looks at brotherly love.
The Broker's Man BBCl, Tue 17 Jun, 9.30pm.
New six-part drama series starring KeVin Whately (Inspector Morse, Peak Practice) as Jimmy Griffin, an ex- detective turned insurance investigator. Disillusioned With the cynicism of police life, Griffin has started a company investigating dodgy insurance claims. The first two- part story ’Double Dutch’ takes him to Amsterdam to track down thieves
e.
The Aliens Are Coming Scottish, Sat 21 Jun, lOpm.
hind you: the aliens are coming for Jonathan Ross
The first two thirds of Jonathan Ross’s latest vehicle for donning a sharp suit and even sharper smirk, is a trawl through the 'ifs and buts' and 'don’t be ridiculous'es of alien existence and their life on Earth. Reg Presley of The Troggs talks corn circles, Mark Hamill recounts being asked into the cockpit on every flight he takes and various film clips are shown to mock the tackiness of early sci-fi productions and wonder at the zillions splashed out
since Star Wars.
Part three brings the whole thing to life with a couple of regular guys. Gary Wood and Colin Wright, detailing the missing 90 minutes of their lives after having encountered a massive, shiny ship-like object floating above their car. The hush in the studio audience indicates that either the sceptics have been converted or the stage manager has a vice-like grip on
proceedings.
Either way it provides welcome relief from Jonny’s gags: 'lf aliens do come to Planet Earth,’ he regales, ’how long will it be before Jim Davidson tries to shag one of their wives?’ One warning - the clip from The Thing should be watched on an empty stomach. (Brian Donaldson)
who have stolen a container of already nicked goods from the dockside.
Banking On Murder BBCI,Wed 18 Jun, 10.25pm.
Inside Story Special aiming to expose the truth ab0ut SWitzerland’s role in WWII. The documentary claims to have concluswe eVidence that the SWIss colluo'ed With the Nazis and includes iii-depth accounts from JeWish surVivors who've mysteriously lost millions of pounds’-worth of gold into the vaults of SWiss banks.
The Day Apartheid Died Radio 4, Wed I8 Jun, 7.45pm.
The story of the mid-70s Soweto riots, as told by those who were caught in the heat of the crossfire. Presented by South African writer and artist Zakes Mda, it (omineiriorates the date of 16 June when thousands of school-children went on an organised march through Soweto township in protest at the apartheid government's Bantu education policy. The march became a massacre, sparking riots that lasted months and mobilising a new generation of anti-apartheid campaigners.
Ad Lib Radio 4, Sat 21 Jun, 6.50pm.
Robert Robinson goes trendspotting in the world of West Indian dominoes to
discover a game which has more at stake than who buys the next round. Played by thousands of committed teams across Britain, this version of the old man's pub pastime is elevated to the level of an Olympic sport, with the psyching-out of opponents, Prince Naseem-style, apparently a central tactic of the game.
So Long Hong Kong Radio 1, Sun 22 Jun, 8pm.
Journalist Emily Maitlis looks at the imminent handover of Hong Kong from a youth culture perspective. ReSident there for four years, Maitlis has witnessed the growth of the indie and club scene and, since the decriminalisation of homosexuality, an emerging gay scene. But will the handover put a stop to all this fun and frolics‘? DJs, musicians and various Hong Kong youths offer their Views.
Overnight Dance Radio I, Thurs 26 Jun, I—4am.
International Super—DJ Carl Cox Sits in for Dave Pearce for two weeks to present the weekly three-hour dance marathon. The big man with the big CV has played his dense, pounding beats at every significant club in the world, is regularly voted the planet’s best DJ by all the top dance mags and is known for his sleight-of-hand when mixing on not two, but three decks at once. (Ellie Carr)
i3~26 Jun 1997 THE "ST 85