Doctor Who: Hide

Doctor: 'I am the Doctor and I am afraid.'

After 'The Rings of Akhaten' I wasn't expecting much from this episode, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be excellent. At first, I thought we were in for a bog standard Scooby Doo style run around, but somewhere along the way it transformed into a glorious sci-fi/fantasy tale of love lost, love found, mortality and pooper scoopers.

Doctor Who: Cold War

Grisenko: 'I need to know... Ultravox! Do they split up?'

The opening quote pretty much sums up the episode: funny, sometimes clever, often cheesy, occasionally suspenseful, and probably the best Mark Gatiss episode since 'The Unquiet Dead'. (Admittedly, not much of an accolade.) It also had the Doctor kissing a dolly, promising to kiss Professor Grisenko, and Ultravox. Surely the ingredients for a future classic?

Doctor Who - The Rings of Akhaten

Doctor: 'We don't walk away.'

For me, Doctor Who is at its best when it's traversing alien worlds, teaching us about humanity, and telling stories which, although ostensibly other-worldy, resonate with our human hearts. Tonight ticked all three of those boxes, although it wasn't without fault. There's a fine line between homage and derivative. Tonight, I think they occasionally overstepped that line.

Doctor Who: The Bells of Saint John

Doctor: 'Right then, Clara Oswald. Time to find out who you are.'

A typically frantic opening salvo from the pen of Steven Moffat. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the mostly stand-alone nature of the first half of this season, so I was chuffed to see some continuity tonight. Christmas episodes generally stand on their own—but not this year. I think I even cheered when the enemy was revealed. (Albeit discreetly and it sounding like a burp.) Doctor Who's at its best when there's a mystery to be solved, and I'm already loving the detail Moffat's slipping in. The question is: how much of it is relevant?

Being Human: The Last Broadcast

Alex: 'Shit's getting real out there.'

As far as finales go, that was incredible. Just when we thought we were about to get our happy ending, they pulled the rug out from under our feet and sent us sprawling. For fifteen minutes I felt excitement, which turned to weeping, then disappointment, then happiness, then confusion. I think I'm still stuck at confusion. Was this a fitting end to five years of blood, death and long brooding stares? You know, love it or hate it, I think it probably was.

Being Human: No Care, All Responsibility

Rook: 'Close your eyes. Don't look at the monsters.'


I spent the first half of tonight's episode wondering when something was going to happen, and the last half wishing that nothing had. In traditional penultimate episode style, everything went colossally wrong—leaving Toby Whithouse just with 60 minutes to either pull it out of the bag or feel the wrath of my right boot up his arse.

Being Human: The Greater Good

Hal: 'All we are doing is marking time until the inevitable happens.'

Another great character episode, although the season arc itself is a little slow to get going. I guess I keep expecting Captain Hatch to explode in a burst of malevolent madness. Instead, he just sits there, gently picking people off and manipulating others from afar. Not that I'm complaining, it's an effective strategy. The Barry Grand Hotel has a higher mortality rate than Midsomer.

Being Human: Pie and Prejudice

Hal: 'What have you done? You've broken Mary!'

I confess, I wasn't anticipating any stand-alones this season. With the end in sight, and a reduced episode run, I was expecting a mainly story driven final four. So, although initially miffed by the appearance of the seemingly obligatory comedy episode, this actually turned out to be a fascinating character piece. To say Hal killing Larry has thrown a spanner in the works seems like something of an understatement. After over 200 years of lying to Lady Mary, Hal looks set to continue the tradition with his house-mates. This isn't going to end well, is it?

Being Human: Sticks and Ropes

Hal: 'Very well, Thomas. I accept the challenge.'

Now Being Human has been cancelled, I'm finding it difficult to decide what might pass as an appropriate finale. Will they all live happily ever after? Have the new characters had sufficient time to develop so that, in the event of their possible deaths, we'll all feel suitably distraught? If Hal died, I'd definitely miss him. Tom, too probably. Alex, being the relative newcomer, needs some work, but tonight Toby Whithouse did his best to oblige, and thankfully, he did a better job of hanging flesh on Alex's bones than Alex did of playing the organ.

Being Human: The Trinity.

Hal: 'Fill a bowl with boiling water and washing-up-liquid. This is a two sets of Marigolds problem.'

A solid opener to what promises to be Being Human's biggest season yet. Thanks to the rickety economy, we're down to six episodes instead of eight, but this doesn't seem to have diluted Toby Whithouse's ambition. The villains have been getting bigger each season, so it should come as no surprise that this year's big bad is none other than Beelzebub himself. And with Phil Davis on board as Captain Hatch, how can this not be awesome? Well, quite easily, really—but at least we're off to a good start.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen

Clara: 'Run, you clever boy.'

Christmas specials are unique. Companions are usually absent (or have diminished roles), the backdrops are as festive as blue baubles balanced on Blitzen's bottom, and the stories generally take place outside of the main season arc. This year, however, the story focused mainly on new companion Clara Oswin Oswald, a mystery which started back in 'Asylum of the Daleks', and apart from the obligatory snow, a whistled carol, and the odd killer snowman, the Christmas elements were oddly low key. The result? Best Christmas episode ever!

Misfits: Episode Eight

Rudy: “This is all wrong, this. I wanted me ET ending.”

It was obvious there was more to Nadine's story than her being a nun. You don't throw tomato soup on a cream floor unless it's serious, and it doesn't get much grimmer than almost bringing about the apocalypse. Yes, the four horsemen were on BMXs rather than horses and, yes they had swords instead of scales, bows and scythes -- but they did at least attempt to bring about war, death and conquest. I'm not sure what happened to famine -- did Rudy and Nadine get to eat that ham and pineapple pizza or not?

Misfits: Episode Seven

Greg: “Do you know what they do with people who pretend to be on community service?”

They force them to do actual community service apparently. I'm not sure that's true, but it works -- Abby is now a fully suited member of the gang. This season's struggled a little under the weight of having too much to do. Introducing three brand new characters in just eight episodes is an almost impossible task. The episodes rarely get to be about just the stories -- which makes me hope that Misfits gets a fifth season. I'd love to see what these characters are capable of without the seemingly ever present spectre of re-population hanging over them.