President Macron rolled out the rouge carpet for King Charles in Paris this week. But as far as one can tell the monarch (that’s Charles, not Monsieur Macron) did not drop in to the Moulin Rouge to catch a show.
Odd, because as seen in Moulin Rouge: Yes We Can-Can! (BBC2, Wednesday, 10pm), the cabaret is a perfect example of Anglo-French cooperation in action. Besides being run by former troupe member Janet Pharaoh, from Yorkshire, there are lots of dancers from the UK, including Scots.
The reason, says Pharoah, is simple: the UK has a network of good dance schools, uniform training, and standard exams. By the time they have come through the system, dancers from the UK are better placed to become part of a professional company.
“It’s not Strictly, it’s not X-Factor,” says Pharoah at one of the UK recruitment sessions. “We’re here auditioning for a professional job, to join a real company in Paris. For some that is going to happen and be real. For others, it might to be a moment when they have to rethink everything.”
As everyone who ever watched a certain hit 1980s drama knows, fame costs, and right there, in the Moulin Rouge, is where they start getting paid for all the effort put in. (How much they get paid no-one in the first episode was saying. Perhaps we will find out in the five episodes to come.) From its Obama-referencing title to the naughty but nice narration of Tom Allen (The Apprentice: You’re Fired), this is a series that is out to have fun. Each of the half-hour episodes flies by like a cartwheeling Can-Can dancer.
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While some might disagree with Pharoah’s take on the Can-Can - “It was the beginning of the liberation of women” - there is no denying the skill of the dancers. Two shows a night, six days a week of high-kicking and jump splits, all while wearing heels and a huge head-dress? Think I’ll stick to watching telly.
Time was when the Saturday night crime drama on BBC4 was one of the highlights of the TV week. But the standards set by The Bridge, Spiral, and their like, were too high to be met for long. In recent years there has been a run of so-so series, most of them Scandi or Irish noir, that try hard but fail to match what has gone before. Australian drama Black Snow (BBC4, Saturday, 9pm/9.50pm) looks set to halt that trend.
The tale opens in rural Queensland where a terrified young woman, Isabel Baker, is riding her bike like her life depends on it. From there the story cuts to 25 years later and a ceremony to mark the opening of a time capsule. Among the letters pupils have sent to their future selves is one from Isabel in which she warns of the terrible fate that befell her. It’s a cracking start by creator and writer Lucas Taylor. By the time the first episode is over the cold case has been reopened and the regulation maverick detective is on his way from the big city in search of answers. All six episodes will be on iPlayer from Saturday.
The fifth series of Amazing Hotels: Life beyond the Lobby (BBC2, Sunday, 8pm) has certainly lived up to the programme’s title. The trips to Morocco, South Africa, and the Maldives have been among the standouts. For those in the market for five-star treatment a little closer to home there is Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire, which features in this week’s show.
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder are in love with the place from the off. “It’s Disney meets kilts,” says Rinder, taking in the opulent furnishings.
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As ever, the pair have to earn their crust of sourdough by trying their hand at various jobs. After floristry they are off to set up a picnic on Ailsa Craig (a 60th birthday treat for one of the guests). That’s not the most spectacular location they visit - another jaw-dropping experience comes at the end of their stay in Ayrshire.
Rinder comes into his own in this episode, throwing himself into every task he is given. It is never easy being the new start on an established series and he has seemed nervous at times, but he and Galetti rub along well, her vast experience as a chef contrasting with his relative inexperience. Wonder what the fanciest place chef Galetti has ever stayed in?
Finally, a mention in dispatches for The West Wing, all 7 series of which are now available on catch-up on Channel 4. Beloved of political anoraks everywhere, this is the series that gave politics a good name. Martin Sheen plays US president Jed Bartlet, a man of vision and principle who wrestles with an imperfect system to get the best for his country and the world.
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Written by Aaron Sorkin, the dialogue is scalpel sharp and the plots chewy. There’s even room for some office romance along the way.
A treat. If only reality matched the fiction.
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