Oscars, Comic Relief and Saving Lives at Sea: TV highlights this week

Texas Live in the Piano Room (Saturday 09/03/24, BBC Two, 8.35pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Formed way back in 1986, Texas have gone on to become one of the biggest groups ever to come out of Scotland, selling over 40 million albums worldwide, winning an Ivor Novello Award and a Grammy.

However, it wasn’t until June of last year when Sharleen Spiteri and the band finally returned to the world-famous Glastonbury festival, 24 years after their last appearance in 1999.

The career-spanning set on the iconic Pyramid Stage went down a storm, but afterwards Spiteri revealed that she was “worried no one would show up” to the show.

In an interview with the Guardian, she also noted that a number of her band’s hits might surprise some of the younger people in the audience, saying:

“They go: ‘Texas – who are these old b*stards?’

“Then they go ‘oh, I know that song, I know that song, oh that was them’…”

Despite being at the top of their game for the best part of four decades, the Glasgow band – which now comprises Sharleen, alongside Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, Eddie Campbell, Tony McGovern and Cat Myers – are undergoing somewhat of a resurgence, fuelled by their Glasto appearance, greatest hits collection The Very Best of 1989–2023, and recent singles After All and Keep on Talking.

To mark their continued appeal and longevity, the BBC Two is dedicating its Saturday music night to the band, broadcasting three programmes showcasing some of their hits and memorable live performances.

First up, there’s Texas Live in the Piano Room, an extended set filmed at Maida Vale studios as part of Vernon Kay’s Piano Room Month on BBC Radio 2 in February.

Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, Sharleen and co kick off their performance with a stripped-back version of their classic hit Halo from their from their huge-selling fourth studio album White on Blonde, before the aforementioned Keep On Talking.

There’s also an unmissable cover of Charles and Eddie’s Would I Lie To You.

Before the performance, Sharleen said: “We are so happy to be part of the Radio 2 Piano Room Month.

“Stripping back songs to their songwriting beginnings hopefully will give people the chance to hear something new in the melodies and lyrics.”

That programme is followed by Texas at the BBC (9.05pm) in which Sharleen takes a dive into the archives for a look back at some of Texas’ greatest appearances on the BBC over their long career.

Among the footage featured is last year’s triumphant gig at Glastonbury, dressing up as Elvis, and a key collaboration with hip-hop icons the Wu-Tang Clan.

Finally, there’s another chance to see one of the band’s earlier performances alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (10.15pm), recorded for BBC Music Day in 2017.

Vic Galloway introduces the band as they join forces with the 60-piece BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at Glasgow’s Barrowland, with the collaboration including unique versions of classic tracks I Don’t Want A Lover, Let’s Work It Out, Halo, When We Are Together, Midnight, Summer Son, In Demand, The Conversation, Black Eyed Boy, Tell That Girl, Inner Smile and Texas’s biggest commercial hit, Say What You Want.

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Oscars Live (Sunday 10/03/24 ITV1, 10.15pm)

Rachael Popow

Get your best red-carpet outfit back from the dry cleaner and load up on popcorn – it’s time for the 96th Annual Academy Awards. And in an added bonus for UK film fans, for the first time in almost two decades, the ceremony is airing on free-to-view TV.

The coverage begins on ITVX at 9pm as Ross King brings us coverage of the celebrity arrivals, before switching to the ITV1 at 10.15pm as Jonathan Ross brings us the ultimate Oscar party, complete with celebrity guests who will be reacting to the results.

The ceremony itself is presented by US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time. There are also set to be plenty of stars dishing out the individual awards, including a potential Scarface reunion for Michelle Pfeifer and Al Pacino.

As is tradition, reigning acting winners Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan will be back to present the statuettes, and we can also expect appearances from Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Sam Rockwell, and Zendaya.

However, the big question remains – who will they be handing out the awards too?

If this year’s earlier award ceremonies, including the Baftas and the Golden Globes, are anything to go by, it should be a very good night for Oppenheimer, which leads the pack with 13 nominations.

