TV review

Published Monday 11 August 2008 at 14:30 by Harry Venning

Going out around 5pm means that Roman Mysteries can’t indulge in the kind of excesses usually associated with the era, but this CBBC drama still manages to tackle adult historical themes with intelligence and honesty.

This week saw the series’ four youthful “detectrix” travelling to Rhodes to thwart the evil schemes of quasi mythical giant Magnus, mastermind of the island’s ruthless slave trade. On their travels our heroes also come into contact with other abuses and injustices against young people, including those left blind after working with dangerous materials in the copper factories.

However, the serious nature of the plot and the evident attention paid to historical detail is never allowed to hinder the adventure, which powers along at a fair old rip and involved plenty of satisfying plot twists, cliffhangers and surprises. There was even a gentle nod towards The Wizard of Oz, with the gargantuan Magnus revealed to be a dwarf sitting upon the shoulders of a bodyguard.

The performances of the youthful cast are somewhat variable, but they receive rock solid support from the adult cast and the show’s production values are very impressive indeed. It’s good to see Roman Mysteries receive a budget that matches its dramatic ambitions.

Fans of Friends will remember that the highlight of Joey Tribbiani’s acting career was a day’s filming as Al Pacino’s buttocks - the low point was getting his own spin-off series, but that’s beside the point.

Joey would have identified with the subjects of I’m Kylie’s Body Double, those selfless souls, hovering on the peripheries of showbusiness, who provide flawless body parts to less than physically perfect stars.

For example, there was Nina, the country’s leading hand model who has lent her divine digits to many an advertising campaign. Once she even doubled for no less a superstar than Kate Moss whose fingers, according to Nina, can be “unpredictable”. Which either means Kate Moss bites her nails or she suffers from some form of Tourette’s syndrome that expresses itself as involuntary vulgar gestures mid photo shoot.

The celebrity aspect of the programme was exhausted quite quickly and the remainder padded out by interviews with various speciality models discussing their CVs and specific career demands. This was as dull as it sounds. There was a half-hearted attempt at creating some on-screen conflict between Nina and a pretender to her crown, throwing the pair together at an audition, but Nina’s scrupulous politeness, albeit through gritted teeth, defused any potential for confrontation.

Which only left the inevitable topless shot of the body model at her plastic surgeon’s clinic, the last refuge of the documentary maker desperate to hold the audience’s attention.

Recorded before a live audience on the day of its broadcast, the quality of topical comedy show Tonightly is pretty much dependent on how inspired the writers felt when they got up that morning.

Possibly because it is such a bold venture, I have a lot of time for Tonightly. The comedy sketches lean towards the infantile rather than the satirical and are tediously dependent on profanity, but they are carried by the brash enthusiasm of their performers. Showbiz correspondent Ollie Roberts’ cut and paste fake interviews may just be a repetition of the same joke, but it is a joke I always laugh at.

However, the show’s greatest strengths lie in host Jason Manford and sidekick Andi Osho. Affable and unflappable, the pair exude confidence without ever coming over as smug. Something the presenters of The Eleven O’Clock Show never came close to achieving.

DETAILS

Roman Mysteries - BBC1, Tuesday, August 5, 4.35pm

I’m Kylie’s Body Double - BBC3, Monday, August 4, 9pm

Tonightly - C4, Monday-Friday, 11.05pm