Alison Rowat’s TV preview: Write Around the World with Richard E Grant; I Am Victoria

The programmes mirrored his onerous news background, typically that includes large identify interviews, together with one with Haitian dictator Papa Doc. Notably within the early years, Whicker’s movies have been extra documentaries filmed overseas moderately than journey reveals, however as an introduction to a rustic or a tradition they have been first charge. Awards and big rankings adopted.

As going overseas grew to become cheaper, so travel programmes grew to become extra consumer-led and softer on the edges. Viewers needed to know slightly of the background to their vacation spot, however they have been additionally eager on tips that could the very best areas for procuring and consuming.

The pendulum swung once more with Michael Palin’s around the globe travels. Now the presenter of the programmes grew to become an important a part of the combo, with everybody from Billy Connolly to Joanna Lumley packing their luggage.

All of which is a good distance for a brief lower to Write across the World with Richard E Grant (BBC4, Tuesday, 9pm). Word the identify within the title, very of the second.

The format for the three half sequence is straightforward. The star of Withnail & I, Gosford Park and Can You Ever Forgive Me goes to the locations the place nice authors set their works. With the assistance of native guides, and by studying excerpts from the books, he offers a way of the place that’s richer, and extra fascinating, than something that may be gleaned from a mere journey information with its information and figures. As he places it, “A part of the enjoyment of following within the author’s footsteps is that they lead you to locations most vacationers received’t go.”

Within the first programme Grant heads to southern Italy. He begins within the metropolis of Naples, the setting for Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, Dickens’ Footage from Italy, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and Norman Lewis’s Naples 44. From there it’s on to Pompei (with Robert Harris’s novel in his bag, naturally), and Positano, the place Patricia Highsmith conjured up The Proficient Mr Ripley.

His last vacation spot is Matera, the place he reads from Carlo Levi’s memoir Christ Stopped at Eboli and finds himself shocked as soon as extra at how the poor in twentieth century Italy as soon as eked out an existence in caves.

As anybody who has learn his extremely entertaining memoirs will know, Grant is sweet firm, and no imply author himself. He could be deliciously luvvie one minute, severe and transferring the subsequent. After southern Italy he’s off to the south of France and Spain. Good work if you will get it, particularly the pizza consuming in Naples.

Between the Euros, Wimbledon, and now the Olympics, it has been a TV summer time full of sport. After final yr’s Covid-induced drought, few are complaining. Nonetheless, it’s a deal with to see new drama again within the form of I Am Victoria (Channel 4, Thursday).

Created by the Bafta-winning writer-director Dominic Savage, the “I Am” sequence of dramas started in August 2019 with Vicky McClure in I Am Nicola; Samantha Morton in I Am Kirsty; and Gemma Chan in I Am Hannah. This yr’s three, hour-long movies are I Am Victoria, with Suranne Jones, I Am Danielle, with Letitia Wright within the lead function, and I Am Maria with Lesley Manville.

It’s a stellar line up, little doubt drawn to working with Savage due to the best way he likes to contain the actors in each stage of growth. Apart from collaborating with them in shaping the tales, the dialogue is essentially improvised.

In I Am Victoria, Jones performs that character tempting destiny, the girl who appears to have all of it. Profitable enterprise, busy household life, supportive husband (Ashley Walters), and a house straight out of the shiny magazines, Victoria has rather a lot going for her in life. So why does she seem to be a lady on the verge of a you-know-what?

Like Sarah Lancashire and Joanne Froggatt, Jones is certainly one of plenty of profitable British girls actors who began out on Coronation Avenue. From 1997-2004 she was Karen McDonald, one of many many Mrs McDonalds to have stomped the cobbles. From there she went on to detective drama Vincent, then Kay Mellor’s Strictly Confidential, and Harley Avenue. By the point of one other detective drama, Scott and Bailey, she was on the best way to starring roles.

Her greatest break arrived when she was forged as a sure Physician Foster within the BBC drama of the identical identify.