It’s been widely predicted to win Best Picture and Best Director for Christopher Nolan, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jnr. However, it seems the Best Actor race may be a little more difficult to call, with some predicting that Paul Giamatti’s turn in The Holdovers could edge out Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy.

Although Barbie may be inextricably lined with Oppenheimer in the public’s imagination thanks to this summer’s ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, where cinemagoers flocked to see both of these very different films, Barbie has clearly made less of an impression on Oscar voters.

There was outrage when Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig failed to get nominations for Best Actress and Director respectively, but it is still up for eight Awards, including Best Picture, Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling and Supporting Actress for America Ferrera.

And even if the bookies are predicting that Gosling will lose to Downey Jnr, there is speculation he might still take to stage to perform I’m Just Ken, one of two tracks from Barbie in the running for Best Original Song.

In Best Actress, the two frontrunners are thought to be Poor Things’ Emma Stone and Killers of the Flower Moon’s Lily Gladstone, although Annette Bening, Sandra Hüller and Carey Mulligan will hope to pull off an upset.

In Best Supporting Actress, The Holdovers Da’Vine Joy Randolph is seemingly the one to beat, but she’s up against Danielle Brooks, America Ferrera, Jodie Foster and Emily Blunt.

But will the pundits be proved right or are we in for some surprises? If you can’t face staying up all night to find out, the good news is that a highlights show will be available to stream on ITVX tomorrow or watch on ITV1 at 10.45pm on Monday night.

Snow Going Back: Comic Relief vs The Arctic (Monday 11/03/24, BBC1, 9pm, not Scotland)

Words by Rachael Popow

Comic Relief takes place on Friday, when many of the nation celebrities will be being funny to try to raise money for a very good cause. However, we wouldn’t blame Sara Davies, Vicky Pattison, Alex Scott and Laura Whitmore if they were at home watching it in their dressing gowns because, as this documentary proves, they’ve already done their bit.

Snow Going Back: Comic Relief vs The Arctic follows them as they take part in a gruelling challenge that sees them heading to the Arctic Circle.

Beginning in Tromsø, Norway, they have just four days to trek, cross-country ski and cycle to the finish line 50km away. That might not sound like an impossible distance, but given that they are dealing with harsh, disorientating conditions, the constant threat of snowstorms and just eight hours of light a day, it’s a truly epic journey.

There’s no respite at night either, as the quartet must pitch their own tents with no access to running water, heating or electricity, while their food is limited to dried rations.

So, what convinced them to sign up? For Sara Davies, who is one of the resident entrepreneurs on Dragons’ Den, it seems her son inspired her to take on the challenge.

She says: “Comic Relief is something we sit down and watch as a family every year and last year I followed Emma Willis, Oti Mabuse and Rylan on the trek in Scotland and my son said to me, ‘Mammy that’s so amazing, why didn’t you go and help?’

“It really hit home to me that I know I’m in a privileged position where I can go and do something to help raise funds, to do my bit, so this year that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

As a former winner of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Vicky Pattinson is used to roughing it, but admits that she’s expecting to struggle. “There will be moments where I just want to give up, but I think what’s going to keep me going is the reason why I’m doing it.

“I was able to see first-hand where the money that Comic Relief raises goes, when I visited food bank and community hub, Hebburn Helps, which receives food from the Comic Relief-funded organisation, Fareshare. I found volunteering there so illuminating.”

Meanwhile, former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore is hoping to also draw strength from her teammates. She says: “I think it’s so empowering to be part of Comic Relief’s first ever celebrity all-female group like this. I think we’re all pretty tough cookies and we’ll all work really hard and push each other to persist, to hopefully raise a considerable amount of money. That’s the end goal that will keep us all going at the times when we’re absolutely freezing.”

Footballer-turned-pundit Alex Scott agrees, saying “Yes, I’ll bring the fun and keep everyone going, but I think I might need my team mates to pull me through this one.”

We’ll see how they got on in this documentary, which begins as they are given training by the Royal Marines who are on exercise in the area.

Love Rat (Monday 11/03/24, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Sally Lindsay, star of The Madame Blanc Mysteries, is once again playing an English woman abroad in a Channel 5 drama, but Love Rat is a very different proposition to the cosy crime series. For a start, instead of investigating crimes, this time she could be the victim of one.

