Blackadder: The Lost Pilot
I think I was expecting the first half of this to be some fluff to pad it to an hour, but it’s a surprisingly good little documentary, both as a history of the pilot and how it was transformed into the series, and as analysis of what does and doesn’t work, etc. Such a shame they ballsed up the rights (or whatever happened) and couldn’t include it on the complete series Blu-ray.
As for the pilot itself, it’s kind of bizarre how much it’s like series 2, considering how much series 1 isn’t like series 2. It’s as if someone saw the pilot and said, “that doesn’t quite work, let’s change it up,” then it took them an entire produced and broadcast series to realise those changes made it worse, before they went back to the original ideas and discovered, actually, they were perfection.
The pilot was also reworked into what’s probably the best episode of series 1, but I’d argue this actually does the same stuff better; partly because of the tone, partly thanks to some surprisingly elaborate bits of choreography (the play that turns into a farce and a climactic sword duel) which are a lot of fun.
Friday, 2 February 2024
Thursday, 1 February 2024
TV
The Black Adder
1x05 Witchsmeller Pursuivant
1x06 The Black Seal [season finale]
Well, that did improve as it went on, but I think the overall reputation I mentioned in my post for episode one still stands: this is a poor relation to the genius of the series that will follow. Imagine if the poor reception at the time had put them off commissioning series two (as nearly happened) — this would be some standalone oddity, a footnote in everyone's career (if, indeed, they went on to have the careers they had), possibly beloved by a tiny number of fans... Unless, of course, it's actually me that's aged and my tastes changed, and I won't enjoy the future episodes so much either?! Argh! Well, I'll worry about that for a little bit until I start series two...
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
Brian May's Brief History of 3D
Remember when everyone was so convinced that 3D was going to take off that Sky even launched a dedicated 3D channel? This was one of their original programmes, back in 2011. Thirteen years ago! Christ. Where does time go? The optimism for 3D is still strong, here — as well as a speedy but interesting history of the medium, it also takes time to look to its then-current and future uses. Of course, such optimism was misplaced. Now, it's back to being a hobby for us few aficionados. Yes, I still have a 3D TV, and I watched this on that in 3D — and lovely it was too, including the chance to see some real rarities — but for the mass audience, even theatrical 3D screenings are dwindling (though that does seem to depend on where you live). Can it ever make a comeback again? Who knows. Glasses always seem to be the major barrier for people. If they can make a glasses-less system, maybe things will be different.
1x05 Witchsmeller Pursuivant
1x06 The Black Seal [season finale]
Well, that did improve as it went on, but I think the overall reputation I mentioned in my post for episode one still stands: this is a poor relation to the genius of the series that will follow. Imagine if the poor reception at the time had put them off commissioning series two (as nearly happened) — this would be some standalone oddity, a footnote in everyone's career (if, indeed, they went on to have the careers they had), possibly beloved by a tiny number of fans... Unless, of course, it's actually me that's aged and my tastes changed, and I won't enjoy the future episodes so much either?! Argh! Well, I'll worry about that for a little bit until I start series two...
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
Brian May's Brief History of 3D
Remember when everyone was so convinced that 3D was going to take off that Sky even launched a dedicated 3D channel? This was one of their original programmes, back in 2011. Thirteen years ago! Christ. Where does time go? The optimism for 3D is still strong, here — as well as a speedy but interesting history of the medium, it also takes time to look to its then-current and future uses. Of course, such optimism was misplaced. Now, it's back to being a hobby for us few aficionados. Yes, I still have a 3D TV, and I watched this on that in 3D — and lovely it was too, including the chance to see some real rarities — but for the mass audience, even theatrical 3D screenings are dwindling (though that does seem to depend on where you live). Can it ever make a comeback again? Who knows. Glasses always seem to be the major barrier for people. If they can make a glasses-less system, maybe things will be different.
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Monday, 29 January 2024
Sunday, 28 January 2024
Comics
Helium by Ian Edginton & D’Israeli
So, here's the series I was referring to in yesterday's 2000 AD listing. Glad I bothered to read this, both because I enjoyed it a lot (it's an action-packed pulp 'dieselpunk' adventure) and because I reckon I'd've been floundering about what's going on in the new run without this grounding. Crazy to think it’s taken eight years for the next part to appear — if I’d read this when originally published, by this point I’d probably assume it’d just come to a downbeat, borderline-unique ending, rather than a cliffhanger.
Read Helium for free here.
So, here's the series I was referring to in yesterday's 2000 AD listing. Glad I bothered to read this, both because I enjoyed it a lot (it's an action-packed pulp 'dieselpunk' adventure) and because I reckon I'd've been floundering about what's going on in the new run without this grounding. Crazy to think it’s taken eight years for the next part to appear — if I’d read this when originally published, by this point I’d probably assume it’d just come to a downbeat, borderline-unique ending, rather than a cliffhanger.
Read Helium for free here.
Games
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
22–28 January 2024
We're only four weeks into the year? Somehow, it feels a lot more. And also, like it can't be (almost) February already. Perception of time is a funny thing, eh...
22–28 January 2024
We're only four weeks into the year? Somehow, it feels a lot more. And also, like it can't be (almost) February already. Perception of time is a funny thing, eh...
this week on 100Films.co.uk
5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Archive 5, Vol.8
More next Sunday.
Archive 5, Vol.8
Featuring...Read more here.
- One Cut of the Dead (2017)
- The Breakfast Club (1985)
- Chopping Mall (1986)
- Dead Man's Folly (1986)
- Wild Target (2010)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 27 January 2024
Comics
2000 AD #2351
Three new series start this Prog, and one of them they had the kindness to provide the previous run online for free. Fortunately, I downloaded it at the time (though, as of posting this, it's still available anyway), so I think it makes sense to read that first before embarking on series two. Which means I'm gonna let these Progs pile up as not-quite-finished until I do that. Hopefully, I'll bother to do it soon... but knowing me...
