Tuesday 27 December 2011

Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

Doctor: 'Happy crying. Humany wumany.'

I’m starting to think that Matt Smith was made for Christmas. He’s like James Bond, Superman and Father Christmas all rolled into one. Tonight’s episode had it all: an action packed opening sequence, a cutesy fairy tale middle section, and an ending which could only have left the steeliest heart unmoved. Throw in the Magna Carta, hammocks, a window disguised as a mirror, a mirror disguised as a window, and it pretty much had the lot. Even lemonade on tap.

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Misfits: Episode Eight

Rudy: 'Yeah, well, I love a happy ending.'

So do I, Rudy. Shame we didn’t get one. I was blown away by the last 15 minutes of tonight’s episode. To think, I’ve spent half the season worrying about something happening to Seth—only to find out that Howard Overman had something even more traumatic in store for us. The clues were there all along: Iggy dying, Seth becoming a permanent member of the gang, Rachel coming back from the dead. All were precursors to an event so potentially show wrecking, that I can scarcely bring myself to believe it happened. After the news earlier in the week that Misfits has been renewed for a fourth season, tonight’s episode kind of nipped my happy dance in the bud. What a dreadful ending for our heroes. Thanks for ruining Christmas, Overman!

Monday 12 December 2011

Misfits: Episode Seven

Seth: 'Let’s go resurrect my dead girlfriend.'

Is it too much to ask for one week where everything doesn't go wrong? It was obvious that nothing good would come of resurrecting Shannon, but six dead cheerleaders, an OAP, Seth's neighbour, a probation worker and a zombiefied Mr Miggles seems excessive even by Misfits’ standards. Howard Overman’s return to scripting duties provided easily the most visceral episode of the series. Quite literally—there was viscera all over the place. The last fifteen minutes was a bloody barrage of torn flesh, smashed teeth, exposed arteries, and mullered brain pans—and in the midst of it all, a love story. Awww! And of course... ewww!

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Misfits: Episode Six

Curtis: 'I’m pregnant!'

I struggled this week to find a starting quote that wasn’t utterly disgusting. Considering the subject matter, not an easy task. There wasn’t an ounce of flab in tonight’s episode; even the sub-plots were brilliant. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at an episode of Misfits. Jon Brown’s script was stuffed to the rafters with coarse wit, bizarre scenarios, rampant promiscuity, and things that made you want to hide your head in shame. In other words: classic Misfits.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Misfits: Episode Five

Rudy: 'Oh, therapy... I love it.'

After the mayhem and time travel of the past two weeks, tonight's episode was more a sedate traipse through character development territory. For the first non-Howard Overman penned episode of the series, I’d say tonight's offering was a success. Rudy's dialogue was as sharp as it's ever been, and provided some much needed relief during the occasional lapse in pace. We also bid a fond adieu to the notorious Shaun. (To his credit, he did manage to stay alive longer than his predecessors.) So, for the most part, I'd say Jon Brown did a competent job. Which can only be good news for next week's similarly Overman-lite outing.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Misfits: Episode Four

Kelly: 'No! You’re not allowed to die.'

Tonight’s episode picked up a seemingly throwaway line from season two and ran with it to incredulity shattering lengths. Last year we learned how Seth sold Curtis’ superpower to some Jewish guy who wanted to kill Hitler—tonight, we got to see how Friedrich Hisch made out. Unsurprisingly, not very well. Instead of preventing the war, his dropped mobile phone gave the Nazis the tactical advantage needed to win, resulting in a poignant, shocking, sometimes hilarious trip through an alternate-history Britain. Oh, and Kelly mullered Hitler.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Misfits: Episode Three

Peter: 'A superhero has to be prepared to die for what he believes in.'

Which is Howard Overman’s not-so-subtle way of reminding us that Simon’s going to die and there’s not a whole lot anyone can do about it. Promising not to travel back in time won't save him—it's already happened. Alisha being alive is proof of that. Simon's story arc is by far the most interesting on the show; the chasm between the man he is, and the man he’ll one day become, is rapidly shrinking. Tonight Superhoodie saved his first innocent, and by way of thanks, Peter laid the foundations for his demise. Now there’s gratitude for you.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Misfits: Episode Two

Melissa: 'You have no idea what it feels like to be a woman.'

