HOBSON’S CHOICE ON TUESDAYS

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33987, 30 October 1975, Page 4

HOBSON’S CHOICE ON TUESDAYS

Tuesday night’s teleI vision is a real Hobson’s 'Choice. If you start out with TV2 you get stuck ivvith a film, if you opt 'for TAT. it’s bionics and iMax Cryer. ' Now that daylight is with jus. an indifferent programme [is just going to be ignored i in favour of the garden or I tennis, or practically anything to escape the boredom. (.Tuesday night's will be the (first to go. The early evening contains some of the best viewing, with “Dr Who” and “A Going Concern.” Dr Who is one of the most-travelled men in space and he is still going strong, always towing a luscious young wench behind him through all the perils of Daleks and other unnamed species. This time it is blobs who keep springing out of the (ground and strange ectoplasmic things that keep (coming out of the air-condi-itioning. Great stuff, and a (lot more convincing than (“Night Gallery,” which 1 ■ saw later. ; A bonus in this episode 'was the appearance of two .previous doctors, Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell. Their wrangling (with each other as to who iwas best brought a light touch to the programme. “A Going Concern” I seemed to consist of an endless tea-break with the most [disconcerting time lapses. [Pam went from lunch to (4.30 p.m. in one scene [change and then back again. While it has a more concise setting than TVl’s i “Close to Home.” both suf- [■ fer from lack of attention to these details. “A Going Con-

cern" however, has more hu-, mour and is better acted! than the other. The producers will have to be firm about substituting, what amounts to propaganda! (like the defensive driving' campaign being waged by' Merv) for plot. In previous episodes we have already! had what to.do if there is an accident at work, and the! dangers of not getting the' children immunised. It will turn into the equivalent of the old Archer’s radio pro- i gramme if they are not careful. Television Two also man-1 aged on Tuesday to have the worst example of two types of programme on one night, “Bless This House” and “On the Mat.” I suppose the former is called comedy and the latter falls somewhat loosely into the category of sports but on viewing both “On the Mat" won the com-( edy cup in this house. Sid Abbot and his improb-. able family spent the most: futile and unfunny half-hour! that I have ever seen. Surely' the ratings for this pro-' gramme do not justify a . placement at this time, or! any other for that matter. ; On the other hand “On. the Mat” is really too late! for the whole family to have the pleasure of appreciating the grunt and groan men. As soon as they enter the ring it is possible to pick the winner. The good guys wear short costumes in light colours and the baddies always wear full-length dark tights or swimming cos-[ tumes of the old-fashioned variety with straps. Another requirement is an obliging referee who is blind! in both eyes. Why this spectacle is dignified (if that is' rhe right word) by the pres-

.ence of a sports announcer His beyond me. After the film I changed ito Max Cryer although I am [not usually a masochist. Of ■ late Max has been scraping [ the bottom of the entertainment barrel but this ■ week things looked up a bit. That excellent actress Pat ! Evison was there confessing •to a desire to emulate Gra- . ham May as a weightlifter. Her mime of weightlifters iwas the highlight of the night. As yet no-one has taken advantage of her comic abilities to the full — (perhaps someone should look at the “Wonderful World of Pat Evison.” Next up was James Clavell. While the interview was a shameless plug for his new book he was good value for the sort of programme this should be and too often is not. One of those lovely [coincidences that producers [dream about must have brought James Clavell, [whose books are about the (East, and the Korean dancI ers to Auckland in the same , week. They were a very graceful and al tractive bonus to “Town Cryer.” M.C.