Good TV productions

Congratulations to TVM for broadcasting the immensely interesting German three-part drama-documentary about the (Thomas) Mann family as remembered by his daughter Elisabeth Mann-Borghese. The timing was also good as the broadcast followed closely on the performance of the chamber opera Elisabeth; Or To Be A Mann, based on a libretto by Peter Serracino Inglott, set to music by Charles Camilleri.

Can we please have more programmes of this calibre? In this context here is a suggestion: A superbly produced German many-part serial television film called Heimat was first shown on German television about three decades ago and is now available as a set of DVDs - almost certainly with the possibility of English subtitles.

This broadcast series also resulted in what one might call the "Forsyth Saga effect" - for the duration of the series the streets and places of entertainment in much of Germany were deserted in the evenings once a week on the day of each episode.

It will definitely be greatly appreciated if shown locally.