She stars as Emma, who is recently divorced from Pete (Neil Morrissey) and feels in need of a new beginning. It seems a holiday would be a step in the right direction, so in the first episode, she ignores her embittered daughter Susie’s (Imogen King) criticism and packs her bags for Cyprus, where she and Pete enjoyed many breaks in the past.

So, Emma knows she can expect sun and sea, but she isn’t predicting that she’ll also find romance until she meets the handsome, charming hotel owner Niko (Gerald Kyd). She’s touched when he takes a special interest in her, making sure she’s getting the five-star treatment, and when he then invites her out on her boat, it seems it’s not just part of the customer service.

Before long, Emma is caught up in a passionate love affair, and is understandably sad at the thought of leaving it all behind to return to the UK.

However, Niko suggests the holiday doesn’t have to end – she can stay in Cyprus with him and move into the villa he’s buying. Despite Pete and Susie’s disapproval, Emma takes him up on the offer and even lends him the £200k he needs to secure the property.

Sadly, her dream of a new life in the sun starts to turn to a nightmare when Niko subsequently disappears along with the cash. Is it all a simple misunderstanding or has Emma been swindled? Some viewers may suspect the clue is in the title…

The series is stripped across the week, with the four episodes showing on consecutive evenings, so we won’t have to wait too long to get answers – and Sally Lindsay predicts that we will all be hooked.

She says: “Love Rat is a brilliantly entertaining story, full of twists and surprises; it really turns the topic on its head which is what drew me to the project. Emma is an interesting and layered character that everyone will be rooting for as she takes control of her situation and her destiny.”

The drama also confirms that Sally has become one of Channel 5’s biggest stars. After first finding fame on Coronation Street, where she played unlucky in love barmaid Shelley Unwin between 2001 and 2006, she’s gone on to host documentaries for the channel, including Sally and Nigel’s Posh Hotel (with Nigel Havers) and Sally Lindsay’s Posh Sleepover, while also appearing in dramas such as Cold Call and the aforementioned Madame Blanc Mysteries.

And if Emma’s story strikes a chord with you, the documentary Romance Scams: Could It Happen to You? on Channel 5 at 9pm on Wednesday offers more cautionary tales and advice on how to avoid falling for a conman.

Saving Lives at Sea (Tuesday 12/03/24, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

The RNLI is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Originally known as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, it has saved a countless number of people in the waters around the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and some inland waterways.

It’s certainly an institution to be proud of. Staffed mostly by volunteers, it’s funded via combination of legacies, donations, merchandising and investment, which help keep its 444 lifeboats stationed at 238 locations operational.

Perhaps the busiest period in the RNLI’s history came during the Second World War, with the threat of invasion and enemy activity creating tension and difficulties, while downed aircrew often needed to be plucked from the English Channel and North Sea. Despite the presence of mines in the area, lifeboat crews rescued more than six thousand people – and it’s their exploits during this time that are highlighted in an enthralling documentary.

Dermot O’Leary may seem an odd choice to present it – some viewers may have thought a historian like Dan Snow might have been better placed – but after spending much of his childhood on the south east coast, where the RNLI were particularly needed during the conflict, he feels a strong affinity for the organisation.

“Growing up near, and spending so much time on, and in, the sea, the RNLI and its incredible crews of volunteers were always a constant, reassuring presence of my youth,” claims the This Morning host. “All of us in the UK and Ireland owe it a huge debt.

“As well as having been an ambassador for over 20 years, I’m a huge history fan. For me it’s always been about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I’m really excited to investigate this little-known history, and find out how these lifeboat crews played such a pivotal role in the war effort.”

During this special edition of the popular series, O’Leary visits some of the key wartime coastal locations, and takes to the sea in an effort to soak up (no pun intended) the atmosphere while imagining what it must have been like to be a crew member as bombs dropped and bullets flew.

