tv@list.co.uk
DOCUMENTARY TRUE STORIES: BATTLECENTRE Channel 4, Sun 16 Dec, 8.15pm oooo
.i \. ' -. In his EIWEIKlM‘lllllllllg dOCumontary-making timo. Loo Rogan has lollowod rocoyoring drug addicts and rolormod noo-Na/is with his (:amora. But could tho unforgiying fundamontalists oi Tho Josus Army ho his most awkward customors to dato?
Watching thorn i.'.'arling at Inyisihlo walls and placrng t'r‘oir hands on all tho hroko'i intliyiduals nix/no (:omo throug'n thoir door. you'd ho ii‘clinod to holrovo so. But. it {.roLi'ro not pi'oparod to play oy tho rulos. you'll ho forcihly oioctod through that samo oponrng.
Ahordoriian Alot: is ono- lost soul who finds nrs way to thorr London paso. Battlocontro. and dospito his oarl‘. l'i)f$(3l‘.’£ltl()ll53. ox'ortttiairy finds tho :oachings a royolatron But for Aloc. it '.‘/l” suron ho impossihlo to ditch tho omotronal oaggago and shod tho cynical mako up no (:arrios around with *iinr.
As with most of Rogai‘s '.'./ork. ‘.'.Iat<:h~ng his suhiocts dig thoir our". grayos rs i>oth tioas iralilo and ropulsi‘xo. /\.".( ‘.‘.’llll a dark ondrg round tho corr‘or for (no of tho Army's tr‘;.'_:)<)crr'.<;-s. this makos compoiliiig. anti—lostiyo ‘.r’i(}‘.‘.’llltl.
lBllEll‘ DDlléliflEEOl‘,
ANIMAiroN IVOR THE INVISIBLE
Channel 4, Christmas Eve, 5.15pm 0..
Tho Srroxwria/i is onc- of tho iiiost '.'.'oll onod animations in tho
(:ontomporary canon. hut Raymond Briggs' now story /vo/' Tho /ll\/lSIl)/(} isn't fit to laco Santa's hoots. A much slightor, loss movrng work. it /ips hy amiath onough hut is all too oasily forgotton with its p; ssing.
Ton-yoar-old John awakons ono morning to discovor that ho has a HOW rnvrsrhlo (not imaginary) lrrond sitting on his hod. .John calls him Ivor and is initially oxcitod hut ultimaton omharrz ssod that ho is prono to got up to all kinds of tomfoolory.
Thoro is a twist of sorts. a sum: from Nrtin Sawhnoy and somo fun to ho had listonirig out for tho \goicos of Timothy Spall. .Jano llor‘r’ot:k5; and Alison Stoatiman: hut that's as far as your ploasuro may go. Not all is lost though. as l‘ho Slit)l‘.”l’l(lll is hroadcast hotoro Ivor at -1.~15)l>ll‘. iBiiari [)oiialdsorii
l )l {AMA
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Channel 4, Christmas Eve, 6.30pm .00
school. if you ‘.'.'rolo
it your l‘lltjllell class at
yoursolt into a cornor and ondod an ossay ‘.".’!lll tho lamo ‘arirl tiioii l‘.r‘./’)l<(l' tip and it '.‘.'as all a droam' oxcuso. it was a guaiaritood tail. in; tolling that to l oxyis Carroll. l lis slico of
drug tiiollod golililoilygook that is /l/l(.‘(' /,'i ‘./"/o.orlo//.irirl is a k::is‘ classic. a iioiisoiisica! ioriip
through tho author's
ovor-lortrlo imagination and. woll. guito a laugh.
This ropoatod adaptation has 'Christmas spocial' writton all ovor it. studdod as it is with a multitudo of massiyoly famous actors and dripping in unnocossary spocral otlocts. Unfortunaton though. all that glit/ and glamour dotracts rnoro than. a littlo from tho show. and you'll ond up playing 'spot tho colohrity camoo' rathor than lollovring tho story. such as it is.
Still. hot you novor thought you'd soo Gono Wildor. Bon Kingsloy and Kori Dodd in tho samo pioco of toloyision.
(Doug .Johnstonoi
ANIMAI |( )N HAMILTON MATTRESS BBC1, Christmas Day, 2.30pm 00.
Bristol is cloarly tho capital city for .ntorosting sul) goriros. 1 ast docado it was tho hoino of tho British trip hoppors wrlh Portrshoad, lrrcky it'l(l Massiyo Attack all hasod thoro. Now, it‘s olwroiisly tho hayor‘r t'or' cioyor r:la\,~iiiatiort.
