George Michael: Outed and Interior Design Masters among TV highlights this week

Words by Richard Jones

Turn-of-the-20th-century Paris was clearly a dangerous place. In raunchy historical drama Paris Police 1900, we saw lowly but principled cop Antoine Jouin (Jérémie Laheurte) encounter all manner of corruption and exploitation in the French capital. As its title suggests, Paris Police 1905 is set a few years on, and will once again explore a twisted world of murder and lies in the City of Light.

The first series began with the exploits of two historical figures, the president of the republic, Félix Faure, and his mistress, Marguerite ‘Meg’ Steinheil. And this new run, which begins on Christmas Eve 1904, also follows a few real-life characters, mixed in with the fictional ones.

With the Paris police department – under the orders of Police Chief Lépine – setting out to clean prostitutes off the city’s streets, a man’s body is found in the Bois de Boulogne gardens. Inspector Jouin is entrusted with the investigation, which leads him into an illicit world where blackmailers and crooked doctors are interlinked in a web of intrigue.

In Paris Police 1905, we’re promised that we will learn even more about the life of Jouin, who was inspired by Louis-François Jouin, a policeman killed by Jules Bonnot in 1912. Speaking to What to Watch, series creator Fabien Nury, who also wrote The Death of Stalin, explained why he used real-life historical figures as inspiration.

“We wanted to find interesting characters rather than invent them ourselves,” he said. “Jouin is a police officer who’s best known for things he did in 1910, 1912, but we don’t know many things about his life before then. So I was like ‘okay, let’s deal with this character when he was younger’”.

Laheurte returns as Jouin in this run, and the actor has revealed how he prepares for the leading role, especially when there’s a lack of source material to work with.“Obviously you don’t have access to any videos or recordings because they didn’t exist,” he says.

“What I like, is you can look at pictures and it’s a snapshot, but you don’t know what happened before or after. So it’s already the beginning of the creative work of the actor, to imagine. I tried to attach myself to the story and be as sincere as you should, even though it’s a story set in the 1900s, I approached it in a very modern way because it was almost mirroring what we were living.”

Once again, Orphan Black star Évelyne Brochu returns as Marguerite Steinheil, a French woman known for her many love affairs with important men. Although Marguerite and Jouin have not yet met, Nury has revealed that they will down the line. “I’m actually working on, and it’s a huge thing for me, to actually be working on their first scene together in season three.

“They have people in common like Lépine, but they still have not met. I think it’s very funny to know that because you’re like ‘how’s it gonna be?’ and I can say that they’re not going to be friends!”

Other confirmed cast members for season two include Marc Barbé back as Lépine, Eugénie Derouand as Jeanne Chauvin, and Alexandre Trocki as Commissaire Cochefert.

And although Paris is just as treacherous as it was five years before, viewers will be delighted to know that the city’s early art deco furnishings and beautiful vistas juxtaposed with its grubby tenements, still look as stunning and intriguing as they did before.

Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers (Sunday 05/03/23, BBC Two, 8pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Aren’t rivers brilliant? Not only are healthy waterways vital for biodiversity and for human health and well-being, they provide habitats for a range of wildlife, protect against flooding and are beautiful places for recreation and reflection. Therefore, it is vital that we protect them, and one of the most vocal campaigners for the protection or the UK’s rivers is Fast Show comedian Paul Whitehouse.

The 64-year-old has been filming Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing alongside his friend Bob Mortimer since 2018. And although the pair’s adventures have been a massive hit with viewers, it’s safe to say that hygiene and cleanliness isn’t always their top priority.

In fact, back in 2019, Paul revealed that he sometimes has to poo in the river when he is filming. “I don’t want to be too graphic about this,” the lifelong fisherman said. “But one of the problems you have, especially when wearing waders, is getting enough distance between the orifice and the trouser. So one of the ways around this is to find a nice branch, good height – about five feet off the ground – so you can sort of hang and keep your legs out.”

Despite this admission, Paul is angry about the “parlous state of our rivers”, and made it clear who he blames on LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr last month. Labelling the discharge of raw sewage into the UK’s waterways “shocking” and “a disgrace”, Paul said: “The main protagonist and the villain of the piece here, in many instances, is the policy of the water companies.”

