ARENA: ALONE WITH CHRISSIE HYNDE, BBC4, 9pm
THE cameras follow Chrissie Hynde to London, Paris, New York and to her hometown, Akron, Ohio.
There’s nothing careful and posed in this film. It’s Chrissie Hynde slouching in leopard-print chairs, swinging her shaggy fringe out of her eyes, chatting freely, and stopping in Paris’s cobbled streets to have a very stern pavement artist sketch her whilst she gnaws on an ice cream.
Those who feel BBC4 is rather music-heavy will be glad to know this film is hardly about music; it’s about Hynde’s life, thoughts, style and philosophy. We watch her try on suits in a tailor’s, not mess around with guitars.
“None of ‘em look like bums,” she says, noting the great musicians. The best artists have to be the same whether on the street or on the stage. True: have you ever seen Chrissie Hynde in a tracksuit and ponytail? Did you ever see David Bowie in a cosy jumper nipping to the shops for milk?
CELEBRITY CARRY ON BARGING, C5, 8pm
FORGIVE me for including something so odd here, but this show is just too strange to ignore.
The title tells you all you need to know and you might start to walk away, content that you’ve got its measure, but then you do a double-take. What? Celebrity barging?
This is a new series where a gaggle of celebrities take over a couple of barges and head off down the Kennet and Avon and the Llangollen canals.
Debbie McGee, Nigel Havers, Simon Callow and Lorraine Chase go off on their expedition together, crashing into other boats along the way.
It’s a strange show as Havers and Callow are genuinely “celebrities” in that they’re recognisable and have a body of work to be proud of … so why are they doing this? For the money? For the giggles? For Debbie McGee’s cooking and anecdotes?
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here