Counter Culture

3,310 words, 18 minutes read time.

Culture Vulture is a weekly entertainment guide from an alternative perspective.

This week, the airwaves belong to the dreamers and the rebels. From the symphonic genius of Jeff Lynne to the savage wit of Hunter S. Thompson, the schedule is rich with iconoclasts who did it their own way — and usually better. The BBC rolls out a full evening for ELO, culminating in a triumphant Hyde Park set that glows with retro-futurist joy. On Sunday, Live Aid at 40 casts fresh light on a cultural moment when rock music briefly believed it could save the world — and, for a day, nearly did.

Selections and writing by Pat Harrington.

Saturday 5 July

ELO at the BBC
8:05 PM, BBC Two
This lovingly curated concert compilation draws from the BBC archives to celebrate Electric Light Orchestra’s decades-spanning fusion of classical ambition and pop wizardry.

Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO
9:05 PM, BBC Two
A warm and revealing portrait of Jeff Lynne — producer, songwriter, and sonic visionary — told with affection and rare footage.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Radio 2 In Concert
10:05 PM, BBC Two
An intimate live set showcasing the enduring musicality of Lynne’s reassembled ELO. Precision meets pop grandeur.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO at Hyde Park
11:00 PM, BBC Two
Lynne’s triumphant return to live performance in front of a massive Hyde Park crowd. Rich in fan favourites and retro magic.

Extras with David Bowie
10:20 PM, BBC U&Dave
David Bowie brilliantly sends himself up in Ricky Gervais’s meta-sitcom. Equal parts cruel and hilarious — a classic cameo.

The Riddle of the Sands
4:40 PM, Talking Pictures, 1979
This slow-burning Edwardian spy tale has aged into something quietly haunting — part naval adventure, part political forewarning. Two Englishmen, Carruthers and Davies, sail into the Frisian coast and stumble upon evidence of covert German military activity. On the surface it’s espionage, but underneath it’s a meditation on empire and insecurity. The film hints at Britain’s naval pride and its looming irrelevance, with paranoia tucked between fog and sandbank.

Released in 1979, its Cold War context adds another layer — old-world gentility shading into modern unease. The economic anxieties surface in the fixation on coastlines, trade routes, and the subtle mockery of amateurish intelligence efforts. Class friction simmers between the polished civil servant and his gruff companion, both shaped by privilege but shadowed by a sense of waning power. Their mission isn’t just to foil a plan — it’s to reckon with the fading grandeur of a system that trained them to look outward but never inward.

The Secret Garden
6:55 PM, Five Star, 1993
This 1993 take on The Secret Garden quietly blossoms into something more than nostalgia. Beneath its painterly aesthetic — dappled light, tumbling ivy, and Yorkshire mist — lies a story about grief, repression, and emotional rebirth.

Mary Lennox, orphaned and shipped from colonial India to a grey English manor, is not just a lonely girl; she’s a child steeped in imperial detachment and emotional silence. Her transformation, driven by the discovery of a walled garden, is both personal and political. The garden isn’t just a metaphor for healing — it’s rebellion against neglect, against the rigid adult world of locked doors and unspoken rules.

Set against the backdrop of Edwardian wealth and class divide, the film lets nature reclaim order. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s themes of ecological renewal and human connection are tenderly preserved, and Agnieszka Holland’s direction lingers on silence as much as dialogue — the unsaid often being the most powerful.

Perfect for a melancholic summer evening, yes — but also for anyone craving a story that gently confronts emotional barrenness with beauty and growth.

Prey
9:00 PM, Film4, 2022
The Predator franchise gets a sharp and satisfying reboot in this lean, atmospheric thriller set in 18th-century North America. Director Dan Trachtenberg strips away the military bombast of earlier instalments, replacing it with something far more elemental — a fight for survival amid sky-wide plains and thick forests.

Told through the perspective of a young Comanche woman (played with fierce intensity by Amber Midthunder), Prey honours Indigenous storytelling while delivering on creature-feature suspense. The predator itself is more primal, less reliant on tech, which makes the contest feel mythic — nature versus nature.

Visually striking and refreshingly grounded, this is one of the most intelligent franchise entries in recent years. It’s also a reminder that blockbuster cinema can still surprise when it trusts its audience — and its characters — to do more than just shoot first.

Oasis: Supersonic
10:00 PM, Channel 4, 2016
More myth than documentary — but what a myth. A swaggering deep-dive into the rise and ruin of Britain’s most volatile band.

King Richard
10:20 PM, BBC One, 2021
At first glance, this might look like another sports biopic — but King Richard goes deeper, exploring family, ambition, and belief in the face of overwhelming odds. Will Smith gives a layered, deeply human performance as Richard Williams, the father and unorthodox coach of Venus and Serena. He’s protective, stubborn, sometimes difficult — but never anything less than compelling.

