TV Review: The Wrong Mans Series 2 (2014)

The Wrong Mans Series 2 (2014) created by Matthew Baynton and James Corden

After being inadvertently drawn into a massive conspiracy in the previous series, innocent Brits Phil (James Corden) and Sam (Matthew Baynton) wound up in a witness protection program. Their car exploded but they managed to escape; the government faked their deaths to protect their families. The guys have different names and live in a small Texas town. Sam wants to go back home even though it would be risky for his girlfriend, who suspects a conspiracy and has spent the time since his funeral advocating for a government release of information. Phil is more settled in, though that changes once he fakes a call home (which he isn't supposed to do) and the neighbor answers, saying his mom is in hospital for serious problems. Phil decides he does want to go back since his mum has no one else. They work together through all sorts of schemes and complications involving Mexican smugglers and Eastern European terrorists.

The show gives an enjoyable comedic take on over-the-top conspiracy/spy shows like 24 and Alias. The story is totally bonkers but in a fun way. The two leads keep things moving along and are charming enough to keep viewers rooting for them. Things turn out well even as more and greater implausibilities are piled up. The Christmas theme running throughout is a nice touch. I enjoyed the whole thing as diverting fun.

Recommended.

I watched it for some credits on Kanopy. Weirdly, Series 1 is not available though I had seen it a long time ago.

 

Movie Review: The Comedy of Errors (1983)

The Comedy of Errors (1983) directed by James Cellan Jones based on the play by William Shakespeare

This BBC production features Michael Kitchen in the dual roles of Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse, twins separated at a very young age by circumstance. Oddly enough, both Antipholi have a servant named Dromeo (Roger Daltrey in both roles (yes, the lead singer from The Who)), born about the same time and also separated at a very young age by the same circumstance. As the story opens, Aegeon (Cyril Cusak) is about to be executed for a large debt, though the Duke of Ephesus (Charles Grey) will pardon him if someone will cover the debt. Aegeon is the father of the Antipholi and raised the Syracuse one, who just happens to show up in Ephesus pretty quickly. By this point, Aegeon is cooling his heels in jail. While Antipholus of Syracuse and his Dromeo are shopping, Antipholus sends him off to their lodging to secure some money. Sure enough, the Dromeo of Ephesus shows up and has a confusing and amusing conversation with Antipholus. He tells Antipholus his wife wants him to come to eat lunch and doesn't know anything about the pile of money the other Dromeo is carting around. Antipholus of Syracuse is not amused by this but does wind up going to dinner with the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. The convoluted mix-ups continue throughout the story to great comic effect.

Being made in 1983, I am sure the novelty of having a split-screen performance, which allows Kitchen and Daltrey to play both roles in the same scene, was a great gimmick. They give good performances as their characters. The story is a delightful comedy with some fun twists and a winning supporting cast (though a lot of the necklines on the women's dresses were very low). The set looks a little stagey, with one town square serving for most of the film, though some scenes are in the Ephesus home of Antipholus and his wife. The floor of the square is a mosaic of the Mediterranean, showing where Ephesus and Syracuse are, so they didn't stint on that. The overhead shots showing the map are impressive and not something that could be done in the theater. for all the patrons. The opening is a little slow but the pace picks up after the first act. The play is a lot of fun and has the classic happy ending for everyone that Shakespeare is so good at.

We watched this because my son is in a middle school production of the play, so it was a bit of research. I don't think I had read or seen this play before and am glad to have a preview of my son's production!

Recommended.

Ghosts Series Five (2023)

Ghosts Series Five (2023) written, created by, and starring Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond

See my reviews of series one, series two, series three, and series four!

The new money-making scheme for Alison and Mike (the guest house burned down at the end of the last series, so no more rentals) is selling some land to real estate developers to make a golf course. A lot of complications ensue with the ghosts and with the neighbors, especially the annoyingly snooty Barclay Beg-Chetwynde. The other big change is Alison getting pregnant, which draws a lot of different reactions from everybody (even snooty Barclay).

