Normally if somebody misses a major event, you ask them whether they were in Outer Space, but even there you would have been hard-pressed to avoid Space Dive: Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s record 39km jump on October 14. He became the first human to break the sound barrier outside a vehicle and beat a record that had stood for nearly 50 years.
Which isn’t too far off Liverpool’s wait for the English title. It’s been 22 years for a team that had won ten of the previous 17, and they’re only four seasons off equalling the 26 years Manchester United waited between 1967 and 1993. But that’s the least of their problems as their American owners have turn ed them into a reality TV show. Former player Mark Lawrenson has described Being: Liverpool (TV3+, Sun 17:00) as “American schmalz” and “cringeworthy”. Sounds like a recommendation to me.
The same could be said about Sarah Palin, the subject of the multiple Emmy-winning TV drama Game Change (DRHD, Fri 20:00). Julianne Moore and Ed Harris are pitch perfect as the running mates, but you can’t help thinking it’s all a bit one-sided, unless she really is, as Bill Maher suggested, little more than “a Facebook page”.
From the mayoress of Alaska to The Queen of Versailles, an amusing reflection on the American dream about a family who build a replica of the French palace, and then watch their empire crumble in the financial crisis. With 95 on Rotten Tomatoes, it is highly recommended.
Elsewhere, this is The Graham Norton Show (BBC Ent, Tue 22:00) episode with WILL.I.AM and Miriam Margolyes; the critics are divided (49 on Metacritic) about Chaos (TV2 Zulu, Sun 11:20), a dramedy series about Feds who break rules; Holly’s heroes (SV2, Sun 17:00) is a new Kiwi kids series about basketball; Monisha Kaltenborn (BBC World, Sun 22:30) meets the female CEO of Formula One team Sauber; Lost Heroes of World War One (SV2, Mon 18:00) is an acclaimed six-episode 2011 series; The Storm That Swept Mexico (DRK, Mon 20:00) looks at the 1910 revolution; and Made in Sheffield (DRK, Sat 23:55) revisits the English city’s punk and post-punk scenes 30 odd years ago.