Unhurried in a harried world

TV REVIEW:Arts Lives: The Writing in the Sky RTÉ1, Tuesday; Eco Eye RTÉ1, Tuesday; Operation Transformation RTÉ1, Wednesday; Seacht TG4 and BBC2, Monday; Grey's Anatomy RTÉ2, Tuesday

IMAGINE THE SKY is a blank sheet of paper, waiting patiently for words to fill it. Suddenly, out of the west, a gaggle of barnacle geese fly into view, their wings tracing fluttering serifs against the clouds, their flight pattern forming random shapes across the horizon. They could almost be writing in the sky.

The geese's yearly migration from Greenland to a small island off the coast of Sligo is the inspiration for Dermot Healy's long-form poem A Fool's Errandand the impetus for an evocative documentary of the poet, playwright, author and autobiographer whom Seamus Heaney describes as the heir to Patrick Kavanagh. Arts Lives: The Writing In the Skyvisits Healy's home in the wilds of Magherow in Ballyconnell, Co Sligo, follows his train of thought as he observes his airborne visitors and tries to get to the heart of Healy's sparse, edge-of-reason writing.

For 10 years Healy has watched the geese’s calligraphic display (“the daily clock in the sky – like watching time flying by”) and translated their sky-writing into his own musings on the passing of time and the passing away of friends. He filled 40 notebooks with his thoughts before finally deciding to put them all together in “one long goose poem”. In a harried world Healy is an eminently unhurried presence – spend an hour in his company and you feel time itself slow down.

His slow, reflective working method means he hasn’t been very prolific of late – his last novel was published in 1999, and his last poetry collection was in 2001 – but he comes across as someone not overly concerned with staying in the loop. His patient editor, Bill Swainson, praises Healy’s instinct for knowing exactly when a work is complete – even if it takes the best part of a decade to reach that stage.

The programme-makers observe Healy as he convenes his local writers' group, has leisurely chats with friends in his local pub, watches one of his plays in rehearsal, makes a guest appearance at the Flatlake Literary and Arts Festival in Co Monaghan or simply potters about his lands. There are contributions from Heaney – who became Healy's mentor – Pat McCabe and Roddy Doyle, who once hailed Healy as Ireland's greatest writer. Healy revisits his childhood home in Cavan and goes back to London, where he lived for a time. Neither scene adds much to the narrative, although the intonations of the programme's narrator, Seán McGinley, give each frame a lyrical sheen. The psychedelic shots of London's streets are interspersed with footage from the 1999 movie I Could Read the Sky, in which Healy starred with Stephen Rea and Maria Doyle Kennedy.

The wild coastal landscape of Ballyconnell gives the documentary its bracing atmosphere, and the footage of the barnacle geese is almost up there with the best of wildlife filming. But the enduring image you are left with is Healy’s baleful, bearded face as he stares up at the geese and tries to make sense of the random patterns of life – and transform them into words that can take flight of their own.

THERE WAS more stunning landscape on view in the new series of Eco Eye, but somehow the accompanying words didn't have the same inspirational ring. Up they flashed onscreen, thick and fast, more like swooping hawks than gliding geese: "energy", "biodiversity", "sustainability", "green economy" – a flock of environmental cliches hurled randomly at the screen in the hope of hitting some semblance of meaning. But this wasn't just another aimless outing in the greenery – for this new season, Duncan Stewart is on a mission to convince us that the way forward for Ireland's economic recovery is for us to harness green energy to pull us out of the mire.

“Things are bleak, but there are some opportunities in the devastation, opportunities to realise a new vision for Ireland,” he says.

We may have a debt the size of Antarctica around our necks, but we have a lot of things going for us, says Stewart, including the best wind in the world and a king’s ransom of slurry and organic waste. And, of course, a naturally beautiful countryside, spoiled only by a few half-finished housing developments here and there. Sure, with all those natural resources, recovery should be a breeze, shouldn’t it? Not without that ever-elusive ingredient, Government commitment.

In this first programme, Stewart headed for the forests to explore wood as an alternative fuel source, while Tanya Stewart had an eco-holiday at Loop Head lighthouse in Co Clare, and joined a handful of eco-tourists on a dolphin-watching outing off Loop Head. But though good ideas were on display, and the central message was sound, methinks it’ll take more than Flipper to save our sinking finances, and something stronger than wood to support our economy in the future.

And, nice, caring guy though he is, somehow I don’t see Stewart leading us out of the darkness with his energy-saving beacon.

OPERATION TRANSFORMATION is back for a fourth helping, and another group of ordinary people have come to the table with their dreams of losing weight and improving their quality of life. The late Gerry Ryan has been replaced by the tag team of No Frontierspresenter Kathryn Thomas and radio presenter John Murray. With Ryan out of the picture, the show has shed some of its showbiz razzmatazz, which is no bad thing. Instead, it comes across as a serious attempt to engage with the nation's ongoing health problem, not just another shallow vehicle for a star presenter.

The formula has been left largely unchanged – including the incessant soundtrack of classic hits, each cleverly chosen to illustrate the action. A family comes on to the strains of We Are Family– genius!

Five “leaders” are chosen to go on a personal weight-loss journey, helped by an expert team consisting of fitness trainer Karl Henry, nutritionist Dr Eva Orsmond and psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy. The public is invited to “follow” its chosen leader’s fitness regime at home, making this a truly interactive programme for those of a mind to get involved.

Participants can keep up with the progress via Murray's morning show on RTÉ Radio 1, and by logging on to the Operation Transformationwebsite at rte.ie/ot. With the economy now officially out of everyone's control, at least we can take charge of our personal health and fitness, so this may be the perfect time for the nation to join the great flab-fighting crusade and get match fit for the hard times to come. Besides, think of the money you'll save on grocery bills.

TG4 PRESENTERS don't often look like candidates for Operation Transformation. These days being a Gaeilgeóir seems impossibly glamorous, and nothing gives you cachet quite like those cúpla focal. Which may explain the success of Seacht, the TG4 drama featuring ridiculously cool young people drinking, snogging, riding, listening to the latest sounds and havin' the crack – all as Gaeilge.

Looking like a cross between Skins and Ros Na Rún, Seachtfollows the lives of seven college students as they do all of the above – and more – amply displaying their style, street smarts and ability to talk cool in Irish.

But for all their coolness and cleverness, they don’t seem to be able to spot the obvious psycho in their midst – crazed lecturer Steve Cassidy, who has just framed Linda for arson and is about to murder Eithne. For god’s sake, kids, dúisigh libh! The plots may be a bit soapy, but pay attention to the dialogue and, who knows, pretty soon you may be too cool for school.

tvreview@irishtimes.com

Surgical matters: Brilliance as usual as 'Grey's Anatomy' goes back to work

This week many of us were dreading going back to work after Christmas, even though we are grateful to have jobs to come back to. The staff of Seattle's Grace hospital were dreading going back to work after crazed gunman Gary Clark's rampage at the end of the last series of Grey's Anatomy. But they are, at least, grateful to be alive.

Before they can go back to performing operations, however, the surgeons must be assessed for post-traumatic stress syndrome by hotshot psychologist Dr Perkins. All deal with the horror in their own way. Derek steps down as chief, but can’t seem to stop getting arrested for speeding. Christina immerses herself in plans for her wedding. And Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is annoyed that all her colleagues seem to be getting cleared for surgery while she has to sit out a pioneering operation to remove a brain tumour from a teenager by splitting his face down the middle. Happily, it’s brilliance as usual at the only medical drama game in town, and I for one am looking forward to joining the medics on their road to recovery.