This is just a heads up to anyone in the UK, to watch a couple of TV programmes about China being shown tonight (12/03/12). If you can't watch them, then they should be available online tomorrow.
China on TV
The first programme, is the first of a 2-part series on Channel 4 at 8pm, titled 'China: Triumph and Turmoil'.
Niall Ferguson meets the people who can explain what China stands for: from newly minted billionaires in China's megacities to the survivors of the madness of Chairman Mao; and from aggressive young nationalists hacking into our computers to the brave defenders of China's rural poor.
And he answers the questions that should concern all of us: will this turn out to be the Chinese century? Should we be scared? Or will the Red Dragon crash and burn?
The other one is on BBC2 at 11.20pm for the 'This World' series, titled 'Interviews Before Execution: A Chinese Talk Show'.
Every Saturday night in China, millions gather around their televisions to watch Interviews Before Execution, an extraordinary talk show which interviews prisoners on death row.
In the weeks, days or even minutes before they are executed, presenter Ding Yu goes into prisons and talks to those condemned to die. Combining clips from the TV show, never-before-seen footage of China's death row and interviews with a local judge who openly questions the future of the death penalty in China, This World reveals a part of China that is generally hidden from from view.
I'm not pretending that I expect either of these to be 'good' but they should be worth a watch. I will try watch them both in the next couple of days when they become available online.
Comments