I was hoping that with Nathan gone, Howard Overman would spend more time rounding out the show’s characters, and tonight’s episode did just that. For Kelly, Simon and Alisha, community service has been something of a blessing: it’s given them a sense of purpose, some much needed self-worth, and a unique (if twisted) camaraderie. For Curtis, however, it’s been a real step backwards. Before his drugs conviction, he was the only misfit whose life wasn’t an unmitigated disaster. He was someone with real talent. He had a future. In short: he wasn’t a misfit at all.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Misfits: Episode One

Rudy: 'My face. Am I... am I still gorgeous?'

2011 is pretty much a make or break year for Misfits. With Robert Sheehan’s departure back in April, the show lost its most handsome, most disgusting, funniest, most Irish sounding character. Nathan was the hub of the rusted, buckled, sometimes punctured Misfits wheel, so it should come as no surprise that the backlash has already started. Robert Sheehan was trending on Twitter even as the show was airing—which is pretty amazing considering he wasn't even in the episode. Should a show continue once its most popular character has departed? I suspect that’s a question we’ll be asking from now until Christmas.

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures Crossover Guide

Doctor Who has spawned three spin-off series' since its return in 2005. Doctor Who sits at the heart of the franchise, with The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class and Torchwood catering for the children, teenager, and adult markets respectively. The question is: how does it all fit together? Below is a chronology of the show's main crossover episodes. It's by no means exhaustive, but what follows should be enough to give the new viewer a rough idea of what to expect, and the order in which to expect it.
the franchise, with

Sunday 2 October 2011

Doctor Who: The Wedding of River Song

Churchill: 'All of history is happening at once.'

You have to admire the ambition of tonight's episode—for fifteen minutes I just stared at the screen, both amazed and befuddled. The visuals were at times breathtaking: from the car carrying balloons, to steam trains exiting the Gherkin, to the vaguely impressive pterodactyls. (Less impressive after Terra Nova's, sadly.) I even liked the weird meld of the Tudor/Roman/post-war eras. True, we ended up with more questions than we got answers to, but this was a remarkable ending to what's been a wholly remarkable season.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Doctor Who: Closing Time

Doctor: 'It's a papoose.'

Tonight's episode reminded me a little of 2005's 'Bad Wolf'. It likewise started off relatively lightweight, before revealing some unexpectedly devious depths. Despite enjoying 'The Lodger' (Gareth Roberts' last effort and prequel to 'Closing Time'), it didn't exactly set my world alight. Tonight's offering was a slight improvement. It's rare we get to see the Doctor in a bromance story—it's even rarer we get to see him almost copping off with another character. Steady on, Matt. You're not in Christopher and His Kind now.

Sunday 18 September 2011

Doctor Who: The God Complex

Doctor: 'I'm not a hero. I really am just a madman in a box.'

I struggled with tonight's episode, and it was only after listening to Toby Whithouse's commentary on Doctor Who Confidential that I understood half of what went on. Second time through, it made a lot more sense, but watching DWC shouldn't be a prerequisite for understanding an episode. Maybe I'm a bit of a dunce, but it all felt unnecessarily convoluted. I did enjoy the last ten minute, however, I just didn't want to believe them. I still don't.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Misfits: Vegas, Baby!

Nathan: 'Who is this?'
Rudy: 'Err... I'm the new guy.'

As fans of the show probably already know, Robert Sheehan announced back in April that he wouldn't be returning for a third season of Misfits. The good news is, E4 haven't left us entirely bereft—they've graciously stumped up the cash for an eight minute webisode and given our favourite foul mouthed miscreant a send-off worthy of... I dunno, a hobo? To sum up the plot: Nathan gets pwned, but not before he wins a shit load of money, loses it all, and then gets arrested. I know, it's hardly Shakespeare—but Nathan's no Hamlet. Hamlet never shat out a rabbit.

