Heartbreak in Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine I devoured the papers, and took notes. Within a couple of months I’d produced a booklet of poems as a fund-raiser, and I faithfully listened to Ukrainecast to keep track of developments. But now? I know it’s still happening, but I’ve lost track.

So I watched the documentary “Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods” as a way to catch up. Little has changed. Ukraine is short of manpower and ammunition, fighting an enemy with an apparently endless supply of both. These young kids are enormously impressive, but they’re fighting in grim conditions against appalling odds, seeing their friends killed every day.

To them the only conceivable outcome is victory. Any kind of deal with Putin would be a betrayal of the sacrifices already made, because he can’t be trusted an inch. But the Western powers which have so far kept them going have limited resources, limited attention span, and the massive distraction of Gaza. I’m glad to have caught up a bit, but it’s hard to find glimmers of hope.

Darren McGreevey

At first sight, I thought “Glaswegian rapper tackles inequality” might be on a par with “Strictly star exposes third world hunger” - i.e. celebrity skimming over the surface of a good cause. Couldn’t have been more wrong. This is a tough, thoughtful series which includes more intelligent analysis per square minute than any other documentary you’re likely to see.

“The State We’re In” tackled UK inequality in three areas - justice, education and health - over three one-hour episodes. You can’t say it’s lacking in ambition. It’s also got a wide reach in terms of the evidence it examines. Obviously a lot of high-powered experts have seen this as the opportunity to share intelligent innovation, so we get three kinds of information - powerful testimony about the dysfunction of our current system, vivid examples of how they do it better in Scandinavia, and lively vignettes of the good practice that is nonetheless possible - against the odds - in the UK.

Holding it all together is McGreevey himself - warm, personal witty, but also driven by a passionate sense of justice, and anger at the consistent way in which that’s denied by our current government. So it’s a devastating indictment, but not a wallow in despair - there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we have to drag our leaders to see it for themselves. What more could you ask?

"...but how you played the game."

Sport is fascinating, in the way teams change. Maybe a new manager arrives, or a different formation suddenly seems to work, but as a spectator you get that exciting feeling - “this is different.” That’s been happening in the Six Nations rugby tournament, and was crystallised this weekend with another stunning game to follow England’s surprise defeat of Ireland last week.

This time, against France, the English didn’t win, but that didn’t matter. They were definitely worth watching, and they came very close, and they weren’t depressing to watch. Against Scotland, the heart sank every time we launched yet another hopeful kick from the scrum-half, which was dutifully fielded and swallowed up, as we gave up possession and any hope of scoring. Here there was speed and imagination, a willingness to try something interesting, and the talent to back it up. Even as they lost, this was a team worth watching.

There are different explanations as to how this happened. Was it simply that the Borthwick master plan took time to woork, and after a few games everything clicked into shape? Or did the players rebel against a restrictive structure within which they were being asked to play, and demand a bit more freedom? I don’t know and I don’t mind. I’m just glad that watching the England team play is no longer an embarrassment. .

Real life TV drama

Every month I recommend TV programmes to a friend who has much less time than me to sort out what she’s going to watch. And every month that list is heavily skewed towards documentaries, because my patience with most TV drama is extremely limited, and although the documentaries are often sobering, they do at least deal with a life I can recognise as real.

This month, though, has been different. “The Way” came heavily hyped, with an intriguing trio of big names at its helm - actor and Welsh activist Michael Sheen, dramatist James Graham and intellectual documentary-maker Adam Curtis. A real mix, and at times a bit of a mess, but not quite like anything else you’re going to see any time soon - intense family complications, within a fractured world riven by social media and aggressive political control, set against a history of exploitation and protest. Enough to be going on with?

And then there’s Breathtaking. I’ve long been a fan of Rachel Clarke, a doctor who’s increasingly taken on the role of the writer who explains to non-professionals exactly what it’s like to work in the NHS. Someone surely has to do it. This is about Covid, and therefore involves not only the pressure of the actual work, but the added force of seeing that work lied about by the powers that be - and from that the need to protest in some way, to tell the world exactly what’s going on. So it’s as much a documentary as a drama, and maybe there’s things missing you’d want from a proper play, but it’s powerful viewing nonetheless.

The End of the World?

