A welcome return to the world of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray for Alexander Vlahos in The Spirit of Christmas, a perfectly paced pair of deliciously dark stories for the holiday season. First up is ‘Desperately Seeking Santa’, in which writer Tim Leng sets Santa up as a killer who breaks into Dorian’s house one December. … >
In what is hopefully becoming an annual Christmas tradition, Harry Hill returns to BBC One as Professor Branestawm in – appropriately enough – Professor Branestawm Returns. There’s enough deliciously inventive books from Norman Hunter to plough through to give us material for at least a few more years, and those grown up kids who fear … >
Christmas is a time of traditions: The Queen’s Speech, Christmas Dinner, presents and time spent with family or watching the TV. Among the many seasonal programmes – tucked between the Dickens, the comedy specials and the family films – there is always something more supernatural to spice up the holiday viewing. This year ITV has … >
Always nice to splurge a bit at Christmas isn’t it? Clearly the BBC, with its unashamed pro-sprout agenda, agrees. No need to ask ‘Please sir, may have I some more?’ as we’re treated to another two helpings of Dickensian. Given its serial nature, I’m going to lump both eps together in this review but it’s … >
After ten weeks of trials and tribulations on-screen and behind the scenes, the first season of ITV’s Jekyll and Hyde comes to a close with a double-episode finale. After an uneven opening few episodes – despite having a cracking pilot – Jekyll and Hyde found its feet halfway through its run, as it struck a … >
Just a few weeks ago, when we said our ‘final’ farewells to the residents of Downton Abbey, we knew it wasn’t the final, final episode – after all we’d still have Christmas together. And as we finished clearing up the turkey and all that was left in the After Eights box was the paper wrappers, … >
Episode 2 of Dickensian is also the second Boxing Day instalment of EastEnders writer Tony Jordan’s new 20-part period drama. But while you’re probably polishing off the first of many, many meals involving increasingly obscure scraps of turkey meat, the good people inside your TV are celebrating Christmas Day. ‘God bless us, every one’ is … >
Bravo, Mr. Fellowes—you got it all right! The episode opens on an idyllic summer afternoon. Henry Talbot is struggling to find his place at Downton. Charlie’s death has put him off racing. Lady Edith announces her decision to live a spinster’s life in London with Marigold. Lady Mary orchestrates a surprise meeting between a remorseful … >
Picking things up after the more heartbreaking and downbeat end to its fourth season, Call the Midwife returns to BBC One for its annual Christmas special. Like last year’s festive instalment, and many other episodes of the show, it juggles a significant number of storylines. There are probably about five separately identifiable intersecting strands to the episode’s plot, … >
Gallifrey may be back, but the last thing The Doctor would want is to be at home for the holidays. So where is he? The planet is Mendorax Dellora. The year is 5343. The Christmas ad on TV is probably an elderly Ice Warrior sitting on the moon of Phobos as a younger member of … >