Satellite and Cable: Pick of the Day

THE FILM-MAKER Sydney Pollack, who directed Meryl Streep (right) in Out of Africa, thinks that people sometimes feel cold towards her: "the danger I'm talking about here is that she tends to sound boring because she's so perfect." We shouldn't be so churlish as to denigrate her just because she has a phenomenal ability to inhabit characters, often with a flawless foreign accent to match. Her varied career - which has brought her two Best Actress Oscars (for Kramer vs Kramer and Sophie's Choice) - is analysed in today's profile, Femmes Fatales (1pm Sky Moviemax).

Jack Rosenthal is one of our finest TV dramatists. In his semi-autobiographical P'Tang Yang Kipperbang (6.35pm FilmFour), directed by Michael Apted, 14-year-old Alan (John Albasiny) yearns to kiss classmate Ann (Abigail Cruttenden).