Heather Mills : What Really Happened?

They held the front pages for over two years, their public spats becoming more and more personal, and then finally they thrashed out a deal which saw Heather Mills awarded somewhere in the region of £24 million from her husband Paul McCartney. However, if you thought that was the end of the story, think again as Heather Mills : What Really Happened? is sure to be the first in a series of shows about the celebrity couple and the controversy and mystery which has followed Heather in particular.

Tonight’s show sees journalist Jacques Peretti trying to get to the bottom of the mystery which is Heather Mills, with exerts from her father and Pamela Cockerill, the lady who ghost wrote her autobiography. There are many in the industry who are surprised to see this show make it to the screens when you consider that Ms Mills has threatened to sue anyone who makes even the slightest derogatory remark against her – and she now has the money to carry out those threats.

It will be interesting to finally speak to the people who you would guess should know Ms Mills the best, her father and the writer of her autobiography. However, she is rumoured to have been estranged from her father for over 20 years and the press comments attributed to him along the way have been anything but supportive.

Will we finally get to the truth about Ms Mills claims to be a substantial supporter of charities, even though her tax returns shown in court indicated otherwise, along with a number of claims she made about her treatment at the hands of Paul McCartney. It promises to be an interesting show and something which will no doubt create a barrage of new headlines in the newspapers later in the week.

Hitler’s War

The increasingly popular History Channel shows “Hitler’s War” today, a programme which offers an interesting perspective on World War II from a German angle. The show takes us back in time to when the War began, leading us right through to the mystery of what happened to Hitler and the whereabouts of his remains.

Eyewitness accounts, real footage from the days of the War and comments from those who saw battle all add to the reality of the show. While the German leader was hero worshipped in many parts of Germany as he took on the might of the West, it is interesting to see what propaganda and news they were being fed as the German army began to run out of steam. A depressed economy, no food and no money saw many Germans struggling to make ends meet as Hitler battled the might of the foreign forces.

The August 1944 uprising in Paris had a major impact upon the war and, slowly but surely, the German Army was dismantled. Allied troops pushed them further and further back towards their homeland before occupying German as millions of prisoners and captives were released – although it was too late for many.

It is easy to forget the hardship and ill-treatment which soldiers on both sides endured in World War II, and many will be fascinated to learn how the War actually started. World War II is said to have resulted in the direct death of 60 million people, mostly civilians, and is widely believed to be the most costly conflict of all time. The end of World War II saw a number of treaties and agreements signed to try and ensure that no other war of its size would ever be fought again. In many ways the War was a turning point in history, but the cost to human life was astronomical.

Forensic Detectives

This fascinating show tracks the lives and investigations of a team of Forensic Detectives who work tirelessly to bring criminals to justice, even many years after the event. The techniques which they use are getting more and more sophisticated and even evidence from crimes carried out decades ago can be re-examined using new techniques and clues found which could pinpoint the perpetrators.

While we have seen crimes in the UK solved using the slightest of hair samples, the smallest drop of saliva or the tiniest spec of DNA, the Forensic Detectives actually go much further that this. Some of the techniques which they use are mind blowing and the fact that much of their information can be vital to a successful prosecution adds to the pressure of the job.

Can you imagine working in a spotlessly clean environment every day of your working life? Can you imagine the pressure you are under not to contaminate evidence with even the smallest piece of your own DNA? This is the kind of atmosphere and pressure which these people live under every day of their working lives.

If one thing has become apparent after watching this show it is the fact that no matter how hard you try, it is almost impossible not to leave a trace of your DNA, or some other form of identification at the scene of a crime. Thankfully, while there have been miscarriages of justice, the information by the Forensic Detectives has also been used to clear those who may have served time in prison for crimes which they did not commit.

The Discovery Sci-Trek channel is a mine of information with a whole array of different documentaries and informative shows on each and every day. This is real life, this is the cutting edge of technology, and the Forensic Detectives are out to get the criminals!

How Do They Do That?

How do they do that? Have you ever wondered how the power suppliers get the electricity from the power station to your door? How your telephone actually works? Or how engineers operate the world’s largest floating crane?

While the Discovery Channel may not be the first TV channel which you look at when switching on the TV, there are actually a great number of different, entertaining and informative shows on the Discovery Channel. These are the types of shows which never receive any promotion and while they seem to be repeated time and time again, very few of us actually know what we are missing.

The beauty of a great scientific show is the ease with which they break down often complicated and difficult to understand systems and procedures. How do they do that? Is a show which actually tells you what is happening in a way which you can understand – using common sense. By clever use of props, diagrams and simple yet detailed descriptions of what is happening you will soon understand how the electricity gets into your home, and how the engineers actually control the world largest floating crane!

