‘STAND BY FOR ACTION’ – the first prize I won ever was a Stingray Painting by Numbers kit and I haven’t won too many others in the sixty years since then! So, well done – again – to Talking Pictures as, following on from Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds, they bring back Captain Troy Tempest and his doughty crew (plus Oink, of course) from the Gerry Anderson back catalogue. It was the Andersons’ first series in colour and it is a good example of how mogul Lew Grade was not afraid to give strong financial backing to a project – the allotted budget was in the region of £800,000. Two more enormously popular series from the 1960s also make their debuts on TP this week: The Beverly Hillbillies and Bonanza. The former went to no. 1 in the US in just three weeks which might still be some kind of record for a series.
TRUE THINGS (2021) Sunday 3 March 10.45pm-12.20am BBC 2    P             
BBC 2 premieres a recent UK drama that focuses on a toxic and uncomfortable relationship between Ruth Wilson’s benefits officer and an ex-con who is manipulative.
BULLET FOR A BADMAN (1964) Monday 4 March 2.15-4.00pm 5 Action             
This is the last decent western made by war hero Audie Murphy towards the end of his career. It is still relatively standard fare but Darren McGavin is a particularly good foil. He was a good actor and always a welcome sight in TV movies and series – particularly the cult classic Kolchak the Night Stalker.
OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN (2022) Tuesday 5 March 11.10pm-1.15am Film Four    P             
It is a shame that this sensitive, beautifully-acted French drama is on so late. Rachel is a 40-year-old teacher in a stable relationship – but it is newly established, and her partner has a daughter. If things do go wrong, Rachel fears that she will not cope with the break-up of her new family.
COLD COMFORT FARM (1995) Wednesday 6 March 10.15-11.55pm BBC 4             
This is a very good adaptation of the popular novel with a fine cast that includes Eileen Atkins (currently in new release Wicked Little Letters) and Ian McKellen. Plus cast member Miriam Margolyes gives a new introduction at 10.pm.
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (2023) Thursday 7 March 11.15pm-1.05am Film Four    P             
Come on Film Four – give these interesting, quality films an earlier transmission time! Should it have been on the questionnaire? Quite possibly, and it is certain to say more about the human condition than half-a-dozen Hollywood blockbusters. But, it is a documentary set in an Estonian sauna so it might not appeal to all members.
THE CABINET OF CALIGARI (1962) Friday 8 March 9.05-11.20pm Talking Pictures (Ch 82)             
Anyone who knows anything about film will be aware that the 1921 Cabinet of Dr Caligari was a landmark of expressionist cinema. Despite being written by Robert (Psycho) Bloch, this version isn’t any such thing – but it is shown very seldom, and so it is one to add to the viewing list!

This week, it is a warm welcome back to Scandinavian drama and a new 6-part drama on BBC 4: Prisoner starring Sofie Grabol as a prison warden. I am expecting it to be gripping, compulsive viewing with a fair measure of violence – I think we can guarantee it absolutely will not pull its punches. The BBC’s archive also comes up trumps again with a Tolstoy adaptation that I don’t think has been transmitted in over 60 years, although BFI Southbank does programme TV drama from this period, from time to time.
QUO VADIS, AIDA? (2020) Saturday 24 February 11.00pm-12.40am BBC 4    P             
No, not the 1951 epic with Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr; rather, we have a Bafta-nominated drama new to Freeview. The year is 1995, the Bosnian War is ongoing, and UN translator Aida is torn between duty and family. The TV premiere of the 1951 Quo Vadis was my first entry when I started to keep viewing lists (Tuesday 2 September 1975). A lot of films have flowed under the bridge since that memorable evening . . .
THE RESCUE (2021) Sunday 25 February 9.00-10.45pm BBC 2    P             
The Rescue is a tense, absorbing, quite brilliant documentary, even though everyone knows the outcome. Broadcasters all over the world followed the desperate attempt to save, in 2018, the Thai youth football team trapped in caves as heavy rain fell. You might also remember the unsavoury comments on Twitter that followed it.
TIME LOCK (1957) Wednesday 28 February 11.00am-12.35pm Film Four             
To start the day, we have a good little B-movie that generates a fair amount of tension. A small boy is locked accidentally in a bank vault, and then it is a race against time before his air runs out. Director Gerald Thomas and screenwriter/producer Peter Rogers were soon making the Carry On films; lead actor Robert Beatty the TV series Dial 999 (which still holds up due, in large measure, to its location filming in London); Sean Connery – here billed as welder number 1 – went on to James Bond and superstardom.
ANNA KARENINA (1961) Wednesday 28 February 10.15pm-12.05am BBC 4             
Wow! Not a film, really – but equivalent to a TV movie and as rare to view as gold teeth, so I have to include it. It was a BBC production that was based on an adaptation for the stage. Claire Bloom plays the title role (and does an introduction at 10pm), and Sean Connery and Frank Williams (Captain Pocket in The Army Game and, later, the vicar in Dad’s Army) are also in the cast.