In the past, Paul has also been particularly vocal about the problem of water extraction. “We do see the decline in the rivers,” he said at the Cheltenham Literature Festival a few years ago. “You get the impression that most of our rivers are cleaned up since industrial decline and the irony is that a lot of our rivers have got better. But in recent years, in the last 10 or 20 years, there has been a serious decline in a lot of our rivers through water abstraction.”

In this two-part programme, Paul travels around England and Wales looking at the pressures affecting our rivers and waterways from water companies, intensive agriculture and growing population. He explores what is going on beneath the surface, why they are in decline and what needs to be done to protect them.

In the first edition, Paul travels through the north of England, looking at the impact those companies are having on our rivers. He considers the changes in the water industry since privatisation in 1989 and what regulations are in place when it comes to sewage discharge.

He meets concerned locals in Yorkshire looking to highlight the health of the River Wharfe, as well as a conservationist who warns of the ecological decline in Lake Windemere. He also meets up with fellow fisherman and the main man at the front of the battle for our waterways, Undertones vocalist Feargal Sharkey.

“There is not a single river in England that is not polluted – not one,” the Northern Irishman has previously said. Perhaps now is not a good time to point out his friend occasionally uses the river as a toilet, then.

George Michael: Outed (Monday 06/03/23, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

As the outpouring of grief that followed his death on Christmas Day in 2016 proved, George Michael was a huge and much-loved star.

The singer-songwriter, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, had first found fame as a pop pin-up in the band Wham!, before achieving even greater success as a solo artist. In doing so, he arguably set the template for Robbie Williams, Harry Styles and any other boyband member who wanted to prove they could be taken seriously.

His career is arguably even more remarkable when you consider that in 1998, George was embroiled in an incident that could have theoretically ended it. That was the year he was arrested for committing a lewd act in a public toilet, which sent the tabloids into a frenzy.

Kevin Smith, founder of Splash News, an agency renowned for breaking celebrity scandals, reveals: “the gloves were off, the moment the news was out.” Yet, as George Michael: Outed reveals, the singer was able to take back control of the story and turn what could have been a PR disaster into a defining moment of gay liberation.

To find out how, this two-part programme draws on never-before-heard audio of the man himself, as well as interviews with his inner-circle, including his partner at the time, Kenny Goss, and cousin and business partner Andros Georgiou.

It begins though by asking why there was a secret to expose in the first place. The first episode looks back to the early days of Wham!, when, as his former manager Simon Napier-Bell explains: “It would probably be better if George wasn’t gay.”

As the decade progressed, and the Aids crisis sparked a moral panic, coming out arguably became an even more difficult prospect. Former Communard Richard Coles suggests: “If you were nervous about how you might be perceived as a gay man in 1982, by 1986, you would have perhaps more reason to be.”

And as George himself would later reflect: “’If you have the option of hiding, when you’re more successful than you ever dreamed you’re going to be, what are you gonna do?”

The second episode, which is broadcast on Tuesday, explores how losing his partner Anselmo Feleppa to AIDS in 1993 prompted George to come out to his parents. However, when it came to the public, he continued to keep his sexuality private.

Then the 1998 arrest took the decision out of his hands. With the tabloids threatening to make more revelations, George gave an interview to Jim Moret from TV news channel CNN, where he told the world he was gay and declared ‘I don’t feel any shame’.

As Will Young reveals, it was a moment that would give hope to other gay young men. And just in case there was any doubt that George had taken back control of the narrative, he later released the single Outside, complete with a video where he was seen dancing in a police uniform in a public toilet that turned into a disco.

The documentary explores not just how George took on the tabloids and won, but also what the story says about changing attitudes.

Interior Design Masters (Tuesday 7/3/23, BBC One, 8pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

We may live in a cynical world, but there are still surprises out there, waiting around the corner – even in TV land.

One such instance occurred when it was announced that Alan Carr would be taking over as the host of Interior Design Masters after previous presenter Fearne Cotton stood down. She had presented the show when it took over from the almost-identical The Great Interior Design Challenge, which was fronted by someone you imagine would be far more qualified for such a role – architecture expert Tom Dyckhoff.

Carr has certainly livened things up during his tenure, even managing to get a smile and a laugh from tough judge Michelle Ogundehin, the former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration. What’s more, the programme boosted its ratings to such an extent that it earned a move from BBC Two to BBC One – a surefire sign of success if ever there was one.

“It’s bigger, bolder and more dynamic and I think with the move from BBC Two to BBC One, it’s acquired an added confidence,” said Carr of the move. “The challenges in this series are tough from the outset so the designers have to really think on their feet, even from episode one. There is no mucking about, Interior Design Masters means business.”