Three new series start this Prog, and one of them they had the kindness to provide the previous run online for free. Fortunately, I downloaded it at the time (though, as of posting this, it's still available anyway), so I think it makes sense to read that first before embarking on series two. Which means I'm gonna let these Progs pile up as not-quite-finished until I do that. Hopefully, I'll bother to do it soon... but knowing me...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Normally the end of a month feels a bit busier, as it seems to be the favourite release window for all the boutique labels nowadays. No idea why. But my titles from Eureka turned up early, and one from Arrow is coming from the US, so it's just a bundle from Radiance this week.
Number of titles in collection: 3,230 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,016 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,214 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 327 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,866 [up 4]
Number of films: 3,970 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 353 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,678 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,110 [no change]
To liven things up, it's also time for the monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
553 days, 21 hours, and 54 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 14 hours, and 17 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Normally the end of a month feels a bit busier, as it seems to be the favourite release window for all the boutique labels nowadays. No idea why. But my titles from Eureka turned up early, and one from Arrow is coming from the US, so it's just a bundle from Radiance this week.
Number of titles in collection: 3,230 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,016 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,214 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 327 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,866 [up 4]
Number of films: 3,970 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 353 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,678 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,110 [no change]
To liven things up, it's also time for the monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
553 days, 21 hours, and 54 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 14 hours, and 17 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 26 January 2024
Films
Bottoms (2023)
[#8 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
Bottoms (2023)
[2nd watch]
Arguably this belongs in tomorrow's Films post, because most of my viewing was after midnight; but that would obscure an important fact: that after I finished watching Bottoms, I more-or-less turned right around and watched it again. That's only the second time in my life I can remember doing that (the last was Serenity, on the big screen at my uni's film society, back in 2006).
[#8 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
Bottoms (2023)
[2nd watch]
Arguably this belongs in tomorrow's Films post, because most of my viewing was after midnight; but that would obscure an important fact: that after I finished watching Bottoms, I more-or-less turned right around and watched it again. That's only the second time in my life I can remember doing that (the last was Serenity, on the big screen at my uni's film society, back in 2006).
Thursday, 25 January 2024
Films
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 3D (2018)
[2nd watch]
[#7 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
[2nd watch]
[#7 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
Monday, 22 January 2024
Films
Steamboat Willie (1928)
The original Mickey Mouse short, which is now in the public domain. Ironically, I watched it on Disney+.
The original Mickey Mouse short, which is now in the public domain. Ironically, I watched it on Disney+.
Sunday, 21 January 2024
TV
The Black Adder
1x04 The Queen of Spain's Beard
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
16x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x04 The Queen of Spain's Beard
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
16x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
15–21 January 2024
A week introducing Playable Character #3. I didn't think this was a character I'd want to play as, but I had more success than with either of the other two so far. Of course, that's partly just the luck of dice rolls. Several more to go yet before I have to make a final decision about the rest of the year.
15–21 January 2024
A week introducing Playable Character #3. I didn't think this was a character I'd want to play as, but I had more success than with either of the other two so far. Of course, that's partly just the luck of dice rolls. Several more to go yet before I have to make a final decision about the rest of the year.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
Can you believe it? I barely can! But it's true: last week, I published 8 new reviews on 100Films.co.uk! They were...
2024 | Week 2
The Return of Archive 5
More next Sunday.
2024 | Week 2
Featuring...Read more here.
- Lift (2024)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Jackass Forever (2022)
The Return of Archive 5
Hey, look what else is back! Almost a whole year on from the last instalment in the series, I’ve finally managed to rustle up a new Archive 5. Featuring...Read more here.
- The Mummy (1932)
- So Dark the Night (1946)
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
- A Brief History of Time Travel (2018)
- Misery (1990)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 20 January 2024
TV
Blood Actually: A Murder, They Hope Mystery
Can’t tell if these are getting worse or if they’ve always been this bad and it’s only now getting to me.
Can’t tell if these are getting worse or if they’ve always been this bad and it’s only now getting to me.
Comics
2000 AD #2350
Having just caught up (er, four months ago), now I've fallen well behind again! Oops. Another casualty of my Doctor Who focus towards the end of 2023. I had intended to try to catch up again in December, during the period when the bumper Christmas issue was on shelves meaning no new Progs until January, but it didn't happen. Hopefully I'll get to that Christmas issue before too long — it's always going to be unseasonal now, but the sooner the better.
Having just caught up (er, four months ago), now I've fallen well behind again! Oops. Another casualty of my Doctor Who focus towards the end of 2023. I had intended to try to catch up again in December, during the period when the bumper Christmas issue was on shelves meaning no new Progs until January, but it didn't happen. Hopefully I'll get to that Christmas issue before too long — it's always going to be unseasonal now, but the sooner the better.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A goodly haul this month — a mix of January sales & offers (including one DVD-to-4K upgrade, a quality jump that always tickles me) and a handful of new releases (technically out over the coming fortnight) from Eureka.
Number of titles in collection: 3,226 [up 7]
Of which DVDs: 1,016 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,210 [up 8]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 327 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,862 [up 12]
Number of films: 3,966 [up 8]
Number of additional cuts: 352 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,678 [up 8]
Number of short films: 1,110 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
A goodly haul this month — a mix of January sales & offers (including one DVD-to-4K upgrade, a quality jump that always tickles me) and a handful of new releases (technically out over the coming fortnight) from Eureka.
