The Family should be good. With the talent in front of and behind the camera, it really should be good.
It should be a smart, snappy and entertaining deconstruction of the gangster movie, providing laughs, knowing references and exciting action. The Family is none of these things, and provides none of these things.
Change. Regeneration. It’s the very thing that’s kept Doctor Who running for half a century and we take it for granted now. It’s exciting, partly because it’s expected. Doctor, companion, showrunner, whoever. The song ends, but the story goes on (to paraphrase an Ood). And we continue to huddle round the screen like kids in the ‘60s.
When Nip/Tuck creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story first surfaced a couple of years ago, it proved to be a high camp, deliciously OTT small screen take on classic horror movie conventions.
The Internet. The Ol’ Googlebox. The Pornographer’s Lantern. Whatever you call it, we can agree that it is generally pretty neat. It even allowed you to watch this week’s Misfits earlier than usual on 4OD, and that’s no bad thing.
Ahh the youth of today, with their McBusted and their Snapchat and their big shoes. If they’re not busy FML’ing at everything then they’re being immolated by a pan-national terrorist as part of his fourth ‘truth’. And there’s no one around Instagram it. FML indeed.
The latest tale from Doctor Who writer Gareth Roberts (‘The Lodger’, ‘The Unicorn and the Wasp’) may feel like a retread for its opening ten minutes or so, as if a reminder to the audience of just what Wizards Vs Aliens is all about, but there’s a treat in store after the familiarity.
There hasn’t been a Wallace & Gromit animation since 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death movie, and yet even after 5 years off our screens (not counting the repeats that TV law commands must be shown every Bank Holiday), the man and dog duo are as popular as ever with kids and adults – as was demonstrated earlier this month when an auction of 81 Gromit statues in Bristol raised £2.3million for charity.
Coming after three very solid weeks, Episode 4 of Ripper Street’s second series marked a slight dip in quality. Though still undeniably enjoyable fare, this week’s story was let down by its over-exaggerated villains, hastily-resolved ending and watery subplot involving newbie Constable Flight.
Sky1’s Yonderland maintains its high quality levels this week with a high gag-success rate, gratuitous nudity, and the inspired concept of the Monks of Old John, who must always tell the truth, and end up offending Negatus as a result. Debbie attempts to lead them to safety, avoiding those hunting for the reward of bringing them in dead or alive, including goblins and bounty hunters.
After the broader scope of Ariadne’s royal fortunes and Jason’s fate in the ring, this was a more intimate, family tale.