Television
La Thatch
Richard Ingrams
The Government may be worried about the Grunwick dispute but it is probably more worried by the fact that every night on the News viewers are seeing scenes of violence outside the factory which can only increase the unpopularity of the unions and the Labour Party. The coverage of the dispute has been fairly primitive and concentrates on the physical struggle between `pickets' and police, with the latter getting the worst of it. It must be losing the Labour Party thousands of votes, but what can they do to stop it? I doubt if Mrs Thatcher's appearance on Monday's Panorama was anything like so effective in turning people into Tories. On the other hand she didn't fare badly. It was a great advantage for her to have as her chief inquisitor the Guardian's Peter Jenkins, who describes himself as `somebody who watches politics' and radiates an aura of complacency and progressive smugness. La Thatcher is a repeat performance of the Grocer, and talks in the same sort of vague terms about reducing taxes and helping the small businessman as a way out of our difficulties. Mary Goldring, as attractive and polite as Peter Jenkins is ugly and uncouth, asked her what she would do about wages and she could only say that she would try to 'confront people with reality'. Judging by Monday's performance she might be better at this than Heath. She is a headmistress, rather bossy and opinionated, but she has none of the Grocer's terrible arrogance and stubbornness. If Scargill and his colleagues want to keep her out of Number Ten I suggest they stay well clear of Grunwick, as they have created a climate in which she could very easily become the Prime Minister with a huge majority.
Turn on the telly at random and you are more than likely to find either a policeman Or a doctor filling the screen. Policemen are the natural heroes for detective stories but why should doctors be given such favourable publicity? Until quite recently they were regarded by dramatists as sinister, randy charlatans who, if they did not actually kill you, did their best to deprive you of your money and possibly your wife as well. Now, to a man, they are glamorous demigods. Would Dr David Owen for example, have become the Foreign Secretary if he had been plain Mr — a chartered accountant, say?
Though it is only fair to add that even chartered accountants and their like don't do badly. A new soap opera, The Foundation, fresh from the Lord Grade Tat Factory returned to the boardroom as the setting for melodrama, introducing Don Prince, founder of the Prince Organisation, the latest in an interminable line of television tycoons, tough and restlessly dynamic. Think of an unpleasant adjective and he is it. I was just beginning to dislike him intensely when he died of a heart attack. This seemed like an unexpected first round knock-out and for one wonderful and illogical moment I thought it must mean the end of the series. Btit unfortunately he leaves behind him, among others, an equally unpleasant Managing Director and a crusty Old Etonian Chairman who when he heard of the boss's death could only mutter through pursed lips, `Damned shame.' There is also a widow who fancies her hand at running the business. Watch them tear themselves apart in forthcoming episodes.
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