The film resists easy triumphalism, focusing instead on the grind, the strategy, and the long hours behind the meteoric rise. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green keeps the tone grounded, while Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton deliver radiant performances as the young tennis prodigies.

What emerges is less about sport and more about legacy — how dreams are built, brick by brick, by those rarely celebrated. Smith’s Oscar-winning turn anchors a story about determination, faith, and fatherhood, told with warmth and grit.

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Sunday 6 July

Live Aid at 40: When Rock Took on the World (1/3)
9:00 PM, BBC Two
The story of how music mobilised global attention, revisiting 1985’s mega-concert with fresh insights and rare footage.

Live Aid at 40: When Rock Took on the World (2/3)
10:00 PM, BBC Two
Continuing the story with a closer look at the politics, personalities, and aftershocks of the most ambitious charity gig in history.

Elton John: Million Dollar Piano
4:40 PM, Sky Arts
A dazzling performance from Elton’s Las Vegas residency — all sequins, keys, and heartfelt hits.

The Remains of the Day
1:45 PM, Film4, 1993
An exquisite study in repression and regret, The Remains of the Day stands as one of Merchant Ivory’s finest achievements. Anthony Hopkins plays Stevens, a butler so consumed by duty and decorum that he fails to recognise love until it’s far too late. Emma Thompson, quietly radiant, is the housekeeper who might have changed his life — had either of them been brave enough to speak plainly.

Set in the shadow of war and the decline of the English aristocracy, the film explores moral blindness with surgical precision. Stevens’s loyalty to a Nazi-sympathising employer becomes a devastating metaphor for all the things he fails to question — until time runs out.

What lingers most is not what’s said, but what’s left unsaid. Every pause, every glance, carries the weight of lives unlived. Gorgeously shot, perfectly acted, and emotionally shattering, this is a film that stays with you long after the final curtain falls.

Hidden Figures
4:25 PM, Film4, 2016
This uplifting drama tells the too-long-ignored story of the Black women mathematicians who helped launch America into space. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe shine as three minds at the centre of NASA’s Mercury programme — battling not just gravity, but racism and sexism embedded in every corridor.

The film moves with energy and warmth, balancing technical detail with personal struggle. Director Theodore Melfi never lets the message become heavy-handed, instead trusting the story’s power to speak for itself. It’s a celebration of intellect, perseverance, and sisterhood in the face of systemic exclusion.

Rousing, moving, and refreshingly straightforward, Hidden Figures is more than a history lesson — it’s a call to re-centre who gets credit, who gets remembered, and who makes history happen.

The Fault in Our Stars
8:00 PM, BBC Three, 2014
Based on John Green’s bestselling novel, this teen romance could have easily veered into sentimentality — but instead delivers a surprisingly grounded and emotionally intelligent story of young love in the shadow of terminal illness. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort bring warmth and wit to roles that could have felt overdrawn, letting humour and humanity shine through.

The film doesn’t shy away from pain, but neither does it wallow. It captures that precarious balance between adolescent intensity and the existential weight of mortality, offering a love story that feels more defiant than doomed. Director Josh Boone allows space for silences, side glances, and the small gestures that make big feelings believable.

What emerges is a film that treats its characters — and its audience — with respect. It’s tender without being fragile, heart-breaking without manipulation. Whether you’re seventeen or seventy, it’s hard not to be moved.

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Monday 7 July

True History of the Kelly Gang
11:35 PM, Film4, 2019
This wild, unflinching reimagining of Australia’s most notorious outlaw breaks free from traditional biopic constraints. With a style that’s part fever dream, part punk manifesto, True History of the Kelly Gang drenches the screen in blood, grit, and restless rebellion.

Narrated with a chaotic intensity by George MacKay, the film captures Ned Kelly’s transformation from a hunted youth to folk hero with a rawness that’s as unsettling as it is electrifying. The narrative splinters and soars, evoking a fractured, mythic Australia caught between colonial violence and desperate survival.

Director Justin Kurzel doesn’t offer easy answers — instead, he immerses you in a feverish world where history is as much legend as fact, and legend bleeds into revolution. It’s a messy, brutal, and unforgettable cinematic ride.

Atonement
12:00 AM, BBC One, 2007
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel unfolds as a haunting meditation on the power of storytelling and the consequences of a single lie. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy deliver nuanced performances in a love story fractured by class, misunderstanding, and the brutal sweep of history.

The film’s elegant narrative structure moves fluidly through time, weaving innocence and guilt with devastating precision. From the manicured English estate to the ravages of World War II, the lush cinematography contrasts sharply with the emotional turmoil beneath.

