THE ACCEPTABLE FACE OF THE BBC.

BBC4 very often broadcasts programmes which attracts this occasional viewer. In recent weeks, the author has seen two excellent documentaries by the American cynic, Rich Hall. The first was about the approach taken by Hollywood when filming stories of the southern states. One of the films discussed was 'To kill a mocking bird', from Harper Lee's novel of the same name, which happens to be my favourite film. Any story about man's inhumanity to man ranks highly with me.

It gets even better; in the last week we had a programme celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the writing of the book, which has sold over eleven million copies. The story in the documentary was told by Andrew Smith who visited Monroeville, Alabama, the home town of Harper Lee and the place where the story was set. Unfortunately, we didn't get a glimpse of of the authoress, she being a very reclusive person. Strangely, she never followed up this success with further novels. As a child, one of her neighbours was Truman Capote; some disbelievers suggest that he, Capote, was behind the book; apocryphal may be, but it remains a winner with this writer.

Another minor classic concerned the story of the King James Bible, superbly told by Adam Nicholson. How strange that something so manifestly brilliant was translated by a committee, but what a committee, the 'creme de la creme'! All of whom were multi-lingual. This, I fear, being poles apart from today's officialdom, which struggles to speak its own language with any authority. The author can bring to mind few people in public life with such an intellect regarding linguistic skills. Currently, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and formerly, Enoch Powell, who was a master of many languages.

I shall mention the other Rich Hall documentary in the next blog.

THE BEEB SCORED HIGH POINTS.