THE FALL, BBC2, 9pm
I DON’T want to rain on your parade but this first episode is a bit uneventful. I watched it breathless with excitement, making strange chirping noises, but I soon calmed down when I saw the opening episode is not about plot twists and thrills, but about atmosphere, helpful recaps, and introducing an Irish doctor who looks like a dishevelled Benedict Cumberbatch, and one who had far too many witty lines to just drop out of the story. I predict he’ll re-appear as the series progresses.
Most of the episode takes place in Belfast General Hospital where the various casualties from the woodland shooting, plus Rose Stagg, are taken, and you can’t help noticing that Spector’s bed is surrounded by women who’re working to try and save his life.
I’d forgotten how often Stella whispers, and was dismayed to hear her whisper, “Be patient. Be tender. Tomorrow is another day.” This can’t be hard-headed Stella, can it? Maybe recent experiences have changed her.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MEAT, BBC1, 9pm
SO what is safe to eat? Lentils? Grass? Organic grassy lentils?
It seems everything in our fridge and cupboards has furious health warnings and the two most controversial things currently are sugar and red meat, with the latter linked to increased risk of heart disease and cancers. Yet 98 per cent of us are meat-eaters, and most of it processed, so what’s the truth?
This documentary opens in a chilly abattoir, the presenter speaking to us beside some hanging pig carcasses, so even the most ardent meat-eater might feel a slight turning of the stomach. Presenter, Chris Bavin (“greengrocer by trade, carnivore by nature”) looks at the alleged risk of processed meat and whether it’s possible to reduce its unhealthy aspects, and whether chicken is healthier than the red stuff.
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