Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Angela's Ashes, Prime, Sun, 8.30pm

Finally a half-decent Sunday night movie, and from Prime no less. Adapted from Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoirs about his turbulent childhood amongst the poverty-stricken streets of Dublin in the 1930s and 40s, this film celebrates the capacity of children to see good in almost every situation. With solid performances, particularly by Emily Watson as Frank's mother and Malarchy's long-suffering wife, this film is a rare treat for viewers. Pity about the ads.

Dalziel and Pascoe, ABC, Fri, 8.30pm

Alas they're repeats, but this ripper English police drama has plenty to keep you entertained, from compelling, twisting plots, to Andy Dalziel's (pronounced D-L) obnoxious charm. It's a good night for crime buffs, with forensic coroner Sam Ryan pursuing a serial killer in Silent Witness at 9.30pm.

Notorious Cho, SBS, Fri, 10pm

American-Korean comic Margaret Cho loves sacrificing sacred cows - even Ground Zero isn't safe. She's the darling of the hip, queer urban types, and delivers a crude monologue on everything from race to sexuality and sexual peccadillos. It's the sort of rant that will offend many, but can be funny.

Stalingrad, SBS, Sat, 8.30pm

For five months during WWII, Hitler threw everything at the Eastern front for a symbolic victory at Stalingrad. It was the bloodiest and most savage fighting of the war, killing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. This 3-part doco retells this horrifically brutal battle using eyewitness accounts, archival footage and letters from the front to make the dread palpable.

The Secret Policeman, SBS, Tues, 8.30pm

When BBC reporter Mark Daly went undercover with an English police force, he discovered vehement and entrenched racism, despite an earlier report warning that it was a problem - which authorities promised to fix. As a result, eight officers were suspended, and for his trouble, Daly was charged with deception and damaging a police uniform.

She'll be right boss, SBS, Weds, 8pm

A five part series on Australia's big end of town that asks, in part, whether the world class salaries paid to execs are the result of world class performance. Ford CEO Jac Nasser, and adman and tycoon John Singleton are among those interviewed for insight.

Woody Allen: A life in film, ABC, Weds, 8.30pm

Either you find this neurotic New York director's films whimsical, quirky and tackling the deeper questions, like sex, death and religion, or he's a narcissistic prat. This new doco, featuring an interview with the auteur, examines his career, as well.

Sacred Balance, SBS, Thus, 8.30pm

Conservationist Dr David Suzuki's four part series argues that humans all too often view their actions in isolation, ignoring the whole picture and how things are interconnected and reliant on each other. His plea is for commonsense and respect for diversity.