Quintin Jardine's blog

I owe a vote of thanks to my friend Bobby. Like me, he is an avid TV watcher, (and recently a programme subject) but not being a Sky subscriber his exposure tends to be different. Last time I saw him he told me about a series called No Offence, which he had seen on Channel 4, which has the reputation of being a place where stellar careers sometimes go to die. (In my eyes it’s one level above C5, which is a kind of telly purgatory.)

It’s always worth taking Bobby’s advice, so I did. Last night Eileen and I completed our binge watch of all three series. As each episode finished we just kept pushing that green button. The star, the virtuoso as DI Viv Dearing, is the wonderful Joanna Scanlan, who has the courage to hold nothing back. She is best known for being the bumbling press officer in The Thick of It.  That is appropriate, for  No Offence is an unremitting ode to political incorrectness, and it screams for more exposure and a wider audience.

If you don’t know it, do what we did. Binge it. And make sure you start with Series One, Episode One. There’s a scene in the police station Ladies, that kicks it off beautifully. Cheers Bob.

news.sky.com/story/racist-abuse-on-ryanair-plane-investigated-by-police-11533011

I fly Ryanair often but I have never seen anything like this. In my experience the cabin crew are pleasant and efficient.

The Sky News report is built around the comments of a guy who seems to be blaming everyone else for not intervening. What did he do to stop the abuse? No Samaritan, it would seem.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45927344

I confess: I never knew he was there.

For a brief and unhappy period in my mid twenties I worked as a reporter for a Scottish daily newspaper. I am not going to say which one because some of my colleagues are still around and I wouldn’t want to offend them.

I might do that when I say that it was the most hateful working environment I have ever known. It was abrasive, ill-mannered (Bullying was tolerated:I didn’t experience it but I saw it) and some of the things I was asked to do just weren’t my style. I was very pleased when job offer came out of the blue. It took me to Edinburgh and changed my life.

Those days came back to me over the last few weeks as I watched ‘Press’, the new BBC drama that is crying out as loud as ‘Bodyguard’ for a second series. The only fault I could find was that neither of the two fictional newspapers featured appeared to have any sports reporters. The rest was brilliant: the villain, Duncan Allen, was a face from my past, and I look forward to seeing him slither even higher.

news.sky.com/story/princess-eugenies-wedding-ultimate-guide-11464476

I looked for a ‘Yawn!’ Emoji, but this is the best I could do. 😴

I watched the first episode of Black Earth Rising a few weeks ago, then life got in the way. But now I’m back, and I am hooked.

Not only on the series, but on its lead. Not being a C4 watcher, I knew nothing of Chewing Gum, her previous venture, but I plan to catch up once Black Earth is done.

Michaela Coel is how she’s billed. I suppose when your name is Michaela-Moses Ewuraba O Boakye-Collinson, you’re entitled to shorten it a little. Whatever, she’s a star.

So, the Doctor is back and she’s made some changes. But Bill Potts has gone, taking with her a whole potential story line. I am a big Jodie fan so fine with her but I am wondering if this is all another perverted BBC ploy to kill off the franchise. Castrate the Doctor, switch to Sunday, no opening titles, Bradley Walsh as her companion: any one of those will upset some of the faithful; doing them all at once could signal the end of days.

I am watching a piece on Breakfast about carers and caring. While I sympathise with the sad lady whose situation they chose to highlight, I disagree with her litany of complaints.

You’re looking after your partner, dear. You gave the impression that you believe you were forced to do it and that you resent it. Sorry, but it’s what you signed up for. It’s a privilege to look after someone you love. It can be tough, but it’s better than loneliness.

If you don’t want to do it or you can’t, there is support out there, from social services, the NHS and from charities. After your tv exposure I hope that it will seek you out.

The new John Lewis and Waitrose tv ad: Greatest Of All Time?

Another Girona/Ryanair fuck-up. Passengers queuing on a staircase waiting to board an aircraft that is unlit and has no steps deployed. In other words the crew isn’t here yet.

There is tragedy in the world and time is given to this?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45419215

‘Ah’ll Tell the Passengers’.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ryanair-cancellations-complaints-customers_uk_5b7af0dde4b018b93e965d84

news.sky.com/story/roxanne-pallett-criticised-for-accusing-ryan-thomas-of-domestic-violence-on-celebrity-big-brother-11487021

Maybe we get what we deserve but … these people seem to be minimal in every respect. They are morons and any society that affords them a flicker of interest needs to take a look at itself.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45353716

How have I gone through the last 32 years missing out on ‘Cracked Rear View Mirror’?