With questions inspired by Mark Stephenson, Kevin Richey, John Daly, Michelle Shortt and Muriel Cockburn. At the end a question from Grant McLanaghan. Recommendations: Ruth A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America Richly sourced and highly readable . . . Sheds new light on how the 45th president tests the boundaries of the office while trying the patience and dignity of those who work for or with him. It is not just another Trump tell-all or third-party confessional - Guardian https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-very-stable-genius/carol-d-leonnig/philip-rucker/9781526609090  Stuart The New Highland Clearances Time and again local people, impacted by a series of issues surrounding transport, infrastructure and opportunities, have described the region as being in the midst of a 'New Highland Clearances'. Over the coming week we will examine those issues, feature local voices and ask if the viability and very futures of rural communities in Scotland are under threat. Here senior reporter at The Herald, Caroline Wilson, looks ahead to what we will cover. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24075771.new-highland-clearances-herald-series-starts-monday/ Eamonn The Irish Civil War THE IRISH CIVIL WAR tells the epic and often challenging story of the origins, conflict and legacy of the civil war that took place in Ireland in 1922 and 1923. Narrated by Brendan Gleeson https://www.pbsamerica.co.uk/series/the-irish-civil-war/ Brotherhood: The Inner Life of Monks The monks of Mount St Bernard Abbey, a community of 25 men, more than half of whom are over 80 years old, are opening the first Trappist brewery in the UK. For their historic, countercultural lifestyle to survive, the venture must succeed. In the meantime, as the monks reflect on spirituality, ageing and the end of life, the number of burials in the abbey graveyard continues to grow https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000tpzb/brotherhood-the-inner-life-of-monks

At the end of the show a question from Niail Mackay. Recommendations: Eamonn Northern Exposure  A recently graduated New York City physician, Dr. Joel Fleischman, is sent to practice in the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska to fulfil his obligation after Alaska paid for his medical education. Early episodes deal with Fleischman's culture shock in the small town. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.c0cbc05a-d575-4808-abff-898c5388461a?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb   or https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/tranquility-base/umc.cmc.3kryqi740nnwawz2z8q5ut96e?action=play  Stuart How the Government captured the BBC A right-wing cabal, largely unaccountable, is waging war on the principles that made our public broadcaster great. It must not succeed By Alan Rusbridger https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/64534/how-the-government-captured-the-bbc  Paddy Loudermilk Grumpy former music critic Sam Loudermilk grudgingly navigates the world of sobriety with surly rants, even as he guides others in recovery. https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80174074 

At the end of the show a question from Andrew Anderson Recommendations Stuart: ‘Poor Things’ From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. https://www.searchlightpictures.com/poor-things/ Eamonn: Napoleon (Film) Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte's relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed. https://www.napoleon.movie/home/ My Rembrandt (Doc) Aristocrats cherish, experts rule, art dealers hunt, collectors crave and museums battle for Rembrandt. 350 years after the grand master of intimacy’s death, entire nations are more than ever obsessed with his paintings. My Rembrandt is an epic art thriller into the super exclusive world of the Old Masters collectors. https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/my-rembrandt/umc.cmc.6fjqvjy45ins0rtvlbas04yst David: The Legacy Of Mark Rothko (Paperback) At the time of Mark Rothko's apparent suicide in 1970, the deeply troubled, pioneering artist of Abstract Expressionism was at the height of fame and financial success yet within months of the funeral, his three trusted friends, acting as executors, relinquished his entire legacy of 800 paintings to the powerful, international Marlborough Galleries (run by Frank Lloyd) for a fraction of their real worth on terms suspiciously unfavourable to the estate. The suit that Rothko's daughter brought against the executors and Marlborough rocked the art world with its shocking revelations of corruption in the international art trade: from the deceptions practiced on Rothko when he was alive to the scandals after his death involving conspiracies and cover-ups, double dealings and betrayals, missing paintings and manipulated markets, phony sales and laundered profits, forgery and fraud. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-legacy-of-mark-rothko/lee-seldes/9780306807251 MARK ROTHKO Exhibition - Fondation Louis Vuitton The Fondation Louis Vuitton presents the first retrospective in France dedicated to Mark Rothko (1903-1970) since the exhibition held at the Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1999. The retrospective brings together some 115 works from the largest international institutional collections, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Tate in London and the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., and from international private collections, including the artist's family collection. https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en/events/mark-rothko

Our first show of 2024! At the end of the show a question from John Daly Recommendations: Catriona: Priscilla When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a gentle best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame. https://a24films.com/films/priscilla  Eamonn: Nyad Athlete Diana Nyad sets out at 60 to achieve a nearly impossible lifelong dream: to swim from Cuba to Florida across more than 100 miles of open ocean. https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81447231  Stuart: Damascus Station A riveting spy thriller that bears comparison with the works of Deighton, le Carré and Herron, Damascus Station revolves around a CIA operative and his latest recruit who find themselves enmeshed in lethal danger in Assad's Syria. https://www.waterstones.com/book/damascus-station/david-mccloskey//9781800752696?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=531573&awc=3787_1704895983_9b6d2b139bd3979c1d62ad9b8d9a84a0&utm_source=531573&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fshopforward.nl%2F