KATHRYN FLETT’S My TV Week: To see or not to see? Do not miss!

SHAKESPEARE: RISE OF A GENIUS

Wednesdays, BBC2 

Rating:

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio – aka Mr William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. It’s just the kind of full-fat British anniversary you’d expect our national broadcaster to mark in style. 

Yet in these turbulent, febrile times, could the Beeb perhaps decide to take a revisionist approach? Could Shakespeare ever become a victim of the culture wars?

Not enough diversity in Romeo And Juliet, perhaps? Too much fat-shaming of Falstaff? And when Othello was performed at Court in 1604, was the ‘Moor of Venice’, portrayed by Richard Burbage, wearing blackface? (Almost certainly yes to the latter.) 

Daniel Boyarsky (second left) portrays Shakespeare in the BBC2’s Shakespeare: Rise Of A Genius, which was created to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio

It may seem mildly absurd to suggest Shakespeare’s legacy could be reassessed for TV audiences in the light of trendy academic attitudes but, I’d hazard, only mildly. I started watching Shakespeare: Rise Of A Genius feeling mildly trepidatious.

Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. The Beeb has made an insightful and unmissable three-part drama-documentary that ensures the Bard continues to speak to us all – yes, even those who assume Shakespeare is not for them. 

The only problem is whether youngsters will get to see it. It should be compulsory viewing in schools.

Against a backdrop of atmospheric scenes played by actors (Daniel Boyarsky is an excellent Will), a selection of stellar talking heads tell Shakespeare’s life story. 

Kathryn Flett, pictured, has this week enjoyed Shakespeare: Rise Of A Genius

From modest beginnings as the son of a glover in Stratford-upon-Avon to the London-based playwright feted by both royalty and public alike, his character (about which we know comparatively little, in truth) is fleshed out by the Shakespeare specialists, alongside archive clips from previous filmed productions.

At times the analysis is incredibly moving. Having steered clear of making the personal political, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet after the death of his only son Hamnet, 11. 

‘Grief can make everything meaningless,’ observes Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgard, ‘but that is also something that can set you free.’ Indeed. Shakespeare went on to pen Othello and Twelfth Night. 

Elsewhere Adrian Lester, Lolita Chakrabarti (aka Mrs Lester), Helen Mirren, Martin Freeman, Jessie Buckley, Jeanette Winterson and Baroness Hale of Richmond make appearances, everybody bringing something fresh to the Bard party (and Juliet Stevenson’s voiceover is perfect).

We see Dame Judi Dench now and playing Titania in Peter Hall’s 1968 movie of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

And we get an eyeful of buff Marlon Brando as Mark Antony in Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1953 movie of Julius Caesar with James Mason as Brutus, and that character’s famous speeches are brought to vivid, relevant life by Brian Cox (‘Brutus is in many ways the conscience of the play’), plus Gordon Brown. Yes, that Gordon Brown.

This remarkable series brings depth and resonance to the otherwise hackneyed phrase ‘we live and learn’. You don’t want to miss it.

Good news – this Aussie drama’s bonzer 

THE NEWSREADER

Thursdays, BBC2 

Rating:

I loved the first series of this ‘period’ (the 1980s) Aussie drama, which arguably has the best sets, costumes and art direction of any show on TV. If you can remember the 80s you’ll be pushed to fault the attention to detail.

And it not only looks great, it sounds great too: the dialogue is pacy, the characters multi-layered (and I’m not just talking about hair) and each episode, set against the backdrop of Aussie current affairs, is engaging enough not to put off those who can’t recall the result of 1987’s Australian general election.

Aussie drama The Newsreader stars Anna Torv and Sam Reid as news anchors Helen Norville and Dale Jennings 

Which is where we found ourselves last week, in the middle of a ratings battle between news anchors/partners Helen Norville (Anna Torv) and Dale Jennings (Sam Reid), and their channel’s former anchor Geoff Walters (Robert Taylor), now at a rival broadcaster. 

Meanwhile, the relationship between sports editor Rob and put-upon researcher Noelene hots up.

However, the biggest question remains which side of the news desk Dale will end up on (yes, that’s a euphemism). 

I won’t spoil anything for those who’ve not yet had the pleasure of The Newsreader – just hurry up, binge the first series (on iPlayer) and let me know what you think!

That’ll teach him!

Claire (centre), one of the stars of Wife on Strike, pictured with husband Sean and two of their five children

In Wife On Strike (Mon, Ch5), put-upon mums go missing in action from the Home Front for a few days, hoping to teach their lazy spouse/offspring a lesson. 

Personally, if I’d been either Claire or Laura I’d have visited a solicitor years ago. Both their husbands grew up in houses where they were waited on hand-and-foot, and neither seemed to have noticed there’s a bit less of that going on these days. 

In fact, Laura and Claire turned out to be complicit in their domestic drudgery so their learning curve was steep enough to keep us watching, even if the inevitable happy endings were a bit too tidy to completely convince. 

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