This latest series of Sky Arts' Urban Myths is an interesting mix. I've seen a few now and while I wasn't too keen on the opener featuring Princess Diana on a night out with Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett, the second instalment, telling the story of when Trump met Andy Warhol is better. Even though it is probably way more fake news than true story.
Of course the problem here is how do you make a comedy out of Donald Trump when he does a good job himself? This tale is set in 1984 when he was auditioning cheerleaders for his football team. All the familiar Trump tropes are in place, from his junk food diet to his inappropriate remarks to the fact that he thinks he is the best – at one point he rings up a newspaper anonymously to tell them that Donald Trump is the best golfer, so good women throw their underwear at him while he is playing.
Into these scenes walks Andy Warhol, who is one of the celebrity judges who have to pick the winning cheerleaders in the basement of in Trump Tower. Warhol has a grudge against the burger-munching buffoon because, he says, he commissioned some paintings and didn't pay for them Warhol is not afraid to confront Trump on the matter and, for once, we see a different side of the future President.
A great cast is well-served by a strong script by Ben Boyer. 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer plays Warhol (admittedly looking a little too tall and thin to me), while Anthony Atamanuik plays Trump (looking a lot like David Mitchell in repose). Elsewhere comedy favourites Rich Hall, Paul Putner, Mike Wozniak, Natasia Demetriou and Joe Sutherland crop up. It's not easy to add another layer to the Trump story, but maybe, behind the clichés, we do see a hint of a different side of him here. And apart from that, in Trump and Warhol we get two comedy hairstyles together at last.
