A poor little rich whirl

IT'S ALL too easy for a TV series to box itself into a corner. What starts as a good idea for a new format - a property show with a difference, say, or a consumer series with a clever new twist - can become a millstone around its neck.

- Mike Ward

I'm reminded of this, to some degree, by THE BLITZ WITH ROB RINDER & RUTH GOODMAN (5, 9pm), the latest of these Rich Lives, Poor Lives history specials. As with the previous two, covering the Great Plague and Great Fire of London, presenters Rob and Ruth are focusing on the wealth divide. And indeed immersing themselves in it, this being one of those history shows where the hosts get to dress up and role play.

Whichever grim chapter they're reliving, Rob puts himself in the shoes of the rich (along with other fancy apparel; he certainly goes for it), while Ruth wears those of the poor. And then we're asked to do some imagining.