Borgo 4. The debate

The new set was a definite improvement on the one in the previous series. Minimalist and sharp, it gave the right impression of gravitas her audience had come to expect of Carol’s TV show. She had come such a long way from the pretty assistant who reserved the wittier comments for the male host and laughed politely at his inane wisecracks. She had proven her worth, worked her way up to this position with sheer determination.

Today’s theme would draw in the audience. Her colleague's show, a discussion programme aimed at the lowest common denominator, had won the ratings battle for PBS by tackling the same issue two weeks earlier. Carol was careful to insist on tackling a different aspect of the theme to that of the competition. The European elections were close and she did not want to get entangled in a promotional bandwagon type of exercise. It was only the week before that she had invited female MEP contenders. She was surprised to find out that all were against a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. The irony.

“Have you noticed, Maria, most seemed to come with a double barrelled surname?”

“Sweetheart, it is a prerequisite!” the makeup artist said as she applied some more powder to Carol’s forehead and cheekbones.

“Can’t help thinking it’s insecurity. Screams of trying too hard to appeal to the middle class, doesn’t it?”

Maria held up the mirror. After years in the TV business, Carol still cringed at the excessive layers of foundation applied but she knew the lights could be cruel. She was not getting any younger. Carol looked beyond the mirror. The guests had arrived and were being shown in to the studio.

She had invited a well-known divorce lawyer from the UK, the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs as well as an activist who was arguing the case for divorce. The Minister had already publicly voiced his disagreement towards the introduction of divorce in the country so she needed someone to argue the case for the much needed legislation. To Carol’s annoyance, the producers had insisted on including a man of the cloth amongst the guests.

It’s funny how some things never change in public broadcasting, Carol thought. Why can’t we keep the debate on a purely secular level?

The story so far