PETER PAN GOES WRONG, BBC1, 6.20pm
THIS is a great compromise; if you want jolly, festive TV but can’t stand the cheesiness of panto, and all the sweet-rustling and child-howling that goes with it, then you’ll enjoy this.
David Suchet presents this pantomime which makes gentle fun of the BBC and amateur dramatics. Backstage, he tells us the BBC are presenting this performance of Peter Pan which is brought to us by the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. It’s all part of the BBC’s noble commitment to community theatre and localism.
“This is not a pantomime!” insists the pretentious director. “It’s a traditional Christmas vignette.”
“Oh no it isn’t,” says the lead actor, slyly.
There follows a performance of Peter Pan, filmed on stage in front of a live audience, which is riddled with mishaps and panics as the amateur dramatics company proves just how amateur it really is. Peter Pan crashes into scenery, props collapse and every aspect of panto is lovingly ridiculed.
WHA’S LIKE US? BBC1, 10pm
SANJEEV Kohli presents this humorous survey of the way Scots have been portrayed in cinema across the years. We’ll see that certain stereotypes keep popping up and Kohli asks if there’s any truth to the popular celluloid image of the Scot.
He looks at films such as Kidnapped, Rob Roy and Outlander and gathers thoughts from Clare Grogan, Denis Lawson and Kate Dickie.
But even if cinematic stereotypes are proven to be false or silly – for example, did William Wallace run about in carnival face paint? – it hardly matters as many people cling to the idea that he did.
Truth doesn’t get a look-in when there’s a Scotland game on and lots of fans can wear a kilt and paint their faces. So if these on-screen stereotypes promote fun and camaraderie, does it matter if they’re false?
Yes, when people portray Scotland as a wee country full of Braveheart wannabes running around with blue paint and plastic swords.
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