Atonement is a masterclass in mood and morality — a cinematic poem on regret, forgiveness, and the elusive nature of truth. Its final revelation lingers long after the credits roll, challenging how we perceive both fiction and reality.

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Tuesday 8 July

Surviving 9/11
9:00 PM, Sky Documentaries
Survivor testimonies reveal the human toll of the September 11 attacks in this moving and clear-eyed documentary.

Eyewitness to History: Norma Percy and Angus Macqueen on The Death of Yugoslavia
10:00 PM, BBC Four
Behind-the-scenes reflections from the creators of one of British TV’s most acclaimed political documentaries.

The Death of Yugoslavia: Internationalism
10:20 PM, BBC Four
A crucial episode that examines the international community’s role in the Balkan conflicts.

The Death of Yugoslavia: The Road to War
11:05 PM, BBC Four
Charting the tragic path from fragile peace to full-scale war in Europe’s post-Cold War collapse.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
10:15 PM, Sky Arts
A vivid and sometimes anarchic look at America’s greatest outlaw journalist, narrated by Johnny Depp.

The Wicker Man
11:00 PM, BBC Two, 1973
A landmark of British folk horror, The Wicker Man balances eerie atmosphere with an unsettling exploration of faith and sacrifice. Christopher Lee commands the screen as Lord Summerisle, a charismatic yet menacing pagan leader whose island community harbours dark secrets.

Edward Woodward’s police sergeant arrives seeking a missing girl, only to find himself ensnared in a ritualistic nightmare that blends folklore, music, and dread. The film’s haunting soundtrack and pastoral beauty heighten its sense of inevitable doom.

Part mystery, part ritual drama, The Wicker Man remains chilling decades on — a slow-burning descent into a world where belief becomes deadly. It’s cult cinema that still feels dangerously alive.

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Wednesday 9 July

Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief
7:20 PM, PBS America
The extraordinary story of Bruno Lohse, the man behind the Nazi regime’s massive looting of European art.

Poisoned: Killer in the Post (1/2)
9:00 PM, Channel 4
A gripping real-life thriller following a mysterious case of fatal poisonings linked to letters in the post.

Don’t Look Now
12:00 AM, BBC Two, 1973
Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now is a haunting, atmospheric meditation on grief, memory, and the uncanny. Set against the labyrinthine canals and decaying beauty of Venice, the film follows a couple (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) grappling with the sudden loss of their daughter.

The narrative weaves together erotic tension and supernatural dread, creating a mood both sensual and sinister. Roeg’s fragmented editing and richly symbolic imagery immerse the viewer in a world where reality and premonition blur disturbingly.

This is not a conventional thriller but a deeply emotional exploration of trauma and the unknowable forces that shape our lives — a masterpiece of slow-burning unease.

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Thursday 10 July

Touch of Evil
12:00 AM, Rewind TV, 1958
Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil is a masterpiece that reshaped film noir with its dizzying camera moves and morally tangled narrative. Set in a corrupt border town between the US and Mexico, the film thrums with tension, double-crosses, and shadowy figures lurking in every frame.

Welles himself plays a morally ambiguous detective, blurring the line between lawman and criminal with magnetic charisma. The film’s signature long take — a breathtaking three-minute tracking shot — remains one of cinema’s most celebrated technical achievements.

Dark, dirty, and intoxicating, Touch of Evil still feels raw and vibrant, a portrait of a world where justice is elusive and corruption seeps into every corner. Noir at its most electrifying..

The Shape of Water
1:05 PM, Film4, 2017
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a fairy tale drenched in longing and strangeness. At once romantic and unsettling, it tells the story of Elisa, a mute cleaning woman who forms a bond with a mysterious amphibious creature held captive in a secret laboratory.

Del Toro blends lush, vintage aesthetics with a deeply human narrative, exploring themes of otherness, love, and connection beyond language. The film’s fairy tale roots are sharp-edged, reminding us that beauty often coexists with danger.

Equal parts magical and haunting, The Shape of Water invites us to listen carefully — to the creatures, the silences, and the hearts beating beneath the surface.

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Friday 11 July

The Massacre That Shook the Empire
7:45 PM, PBS America
This documentary confronts a brutal and often overlooked episode of British colonial violence, shedding light on the massacre that shook the foundations of empire and galvanized resistance. Through survivor testimonies and expert analysis, it uncovers the human cost behind the headlines and history books.

Far from distant history, the film connects these events to ongoing struggles for justice and recognition, showing how past atrocities continue to ripple through present-day societies.

Sobering, essential, and unflinching, this is a timely reminder of empire’s darker legacies — and the movements born from its shadows.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
8:30 PM, National Geographic
Half a century after its release, Jaws remains the quintessential thriller that redefined summer cinema and set the blueprint for the modern blockbuster. This documentary dives deep into Steven Spielberg’s creation, exploring the technical challenges, behind-the-scenes drama, and cultural impact that turned a story about a great white shark into a global phenomenon.

