Doctor Who: Resolution

Doctor: 'They've got the best balloons.'

After a season devoid of returning monsters, this was Chibnall's first delve into the show's back catalogue, and was a mostly valiant attempt. Two of the main complaints I had about last season were the boring villains and the character development being either too simplistic or non-existent. So bringing back the Daleks, and spending time focused on Ryan's relationship with his father, should've been an instant win, right?

Doctor Who: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos

Doctor: 'Come on, fam.'

As with last week's episode, this felt like a story plump with ideas, few of which managed to gain traction. The return of Tzim-Sha wasn't entirely unwelcome, but let's be honest: seeing him again was as surprising as seeing Graham and Ryan's fist-bump. Traditionally, the season finale is a time for spectacle, grandiose storytelling, and the return of epic foes. Instead, we got a bloke with a face made of teeth getting shot in the foot.

Doctor Who: It Takes You Away

Hanne: 'My Dad would never just leave me! Okay!'

Errr... sure, Hanne. Anyway, following on from last week's slight upturn in quality, tonight's episode provided a complex tale set against the backdrop of rural Norway. The setup was provocative, the unfolding narrative alluring, and again, the Doctor felt both familiar and authoritative. Shame they had to ruin it by having the Solitract manifest as a fucking frog.

Doctor Who: The Witchfinders

Doctor: 'Even me! Very handy under cover... set a woman to catch a woman.'

This was an episode which made me feel wistful for what could've been. If they'd aired 'The Witchfinders' after 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth,' instead of eight episodes into a lacklustre season, then I daresay I'd have felt mildly optimistic. The Doctor felt stronger, the setting was genuinely eerie, they drip-fed us a tasty dribble of Yaz's backstory, and the monster of the week was both freaky and fun. So why does it feel like a case of too little, too late?

Doctor Who: Kerblam!

The Doctor: 'I'm The Doctor. I'm new. And you are?'

This episode was thoroughly absorbing, not necessarily because it was good, but because it had a lot going on, was deceptively layered, and had such an elusive central message. This season's been blighted by a general lack of complexity; well, tonight that all changed, and I'm not altogether sure it was deliberate. Let's dig in and become unconfused together. Maybe.

Doctor Who: Demons of the Punjab

Doctor: 'Shouldn't have come. I'm too nice. This is what happens when you try to be nice.'

This week was an odd one for me. I watched the episode twice: the first time I came away disappointed, the second time I quite enjoyed it. Sure, it was riddled with the same issues that have thus far plagued Chibnall's tenure, but as with 'Rosa' the emotional content satisfied, the location was evocative, and an important moment in history was dealt with respectfully. We even got an unexpected villain. Us. Yeah... humans suck.

Doctor Who: The Tsuranga Conundrum

Back in 2010, being a Doctor Who fan was like being in a beautiful relationship. It was exciting, invigorating, and despite sometimes having no idea what was going on, you were never less than engaged. Even as the years rolled by and the rough patches came and went, you still knew why you were together. The good times still materialised with unerring frequency, and when they did you felt that familiar flutter in your stomach which could only mean one thing: you were still madly in love.

Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK

Doctor: 'I call people dude now.'

Four episodes in, I think it safe to say that the show's found its style and rhythm. Despite a few glitches, the Doctor's personality is pretty much established; Yaz, Ryan and Graham have been given rudimentary backstories; and we now know what sort of stories Chibnall wants to tell. The question is: are they stories we want to see and hear?

Doctor Who: Rosa

Doctor: 'I did not warm to him.'

It was with some trepidation that I approached tonight's episode. With a few notable exceptions, historical episodes rarely portray their famous subjects favourably, and with Rosa Parks the focus, the likelihood of getting it wrong seemed all too probable. Putting the Doctor at the centre of a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement could've been disastrous. But was it?

Doctor Who: The Ghost Monument

Doctor: 'No. Guns... never use 'em.'

Despite praising the unChibbliness of last week's script, tonight's yarn had me reassessing my own enthusiasm. Yes, when you compare Chibnall's new Who stuff to his old, it doesn't seem to rely as heavily on countdowns or the pressing of random buttons, but it's still arguably over-simplistic. Why, I'm not altogether sure. Broadchurch was reasonably complex, with its multiple story layers, and mostly satisfying payoffs. So why do his new scripts seem so linear and lightweight?

Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth

Karl: 'I'm with him. We don't get aliens in Sheffield.'

