TV Previews: Britain in a Day | Euro 2012 Live | Punk Britannia

Published on 10/06/2012 00:00

A YOUNG man smiles nervously: “I’m in the middle of Birmingham and I think somebody’s going to come and do me in.”

ut to an old man in hospital, who’s asked how important this day will be. “Very important, it’s the day before I die.” Cut to a boy dancing by candlelight, to a crusty dancing in a book-lined study, to a full-blown rave. Police with lights on their head make for a spectral sight, but not as spectral as the group gathered in a circle in gloomy house: “Is there anybody there? Show yourself or maybe tap one of us.” A train cleaner walks his carriages: “Sometimes people even poo in here.” And a lifeboat races to a stricken yacht. What’s going on? All of this happens in the opening seconds of this film, compiled from 750 hours of footage and 11,536 YouTube clips. The premise is simple: tell us about your day.

FINALLY the beleaguered England management can stop answering questions about why Rio Ferdinand isn’t in the squad, and with France their first-game opponents in Donetsk, Ukraine, they’ve got to hope to hell they’ve made the right choice in going with John Terry. For once, England doesn’t expect. Hopes are not high for this lot. Frankly I’m worried.

THE prog rock fan in me is slightly miffed that punk has had its story spread over three Britannia instalments (for all other genres it’s been one). But there’s been no doubting the quality of the anecdote. We’re up to post-punk, and Joy Division’s Peter Hook says: “Once I saw Johnny Rotten I realised the only thing I wanted to do in the world was tell everybody to f*** off.”