THE SCOTTISH BOUNTY HUNTER, BBC1, 10.40pm
CHRISTIAN Matlock gave up life in rainy Brechin for the sun of Virginia Beach, USA.
You may think Virginia Beach sounds glamorous, but Matlock spends most of his time with criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts for he works as a “bounty hunter”.
The 28-year old went to America to find his father and now lives there, earning a crust catching crooks who have skipped bail and handing them over to the cops.
But don’t think the American way of life has gone to his head. He’s still refreshingly blunt and down-to-earth, contrasting himself with some of his colleagues, who he describes as those “tactical looking Rambo c*nts”.
The cameras follow Matlock as he captures the bad guys, with some of them so haggard and ruined by drugs that it’s “like a scene from The Walking Dead”.
BBC Scotland churns out too many shows about the Highlands and Islands. This is more ambitious and makes a refreshing change.
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LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, SKY ATLANTIC, 10.45pm
THE last time we saw John Oliver he was urging Americans to look up. See that, he said? Up there? That’s the bottom of the barrel.
The show ended for its season break at the worst possible time. We needed it to mercilessly mock Donald Trump and, of course, point out hideous errors and lies, because the show isn’t just about sharp gags delivered from behind a desk; it does brave investigative journalism too. Thank God it’s back.
It’s impossible to predict what they’ll run with tonight, as Trump has proffered an embarrassment of riches. Shall it be the travel restrictions? Shall it be using the presidency to hawk his daughter’s tacky fashions? Maybe it’ll be a study of Trump’s weird handshake where he yanks the person towards him?
But they won’t neglect other news. Contrary to the idea that Americans don’t care for foreign news, this show gallivants across the globe for its stories.
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