Comprehensive prescription
Harley Street (ITV), The Unseen Alistair Cooke (BBC4)
IT would have been fun to be at the planning meeting for Harley Street (ITV, Thursday), the new medical drama series about a group of stunningly good-looking doctors in private practice. ‘Look, we get all the bloody bits, the emotional traumas, and the scenes where someone’s pushed down a hospital corridor on a trolley at about 40mph while the doctor yells incomprehensible instructions — plus money! And fabulously beautiful settings!’
‘Yurss, problem is, people love the NHS. They suspect Harley Street is for hedge fund managers and diplomats from corrupt tyrannies. They’re not going to identify.’
‘So, we make the doctors deeply caring. One of them is black — ticks the inclusive box. Why not have him refuse unneeded skin injections to a young model who’s in the grip of an evil scumbag manager? So he pretends to give the injection but takes the cash anyway.’
‘That makes him look crooked.’
‘No, but he only sends the evil scumbag out to get the cash so he can make it look like he did give the injection! Now, the young white doctor.’
‘He has to be a serial shagger, so we can get lots of women in their underwear giving him simulated oral sex. But, I know, he gets attached to a poor mad patient whose pregnant wife is in turmoil.’
‘Enough?’
‘Maybe not. Why not make his sick father morally opposed to private health care? Turns out he’s getting terrific treatment from the NHS — great news for our C, D, E viewers.’
‘Another thing — we’ve signed James Fox. Who does he play?’
‘He plays James Fox, of course — doesn’t matter what name we give him...’
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ian skidmore
July 17th, 2008 11:11amCopy takers did not share Hoggart's jaundiced view of Cooke. He knw the all by name, asked afer their families and w generally believed to b a good guy.
If such an astute commentators didn' lie is family, that might be a judgement on them