The second episode of Downton Abbey’s new season finds Mr. Carson and Lord Grantham at odds over the site of the WWI memorial: the cricket pitch at Downton (Mr. Carson’s choice, though he is an avid enthusiast of the sport) or the centre of the village (Lord Grantham’s recommendation). Mr. Carson does not defer to … >
Having established the primary elements last week, this week’s Our Girl episode does a great job of balancing the character development with some very probing questions about Army life for young soldier, Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner). Proceedings here are definitely more character-based with equal development given to the main three players. Ben Aldridge, as Captain … >
One thing that has eluded Doctor Who in recent years is consistency. Matt Smith’s final season was let down by clunkers like ‘The Rings of Akhaten’ and ‘Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS’, but the gilt edges of the previous season were certainly rubbed off by ‘The Curse of the Black Spot’ – and … >
Adapted from Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book by Utopia writer Dennis Kelly, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s musical interpretation of Matilda is a wholly astounding show. Featuring original songs by Australian comedian Tim Minchin, Matilda wins over the audience from the get-go with ‘Miracle’; a fantastic indication of the irreverent but completely on-point humour to follow. The … >
Having recently narrated the audiobook of his namesake Steven Patrick’s Autobiography, it seems appropriate that David Morrissey’s latest television role takes him back to Manchester. This is not the cultured, steel-and-glass megalopolis that the city’s tourist board are keen to publicise, however, but the parts that haven’t changed since the days of the Smiths: the … >
With ‘The Caretaker’ we reach the halfway point of Doctor Who’s latest run. It’s a good time, then, to take a quick look back at the first half of Season 8. You’d probably agree it’s been pretty strong so far, though there’s bound to be an individual difference of opinion among where those strengths lie. … >
There’s a simple way to tell if you’re part of the viewer demographic that Glue has in its shot-glass sights. It’s this: when all those teens were having that shindig in the woods, if you didn’t think ‘Who lugged that sound system and stage into the middle of nowhere? And what’s powering it? A generator?’, … >
We give it four years, tops. Maybe even just two. That’s how long it’ll be before a major brace of films snap up Sheridan Smith and makes her this decade’s Kate Winslet or Helen Bonham Carter: in other words, the go-to Brit actress to give your project a bit of class. Smith is remarkable in … >
Hannibal’s second season starts with a ferocious fight between our title character and FBI head Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) and never lets up for the next 13 episodes. There’s much more of a focus and drive to this season, unlike the more slow burn abstract nature of Season 1. The visuals remain some of the most … >
“I’m going upstairs to take off my hat.” Downton Abbey is back and the opening episode of the period drama’s fifth season does not disappoint, placing numerous long-running storylines and a plethora of new subplots into the chute and setting them off. The sense of permanence that supplies Downton Abbey with much of its gravitational … >