Panorama
Panorama is a long running (started in 1953), current affairs documentary programme. It is hard hitting and topical and over the years has focussed on such items as the Martin Bashir’s interview with Diana, Princess of Wales; allegations of corruption in English football; effects of using the anti-depressant Seroxat; and a focus on Scientology.
Tonight’s Panorama obtained a lot of media attention and examined the popularity of bottled water, apparently we spent £2 billion on bottled water last year. The programme looked at the conflict between the availability of clean tap water in the UK, the spending on bottled water and the fact that some people in the World have no regular supplies of safe tap water.
In Claridge’s Hotel in London, over 30 different types of water are sold including one called “Cloud Water” which was rain water. A set of wine sommelier were asked to taste a range of waters and rank them according to taste– tap water scored highly.
People were asked why they bought bottled water and various reasons were given such as taste, bottled water being easier to carry around and the perception that bottled water is healthier as it has more minerals.
Panorama informed us that tap water and bottled water reach us in different ways – tap water through taps , whilst bottled water is bottled and shipped. The carbon footprint for each type of water was examined. Thames tap water produces 0.3 g of carbon footprint per litre of water, as compared with 188g per litre of Volvic water (from France). Energy is used to produce the bottles, transport them and dispose of them. Only 1 in 4 bottles are used again with most ending up in landfill sites. Plastic lasts for hundreds of years and has an effect on wild life
On the Claridge’s water menu “Fiji water” was available and does come from Fiji. It is one of Fiji’s main exports with the main markets being the United States and Europe (it is available in Harrods). However, around a third of Fijian’s do not have safe tap water and there are hundreds of cases of typhoid as villages use the local (dirty) streams as their water source.
There is hope though as a new breed of water companies are dedicated to more ethical production of bottled water. A company in Shropshire have degradable bottles, re-use energy and don’t transport abroad
Viewers were encouraged to drink tap water and carry it in flasks or re-usable bottles.
To Catch a Love Rat : Tonight
‘To Catch a Love Rat’ was the second of a two-part investigation by Morland Sanders into a gang of love cheats, and part of the “Tonight” series.
Meeting and dating people via the internet is increasing in popularity with more and more people meeting potential partners in that way. There are specific dating sites set up for this where people can be vetted, but more often than not friends are made through various social networking sites , chat rooms and messenger facilities. The programme concentrated on a gang of men from Nigeria who were making a living from “dating” women from the UK . A couple of specific cases were followed, including a woman who had been dating a good looking man on the internet. She had been dating him for a few months, but during that time, he had asked for money for flights and other things.
The lady fell in love with him and as she wanted to meet him properly, sent money - $700 or so. She started to feel suspicious following the requests for more cash. Morland Sanders managed to trace the man to Nigeria and found that he was part of a gang. He showed the lady the details of the man who had been defrauding her and she was, unsurprisingly emotional.
The gang had been using the picture of a male model (rather than one of themselves) to entice a woman. Morland met the model (in France) and reveal that his photographs had been used in a fraud. As Morland relayed the facts, the model was moved to tears at the thought that the woman was hurt and taken advantage of, in this way. He was so affected that he said that he would completely remove his picture from the internet. The gang had taken advantage of a vulnerable woman who had fallen in love and ‘To Catch a Love Rat’ was a warning to us all.
Friends
Friends is a classic American sitcom set in New York amongst a bunch of 6 twenty/thirty somethings. They often frequent the Central Perk coffee shop were a bunch of residual people are thrown into the mix. It was very popular Friday night viewing on Channel 4 and repeats of these are regularly shown. You can usually relate to at least one member of the main cast and these are as follows:
Monica Geller – neurotic and obsessed with keeping everything tidy and spotlessly clean. She is a chef but still plagued with hang-ups from her teenage – where she was fat and had hair that was prone to go frizzy.
Rachel Green – Monica’s childhood friend and a typical “princess”. She was spoiled as a child and has been conducting an “on/off” relationship with Monica’s elder brother Ross. She once worked as a (not very good waitress) in Central Perk but is now a high flying fashion executive. Has a daughter (Emma) with Ross.
Phoebe Buffay – A beautician and masseuse who writes music (such as “Smelly cat” ) and sometimes plays her music in Central Perk. She is a free spirit and comes across as being ditzy. She gave birth to her brother’s triplets whilst acting as a surrogate mother.
Ross Geller – also neurotic (but not as much as Monica) and is a paleontologist who loves fossils. He has been married many times over – his first wife Carol became a lesbian and looks after their son Ben, with her partner, Susan. He was briefly married to Emily but said “Rachel” in his wedding vows. He has always loved Rachel.
Chandler Bing – the funny man of the group and until recently nobody quite knew what he did for a living (a Statistician). He met Ross at high school and got together with Monica whilst they went to London for Ross’s wedding to Emily. Until he moved in with Monica, he shared an apartment with friend Joey.