It is a shame that more scientific programs are not promoted to the wider public because as well as being very useful for adults to see how and what is happening, surely these programs must be a great prop for those studying at school, college or university?

Quite what the show will tackle in the future remains to be seen but the main attraction of this type of show is the mixture of everyday and specialist scientific procedures which are covered. So maybe next time you have a few minutes spare, switch on the TV, flick along to the Discovery Channel and see exactly how and why so many everyday systems and procedures actually work. You will be surprised!

Identity Fraud: Outnumbered

ID Theft We all know it exists, we all know what precautions which we need to take, so why don’t we actually protect ourselves? It seems that the British “it won’t happen to me” attitude is still alive and very much kicking with this very interesting look at Identity Theft and how easy it really is. Watch and learn…..

Jamie Theakston has gained unique access to the London Economic Crime Unit, the only Unit in the UK to tackle the growing threat of identity theft. As well as tackling the topical debate about cyber theft, the show also tackles the growing number of ID theft cases where perpetrators have gone on to commit serious crimes, leaving the “real” people to pick up the pieces with some shocking consequences.

While the show covers an array of different scams and frauds, it is the ease with which anyone can actually hook up to your wireless network which will frighten many. Unless your network has updated firewall and anti-virus protection the chances are that a fraudster could easily eavesdrop on your data transfer, passwords and user names, with many actually able to control your computers from a distance.

The program also highlights how easy it has become to track down the most personal details of a persons life using just the smallest snippets of information. Birth certificates are readily available, many people are members of some of the numerous social networking sites online and more alarmingly, vast numbers of people use the same username and passwords to access bank accounts, and other highly sensitive services.

While this show is sure to open the eyes of many to the problems of ID theft, it can only be hoped that more people start to take real notice. There is no point in burying your head in the sand and convincing yourself that it will never happen to you – just like the millions of people who have been on the end of serious financial fraud, and worse!

Frankie Howerd

How sad that it takes the death of actor the quality of Frankie Howerd before his work is recognised and he receives the acclaim which his skills so richly deserved. Like so many of the older actors who are worshipped today, Howerd’s personal life was not a happy one and he had a constant battle to hide his homosexual tendencies in a business where this was frowned upon, and up until 1967 was actually illegal in the UK. It is even more amazing to see his performances on screen when you consider what was going on when the cameras stopped rolling.

Frankie Howerd was born in 1917 and died in 1992, and while his life in the later years seemed to be a little happier, living with his manager and partner Dennis Heymer, he seems to have been something of a tortured sole. He famously told Cilla Black that he wished that he was not gay because of the problems it caused in his personal and professional life, but by the time Howerd died nobody was bothered about his preferences.

His acting career spanned an impressive six decades and took in the likes of The Frankie Howerd Show, Frankie Howerd on Campus, Carry on Doctor, Carry on Up the Jungle, Up Pompeii!, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and many many more. One of his main attributes was the ability to go from serious acting to comic acting at the drop of a hat, something which ensured that he had more than enough work to see him through his days.

This biographical look at the life and times of Frankie Howerd will open the eyes of many people who think life is tough today, because men like Howerd lived under constant threat of being “outed” by an industry which did not appreciate differing tastes in partners. Frankie Howerd was a genius and while his memory lives on, this program will surprise many.

Parking Wars : Tonight

New legislation which is coming into affect next week will see local councils issuing parking tickets and traffic offence tickets by post, on the evidence of the numerous CCTV cameras in the UK. Parking Wars : Tonight looks at the impact which this is sure to have on the motoring public, who have already been hammered by rising road tax and ever rising fuel prices. So what exactly is going on?

Under the Traffic Act of 2004, which will come into force next week, parking tickets will be issued by councils throughout the UK based solely on CCTV evidence, but up to two weeks after the event (without giving the “offender” prior warning of the offence). There are a number of problems which this system imposes which include identifying the culprit, fighting the claim and possible harassment of certain parties to but name but a few. The CCTV evidence which will be used would unlikely be sufficient in a court of law yet it is the only form of proof required to handout what will be literally millions of pounds in fines each year.

This interesting show has uncovered the fact that councils will be allowed to keep the fines collected, adding weight to the claims that this is just another exercise to top up the governments ailing budget deficit. Since this current government have come to power there has been a concerted campaign against the UK motorist which has resulted in billions of pounds falling into the lap of the UK Treasury. What right of appeal does a recipient of such a penalty notice have? Will there be a system to ensure that the right person pays the fine?

On the flip side to the above argument we have seen a substantial increase in the number of attacks on traffic wardens which can in no way be tolerated. However, whether antagonising an already irate motoring population is the answer is really open for debate. A very interesting program to watch if you get the chance!