Number of titles in collection: 3,226 [up 7]
Of which DVDs: 1,016 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,210 [up 8]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 327 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,862 [up 12]
Number of films: 3,966 [up 8]
Number of additional cuts: 352 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,678 [up 8]
Number of short films: 1,110 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 19 January 2024
Thursday, 18 January 2024
TV
The Black Adder
1x03 The Archbishop
It does seem to get better with each episode. Still nowhere near the level of later series at their best, though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x03 The Archbishop
It does seem to get better with each episode. Still nowhere near the level of later series at their best, though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Non-Fiction
A City on Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith
Introduction
Subtitled Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, this popular science book reportedly offers a thoroughly-researched alternative to the well-popularised view of certain tech bros that we're merrily off to colonise space in the next decade or two.
And yes, that's right: me, who barely manages to read anything most of the time (certainly a lot less than I'd like) is attempting a science book! Well, I heard good things, and the subject matter is up my street. Plus it's "popular science", so I figure it should be accessible and not, like, a textbook. Makes a change from fiction, too; in that, although I don't read as much fiction as I'd like, it is almost all I read when I do read. So there.
Introduction
Subtitled Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, this popular science book reportedly offers a thoroughly-researched alternative to the well-popularised view of certain tech bros that we're merrily off to colonise space in the next decade or two.
And yes, that's right: me, who barely manages to read anything most of the time (certainly a lot less than I'd like) is attempting a science book! Well, I heard good things, and the subject matter is up my street. Plus it's "popular science", so I figure it should be accessible and not, like, a textbook. Makes a change from fiction, too; in that, although I don't read as much fiction as I'd like, it is almost all I read when I do read. So there.
Monday, 15 January 2024
Sunday, 14 January 2024
Games
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
8–14 January 2024
I don't seem to be doing a great job with playing this as intended (i.e. daily). However, each of the first few weeks (six, I think? Which would take us right into February!) is a sort of prequel mini-adventure with one of the possible heroes, at the end of which you choose which one you'll continue with for the rest of the year. So, after I played the first one in one sitting, I feel like I've set a precedent. Equally, if I do keep this up, I won't be playing the calendar 'properly' until mid-February. Hm.
Well, a couple of times this week I nearly just played the week up to that point, but then other entertainment options distracted me (it's not like I'm short of choice — so many films and TV series I want to watch, both old and new; books I want to read; audio dramas I want to listen to; comics I want to catch up on...) So, let's see what happens next week.
As for this second week, it seemed to go much quicker than the first. I don't know if it had less content or I'm just a little more familiar with the gameplay and whatnot than I was. I also didn't have much luck on my rolls. Can't see myself choosing this character to play for the rest of the year!
8–14 January 2024
I don't seem to be doing a great job with playing this as intended (i.e. daily). However, each of the first few weeks (six, I think? Which would take us right into February!) is a sort of prequel mini-adventure with one of the possible heroes, at the end of which you choose which one you'll continue with for the rest of the year. So, after I played the first one in one sitting, I feel like I've set a precedent. Equally, if I do keep this up, I won't be playing the calendar 'properly' until mid-February. Hm.
Well, a couple of times this week I nearly just played the week up to that point, but then other entertainment options distracted me (it's not like I'm short of choice — so many films and TV series I want to watch, both old and new; books I want to read; audio dramas I want to listen to; comics I want to catch up on...) So, let's see what happens next week.
As for this second week, it seemed to go much quicker than the first. I don't know if it had less content or I'm just a little more familiar with the gameplay and whatnot than I was. I also didn't have much luck on my rolls. Can't see myself choosing this character to play for the rest of the year!
this week on 100Films.co.uk
Having spent the first week of 2024 wrapping up my regular coverage of 2023 over on 100Films.co.uk (read all about that here), this week was all about kicking off my 2024 challenge.
First up: the overall challenge...
Then, posts dedicated to my Blindspot and "What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" challenges...
Blindspot 2024
What Do You Mean You Haven’t Seen All of the IMDb Top 250?
With that all out of the way, will there be more next Sunday? Only time will tell...
First up: the overall challenge...
Then, posts dedicated to my Blindspot and "What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" challenges...
Blindspot 2024
This is a challenge in which you pick 12 films you've never seen but should have (your blindspots) and watch them one per month over the next year. It's a great way of ensuring you watch films that you might otherwise not get round to. Or intending to get round to them, anyway, as I've failed to complete the list on various occasions... Below are my 12 picks for 2024, followed by an unnecessarily long-winded explanation of why I chose them.Read more here.
What Do You Mean You Haven’t Seen All of the IMDb Top 250?
Ever since I began my 100 Films in a Year Challenge all the way back in 2007, I've kept track of my progress in completing one of the best-known "best of" lists on the internet: the IMDb Top 250... Ultimately, over the first 17 years of this blog, my annual statistics say I've watched 211 films from the Top 250 — but films come and go from the list, and many of those 211 won't even be on there anymore. For example: since I had 119 films left to go, I've watched 145 more, but I still have 19 outstanding.Read more here.
With that all out of the way, will there be more next Sunday? Only time will tell...
Saturday, 13 January 2024
Fiction
The Spider-Queen by Austin McConnell & Elizabeth McIvor
Chapters 6–8 + Epilogue [the end]
Ironically, this suffers from the same problem that blights 'real' superhero cinematic universes: it's mostly just origin story that teases something bigger and possibly more exciting — including a "credits" scene that, literally, teases something bigger and more exciting. It's not bad, but it could maybe have done with, structurally, making the climax the end of Act Two and having something bigger for Act Three, rather than just teasing.