Joey Tribbiani – he is of Italian American origin and proud of it. Handsome and a hit with the ladies (his chat up line is “How you doin..?” ), he is an actor with various degrees of success. He shared an apartment with Chandler where they had a lad’s life – equipped with large black leather chairs, a fridge full of lager and a duck and a chick. He is not the brightest of people.
Any episode of Friends is well worth a viewing.
Masterchef
Masterchef is a programme which examines amateur cooks who have the ability to become professional chefs. It is aired on BBC2 and presented by John Torode and Greg Wallace. John Torode is an Australian chef and restaurant owner and Greg Wallace is an ingredients expert, a food critic and originally a “fruit and veg” man.
This particular episode featured three contestants in “Comeback Week”. The three has been contestants from last year. They faced two particularly hard challenges. One was of stamina and this involved serving an 18 hour day in two restaurants for a breakfast and dinner settings. The second challenge was of skill and they had to impress the judges by cooking a two-course meal.
The 18-hour shift started at 5.30 am one morning and contestants Helen, Peter and Neelika served breakfast at the Soho Hotel. Peter was initially having trouble in cooking fried eggs as they were sticking to the pan, but he fared much better with scrambled eggs and managed to be quite well organised. Neelika was looking after omelettes and breads and toast but did not cope well with the pressure.
The second service was at Bluebird in West London. In the afternoon the three had to design and prepare their own dishes, which would be cooked later.
Neelika prepared mackerel prepared and made the decision to do everything in advance so that there was little work at the service. Peter prepared monkfish, ham, sage peas and beans and this was particularly risky as it could only be brought together at the last minute. Helen had gone for an ambitious meal of lamb. This was tricky to cook at service at it had to be done according to how the customer wanted it – for example, rare, medium.
On day 2, the contestants met at Masterchef HQ early in the morning and prepared their two course meals – with a mixture of ingredients and flavourings including crab, skate, pigeon and spicy pork. After much deliberation, Helen was chosen to go onto the quarter finals of Masterchef.
Neighbours Round Up
Susan has some bad news this week. She receives an alarming diagnosis when Dr Vinton tells her that she has had a series of mini-strokes and the risk of a more substantial stroke is high. Susan and Karl put on a united front to reassure Zeke and Rachel, who fret about Susan’s health. Shocked to hear of her mother’s diagnosis, Libby returns from Shepparton with her son, Ben, and vows to stay in Erinsborough as long as necessary. Libby, however, is hiding her real reason for returning to Ramsay Street.
Bridget is stunned when Declan asks her out on a date. She confesses to Rachel that she has never been kissed, so Rachel gives her a few pointers on what to expect. But Bridget is dismayed when the date gets off to a bad start. She still has a physical impairment from the accident and is mortified when they are confronted by teasing teens at the cinema. To make matters worse, Declan decides not to kiss her on the doorstep. Convinced that Declan is put off by her disability, Bridget catches up with him and gives him a piece of her mind.
Elsewhere, Elle is out riding when she spots some neglected horses belonging to a suspicious landowner. The RSPCA investigates but fails to find any horses at the property, so Elle decides to take matters into her own hands. Marco steps in to help Carmella with her business. And Ned does not know how to tell Janae that Kirsten is moving to Erinsborough.
Hollyoaks Round Up
Nancy discovers she has a fight on her hands this week and is devastated when she is barred from visiting Charlie at the hospital. Later, Jake arrives home to discover his clothes on the doorstep and that his key won’t work. Having witnessed Jake’s vitriol, Justin goes to see Nancy. Unable to bear seeing his son raised by a monster like Jake, Justin finally agrees to stand by Nancy in her fight to gain custody of Charlie. Jake is determined to show Nancy up and puts on a fundraising event to raise money for Leukaemia research. Feeling harassed and belittled, Nancy turns on Jake and blurts out to the SU bar that he’s not even Charlie’s father.
Meanwhile, Zoe and Mike are taking more risks with their affair and even a close call with Sarah does nothing to dampen their lust for each other. Their secret doesn’t stay safe for long though, and the Barnes family unit is shattered once again after revelations come to light at Leah’s first birthday party. An appalled Zoe has to face up to the reality of her affair with Mike becoming common knowledge. After the revelation, Sarah insists on moving out, leaving wheelchair-bound Mike completely dependant on Zoe. Will she cope?
Elsewhere, it’s the biggest day of OB’s life as he waves goodbye to Max and Tom forever to live with Summer in London. Sasha and Fletch agree they’re both finally ready to have sex, but all doesn’t go according to plan. Carmel is shocked to learn that despite her pleas, Myra has failed to stop her benefits even though she’s now working.
EastEnders Round Up
Ian is acting distinctly shady this week on the Square. He wants a new lease of life and decides to get into shape. He asks Christian to help him, but is it really Jane he’s trying to impress? It seems not, and a foolish Ian finds himself in a sticky situation after inviting Clare over for an evening of seduction. He is under the impression that Jane is out of town but unfortunately for him she is just across the Square. A manipulative Clare sets about sabotaging his plans…
Tanya has a moment of weakness and confesses to Abi that she misses Max. Abi, however, takes it as an invitation to get her mum and dad back together. Sean pressures Tanya into making a decision about their future. Over at the Brannings, Tanya and Max perform a karaoke duet for the kids and agree to attend parents’ evening together. Max soon lays his heart on the line and tells Tanya he wants her back. Maybe there’s still hope for them after all.