New Show ‘Fight Quest’ Packs A Good Punch

By McGee Noble

Oh yes. Fighting. Smashing things using various parts of your body. Boys, you LOVE smashing things or, better still, watching other people smash them. This is a show dedicated to this honourable tradition, but the twist is that it’s not about just any fighting but FIGHTING ROUND THE WORLD. You might think this sounds like an episode of South Park but actually it’s the Discovery channel’s latest offering- Fight Quest (Friday, 10pm).

The proposition is that two young American martial arts fighters go round the world and in 5 short days learn as much as they can about the local fighting style. This culminates in a fight against a local expert.

A show like this would usually send me sobbing to another room to watch a documentary and moan about the decline of the modern world, much like the Phone Rage documentary on Channel 4 did last night. However this show was weirdly…good.

It works because it’s part travel show part beat down and where it could degenerate into a ‘Jackass’ goes backpacking, it instead honours the real warrior cultures of the world. In the same way that a good boxing match is a battle of muscle, co-ordination and power, there is something beautiful and raw about the fighting. There is not a jot of choreography, just pure, try-and-kill-each-other passion from both sides. It is also impressive that the bare, brutal training given the guys before the final fight is actually an immersion in the values and beliefs of the culture they are visiting. It leads to some quite poignant moments, especially from ex Iraq soldier Doug, whose approach to the whole experience has an endearing dedication and curiosity.

A surprisingly well handled show, which really balances the fight with the heart and gives a little something for those interested in the cultural aspects of a travel documentary and a little something for those who just enjoy a good old smackdown the likes of which you rarely see outside a boxing ring.

You can check out more info on the show here on the Discovery channel’s website. In fact there are some great unseen clips, including an interview with the guys talking about how much their mums worry about them. The Discovery channel are also offering the chance to win a Ninento Wii so its worth a look.

The Jeremy Kyle Show

He has been slated in the press, the show has been slated in the press and even mentioned in the House of Commons, so why do people watch The Jeremy Kyle Show?

Jeremy Kyle is the Jerry Springer of the UK with a talk show which attacks issues head on, allows people to try and resolve issues on screen and above all makes you glad of your own life. The whole show is played out in front of an audience who are both vocal and opinionated, making some of the so called guest feel very unwelcome indeed. While the show has seen short bursts of violence, these are very few and far between with security as tight as possible.

While Kyle has been written off by the press for both his show and his private life, there seems to be something of a witch hunt against him and the producers – something which actually saw the sponsor of the show pull their support. However, he has kept going and while there are some very strange scenes and discussions, he has also been responsible for bringing many subjects into the public arena which are normally taboo. Without agreeing whether this is right or wrong, it has encouraged issues to be discussed and it has given both perpetrators and victims a platform to voice their thoughts and opinions.

The show has also been overseas to Africa showing the dreadful suffering of children over there – something which was never mentioned in the press – resulting in a substantial increase in donations for an array of charities. Kyle is controversial, he is opinionated and he can be controversial, but whatever they say in the press, he has his fans and they seem to be very loyal to the show.

Quite what we can expect to see today remains to be seen!

New Heroes of Comedy

Matt and David The programme, New Heroes of Comedy follows how modern day comedians became famous. Tonight’s programme focussed on the highly successful double act of Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Although they are known for Little Britain (a version of which is now being made for US television), it has been a long journey to become successful as they initially had some trouble getting programmes made.

David Williams (his birth name) grew up in Surrey, where his sister used to dress him up like a doll! He got involved in acting at an early age and joined the National Youth Theatre. David met Matt Lucas in a Shakespeare production and they found that they both were fans of comedy.

David went to University and starred in theatre productions there. He was forced by Equity to change his name and became David Walliams.

Matt Lucas started to establish himself as the British eccentric and rather lewd man that was Sir Bernard Cholmondley.

By 1995, Matt and David decided that two comedy performers was better than one. Matt was becoming popular on “Shooting Stars” as the overgrown baby, George Dawes. He did not forget his friend in this as David appeared occasionally on the show , for example as “Soft Alan”. David was also carving out a career for himself as an actor appearing in The Sunday Show, Attachments and Casualty.

Although successful as solo artists, Matt and David were struggling as two attempts at sketch shows failed. Although “Sir Bernard” got his own series on the BBC, the programme also failed.

The duo did have some success on a cheap shown on UKplay called “Rock Profiles”. The programme obtained cult status for its portrayal of the likes of Barry Gibb (half Bee Gee and half lion); Elton John and “my partner David Furnish” and Howard and Gary from Take That.

In 2001, Matt and David came up with a Radio 4 show of Little Britain which propelled them to success.

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