Of course, Carr himself knows a thing or two about such challenges these days – his most recent BBC production was Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job, in which he and his bessie mate Amanda Holden renovated a couple of rundown apartments in the sun-kissed hills of rural Sicily.

The programme utilised the tips and skills Carr picked up while presenting Interior Design Masters, but also gave him an insight into the difficulties faced by the contestants – perhaps that means he’ll be extra nice to those taking part in the new series. “I’m such a huge fan of interior design and I’m chomping at the bit to see what these wonderfully creative people have in store for us,” he says.

The 2022 winner, Australian Banjo Beale, who lives on the Isle of Mull with his partner Ro, is now a full-time interior designer with his own business. He was also immediately snapped up by BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year series; he’ll be a guest judge in the fifth season when it airs later this year. “I’m always inventing reasons to snoop through people’s homes – now I get to peek into the best homes in Scotland!” he says of his new role. But will any of this year’s crop of talented creatives enjoy similar success?

We might get an inkling of who has the right stuff to make it through to the final after watching the opening episode, which will introduce us to the 10 participants and their individual style as they tackle their first challenge.

But, of course, while there could be early favourites, there may be a dark horse in the competition – after all, as it was pointed out earlier, there are still a few surprises to be had out there…

The Bay (Wednesday 8/3/23, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Change – is it something to be feared or embraced?

In TV land, perhaps we should focus on the latter rather than the former. After all, in recent weeks, we’ve seen Sinead Keenan take over from Nicola Walker as the lead actor in Unforgotten, and so far, she’s gone down a treat with viewers, including those who were concerned the show wouldn’t be the same without its original star.

Now The Bay is returning, once again with Marsha Thomason centre stage as DS Jenn Townsend. Like Keenan, she proved a hit with fans after replacing Morven Christie as the crime drama’s central character last year.

Unlike her Scottish-born predecessor, Thomason was born and raised in the north west of England, so is a good fit for the show. She first came to fame via roles in Pie in the Sky, Playing the Field and Where the Heart Is, although for the best part of 15 years prior to The Bay coming along, she’d been working in the US, where she’d settled with her husband and daughter.

Clearly Thomason enjoyed swapping Malibu for Morecambe, although the seaside town didn’t go down quite as well with Jenn’s family. While she hoped to make a fresh start with her teenage children, new partner and his daughter, fate had other ideas – the move almost ended in disaster, but by the end of the series, there was hope on the horizon for all involved.

Executive producer Catherine Oldfield promises that the drama’s creator and writer, Daragh Carville, has something enthralling up his sleeve for viewers: “Marsha’s arrival in series three elevated The Bay yet again and Daragh has delivered another thrilling story for our hugely talented cast to get stuck into,” she claimed before filming began on the fourth season. “We can’t wait to bring it to life once again set against the backdrop of Morecambe’s beautiful eerie skies and shore.”

“The Bay continues to captivate viewers and is a hugely successful drama for ITV, both on linear transmission and via streaming,” added ITV’s head of drama, Polly Hill. “Marsha Thomason’s casting in the last series was inspired, and Daragh Carville and the team once again deliver a plot full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the end, whilst all set against the dramatic coastline of Morecambe, with its glorious sea and skyscapes.”

Ah yes, those huge Lancashire skies… no doubt they’ll look as foreboding as ever when Jenn’s latest case gets underway. It begins with the murder of mum-of-four Beth Metcalf. She’s struck down in what appears to be a targeted attack, and Jenn is quick to realise that her shellshocked family will need all the support she can give them – especially Beth’s husband Dean, who is completely unprepared for becoming the sole carer to their children.

As you may expect, the police delve into every aspect of Dean and Beth’s lives, and there are lots of secrets to be unearthed…

Happy Valley fans may be pleased to learn that Joe Armstrong, who starred in the first series, and Karl Davies, aka Catherine Cawood’s son Daniel, are among the guest cast, which also includes Claire Goose and Christopher Coghill.

Cold Case Detectives (Thursday 09/03/23, ITV, 9pm)

Rob Lavender

If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed at least some viewers, it’s a true-crime series. The schedules are full of them these days, and their quality is as varied as their subjects.

