The dangerous sport of power-boating requires not only courage but also money. Last year Cliff Smith, a former dustman, won one of Britain's top prizes but this year his title is under threat from a Texan multimillionaire.
See today's choices. Director Lucy Jago ; Series editor Stephen Lambert
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Modern Times 9.00pm BBC2
Here is a classic tale of rich versus poor, or rather incredibly rich versus comparatively less well-off. American Charles Burnett III is heir to a multi-billion-dollar food and beverage empire; British Cliff Smith describes himself as a dustman, even if he runs the recycling business that includes (employees) emptying doggy pooper-scooper bins. Both are powerboat racers. Cliff won last year's coveted Needles Trophy at the Isle of Wight; this year Charles wants it, and Charles's boat is bigger than Cliff's.
Thus begins a profile of the two men and their rivalry, interspersed with powerboat action. Single man Burnett declares his loneliness despite his monetary worth, but manages to throw a sumptuous fancy-dress bash at his mansion to cheer himself up. Over in suburbia, Smith's wife tells how she would rather see money spent on ponies for the children than on further boating paraphernalia. This is a study in class and lifestyle and it's just as interesting to see who wins the culture clash as it is the pair's Needles match.