The show has a lot of the same fun as in previous series. They are starting to run out of ideas, something they acknowledge with the final episode, which is another Christmas episode. I still enjoyed this outing with the big cast in their haunted house.

Recommended.

TV Review: A Ghost Story For Christmas (2013-2022)

A Ghost Story For Christmas (2013-2022) directed by Mark Gatiss

These BBC show are five separate spooky stories by the guy who plays Sherlock's smarter brother in the Sherlock series, Mark Gatiss. The second one is an original tale by Gatiss, the others are adaptations of stories by the classic British ghost story writer M. R. James. They were broadcast on Christmas Eve on the BBC following a tradition dating back to the 1970s. Here's the episode by episode breakdown...

The Tractate Middoth--A librarian has an episode when he looks up a book requested by a strange patron. He goes on a short holiday to get some air and a change of scenery. His bed and breakfast is the home of a mother and daughter who have a problem related to a book. The mother's uncle was a wicked and manipulative man who had a nephew and a niece. Originally his estate was to be divided equally, but just before he died he wrote a will giving everything to the nephew. He told his niece that he made a will giving everything to her but it was hidden in a book. He gave her some clues which she passes on to the librarian. He goes back to his library only to discover the volume in question is the very volume the strange patron wanted. The story has a lot of atmosphere and thrives more on that than on a suspenseful plot. I enjoyed it but it felt very familiar.

The Dead Room--An aging voice actor (Simon Cowell) is recording a horror story in the original studio where he started narrating tales for "The Dead Room." It's a radio show he has been doing for decades. His return brings up some old ghosts (or are they just memories?) that makes the recording a difficult process. He's a bit condescending to the young producer (Anjli Mohindra), describing all the classical elements of a creepy story. Unfortunately, the rest of the story follows that exact same pattern, making the experience feel more mechanical than unnerving. There's some special effects with lighting, camera angles, and make up that are more serviceable than scary. This show depends entirely on style and there isn't enough to overcome the self-awareness.

Martin's Close--A member of the 17th century gentry is accused of killing a simple-minded woman with whom he had been having an affair. The story is told through both a modern-day gentry relating the strange case from a transcript he had bought and also through the period courtroom drama, where the story is mostly told through the prosecutor's words (the prosecutor being played by Peter Capaldi). The case is strange because the woman appeared after her death a few times according to the testimony of witnesses. The tale is a bit creepy but the double levels of narrative take the viewer a little too far away from the action to be truly effective horror.

The Mezzotint--A university museum art dealer (Rory Kinnear) is offered a mezzotint, a black and white print. This particular mezzotint is of an English countryside house. The merchant wants a lot more than its seeming worth but the dealer takes it anyway. The label on the back is torn, leaving insufficient evidence to identify the house easily. The dealer is also doing research on his family history. Things become unsettling as the picture changes from day to day, with a sinister figure coming out of the woods and entering the house. Of course it is impossible. His small group of university friends also see the changes which tell an unsettling story. The whole show is unsettling, with a minimalist style that builds a lot more tension than seems possible. I was genuinely unnerved by it, especially the ending.

Count Magnus--Englishman Mister Wraxhall (Jason Watkins) travels to Scandinavia to research a family's history. The family's founder, Count Magnus, built a great estate and was a merciless lord to the locals. He was so bad, he went on a "black pilgrimage" to the Holy Land, coming back with something or someone unsavory. Local legends are vague and pessimistic. Wraxhall's investigations lead to even more unpleasant discoveries. This is another good chiller like the previous story. Both were based on M. R. James stories and make for some fine half-hours of horror. 

The series is available to stream on Kanopy as this is published (October 2024), though it is just called "Ghost Stories." "The Mezzotint" was easily my favorite of the bunch.

