TELEVISION: Slaves, scientists, and the queen's sister

Princess Margaret, 'a shrill, hectoring, snobbish drunk,' was not the only monstrosity on TV this week, writes Dermot Bolger

A great film has already been made about the bridge over the River Kwai, but Hidden History: Who was Gunner Mason? (RTÉ 1, Tuesday, 10.15pm) was an interesting examination of the horrific Japanese use of slave labour in the building of that railway by looking at the life of one individual buried in the Kanchanaburi war cemetery in Thailand. Narrated by Cathal O'Shannon who – like James "Trixie" Mason – was one of the 150,000 Irishmen involved in the Second World War, it took its starting point from the finding of a line of Irish "Go ndeanfaidh Dia trocaire ar a anam" on a soldier's grave there. It opened out into the story of the 60,000 prisoners used as slaves in the attempt to construct a two hundred and sixty mile railway through impossible terrain. One fifth were literally worked and starved to death including James Mason from Sandycove who in 1937 swapped life as a farm labourer in Co Dublin to enlist as a gunner in Liverpool and be sent to an initially soft posting in the Far East.

Produced by Michael O'Connell and directed by Geraldine Creed, with input also by Conor and Gavin Kostick, Who was Gunner Mason? attempted to reclaim the life of this single forgotten soldier who had slipped through the nets of history. In Ireland it traced his sole surviving relative, a nephew, Finian Byrne, who still possessed the last postcards sent by his uncle. With little documentary evidence of his fate beyond a few official facts that simply detail his capture, some movements as a prisoner and his death in 1943 after five months of inhuman labour, it told his story by telling the stories of others who slaved alongside him, although none of those interviewed seemed to actually know of Mason. Although it lacked a certain pace, this documentary gradually gripped the viewer with its slow unfolding horror.

A different type of horror appears about to be unleashed onto our screens with a forthcoming dramatisation by Channel 4 of the life of Princess Margaret, a shrill, hectoring, snobbish drunk who throughout her life managed the seemingly impossible act of not only being the nightmare guest from hell at house parties, but of also being regularly asked back. Newsnight Review (BBC 2, Friday, 11pm) gave us a sufficiently long sneak preview to ensure that the viewing public should take long bracing walks on 27 November when it is shown. It also gave us, from one of her sister's subjects, a rare model of a succinct and honest opinion: "I couldn't really give a damn. She was the Queen's sister and that's it. I'm just not interested." Guests on Questions and Answers who seem earnestly exercised by all subjects might occasionally take a leaf from the speaker's book.

One of the perils of living in Dublin is that several times a year you are duty-bound to drive wide-eyed enthusiastic foreign visitors to Newgrange to crowd into that stone burial chamber where, after several dozen visits, the novelty of another artificially created winter solstice begins to fade. I now always pass the time by examining the Victorian graffiti carved into the ceiling to try and find my favourite piece, two somewhat incongruous and unfortunate words that tour guides rarely find amusing enough to point out: "I. Disney."

Conspiracy theorists, concerned that Uncle Walt might have made a pre-emptive effort to copyright the place, can rest assured that the Disney in question came from closer to hand. The nearby Sommerhill House was home to the haughty Disney family who liked to marry off their daughters to rich suitors. Land and not genius was the prerequisite as the young prodigy Sir William Rowan Hamilton discovered when he fell in love, aged 19, with Catherine Disney. Léargas (RTÉ 1, Monday, 7.30pm) explored the life of the man, dubbed the Irish Einstein, whose discoveries included conic refraction and quaternions, which is still being used today in everything from spacecraft navigation to playstation games.

Hamilton certainly had the genius of Einstein, but Einstein also possessed fuzzy hair, a quirky sex appeal and a sense of humour. Hamilton was more inclined towards the Irish qualities of depression, repressed sexuality and alcohol. The most interesting moments in Léargas were interviews about Hamilton's legacy with contemporary scientists who if they were any more enthusiastic would have self-combusted on camera.

The slightly po-faced re-enactments of his life served rather to drain away interest in him. Even when his great love Catherine Disney had the courage to flee her arranged marriage and risk everything to finally be available to him, Hamilton lacked the similar courage to defy convention and embrace happiness. It was nice to see Léargas acknowledge one of the great Irish minds, but it is unlikely that the other branch of the Disney family will option the film rights as a romantic comedy.