TELEVISION
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 19, 2010
COLLECTORS 8pm, ABC1 People who collect old television schedules - and isn't that everyone? - will have noticed this program has been reinstated in its familiar timeslot. And what better way to illuminate a hectic Friday night than to visit Brian and Barbara Lynch in Wagga Wagga? Most people recycle their household packaging, Brian saves it. Old packets, cartons, boxes, tins and grocery shop signs - remember them? (grocery shops, I mean) - plus back numbers of significant newspapers, such as like today's Herald. Meet a woman with Imelda Marcos syndrome who has assembled 2500 pairs of ornamental shoes. These ardent accumulators bring a glow of gratification to graphic designers in the packaging field and to manufacturers of souvenir ornaments - the Charles and Diana commemorative soup tureen springs to mind.CRAZY HORSE:THE REVIVAL 10pm, SBS OneViewers will be delighted to learn that the Crazy Horse Saloon, in Paris, has been renovated. Devotees of nightclub culture and historic tourist attractions had long been concerned about the shabby state of the old strip joint, where ladies with wondrous bosoms - many of them Australians and some, possibly, former members of the Defence Force who have had their boobs refurbished at taxpayers' expense - strut their stuff in small but elaborate costumes. With the renovations complete and everything ready for the 2010 cabaret season, a documentary team ventures inside to chronicle preparations for the opening extravaganza. This, unavoidably, puts cameras in proximity to lithe young women and their bare bosoms. Dear me! We never see these sorts of displays in Kevin McCloud's architectural programs, do we? More's the pity!FOR THE WEEKENDRICHARD HAMMOND'S ENGINEERINGCONNECTIONS7.30pm Saturday, SBS OneNot a bare breast in sight as Hammond reveals how Wembley Stadium's towering arch - constructed with Australian expertise in a welter of controversy - was inspired by a crossbow. Catenary arches are nothing new but, on this scale ... cor! Where is the giant arrow to accompany it? Also revealed: the simple climber's knot that allowed engineers to raise the Wembley arch into its rightful position. Would that engineers could repair David Beckham's Achilles tendon.DATELINE8.30pm Sunday, SBS OneGeorge Negus examines the violent struggle to gain control of the sex industry in Ukraine. How did it come to this? It's a sellers' market, with more and more women being lured into the sex trade by some of the most despicable people in the world.THEY CAME TO PLAY8.30pm Sunday, ABC2Amateur pianists who have reached a level of competence on par with professionals venture to Fort Worth, Texas, to participate in the Van Cliburn Foundation competition. Years of practice and engaging stories inform the performances as competitors strive for success while overcoming a range of adversities. The prizes are peanuts but the kudos is precious, although meeting Van Cliburn himself seems to be something of an anticlimax. This is a cheerful program, buoyed by personality and positive endeavour - eh, Mrs Mills? And you will find, Mr Blamfreddy, that the black notes tend to play louder than the white ones.WOMADELAIDE 2007 12.40am Monday, ABC2It actually rained in Adelaide this year. But not in scorching 2007 when this gig was recorded. Salif Keita and the Mahotella Queens were headline acts. It's history, but better late than never.
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald