Classic Albums
Sat 23/10/99, ITV

This occasional series focuses on classic rock albums, in this case Bat Out of Hell. In the mid-70s song-writer Jim Steinman was working in musical theatre when a singer with the strange name of Meat Loaf auditioned for a play. Soon afterwards the two of them were developing an album of songs, based on Meat's teenage experiences and Jim's fascination with road crash songs. For a couple of years they presented their ideas to many producers and record companies but were repeatedly turned down. However Todd Rundgren, who had created many theatrical shows himself, saw the potential of the music and proceeded to produce the record, funding the project from his own pocket. Even then getting a record company to release the album was difficult, and it took over a year of constant touring before the record hit in the US although sales eventuially reached over 30 million worldwide. As well as reprising the music, the programme also interviewed the major players who described in detail the piecing together of the elements that made this a classic album. I'm not a huge Meat Loaf fan but Todd is God and it was good to see him getting so much credit for the success. ****

The Power List
Sat 23/10/99, Channel 4

For the second year, Channel 4 and the Observer newspaper have put together a panel to list the 300 most powerful and influencial people in British life today. Many of the listed are not British of course, with foreign business leaders, bankers and politicians topping the charts. The internet and IT in general are well represented including Bill Gates at number two, the CEOs of Yahoo and Amazon and the inventor of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee. This one hour special introduced the new list prior to the Sunday Observer but while it may be interesting to skim through over Sunday breakfast, the lack of personalities makes it, for me, extremely dull television. Perhaps it needs a comic presenter like Graham Norton to spice it up. Either that, or I should stick to polls that suit me more, like the TV Times TV Awards... *

Spaced
Fri 22/10/99, Channel 4

The highlight of Friday night continues to be Spaced with the flat-mates still arguing over the recent arrival of Colin into their lives. Daisy dotes on the diminutive dog but all Tim can see are teeth and claws. The appearance of an "evil suspicious looking man" and subsequent abduction of the beast leads the friends into a daring raid on a temporary and highly illegal animal experiment lab. As ever references and dialogue from many science fiction and horror movies abound, some so obscure that you need to check out the Spaced section at the Channel 4 website to understand them. Sadly, the ratings haven't been brilliant but with at least two more episodes there's still time to hook a few more converts. ****