The must-see TV this week: From His Dark Materials and an Elton John documentary to the BBC Election debate
Celebrity interviews, glossy dramas and politics make up the best telly for the next seven days, finds Ellie Harrison
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Your support makes all the difference.It is one month before Christmas and the nation is in hibernation mode. And what better way to spend these chilly November nights than nestled up on the sofa in the company of daemons and figures from the UK’s seven major political parties?
Those who enjoy spectator sport will be thrilled to see that the BBC Election Debate will pit representatives from the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, Scottish National Party, Greens, Plaid Cymru and the Brexit Party against each other, in an inevitably chaotic and incomprehensible explosion of sound and ranting, all for our viewing pleasure.
Veteran broadcaster Nick Robinson will preside over the debate, which will take place in Cardiff in front of a live studio audience – it remains to be seen whether they will find the politicians as hilariously unbelievable as they found Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson in this week’s head-to-head.
For more drama from people living in a fantasy world, tune into the fourth episode of His Dark Materials. As our critic Ed Cumming wrote, “For the beguiling, dangerous Mrs Coulter, who better than Ruth Wilson? Nobody.” This week’s episode sees Lyra and the Gyptians arrive in the North and seek the help of the Witches’ Consul – it’s bound to be a welcome bit of escapism from real life.
Crash back down to reality with Elton John: Uncensored, which promises to be a lid-lifting documentary about his childhood, fame and battles with addiction and illness. John recently made headlines for revealing on the programme that he was “24 hours from snuffing it” when he contracted a serious infection after having surgery for prostate cancer, and said he was so sick he “had to learn how to walk again”.
Another celebrity who will be sharing stories of their trials and tribulations will be Hillary Clinton on The Graham Norton Show. Clinton and her daughter Chelsea will be discussing The Book of Gutsy Women, joined by fellow guests Jamie Oliver, David Mitchell and Kesha.
Clinton’s last appearance on Norton’s red couch was in 2017, when she hobbled on set wearing a surgical boot, having slipped down a flight of stairs earlier in the day. Her anecdotes about Trump’s inauguration were very entertaining, so here’s hoping she’ll have plenty more great tales this time around.
And if you’re still feeling depressed after the thought of the leader’s debate, Tim Minchin has a new comedy, Upright, about an unlikely friendship forged by two misfits in the middle of the Australian Outback – which is about as far away from wintery England as you can be.
His Dark Materials (BBC1, Sunday 8pm); Elton John: Uncensored (BBC1, Thursday 9pm); Upright (Sky Atlantic, Thursday 10.35pm); BBC Election Debate (BBC1, Friday 7pm); The Graham Norton Show (BBC1, Friday 10.40pm)
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