bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

MICHAEL Palin proves in Pole To Pole (Pearl, 10.55am) that he is not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face, some might argue.

  Sitting in a sauna in the backwoods of Scandinavia last week, as naked as the day he was born, he was moved to comment on the 'aromatic scent' from the twigs he was using for self-flagellation. 'Tautology in the nude,' he said, on realising his blunder of syntax.

  In today's episode Palin arrives in a Leningrad that is not St Petersburg but will soon be.

  Exhibitionism seems to be something of a Palin forte. He removes his attire so he can be cloaked in viscous, medicinal mud at a crumbling Spa, only to find one of the staff, an ample lady called Louba (it means amore she tells him) has taken a shine to him.

  Next week, Palin's hand stars in a wildlife documentary and he gets drunk after toasting 23 different people with homemade vodka.

  Pole To Pole is followed by Far Flung Floyd (11.45am) and the memorable episode in which roly-poly chef Mr Floyd meets roly-poly South China Sunday Morning Post columnist Stuart Wolfendale before doing battle with triads at Sai Kung.

     IT'S billed as Pearl's movie of the month, so it must be good. Prelude To A Kiss (Pearl, 9.30pm) is, in fact, not bad, but spoiled by twists and turns in the plot that comes at you like a mountain road.

  The cast - Meg Ryan, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Bates and Sydney Walker in the role he played on stage - have a game attempt at making it all work.

  The story sees Ryan and Baldwin fall for each other before he comes to suspect she is not the woman he thought she was. Are you following this?      BILLY Crystal throws himself into City Slickers (1.45am) and emerges smelling of roses. As does Jack Palance, who won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a cowboy with skin like stale beancurd.

  The film sees Crystal and insufferable office chums take to the wilderness on horseback in an effort to come to terms with their fortysomething angst.

  It is amusing, but only in parts.

     IF you enjoy a bit of Asia in your films, Rapid Fire (World, 9.35pm) features Brandon Lee in Tiananmen Square (and, at one point, in a nude modelling class).

  The Wind Cannot Read (World, 12.40am) is Love Is A Many Splendored Thing with a Japanese angle.

  Prisoner of war Dirk Bogarde falls in love with a Japanese language teacher called Suzuki-San (Yoki Tani) who has a brain disease. Based on the book by Richard Mason, he of Suzie Wong fame.

     LORETTA Swit hosts Animals Are The Funniest People (World, 8.30pm), which shows how far she has progressed since M*A*S*H. Brooke Shields, star of epic stocking advertisements, makes a guest appearance.

  If you are not already in a state of anticipatory frenzy, think about this: the programme features various animals dancing to popular songs.

     THERE is no point in being uncharitable towards Charade (STAR Plus, 2.pm), which is a merry dose of sub-Hitchcock nonsense glorified by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

  She is a chic Parisienne who finds her husband murdered and four men after her. He is the handsome stranger . . . but is he hero, spy or dapper psychopath?      FILMS on Cable Movie Channel:   Almost Pregnant (7.00pm). A married couple will go to any lengths, even a spot of partner-swapping, to have a baby.

  Millionaire Cop (9.00pm). Detective Aaron Kwok pretends to be a wealthy businessman's son so he can catch a gang of kidnappers.

  Jamon Jamon (11.00pm). Cult Spanish film which enjoyed a brief run in Hong Kong recently.

  The story revolves around a son who is intent on leaving home to marry a prostitute, but his possessive mother has other ideas.

  Diva (1.00am). A music-loving postman bootleg tapes the concert of a superstar diva, but his tapes gets mixed up with one that will incriminate gangsters.



Pretty side of Palin