Television
Muppy appeal
Wendy Cope
Just when I'd got keen on Coronation Street (ITV, 7.30 p.m., Monday, Wednes- day and Friday), a newspaper article appears saying that the programme is gaining a yuppy following. It's odd that I always seem to like the things yuppies are supposed to enjoy. No one — not even the most vicious unread poet (VUP) — could accuse me of being a yuppy, since my age disqualifies me straight away. Muppy is more like it — mature underpaid pen- pusher. Perhaps the real yuppies spend their spare time watching programmes about James Joyce and Proust.
In fact, I did watch a literary programme last week: the Late Show Special on the 1989 Booker Prize (BBC 2, Thursday). This touched on the question about literary prizes that, bothers me: how much do the judges get paid? Someone mentioned that it is 'not all that much money'. 'Booker do not disclose what judges are paid,' said a caption. My efforts to find out have so far been fruitless. If the Booker judges are properly paid for the huge swathes of time they give to the task, thee the Booker is exceptional.
This year's studio discussion was chaired by Howard Jacobson, who may, for all I know, be an absolute sweetie in real life but certainly didn't come over that way on the screen. He began by sneering at David Lodge, the chairman of the 1989 judges, and went on to sneer at most of the shortlisted authors. If looks could kill, Hermione Lee would have murdered him several times over in the course of the discussion and she had my sympathy. I also admired Germaine Greer's performance. Dressed up like someone out of Dynasty — big glittery earrings, shoulder-pads, the lot — she looked terrific, a splendid role model for independent women. And she came out with some memorable com- ments. One of the books was 'as boring as sitting in a pub'. When someone suggested that another of them was really about our `Whitehall says it's damned lies.' sick society, Germaine said she didn't think she'd ever read a book about a well society. In view of recent events on the political scene, I thought I ought to watch The Walden Interview (ITV, 1.10 p.m., Sun- day) with the Prime Minister. Though I knew perfectly well that the clocks were going back, I managed to forget about it while programming the video on Saturday. Sunday lunchtime I was miles away, so I only saw the highlights on the evening news. It seemed to me that Mrs Thatcher was looking amazingly good in the circum- stances. How does she do it? While the rest of the world speculated about her political future, I was wondering what she puts on her face. Sometimes — and this will confirm the worst suspicions of the VUPs — I find it difficult not to admire Mrs Thatcher. What especially impresses me is her bossiness, an excellent thing in a woman. But then I remember that she got where she is with the support of a rich husband, and that helps to keep my admiration in check.
Later on Sunday I did manage to catch the first episode of Mother Love (BBC 1 9.05 p.m.), in which Diana Rigg plays a dreadful, possessive parent, who threatens to ruin the lives of her nice son and daughter-in-law. What she needs is a good psychiatrist and it's hard to understand why the other characters don't put their energies into persuading her to see one. This drama series looks as if it's going to be a) pretty silly and b) thoroughly enjoyable. Yuppies take note.
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