In Ross Kemp: Extreme World, the hard man continues his exploration of areas even tougher than Albert Square
Viewers of EastEnders last week will have heard Grant Mitchell described by Shirl, freshly returned from an unenviable visit to the Mitchell family compound in Rio De Janeiro, as being "a bit up himself". Not an inaccurate judgment, you might have thought. But were the 'Enders writers momentarily confusing Grant with the actor who brought him to life, Ross Kemp?
Kemp, the fictional Enders conceit notwithstanding, has moved into vaguely sensational TV journalism. He is deadly serious, and it's clearly not just him who thinks so. Having fronted a series of factual shows united by not much more than the sight of the host perspiring in a dangerous place, his credibility has been incrementally growing.
When his camera unit came under fire during filming while embedded on patrol in Helmand, his fear was palpable, while in the aftermath, he was a sincere and respectful presence when talking with the families of bereaved servicemen. His new show Extreme World again sees him travel to dangerous places ? starting in Chicago, where he meets some of the city's 50,000 heroin addicts ? but his return gives us an opportunity to admire some of the signature qualities of his shows.
GUNS
Ross loves guns. Yes, he'll nod earnestly in something approximating the right places when a local mediator attempts to explain how a neighbourhood came to be inexorably locked in a bloody turf war. But to watch his eyes light up when he is shown a storehouse of confiscated firearms is like seeing a child experience the magic of Christmas.
LONG SHOTS OF ROSS WALKING
Nothing says "serious journalism" like a long shot of a former British soap actor walking around a neighbourhood in a black T-shirt, chinos and sunglasses. "Things must be serious," the locals seem to be saying. "Now they're sending British football hooligans?"
KEEPING COOL WHEN NOTHING HAPPENS
Quite a lot of Ross's job is in the hands of the "local expert". Back in '93, these dudes were the most dangerous gang bangers in the area. Now, they've smartened up their act and do community/media relations for visiting film crews, showing Ross territorial boundaries, explaining gang insignia and the like. What this means is that we watch while Ross is shown a bit of graffiti on a wall and nods, all of us simultaneously thinking: "Many people travelled many miles to film this wall. Who is the fool? Ross for doing it? Or me for taping it?"
NOT BEING COOL WHEN SOMETHING DOES
Kemp's spell embedded in Helmand province was by some scary long chalk the finest thing he's been involved with so far. The troops seemed to like him. He had no option but to muck in with them. The result ? a probably scarier-than-intended bit of battle verit� ? saw a diarrhoea-stricken Kemp with his guard down in IED-filled landscapes, winning much-needed credibility in the process.
STATING THE OBVIOUS
Ross's signature quality is a lack of guile, sometimes to his detriment. "Like many people, I've grown up with news stories about the Middle East without really understanding the issues," he once said. It's true. But it was him who was about to introduce a two-part documentary on Gaza at the time. So, look out Chicago, and the rest of the extreme world. Here he comes!
Source: http://feeds.guardian.co.uk/~r/theguardian/media/rss/~3/ei8UpqxVwWM/ross-kemp-extreme-world-sky
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