An evening of urgency

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 11

An evening of urgency

Ken Strongman

~“~O on television

Last Thursday evening was one of those difficult television evenings. Budget possibilities loomed ahead, much mention of basic socialistic matters suggesting privations to come. It was an uneasy time. The final of “Fast Forward” did not help, jumping on to the bandwagon of changes in global weather patterns, hinting at even worse possibilities than a principled Budget. One way or another, we were primed to face cataclysmic matters. Then it was waiting, wondering if the future would be pensionless and whether the recent heavy frosts were because El Nino had broken through the hole in the ozone layer, or that the giant leap for mankind 20 years ago had somehow screwed up the system. “Coronation Street" is not easy to settle to at the best of times, but under these conditions the Rover’s Return seemed less than riveting. Eight o’clock brought the second most difficult choice of the week — the wonderful characters of “Cheers” or the reliable British bobbies of “The Bill.” It seemed best to go for “Cheers” in an attempt to lighten the worrisome possibilities of a caring Budget. It is easy

to pay attention to a series of interwoven oneliners from what is a talented bunch of American stand-up comedians. “Cheers,” though, is really about keeping sexism alive. Rebecca and Sam dance a very oldfashioned dance, and they are clearly rabid heterosexuals in a familiar world. They belabour the point a bit, but it is something of a relief from the modern, thinking world where concentric circles of defensive matriarchies war with the complacent

fat cat patriarchies. And it is good fun to hear such things as “How many k’s in psycho?” “Foreign Correspondent” was a little seriousminded to grab the attention away from thoughts of the Budget special- to come, but an alternative called “Paradise” was hot to be countenanced. The Budget update did not help, with Lindsay Perigo looking simultaneously younger and older than himself without his glasses, simply mentioning things like a new superannuation system without saying what. Anyway, “Foreign Correspondent” turned out to be about more of society’s problems, beginning with the geisha versus the feminist in Japan.

Then it was back to global awkwardness with environment-friendly products on the shelves of British shops. It is all very confusing for the average consumers as marketing experts try to find ways of telling them that unpleasant chemicals have been taken out of products when they had no idea they were there to begin with. There is the usual chicanery going on, with some dastardly beings pretending that their products are made from recycled yak

dung or from nasturtiums grown in Bengali villages, when they aren’t. In the break, Lindsay Perigo reassuringly said that the Budget was hot quite the revolutionary document that some had predicted. With due gravitas, Lindsay’s glasses were back on in the Budget special. It was ariticlimactic; at least it was not immediately obvious exactly how we will be worse off, other than in supporting ouf various drug habits, unless we happen to be hooked on diesel fuel. There will be a pension after all, so we had better keep working. Those who were shown reacting to the Budget were interesting. Ken Douglas had the monumental measuredness of an East European. Richard Harmon spoke, twice, of a “clean sweep for the Rogernomes.” Muldoon looked like an irritable Easter egg. Caygiil and Richardson looked like each other the other way up. Finally, words began to lose all meaning; Budgets don’t really make good telly. Tailpiece. Seeing “Blind Justice" is like eating a sumptuous meal. It might be a bit contrived, but it is extraordinarily well done.