George Michael: Outed – Monday and Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm
In 1998, George Michael was arrested for committing a so-called lewd act in a Los Angeles public toilet. That could’ve ended his career, but instead he turned it into a landmark moment for gay liberation. He owned it. This comprehensive two-part documentary places George’s highly publicised outing in acute sociohistorical context. He shot to fame in the 1980s, when the tabloids exploited the AIDS crisis to create a virulently homophobic moral panic. His private anxiety was emblematic of fears within the entire gay community. A valuable social document, the programme illustrates the blatantly unethical ways in which certain powerful portions of the media persecute minorities for their own political gain. Its timely subtext is clear.
A Special School – Monday, BBC Two, 7pm
In the final episode of this current series, the staff and pupils of Ysgol Y Deri are nearing the end of summer term. Sport’s Day is back for the first time since the pandemic. Egg and spoons abound. As one staff-member notes, these fun little memories will hopefully be something the kids will cherish in their adult lives. It’s also time, after months of rehearsal, for the big summer production of Aladdin. As always, A Special School illustrates the importance of gently encouraging children with diverse needs towards creative and active endeavours which may allow them to project hitherto untapped facets of their personalities. If you’ve seen this show, then you’ll understand why I wax lyrical about it.
Jamie’s £1 Wonders – Monday, Channel 4, 8pm
Cost of living crisis be damned, here comes big-hearted millionaire chef Jamie Oliver to give us some advice about how to survive on a meagre budget. The problem with Jamie is that he probably does mean well, but he’s a fundamentally silly man lacking in self-awareness. So ostensibly good-natured ventures such as this always come across as blunderingly offensive. He has no real idea of how much we’re all struggling. Anyway. In episode one, he faffs about with some chickens, pizzas and pancakes. He also calls upon his old pal Gennaro Contaldo to share some tips on traditional Italian cooking. Those tips don’t involve toast and baked beans, so I found myself lost from the outset.
Kathy Burke: Growing Up – Wednesday and Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
Kathy Burke, like most decent people of sound mind, would balk at being described as a national treasure. And ‘balk’ is a polite way of putting it. Nevertheless, Burke is rightfully beloved. She doesn’t project a cynically contrived persona, she’s a genuinely frank, funny, kind and inquisitive person who has no time for narrow-minded nonsense. Hence why she’s carved a successful career in semi-retirement as the host of documentaries such as this, in which she challenges negative stereotypes about people old and young. While confronting the realities of ageing and death, she examines the inherent difficulties of young adulthood in the 21st century. It’s a typically insightful and humane essay, shorn of all the usual clichés.
Cold Case Detectives – Thursday, STV, 9pm
Carol Ann Stephens was murdered in Cardiff in 1959. She was six-years-old. Her killer has never been found. This new series attempts to find some justice for Carol at last. I’m generally disinclined to recommend programmes of this nature, as they’re quite distressing for obvious reasons. So with that in mind, please tread carefully. In episode one, we’re introduced to a detective who was childhood friends with Carol. We also follow, throughout the series, cold case detectives and forensic experts as they revisit old crime scenes, interview new witnesses and unearth crucial pieces of information. The team also investigate some other historic murders. As always, one hopes that the victims’ families aren’t upset by the programme.
Funny Woman – Thursday, Sky Showcase, 9pm
Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, this likeable comedy-drama stars Gemma Arterton as Barbara, a mid-1960s Blackpool beauty queen who flees to Swinging London. Inevitably, she discovers that London only swings for those who can afford it. Barbara is determined to do something with her life, but has no real idea of what that might be. She idolises Lucile Ball. Perhaps she could be Britain’s answer? Adapted by the great comic actor and writer Morwenna Banks, Funny Woman is a warm, witty, charming tribute to our estimable comedy heritage. Arterton proves once again that she’s a talented comic performer, and Rupert Everett has an absolute whale of a time as an ageing showbiz impresario.
Becoming Frida Kahlo – Friday, BBC Two, 9pm
Frida Kahlo is widely regarded as one of the most significant artists of the 20th century. But that wasn’t the case during her lifetime. This beautifully-made three-part profile pays tribute to a truly transgressive artist. It begins at the beginning, with a young Mexican girl growing up in a time of revolution. Those formative experiences inspired her uncompromising independence and iconoclasm. Programmes of this nature often rely on lazy platitudes, they tell the stories of ‘icons’ in a superficial way, but this one is different. It’s curated by people who understand why Kahlo was so important. They never forget that she was an actual human being, not just some sort of symbolic legend.