Chapters 6–8 + Epilogue [the end]
Ironically, this suffers from the same problem that blights 'real' superhero cinematic universes: it's mostly just origin story that teases something bigger and possibly more exciting — including a "credits" scene that, literally, teases something bigger and more exciting. It's not bad, but it could maybe have done with, structurally, making the climax the end of Act Two and having something bigger for Act Three, rather than just teasing.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week, another whole TV series gets upgraded from DVD to BD, plus catching up on some recent releases (from December and earlier in January) means changes across the board.
Number of titles in collection: 3,219 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,017 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,202 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 324 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,850 [up 9]
Number of films: 3,958 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 352 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,670 [down 1]
Number of short films: 1,110 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week, another whole TV series gets upgraded from DVD to BD, plus catching up on some recent releases (from December and earlier in January) means changes across the board.
Number of titles in collection: 3,219 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,017 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,202 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 324 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,850 [up 9]
Number of films: 3,958 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 352 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,670 [down 1]
Number of short films: 1,110 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 12 January 2024
Audio Drama
Hell Cats 2
2x01 Home Coming
I greatly enjoyed the first series of Hell Cats when I listened to it last year, but I was getting to the point of deciding not to bother with series 2 — after all, the first run was based on history and told a complete story, whereas this spins off into semi-fantasy (I presume the stuff with the highwaymen is once again broadly historically accurate, but dragging pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read into it is, well, not). But just as I was about to cancel my Audible subscription, they offered me a cut rate to stay, which I took and, well, it seemed only right to take that as some kind of sign (not that I believe in such things) and actually listen to the series.
This first episode, then, is very much about setting the new scene, but describing highwaymen as "land pirates" feels a clear indicator of where things are headed.
[Listen to it (again) on Audible.]
2x01 Home Coming
I greatly enjoyed the first series of Hell Cats when I listened to it last year, but I was getting to the point of deciding not to bother with series 2 — after all, the first run was based on history and told a complete story, whereas this spins off into semi-fantasy (I presume the stuff with the highwaymen is once again broadly historically accurate, but dragging pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read into it is, well, not). But just as I was about to cancel my Audible subscription, they offered me a cut rate to stay, which I took and, well, it seemed only right to take that as some kind of sign (not that I believe in such things) and actually listen to the series.
This first episode, then, is very much about setting the new scene, but describing highwaymen as "land pirates" feels a clear indicator of where things are headed.
[Listen to it (again) on Audible.]
Thursday, 11 January 2024
TV
The Black Adder
1x02 Born to Be King
Already showing signs of improvement, but the elements are just not aligned correctly for what made Blackadder work to, well, work. At the moment, I'm mostly hopeful that series one will simply remain "bearable" until the genius of series two can arrive.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x02 Born to Be King
Already showing signs of improvement, but the elements are just not aligned correctly for what made Blackadder work to, well, work. At the moment, I'm mostly hopeful that series one will simply remain "bearable" until the genius of series two can arrive.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
TV
The Black Adder
1x01 The Foretelling
Sometime in the late ’90s, a BBC Two repeat of Blackadder was like catnip to my teenage group of friends — probably the perfect age to be introduced to it. I didn’t get in on it until series 2, and — thanks to its lesser reputation — have never got round to going back to series 1. Well, I just bought the new Blu-ray set, so here we go.
And… yeah, it certainly lives down to that reputation. It’s remarkable how mediocre this is, given the genius that would follow. Maybe the quality improves across the first series? I hope so…
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x01 The Foretelling
Sometime in the late ’90s, a BBC Two repeat of Blackadder was like catnip to my teenage group of friends — probably the perfect age to be introduced to it. I didn’t get in on it until series 2, and — thanks to its lesser reputation — have never got round to going back to series 1. Well, I just bought the new Blu-ray set, so here we go.
And… yeah, it certainly lives down to that reputation. It’s remarkable how mediocre this is, given the genius that would follow. Maybe the quality improves across the first series? I hope so…
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 9 January 2024
TV
Jeopardy!
1x01 (1/1/24 edition)
I was curious about this ever since they announced it, because Jeopardy is an enduringly popular show in the US (as described in this episode, it's the TV show equivalent of a "national treasure") but no UK version has ever stuck long-term. So here we go trying again, with the wonderful Stephen Fry as host. But then I heard it wasn’t actually any good, plus I’m not sure I actually want to watch any game show every single day, hence why it’s taken me over a week to watch it.
They’ve obviously decided to copy the US version as closely as possible, which feels a bit weird on UK TV — we don’t do things the same as the yanks, after all. Part of that is it feels dated and dreadfully slow. You could easily condense the same content into 30 minutes and it wouldn’t feel like it was taking forever. Of course, it doesn’t help that watching it on catchup means unskippable ad breaks.
[Watch it (again) on ITVX.]
1x01 (1/1/24 edition)
I was curious about this ever since they announced it, because Jeopardy is an enduringly popular show in the US (as described in this episode, it's the TV show equivalent of a "national treasure") but no UK version has ever stuck long-term. So here we go trying again, with the wonderful Stephen Fry as host. But then I heard it wasn’t actually any good, plus I’m not sure I actually want to watch any game show every single day, hence why it’s taken me over a week to watch it.
They’ve obviously decided to copy the US version as closely as possible, which feels a bit weird on UK TV — we don’t do things the same as the yanks, after all. Part of that is it feels dated and dreadfully slow. You could easily condense the same content into 30 minutes and it wouldn’t feel like it was taking forever. Of course, it doesn’t help that watching it on catchup means unskippable ad breaks.
[Watch it (again) on ITVX.]