And just was I was starting to get hopeful (see Louise Casey, from January 14) I’m now almost totally depressed. The reason is a TV documentary about the return of Trump, made by Robert Moore, the one who made that incredible liver report from the January 6th assault on the Capitol.

His argument is that Trump is doing much better than he was in the build-up to the previous election, and that Biden - however preferable in our terms he may be in his response to climate, Ukraine or Gaza - is really struggling. There was a patronising Guardian review suggesting that Moore was throwing up his hands in horror, and not analysing the situation clearly enough, but I think that’s wrong.

He produces a series of people who talk about why they used to support Biden, but will now support Trump. Black, Muslim and young - not realistic beneficiaries of a future Trump administration, but nonetheless determined that they haven’t got what they were hoping for, so they’ll try something else. Something else will definitely turn out to be worse than last time. Trump wants a private militia just like Putin has, and is making massive preparations to replace large parts of the government operation with his own supporters. If he gets close but doesn’t win, he has a large number of armed supporters who will fight to support the cause - and that’s a fact, not an image. Win or lose, things will get worse, and the impact of that on climate, Ukraine, Gaza is fairly easy to work out.

Managing the News

Tricky for Starmer, how to negotiate Gaza and the Hamas attack. In the early stages, it’s not surprising that he wants to keep in step with other Western powers, not be outflanked by Sunak, retain the credit for fighting anti-Semitism. So he says it’s an outrage, and Israel must be free to respond. Even if that includes hutting off water and electricity? Yes.

That’s what happened. He had a clear chance to distinguish between rational response and a war crime, and he didn’t take it. In that interview, he basically said “Anything goes.” Since then the Mandelson-style machine has whirred into action, insisting that that wasn’t what he meant, that he’s now totally clear human rights must be defended, that he’s in favour of a pause but not a ceasefire, because that would benefit Hamas…It’s all very frantic and insistent, and it doesn’t face the truth, which was that he made a mistake. In this context, under that pressure, not amazing. But it’s so damaging that he can’t afford to admit it.

So, damage limitation. Go and talk to some Muslims, insist that he does care about the Palestinians, and then produce a statement underlining his wisdom and compassion - which infuriates the Muslims he spoke to, because it’s dishonest about the nature of the conversation that they shared. So, so short-sighted, this obsession with presenting the leader as faultless, when all that does is disillusion potential supporters who know that isn’t true.

Fine Margins, Again

And the English rugby-watching populace is still in mourning, after a weekend where we came so close, and yet so far. The game against South Africa was, to be fair, far closer and more gripping than many of us had feared. For once, some serious planning had gone on, and the team set out to carry out a clear plan, with considerable success.

The South Africans who had looked so commanding against France were clearly rattled and unsettled, while England kept the scoreboard ticking, kicking their penalties. Johnny Wilkinson, commentating, suggested that a drop goal would help boost the score, and - as if by magic - Farrell drops a goal. For most of the game we were ahead and deserved to be, but over the last quarter of an hour brute force imposed itself - strength in the front row, scrum penalties, supremely accurate long-distance kicking. And suddenly, cruelly, we’re out of the World Cup.

We shouldn’t get too upset. We didn’t score a try, and never looked like doing so. No line-breaks, and 41 out of 44 possessions kicked away. Yes, we challenged well for the high ball, often won it back, but we were also lucky that the weather conditions made it hard to hold on to the ball. Give the South Africans another dry day and maybe it wouldn’t have been so close. But we did much better than feared, and there are - as they love to say - positives on which to build.

Oh Wow

Not my headline. I’ve pinched it from David Flatman, whose ITV World Cup Rugby podcast is currently required listening. He and I are both referring to this weekend’s matches, four quarterfinals which supplied more tension and high quality entertainment in one weekend than I’ll ever see again.

I’m not a proper rugby fan. I don’t get cold, slog out in the depths of winter to support my team. I sit in the warm with a cup tea, and put the telly on, and this weekend I had a treat. With fifteen minutes to go, you couldn’t be sure how any of these games would end up. The losing sides averaged 23 points each, and that doesn’t happen very often.

There were little moments where fates were decided, where a different referee might have come to a different decision, and the game might have gone the other way. The incredible French kicker Ramos, for instance, lining up a distant conversion, lets his kick go - only for it to be charged down by Colbe, the South African winger with incredible speed. When did we last see a conversion charged down? Is it possible - and we do have the technology now, to check this out - that Colbe left a fraction early? Does it matter? Oh yes, it does. The conversion is two points, and South Africa end up winning by one. As the commentators like to say, fine margins.