Sunday 11 September 2011

Doctor Who: The Girl Who Waited

Amy: 'I'm going to pull time apart for you.'

After the sub par 'Age of Steel/Rise of the Cybermen' this was a real step up in quality from Tom MacRae. This is the kind of episode that Doctor Who excels at: a girl lost in time, waiting for the Doctor. ('The Girl in the Fireplace', 'School Reunion', 'The Big Bang'.) If the highlight of the first half of the season was 'The Doctor's Wife', then this must surely be the zenith of the back six. If there's better still to come, I'll eat my fez.

Sunday 4 September 2011

Doctor Who: Night Terrors

Rory: 'We're dead... again!'

I had the strangest feeling during 'Night Terrors' that I was watching a Russell T. Davies produced episode, written by Steven Moffat. The script felt like a retread of 'Fear Her', yet the subject matter felt distinctly Moffatian. How odd that it was actually a Moffat produced episode, written by Mark Gatiss. For a moment, I though the Doctor had used his TARDIS to take us back in time to the Russell T. Davies era. Now there's a chilling thought.

Sunday 28 August 2011

Doctor Who: Let's Kill Hitler (2)

Mels: 'You've got a time machine. I've got a gun. What the hell. Let's kill Hitler.'

Bonkers! Absolutely bonkers. I don't think I've ever seen anything so mad. 'Let's Kill Hitler' had just about everything: answers, puzzles galore, humour, cleavage, conflict... Rory punching Hitler and then locking him in a cupboard. What more could anyone ask for? (Bearing in mind that this is a family show, not HBO).

Monday 6 June 2011

Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes to War (1)

River: 'This is the day he finds out who I am.'

Tonight's episode was a mid-season finale, which is something of a first for us here in the UK, as our seasons are seldom long enough to cut in two. As such, despite answering some of our questions, it left most of the main plot threads hanging. We now know who River Song is, but the central mystery remains tantalisingly incoherent. Emotionally, tonight's episode had some effective set pieces, but I'm going to start off with what I didn't like. There weren't many things, so bear with me.

Sunday 29 May 2011

Doctor Who: The Almost People (2)

Doctor: 'Would you like a Jelly Baby?'

Matthew Graham has definitely gone up in my estimations. I liked this episode a lot. Admittedly, it had a few problems—the dialogue was occasionally clunky, the CGI predictably rubbish, and there was far too much telling rather than showing. ('Who are the real monsters?')—but these are minor gripes in what was, an otherwise, event laden episode. And now that we know who died back in episode one, the question must surely be: what has happened to Amy?

Sunday 22 May 2011

Doctor Who: The Rebel Flesh (1)

Doctor: 'Human lives are amazing. Are you surprised they walked off with them?'

Matthew Graham's first effort at a Doctor Who script ('Fear Her') was an anomaly in that, despite Graham's impeccable writing pedigree, it was absolute tosh. No writer, no matter how talented, can pull off a scribble monster. True, the minuscule (some may say non-existent) visual effects budget didn't help matters—but it was still pretty bad. Thankfully, tonight's episode went a long way toward making amends. It wasn't perfect, but I didn't herniate myself from weeping at it either—which is always a bonus.

Sunday 15 May 2011

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife

Idris: 'Oh, my beautiful idiot. You've got what you've always had. You've got me.'

It's virtually impossible for me to criticise tonight's episode, as I loved every last minute of it. Let's face it, expectations over this episode were impossibly high. Once word got out that Neil Gaiman was on the writing team, fans have talked about little else. Recipient of numerous prestigious writing awards (Hugo, Bram Stoker and Nebula, to name but a few), Gaiman's a doyen of the fantasy fiction genre. Add Moffat to the mix, and it's a Marvel Team-Up made in heaven. I didn't think anything could eclipse 'The Girl in the Fireplace', 'Blink' or 'Vincent and the Doctor', but I was wrong. Tonight's episode pipped them all.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot

Doctor: 'Ignore all my previous theories.'

