Catch up TV review: Fargo, Johnny Vegas: Carry On Glamping, Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause
David Farnor | On 16, May 2021
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Fargo: Season 4 (All 4)
We’re a long way from the Coen brothers’ 1997 snowbound noir, with the fourth season of Noah Hawley’s Fargo resembling Gangs of New York more than the Frances Macdormand-starring thriller that started it all. But there’s still a darkly entertaining tone to what is otherwise a thrillingly ambitious new saga – one that sprawls across the 1950s to chart the social tensions, conflicts and compromises that formed the foundations of modern America. Chris Rock is excellent as Loy Cannon, the head of the Black crime syndicate fighting for a piece of the American dream – including inventing their own credit card – opposite Italian syndicate the Faddas. Ben Whishaw is on scene-stealing form as “Rabbi” Milligan and Jessie Buckley is wonderfully convincing as nurse Oraetta Mayflower. Between the strong performances, convincing period production design and a playful use of titles to keep track of who’s who, this an ambitious, bigger form of Fargo – but one that has the confidence to pull it off.
Johnny Vegas: Carry On Glamping (All 4)
Johnny Vegas. Glamping. It might sound like a commission based on two bits of paper randomly drawn from a hat, but Channel 4’s new series is a surprisingly fun ride. The four-part show follows Vegas and his long-suffering assistant Bev, as they set about establishing a holiday home camping site in North Wales. Trying to secure five vintage, single-storey buses and transform them into unique holiday homes on wheels, it’s a quest that’s enjoyably unlikely – but, as one person puts it, once they’ve met Johnny in person, they genuinely believe how passionate he is about the whole thing. From his excitable team speeches to interventions by those around him to make him communicate and be more mature, it’s an oddly sincere and likeable watch.
Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause (All 4)
Between all the noise and reality TV drama of Big Brother, it’s easy to forget what made Davina McCall such a great host of that show: she’s effortlessly honest, relatable and herself. She brings all of those qualities to this excellent documentary exploring the menopause, not only debunking myths but also correcting a long-held attitude towards the subject that makes it a taboo – to the point where even doctors don’t always diagnose it immediately. Just seeing McCall bring together women’s stories to reassure them that other people have experienced the same thing is worth tuning in for alone.
