Stephen Fry’s Key to the City

George Monbiot once described the City of London as ‘where democracy goes to die’. Its legislative processes are opaque to say the least. Power is held by a mixture of individuals and corporations. It’s a plutocracy in all but name, bulwarking financial power and secrecy via lobbying and a selection of nudges and winks.

Still, Stephen Fry has been offered the freedom of the City, which is apparently an acceptable hook for a TV documentary. Fry doesn’t bother with anything vaguely resembling a proper interrogation of this deliberately mysterious ancient fellowship at the heart of our capital. Instead, he golly-goshes his way through the film, way too in love with the glorious British eccentricity on display to question its intentions.

Expect secret tunnels, people in strange hats performing arcane rituals and the weird creeping sensation that, once again, you are watching the enemies of all that’s righteous laughing in your helpless face. Cheers for that, Stephen.