While the Expendables franchise has united them previously, Escape Plan is the first genuine double-header between arguably the two biggest action stars in Hollywood history – Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. That may come as a surprise – they’re so often mentioned in the same sentence that it’s strange to think they’ve never co-headlined a film together.
It’s not surprising that Scandinavian culture-clash cop show The Bridge has been adapted. What is surprising is that more dramas haven’t been based around The Channel Tunnel. The 31 mile subaquatic claustrophobia pipe filled with hurtling metal and disparate lives is a big concrete sausage of stories, yet to date the most dramatic thing to have happened in it was the denouement to Mission: Impossible. And that was 17 years ago.
After Doctor Who fell from favour at the BBC in 1985, it returned from hiatus in a truncated season comprising a mere fourteen episodes, back in the native 25 minute format.
After the horrific events of last week’s house party, viewers of Downton Abbey will have tuned in this week to see how sensitively Julian Fellowes dealt with the fallout, and whether any kindness could be restored if not to Anna then the programme as a whole.
Episode 3 of Atlantis begins with some amusing banter on the subject of Hercules’ affections for Medusa, but this is soon interrupted. In the act of stepping up to defend an old man, Jason lands the trio in front of King Minos.
With a recent stash of missing episodes recovered, Doctor Who fans may feel their Christmas has come early. But the real thing hasn’t yet. So put down that cracker. Don’t let those advent calendars in the shops fool you: Noddy Holder won’t be defrosted from his regenerative slumber for at least another month.
Just like that, Orphan Black has gone and snatched Paul away from the sidelines of the drama and into a position where he’s genuinely interesting.
Ever had that recurring nightmare where you’re about to sit your finals for Starfleet Academy but – oh no! – you’ve not studied and, even worse, you’re suddenly naked and doing the Kobayashi Maru test? Oh, hey, us neither… But fear not young cadet, Star Trek Federation is here to help. With the knowledge, not the nudity.
When is a show’s finale not its finale?
Peaky Blinders‘ penultimate episode has the dramatic neatness of a conclusion, cemented by the ominous sensation of finality as Tommy Shelby dramatically commutes through a graveyard (he’s always walking, even though he owns one of the few motorcars around), and yet we haven’t reached the end quite yet.
If Skins co-creator Bryan Elsey’s recent Channel 4 series Dates really did what it says on the tin, and delivered us nine dates between Londoners, it might not have worked as well as it ends up mostly doing.