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DOCTOR WHO, 10.2 – ‘Smile’
If the theme of robots becoming sentient seems familiar in “Smile”, the second episode of the tenth series of Doctor Who, then look no further than the previous explorations of artificial intelligence in Steven Moffat’s work for the show. Writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce, returning after the lukewarm reception to his last effort, “In the Forest of…
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PHANTASM I-V (1979-2016)
Phantasm is low in the pecking order of horror franchises, but it became one of the genre’s most enduring sagas. Five instalments were released sporadically, between 1979 and 2016, so anything so determined to complete its story over nearly 40 years must have been offering something of merit… right? As someone with only a passing knowledge of…
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DRUNKEN MASTER (1978)
An undisciplined young man must learn “drunken fist” Kung Fu in order to stop an assassin…
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CLIQUE – Series One
Childhood friends Georgia and Holly are a few weeks into studying at university in Edinburgh, when Georgia finds herself drawn into an elite circle of alpha females, led by lecturer Jude McDermid…
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BETTER CALL SAUL, 3.2 – ‘Witness’
Another methodical episode, which you either appreciate or find your leg twitching with impatience. I rather enjoy the oasis of calm a drama like Better Call Saul provides, punctuated with moments of tension and big surprises. At least “Witness” did a few things people have been asking for, in terms of bringing Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk)…
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THE LEFTOVERS, 3.1 – ‘The Book of Kevin’
The best drama on television returns with another bold and remarkable season premiere, cementing its well-earned reputation for balancing human emotion with imaginative fantasy. Much like the previous premiere, “Axis Mundi”, it opened with a flashback separate to the main story but foreshadowing issues the regular cast will be facing. While it wasn’t as astonishing…
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DOCTOR WHO, 10.1 – ‘The Pilot’
There’s a marvellous composition right at the start of this week’s Doctor Who that speaks volumes. As “The Pilot” begins and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) is shown into The Doctor’s (Peter Capaldi) study at Bristol University, she sits down at The Doctor’s desk. Not only is this opening shot a wonderful nod to the ideas…
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FAST & FURIOUS 8 (2017)
When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of his friends, the crew face trials that test them as never before…
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CATASTROPHE – Series Three
Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s semi-biographical sitcom Catastrophe recently returned to Channel 4 for its third series. Named after a quote from Zorba the Greek (“I’m a man so I married. Wife, children, house, everything. The full catastrophe!”), the show follows husband and wife Rob and Sharon Morris as they contend with the trials and…
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BETTER CALL SAUL, 3.1 – ‘Mabel’
I know too many people who gave up on Better Call Saul during its first season, either because it wasn’t enough like Breaking Bad for their liking, or they just had a hard time identifying with Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and didn’t particularly care about his arc. It’s a shame this spin-off naturally breeds such…
