LITTLE BOY BLUE, STV, 9pm
HOPEFULLY those ubiquitous police dramas which used to plug the draughty corners of every TV schedule are seeing their demise, now we have infinitely superior shows such as Happy Valley and Line of Duty. But even those great series are having to make room for a new genre: dramas based on real crimes.
Recently we’ve had excellent dramas about Shannon Matthews and Fred West, both written by Jeff Pope, and now he’s created another, based on the murder of Rhys Jones, a 11-year-old boy in Liverpool who was caught up and killed in a gang shooting.
In last week’s opener there was no hysteria. The grieving family felt deep, appalling pain and the suspects’ parents were wily and careful, training their sons in the cowardly art of “no comment”. Tonight, the family attend Rhys’s funeral, the police battle against the local fear of being seen as “a grass” if they offer information, and the gun is found and sent for forensic testing.
AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE, BBC4, 9pm
THIS is a new series combining art and travel but the two presenters are so young and excitable they don’t seem to belong on BBC4. They sound like a couple of students who have made a video for YouTube and get giddy when the counter shows they’ve reached 100 views. They’re annoying and it requires a real effort to mentally tone them down.
The first episode is about the art and architecture of Amsterdam and how it reflects the city’s rich history, particularly its central position in trade and commerce.
However, the presenting pair begin by strolling along the busy streets, pointing out sex shops and gabbing about how they can smell cannabis on the air. Soon, they’re learning the art of posing in the red light district’s windows. When they’re apart, the show improves, but together they’re infuriating.
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