Digital, Cable and Satellite Television: Pick of the Day

James Rampton
Thursday 19 August 1999 18:02 EDT
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"TV HELL", FilmFour's season of films about the corrupting influence of television, continues with Broadcast News (10pm FilmFour), a sharp comedy from writer/director James L Brooks. William Hurt plays an attractive but vacuous reporter who is not afraid to manipulate footage in his quest to make it as a top anchorman. Holly Hunter is the neurotic producer who against her better judgement finds herself drawn to him in favour of a more solid newsman (Albert Brooks). Jack Nicholson appears as the anchorman keen to bring on these rising stars and the film captures perfectly the frenzy and chaos of a TV station newscast.

Scum (10pm UK Arena), Alan Clarke's unremittingly tough Borstal film, was banned by the BBC for 16 years. It did, however, launch the career of Ray Winstone (right).

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