World beater
Some might like the mix of drama and past news stories on Mondays. It is possible there are a few who look forward to Macau Racing on Tuesdays. Other may prefer the House Beautiful lifestyle stuff on Wednesdays, plus the wildlife slot and Patten banging on about how flawed Asian development is.
For me, Thursday is the strongest night of the week on the new-look World. Much as I loathe travelogues, Lonely Planet (World, 8pm) is just the right mix of unusual locations and unpretentious, affordable activities. Last week, an intrepid presenter stomped about the West Bank, and begged the forgiveness of an archaeologist when she returned a crumb of mosaic she had nicked on a previous visit.
This week, Ian Wright goes to East Africa, first to the island of Zanzibar. There he takes in local colour, and a little local history including the inglorious memories of the Arab-dominated slave trade. Next, he returns to the mainland to Tanzania and the vast game reserve, Selous.
Like the books, this series provides an intelligently written background to a holiday destination, as well as the usual stuff about where to stay. The people seem real and the places themselves are far enough off the beaten track to be interesting. No posh packages, no postcard pretty poolside finales, and none of the annoying attitude of the Rough Guide series.
Trouble At The Top (World, 9pm) was made by a documentary team who pride themselves on the way they make ordinary jobs into high drama. This series has a particular resonance for local firms, since it focuses on the efforts of entrepreneurs who have seen their businesses fail.
Last week, the irrepressible Sir Freddy Laker showed he still knows how to make money out of discount flights, despite the collapse of Skytrain. This week, a well-known couple, who made a fortune with a chain of bargain basement stores, sell up and start again with a department store.
Then there is an hour of rather disgusting but irresistible documentaries about the frailty of the human body. The first half-an-hour is Body Story (World, 10pm) which last week showed what exactly happens during a heart attack. This week, we get a computer-simulated version of how a flu virus attacks the throat of a young singer.
Following that, Fat (World, 10.30pm). In tonight's episode, The Fat Trap, the voice-over points out that food manufacturing companies are some of the biggest companies in the world. They have enormous advertising budgets which are spent on plugging non-essential foodstuffs like convenience foods, soft drinks, sweets and snacks.
In the face of such an onslaught, it is hardly surprising that in societies where food has become more a consumer item than a necessity, obesity is a major health problem.
