It's A Pity, But This Time Round Roy And H.g. Hardly Have Us Panting For More

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday May 20, 2005

Doug Anderson

The Memphis Trousers Half Hour

10pm, ABC: Too little too late? Finally the ABC reschedules Roy and H.G. in a realistic timeslot. But the hard truth is, The Trousers has been pretty lame, showing only glimpses of the manic satire and delicious insouciance for which the duo is renowned. The chemistry is awry. Tweaking manoeuvres have failed to revive the exuberance that characterised their commentary in Athens and Sydney for the past two Olympics and other ventures. Where is Roy's wide-eyed, feral intensity? The gleam of wilful insanity so evident in equally iron-eyed commentators such as Michael Brissenden and Richard Alston? H.G. compensates by upping the volume and intensity but it's not the answer. There's a fine line between genius and disappointment. It's distressing to watch potential wither for want of serendipitous inspiration.

FOR THE WEEKEND

Doctor Who

7.30pm Sat, ABC: This New-Age series involving the venerable time lord is briskly paced and very watchable, with Christopher Eccleston bringing an agreeable eccentricity to the role. It seems probable that Earth's destiny will be defended successfully from a bunch of articulated window dummies - the Autons - and a sinister force known as the Nestene Consciousness. Definitely an improvement on the old cardboard episodes of yore.

Sunday

9am Sun, Nine: A lot of noise from Macquarie Fields ensued after the car crash involving Jesse Kelly and his mates. Rioting, unsavoury language and civil disorder - followed by even more noise from Macquarie Street as both sides of politics sought to extract traction from the affair. Sarah Ferguson visited the Fields after things settled and, in six weeks of observation, found a community suppurating in despair and a sense of intractable failure. The knock-on effect of persistent unemployment and closed loops inevitably breeds disaffection and anger. If this were avian flu or SARS, the rush to intervene would be instant and intense. But, despite the brewing virulence of this generational malaise, the plight of marginalised people with inadequate social support or life skills is being ignored and they are being condemned to meaningless lives. The cost of doing nothing is far greater than cost of effective intervention.

Eroica

2pm Sun, ABC: The dramatised re-enactment of Beethoven's first rehearsal of his Eroica, on June 9, 1804, is an unusual way to present the glorious, triumphant third symphony. And it works well enough with social, romantic, bureaucratic and political elements touching the performance in Prince Lobkowitz's salon. Ian Hart makes a fair fist as Ludwig, as his music, in Haydn's judgement, changes the boundaries of composition forever.

The Band Aid Story

7.30pm Sun, ABC: A recent doco about Live Aid, the television event inspired by the Band Aid phenomenon, sucks some of the juice from this program, which tells how Bob Geldof contrived a seminal pop-music event. Major ironies attend the miracle that emerged from a shambles when the grungy but persuasive Geldof reacted to news footage of starvation in Ethiopia. Bigger questions emerge as the program winds out: the world responded with similar humanity after the Boxing Day tsunami and anyone aware of their own good fortune generally gives thanks by giving generously. So why can't like-minded people unite through music, or some other means, to act decisively against the manifest inadequacy of the third-rate leaders running our world ever deeper into ruin and despair? A better world for more people doesn't depend on miracles. Doug Anderson

© 2005 Sydney Morning Herald

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