Elsewhere, after placing an ad in the lonely hearts’ column, Charlie goes on a blind date. When he arrives at Fargos, however, he’s surprised to find Peggy waiting. Dawn implores a frightened Jay to go to court and give evidence. Stephen wants to help Stacey realise her childhood dream as a fashion designer, but Stacey questions his motives. Steven, meanwhile, finds a runaway sleeping underneath Stacey’s market stall and takes her under his wing.
Emmerdale Round Up
A generous handful of deceit is added to the mix this week in Emmerdale. Playing into Katie’s hands, Perdy reveals all about Gray framing Matthew for Rosemary’s murder. Katie feigns shock then anger, leading Perdy to admit that she’s blackmailing Gray. Katie tries to reason with her, but Perdy reminds her that Gray was about to have an innocent man sent down for murder. When Katie probes as to the location of the cardigan, Perdy reveals that it’s locked away. Will Katie risk her own safety to emancipate the man she loves? Katie locates Perdy’s key and searches Home Farm for the cardigan. Finding it, she turns to see that Perdy has caught her in the act. after a fight, Katie falls on her stomach and is immediately in pain. Have the warring women put their child’s life at risk?
Meanwhile, the Bishop visits Ashley and tells him that he must take as much time off as he needs. Ashley insists he’ll be back next week, but the Bishop puts his foot down and explains that his family needs him. As he and tearful Ashley pray, Laurel comes into the room and listens with anger and contempt to the prayer. Will Laurel be able to comprehend her husband’s need to speak to the God she believes took her baby away? Can Ashley find a way to bridge the gap between him and Laurel?
Elsewhere, Pollard is anxious when Val suggests dipping into their wedding fund to help with Paul and Jonny’s arrangements. Suspicious, Val later takes a look at the account and is furious to find that it only contains a penny. Jo struggles to control Sam and Jake at the farm due to Jack’s absence in Spain. David admits to Nicola that he’s doubting their plan to murder Donald. Nicola’s heart is soon in her mouth though, as Cindy downs the pills meant for Donald.
Coronation Street Round Up
Things aren’t looking good for Sean this week. He is still in a state of excitement over the birth of his son and fails to notice that Jamie and Violet are behaving strangely. They are less than impressed by his constant presence at the hospital and Jamie points out to Violet that they really have to get away from Weatherfield. Violet tells the midwife to cross her off the list for visits as they won’t be staying in the area and Lauren is shocked when she inquires about a flat and discovers it is Jamie and Violet’s. Violet wants Jamie to be Dylan’s dad and to prove it to him she takes advantage of the date and pops the question. Lauren is becoming increasingly suspicious of their behaviour and she discovers they are about to do a runner without telling anyone. Will she be able to get to Sean before they take his son away?
Michelle has agreed to let Alex stay a while longer after he complained of feeling ill. Ryan is not convinced that he is really unwell but knows he has little sway where Alex is concerned. When Amy starts to get in the way Alex takes her out to play in the back yard, but she sees the back gate open and wanders off. Steve returns to find Amy missing and Alex oblivious to her whereabouts. When Alex realises how furious Steve is he takes drastic action and locks himself inside the pub - with everyone else stuck outside.
Elsewhere, David is jealous of Tina’s friendship with her ex. He’s not happy when she reveals she has arranged to meet her ex for coffee and convinces himself that Tina is testing his love. He tells Darryl that he needs to do something big to prove his feelings. Tony is determined to enjoy some quality time with Carla. Dan and Harry are not seeing eye-to-eye living in the same flat.
Sign Zone: Louis Theroux: Behind Bars
The Sign Zone is a repeat showing of favourite programmes but with sign language for those people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Sign language was provided for Louis Theroux’s visit to San Quentin prison in California.
It was a fascinating programme where Louis asked difficult questions of inmates and prison wardens alike. One of the most scary moments was when Louis went into a large yard of prisoners who were gathered together in groups. One set of people were having a bible reading and were quite religious, whilst others were chatting in groups. There was obvious segregation in both yards that Louis went to as prisoners preferred not to be near anyone who was not of the same ethnic origin as themselves. There was a distinct amount of racism between inmates.
At one point, all of the prisoners were told to sit down in the yard as a gunshot was fired and something had occurred at the prison itself. It was a particularly scary and eerie moment as you realised that the prisoners could get nasty.
Louis met a transgender woman (formerly a man) who shared her cell with her male partner. She was due to be released soon and her partner said that they would meet again. This was not the only relationship in the prison as a gay Jewish man was with a married man.
Louis also learned of trades made between prisoners as a young man was advised by a warden just advised to serve his time (some of the longer serving prisoners traded time with younger members (who would then do longer sentences). Louis Theroux: Behind Bars was an interesting insight into San Quentin prison.