TV Review: The Day of the Triffids (1981)

The Day of the Triffids (1981) produced by David Maloney and directed by Ken Hannam based on the novel by John Wyndham

Triffid farmer Bill (John Duttine) has had his head bandaged for several days. Triffids are from a rare botanical species that provides an oil that makes fuels more efficient. They also have stingers that can kill someone. Bill was stung as a child and survived. He had an accident on the farm that effected his eyes. The show starts on the day the bandages come off. The night before, an amazing, world-wide meteor storm enraptured the world. Pretty much everyone went outside to see it. This morning, most people are blind. No one shows up to take Bill's bandages off, so he does the job himself. As he wanders the streets, he discovers that only a few people, like Jo (Emma Relph), missed the show for one reason or another (she was passed out) and can still see like he can. If 95 percent of the population being blind isn't bad enough, the triffids are moving around (they have weird locomotive roots) and killing people. Bill and Jo find each other and start wandering through the apocalyptic landscape, hoping to find safety.

The show focuses more on the survival horror and various possible new societies than on monster mayhem (the focus of 1960s movie version). Considering the early 1980s BBC special effects, the choice is good to have fewer triffid scenes. The plants don't look terrible except when they are moving. Their drumming with their roots is a bit unnerving--several characters believe that is how the plants communicate with each other. Bill insists that they have no brains and yet their behavior has a sort of intelligence behind it. The real focus is on Bill seeing various communities and trying to reunite with Jo after they get separated. They had a plan to go to a house with its own electric generation and plenty of land to farm but they were swept up in an urban social group that was very militant about what people were to do. Bill's journey is very reminiscent of 28 Days Later, which has borrowed heavily from this. I found the exploration of other possible societies interesting though the show rushes through with little commentary on the value of those solutions (many of them get wiped out by the triffids or by a mysterious disease that adds more problems to the situation). In the last few episodes (the show is six half-hour programs), the characters acknowledge that the only future for humanity is to rebuild communities, an idea Bill reluctantly comes to agree with. Choosing the right community is the big trick in such situations.

Mildly recommended--it's an interesting exploration of apocalyptic survival for an individual and for communities.

Ghosts Series Four (2022)

Ghosts Series Four (2022) written, created by, and starring Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond

See my reviews of series one, series two, and series three!

Another set of adventures are in store for Alison and Mike, two owners of a grand English estate called Button House. The property is haunted by a bunch of ghosts from the history of the land, starting from a caveman all the way up to a smarmy 1990s politician. They all died there and have not moved on yet. Alison can see them since she had a knock on the head. The ghosts are a bit tedious at times, demanding a lot of attention and not respecting personal space or time. They try to be helpful at times, with mixed results.

Alison and Mike's plan to rent out the guest house finally comes to fruition, causing them a lot of stress as B&B hosts who want good ratings and more customers. Typical shenanigans ensue. There was a surprising moment when one of the ghosts moved on, which is played for laughs and pathos quite effectively.

Mildly recommended--you could jump into the series here but it's better to have more of the backstories to the characters.

TV Review: Ghosts Series Three (2021)

Ghosts Series Three (2021) written, created by, and starring Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond

See my reviews of series one and series two!

The travails of Alison and Mike continue through another series of adventures. Most of the episodes (seven in all) are self-contained stories, but an overarching story is establish when a half-sister to Alison shows up. At first Alison is excited, but when she is clearing up some paperwork with her solicitor and mentions her to him, he is concerned that the half-sister (who seems to be older) may have a prior claim over Button House. That awkwardness is compounded by the suspicions of some of the ghosts that this new long-lost sister (who only made the connection when Alison briefly appeared on a tv history documentary that filmed at Button House) is probably a fake.

The show continues to be a lot of fun, working well with the large cast of characters (eight ghosts and two living people is a lot of a half-hour sit-com). The actors are all on top form and the writing is great. I had a lot of fun watching.

Recommended, highly for fans of the previous seasons!

TV Review: Blackadder II (1986)

Blackadder II (1986) created by Richard Curtis

See my review of the first Blackadder here. 