Norman Jewison passed away on the 20th January, aged 97. He was one of the newer breed of Hollywood directors (although he was born in Canada and his mother was English) who started out in television: first with the BBC, then in Canada, and finally with the CBS network in the US. He began his film career in light comedies with Tony Curtis and Doris Day, but after replacing Sam Peckinpah on The Cincinnati Kid (1965), he showed quickly – with the brilliant In the Heat of the Night (1967) – that he could direct films with more challenging themes. Later work included The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Rollerball (1975) and Moonstruck (1987).
The Bafta Awards presentation is on BBC 1 Sunday evening.
FULL TIME (2021) Saturday 17 February 9.00-10.25pm BBC 4    P             
It’s a warm welcome back to quality, if modest, subtitled drama on BBC 4. It is quite an incisive look at modern lifestyles, as single mum Julie works all hours in a Paris hotel, but still hopes to beat a train strike to get to an important job interview.
MOONFALL (2022) Saturday 17 February 9.20-11.55pm Channel 4    P             
Alternatively, you might want to watch something completely bonkers! Halle Berry leads a team of astronauts on a desperate mission to stop the Moon colliding with planet Earth. Yes, really!
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (1973) Sunday 18 February 12 noon-1.40pm BBC 2             
And FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971) 1.40-4.35pm
BBC 2 presents a double bill of iconic musicals, both directed by Norman Jewison. And there will still be time to make a quick dash and join us for Tori and Lokita!
BENEDICTION (2021) Sunday 18 February 11.00pm-1.10am BBC 2    P             
Terence Davies died in October 2023 and, whilst his films tended to disappoint members, his voice was a distinctive one and will be missed. His last film should appeal more to us, as the subject is the poet Siegfried Sassoon.
THE KID DETECTIVE (2020) Thursday 22 February 9.00-11.00pm Film Four    P             
This is a brave effort to do something different with a gumshoe drama. Adam Brody made a great child detective before his skills deserted him – now in his 30s, can he make a comeback? The student who asks for help is played by Sophie Nélisse who first came to our attention in The Book Thief.
VISITING HOURS (1982) Friday 23 February 9.05-11.20pm TP (Channel 82)             
Why include a slasher movie that has only 2-stars in the Radio Times and a BOMB rating in Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide? Nostalgia, I suppose. I saw it on release – in Louth’s Playhouse cinema on a double bill with Escape from New York, as best I recall. It has a good actress, Lee Grant, as the reporter and Michael Ironside as the stalker plus one William Shatner. And we can always start a small cottage industry discussing films that we might prefer to Aftersun . . .

Haunted house dramas did not start with The Amityville Horror in 1979 (yes, I saw it on release, but haven’t been watching the Origin Story currently on BBC 2) or even the splendid The Haunting in 1963. I have just pre-ordered the original The Cat and the Canary (1927) from Eureka; I have seen Bob Hope’s 1939 version and the 1978 update, but not this one. The director Paul Leni died much too young – of blood poisoning in 1929 – as did F.W. Murnau, of course; he was killed in a car crash in 1931.   
AFTERSUN (2022) Sunday 11 February 10.00-11.35pm BBC 2    P             
!! Well, would you Adam and Eve it – the Freeview premiere for our lowest-rated film ever! Actually, some members (not many) have been wondering if they misjudged the film, so it gives us an opportunity to take another look. It might just play better on TV, too, and subtitles will help compensate for those Scottish accents. The Radio Times gives it 4 stars and is another media outlet that says it “leaves a lasting impression”.
BLACK TUESDAY (1954) Sunday 11 February 10.05-11.45pm TP (Channel 82)             
We have a clash this evening, so Aftersun might have to be postponed to later on BBC iPlayer. (Black Tuesday is repeated on Thursday, but see the final entry below.) This film is a short, ferocious and rare crime drama starring Edward G. Robinson. He and Peter Graves play convicts who escape from death row. I haven’t seen it, and can hardly wait!
THE ETERNAL MEMORY (2023) Tuesday 13 February 10.00-11.25pm BBC 4    P             
The Eternal Memory is a moving and sensitive documentary from Storyville. Actor (and politician) Paulina Urrutia allowed a film crew to document her husband’s fight against Alzheimer’s.  It has been nominated for a 2024 Oscar. Pablo Larrain (Jackie and No) supported the project as a producer, and director Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent was equally well received.  
ONE DAY (2011) Wednesday 14 February 6.40-9.00pm Film Four             
Happy Valentine’s Day! Even if you agree that, structurally, it needs the new Netflix 14-parter to do justice to David Nicholls’ novel, there is still enjoyment to be had watching the cinema original. It had a successful run at the Regent, as I recall.
THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (2021) Wednesday 14 February 10.40pm-12.25pm BBC 2    P             
Reminiscent – in a modest way – of The French Lieutenant’s Woman in that it weaves the present day with past events. A journalist uncovers some love letters from the 1960s; cue flashbacks to the time and place.
THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957) Thursday 15 February 9.00-10.30pm BBC 4                 
Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for her performance as a young married mother with split personalities. It isn’t as well known as other films of that era, but is worth a look. Who knows – in another life, LRFS might have programmed it!

