Compass presenter Geraldine Doogue is a fan of British crimes but tells TV Tonight her tastes are “embarrassingly un-ambitious!”

“These days I increasingly use the television to relax utterly, to veg-out, and I do my cross-stitch while watching,” she says.

What shows are on your must-see TV list lately?
GD: Whatever good documentaries survive: just finished watching the 5-part BBC series Blair And Brown: the Story of New Labour, which was excellent. SBS invariably schedules them on Sun and Tues evenings; the Noni Hazlehurst Every Family Has A Secret; Julia with Sarah Lancashire—watch absolutely everything she does. Always watch the Agatha Christie programmes, despite being repeats (told you it was embarrassing) and maybe Vera and Lewis, even though I often know the plots, having seen them several times!

How has lockdown affected your viewing?
GD: Lockdown hasn’t really affected my viewing: about the same. Though I am accessing more travel and art webinars during lockdown and in the aftermath, which reduces some television.

Which guilty pleasure show are you reluctant to admit watching?
GD: Guilty pleasure….as above. Those old hoary British crime shows.

When you settle down for a night on the couch what are your ‘must-haves?’
GD: Oh I love a glass of chardonnay and maybe a good, strong coffee: coffee doesn’t keep me awake so I indulge.

What show would you secretly love to appear on?
GD: No, not yearning especially to be on any of them.

What is it about Compass that keeps you invested and what can we look forward to in coming episodes?
GD: I’m not a Compass host any more, of course: but do about five big interview specials, like Sacred Space—have just done a really good one on Marc Fennell– -and will be presenting the Compass contribution to the 90 the anniversary celebrations.