Monday, 8 January 2024
TV
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Neil Brand's fully-scored adaptation for orchestra and actors, which was first staged in December 2022, broadcast on radio in February, and finally aired on BBC Four on Christmas Day 2023. I enjoyed it a lot on radio (the Brand intro I mention in the above link sadly wasn't included on TV, though you can find it on YouTube) and enjoyed it again with visuals... not that they add a lot, considering it's a staged reading, but actors are actors and can't help inject at least some physicality. I also wrote more about it on Letterboxd.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Neil Brand's fully-scored adaptation for orchestra and actors, which was first staged in December 2022, broadcast on radio in February, and finally aired on BBC Four on Christmas Day 2023. I enjoyed it a lot on radio (the Brand intro I mention in the above link sadly wasn't included on TV, though you can find it on YouTube) and enjoyed it again with visuals... not that they add a lot, considering it's a staged reading, but actors are actors and can't help inject at least some physicality. I also wrote more about it on Letterboxd.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Fiction
The Spider-Queen by Austin McConnell & Elizabeth McIvor
Chapters 2–3
Some books have long chapters; some books have short chapters; and this book has long chapters that should be short chapters. "***" has its uses to mark a passage of time or change of scene or whatever, but here it's too often used when a new chapter would feel appropriate. (I guess there are no rules about these things, it's just a personal feeling about pace or structure or whatever, but still, that's how I feel about it.)
Chapters 2–3
Some books have long chapters; some books have short chapters; and this book has long chapters that should be short chapters. "***" has its uses to mark a passage of time or change of scene or whatever, but here it's too often used when a new chapter would feel appropriate. (I guess there are no rules about these things, it's just a personal feeling about pace or structure or whatever, but still, that's how I feel about it.)
Sunday, 7 January 2024
Games
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
1–7 January 2024
Having made sure to finish the 2021 calendar before the end of 2023, and having had my worries allayed when the 2024 calendar actually arrived before the end of 2023... I haven't actually got round to starting it on time. Oops. But here I go now, playing the whole first week of the year. They've obviously made improvements over the years, so while it's familiar it's also slightly different to the 2021 calendar. All to the good though, not least the way it gets going so quickly.
1–7 January 2024
Having made sure to finish the 2021 calendar before the end of 2023, and having had my worries allayed when the 2024 calendar actually arrived before the end of 2023... I haven't actually got round to starting it on time. Oops. But here I go now, playing the whole first week of the year. They've obviously made improvements over the years, so while it's familiar it's also slightly different to the 2021 calendar. All to the good though, not least the way it gets going so quickly.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
It's been all about 2023 on 100Films.co.uk this week, as I've spent the first week of the new year wrapping up the old one.
There are quite a lot of posts to get through, so let's get cracking. First up:
100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023: Final Standing
Next, my regular monthly posts: the review of December 2023...
...and all the films I failed to watch that month:
Next, my "review of the year" proper, across four posts...
Whew! Now, 2024 can begin. Will I be any better at regularly posting reviews this year than I was last year? Find out next Sunday.
There are quite a lot of posts to get through, so let's get cracking. First up:
100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023: Final Standing
As the challenge tracker page will soon be replaced with a version keeping tabs on 2024’s effort, here’s an archive of how it looked at the very end of 2023. Sadly, it’s incomplete...Read more here.
Next, my regular monthly posts: the review of December 2023...
...and all the films I failed to watch that month:
Next, my "review of the year" proper, across four posts...
Whew! Now, 2024 can begin. Will I be any better at regularly posting reviews this year than I was last year? Find out next Sunday.
Saturday, 6 January 2024
TV
The 1% Club
2x09 Christmas Special
[Watch it (again) on ITVX.]
Sarah Millican: Bobby Dazzler
[Watch it (again) on Channel 4.]
The Wheel
4x06 Christmas Wheel
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x09 Christmas Special
[Watch it (again) on ITVX.]
Sarah Millican: Bobby Dazzler
[Watch it (again) on Channel 4.]
The Wheel
4x06 Christmas Wheel
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A fair few new additions this week; all titles that really should have shown up before the end of 2023, but for one reason or another slipped to this first week of 2024. Well, it would've been a dead one otherwise, so that's something I suppose. They include two box sets from Australia (one upgrading a BD to 4K, the other upgrading two DVDs to BD) and the latest batch of releases from Radiance and their partner labels.
Number of titles in collection: 3,214 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,019 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,195 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 322 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,841 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,953 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 351 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,671 [up 3]
Number of short films: 1,109 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
A fair few new additions this week; all titles that really should have shown up before the end of 2023, but for one reason or another slipped to this first week of 2024. Well, it would've been a dead one otherwise, so that's something I suppose. They include two box sets from Australia (one upgrading a BD to 4K, the other upgrading two DVDs to BD) and the latest batch of releases from Radiance and their partner labels.
Number of titles in collection: 3,214 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,019 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,195 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 322 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,841 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,953 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 351 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,671 [up 3]
Number of short films: 1,109 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 5 January 2024
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x24 Week 5: Thursday
7x25 Week 5: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
7x24 Week 5: Thursday
7x25 Week 5: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Podcasts
The Official Doctor Who Podcast
Christmas Special 2023 - The Church on Ruby Road
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Christmas Special 2023 - The Church on Ruby Road
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Thursday, 4 January 2024
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x23 Week 5: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie: Feds
1x04 To Die For
I had no intention of watching this spinoff from The Rookie (last seasons's backdoor pilot did nothing to win me round), but they did a handful of direct crossovers throughout this season — four, to be precise (at least according to Wikipedia) — so of course I'm watching those. On the evidence of this episode, not watching it was the right decision. (Fortunately (for me), Feds was cancelled after just this one season, so I won't have to worry about keeping up with such crossovers after The Rookie season five.)