Jumping ahead to Elizabethan England, Sir Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is great-grandson of the original Lord Blackadder. Edmund follows in his ancestor's footsteps, trying to get ahead in his society without annoying the royalty, in his case, Queen Elizabeth (Miranda Richardson). The queen is a bit of a loose cannon, often playing jests or inexplicably switching from affectionate to execution-minded. She has a nurse (Patsy Byrne) and a sycophantic minister (Stephen Fry) who play along with her. They provide comedic jeopardy for Blackadder.

Blackadder has his own entourage of sycophants--a servant named Baldrick (Tony Robinson) and Lord Percy (Tim McInnerny) who is a bit of an idiot but willing to go along with Blackadder's schemes. The scheming is fun if a bit ridiculous. For example, Blackadder tries to upstage Sir Walter Raleigh by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, a seemingly fatal trip. Blackadder hires a salty captain (played delightfully by Fourth Doctor Tom Baker) whose ship doesn't really make it anywhere since he has no crew and no real sailing skills. The predicament leads to a lot comedy, some of it gross or bawdy. 

The show is both very mature and entirely childish. A surprising amount of humor is based around body parts and sex, something the British are more comfortable with (see Monty Python's stuff). The humor is often rude, with cutting remarks bandied about, mostly from Blackadder. There's more slapstick than I was expecting too, with characters thrown through walls or tossed about. Most of the characters are vain, selfish, and shallow. I did laugh a lot, so I guess it worked as a comedy.

Mildly recommended--this show isn't for kids but it is funny, and you have to excuse the mid-1980s BBC production values.

TV Review: Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (2023)

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (2023) written by Russell T. Davis and directed by Rachel Talalay, Tom Kingsley, and Chanya Button

The Fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor has the same face as the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)! A series of specials for the sixtieth anniversary of the show features Tennant and Catherine Tate returning as Donna Noble. Three fun episodes?

The Star Beast--The Doctor lands on present day Earth where he nearly runs into Donna. He does not want to do that because if she remembers him, she will die (because of entirely fabricated complications, the usual Doctor Who blather). He tries to avoid her as everyone except Donna sees an alien spaceship crash in London's outskirts. Donna has a daughter named Rose (Yasmin Finney) and a husband and a supposedly happy life. Rose winds up finding a cute alien creature, The Meep, which she tries to protect from the hostile aliens that have also landed on Earth and want to capture The Meep. The show has the usual dramatics and action of a Doctor Who episode with a very cinematic visual flare. There's a nice twist for the third act and a great deal of fun leading to the Doctor and Donna going for one last adventure in the TARDIS. There are some clumsy woke moments in the show, e.g. it is hard to tell whether they are mocking or affirming a character choosing a pronoun.

Wild Blue Yonder--Of course the TARDIS goes off course, landing the Doctor and Donna at the edge of the known universe in a seemingly empty, gigantic ship. The TARDIS suddenly transports out, leaving them stranded. Donna panics and the Doctor realizes the TARDIS only leaves when extreme danger is nearby. They investigate the ship, hoping to stop the danger and thereby let the TARDIS return. The adventure is fun, along with a little bit of character development and revelation. Not the best Doctor story, but good enough.

The Giggle--Neil Patrick Harris guest stars as The Toymaker, a villain who wants to play games and win. He's used a puppet to drive human beings crazy, forcing the Doctor and Donna to team up with UNIT to stop him. The mechanics of the plot are very nonsensical which could have been okay if the cast was up for a bit of whimsy. For me, they played it a little too straight to make the fun outweigh the logical inconsistencies and incoherences. The new Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) has a nice introduction, though I hope he gets a pair of pants in the Christmas special. Tennant's Doctor gets a nice coda and a huge opening to come back at any time. Donna gets the ending that she deserves, which made me very happy.

Overall, these are okay. I didn't see anything really great here but I was entertained. I want to go back and watch the Donna Noble episodes. She is the best of the modern companions, maybe the best one from the whole sixty year history.

As I write (December 2023), the episodes are available streaming on Disney+ in America and other countries outside of the UK (where it is available from BBC).