But the programme really comes to life when he hears the stories of those who participated in daring rescues from their descendants. Local history experts are also on hand to reveal incredible and largely previously unheard tales. Among them are chilling and moving anecdotes relating to key moments during the conflict, including the Battle of Britain and the evacuation of Dunkirk. Nineteen lifeboats were among the famous ‘little ships’ that made their way to the French coast, with the coxswains from the Margate and Ramsgate vessels receiving the Distinguished Service Medal for their ‘gallantry and determination when ferrying troops from the beaches’.

“I’m delighted that Dermot O’Leary is immersing himself in the extraordinary stories of the incredible characters who played such a vital role in this period of history,” claims Clare Silvery, BBC Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. “Saving Lives at Sea is one of our most popular brands and this promises to be a very special programme.”

Bring the Drama (Wednesday 13/03/24, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Many people would love to become actors but have no idea how to go about making that dream a reality.

The series Bring the Drama, which reaches its penultimate episode tonight, has taken eight aspiring thespians who never got the opportunity to turn professional and given them the chance to see whether they have what it takes to make it a notoriously tough industry.

Under the watchful eyes of presenter Bill Bailey and their mentor, renowned casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry, they’ve visited the sets of celebrated UK dramas such as Peaky Blinders, EastEnders and Silent Witness and tried their hands at different types of screen acting.

But will the series have encouraged viewers that they can follow their own dreams, or convinced them that maybe an actor’s life isn’t for them? Kelly says she wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a little bit of both.

She says: “I hope that the viewers get a parallel experience of watching what someone can achieve without professional training if they are given a chance but at the same time, how in reality being an actor requires a huge amount of skill, determination and hard work. You hear a lot of people saying ‘oh I could have done that’ but the reality is something quite different.”

She adds: “Also I think it is so much fun to see what goes on behind the scenes and then also watching our actors on set at some of our most popular shows. The biggest take away is for it to encourage someone to give our industry a shot with the understanding of how difficult it can be. Dream big but dream with realism.”

However, Kelly also hopes that the show will also highlight some of the obstacles many people who do have the talent and resilience face when trying to break into acting.

She says: “We all know already that there are barriers to many of the arts. Not only the [cost of] schools and courses but the accommodation in the cities that offer them.

“Also you need help when you are not working to sustain and of course the mental health struggles that go alongside it all.

“We will follow eight people who have a range of reasons why they didn’t pursue their dreams and hopefully we will show that for some of them it prevented a very real career where they would be living their dream. Everyone deserves a shot at that.”

Tonight, the aspiring actors face one of their biggest challenges – a dance scene. To add to the difficulty factor, they’ll also need to show they can master period drama as they re-enact one of Downton Abbey’s most famous romantic scenes between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley.

To help them get it right, they’ll have guidance intimacy coordinator Joshua Okpala (Sex Education) and coaching from Downton star Ed Speleers. But who can create chemistry with their co-star and convince the judges they should be the actors of the week? And even more importantly, who will secure a spot in next week’s final industry showcase?

The Apprentice (Thursday 14/03/24, BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

The candidates on The Apprentice never fail to amaze.

Each year, the producers of the hit business show somehow manage to find even more self-centred and deluded entrepreneurs/reality TV wannabes who talk a very good game before having their obvious shortcomings revealed to the nation and egos crushed.

This year’s male candidates in particular were full of soundbites (and themselves), with Sheffield wellness brand owner Dr Asif Munaf saying: “I’ve got an extremely high IQ. I’ve got an extremely high bench press. And to top it off, I’m quite good on the eyes.”

Meanwhile, “international” DJ and MC Virdi Singh Mazaria confidently declared: “The other candidates are just extras on my journey to the top”, and Lord Sugar said Paul Bowen was “talking out of his pie hole” when he claimed he could make him “Lord of the Pies”.

Although most viewers know what they’re getting with the candidates each year, Lord Sugar doesn’t believe they are just lambs to the TV slaughter, and thinks that this current batch are an improvement on previous years.

“Well, I’m very pleased with this series because the quality of the candidates that we have attracted this year is superb. This year, we’ve got a lot to work with.”

And Baroness Karren Brady, who has once again returned as Lord Sugar’s trusty sidekick, alongside Tim Campbell, agrees with the tycoon – to some extent, anyway.

