Every Friday, TMINE lets you know the latest announcements about when new imported TV shows will finally be arriving on UK screens – assuming anyone’s bought anything, of course
A little bit earlier expected, I know, but hey – it’s nearly September and there have been a few announcements, so I figured easing back into the swing of things with a round-up of all of August’s acquisitions and premiere dates might be a good idea.
First off, in acquisitions:
The Good Doctor (US: ABC; UK: Sky Living)
Freddie Highmore is an autistic savant surgeon. Hasn’t aired in the US yet
Reformation (Germany: ZDF; UK: BBC Four)
Martin Luther biopic. Hasn’t aired in Germany yet!
Snowfall (US: FX; UK: BBC Two)
Cocaine drama set in 80s LA. I watched the first few episodes but it wasn’t that great.
Episode reviews: 1, 2, 3
The Valley (Germany: TNT Serie; UK: Shudder)
A young man who has lost his memory wakes up near the corpse of a young woman hanging in the harvested grapes.
Ronny Chieng: International Student (Australia: ABC; UK: BBC Three)
Ostensibly Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng in a semi-autobiographical comedy about life at an Australian University – but basically Oz’s answer to Spaced. I ended up recommending it
Episode reviews: 1-2, 3, 4, 5, 6
In the US: Available on Hulu. New episodes available Wednesdays In the UK: Acquired by Channel 4. Starts May 28, 9pm
There’s a point in any new TV channel’s life when it has to find a show that justifies its existence. It doesn’t matter whether the channel’s online or broadcast, whether it’s number 1 on the EPG or at www.best-tv-ever.com, no one will care about it or watch it rather than channel 6 or www.stupidest-tv-ever.com until that show arrives.
Of the new, big online broadcasters, Netflix obviously hit the big time straight away with House of Cardsand that, combined with later hits such as Orange in the New Black and The Crown, has meant people have subscribed to it in vast numbers while overlooking such as hiccups as Bloodline. Amazon, meanwhile, arguably still hasn’t quite had the success of Netflix, both creatively and commercially, but The Man In the High Castle, The Grand Tour and Transparent have at least put it on the map.
So what of Hulu? It’s certainly been trying to establish itself as a player, although being US-only obviously lends itself to problems in terms of worldwide ‘mindshare’. But Shut Eye, 11.22.63and Chance haven’t exactly set the US on fire, let alone the world.
The Handmaid’s Tale could be the show that changes that.
It’s based on arguably the feminist dystopia novel, Margaret Attwood’s novel of the same name. The novel posits a near future in which an extreme branch of Christianity manages to take over the US and seeks to restore the country to its own brand of patriarchal dominance as the “Republic of Gilead”. Women are banned from owning property and having jobs. Instead they must become subservient to men as housewives, known colloquially as ‘Marthas’. Because fertility rates have been in decline for decades, the few remaining fertile women are enslaved as ‘Handmaids’ and given to important families to produce babies through ritualised rape by the husbands. To keep them in line, a strict re-education programme is introduced run by ‘Aunts’, who teach the correct, godly, Biblical way of living – although notably, the bit about ‘the meek inheriting the Earth’ is omitted and other Christian denominations that disagree are crushed by Gilead.
Narrated by one Handmaid, Offred (‘Of Fred’ – her owner), The Handmaid’s Tale is basically a nightmare collage of women’s fears about political tendencies in the US, married with current conditions for women in Saudi Arabia, that more or less every generation of American woman who reads it finds it all too plausible.
This adaptation by Bruce Miller (Eureka, The 100) is both loose and faithful to the book – certainly more faithful than the 1990 version, ostensibly scripted by Harold Pinter, which ditched many things, including Offred’s narration.
This Gilead is set in the very near future indeed, reinstating both the novel’s narration and flashbacks to show us Offred (Elisabeth Moss – The West Wing, Mad Men, Top of the Lake) both before and after becoming a Handmaid and how Gilead emerged from the modern US. However, with Attwood’s novel being a reasonably thin tome, even the first three episodes don’t really touch on the book’s overall plot, only set up the boundaries of the society and introduce us to the main characters: Commander Fred (Joseph Fiennes), his Martha (Chuck‘s Yvonne Strahovski), fellow Handmaids Ofglen (Gilmore Girls’ Alexis Bledel) and Ofwarren (Orange is the New Black‘s Madeline Brewer), and the Commander’s driver Nick (Max Minghella).
Here the show does a very good job. There are nuances – rather than a simple black and white depiction, the show highlights how pretty much everyone suffers under the system in one way or another, and that Commander Fred would rather be playing Scrabble with Offred than anything else. You can see how Offred and others might get Stockholm Syndrome and sublimate the system. Gilead’s emergence is all too plausible, more so perhaps than in either the novel or the book since the projected ecological disasters are already here, and the Trump White House is currently rolling back all manner of women’s rights – we’re all just one major terrorist attack away from Gilead. Scenes of riots and protests could have taken place a couple of months ago.