You won’t need to be at the film on Sunday to know that Aftersun did not fare too well last time out. Not all the films that have ‘sun’ in the title would share the same fate with members (he suggests, tentatively): A Walk in the Sun (1945) is a fine war movie from Lewis Milestone (the director of 1930’s All Quiet on the Western Front). The Sun Shines Bright (1953) was John Ford’s personal favourite; the director’s original cut is in Eureka’s Masters of Cinema series. Run for the Sun (1956) is a decent remake of The Most Dangerous Game (1932), directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Widmark and Trevor Howard. The Sun Also Rises (1957) gave Errol Flynn an opportunity to show that he could act. Even Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), Gerry Anderson’s only live-action feature, but directed by Robert Parrish, has an intriguing story and is worth a look.
NOBODY (2021) Saturday 3 February 9.10-11.00pm Channel 4    P             
Nobody shares some similarities with our thriller Riders of Justice – a quiet, innocuous man attempts to track down the lowlifes who have been terrorising his family. Unfortunately, there are some out there who are even nastier. It is good to see Christopher Lloyd and Michael Ironside in supporting roles. It is a film not for the fainthearted, though!
TWO FACES WEST (1950) Monday 5 February 12.55-2.45pm TP (Channel 82)             
And, following a break for a cup of tea/walking the dog . . .
STORM IN A TEACUP (1937) 4.30-6.15pm TP (Channel 82)                 
I have made the point before that I find Robert Wise’s earlier work in science-fiction and thrillers more interesting than, say, The Sound of Music (1965). With Two Flags West, he tries his hand at a western. It has a good plot, strong male leads (Jeff Chandler, Cornel Wilde and Joseph Cotten), and the climactic attack on the fort is especially well staged.
In contrast, Storm in a Teacup is a rare, gentle comedy set in a small Scottish town, and built around a simple premise: the press pick up on the story of the confiscation of an elderly woman’s dog – and milk it for all it is worth! This film also has a trio of fine actors, here on the cusp of stardom – Rex Harrison, Vivien Leigh and Cecil Parker.
RED SUN (1971) Thursday 8 February 9.00-11.10pm Legend (Channel 41)             
Most of this week’s films of interest are westerns, I’m afraid. Both Blazing Saddles and How the West Was Won are on BBC 4 tonight, but Red Sun is a much rarer bird (maverick?) and a little different. It is helmed by Bond director Terence Young and the international cast has samurai Toshiro Mifune teaming up with Charles Bronson in pursuit of a venerated sword stolen by Alain Delon. Ursula Andress and Capucine are also in the cast.
THE PROUD REBEL (1958) Friday 9 February 1.00-3.10pm Great Action (Channel 42)             
The Proud Rebel is one of the gentlest westerns you are likely to see. Alan Ladd hopes to find a doctor who can help his young son, who hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother. Olivia de Havilland is very good, too.  Directed by Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz the film has enjoyed respectful reviews ever since its initial release.

The 2024 Oscar nominations were announced last Tuesday. Oppenheimer leads the way (13 nominations) and Killers of the Flower Moon has also been given the nod in the Best Film category. Anything for LRFS, I hear you ask? Quite possibly – American Fiction and Past Lives are two interesting titles that could well appear on the questionnaire. Assuming they are not ring-fenced by streaming platforms, of course.
BATMAN (1966) Saturday 27 January 3.35-5.45pm TP (Ch 82)             
‘Holy trip to the Odeon Batman!’ – I just had to bid a warm welcome to what was one of my earliest visits to the cinema. The comic book character and the various franchises have become very serious, and dark, since this camp classic appeared. The 1966 vintage is much more fun (so, too, was the TV series) and Adam West and Burt Ward will always get my vote. Zap! Pow! Thwack!
BEYOND UTOPIA: ESCAPE FROM NORTH KOREA (2023) Tues 30 January 10.00-11.50pm BBC 4    P             
A Storyville documentary that was good enough to warrant a cinema release. It follows several people desperate to flee the dictatorship – including a family of five whose circuitous route takes them through China, Vietnam and Laos.
A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1965) Wednesday 31 January 10.20pm-12.10am BBC 4                 
This is not David Lean’s epic adaptation (released in 1984). As it is a quiet week, we are breaking with convention and recommending a BBC Play of the Month (in b/w).  A very good cast is headed by Sybil Thorndike and Virginia McKenna and the director, Waris Hussein, has filmed a special introduction that is on at 10pm. Thank you, BBC – and keep these treasures coming!
RELIC (2020) Friday 2 February 11.05pm-12.30am BBC 2             
Relic tries very hard to bring something a little different to the horror genre and it helped earn it a good critical response. Emily Mortimer’s mother, who has dementia, goes missing. After her return, things seem a little odd – could there be an unexplained presence?