Featuring interviews with cast, crew, and film historians, it uncovers the genius and grit behind the suspense, from the famously malfunctioning mechanical shark to John Williams’s iconic score.

For cinephiles and casual fans alike, this is an essential journey into the making of a movie that still looms large in the collective imagination — terrifying, thrilling, and utterly unforgettable.

High Noon
2:15 PM, 5 Action, 1952
A masterpiece of moral tension, High Noon distils the Western into a tight, relentless allegory of duty, courage, and isolation. Gary Cooper delivers a quietly powerful performance as a marshal standing alone against a vengeful gang, his every minute ticking down with mounting dread.

The film’s real-time pacing heightens the sense of inevitability — a small town’s failure to support its own lawman becomes a reflection on conscience and cowardice that still resonates today.

Simple yet profound, High Noon remains a taut, emotionally charged classic that questions what it means to stand firm when everyone else walks away.

The Shining
11:00 PM, BBC Two, 1980
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining remains a towering pillar of psychological horror, where the eerie corridors of the Overlook Hotel become a labyrinth of madness and dread. Jack Nicholson’s iconic descent into insanity is both terrifying and hypnotic, embodying a menace that seeps into every frame.

Kubrick’s meticulous craftsmanship — from the unsettling steadicam shots to the chilling score — crafts an atmosphere that’s as claustrophobic as it is expansive, trapping viewers in a nightmare that feels impossibly real.

More than just a ghost story, The Shining explores isolation, family breakdown, and the unseen horrors lurking beneath the surface. Essential viewing for any night owl seeking a true cinematic chill.

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STREAMING CHOICES

Leviathan
Available from Thursday 10 July, Netflix
This eagerly anticipated anime brings Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk trilogy to life with stunning animation and a richly imagined alternate 1914. Following Prince Aleksandar, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and Deryn Sharp, a fearless Scottish girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service, Leviathan combines political intrigue, adventure, and bioengineered airships in a vividly crafted world.

Produced by Qubic Pictures and Studio Orange — renowned for BEASTARS and Trigun Stampede — the series features a score by Nobuko Toda, Kazuma Jinnouchi, and original music by Joe Hisaishi. Westerfeld himself has been closely involved to ensure the anime honours the novels’ spirit while bringing fresh visual and narrative energy.

Whether you’re a fan of the books or new to the story, Leviathan promises a thrilling blend of historical fantasy and cutting-edge animation, perfect for anyone craving epic storytelling with heart and imagination.

History Hit: Gladiator
Available from Thursday 10 July, Netflix
In this gripping documentary series, Dan Snow delves into the brutal world of Roman gladiators, combining expert insight with vivid re-enactments to explore their lives, battles, and the society that both glorified and exploited them.

History Hit: Gladiator brings history to life with a modern lens, connecting ancient spectacles to contemporary themes of power, violence, and survival. Snow’s approachable style and in-depth research make this a compelling watch for history buffs and newcomers alike.

For anyone fascinated by the Roman Empire’s darker, blood-soaked arenas, this series offers a sharp, thought-provoking journey into one of antiquity’s most iconic—and brutal—institutions.

Dexter: Resurrection
First two episodes available from Friday 11 July, Paramount+
The blood-spatter analyst with a dark secret returns once more in this latest revival of the Dexter saga. Picking up where New Blood left off, Dexter: Resurrection dives deeper into the murky waters of morality, identity, and obsession.

Michael C. Hall is back with the familiar mix of charm and chilling detachment, navigating new challenges that blur the lines between justice and vigilantism. The show balances tense thrills with psychological complexity, reminding viewers why Dexter remains a compelling, if controversial, antihero.

Whether you’re a long time fan or curious about the latest chapter, this resurrection promises fresh twists and darker dilemmas in the shadowy world of Miami’s most infamous serial killer.

Walter Presents: Arcadia
All 8 episodes available from Friday 11 July, Channel 4 Streaming
This Belgian dystopian drama imagines a chilling society where citizens are constantly rated for their behaviour, creating a claustrophobic world of surveillance, judgment, and control. Arcadia deftly explores themes of conformity, resistance, and the human cost of living under unrelenting scrutiny.

Beyond its Orwellian trappings, the series is surprisingly emotional, grounded by complex characters whose struggles add depth to the stark, oppressive setting. With tight plotting and atmospheric tension, it keeps viewers hooked while probing timely questions about privacy and social pressure.

For fans of speculative drama that blends political critique with personal stories, Arcadia offers a gripping and thought-provoking binge.