Women participated in the first world war!
I don’t know. You wait ages for a wartime drama featuring wimmin’s narratives and two come along at once. Anzac Girls (Friday, More4) was gripping and moving with just a hint of a sense of humour. Set in north Africa in 1915, this six-part series focuses on the role of the nurses from Australia and New Zealand in the Gallipoli campaign, in which 8,000 Australians lost their lives. It’s too early to tell whether the historical brushstrokes here are going to be too broad (pitting snobby, bullying Brits against can-do, plucky Aussies), but the signs are good. Alice (Georgia Flood), initially cold and difficult, turned out to be a complex, likeable character and I’m guessing we’ll be seeing a lot of the action and politics through her intelligent eyes. Laura Brent shone as Elsie, a nurse who has lied about being married in order to serve near her officer husband. This series shows serious promise, but it’s not one for the squeamish: there are a lot of Aussie guts on show.
Women also participated in the second world war!
“None understands the true cost of war better than women.” Home Fires (Sunday, ITV) is basically Heartbeat but with more women and in WWII and with victory rolls, bicycle rides down country lanes and floral frocks. Unfortunately, the soundtrack was extremely irritating from the off. I know they’re trying to modernise things and make it seem a bit more exciting, but why not have the confidence to let the piece stand? However, you can’t go wrong with a face-off between Samantha Bond and Francesca Annis – even if it is about the closure of the Women’s Institute. This turned out to be a slow but effective start, gently introducing us to characters determined to win the war one pot of jam at a time. Have faith and hold fast! Bring on more maps of blackberry hedgerows!
Sheridan Smith can do and be anything
Based on the book and blog by Lisa Lynch, The C-Word (Sunday, BBC1) was full of life, fun, honesty and reality. It had to have the levity and humour of Lynch’s original diary because it was brutal from seven minutes in. Her first appointment was “like shoving your tit in a fridge door.” And then: “The signs are consistent with breast cancer ... I’m afraid there’s no possibility of us saving the breast.” This great piece of drama was a real testament to Lisa Lynch’s life and writing, shocking only in how unusual it is to see something so truthful and real. “I’m going to be bald, bloated and one-titted in all the wedding photos.” Kudos to Sheridan Smith for a superb performance.
Dogs must be prevented from dancing
Setting aside the fact that the show opened with a song that was a hit 33 years ago (Madness with Our House), Sunday Night at the Palladium (Sunday, ITV) featured the winning contestants from America’s Got Talent: the Olate Dogs, a collection of mutts who have their own Christmas album and a luxury pet food sponsorship deal. I am sure there is a long and noble history of performing animals from the circus world. In the 19th century. But in the age of the internet and the Large Hadron Collider, is it really necessary to make these poor pooches do the moonwalk? Future generations will look back on the era of Cowell and hang their heads in shame. What have we become?
Julian Clary does not watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians
The thing that fascinates me most about Celebrity Squares (Sunday, ITV) is the set: the same glittery cardboard borrowed from Blankety Blank circa 1981. Who has been looking after it? They’ve rebuilt it in pink and blue neon. It’s horrible, but it’s also curiously comforting and old-fashioned and perfect for what has to be the most retro programme on TV. Contestants have to judge whether the celebrities sitting in the squares are telling the truth or not. There’s even a cheesy catchphrase from host Warwick Davis for the commercial break: “Don’t you go any square!” Worth it to hear Julian Clary say: “I’m a huge fan of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The contestant wasn’t buying it: “No. You’re better than that.”
