Paul Darke's 1^st - trial - Television Review Column for DISABILITY NOW in July 1998

In Independent Living (BBC 2 tx, 25:6) Jane Campbell - of the independent living movement - and London GP, Dr Ian Basnett, were the subjects of an exploration of living independently with personal assistants. The programme's aim was to promote independent living to disabled people, and all who 'deal' with us, through showing clearly identifiable role models and examples. Unfortunately, principles and issues were simplified and dealt with contradictorily. Equally, it was somewhat voyeuristic: multiple lingering shots of using equipment were not necessary. The implication of the programme was that disabled people had secured their independence. Yet, the programme left one feeling rather pessimistic as those who had independent living funding here had short-term deals, liable to cease at any moment.

The transmission time of Independent Living (00.30am, in The Learning Zone) probably meant that those most directly liable to benefit from seeing it were unable to. Though it will have regular repeats in a variety of unsuitable times in the future. Hot Property (Channel 5, tx 29:6), on the other hand, suffered no such problem with a 7.30pm peak viewing slot. This edition of Hot Property featured a disabled couple, Agnes Fletcher and Adam Thomas who were looking to move to East Anglia with a budget of around £150,000. The hot properties shown were given a 'going over' in the presentation to Agnes and Adam by disability access experts. The programme worked well and gave an up-beat impression of house hunting if you are disabled and disability was seen, in the context of the entire series, as just another individual preference and/or requirement in the very personal process of buying your ideal property. On a negative note, at least one of the disability access experts should have been obviously disabled themselves.

Disability featured a lot in late night comedy shows recently. The best of which was TV Offal, by Victor Lewis-Smith (Channel 4, tx 26:6). It had a number of scenarios - there is no such simple thing as a sketch here - which were in wonderfully bad taste and more biting that a English football fan. My favourite had Stephen Hawkins being foully abused by a Darlek, who thinks Hawkins is Ironside, for refusing to give his autograph. Great stuff.

Unfortunately, Barking (Channel 4, tx 1:7) was rather naive in its disability comic moments, whilst the King of the Hill episode Junkie Business (Channel 4, tx 3:7) was rather misinformed and/or part of a backlash against the Americans with Disabilities Act. Look out for South Park (Channel 4 Friday nights) to see if it utilises disability. It undoubtedly will.