Attoi tho ‘.r‘/()l'(l\.’/l(l(? sortsatiori of Aarriinan Attriiiatioii lWallaco ("x (Ei'oiiirt. Chicko/i fill/l and suchlikoi coiiios liarvost l ili is and thoir talo of art aardvark callod Sliidgor. voicod hy Dayid lhowlrs. Alforing his orstwhilo aiiiliition of woaiirig tho poitoctly iroiiod troiisors, ho hocoiiios l lainiltori Mattross and has a stal) at hoiiig an African drumming sorisalion in an archotypally sloa/y iiiotropolrs.
it would lit;- chiirlish to ho ovorly harsh on a labour of Iovo lall told. it was a soyoiitoon yoar strugglo in tho rnakriigi which is ossoiitially a hariiiloss hit of pro ()‘iooii's Spooch fun. It you lovod tho .‘i‘li/olt moral ol lioaiity coming from ‘/.’|lll|ll rand lll this iinago olis :ssod ago
DRAMA OTHELLO
Scottish, Sun 23 Dec, 9pm 00..
An alluring, powerful adaptation
The Moor of Venice becomes Commissioner of the London Met in Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Contemporary versions fill many of us with fear but at least with a traditional Shakespeare production you know what to expect. But this is no shallow modernisation done for the sake of it; instead, Davies uses this brooding tale of jealousy and corruption to expose the frailties in today’s society as well as the human weaknesses which never change. Christopher Eccleston is the ringmaster here as Jago, Othello’s mentor who is overlooked for promotion in favour of his young protege. Even if you’re never read the original text, Eccleston’s performance makes it instantly clear that revenge will be his and that it’ll undoubtedly all end in tears. A master manipulator he introduces doubts into the mind of Othello about his wife Dessie’s fidelity and before long, true love is destroyed by
jealousy.
Running parallel to this story is the case of a young black man who has been killed while in police custody. It seems an obvious reference to the Stephen Lawrence case, and the course of events is equally tragic, if
unresolved.
The language used is modern, but this still feels like a weighty classical drama; in no small part due to the stylised settings, sweeping camerawork and menacing score. Eccleston is magnetic and, as Othello, Eamonn Walker manages to give a performance that is both understated but powerful. While plot details have necessarily changed from the original, this Othello is not just accessible and relevant, but alluring and chilling.
(Louisa Pearson)
it's about tinio y/o all (iidi thon you should ho ahlo to onioy this. For iiiaXIiiiiiin oftoct. try to watch it with an ugly porson.
{Brian Donaldsoni
DRAMA
THE LOST WORLD
8801, Christmas Day, 6.40pm; Boxing Day, 6.45pm .000
()n tho surlaco. llio lost World appoars siniplo to hato. ()iio ol thoso hig all tho happy lamin Christmas dramas \‘lllll moro morioy sponl on it than soriso.
l xcopt, damn it. this adaptation of Arthur
(it )ll(lll [)< iylo's
fantastrca! l‘:()‘.’(}l ahotit posh oai'ly Ir)t)th contar“, oxplorors carrying on ill) tho Ania/on and :r‘to a lair of not yor‘, tload dinosaurs. is t:xcol§or‘t.
lfyon tlzc- assoniiilod charactois liorng of a distinctly stock itatarra doosri't haviipoi tiro lu'i. Wo hayo an occoritric i)araoontologrst iBtil) lloskrnsi. tho uhoi rational Dar.'xii‘.ist ltJariios l mo and an oarthy hoauty :lflaino Cassidyi. Chuck !’l a world \.'./oar\,' lllll(l£llll(}lll£ list proachorman il)otoi lalki. a iiai\.'o ropo'tor (Matthow Hl‘.\,f;l and a \.'-./omanisrr\g swashl)ucklor loin Wardi. and it's clan that tho cioaturos concoctod hy tho l'r/a/ki/ig l'./r.'l> Dinosaurs gaiig Will H? play:iig socosid liddlo: £1ll)(?|l£1llt?Xll(?lll(?l\ largo
llavriig stayod tartl‘fur to tho iio\.'o|. thoro arr- i§()l‘l(? dodgy attltiidos displayoti flux-raids ‘.‘.’()lll(‘,l‘ and tho
t,iir‘.r‘..l>a.:s~.rt, aahxos. out not. i. s (,'ir.5~,tittas..
l-‘irrai‘ Dorr't'dso'i.
ALSO ON AT CHRISTMAS
The Car Man (Ira/moi" 8:1: {Di Fin/tr Auto oi‘otit
\.'ois.on of Eli/of};
:tlai‘t‘o
(:(i’l‘Tt‘l‘. Harry Hill‘s TV Burp Soot? .;/‘. fiat 1" Do: Halfway l'io org collar-ad. iiospoctaclod oiio gots soasor‘allx
Graham Goes To Dollywood (Daron ..' Hot/pg 0a.. fin/‘7 Mr Ntllitll‘ pis'ts t"o Elf pa'k (iodm‘atrr: To Ms Paitos.
The Private Dirk Bogarde two).
Nan. El. '17:)!“ Hoaoa‘itg
l)(‘\.".l
llit'fl.i!lrttl‘i.\i‘.\f"t?\)f tltzr intuit". .s ros. 'l .ml
Peter Kay Live At The
Top Of The Tower ./ ’\r~\“\r‘r\{: -\. ‘i;(»\ (ii; [113. Bolton's
“Pair-st "‘th tit‘ito'r'wx .i
l‘t‘;l‘.i!‘, NW...
‘sr‘m's. .i‘.
Ml.“ rxl‘it. 2
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