TV picks of the week: Wrestling’s Golden Age | The Poison Tree | Peep Show

Published on 09/12/2012 00:00

What to watch this week.

Wrestling’s Golden Age: Grapples, Grunts And Grannies

BBC4, Thursday, 9pm

“Britain was once a place where the villains wore silver capes, the good guys were faking it and the most masculine man in the country was called Shirley.” If narrator Christopher Eccleston’s first words make any sense then you must have had a misspent youth watching wrestling on ITV. Back in the 1960s, when the “sport” was at its weird zenith, lots of people were terribly snobby about the third channel and placed a ban banned on its American imports and racy comedies. But 16 million still watched the bouts every Saturday afternoon, which always began with the welcome: “Greetings, grapple fans.” Many tuned in for Jackie Pallo and Mick McManus, wrestling’s first superstars, but also to see the audience at ringside get over-excited. One old-timer recalls having “a foot-and-mouth injection rammed in me bottom”.

Peep Show

Channel 4, Sunday, 10pm

Mark’s anxieties that he might be about to lose girlfriend Dobby at any moment haven’t gone 
away despite the demise of Gerard. One of her exes, Simon, seems to be back 
on the scene, and at a paintballing day Mark is miffed to find the pair on 
the same team. “Holding hands? That’s not military! I’m pretty sure Rommel never held hands!”

The Poison Tree

STV, Monday, 9pm

A psychological thriller jumping back and forth across 12 years – the time 
Rex (Matthew Goode) spent in jail. He’s met at the gates by Karen (MyAnna Buring) and their daughter. “I think we should tell her,” says Rex, meaning the girl. “No way,” says Karen. “I don’t think she’ll ever be old enough to understand. I’m not sure I do even now.”