TV Times - 12-18 May 2007

Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown

An embarrassment of riches is on offer in this weeks political programming.

Submitted by Lone Wolf on May 12, 2007

This weeks documentaries include an insight into the effect on Russia of the downfall of statist communism, a look at whether womens lives have improved in Afghanistan in recent times, and a study of how some stolen arts treasures revealed the perfidy of more than one government.

Mon 14 May - 8.30-9pm - BBC1 - Panorama - Scientology and Me
John Sweeney asks if Scientology should be regarded as a religion or as a cult.

Mon 18 May - 9-10pm - BBC2 - Power to the People - 1/3 - The Invasion of Islington
Vaguely amusing sounding stuntist documentary in which members of a dying village in Cornwall "invade" Islington with the remnants of their lifestyle eg sheep and goats on the green in order to publicise their plight.

Mon 18 May - 8-9pm - Channel 4 - Dispatches - Gordon Brown - Fit For Office?
Ronseal documentary in which Browns critics are given a chance to air their views.

Mon 18 May - 9-10pm - Channel 4 - Cutting Edge: Mind Your Fucking Language
Writer Anne Atkins and Viz founder Simon Donald visit a school in Wolverhampton to look at possible ways to curb the use of profane language; the interesting sounding aspect of this documentary is that the children are given the chance to explain which words they find offensive and why this is, evidently bringing about some surprises for the film-makers.

Tue 15 May - 10.30-11.40pm - BBC4 - How Much Is Your Life Worth?
This edition of the consistently excellent documentary strand of Storyville looks at the work of attornies as they take on wrongful death cases.

Pick of the Week :rb:
Tue 15 May - 10.35-11.30pm - BBC1 - Imagine - Stealing Klimt
This is the story of the epic court battle by 90 year old Maria Altmann to recover five Gustav Klimt paintings stolen by the Nazis in 1938 from her family's home in Vienna. She had to battle both the Austrian and American courts before taking her case to the US Supreme Court who finally ruled in her favour. This programme is worth noting because it is rare for an arts programme to feature an overtly political storyline and because it shows all the governments featured in an appropriately bad light.

Tue 15 May - 11.05pm - 12.10am - Channel 4 - How Not to Lose Your Identity
A documentary featuring Bennett Arron who, having previously been the victim of identity theft, campaigned for changes in the law, going as far as stealing Charles Clarkes identity to make his point.

Wed 16 May - 9-10pm - More4 - True Stories: Death of a Nation
Marcel Theroux examines the difficulties facing Russia in the aftermath of the downfall of statist communism.

Wed 16 May - 11.10pm - 12.10am - Channel 4 - Make Me A Virgin
Ex-evangelical Christian Jamie Campbell examines the work of US groups promoting sexual abstinence to teenagers.

Thu 17 May - 9-10pm - Channel 4 - Dispatches: Afghanistan Unveiled
Five years on from her earlier investigation into the lives of women living under the Taliban regime, Sharmeen Obald-Chinoy revisits the country to see what, if anything, has changed.

Fri 18 May - 7.30-8pm - Channel 4 - Unreported World - 6/10 - Zimbabwe
A look at the repression and starvation engendered by the ultra-corrupt Mugabe government.

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