Monday 9th
LONDON SPY, BBC2, 9pm
This drama series has been inspired by the mysterious death of the M16 agent, Gareth Williams, whose body was found locked in a bag in the bath of his London flat. Hints of strange sexual preferences surrounded his death because of female clothing and wigs found in his wardrobe, whilst the heating had been turned up high to, some say, hasten the decomposition of his corpse and destroy evidence.
All of those elements are present in the first episode of this new five-part series. Danny is a young Londoner with a warehouse job and a room in a grubby flat. After a night of clubbing, he stumbles out onto the dawn streets, sweating and confused. He collapses on a bridge and a passing jogger stops to help him. The jogger tenderly wipes sweat from Danny’s face and they exchange a meaningful look. He runs off, but Danny can’t stop thinking about him and so haunts the bridge until they meet again.
They begin a sexual relationship but Alex, the jogger, is very careful and secretive. He explains his line of work means he must be “inscrutable”. Then, as they’re preparing for a weekend away, he vanishes. Danny thinks he’s been dumped and is heartbroken until a package left at his warehouse leads him to Alex’s flat where he makes a hideous discovery – and finds “Alex” wasn’t who he claimed to be.
THE MOUNTAIN, BBC1, 7.30pm
“The midges are brutal the day!” It’s summer in the Cairngorm resort but, being Scotland, the season has more to do with midges than sunshine.
This documentary series showing life in Cairngorm returns and this time we see the place in summer. No snow might mean no skiers, but there is still life to be lived and money to be made, with the funicular railway, game-keeping and sailing, plus an entrepreneurial couple who’re trying to launch a local music festival.
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