TV Review: Ghosts Series Two (2020)

Ghosts Series Two (2020) written, created by, and starring Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond

The travails of young couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) continue as they try to turn their inherited haunted house (Button House) into a money-maker. The set of ghosts haunting the home are just as much a hinderance as a help. This second series of adventures provides a lot more of the same from the first series, with the addition of a Christmas episode, because the British love their yuletide ghost stories. A special standout is the episode where one of the ghosts is caught on film, drawing a lot of paranormal investigators to Button House. The actual ghosts are not interested in being exploited in such a cavalier manner, so Alison and Mike have to fake supernatural shenanigans in their actually haunted house. The writing on the whole series is very good. The premise gives them a lot of room for comedy and pathos, with characters from many different periods in English history having their own perspectives, foibles, and moments to shine. 

Recommended, though this is not for little kids--too many adult shenanigans.

TV Review: Ghosts Series One (2019)

Ghosts Series One (2019) written, created by, and starring Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond

Young couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are hunting for a cheap apartment when she gets a call. A distant relative, Lady Button, has recently died. Alison is the only relative left on the family tree so Button House (a grand house and estate) goes to her, if she wants it. The couple are excited about the prospect, hoping to convert it into a posh hotel. The only problem is Lady Button did not do much maintenance, so there's a lot to fix up. Also, the house is full of ghosts of people who died on the grounds, dating from caveman Robin (Laurence Rickard) to smarmy politician Julian (Simon Farnaby). Also, the basement has a group of plague victims who were buried in a pit under the house (they at least stay in the basement).

The ghosts balk at having someone new live in the house, especially with the renovation plans. As Alison is leaning out a window to check on the roof, the one ghost who can move physical objects gives her a push and she falls one story. Mike rushes her off to the hospital. The ghosts' rejoicing is short-lived as the couple returns. Thanks to Alison's bump on the head, she can now see and hear the ghosts. At first, she and Mike write it off as post-concussion hallucinations. Eventually, she is convinced they are really there, even though no one else can see or hear them. Comic antics ensue as the couple tries to make some money out of the house while the ghosts vacillate between trying to get rid of Alison and Mike and trying to help them stay.

The premise is very creative and the varied cast gives lots of opportunities for jokes and pathos. The cast is universally excellent, turning stock characters like a Regency-era poet or a 1980s Scout leader into real people. The ghosts have a good family dynamic as they struggle with being together in the house and what to do about the latest visitors.

Highly recommended--I would rewatch this in a heart-beat. Some of the humor is adult, so use your judgment about allowing pre-teens to see it.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975)

Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975) written by Gerry Davis and directed by Michael E. Briant

Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and his companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) have returned to the Ark in Space to pick up the TARDIS, only to find themselves thousands of years before their last visit. At this point, the Ark is a space beacon guiding ships through the solar system. But a plague has broken out, leaving a handful of crew and one scientist, Kellerman (Jeremy Wilkin). Kellermen is interested in an asteroid nearby that is really the home of the Voga, a race of beings once at war with the Cybermen. Their asteroid is called the "planet of gold" because it is basically a chunk of gold ore floating in space. Gold is a weakness of the Cybermen--if their suits are contaminated they die quickly. Naturally, the Cyberman want to destroy Voga. The Vogans naturally don't want to die. Plenty of conflict is set up for the Doctor to resolve.

The plot moves along at a good pace with some mystery about who is on whose side among the humans on the space station. The typical cliffhangers abound in this four-episode storyline. The special effects are also typical for the classic Doctor Who (not very good). The story falls apart a bit when the Cybermen go to Voga to plant bombs. The Vogans fight them with rifles rather than using the plentiful gold all around. What the heck? Baker is charming as usual and has good chemistry with Sladen and Marter.

Mildly recommended--this is a typical, not great, story.

