Tearlach Ceannadach/Charles Kennedy: A Good Man Speaking, BBC Alba, iPlayer This documentary about the former leader of the Liberal Democrats was a joy to watch. Having said that, it was more adulatory than objective when looking at Charles Kennedy’s life, career, achievements and failings. By the end of the hour, he had been portrayed as a Highland folk hero, the greatest prime minister we never had and someone who had been failed by others. None of these things are true. While it is right not to speak ill of the dead, especially someone who died in such awful circumstances, a documentary ought to contain warts and all. It also started in an odd place, with his unexpected victory in the 1983 general election. There was little context, little mention of his upbringing. Maybe that’s a carp too far, but I felt we could have learned more had there been more about his family and education.
The success of the International Opera Awards is intellectual rigour
At the awards ceremony in Munich this year, a jury dug deep into the purpose of opera and its impact on society.Â