World Cup Rugby

What a roller coaster already, and we’re still at the group stage. England’s three games have offered stunning variety already - George Ford defying an early red card to steer through an improbable win; Alex Mitchell getting booed for yet another kick against Japan; and then a ludicrous change of cast and fortune and style as we wallop Chile with a load of tries - though it’s fair to say other sides may offer more resistance. But the possible talking points about future tactics and selection are endless.

Then there’s the serious contenders. France v. New Zealand was impressive enough, but Ireland v. South Africa was amazing. Somehow Ireland managed to be in control most of the time, despite losing four line-outs in the first half. Somehow South Africa kicked away 11 potential points, running out of hookers who can throw straight and kickers who can kick. Who’d have thunk it?

And then there’s Wales, with their outrageous challenge to Australia. Here, have the ball. play the rugby. And we’ll stop you, pressure you into giving away penalties, and beat you by over 30 points, even though you have more of the possession. It’s not pretty, but it’s fascinating. And there’s so much more to come…

Succession

Finally, the end of the road. I have finished watching Series 4 of Succession, and I’m not sure I could ever put myself through that again. But it’s certainly been an exciting ride, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

For those who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, Succession is a US TV series (but with signficant Brit involvement so far as the writing is concerned) about a rich,powerful family - not a million miles, it’s rumoured, from the Murdoch clan. So immediately it has those seductive, ludicrously expensive trappings - luxurious settings, planes, helicopters, endless fleets of limos. The cost must have been eye-watering.

but whle it has that exotic “what must that be like?” appeak, it also has the “oh yes, I know about that” buzz of family and maried life. Children bullied by their father, but weeping at his funeral, really not at all sur of who they are, but haunted by the feling that thy’re meant to be a powerful success - despite clear, repeated evidence that none of them could hold down an important job by being competent and reliable. All the tone and trappings of power are they; they just aren’t any good. Quite how they’ve managed to make this distasteful spectacle funny, moving and full of suspense I’m not sure, but that’s what they’ve done.

The Labour Files

These are three long films made by Al Jazeera, on the strength of a huge data dump of Labour Party material. It’s complicated, but their basic case is that the accusations of anti-semitism against Labour were exploited to undermine Jeremy Corbyn. If this were your only access to information about current politics, you might assume that he was a martyred idealist, and that anti-semitism was never a problem.

It isn’t, of course, that simple, but they do make a powerful case. “Corbyn didn’t care about anti-semitism” - but when he took direct control of the process, the number of referrals, investigations and suspensions went up. And who exactly is being suspended? Many of them are Jewish, and their crime seems to be not so much anti-semitism, as criticism of Israel, and support for the Palestinians. We have been here before and why is it, at this moment when the Israel government is more right-wing and extreme than it has ever been, provoking widespread dissent from its own citizens, that the Labour Party has nothing to say?

There had to be a response to the data dump, and the allegations which followed it, and there was. The Frode Report loked into it, and has virtually been ignored. It said that there was an effective hierarchy of racism within the Labour Party, where anti-semitism mattered and disrcimination aganst Blacks or Muslims was seen as less important. Remind me, what’s happened about the implementation of the Williams report, seeking to put Windrush right?

There’s two scandals here. 1. What’s happened. 2. The failure of the mainstream media to report it. There’s this dynamite from Al Jazeera (including impressive detailed interviews with Labour Party members who’ve been sacked) sitting on YouTube, being ignored. If this is news to you, have a look.

The Sixth Commandment

I didn’t want to watch “Best Interests” because it was about parents of a seriously ill child; so many opportunities for sentimental indulgence, empty rage. But then I read the reviews, and realised this was four hours of superb drama I’d be crazy to miss.

The same applied to “The Sixth Commandment.” Serial killer who gets close to vulnerable elderly peple, and then tries to kill them? No, not my scene, thanks. But then I read the reviews.(How lucky we are to have catch-up). Of course. It’s not about what it’s about, it’s about how it’s done.