TV Review: The Final Cut (1995)

The Final Cut (1995) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Mike Vardy

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) wants to leave a leadership legacy and has worked on a peace accord between Turkish and Greek Cyprus. Unfortunately (but typically), his motivation is tainted. He wants to be more historically famous than Margaret Thatcher and he plans to take advantage of some Cypriot off-shore oil to secure his financial future. His main opponents are two. First is political opponent Makepeace (Paul Freeman) who is Foreign Minister but opposes Urquhart's cold and calculating attitudes. Second is Maria Passolides (Yolanda Vazquez), whose father had two brothers killed in the 1950s in a war on Cyprus. The dad suspects Urquhart killed them. Viewers know he did because he has flashbacks of killing two young men and burning their bodies. The fly in the ointment is Claire Carlson (Isla Blair) who is Makepeace's lover but also advisor to Urquhart. Urquhart wants to use her relationship to get dirt on Makepeace. Makepeace is an upstanding guy (sort of) who quits his job and goes for the party leadership, and possibly the office of Prime Minister too. As things spiral out of control, can Urquhart succeed?

The show adds some new ghosts haunting Urquhart, the Cypriot nationals he killed. Those memories are paralleled with the Mattie's death from the first series, making the two memories roughly equal though apparently he didn't remember his earlier crimes till this series. He's also obsessed with lasting longer than Margaret Thatcher, for whom he has nothing but contempt. He hints that his relationship with Claire will be exploitative (including sexually) but nothing comes of it, probably because she's pretty busy in the bedroom with Makepeace (with a surprising number of topless scenes). Her playing both sides is more interesting than Urquhart's manipulation of situations. Richardson is still great in the role but the script for this series has run out of good ideas. The ending is abrupt and not convincing or satisfying, lowering the overall series into just another political drama. The first series is well worth watching; this series is more for completists.

Mildly recommended.

As with the other series, I watched on Hoopla through a library account.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (1968)

Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (1968) written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, directed by Douglas Camfield

The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) has trouble flying the TARDIS (go figure). The trouble isn't really his fault as some entity is trying to trap him in the Space-Time stream along with companions Victoria (Deborah Watling) and Jamie (Frazer Hines). They manage to break free and land on Earth. The TARDIS winds up in the London Underground. London has been abandoned by the locals due to an infestation of Yeti, which are alien robots. The military works to contain the problem, bringing on board a scientist named Travers (Jack Watling) who has had previous experience with the Yeti, and even with the Doctor (in an episode called The Abominable Snowmen, which I must hunt down)! The mystery is on as they search for who controls the Yeti and how to stop them.

This six-parter is notable for the first appearance of Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), though he's only a colonel here, not "The Brigadier," and UNIT is not introduced. The Yeti are much more menacing and real-seeming than many of the classic Doctor Who baddies. The mystery keeps the plot moving along, as does the standard running around. Even with so many episodes, the story does not drag out or have slow spots. The cast are in fine form. As I've said before, Troughton has an excellent take on the character and is a delight to watch.

This serial was thought lost but five of the episodes have been recovered. Only the audio from Episode Three exists. The visuals were recreated through animation, much like some previous restored serials. I have to say the animation here is really atrocious. The characters move awkwardly and stiltedly, almost as if it was a rough cut of the animation, not a finished product. I don't know if they were being cheap or rushed, but Doctor Who deserves better! I found that episode hard to watch because of the poor visual quality. 

Mildly recommended--classic Doctor Who in classic form but the rough animation is really hard on the eyes.

TV Review: House of Cards (1990)

House of Cards (1990) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Paul Seed

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) is the conservative party's Chief Whip, meaning he is well connected to other politicians and is adept at dealing in the background with problems and opportunities. When he is passed over for promotion by the Prime Minister (David Lyon), Urquhart puts his skills to use to unseat the PM and get himself moved into the position. He has the dirt on several people and is able to create a scandal involving the PM's brother, an unreliable but thoroughly inoffensive fellow. Urquhart develops a new, useful connection--a young and ambitious reported named Mattie Storin (Susannah Haker) who is enamored of Urquhart. She is very loyal to him, but will her investigation into the scandal upset his carefully laid plans?