Tonight's episode was a serviceable, if lightweight, yarn which saw the Doctor, Amy and Rory take to the high seas, swash some buckles, and wade through just about every pirate cliché in the book. There was a mutiny, a stowaway, a storm, mad pirate laughter, some booty (of the non-arse variety), and more pirate lingo than you could shake a stick at. The only thing missing was a parrot. Add to the mix a spaceship, a sick bay, and a virtual doctor, and you've pretty much got your plot. It's just a shame tonight's episode followed on from last week's mind-bending WTF-a-rama. Comparatively, it felt a little ordinary.

Sunday 1 May 2011

Doctor Who: Day of the Moon (2)

The Doctor: 'You're building me the perfect prison. And it still won't be enough.'

Calling this a two-parter is perhaps something of a misnomer. We've had two parts, granted, but was anything truly concluded? Virtually all of our questions were left unanswered. Sure, they managed to defeat the Silence (although I'm pretty sure that's not the last we'll see of them), but what exactly is going on? And then the little girl started to regenerate and, suddenly, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. What a turn up for the books. What a cliff hanger. Actually... just, WHAT?!

Sunday 24 April 2011

Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut (1)

Doctor: 'I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool.'

It must be hard for any show to live up to the pre-season hype. They're always promising bigger, better, weirder, more satisfying story lines. Of course, it's usually just talk. Maybe they're too close to the project to be truly objective, or more likely, they feel obligated to big-up the show to the size they hope it will be. So what are we to make of Steven Moffat's 'it's the Doctor's darkest hour' and 'it's going to be a real game changer' pre-season spiel? Should we write it off as mere rhetoric designed to get our fantasy/scifi juices flowing, or will there actually be some substance to the Moff's grandiose promises?

Friday 18 March 2011

Doctor Who: Space and Time (Comic Relief Special)

Amy: “Okay kids, this is where it gets complicated.”

Sound familiar? It should do. It was the same line Amy used in last year's season finale. This year, instead of a Children in Need special, we got a Comic Relief special. Same idea, same station, roughly the same length, just a different charity. Same wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey goodness, though. And two Amy Ponds! Be still my beating heart.

Monday 14 March 2011

Being Human: The Wolf-Shaped Bullet

Mitchell: 'Thank you, all of you. You made me human.'

What an exceptional season finale. I watched with five friends, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. As far as emotional punches go, tonight's episode was brutal. At one point, it looked as though Whithouse would press the reset button. He didn't, and I applaud him for that. Unfortunately, we're now a cast member down—unless, as well as entering houses unbidden, the Old Ones know how to bring people back from the dead. I'm clutching at straws, I know.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Being Human: Though the Heavens Fall

Herrick: “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

With Herrick back from his sojourn in la-la land, the body count tonight was freakishly high. Standard penultimate episode etiquette dictates that, come the closing credits, at least one main character must be either dead, seemingly dead or dying. Tonight, Toby Whithouse chose Nina as his sacrificial lamb. I was so shocked by what happened to her that I actually tweeted Sinead Keenan to express my concern. In case anyone's wondering, Sinead's fine. Nina... less so.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Being Human: Daddy Ghoul

George Senior: “I came back from the dead for you, Ruth. How many men can manage that?"

Tonight's episode saw George and Nina take a break from the increasingly bizarre goings on at Honolulu Heights, and take a road trip back home. This was essentially George's "coming out" episode. Not that anyone noticed. After meeting George's parents, it's easy to see why he is the way he is -- yet, his family's prosaism is what makes them so special. It also probably explains why he left.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Being Human: The Longest day

Nina: “What's your manager's number, Wendy? I'm going to unleash a shit-storm!”

Things are looking decidedly bleak for Mitchell. The sins of the past two seasons are catching up with him. Herrick's back and living in the attic, Nina's knows about Mitchell's part in the box tunnel massacre, George is threatening to disown him -- there was only Cara who seemed vaguely pleased to see him... right before she committed suicide. It's like all of Mitchell's nightmares are coming true. Let's hope he doesn't hear about The Real Hustle being fake or it'll be curtains. There's only so much a man can take.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Being Human: The Pack

McNair: “You spilt my boy's blood. So I'm going to spill yours.”

