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Sydney Morning Herald

Monday May 26, 2008

Robin Oliver

The Black Donnellys

Showcase, 8.30pm

After quickly establishing a new level of excellence with first-run drama series such as Dexter and The Riches, Showcase has now introduced the Donnelly brothers - Tommy, Jimmy, Kevin and Sean. They set a cracking pace as they perpetrate dreadful deeds on the streets of New York with a loyalty to each other that can't be beat. This is a class act and the title of the third episode actually quotes Voltaire - "God is a comedian playing to an audience afraid to laugh." As Joey Ice Cream (Keith Knobbs) insists in a rapidly delivered and selectively reliable opening narration, "The only way for two people to keep a secret is if both of them are dead." He may be a pathological liar but he has that right; The Black Donnellys offers generous illustrations of secrets duly being kept according to Joey's code. The leader of the Donnellys' tight-knit brotherhood is Tommy (Jonathan Tucker, pictured), who must now rescue youngest brother Sean (Michael Stahl-David), who has taken a terrible beating from the Irish mob. In this instance, Sean's only offence was sharing the Donnelly name. It's sometimes tough going but there is fun to be had. Don't be afraid to laugh.

The Elephant Man

(1980) World Movies, 8.30pm

A poignant performance by John Hurt, whose face and head is buried in Christopher Tucker's astonishing make-up. This is the story of John Merrick, a horribly deformed yet sensitive and intelligent man, rescued from a life as a circus freak in Victorian England by Dr Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), who cares for him in hospital. It is directed by David Lynch, produced by Mel Brooks and filmed in black and white.

Crime Investigation Australia: Headless Body

Ci, 7.30pm

In 1981, the body of a teenage girl was found dumped in bushland below a scenic lookout near Wollongong. The girl's head and fingers had been removed to prevent identification and her bra and blouse had been used to tie her hands and feet. Shown on TV, the girl's clothing was recognised by her distraught mother and the body was soon identified as that of Kim Narelle Barry, a 19-year-old local shop assistant. When Kim's head was found some distance from the lookout, it was discovered she had been bludgeoned to death. This edition of Crime Investigation Australia, introduced by Steve Leibmann, tells how a team of senior detectives used groundbreaking forensic techniques to solve the case. A national manhunt culminated in the arrest and conviction of Graham Potter, a local miner. He served 15 years of a life sentence and still protests his innocence.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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