Capital
‘All human life is there’ was the motto of the old News Of The World, and it’s a good summation of the residential London street in which Capital (Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm) is set. Here’s the home of City banker Roger (Toby Jones) and his wife Arabella (Rachael Stirling) and their two children (cared for rather more by the eastern European au pair than their monied parents). Just down the road, widowed grandmother Petunia (Gemma Jones) has lived for many decades in what was once a most ordinary area but where properties now fetch millions of pounds. And on the corner Ahmed (Adeel Akhtar) and his family run the local shop. All is well until the residents’ peaceful lives are unsettled by postcards put through their letter boxes bearing the message ‘We want what you have.’ So begins the unravelling of everything that these characters hold dear, in a thrilling mystery-drama adapted from John Lanchester’s novel. As a journalist Lanchester unpicked the complexities of economics so that ordinary mortals, like myself, could understand what was going on in the financial crash. In Capital he translated that insight into a story that serves as a compelling reminder of the fears that lie below the surface of our materialistic existences. Told over three parts, the story gnaws away with unease, leavened by the brilliant buffoonery of Jones as a man whose imminent fall from grace may be just what he needs to save what’s left of his soul.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Bridge, Saturday, BBC4, 9pm
Saga (Sofia Helin, above right) – complete with leather trousers – investigates the murder of a lesbian campaigner as the Scandinavian crime-thriller returns.
Tomorrow’s Food, Monday, BBC1, 9pm
Brainy Dara O Briain and Dr Shini Somara (above left) discover the future of food in a fascinating new series.
The Supervet, Wednesday, Channel 4, 8pm
Marvellous Professor Noel Fitzpatrick and his team are back to help beloved pets, including a Chihuahua puppy, a Labrador cross and a blue Russian cat.