Slow Horses
3x05 Cleaning Up
3x06 Footprints [season finale]
7x23 Week 5: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie: Feds
1x04 To Die For
I had no intention of watching this spinoff from The Rookie (last seasons's backdoor pilot did nothing to win me round), but they did a handful of direct crossovers throughout this season — four, to be precise (at least according to Wikipedia) — so of course I'm watching those. On the evidence of this episode, not watching it was the right decision. (Fortunately (for me), Feds was cancelled after just this one season, so I won't have to worry about keeping up with such crossovers after The Rookie season five.)
Slow Horses
3x05 Cleaning Up
3x06 Footprints [season finale]
Wednesday, 3 January 2024
TV
Friends
1x10 The One with the Monkey [many-th watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x22 Week 5: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x04 The Choice
Slow Horses
3x04 Uninvited Guests
1x10 The One with the Monkey [many-th watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x22 Week 5: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x04 The Choice
Slow Horses
3x04 Uninvited Guests
Tuesday, 2 January 2024
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x21 Week 5: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Slow Horses
3x02 Hard Lessons
3x03 Negotiating with Tigers
7x21 Week 5: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Slow Horses
3x02 Hard Lessons
3x03 Negotiating with Tigers
Monday, 1 January 2024
TV
Friends
1x09 The One Where Underdog Gets Away [many-th watch]
aka the first Thanksgiving one — a setting that would become a Friends staple.
New Year's Eve Fireworks
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x09 Week 2: Thursday
2x10 Week 2: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Rick Astley Rocks New Year's Eve
Part 2 (of 2)
[Watch it all (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x03 Dye Hard
Slow Horses
3x01 Strange Games
A bit of a slow-burn start to the third season, but exciting and enticing in its own way. Long may this show continue (there are still plenty of books to go).
1x09 The One Where Underdog Gets Away [many-th watch]
aka the first Thanksgiving one — a setting that would become a Friends staple.
New Year's Eve Fireworks
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x09 Week 2: Thursday
2x10 Week 2: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Rick Astley Rocks New Year's Eve
Part 2 (of 2)
[Watch it all (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x03 Dye Hard
Slow Horses
3x01 Strange Games
A bit of a slow-burn start to the third season, but exciting and enticing in its own way. Long may this show continue (there are still plenty of books to go).
Sunday, 31 December 2023
TV
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2023
[Watch it (again) on Channel 4.]
The Famous Five
1x01 The Curse of Kirrin Island
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friends
1x07 The One with the Blackout [many-th watch]
1x08 The One Where Nana Dies Twice [many-th watch]
Ghosts
5x07 A Christmas Gift [series finale]
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Rick Astley Rocks New Year's Eve
Part 1 (of 2)
[Watch it all (again) on iPlayer.]
[Watch it (again) on Channel 4.]
The Famous Five
1x01 The Curse of Kirrin Island
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friends
1x07 The One with the Blackout [many-th watch]
1x08 The One Where Nana Dies Twice [many-th watch]
Ghosts
5x07 A Christmas Gift [series finale]
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Rick Astley Rocks New Year's Eve
Part 1 (of 2)
[Watch it all (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Here we are, then — the final tally of the year! Which means a bunch of bonus stats looking back at the whole of 2023. Fun. A few things that should have turned up before the end of the year didn't, which is irritating, but doesn't make a huge difference to the sheer scale of increases on the whole...
Number of titles in collection: 3,211 [up 4 this week; up 220 in 2023]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [no change this week; down 18 in 2023]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,190 [up 4 this week; up 238 in 2023]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 321 [up 3 this week; up 99 in 2023]
Overall, not as big an increase as the last couple of years (titles went up 241 in 2022 and 240 in 2021), but it's my biggest year for 4Ks yet (vs 81 in 2022, 48 in 2021, 56 in 2020, 28 in 2019, and 9 in 2018). Shame it didn't quite get to the lovely round 100, but there you go (it should have done. Damn Parcelforce...) And in the time that 4Ks have gone from 0 to 321, DVDs have dropped back by 145 — and that's (one of the reasons) why my overall collection stays growing!
Number of discs in collection: 7,835 [up 8 this week; up 438 in 2023]
Number of films: 3,947 [up 4 this week; up 298 in 2023]
Number of additional cuts: 350 [up 1 this week; up 54 in 2023]
Number of TV episodes: 9,668 [no change this week; up 160 in 2023]
Number of short films: 1,109 [no change this week; up 84 in 2023]
Unsurprisingly (given what went on in the first block of stats), most of these are slightly down on last year. The most noteworthy drop is probably TV, where 2022's increase was 282 episodes, up from 2021's all-time low of 244 — so sinking below 200, whew. Proof if proof were needed that a lot less TV gets released on disc nowadays.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
552 days, 7 hours, and 37 minutes.
(Up 20 hours and 32 minutes from last month.)
(Up 24 days, 7 hours, and 51 minutes from last year.)
That's my lowest yearly running time increase since 2019; the past three years have all been over 30 days. I don't know what that tells us, but there it is.
See you next week for a new year to begin, faithful reader.
Here we are, then — the final tally of the year! Which means a bunch of bonus stats looking back at the whole of 2023. Fun. A few things that should have turned up before the end of the year didn't, which is irritating, but doesn't make a huge difference to the sheer scale of increases on the whole...
Number of titles in collection: 3,211 [up 4 this week; up 220 in 2023]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [no change this week; down 18 in 2023]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,190 [up 4 this week; up 238 in 2023]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 321 [up 3 this week; up 99 in 2023]
Overall, not as big an increase as the last couple of years (titles went up 241 in 2022 and 240 in 2021), but it's my biggest year for 4Ks yet (vs 81 in 2022, 48 in 2021, 56 in 2020, 28 in 2019, and 9 in 2018). Shame it didn't quite get to the lovely round 100, but there you go (it should have done. Damn Parcelforce...) And in the time that 4Ks have gone from 0 to 321, DVDs have dropped back by 145 — and that's (one of the reasons) why my overall collection stays growing!