Urquhart is like Shakespeare's Richard III in many ways. The primary way is his monologues to the camera/audience, where he explains what is going on or gives wry commentary (though sometimes he just throws knowing glances). He even has a catch phrase that's entered popular culture, "You might well think that, I couldn't possibly comment," much like "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse." Like King Richard, he is a master political manipulator, using everyone while pretending to be loyal, devoted, and unambitious. He successfully deflects suspicion onto other people, discrediting other potential rivals for PM. At one point, he event mentions Richard III to his wife (Diane Fletcher), who plays the supportive Lady MacBeth. The only two things Urquhart does not have are royal blood and a hunchback.

The story is engagingly dramatic. Viewers are tempted to root for Urquhart, who is a brilliant man, but cannot possibly condone his conniving behavior. His ability to put on a pleasant, friendly face is unnerving and fascinating, like a car wreck on the roadside. It's so hard to look away. Soon enough, viewers root for his downfall, to see that flaw that will trip him up. Is he skillful enough to avoid the comeuppance he deserves?

Highly recommended--this is a first class political thriller, smart as a whip, or even as the Whip it portrays! The political corruption is pretty bad (there's a bit of on-screen sex, drugs, and murder), so this is not a show for kids, or the feint of heart.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Creature from the Pit (1979)

Doctor Who: The Creature from the Pit (1979) written by David Fisher and directed by Christopher Barry

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) has unintentionally landed (actually, the TARDIS auto-answered a distress call) on Chloris, a planet with a lot of vegetation and some strange, gigantic eggshell fragments near where they landed. The locals have a shortage of metals, except for Lady Adrasta (Myra Francis) who has control of the only mine. The mine has played out and is now used for dumping her enemies because there's a creature in the pit. The Doctor is intrigued about what is really going on, so he and Romana (Lalla Ward) investigate, which means the typical running around, getting into trouble, and saving the day.

The story has a lot of humor (it's from the period where Douglas Adams was script editor) and has some interesting mysteries. The pacing is a little faster than usual and Romana is very sharp and in control of her part of the story. She's much more of an equal to the Doctor than a damsel in distress. The creature is a big fake blobby thing, though they gave it an appendage in the first episode that looks ridiculously phallic. They toned that down for the subsequent three episodes of this four-parter. The final episode had some extra drama thrown in after the main baddie was vanquished.

Recommended for fans of the old Doctor Who--the comedy is pretty good, except for the unintentional comedy.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Keeper of Traken (1981)

Doctor Who: The Keeper of Traken (1981) written by Johnny Byrne and directed by John Black

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) are mysteriously pulled off course by the Keeper of Traken (Denis Carey). Traken is a world that has had a thousand years of peace because the Keeper has stopped all evil and corruption. Well, sometimes evil things show up but they are completely incapacitated. One such evil thing is Melkur (voiced by Geoffrey Beevers), a sentient robot that has become paralyzed and is little more than a garden decoration. This particular Keeper is coming to the end of his life, which means that the safety of Traken is in jeopardy. Melkur is showing signs of life, manipulating one of the ruling council's members for mysterious and maleficent purposes. The Keeper expects some danger, that's why he's pulled the TARDIS down to Traken, landing in the very garden where Melkur stands, gathering moss and scheming.

The story follows a fairly typical plot with some nice twists, especially in the last episode. Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), a future companion, shows up and joins in the scientific crafting with Adric and the Doctor. The acting is very good. The episode is minimalist on special effects, making it easier to watch forty years later. 

Recommended--a fun outing with the Doctor.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Castrovalva (1982)

Doctor Who: Castrovalva written by Christopher H. Bidmead and directed by Fiona Cumming

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) has just regenerated from the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker). He's not in great shape and needs more time to finalize the regeneration. The first plan is to take him to a special room in the TARDIS with healing properties. While Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) escort him, Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) becomes lost in the TARDIS. Soon enough they discover that Adric has been kidnapped by the Master (Anthony Ainley), who is using him to sabotage the TARDIS. Tegan flies them to Castrovalva, a city recommended by the Doctor for its healing powers. They arrive only to find it very strange. Are the Castrovalvans plotting against them too?

