Radio Times

make time for dawn french’s fun drama

IF YOU FANCY a bit of escapism during these wet and gloomy days (at the time of writing, so I hold myself a hostage to fortune if we are all wearing Hawaiian shirts in a 35 degree heatwave as you read this) try The Trouble with Maggie Cole (Wednesday ITV). It’s set in Cornwall – I think I see Launceston Castle in there – which has never proved a setback for any drama (Doc Martin, Poldark) and stars Dawn French as busybody Maggie Cole. She runs the gift shop of said castle, claiming that this makes her a “historian” and she likes to think she’s the adored centre of village life. But most people can’t stand her, and think she’s nosey, which of course, she is. Maggie’s breezy world becomes stormy when…

this week 29 february—6 march 2020

WHAT I’M WATCHING… NINA NANNAR ‘The last few months have been dominated by films,” says the arts editor of ITV News. “I’ve watched loads leading up the Baftas and Oscars, but now I’m back from LA, I’ve binged on my beloved Coronation Street to catch up. I loved the incredible White House Farm, so compelling. Series two of Succession was simply brilliant, even though everyone is horrible in it. And at the other end of the scale there’s This Country – so beautifully written and observed, gentle and funny.’ Malorie Blackman interview — page 16 STUART MACONIE ‘Apologies to all fine actors, dramatist and screenwriters,” says the radio presenter, “but as a quiz nerd my unmissable appointments to view/hear every week are Only Connect and University Challenge, with Richard Osman’s House of Games for hors…

news

JUST MISBEHAVIN’ Michael Aspel had some hair-raising moments during his presenting career, but he’s reliving one of the most chaotic in a new BBC2 documentary. Aspel was one of the presenters of the 1970 Miss World contest in London when it was disrupted by Women’s Liberation Movement campaigners. “I certainly had the sense that the objections to Miss World were not simply among a few grumbling matrons,” says Aspel now, “but I had no idea that there was an actual attack planned.” Aspel is one of the contributors to the documentary, which is being aired to coincide with the release of Misbehaviour, a movie dramatisation of the story starring Keira Knightley. Also featured is Jennifer Hosten (above), who represented Grenada and became the first black woman to win the crown. THE DOCTOR…

new blood

The first series of Flack — Anna Paquin and Sophie Okonedo’s razor-sharp drama based in the murky world of a London PR agency — focused on the women as they tried to manage the image of their wayward clients, while also preventing their own lives from spinning out of control. The second series is coming soon on W and, says Paquin, “We’re giving the boys a little bit of a chance to come and play, too.” “My husband’s directing a couple of the episodes — he’s my hero,” she adds, regarding the involvement of Stephen Moyer, who was her co-star in US vampire drama True Blood. Sam Neill also joins the series in front of the camera as Okonedo’s ex-husband and silent partner of the PR company. Neill is also very…

radio rocks! don’t wreck it

AT THE BREAKFAST table the other day my youngest daughter asked, “Can Daddy give me a lift to school?” My wife pointed to the screen-less contraption in the corner, next to the broken toaster. The radio. “That man talking,” she said, “is Daddy. He’s working. He presents the Today programme. He’s not actually here.” When BBC bosses say the young aren’t listening to BBC radio any more and we have to treat this as an emergency and run around as if our pants were on fire, my first reaction is: “Hey, what took you so long?” My second is… Hmm. Perhaps the young will get old. It has happened before. Perhaps radio will outlive this panic, as it has outlived all others and potentially those to come. But it will only outlive the panic…

from the rt archive… 27 february—4 march 1988

WHAT WE WATCHED Dawn French was candid about what she and Jennifer Saunders had changed for the second series of their hit BBC2 sketch show: “The tacky variety theme of the last series has gone because it forced us to get too caught up in logic and story. That’s not our strength. This series is more disjointed, but we’ve tried to do things that we think are funny, as opposed to things that make sense.” Among the new characters were the ballerinas and bodybuilders, while Hollywood was again in their sights. “I play Elizabeth Taylor and Jen plays Liza Minnelli,” said French. “And you play Cyd Charisse,” added Saunders. “Because of your telescopic legs.” WHAT YOU SAID “Water’s going on?” punned Mrs Dee Barnfield of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, as she complained about the predominance…