One Life: Adoption Hell (BBC1) The Office: An American Workplace (BBC3) - Adoption Hell is one of those jaw-dropping documentaries that make you wonder what possessed the participants to take part. Their lives are traumatic enough already without parading their problems in front of an audience of millions.

Perhaps Andrew and Helen Hale thought it would aid their planned court case against social services. They want to sue them for encouraging them to have such difficult children.

On the surface, this looks like an attempt to pass the buck for the way adoptive sons Andy, 21, and Jason, 18, have turned out. Both served jail sentences during the course of making the documentary.

The Hales claim that, given the boys' damaged background, they shouldn't have been placed with them, especially as their application form said they shouldn't have disturbed children.

They love their sons but have excluded them from the family home. They must live in hostels, banned from the house since Andy wrecked the place and stole his grandmother's credit card, and Jason threatened his father.

The boys were adopted by the Hales at the age of five. Both had been severely neglected by their natural mother. Both claim they want to sort out their lives but show little intention of actually doing that. The cycle of crime and prison seems difficult to break.

Having apparently given up on their sons, the Hales seem intent on making social services pay. But the £40,000 a court case will cost dissuades them. They still intend to make an official complaint and it becomes apparent during the course of the documentary that social services have been somewhat neglectful in their handling of the case.

Letters from their natural mother to the boys, which should have been given to them on their 18th birthday but went missing, are eventually handed over. So is a letter to the Hales from the mother.

Andy, when he eventually reads it, breaks down in tears. "She had reasons to get rid of me," he says. "It made me realise I do need to see a counsellor and to sort out my life out."

Hope gave way to despair with the news at the end that Jason was in prison and Andy had just received another nine month sentence. Things were, more or less, back where they started.

The Office: An American Workplace returned to the beginning of the comedy hit, now transferred to a US setting. The series is in a no win situation. If you didn't like the original, you won't like this. If you did like the original, this has nothing extra to offer.

The good thing is that little attempt has been made to impose an American comedy style. This is a faithful recreation of the original, retaining the same sense of humour but in a different setting.

Steve Carell has the thankless task of taking over from Ricky Gervais as the David Brent character. Like the rest of the show, he's funny but nowhere near as good as the British original.

Tommy, Theatre Royal, Newcastle

AN explosive opening with a medley of tracks from Pete Townshend's legendary rock opera got the feet tapping from the start. There was no dialogue and the band, visible at the back of the stage, played tirelessly throughout the evening.

Based on The Who album and 1975 film, Tommy follows the story of a wartime baby who is struck deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his father kill his mother's lover. His condition baffles doctors and is exacerbated by the abuse he suffers at the hands of his perverted Uncle Ernie, played by Tom Newman. Tommy - played by Jonathan Wilkes - relies on his instinct and becomes an overnight Pinball Wizard, attracting a huge following. When his mother breaks the mirror he is forever looking into, he declares himself free and attracts a cult from following from people who want to be like him.

It is no coincidence that the bright T on stage looks like a crucifix given the Christ-like comparison. He loses his disciples when he says he can offer no advice and is just grateful he is like them and able to see, hear and speak. Tommy is left alone with his family, forgiving them for their treatment of him in the past.

There were strong performances from all, but Wilkes was especially full of energy and did look a little like a youthful Roger Daltrey - without the mane.

At the end the crowd rose to its feet and clapped along to Pinball Wizard with Wilkes playing air guitar in Townshend's trademark "bowling arm" style.

Gavin Havery

Until Saturday. Box office: 0870-905 5060

Published: 15/06/2005