And this is done by Sara Phelps, who achieved the impossible by getting me to show an interest in something by Agatha Christie. She’s very thoughtful, very clever, and her dramas have the distinguishing mark of dramatic quality - they take each of the characters seriously, show hat’s happening and how they’re thinking and feeling, rather than focussing on the only one that counts. If you don’t believe me, fine. that’s what catch-up is for. Check it out for yourself.

Windrush Portraits

Precious little comfort in the news, so when an uplifting documentary comes along, it’s something to savour. For me “Windrush: portraits of a generation” came into that category. Not a new idea. You get a collections of people, you pair them up with an artist each, you record he development of those relationships, and then at the end you show them all milling about, admiring the results.

But this time there were two elements that made it special. The subjects of the portraits, hugely varied, were all Windrush veterans - who’d survived that turbulent history. Many of them had the wit,wisdom and vitality to demonstrate what a triumph that was.

The other distinctive feature was that the climax was at Buckingham Palace, because the patron of this whole project was King Charles III. I’m not a huge fan. For all sorts of good reasons he’s remote, a bit impersonal, often stuffy. But on this issue he does seem o have inherited his mother’s respect for the best part of the Commonwealth tradition, and he was insistent that the Uk should see the Windrush generation as a huge asset, to be celebrated as much as famous writers, generals or political leaders. Hence the portraits. And how far that attitude is from the blinkered hostility of our elected government.

The Clinic

Earlier this week ITV showed a one-hour documentary called The Clinic. It’s abut the GIDS clinic at the Tavistock, which has been trying to deal with gender dysphoria. I saying “trying”, not because they’re incompetent, but because they’re having to provide answers to complex problems with limited resources, against the clock.

The programme did a really good job of providing detailed information without slipping into crude simplifications or current stereotypes. It also provided a fascinating gallery of different points of view - kids, parents, activists, doctors, lawyers - many of whom were passionately convinced that they were right. Their views, needless to say, did not coincide.

The one who stays with me is Sajid Javid. He was explaining why his decision to close down the GIDS clinic was justified by the evidence available. He strove to present himself as a careful, rational minister, acting in the national interest. What he didn’t do was suggest what happens next. Okay, so you close GIDS. It’s already dealing with thousands of people, many of them vulnerable kids. Where do they go? Who sees them? If what GIDS was doing is wrong, what is the approved government treatment? He hasn’t got a clue, and doesn’t seem to care.

Storyville: Attica

When people ask me for recommendations of what to see on TV - and, for some reason, they often do - one of my standbys is Storyville. They’re a strand made by a variety of directors, on a huge range of topics, but they almost guarantee ninety minutes of intelligent viewing - a clear, organised stud of something you maybe didn’t think you wanted to watch, but done so well that you find you’re willing o change your mind.

Attica, the account of a long-ago prison riot, is a brilliant example. It’s accompanied with all kinds of warnings about violence bu you think US prison, of course it’s going to be a bit rough, but I can cope with that…And it’s disarming the way the early stages are narrated by relaxed black guys, reminiscing in old age about what happened to them when they were young. And the early part of the story is quite touching - prison inmates, taking over the prison and then trying to produce a rational set of demands, asking for key intellectuals they think they can rust to cme into the prison, and be part of this negotiation.

So far, so innocent, but outside the forces of reaction are gathering, Nixon and Rockefeller, both adamant that these black jailbirds can’ be seen to win, so by the end it comes as no surprise to watch a painful, brutal suppression, with all kinds of empty promises about fair treatment and non-violence being used to excuse state-sponsored assault which really is very hard to watch. I wasn’t sure what I was in for, and that’s part of the film’s intelligent approach, but it’s not something I’m going to find it easy to forget.

The definite death of the dream

‘Fraid so. It’s yet another Gooner lament, but at this heartbreaking time Arsenal supporters should be allowed to cut themselves some slack. The saddest sight on my TV screen on Sunday was the aerial shot of hundreds of Arsenal fans walking home early, as Brighton cruised to a 3-0 win. Yes, Brighton, the team that got slaughtered by Everton, who then got slaughtered by Manchester City, making the title race effectively over.

I don’t worry on my own account. I’ve supported Arsenal for over fifty years, and have seen times far more miserable than this. But for young fans early in their careers, to go to the last home game of the season and see this brilliant young team ruthlessly crushed must have been more than they could bear.

