No longer a magical mystery
WORLD is attempting to bring a little magic into its programming by making The International Magic Awards (9.30pm) appear before our very eyes. Apparently, these prestigious awards have always been held behind closed doors before, but those secretive magicians are at last willing to reveal all. Is this exciting, or is this exciting? Categories include Best Slight of Hand, Best Comedy Magic and Best Illusionist, and the event will be crowded with wall-to-wall ''Magicians, Celebrities and and Celebrity Magic Enthusiasts'' whatever they are.
PEARL has nipped in quicker than most with the inevitable programmes to mark the 30th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's death. The first part of Thames Television's documentary series The Kennedys (8.30pm) shown last week, proved a refreshingly unsensational chronicle of the lives of America's royal family.
It concentrated on Joe Kennedy's own political ambition, thwarted when as US Ambassador to Britain at the start of World War II he advocated not fighting Hitler on the grounds that Germany would win. He transferred his ambition to his eldest son Joe Jr, but when he was killed during a flying mission, John - the clown of the family - became the chosen one.
This week the series looks at John's early political career, and how it was guided by his powerful father's connections.
AND talking of Kennedys, the star of Splash (Pearl 9.30pm, ORT 111 mins) Daryl Hannah, looks set to become the newest member of the family, if rampant rumours of her impending marriage to John F. Jr are to be believed.
As for the movie, it's a real charmer - well, Pearl obviously think so judging from the number of times they've shown it. If you've somehow contrived to miss it until now, the film's basically a fairy story about a young man (Tom Hanks, now warming hearts with Sleepless in Seattle) who falls in love with a mermaid (Hannah, absolutely right).
Director Ron Howard (American Graffiti) retains the charm of the piece with a soft touch, and by skilfully avoiding any of those sticky, carnal questions involved in falling in love with a woman who's half fish.
POLITICAL parties and how they promote themselves in Hong Kong are one of the topics under scrutiny in Mediawatch (World 7.30pm), this week hosted by Claudia Mo and producer Gary Pollard.
There's also a report on an incident last week in which a TVB Pearl film crew barged unannounced into a government official's office demanding to know why he had not set up several interviews they'd requested. The GIS Union is now considering suing the company, for ''infringement of human rights''.
AMERICAN-Chinese chef Ken Hom claims that his people are obsessed by food. ''When we're not eating it, we're talking about it'' he comments in his new series Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery (BBC 6.05pm). Tonight he demonstrates the easy way to make perfectPeking Duck, complete with pancakes.
WARM your engines ready for a weekend's live motor-racing with the Macau Grand Prix Preview (Prime Sports 9pm). The programme, produced by Jonathan Green, looks back over 40 years' worth of Macau Grands Prix, including the event's humble beginnings when four car enthusiasts got together and decided to have a race. That little acorn has grown into one multi-million-dollar event.