After the relative lightness of the past two weeks, tonight's episode turned the chuckles down low and cranked up the drama. It's a testament to the show's quality that even the stand-alones this season have been excellent -- with each instalment an improvement on the last. Tonight's story saw McNair and Tom finally meet potential pack mates George and Nina. Sadly, instead of creating harmony, it brought violence, revelations and grief. The wolves totally kicked arse tonight. Could McNair really take Mitchell in a fight? I'm guessing we'll find out before the season's over. My money's on Mitchell.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Being Human: Type 4

Sasha: “Live Annie. Seize the day.”
Annie: “I will.”

Despite being mostly a stand-alone, tonight's episode had surprising depth. Sasha and Graham provided the perfect comedy foils for Mitchell and Annie. I'm not sure who was the most messed up: fanboy Siddion, or Sasha the chavalanche zombie. (Mentally, that is. Physically, Sasha wins hands down.) Sasha's dying words had a profound effect on Annie and Nina. Her carpe diem swansong forced them to reassess their choices and re-evaluate their relationships. For Mitchell, Graham's death was perhaps less of an epiphany. The shadow of his past still looms large -- and if that closing shot of Graham's scrapbook was anything to go by, Mitchell's past atrocities won't stay hidden for long.

Monday 31 January 2011

Being Human: Adam's Family

George: "Baby, when we get home can you remind me to gouge out my brain with a spoon."

I liked this one. Adam was a young vampire trying to find his place in the world. Raised by human parents, he'd led a relatively normal human life -- until the death of his father left him without sustenance. Enter surrogates Richard and Emma Hargreaves, the most perverted foster parents a boy could wish for. Who'd have thought we'd ever see Gwen West in stockings? Whatever next -- Uncle Bryn in a thong?

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Being Human: Lia

Annie: “You saved me.”
Mitchell: “You saved me, too.”

A solid season opener. Apart from the gang moving to Barry Island (what’s occurin’?), it was pretty much business as usual. Annie’s still in purgatory, Mitchell's still a brooding hunk of... whatever, and George and Nina are still in love. Tonight they even ended up doing it doggie-style during their time of the month. Nasty! But Being Human does seem to have rediscovered its mojo. After the comparative darkness of season two, tonight's episode felt like a return to form. After the relative success of Being Human US, I'd forgotten how good this show can be.

Monday 17 January 2011

Being Human: All God's Children

“George. All the werewolves die. Tully.”

A truly amazing finale. For two seasons now George, Mitchell and Annie have tried to live like humans. Tonight, they were forced to acknowledge that humanity is as flawed as they are. Everyone makes mistakes, but what separates man from monster is knowing when to stop. Despite Mitchell gazing over the precipice, it was George who held out his hand and Mitchell who chose to come back. Everyone has it in them to be a monster -- but anyone can be human, too. Therein lies the truth.

Sunday 16 January 2011

Being Human: Damage

Mitchell: "I don't get saved."

Tonight's episode fairly fizzled with action. Mitchell lost the plot and massacred a train carriage full of people; George came within an inch of wolfing out in public; and Nina, George and Annie, all desperate for a cure, signed themselves into Jaggat's Care Home for the Supernaturally Challenged. Fat lot of good that'll do them. The compression chamber does nothing but blow people up, and no amount of praying can dis-possess Annie. So, if there's no real cure, then what's Kemp's angle? Does he simply want them all dead?

Saturday 15 January 2011

Being Human: In the Morning

Mitchell: “This is the problem with vampires. Too much fucking introspection.”

An excellent episode all round. Good character development, some nice main arc advancement, and a decent stand alone story for Annie. (Not before time, too.) This was an episode which seemed to split the fan community. People seemed to either love it or hate it. I thought it gave an effective insight into the crumbling lives of our three main protagonists. It even made me feel for the bad guys.

Friday 14 January 2011

Being Human: The Looking Glass

Mitchell: "Please! I'm begging you. Save me!”