Meanwhile Manchester City rumble on, massively backed, with incredible squad depth, and super-intelligent management. Yes, it’s impressive, but it’s also paralysing, a bit like waching The Triumph of the Will.

The death of a dream

There’s not much of the career of John Cleese that I want to retain, but I guess the last bit to go will be the classic moment in Clockwise when he says “It’s not the despair…it’s the hope.” So true. It’s been a rough twenty years to be an Arsenal fan, but for this season, for once, it all seemed worth it. Lovely Michel Arteta had gathered his young team together, put his arms around them, and encouraged them to play. So there they were, at the top of the table, six points ahead of Man City, with the route to winning he league clearly in sight, within their own control. Four games later, they’ve drawn three (two of those after being 2-0 up) and been slaughtered in the final showdown with the champion club. It wasn’t even close.

Not surprising, really., We’ve had hopes raised and dashed before, and all the conventional wisdom - past experience, money, depth of squad - suggested that we might not manage to stay ahead. And a key injury to Saliba, arguably the team’s strongest defender, made a massive difference; the stats about results with him and without him were indisputable. But it was great while it lasted, and there were moment we’ll treasure for ever - the last minute win against Bournemouth, for instance, when it briefly seemed as though the inevitable could be defied.

Inside Taiwan

For a long time now, I’ve valued the BBC more for its documentaries than its drama. This was another bonus: just sit tight for an hour, and you’ll end up wiser. Probably sadder, but that’s the price of being wiser. The idealists demonstrating in favour of independence were, as always, impressive - courageous, clear, obviously fighting for something worthwhile. Their leader, an intelligent, thoughtful woman who knew this was an important cause - but she’s in her final term as premier, and she’s a democrat who plays by the rules. The Chinese, we are increasingly learning, don’t. They mount a massive campaign to smear her, suggest that her advanced degree was a forgery, anything that will destabilise things. And, of course, there are smooth established men who dismiss this as a childish protest, and suggest that a mature approach would mean negotiations, coming to a deal…

At which point we are reminded of Hong Kong, and before that Tunisia, Egypt, Syria. Young people, out in he streets, getting a glimpse of what it might be like to run their own country, before the adults turn up with their boots and guns, and throw them into jail. So sad, and as usual there doesn’t seem much that anyone can do.

Linda Ronstadt

I feel I’ve sort of known about Linda Ronstadt for a long time, from all sorts of angles. Country duets, “Trio” signing Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, and a stunning contribution to Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Then I watched a documentary about Emmylou Harris, where she described staying with Ronstadt, and being looked after by her, at a difficult time, and she sounded like a decent person as well as a brilliant singer. But she’s not had to exposure other singers in her field have received, and Saturday’s BBC documentary wasn’t a repeat, and included stuff I’d never heard before.

Just a stunnng musical backgrund. Her grandparents are into classical and her opera, while her dad sings Mexican songs, as they’re close to the border. Her mum’s into Gilbert and Sullivan, while her older brother sings in the church choir, and she makes him teach her what’s learning. But then there’s Hank Williams on the radio…Not surprising that she ends up versatile, enthusiastic over a range of styles but passionate for high standards in all of them. I went back to the CDs with extra admiration.

Finishing in style

So that’s it - the end of Happy Valley. But what a way to go. It’s been classy all the way through, from only releasing episodes a week at a time (old-fashioned water cooler telly, no selfish binging on your own) to Sally Wainwright’s insistence that this is it. No, the BEEB will not be allowed to milk this particular cow for ever (cf Line of Duty).

To someone who’s written a lot of plays, it was also a wonderful celebration of dialogue. You don’t have to have collapsing buildings, hours of gunfire. What you need is two people talking, with conviction, saying how they feel. The grizzled woman cop, enjoying telling the young man who’s abused her daughter and others that this is where he gets off. But also him telling her that she’s old and bitter, and had no right to conceal the fact he had a son. And of course, they’re both right.

When that confrontation is over, there are pieces to be picked up. Catherine realises that she’s been over-protective, that her grandson is a young man with a reasonable curiosity about what his father was like, and that her sister may not simply have been weak and stupid in helping him pursue that. In a weaker, cruder drama she’d have apologised, and the two sisters would sink into a saccharine embrace. But this is Yorkshire, where they do things differently. What the characters say is brilliant, but there’s a whole lot of other stuff which can’t be put into words. Just brilliant.