At their worst, they can be ghoulish and voyeuristic, designed merely to peek at real people’s suffering in the name of entertainment; at their best however they can be a driving force for good, leading to unsafe convictions being overturned or to unsolved cases being finally closed once and for all.

The podcast Serial, which arguably kickstarted the current obsession with the topic, proves this: its first season investigated the 1999 Killing of Hae Min Lee, and following its conclusion in 2014 there was a great deal of renewed interest in the case. The conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder was ultimately vacated and Syed – with all charges against him dropped – was finally released after 23 years.

This new three-part series of true-crime documentary films would appear to belong to the latter camp of programmes, revisiting cases from the past that have unanswered questions hanging over them which continue to elude investigators. The question is: can a team assembled by ITV succeed where others have failed?

The programme begins its investigations with the now 60-year-old murder of six-year-old Carol Ann Stephens. It was – and remains – a harrowing crime, which began with the disappearance of Carol from the street outside her Cardiff home in 1959.

Carol had only just been home to drop off cigarettes for her mother (this was a different time, remember, when children could buy tobacco for their parents), before going back outside to play. It was the last time her family saw her, and it would be weeks before her body was found. Here, more than six decades on, the latest developments in forensic science are employed in a bid to uncover new evidence.

Meanwhile the team revisit some of the key scenes in the case, interview some new witnesses, and re-examine crucial existing pieces of evidence in the case.

The series is executive produced by Jonathan Hill and Matthew Tune, the duo behind the remarkable 2021 documentary The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Gameshow Killer, which detailed the unusual manner by which serial killer John Cooper was brought to justice (ultimately, his downfall came when he was recognised while appearing on an episode of Bullseye).

Hill and Tune, then, are well versed in the varied and often very unexpected ways in which breaks in a case can suddenly appear. Series producer and director Helen Llewelyn meanwhile is also a true-crime and current affairs veteran, having been nominated for an RTS Cymru 2022 award for her ITV1 documentary No Body Recovered.

Could this rigorously researched programme be the thing that finally solves an horrific and long-unanswered case, and bring peace to a community once and for all?

Becoming Frida Kahlo (Friday 10/03/23, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created plenty of self-portraits during her career, but even she may have been surprised at just how ubiquitous her image has become.

While her works have remained popular, you can also find plenty of magnets and mugs bearing the painter’s own distinctive image. There has also been a great deal of interest in Khalo’s unconventional personal life, including her relationship with her husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera.

Now, this new three-part documentary series attempts to look beyond the merchandise and the myths to uncover the real Kahlo, painting its own portrait of a passionate and brilliant artist who lived through extraordinary times. It begins with her early life. The artist was born in Coyoacán, Mexico City, in 1907 and grew up during a time of revolution.

She had dreams of becoming a doctor, but then in 1925, she was gravely injured when a tram crashed into the bus she was travelling on. The accident left her in pain for the rest of her life and forced her to spend three months confined to bed.

During her recuperation, she passed the time by painting, creating portraits of her sisters, friends and herself. Kahl would later say that this period made her want to paint “things just as I saw them with my own eyes and nothing more.”

So, once she had recovered enough to venture out into Mexico City and its thriving creative scene, she was determined to track down the famous artist Diego Rivera and find out if he thought she had potential.

Some of Kahlo’s fans have questioned whether the fascination with her relationship with Rivera has sometimes detracted from her achievements, but there is little doubt that he’s a key figure in her story.

Art historian Professor Luis-Martin Lozano, who is one of the contributors to this series, told The Observer: “[Rivera] was her first fan and told her to be herself. He realised she had potential and encouraged her to go on. He was a great provider for her, at the same time, and you cannot deny she would not have blossomed so well without him. Rivera provided stability but her paintings are hers.”

He wasn’t her only inspiration. She also befriended the photographer and former Hollywood actress, Tina Modotti, who was politically radical and sexually liberated, and became something of a role model for the young Kahlo.

It was at one of Modotti’s parties that Kahlo saw Rivera again, and this time, they fell in love.

Six months later, they were married – Kahlo was 22, and he was 20 years her senior, and she quickly discovered that she wasn’t in for a life of traditional wedded bliss.

Contributors including biographers Martha Zamora and Hayden Herrera, Frida’s great-niece Cristina Kahlo, art historian Marina Vasquez Ramos, Diego Rivera’s grandson Juan Coronel Rivera, and authors Gannit Ankori and Stephanie Smith provide an insight into how this key period helped to shape Kahlo’s life and work.