It also fleshes out Gilead, emphasising that as well as women’s rights, LGBT rights are gone. Indeed, just as being a ‘gender traitor’ can be punished by death, so too can being Jewish or from any other Christian denomination. Ofglen, who dies very quickly in the book, is now a major character and is used to explore these new rules.
It’s all hugely claustrophobic and terrifying, being about as timely as 24 was in its day (although obviously very differently).
Nevertheless, spreading the novel out of an entire season (and beyond, since the show was renewed for a second season today) reduces the overall effect of the piece, since there’s not quite enough plot left in these three episodes to have as much impact as it could. Gilead’s oppressive nature and beliefs are a plausible extrapolation of 80s America, but this is a future seemingly without technology, our own society already constantly observed, yet Handmaids are able to wander and plot unheard and unwatched by anyone – even if they find it hard to know whom to trust.
And while, of course, an allegory is an allegory and a wake-up call needs to shout to be heard, it does all feel like a liberal Canadian’s view of what an oppressive regime taking over the US would look like – there are no Democrats exercising their second amendment rights against an overbearing government here. Some shots fired by men in black and that’s that. The rest of the world? Who knows what that’s up to…
But The Handmaid’s Tale is both an impressive statement piece by Hulu and an excellent piece of feminist dystopian sci-fi/fantasy that focuses on the personal and highlights the perils for those enjoying the messy society in which we currently live of taking rights for granted. It’s not easy viewing, but it is worth it.
Although March might be a bit of a wash-out for tele at the BFI, April is looking a whole lot more promising thanks to the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival. I’ve already given you the highlights, but the BFI has now provided the rundown for the whole thing, including some shiny new events, special guests and even some archive French TV featuring Tom Baker. Being lazy, I’ve copied and pasted the whole shebang below.
New special guests* announced today include: Dame Maggie Smith (DOWNTON ABBEY), Aidan Turner (POLDARK), Claire Foy (THE CROWN), Stephen Daldry (THE CROWN), Sir Ridley Scott (TABOO), Charlie Brooker (BLACK MIRROR), Rowan Atkinson (MAIGRET), Jenna Coleman (VICTORIA), Susanne Bier (THE NIGHT MANAGER), Joe Wicks (THE BODY COACH), Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley (HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY), Tom Kerridge (TOM KERRIDGE’S PROPER PUB FOOD), Jack Thorne (NATIONAL TREASURE), Jed Mercurio (LINE OF DUTY), Lee Mack (NOT GOING OUT), Barry Cryer (I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUE), Adam Hills (THE LAST LEG/PARALYMPICS), Simon Nye (THE DURRELLS)
Guests join those names already announced: Michael Palin (MONTY PYTHON), Steven Moffat (DOCTOR WHO, SHERLOCK), Mark Gatiss (SHERLOCK), Julie Walters (NATIONAL TREASURE/DINNER LADIES), Keeley Hawes (THE DURRELLS), Josh O’Connor (THE DURRELLS), Simon Nye (THE DURRELLS), Freida Pinto (GUERRILLA), Babou Ceesay (GUERRILLA), Walter Iuzzolino (WALTER PRESENTS), Jacqueline Wilson (TRACY BEAKER), Judith Kerr (THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA), Michael Morpurgo (WAR HORSE) and Helen and Rob from The Archers
The BFI and Radio Times today announce the full line-up for the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, celebrating the current golden age of TV with more than 40 events featuring some of the biggest names on the small screen. The new events announced today include the stars, writers and producers of some of the biggest TV shows of the year; including The Crown, Victoria, The Night Manager, Line of Duty, Poldark, Sherlock, Black Mirror and Strictly Come Dancing. Joining the line-up of TV stars is acclaimed director Sir Ridley Scott, who will be in conversation following a screening on Saturday 8 April of The Author of Beltraffio (TF1 1974), a precious gem which has recently been rediscovered by the BFI National Archive, and was directed by Sir Ridley’s brother, the late Tony Scott. This TV drama has been unseen since its UK transmission in 1976 and stars Doctor Who’s fourth Time Lord Tom Baker.
Other highlights announced today include:
IN CONVERSATION:
Dame Maggie Smith will make a rare appearance onstage on Saturday 8 April; the legendary Downton Abbey actor will reflect on her life on stage and screen.
The satirical writer and broadcaster Charlie Brooker will talk about his work including Screenwipe, Dead Set and the award-winning Black Mirror as well as his TV influences on Sunday 9 April.