The story is very slow, with a few extended wandering around scenes. The pacing probably would have benefitted by condensing from four to three episodes. Some of the costumes are silly even by Doctor Who standards. The special effects are also dodgy-looking. This story was Davison's first outing as the Doctor, so he switches into his cricket outfit and, by the end, gets the celery stalk on his lapel. Overall, a less than remarkable beginning for a guy who would grow nicely into the role.

Mildly recommended.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani (1984)

Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani (1984) written by Robert Holmes and directed by Graeme Harper

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and his companion Peri (Nicola Bryant) land on Androzani Minor where they stumble into a small war. The miners who were extracting a valuable mineral have taken up arms against the corporation sponsoring the dig. The corporation is clearly evil because they are ready to execute the Doctor and Peri as rebel spies with no proof or trial. The leader of the rebels is a disfigured scientist named Sharaz Jek who invented the mining androids and wants revenge against the corporation. He's pretty evil too, trying to stiff the arms dealers who fail to make a delivery. And Jek wants to keep Peri in his base as the most beautiful creature he's seen. Full points for taste but negative points for not respecting her personal dignity. If the situation wasn't bad enough, the Doctor and Peri have been exposed to a local toxin and will die in a few days unless they can find the antidote (bat milk!) deep in the caves.

The plot is interesting enough even though it's hard to find a sympathetic character aside from the Doctor and Peri. Neither the corporation nor the rebels are in the right. The caves, where much of the action happens, are fairly dark, giving some sympathetic lighting to the one creature hiding in the lower depths of the caves. The monster has little to do with the plot other than checking the box for "rubbish-looking monstrosity" that's part of most classic Doctor Who episodes. Some of the other effects look dodgy, as does the parts recording on videotape rather than film. I always think it's weird they decided to blend the two filming formats. The show ends with Peter Davison's regeneration into the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, so that's a nice bonus (though the effects are also very 1980s).

Recommended. Not great, but of historic value for the transition.

TV Review: Fleming. The Man Who Would Be Bond (2014)

 Fleming. The Man Who Would Be Bond (2014) directed by Mat Whitecross

Ian Fleming (Dominic Cooper) has great ambitions but few accomplishments as World War II begins. He's failing at his stock broker job. His brother Peter (Rupert Evans) is a famous travel author who's had lots of fun adventures abroad. Ian lands a job with Naval Intelligence. His imagination gets a freer rein and he's able to lead a more free-wheeling lifestyle (which fits with his hedonistic tendencies). Many lovers pass through his bed though he has little interest in them as persons. The woman he truly wants is the more unreachable Ann O'Neill (Lara Pulver), who is married, well-connected, and a bit of a hedonist too. As Fleming hatches elaborate espionage plans, his romantic life gets more complicated. He's a bit hard nosed, though, not really loving women as much as himself. Fleming is insubordinate, even to his own mother (Lesley Manville). He is wily enough to dodge most problems and come out on top.

The show goes to great lengths to compare Fleming to his fiction creation James Bond. Fleming is a ladies' man with an aloofness and brutality toward his enemies. In the show, they go a little overboard depicting Fleming as bitter and cruel. Though he was accomplished, he was not very likeable, either to the characters in the story or to me as a viewer. Fleming gets the girl in the end though the circumstances are not at all convincing (it's not a spoiler to write about that because the show starts with them honeymooning in the Caribbean in 1953 and then flashing back thirteen years). The larger story of World War II and the supposed origins of Bond are more interesting, especially the Easter Eggs thrown in throughout for Bond fans.

The show is a mish-mash of good and bad elements with the bad weighing heavier.

Not recommended--just watch an actual Bond film, even the bad ones have more entertainment value than this does.