TV

Reviews

SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY

HIS BIG WHITE SELF More4, Mon 27 Feb, 9pm .00.

‘l’d made a film about the leader in 1991, but Eugene and I just never got on. I never imagined in my worst nightmares that 14 years later, I’d feel compelled to track down his big white self.’ If you have seen Nick Broomfield’s brilliant documentary The Leader, His Driver and the Driver’s Wife, you will know that a reunion between Broomfield and Eugene Terreblanche, the head of the Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB), was never going to be on the cards. During the shooting of that film Terreblanche grew to hate Broomfield and after it was released, the filmmaker received many death threats.

So, for most of this fascinating and engaging film, Broomfield simply opts to bring Terreblanche’s bloody story up to date. For this bearded, racist poetry-spouting bully, the last decade has been marked by the hideous violence of Bophuthatswana civil unrest which resulted in him being disowned by most of the far right. He also faced numerous charges of assault, one of which led to his eventual arrest and too brief

imprisonment.

lntercutting intriguing but depressing catch-up sessions with Terreblanche’s old driver JP and JP’s ex-wife, Broomfield finally gives in to the inevitable and dons a big hat and sunglasses to pose as an arts journalist interested in Terreblanche’s poetry. The resulting meeting is frightening and funny but leaves you wishing that if only Broomfield had taken the opportunity to put a single bullet through the man’s broad forehead, he‘d be doing the world a favour. (Paul Dale)

HISTORY DOCUMENTARY

THE CELTS Channel 4, Sat 18 Feb, 7.10pm 00.

In his new series Richard Rudgely, having redressed the myths of Stone Age and Dark Age Britain. now turns

his attention to what is known of the realities of our Celtic ancestry. Seemingly the point to be made is that our present image of the Celts Within the fringes of the British Isles owes much to these being the final outposts and incarnations of a much broader. more sophisticated culture whose legacv. Without written records of its own. is subject to the accounts of its rivals. Thankfully they still liked a drink and had a

90 THE LIST 16 Feb-2 Mar 2006

penchant for headhunting and human sacrifice. Thus the programme rather succeeds despite itself. the SUDJCCI matter gripping enough to see the Viewer through the customary re enactments. repetitive imagery. and mercifully brief if somewhat grand claims of guests fOr truth. Part one focuses on the ancient Gauls and probably best serves the eaSily interested.

(Mark Edmundsonl

F’Ull l lCAl DOCUME NIAHY

MANUFACTURING CONSENT

ITV4, Sun 19 Feb, 11.50pm 0000

While Jean Baudrillard insisted that the first Gulf War never happened (apparently because the military technology was so advanced and clinical that it made the conflict ‘hyperreal'l, Noam Chomsky reckoned that the war was so sharnbolically reported that it could just as easily have been an episode of M'A'S‘l l, This documentary first appeared lll the aftermath of Bush Senror's campaign and. With his little boy doing almost the exact same thing a decade on. the film's reappearance is quite valid.

With a thankfully not too pervasive soundtrack from David Byrne and Laurie Anderson, the life story of Chomsky acts as a backdrop to the atrocities committed by Western media in heightening some aggressions across the world (Caiiibodiai and repressing others (East

liinorl lt ‘.'/||| inake, i. diiife angry, .inf .'.ri'.li there more per irrli- like Noani rnoariing ab »uf the things we are fed or our ti-atirne new, lHriali [)orialdsoril

LUN H MW )HAH '.’/ DRAMA

GIDEON’S DAUGHTER 8801, Sun 26 Feb, 9pm 000

It certainly couldn't hate

got much Worse After the stilted affair of ll/rr/lt/s ill/N1(:/()i.()ll/l,',‘ .. Stephen l’oliakoff completes his loose double bill with :i sirriilarly flat but more human affair. Hit/Ile tackled the exr esses of posh lories, l’oliakoff no.1raiseshisgariir:t,, poking around the dehurnariisiiig effects of the New l .‘iboiir proie ,f It certainly has its odd iiioiiients. Bill Nigh, wandering around the centre of t'ffllll):ll(lll day and night in the hope ')i finding his daughter lit a comedy club before he eventually tracks her (lUJ/li at a Jason Manfon gig Vv’liicli is sort of fine. exce if the

whole tirne he does till'i.

he's dressed in a dinner suit.

But at least the dramatic tension here is grounded in a plausible and lllU/lflg tragedy which results in constant strife bets/eel.

father and daughter {er

the only thing these two companion pieces ha .4: proved is that Poliakoff is no longer the leader of the telly play pack (Brian Donaldson)

S(,t7iic\/l. Still 79 f 0!). if lupin Manga is Mel B's chosen suhiect tonight

Going Cold Turkey Charm: -1, Mon ."(l fc’i’). V .ftkl'i‘i.

7 l ()aprr: A week of addiction related telly including this nine part show about folk g: ring into rehab

The Sex Tapes that Shocked the World [It/U, Ht,“ ()2 I (3!).

ll Room Ahi, Pairiiiiy, Paris and all that sloppy gear

Just the Two of Us BBC I, Hill [’3 feb. 8pm Charming celebrity couple less Daly and Vernon Kay present a show in which eight norriial folk collaborate With eight ‘fariious' types to Wlll the viewers approval Does this format sound fariiiliar yet?

Footballers‘ Wives Scottish, [he .93 I el). 9pm More ladies raCing around in their undergarments (pictured) and men playing about wrth their balls. Well, you wouldn't have resisted it. so why should we? Rescue Me Sky One. Sun 26 Feb, 70pm

'l he second series of the New York firefighting drama (wrth smrdgeons of comedy) starring Denis Leary. The British Face Five, Tue 28 Feb,

7 75pm The analysrs of portraits involvmg Rankin. Earrionri McCabe and Marc Ournn.

Thin Ice BBCZ. Tue 28 Feb. 70pm A skating sitcom? Oh yep. wrth Marc Wootton and Nina Wadia.

No Angels Channel 4, Tue 28 Feb. 70pm The third and final series of the sauCy riursmg drama kicks off with some bawdy/body excitement. No doubt.