The premise of British miniseries Without You sounds intriguing, the cast (Marc Warren, Anna Friel) is likeable, and the Guardian found the first episode “gripping”, but yet it scored below 7 on IMDB, suggesting that the ending is a bit disappointing.
Strong starts and weak endings are typical of British miniseries, but less likely to ruin a drama series. With 8.4 on IMDB, Garrow’s Law (BBC Ent, Sat 21:00) follows the exploits of a pioneering barrister in 18th century London, who championed the underdog and rubbed the toffs’ noses up the wrong way. Created by Tony Marchant (Holding On), it co-stars Alun Armstrong – good to see both of them back to form.
Always great value (although you question whether every BBC brainstorming session ends with someone suggesting they find out who Stephen Fry’s favourite xxx is), Wagner and Me (DRK, Sun 20:00) sees the Jewish wit come to terms with his love of the German composer’s music, and Wagner’s rampant anti-Semitism.
Would Wagner have tuned in for Spielberg on Spielberg (DRK, Sat 22:55)? If he promises to explain why he kept the last five minutes of War of the Worlds, surely it’s worth a punt. Talking of the apocalypse, Up in Smoke (SV2, Sun 22:30) follows the exploits of an environmentalist, who advocates an effective alternative for slash and burn farming, from 2006 until 2009, climaxing with his appearance at Cop15. Let’s hope he doesn’t get arrested and forced to sit in the street for six hours.
Elsewhere, Da Johnny Cash ramte Søborg (DR2, Wed 20:30) features Cash speaking Danish; join Gwyneth Paltrow on a 13-episode cookery odyssey in Spain – On the Road Again (from DR2, Fri 17:55); forget Roskilde and watch this year’s Glastonbury Festival (SV1, Sat 23:50); join Adele at the Albert Hall (SV2, Sat 22:00); there’s another chance to see Cold Feet rip-off Married single other (SV1, Fri 16:55); the first episode of What Brits Love (DR2, Wed 21:40) deals with sandwiches (hats and cars to follow); Robert Mugabe … what happened (DR2, Thu 22:50) sounds like they’re going to tell us; and then there’s Vietnam: Lost Films (DR2, Thu 20:00) – we guess they’ve found them.
