Television
Box tops
Wendy Cope
It's my fourth Christmas in this space and for the first time I can offer you something a bit different for the double issue, viz my programmes of the year. The reason I haven't done programmes of the year before is that I never seemed to be able to remember any. Of course, I could have rummaged through back issues to find out what I liked, but if they were so forgettable why bother? Anyway, this year enough good programmes come to mind to fill a column and save me having to watch anything much this week. Best Play. Philip Norman's play about the day Buddy Holly died is a clear winner in this section. A little research revealed that the title is Words of Love, the channel BBC 2, and the date I reviewed it 4 Fbilitebruary, which says a lot for its memor- ay.
Best Arts Programme. I look back with pleasure on The Child's Eye (Channel 4), a delightful series about the history of illus- tration in children's books. One of its assets was Stephen Oliver's charming and appropriate music. The other contender is the first of the Simply Mozart programmes (BBC 2), in which Mitsuko Uchida talked about a piano sonata. I can't recall any other arts programmes and these two may well be the only ones I saw. Best Serial. There are two awards in this category: Best Serial (sensible), Nice Work (BBC 2); Best Serial (silly), Mother Love (BBC 1). After the War (ITV) had me hooked for a while and had it not been interrupted by my summer holiday, might Well have been a contender in the sensible category. They should repeat it. Best Comedy Series, The Tracey Ullman Show (BBC 2). Best One-off Comedy, Norbert Smith A Life (Channel 4). Best Sitcom, Streets Apart (BBC 1). I feel guilty about this because I have never got around to mentioning it before. It was about a somewhat unlikely romance be- tween a literary agent (Amanda Redman) and a cab-driver (James Hazeldine). Though the series was almost over by the time I discovered it, I saw enough to appreciate that it was less dire than the usual offerings in the genre. Most Improved Programme, Coronation Street (ITV), alas. It now takes up one and a half hours of my week. Programme Most Deserving a Better Slot, What the Papers Say (ITV), still exiled to the small hours.
Best Foreign Programme, LA Law (ITV); commended, thirtysomething (Channel 4). Best New Programme, Best Drama Series, Best Programme: Capital City (ITV). Yes, we've beaten the Americans — this is even better than LA Law. For one thing, more of it is shot on location. Last week Max was walking around War- saw, whereas Victor, Abigail and. Arnie hardly ever step outside the studio. But both programmes are a joy. It has occurred to me that one of the reasons I like them so much is that they are about groups of people working together. So is London's Burning (ITV), the runner-up for Best Series. And I'm a self-employed writer, who misses having colleagues. Before you mess up your Christmas double issue with tears of sympathy, I should mention that when I had a job, I never stopped moaning about it and longed to stay at home all day and write. And what did I watch on television? Arts programmes. Taking one consideration with another, it's probably better this way round.
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