WITH EPISODES based on character not genre types, America in Primetime (SV2, Tue 20:00) is an interesting history piece, not just about US TV, but its culture, which TV critic David Bianculli called “the smartest TV show about television I’ve seen in about 20 years”. Among the contributors are Alan Ball, Matthew Weiner and David Chase, the respective creators of Six Feet Under, Mad Men and The Sopranos.
Daresay in 20 years time they won’t be talking about Danger 5 (DR2, Wed 21:00). Inglourious Basterds, Iron Sky and Somersby cider ads suggest that people think rewriting history is hilarious (particularly with Nazis). This Aussie comedy sees a Thunderbirds-type squad trying to assassinate Hitler. It’s brilliant stuff, providing you’re stoned.
We could also reimagine the murder of Lord Mountbatten (DRK, Mon 22:40), but sadly in this episode of Infamous Assasinations (DRK, Mon 22:40) he doesn’t stop the impact of the boat bomb with his arse – all we get are the facts, lest we … care in the first place.
Jury’s out on Hart of Dixie (K4, Mon 20:00), a series about a sassy New Yorker doctor taking a job in the Deep South (what an original idea!), and Kingdom Hospital (SV2, Fri 23:00), Stephen King’s remake of Lars von Trier’s acclaimed series, although nobody, not even the kid in The Shining, knows why he bothered.
Elsewhere, in Secret Girlfriend (DRHD, Thu 18:45) you are the main character and are constantly spoken to – it sounds tiring; Apollo 17: the Untold Story of the Last Men on the Moon (DRK, Mon 20:40) marks 40 years since we strutted our stuff in the moondust; we’ve got the third season of Nurse Jackie (SV2, Wed 22:30) and 17th (God help us) of America’s Next Top Model (TV3, Thu 21:00); Talking Movies: Cannes Special (BBC World, Sat 13:30) and Queen Elizabeth II: Diamond Jubilee (SV1, Sat 18:15) speak for themselves; Unforgettable (TV3, Sun 18:00) is unforgettably bad, as is Pregnant in Heels (SVI, Thu 22:30) but at least it has a cringeworthy appeal; and The toughest place to be a … (DR2, Wed 21:30) follows a Welsh paramedic for two weeks in Guatemala City – surely a breeze compared to Cardiff.