Comedians Lee Mack and Barry Cryer have spent many years writing sketches and sitcoms for television; join these two giants of comedy on Sunday 9 April as they discuss their craft and comedies past, present and future.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS:
Opening the Festival on Friday 7 April will be an event dedicated to Maigret starring Rowan Atkinson. Atkinson will be joined by exec producer John Simenon, son of original Maigret creator Georges Simenon, to talk about bringing the enigmatic sleuth to the small screen.
A panel discussion about Netflix’s lavish drama The Crown with executive producer Stephen Daldry, Claire Foy, who plays the Queen, and more cast and crew TBA will take place on Saturday 8 April. The discussion will offer audiences an insight into the making of this majestic drama which recently won Golden Globes for actor Claire Foy and for Best Drama.
On Saturday 8 April Victoria stars Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will take a break from filming the second series, along with writer-creator Daisy Goodwin and executive producer Damien Timmer, to discuss ITV’s Sunday night hit drama.
The compelling adaptation of John le Carré’s book The Night Manager became one of the TV highlights of 2016; on Sunday 9 April Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier, executive producers Simon Cornwell and Stephen Garrett, and cast member Alistair Petrie will explain how they created such brilliant water-cooler TV that kept us on the edge of our seats.
On Saturday 8 April there will be a special Poldark event, with the drama’s leading man Aidan Turner, writer Debbie Horsfield and executive producer Damien Timmer. Audiences will also get a glimpse of series three, due to be aired this autumn.
On Sunday 9 April join Doctor Who executive producer Brian Minchin, and cast members to talk about the joys and challenges of making the world’s longest-running sci-fi series. With a sneak preview of clips from the upcoming series, set to be the last full series for Moffat and for star Peter Capaldi.
Moffat’s other worldwide smash for the BBC is the marvellous re-imagining of Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective Sherlock, co-written and co-created by Mark Gatiss and exec-produced by Moffat’s wife Sue Vertue. An event on Sunday 9 April will see a discussion of the compelling sound of Sherlock with Gatiss and Vertue along with composers David Arnold and Michael Price.
Join writer Jed Mercurio and members of the cast of Line of Duty on Saturday 8 April as they discuss the latest series of the compelling drama as it moves to BBC One and the dark word of AC12 and police corruption.
Meet the unsung stars of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday 8 April; executive producer Louise Rainbow, talent executive Vinnie Shergill, director of choreography Jason Gilkison and head of costume Vicky Gill are some of the team responsible for putting together the glitziest programme on TV.
On Sunday 9 April athletes Libby Clegg and Susie Rogers will be joined by comedian and Last Leg host Adam Hills to discuss how Channel 4’s exciting, dedicated coverage of The Paralympics has changed public attitudes towards those who are physically different.
Join the country’s best-loved wordsmith Susie Dent on Saturday 8 April as she vacates Countdown’s dictionary corner to take audiences on an entertaining and informative journey across the rolling landscape of the English language.
MASTERCLASSES:
How to Become a Social Media Star on Saturday 8 April with guests Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) and the Hemsley Sisters (Hemsley + Hemsley), will reveal how they turned themselves into lifestyle gurus, TV presenters, and social media stars.
BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne will give a masterclass on Sunday 9 April, speaking about his influences and work at the forefront of British TV’s current golden age including National Treasure, Skins, Shameless and The Fades and his forthcoming adaption of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials for the BBC.
TREASURES FROM THE BFI NATIONAL ARCHIVE:
Sir Ridley Scott will be in discussion following a screening of his brother Tony’s TV drama Author of Beltraffio (TF1, 1974) which has remained unseen since its UK transmission in 1976. This drama was the British contribution to a five-part series of Henry James stories made for French TV in 1974 and stars Tom Baker.
The Festival programmers have plundered the BFI National Archive to put together a collection of memorable moments from Tom Jones’ outstanding ATV series This Is Tom Jones (1969-1971); on Saturday 8 April audiences will be able to revel in clips of special stars such as Dusty Springfield and Stevie Wonder performing one-off duets with their host.
TV Dinners with Tom Kerridge on Saturday 8 April will celebrate larger-than-life cookery stars such as Fanny Cradock and even Vincent Price, bringing us up to date via Mary Berry and Delia Smith with clips drawn from the BFI National Archive and hosted by the Michelin-starred chef and TV cookery star Tom Kerridge.
FAMILY EVENTS:
On Sunday 9 April there will be a preview of two brand new episodes from CBBC’s top football drama Jamie Johnson. Hear from the writers, selected cast and crew, plus a special celebrity guest, after the screening.
EVENTS WITH RADIO TIMES EXPERTS:
Spoiler alert! How to Write About Television on Saturday 8 April will see Radio Times’ TV Editor Alison Graham, Deputy TV Editor David Butcher and RT’s Choices writers share a few secrets of the previewer’s art.
The Making of a Cover Star on Saturday 8 April sees Radio Times Art Director Shem Law and prolific Radio Times photographer Don Smith discuss 90 years of iconic covers and what it takes to create them.