“I think it’s probably the most highly qualified set of candidates we’ve ever had,” she says. “Pharmacist, dentist, some already successful business owners.

“But with high standard and high achievers comes high ego. They think they’re really, really, really, really good.

“And like most entrepreneurs and highly successful people, they often think they’re the best in the room, and working as a team can prove very challenging.”

The 18th season kicked off at the beginning of February, with the teams hosting an event in the Scottish Highlands.

In what has now gone down in Apprentice legend as “Crumblegate”, the girls’ team catastrophically coated their fish cakes with sweet crumble mixture rather than breadcrumbs.

The following week, the boys the marched into the Innocent Smoothies offices, with one contestant trying to convince them to ditch their healthy fruit-and-veg ethos in favour of mini chocolate cheesecakes.

After two disastrous food tasks, Lord Sugar decided it was best to lock the teams up. But as Nexus and Supream competed in the Virtual Escape Rooms task, all logic went out of the window for one of the groups.

For the fourth episode, Lord Sugar sent the candidates to Jersey to secure and negotiate nine items synonymous to the area.

However, more blunders led to a tense showdown in the boardroom.

After launching a new Formula E team – that featured a rare success – and creating a children’s breakfast cereal, the candidates jet off to Budapest tonight with the aim of selling and running their own boat and vineyard tours during the Hungarian capital’s 150th-birthday celebrations.

With tourism booming in the area, one team decides to focus on fun over facts, while the other suffers a last-minute change of plan.

Can at least some the candidates prove themselves worthy of Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment, or will the tycoon be angry at their performances in Hungary?

Comic Relief: Funny for Money (Friday 15/03/24, BBC One, 7pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Cast your mind back, if you can, to 1985.

That was the year that Live Aid took place, raising millions to help relieve the suffering of those caught up in the Ethiopian famine.

Organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, it featured some of the pop music world’s biggest stars appearing at venues around the world, most famously in London and Philadelphia.

It was also the year that Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis founded Comic Relief; they launched it via a report from Sudan during a Christmas Day edition of Noel Edmonds’ Late Late Breakfast Show. The first live fundraiser took place four months later, with the telethon eventually launching in 1988; it has since become a national event, with the BBC handing over its schedule one Friday night in March every year (it’s been an annual show since 2021).

However, the 2024 edition marks the end of an era – after almost 40 years at the helm, Henry announced in January that this year’s telethon will be his last.

He told BBC Breakfast: “There’s all these new, wonderful comedians with podcasts and nine million followers, and those guys or women should be hosting Comic Relief now so that the young people and the new influx of viewers can plug into the next stage of Comic Relief, because there will be a next stage, and because we want to continue tackling issues of poverty and injustice.

“It’s time to hand over the reins, as it were.”

During his tenure, donations have surpassed £1.5bn, with the money split between a number of good causes both at home and abroad. Tackling poverty and providing food, healthcare and safe shelter are the charity’s priorities.

“Right now, we know there is a cost-of-living crisis and people are struggling,” says Henry. “But we also know that the British public are brilliant – you’re so kind and generous, if somebody has a problem, you always want to help out. Without you, we couldn’t do what we do.

“I’d love nothing more than if you joined me in getting involved this year. Let’s make it one to remember and show that having a laugh can actually make a world of difference. Do something funny for money, wear your Red Nose with complete and utter pride – whatever you do, thank you!”

He’ll be joined on the night at Salford’s MediaCityUK by fellow presenters Romesh Ranganathan, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rosie Ramsey and Paddy McGuinness, who’ll be hoping that such sights as Alan Partridge’s fundraising efforts, a very special trailer for a movie version of The Traitors, appearances by Martin Lewis, Luke Littler and the Gladiators, and a catch-up with Sara Davies, Vicky Pattison, Alex Scott and Laura Whitmore as they return from their Arctic Circle challenge will inspire viewers to dig deep.

Stay tuned as well because after the news, there’s a tribute to Henry’s efforts in Comic Relief: A Whole Lotta Lenny featuring the most memorable moments from his charitable career – a fitting way to say thank you to the man who’s done so much, simply by making us smile.