CRIME DRAMA THE LONG FIRM BBC2, Wed 14 Jul, 9pm .00

tv@list.co.uk

SCIENCE MEDICAL a. DOCUMEN l'ARY DOCUMENTARY ; TIME MACHINE: 1 O1 THINGS Watch any gangland classic and l THE WORLD REMOVED you will understand that organised , SHAPED BY FROM THE crime (like most areas of life) is all ' TIME BODY based on aspiration. The people at 3 BBC1, Sun 11 Jul, 8pm Channel 4, Mon 12 the bottom aspire to be Mr Big, E 00 Jul, 10.50pm O. i

while Mr Big aspires to legitimacy; but, it is all too rare for the achievement attained to match the level of hopes sought, all of which is not only a theme of but serves as a metaphor for the BBC’s adaptation of Jake Arnott’s recent noveL

Essentially, this is about gangland guru Harry Starks (Mark

“Don't worry,‘ reassures a l’l(Il(Illl()tlSly cheerful man at the start of this so minute delve into brains. guts and the stupidity of humans with power tools. 'Everyone featured in the shew suryivedf' Effectively the

Darwin Awards of t u -- ~ 1 Strong), an archetypal homosexual

You can tell just by building site disasters disregard for what night club-owning villain. Like the . looking at it that the With a few freaks of made the original book, this four-parter eschews a ' BBC has spent a hell of nature tl irown in for concept so special straightforward narrative, a lot of money on this. good measure. the wastes everyone's time. fracturing into quarters to give a Glossy CGl is premise of 101 Things This first episode of the tableau of the 605 London , everywhere and the . . . seems to be that second series continues Underworld. Each episode follows Archetypes and aspirations studio boffins have disaster. or a Javelin. to rob the car a different character: a Tory Peer in gangland London clearly been working can strike at any time. salesman's character of (Sir Derek Jacobi), a failed movie overtime to produce a Working through that sexual arrogance starlet (Lena Headey), a speed dealer (Phil Daniels) and an academic . cornucopia of slick heads. shoulders. knees that bled into bathos. (Shaun Dingwall) who all find the paths of their lives irrevocably altered l graphics and shiny and toes with the help lndiVIdual through their involvement with the persuasive and ruthless Harry. imagery. But for all the of an annoying host performances are fine When it’s good it’s excellent, breathing new life into an old (often worn) bluster of this new iGrub Sinithi. cartoon ialthough Charlie genre, but these moments are few and far between. Overall, it’s too ' science show it's a images. Video footage. Higson is a far better fractious and inconsistent to be compelling. The cast work hard with what deeply irritating interviews with the writer than he is an they’re given but the script is too suffocating and the constant use of experience. completely unfortunates and a actor) with Simon voiceover just accentuates the lack of characterisation. You’ll ultimately lacking in focus and. collection of inane 'Competitive Dad' Day feel cold and detached from the events that unfold rather than close and ? frankly. right up itself. Jokes. the list culminates good value as always. bruised. (Gordon Eldrett)

Narrated in the story of a man and this first episode _ . .. . .-____.g: melorlramatically as if who unknowineg boasts the goggle-eyed for brain-dead morons carried his unborn tvrin talents of The Peep from me. Until now. in its own crapness. happened, like a horse by Jeremy Vine. the in his stomach for over Sliow's Olivia Colman Average Joe. the latest Hosted by hairy artist becoming pope. Either show mucks around ($0 years. Alien style. as a hapless NBC offering to reach Gregory Rankine and way. there is a self- With time to explain how Watching this nonsense troubleshooter. There our shores. affords the scruffy rock kid Paul deprecating honesty the world works. If that is better than a poke in are some pretty good perfect platform for the Campion (singer in about this show which i sounds vague. well the eye Willi a sharp lines and a few laugh not-so—aesthetically Weegie underground is hard to hate. and that's because the show stick or chopstick or out loud moments. but blessed. Battle of the stalwarts AC Acoustics, when no less than Mani is exactly that. This first knitting needle. But only the whole is far less Nerds in spades. this indie fans). and Throb from Liber- episode is essentially iust. iKaty lvchulay) than the sum of its COuld so very easily Trout 'n'About attempts rock loons Primal geology for eejits. \ \ parts. One wonders have been a piss-take to bring the wonders of Scream turn up to try showing volcanoes. TONI whether Higson can of the physically less fly-fishing to a new. their hand at float- plate tectonics and BBCB’ Tue 13 Jul look Bob Mortimer - fortunate. Instead. it's younger audience. tubing (don't ask). there glacial action over the 10.30pm .. ' co~creator of the the antithesis. as the Whether they succeed are at least a few aeons as if in the blink original Swiss Toni one—dimensional lvlelana or not. who knows? laughs involved. of an eye. ‘i’asten your The Fast Show proved character in the eye sits pouting in her bikini. Stranger things have (Doug Johnstone) seatbelts as we travel that repeating top gags these days. listing her ideal man's through time.' declares in the right conditions (Ashley Davies) qualities. only to Vine in pompous tones was a winning formula. HLAUW discover she's got a at one >oint. it's not a Swiss Toni )roves that truckload of fro s to ride woFrth taking. elongating and diluting AVERAGE JOE choose from inStead of

r s \ ~ Channel 4, Tue 13 Jul, _

(Doug Johnstonei them With an apparent 10.50pm .... a roomful of princes.

Peachy. addictive viewing, I can only wait with baited breath for Average Jane.

(Anna lvlillar)

101 Things Removed from the Human Body

LIFESTYLE TROUT’N’ABOUT Scottish, Thu 15 Jul, I confess that l have a 7.30pm ... , ser:ous aversion to reality dating shows. Hands up who's fed up , Last year's smash Joe with things being 'the Millionaire took insipid new rock'n'roll'? Tough. sycophancy one botox because here's another injection too far. And one: fishing. of course. short of our own home From the stupid. cheesy grown Cilla with her title to the cheap 'guick reminders'. no graphics and “Just out of dating show has ever bed' presentation. this swordfish in Eye guite managed to entice is an endearineg any level of sympathy hapless; show and one Better out than in or. indeed. enthusiasm that pretty much revels Pretty fly for a pair of white guys

98 THE LIST '4 2'? .J..' LIV/-