TV

Doctor Who
2x22 The Lion [2nd watch]

aka The Crusade Part One.

I've long been uncertain whether I've seen The Crusade or not, but (looking into it before starting the serial on the season 2 Blu-ray set) I've concluded I almost certainly watched the version released on VHS in 1999. That included the then-recently-recovered Part 1, the already-held Part 3 (which I'm fairly certain I'd already seen on the Hartnell Years VHS), and narration by William Russell, in character as Ian, to fill us in on Parts 2 and 4.

Anyway, personal admin aside, I rather enjoyed this. Clearly pure historicals aren't popular with a lot of people, otherwise we'd have seen their revival by now (I still find it a little remarkable that, 17 years and over 140 stories into nuWho, they've not even tried the format once), but I find I tend to enjoy them, and this first instalment sets out the serial's stall with all the usual fun: a conflict in progress, the TARDIS team separated, a spot of fighting, a dash of comedy, and cod-Shakespearean dialogue. Lovely.