Number of discs in collection: 7,835 [up 8 this week; up 438 in 2023]
Number of films: 3,947 [up 4 this week; up 298 in 2023]
Number of additional cuts: 350 [up 1 this week; up 54 in 2023]
Number of TV episodes: 9,668 [no change this week; up 160 in 2023]
Number of short films: 1,109 [no change this week; up 84 in 2023]
Unsurprisingly (given what went on in the first block of stats), most of these are slightly down on last year. The most noteworthy drop is probably TV, where 2022's increase was 282 episodes, up from 2021's all-time low of 244 — so sinking below 200, whew. Proof if proof were needed that a lot less TV gets released on disc nowadays.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
552 days, 7 hours, and 37 minutes.
(Up 20 hours and 32 minutes from last month.)
(Up 24 days, 7 hours, and 51 minutes from last year.)
That's my lowest yearly running time increase since 2019; the past three years have all been over 30 days. I don't know what that tells us, but there it is.
See you next week for a new year to begin, faithful reader.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
I promised more from 100Films.co.uk this Sunday, to bring 2023 to a close, but... well, I do plenty of "year in review" posts over there, it's just I do them in the first week of January — and that doesn't start 'til tomorrow.
So, nothing this week. Not a jot. But next week... oh, next week...
Yep, more next Sunday. Lots more.
So, nothing this week. Not a jot. But next week... oh, next week...
Yep, more next Sunday. Lots more.
Saturday, 30 December 2023
TV
Friends
1x05 The One with the East German Laundry Detergent [many-th watch]
1x06 The One with the Butt [many-th watch]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x07 Week 2: Tuesday
2x08 Week 2: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x02 Labor Day
1x05 The One with the East German Laundry Detergent [many-th watch]
1x06 The One with the Butt [many-th watch]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x07 Week 2: Tuesday
2x08 Week 2: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
5x02 Labor Day
Films
Mildred Pierce (1945)
[#92 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #12
And that's almost certainly the last film I'll watch for my 100 Films Challenge this year. It means I complete WDYMYHS, but end the overall challenge eight films short. Still, that's better than last year.
[#92 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #12
And that's almost certainly the last film I'll watch for my 100 Films Challenge this year. It means I complete WDYMYHS, but end the overall challenge eight films short. Still, that's better than last year.
Friday, 29 December 2023
TV
Friends
1x04 The One with George Stephanopoulos [many-th watch]
Ghosts
5x06 Last Resort [season finale]
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
1x04 The One with George Stephanopoulos [many-th watch]
Ghosts
5x06 Last Resort [season finale]
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
30–31 December 2021
My copy of the 2024 calender arrived today (complete with all kinds of bonus swag — fun times), so I thought I'd finish this one off, ready to start a brand-new adventure on Monday. It's a slightly underwhelming ending, because (as predicted) it sets up "next year's" (i.e. 2022's) calender, but there you go. (I got 2021's as a discount add-on when I bought 2024's — maybe if they do the same for 2025, I'll get 2022's!)
Overall, it's been fun — I'll kind of miss my character and this world — but that also means I'm excited to experience a new one in the 2024 calendar. That said, playing multiple days at a time felt about right, so I'm slightly worried dropping down to a day-by-day pace will feel a bit slow. On the other hand, having read a little of the forums, it seems they acknowledged some pacing issues with this calendar (their first), so perhaps a couple of years of adjustments will have addressed that. We'll see.
30–31 December 2021
My copy of the 2024 calender arrived today (complete with all kinds of bonus swag — fun times), so I thought I'd finish this one off, ready to start a brand-new adventure on Monday. It's a slightly underwhelming ending, because (as predicted) it sets up "next year's" (i.e. 2022's) calender, but there you go. (I got 2021's as a discount add-on when I bought 2024's — maybe if they do the same for 2025, I'll get 2022's!)
Overall, it's been fun — I'll kind of miss my character and this world — but that also means I'm excited to experience a new one in the 2024 calendar. That said, playing multiple days at a time felt about right, so I'm slightly worried dropping down to a day-by-day pace will feel a bit slow. On the other hand, having read a little of the forums, it seems they acknowledged some pacing issues with this calendar (their first), so perhaps a couple of years of adjustments will have addressed that. We'll see.
Thursday, 28 December 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friends
1x03 The One with the Thumb [many-th watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x10 Christmas Special [season finale]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x06 Week 2: Monday
It's called "Monday", but it went out on a Tuesday, and Osman pointedly describes it as "Day One" because they clearly had no idea what day it would air.
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
3x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friends
1x03 The One with the Thumb [many-th watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x10 Christmas Special [season finale]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x06 Week 2: Monday
It's called "Monday", but it went out on a Tuesday, and Osman pointedly describes it as "Day One" because they clearly had no idea what day it would air.
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Out of the Past (1947)
[#91 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #11
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
[#91 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #11
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
27–29 December 2021
This, more than anything else, is making me realise how close we are to the end of the year! Well, I guess that is part of the purpose of a calendar. (But my 2024 one hasn't arrived yet. Oh no!)
27–29 December 2021
This, more than anything else, is making me realise how close we are to the end of the year! Well, I guess that is part of the purpose of a calendar. (But my 2024 one hasn't arrived yet. Oh no!)
Wednesday, 27 December 2023
TV
Friends
1x01 The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate [many-th watch]
1x02 The One with the Sonogram at the End [many-th watch]
Here we go, off on another rewatch — coming up on four years since I happened to comment I needed to "soon", and over 10 years since I last actually did. No wonder bits were unfamiliar.
