On TV

Broken News (BBC2)

WHEN she asked why she'd got FOP, the mother of seven-year-old Luciana told her it was because she was a very special little girl.

The truth is that her condition - a rare degenerative disease called fibrodysplasia obsidians progressiva - means her muscles and tendons are turning into bone. She's becoming a living statue.

There is no cure, no stopping it. Over time, her mobility will be reduced. Eventually she may be faced with an unimaginable decision - whether to live the rest of her life in a standing or sitting position as the extra bone makes her unable to bend or stretch.

The Extraordinary People documentary about Luciana, one of only 45 FOP sufferers in Britain, was one of those films that was almost unbearable to watch on learning of the hopelessness of her situation.

Her mother, who's going through a divorce, is determined that she should live as normal a life as possible while she still can. Little Luciana seems to be coping well, only getting sad when she has "flare ups" as the extra bone growth causes her pain.

She's too young to realise the full implications, although regular doctor's examinations and having to use a wand to indicate she wants to answer questions in class because she can't raise her arm must alert her to her special condition.

When she was born, she seemed perfectly normal. Then her mother noticed that her baby didn't need help in keeping her head up. It emerged that the bone in her head had fused, keeping her upright. The full implications only occurred to her when she was watching a TV documentary about FOP.

She visited two older FOP sufferers to see what the future might hold for her daughter. At 55, Robert is one of the oldest surviving FOP sufferers in Britain. He's not mentally impaired but a prisoner in his own body. He has opted to be upright, moving around his home on a customised trolley. Adrian, 29, says it's all about adapting and maintaining an active lifestyle, on his allotment or down the pub.

It was impossible not to warm to Luciana, a sweet and seemingly well-adjusted child whose mother is attempting to make some of her dreams come true, such as swimming with dolphins.

Her mother wouldn't have been the only one shedding a few tears at the sight of Luciana's joy and excitement as she did just that on a trip to Florida.

Satirising 24-hour news channels is giving Broken News easy targets for humour. Anyone, for instance, familiar with regional news magazine programmes - sorry Look North, Tyne Tees Tonight and Calendar - will chuckle at the fictional Look Out East with stories of "chaos in Beccles as a 28-stone woman goes on the rampage" and a report that the region's teachers are the ugliest in Europe.

At least the weather forecasts are accurate, with a warning that nightfall will bring dark patches and poor visibility.

Philharmonia Orchestra, The Sage Gateshead

MAHLER'S Seventh Symphony is one of the least performed and, some say, least popular of his works. So it was a brave decision to programme the Philharmonia Orchestra to introduce this composer for the first time to an audience at the Sage Gateshead by presenting this work. And it was a choice that proved its worth. Under the deft and dynamic leadership of maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen, the orchestra revealed the hidden depths of this richly orchestrated work, which has been so unjustifiably relegated. The seventh was in fact an important chapter in the musical life of Mahler, who wrote it as an antidote to the gloom and terror of his sixth. The two contrasting Nachtmusik - night music - pieces featured horn playing of ethereal beauty. The audience was especially delighted to see the Northern Sinfonia's lead violin, Bradley Creswick, taking the helm of the strings. Salonen conducted without a baton, shaping and moulding the phrases with grand gestures. His treatment of the more reflective passages left the listener indulgently bathing in a shifting tapestry of sound.

The last movement's riotous pageant of energetic colour saw Salonen work into a frenzy as he drove the orchestra to a heady and explosive conclusion. A worthy introduction to Mahler for the Sage, which dispelled any preconceived notions about the seventh. The evening was preceded by Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite, a work no less energetic in its execution.

Gavin Engelbrecht

God's Kitchen, MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle

A NIGHT of Vegas-style glamour was promised, and the thousands of clubbers who formed the lengthy entry queues were not disappointed. The stage in the main arena was set with a vintage pink Chevvy alongside it, with fruit machines behind the decks, and two high-rise platforms for the fabulous Vegas Showgirl dancers. A lighting rig that would have illuminated a small town hung from the roof, and this was complemented by one of the biggest laser shows I've ever seen indoors. The Above and Beyond team provided us with a top-class mix. Dutch trance master Armin van Buuren followed, and both he and Judge Jules had the dance floor completely full with their superb sets. Other DJs performing included God's Kitchen resident Jon O'Bir, along with Tall Paul, Matt Hardwick and Richard Tulip, although an early start on Sunday morning prevented me from staying until the 6am finish time to hear them.

Polysexual and Gurn.net took over the foyer - billed as The Chapel of Love - with the fantastic Lisa Lashes headlining. Not too much space here for a dance floor, and what space there was had to be shared with the queues for the various bars, merchandising and photo booths. However, lack of space didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the dedicated crowd.

All in all, a great night, and one I hope will be repeated at the Arena.

Karen Maughan