‘The Casual Vacancy’ Episode 1 review

Being invited in to a world conjured up by the literary superstar J.K. Rowling was always going to be an event and we’ve been anticipating Sarah Phelps’ adaptation of The Casual Vacancy with excitement and gusto. And so we delved down the rabbit hole into the quaint English town of Pagford, where not everything was … >

Posted Filed under

‘Mr Selfridge’ Season 3 Episode 4 review

Mr Selfridge gains real steam this week as the drama focuses on the show’s couples and develops them in some interesting ways with dramatic consequences. For one couple, the doors of Selfridges appear to be closing for now. Relationships, both in their development and breakdown, are the key theme of tonight’s episode – especially for … >

Posted Filed under

‘Call the Midwife’ Season 4 Episode 5 review

It’s unusual for a one-hour drama to feel rushed, but this week’s Call the Midwife does juggle a little more than it can manage to. The pacing is just a little off, even if the story beats are still moving and compelling. While we remain without any sign of Chummy, and Sister Evangelina has been gone … >

Posted Filed under
Wolf Hall: Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell

‘Wolf Hall’ Episode 4 review: ‘The Devil’s Spit’

It wasn’t meant to be like this. When you’re the king of England in 1533, you should be confident in your belief that your throne is appointed by a God who will provide you with a brood of strapping sons to strengthen the family line. When you’re instead presented with a possibly illegitimate daughter and … >

Posted Filed under

‘Doctor Who’ spin-off audio story review: Big Finish’s ‘Gallifrey: Intervention Earth’

This release continues the Doctor Who spin-off range Gallifrey and is interesting for several reasons. First is Juliet Landau in the role of President Romana, taking over from Lalla Ward. Juliet first appeared in the sixth Gallifrey boxset and the ‘Companion Chronicle’ story ‘Luna Romana’. The second point of interest is the main foe, revealed … >

Posted Filed under

‘Banana’ Episode 4 review: ‘Helen’

The fourth episode of Banana was one of the most stressful things I’ve had the pleasure of watching for quite some time. Helen (Bethany Black) is so sweet and so lovely, I just so desperately want good things to happen to her: I want Eddie to stop bothering her, and I’m so sad when he … >

Posted Filed under

‘Cucumber’ Episode 4 review

Finally, after years spent traversing the space-time vortex, Russell T Davies gets to write a scene of two men, sat at a table, talking about relationships. As Henry (Vincent Franklin) opens up to newcomer Leigh (Phaldut Sharma) about his fears of sex and fears of men, the character visibly softens, beginning the journey perhaps towards … >

Posted Filed under

‘Death in Paradise’ Season 4 Episode 6 review

When a volleyball player is fatally stabbed at the Inter Island championships, Humphrey (Kris Marshall) and his team are called in to investigate. However, much like volleyball, this episode really feels like a game of two halves. Director Paul Murphy is clearly at home with filming the show, as tonight’s instalment is one of the … >

Posted Filed under

‘Jupiter Ascending’ movie review

It’s become something of a clichéd line regarding the Wachowski siblings’ film output of late, in that people “admire the ambition”, but find the films to be flawed overall. Well, things usually become clichés for a reason, and while there is – yes – plenty to admire about Jupiter Ascending; it is also a bit … >

Posted Filed under