The decision to show Peep Show proved that if you wait long enough, your bus will come in, invariably followed by three or four more series, so here’s hoping the Beeb will follow suit with The Apprentice, which enjoys its Scandinavian premiere this Sunday. Unfortunately, it’s one of those tedious charity celebrity specials, but with a surge in viewers (on BBC Ent, that’s double figures), maybe the dullards responsible for this scrote of a channel might consider showing it all.
Because, you see, while it’s reality television, unlike the singing contests, it’s genuinely compelling. And, dare we say, the British version is better than the US original with Donald Trump. Now in its eighth series, its trump card is Alan Sugar. Like his US counterpart, he’s an unscrupulous bastard, but unlike Trump, you can take him deadly seriously without thinking about his trollops, toupee and tendency to run for office every other term.
The subject of Sarah Palin – you betcha! has none of these distractions, unless you of course include her daughter. But the plaudits are thin on the ground as well. With just 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes,
the New York Times found it “devoid of urgency and lacking in curiosity”. Like in previous films, Britain’s Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney) has not interviewed his main subject – this time he doesn’t get away with it.
The Argentine pilot in Meeting the Enemy (BBC World, Sun 15:30 & 22:30) did. Marking the 30th anniversary of the Falklands invasion, we watch as he catches up with the British serviceman who thought he’d killed him. Also worth catching is Lessons in Hate and Violence (DR2, Wed 23:00), which investigates allegations that teachers regularly assault children at Britain’s Muslim schools – like in the good old days, some would say.
Elsewhere, The Truth about Lions (DR2, Wed 19:00) reveals they’re lazy, The Private Lives of Chickens (DR2, Sun 21:30) that they’re an easy lay; The Big C (SV1, Sun 21:30) and In Treatment (SV2, Mon 19:30) are back for new series; we’ve got Combat Aircraft (DRK, Mon 20:50) for Airfix addicts; and office drama Personal Affairs (BBC Ent, Sat 22:00) only had one series – watch it and you’ll discover why.