First things first: whoever decided it'd be a spiffing idea to lead us virtually blind into the new series—with just a shitty teaser and two trailers entirely devoid of substance to guide us—deserves to be dragged naked through the streets of Sheffield. This episode was nothing like I was expecting—and it really wasn't my fault. They gave us nothing but generic blandness going in, so I expected generic blandness. Thankfully, it was pretty solid. Sure, it might not feel like Doctor Who yet, but it felt Doctor Who-ish.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode Six

Perez: 'Christ, Rhona. Do you think I want this to be happening?'

When the closing credits started to roll, I thought to myself: well, at least I guessed one of the killers. After some honest contemplation, I was forced to admit that the only reason I guessed who killed Lizzie was because at some point I've suspected everyone: Duncan, Drew, Kate... even Curly Haired Jigging Woman and Beardy Extra. So kudos to David Kane for writing a script that kept us guessing till the end, and then kicked us up the arse for daring to believe in justice.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode Five

Sandy: 'Jo, can you remember who did this to you? Was it Thomas Malone? Was it your ex-husband?'

Sandy finally managed to ask some sensible questions this week, only to be scuppered by Jo's knackered throat and the old witness-out-of-commission ploy. At least we know who gave Jo a mullering, although we're still in the dark as to whether she has any deeper involvement in the story. After the appearance of her shady can't-tell-the-truth-for-shit husband, I'm guessing so, but it was nice to see a cliffhanger with consequences.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode Four

Perez: 'Nobody's better off dead.'

If last week's sinister music, sombre faces, and speeding vans were anything to go by, Tosh and Jimmy should've been in the shit tonight. Spoiler alert: nothing dramatic happened. I may have been wrong about the vans' occupants being disreputable halibut salesmen, but the truth was only marginally less fishy: it was simply the local constabulary wanting a chat. Stay tuned to see this week's cliffhanger explained away as Jo slipping on a banana skin and knocking herself out on an inconveniently placed easel.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode Three

Perez: 'This isn't your case any more. You had your chance over twenty-three years ago, and you blew it.'

I was ready to dislike this week's episode. For me, Shetland is at its best when it's telling parochial stories about island folk, so I wasn't sure the temporary shift to urban far-right politics would work. Turns out my concerns were unfounded: as well as providing some lovely scenery, the coldness and remoteness of the Nordic countryside were a great tonal match for the subarctic archipelago.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode Two

Tosh: 'Twenty-four seven I'm keeping it together. And it's exhausting.'

One thing that's concerning me this season is the return of Cassie and Tosh. Don't get me wrong, I love having them back, but you have to wonder why they're back. If last season taught us anything, it's that the show doesn't shy away from hurting Tosh, and in a story centred around the murder of young women, you have to worry for Cassie. It's uncertain yet whether Alan Killick is guilty of anything more than loving someone who didn't love him back, but on an island as small as Shetland, the murderer can't ever be more than a stone's throw away.

Shetland: Season Four - Episode One

Malone: 'You know, your daughter didna deserve this. But you did.'

If there was ever a perfect time to watch Shetland, it must surely be a cold February night, with the wind howling around the eaves, rain thrashing the latticed windows, and a gigantic bowl of porridge on your lap. I unashamedly love Shetland. Whether that's because it's so different from other UK detective dramas, or because I think the sun shines out of Ann Cleeves' bottom, who can say? What I do know is that Tuesday nights just got a whole lot murderier.

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

Doctor: 'You're right, you know. The universe generally fails to be a fairy-tale. But that's where we come in.'

I'm in two minds about this year's Christmas episode. On the one hand, it tugged at my heartstrings, making me laugh, cheer, and cry. On the other, it made me wince, frown, and basically wonder who'd nicked the plot. It was a bit sparse, wasn't it? I'm not against villain-less episodes, but there really didn't feel like much of a story, and although the emotional stuff got me in the feels, even that felt somewhat unsatisfying.

Doctor Who: The Doctor Falls (2)

Doctor: 'Bill. I will fix this. I will get you back again, I swear.'

Despite not being Moffat's finest season, this was a powerful finale. The Master and Missy, although perhaps slightly underused, traded tremendously entertaining, sometimes moving, dialogue; Bill's story came to a surprisingly uplifting conclusion; even Nardole's journey, despite my earlier reservations, felt completely worthwhile. And I loved that final scene. If it means we get a two Doctors Christmas episode, then I'm as happy as a Doctor with two hearts.

Doctor Who: World Enough and Time (1)

Bill: 'I... waited... for... you.'

Well, it may have taken us eleven weeks to get here, but we finally got our first stand-out episode of the season. Its only weakness was that its main reveals were already known to us, but since that was by design rather than by accident, then I'm not sure we can really complain. (Of course, I do below.) At last, a story that was genuinely engaging, mostly free from the story glitches that have thus far plagued the season, and that featured not one but two captivating Masters.