Mitchell's been a ticking time bomb all season and tonight he finally exploded. Despite preaching a message of peace and abstinence, he still ended up killing Chief Constable Wilson. Not that Wilson didn't have it coming, but there'll be a price to pay. In the emotional aftermath which followed, Mitchell even confessed to being a vampire. I wonder how this full disclosure will affect his relationship with Lucy. Will she be able to kill him now? Does she even want to?

Thursday 13 January 2011

Being Human: Educating Creature

Ivan: “You know, Mitchell, eventually it just makes children of us all.”

This was a stronger outing for Annie. I keep waiting for them to do something interesting with her character. (Instead of her current role as Barry Chuckle's marginally smarter sister.) We're not quite there yet, but I did detect a subtle shift in the force tonight. Sykes was the perfect foil for Annie to riff off. When the dialogue's this good her character shines. It's just a pity it's not like this every week.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Being Human: Long Live the King

All: “The King is dead. Long live the King.”

Who'd have thought that Hugh and George would have so much in common? Their hatred of limescale on draining boards, their love of coasters, the fact that they've both recently been dumped and can't seem to get over it.  No wonder Kirsty fell for George -- he was like Hugh's long lost twin. Add a love of kebabs and German impressionist cinema to the mix, and Kirsty never stood a chance. Yet, all it took to turn her back to Hugh was George's simple admission of love for Nina. All we need now is for Nina to have a similar revelation -- and hope Jaggat doesn't kill her.

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Being Human: Serve God, Love Me and Mend

Annie: "What is it with me and volatile, unsuitable men? Be honest, am I Ulrika Jonsson?"

Well, there goes Saul. Hugh was right: what a twat. Not only did he assault Annie, he also tried to drag her down to hell with him. I'm guessing that's where he went -- black feathered men with sticks and ropes doesn't sound much like the other place. Did Saul redeem himself by letting Annie go? Maybe. There were mitigating circumstances. But why is Annie so deserving of hell anyway? And who's pulling Wogan's strings? I always suspected 'The Floral Dance' was demonic.

Monday 10 January 2011

Being Human: Cure and Contagion

George: “Not you. Don't let me have done this to you.”

I was relieved to see George and Nina make up by the end of tonight's episode. I had visions of them dragging the story out for half a season. George now knows Nina's a werewolf, so if his self-loathing was already too much for you to stomach, imagine the depths of guilt, misery and despair he can now plumb. Poor George -- although, I have to say, his behaviour tonight was at times baffling. I'm not sure how Nina will react when she finds out about him and Daisy. I'm guessing it'll be handbags at dawn.

Sunday 9 January 2011

Being Human: Bad Moon Rising

George: “You shouldn't have gone for Mitchell. It got my -- attention.”

Everyone came of age tonight. Mitchell took responsibility for his past sins and agreed to a fight he could never win; Annie turned down death and developed some gnarly new powers; and George fooled us into thinking he was running away -- only to confront Herrick alone, and save Mitchell and Annie. Like we ever believed he'd desert them.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Being Human: Where the Wild Things Are


Annie: “Owen's won. I can't touch him. He just keeps killing me.”

Disillusioned with mankind, Mitchell almost went over to the dark side tonight. Convinced that Herrick's plan of voluntary recruitment could work, he returned to the fold -- only to find he didn't belong there any more. Despite past indiscretions, Mitchell's no monster. Unlike Herrick. His secret stash of humans was the final straw for Mitchell. The façade finally crumbled. Just in time for the cavalry of gay ninjas to arrive.

Saturday 1 January 2011

Misfits: Episode Six

Kelly: 'What is up with that?'

My thoughts exactly! Alisha looked completely different with her hair pulled back and dressed in normal clothes. Her whole demeanour changed. Even her face looked different. She looked almost normal. Ditto Kelly. What a chilling glimpse of an unimaginable future. Kelly checking out a university prospectus? Are we in hell or something? Rachel's idea of a perfect world was all virtue and purity. Thank goodness she died. What a boring world that would be.