I’m actually growing quite fond of Robin Hood, now I’m over its failings and realising that this is what we are going to get, certainly for the remainder of this first series. Yes, Jonas Armstrong needs ejecting from Sherwood as soon as humanly possible if it goes to a second series, but on the whole, the show has become quite an entertaining alternative to the light entertainment fare propping up the Saturday night schedules. This week, could things go acorn-shaped for the band of un-merry men as they team up with a rival band of outlaws? What do you think?
There is very much a musical theme creeping in this Saturday evening, starting with How Music Works with Howard Goodall (Saturday 8.25pm, C4). This is a nicely energetic look into how music is capable of giving us all a lift and getting into our psyche’s, all in the company f the genial Howard Goodall, composer of TV theme tunes ranging from Blackadder to Red Dwarf. It’s very clear an concise, and here the knowledgable Mr Goodall looks at how melody gets into our very soul.
Following directly is James Bond’s Greatest Hits (Saturday 9.25pm, C4). Of course, the world is going 007 mad for the billionth time (and quite right too), and this neat little documentary showcases how the famous theme tunes are just as inseperable from the tuxedos, martinis, girls and gadgets. It features interviews with the writers and crooners who have brought the themes to life, but cusiously, doesn’t go into detail on why Chris Cornell’s ditty for Casino Royale is so bloody dreadful. For the record, Live and Let Die is the one to beat…
In light of the recent Rebus adaptations with Ken Stott that walked a middling line of quality, it might be interesting to go back and check out the first TV Inspector Rebus (Saturday 9pm UKTV Drama) in a repeat run of the John Hannah version. The difference between the two incarnations is quite startling. hannah is too slight to play Rebus, but strangely captures the psychologically questionable side of the character in a way that Ken Stott was only just finding as the last run ended. When you realise that Hannah was practically forced to play the character at gunpoint (ITV would only greenlight the series from the actor’s own production company if he agreed to take the part himself) then it’s amazing he did the job as well as he did. Good stuff, if not brilliant.
Planey Earth (Sunday 9pm, BBC1) is as brilliantly breathtaking as the first series, but there has been a sense of deja vu about some of the material shown in the alst couple of weeks - last week’s elephants trudging through the dust had a very familiar ring about it. But when TV this good comes along, it simply has to be revelled in and celebrated. And David Attenborough has a voice that’s as a familiar and soothing as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night. Bliss!
As it’s undeniably Bond weekend, The Real Casino Royale (Sunday 9pm, BBC1) should get everybody further in the mood for the new improved secret agent (including his skimpy blue trunks). Andrew Graham-Dixon goes in search of the inspirations that led Ian Fleming to pen that first, fateful James Bond novel. I imagine that’ll be a casino then…
The rest of Sunday sees a battle of the US dramas on the multi-channel battlefield. Lost (Sunday 10pm) makes it much-heralded debut on Sky One, to much gnashing of teeth from the C4 fans who are not yet cabled up. This double-bill of delicious twisty-turny fun reveals that The Others are not as mysterious as we first thought, and they all attend a book club. Which is nice. Previewing a new season of Lost is pointless on the whole, as it will just scream off in all sorts of directions, generally obeying laws that are not bound by this earth. It’s best to just hang on and hope for the best.
If you missed the Lost boat, your second option for some fine US drama this weekend is provided by the really rather excellent Entourage (Sunday 10pm, ITV2), well into the stride of its second season run. As Vince gets his multi-million deal for the Aquaman movie, surely Ari (the magnificent Jeremy Piven) will no doubt ruin it soemwhere along the way. If you’ve lost interest during the early portion of this season, turn around and come back, the boys have pulled it back in timely fashion.
Couldn't care less about Bond - just as I don't give a hoot about Tom and Katie. I am looking stupidly forward to Jam and Jerusalem though. Which is about all I've circled for this week's TV after Planet Earth.