Sometimes TV throws up an unexpected surprise

I keep a sharp eye on what’s coming up on a wide range of TV and radio channels, and plan ahead accordingly. But sometimes it’s nice to get an unexpected surprise.

Late last Sunday night I was having a look at what Shalom World TV, an online Catholic channel, had to offer and was lucky to stumble on The Face of Mercy, a well-made and inspiring documentary about St Faustina and the Divine Mercy devotion. It wasn’t even on their schedule for that time. Made in 2016 it had actor Jim Caviezel as narrator and high-profile commentators like John Allen, Scott Hahn, George Weigel and Cardinal Marc Ouellet. The historical background was absorbing as we learned of Sr Faustina’s low-key journey to religious life in 1930’s Poland. Her very personal relationship with Jesus was at the heart of it all, and the message of mercy was shown to have affected so many lives for the better. The story of that iconic Divine Mercy image and how it came to be painted was also enlightening. There were several inspiring stories – the priest who, as a younger man had been a drug mule for a Japanese gang, the New York detective almost killed by a young gunman, the young woman who narrowly escaped being a victim of the genocide in Rwanda, the young wife whose husband was murdered on his morning jog – all suffered greatly, but came through it with a firm belief in the Divine Mercy and a commitment to forgiveness of those who had so grievously offended against them.

Devotion

We learned of St John Paul II’s devotion to the cause of his fellow Pole, and revisited those emotionally charged scenes when tearful crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square as he lay dying around the time of the feast of Divine Mercy. Pope Francis also figured large in this film, and I was particularly moved to see him bringing the message of mercy to prisoners on a visit to Bolivia. If there was any downside, and it was only trivial, it was the constant background music which I found irritating after a while. Sometimes it’s enough just to listen to the unadorned testimony of inspirational people.

The film was followed by some words of recommendation for Shalom World TV from Bishop Denis Nulty. I’m not so sure about the promo material that referred to ‘God’s own channel’ but I’m certainly going to explore more – the programmes are viewable online through the website and various apps across a range of platforms.

That same day saw the return of The Crown (Netflix) for a fourth season. Much anticipated, I thought it was a rather flat return, though there was some Irish interest as the killing of Lord Mountbatten in the boat bombing at Mullaghmore was a central element. It packed quite a dramatic punch and the sense of impending disaster was heightened for those who knew the history. Irish political context was inserted by the inclusion of some archive footage and the reading of IRA statements, none of it particularly effective from the point of view of dramatic art. The first episode was also much hyped for the appearance of Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher. A big fan of her role as Scully in The X-Files, I found her performance here overly mannered though not quite reaching the point of caricature. And I still have reservations about historical dramas about the lives of real people, especially those still living – is it really fair to them when so many scenes are made up for dramatic purpose?

Disappointing

Earlier that evening I was disappointed with Dead Still (RTÉ One) after initially being enthusiastic about this quirky drama series. Now three episodes in, this Irish-Canadian production originally managed to be both grim and whimsical, as it tells the story of a trailblazing photographer in 19th Century Dublin. The plot is somewhat ragged – e.g. there’s a serial killer plot in the first episode but it seems to be going nowhere. Initially the few gratuitous F-Words were annoying, but in last Sunday’s episode three things really went downhill, with crude and degrading elements that makes one wonder how, in this #metoo age, actors can be put through such scenes. The whimsy is well and truly dead.

Sadly, it’s so difficult to find a television drama that one can recommend wholeheartedly, and almost impossible to find one suitable for family viewing.

Pick of the week

Journey Home

EWTN Saturday (night) November 21, 3am and Tuesday November 24, 10 am

Former Atheist Jennifer Fulwiler returns to talk about her on-going faith journey with Marcus Grodi.

Daniel O’Connell – Forgotten King of Ireland

RTÉ One Thursday November 26, 11.45 pm

Olivia O’ Leary journeys from Kerry to Glasnevin to Rome to chronicle the trailblazing life and the contemporary legacy of Daniel O’ Connell, champion of Catholic emancipation.

Fern Britton Meets

BBC Four Friday November 27, 7 pm

Fern Britton speaks to recording artist and actress Barbara Dickson who talks about how her conversion to Catholicism helped her overcome many obstacles and how faith is a key part of her life.