Ghosts
5x05 Carpe Diem
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Murder Is Easy
Part 1 (of 2)
Part 2 (of 2)
Murder may be easy, but making high-quality Agatha Christie adaptations clearly isn’t. I've seen worse, but, sadly, this could've been better.
[Watch the series (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x09 Episode 9
The Rookie
5x01 Double Down
1x01 The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate [many-th watch]
1x02 The One with the Sonogram at the End [many-th watch]
Here we go, off on another rewatch — coming up on four years since I happened to comment I needed to "soon", and over 10 years since I last actually did. No wonder bits were unfamiliar.
Ghosts
5x05 Carpe Diem
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Murder Is Easy
Part 1 (of 2)
Part 2 (of 2)
Murder may be easy, but making high-quality Agatha Christie adaptations clearly isn’t. I've seen worse, but, sadly, this could've been better.
[Watch the series (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x09 Episode 9
The Rookie
5x01 Double Down
Tuesday, 26 December 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x10 Christmas Special [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x04 Week 1: Thursday
2x05 Week 1: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x04 Episode 4
8x05 Episode 5
8x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
3x10 Christmas Special [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x04 Week 1: Thursday
2x05 Week 1: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x04 Episode 4
8x05 Episode 5
8x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 25 December 2023
TV
Doctor Who
40x00 The Church on Ruby Road [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
13x08 Wilfred [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x03 Week 1: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
40x00 The Church on Ruby Road [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
13x08 Wilfred [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x03 Week 1: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 24 December 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x04 En Français
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x01 Week 1: Monday
2x02 Week 1: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
17x00 At Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
3x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x04 En Français
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's Festive House of Games
2x01 Week 1: Monday
2x02 Week 1: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
17x00 At Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100Films.co.uk
No, your eyes do not deceive you: it's a 100Films.co.uk post that isn't at the start of a month!
Don't get too excited, though — there are no new reviews here. Rather, just a bit of site housekeeping before the end-of-year palaver kicks off.
936 days late, it’s a new Directors banner!
More next Sunday, as 2023 comes to a close.
Don't get too excited, though — there are no new reviews here. Rather, just a bit of site housekeeping before the end-of-year palaver kicks off.
936 days late, it’s a new Directors banner!
the header image at the top of my Reviews by Director listings page features the top 20 directors featured on this blog — not my 20 favourites, but the 20 with the most films I’ve reviewed — pictured in alphabetical order. Obviously, sometimes the lineup changes; but rather than modify the image every time it does, I’ve always intended to update it about once a year. The last time I did was May 2020, so a new one has been overdue for about two-and-a-half years — or 936 daysRead more here.
More next Sunday, as 2023 comes to a close.
Saturday, 23 December 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0C The Giggle [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x08 Episode 8
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x20 Week 4: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x03 Episode 3
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
3x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0C The Giggle [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x08 Episode 8
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x20 Week 4: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x03 Episode 3
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
15–19 December 2021
Beginning to suspect this last burst of adventure is going to be a tie-in to the 2022 calendar, which I don't have and didn't intend to get (I'm going on to 2024 next, of course). I might be wrong on that count, but it'll be a little frustrating if I'm right...
15–19 December 2021
Beginning to suspect this last burst of adventure is going to be a tie-in to the 2022 calendar, which I don't have and didn't intend to get (I'm going on to 2024 next, of course). I might be wrong on that count, but it'll be a little frustrating if I'm right...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
The stars never quite seem to align, do they? This week: the rarity of a new DVD (a free one with a Doctor Who fanzine). And it contains what I'm classing as short films, another infrequently-boosted number. But, despite acquiring quite a few recently, no 4Ks this week. If only a couple of things had moved through the post a bit quicker, there would have been — and then the stars would have aligned and every number in these stats would've gone up. Never mind.
Number of titles in collection: 3,207 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,186 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 318 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,827 [up 4]
Number of films: 3,943 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,668 [up 3]
Number of short films: 1,109 [up 3]
Oh, and as for the "nine new releases" I mentioned were expected last week? The grand total to have now turned up is... two. Will the remaining seven turn up before the end of the year? They bloody well should, but I wouldn't put money on it.
See you next week, faithful reader, for the final tally of the year!
The stars never quite seem to align, do they? This week: the rarity of a new DVD (a free one with a Doctor Who fanzine). And it contains what I'm classing as short films, another infrequently-boosted number. But, despite acquiring quite a few recently, no 4Ks this week. If only a couple of things had moved through the post a bit quicker, there would have been — and then the stars would have aligned and every number in these stats would've gone up. Never mind.
Number of titles in collection: 3,207 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,186 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 318 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,827 [up 4]
Number of films: 3,943 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,668 [up 3]
Number of short films: 1,109 [up 3]
Oh, and as for the "nine new releases" I mentioned were expected last week? The grand total to have now turned up is... two. Will the remaining seven turn up before the end of the year? They bloody well should, but I wouldn't put money on it.
See you next week, faithful reader, for the final tally of the year!
Friday, 22 December 2023
TV
Death in Paradise
12x00 Christmas Special 2022
Catching up with last year's Christmas special just before this year's... except I've got a whole series to go before I can watch that. Maybe I'm destined to be a year behind forever, now...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x03 Pineapple Day
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x07 Episode 7
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x18 Week 4: Wednesday
7x19 Week 4: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x01 Episode 1
8x02 Episode 2
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
12x00 Christmas Special 2022
Catching up with last year's Christmas special just before this year's... except I've got a whole series to go before I can watch that. Maybe I'm destined to be a year behind forever, now...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x03 Pineapple Day
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
31x07 Episode 7
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x18 Week 4: Wednesday
7x19 Week 4: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Shetland
8x01 Episode 1
8x02 Episode 2
[Watch series 8 (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
7–14 December 2021
I wanted to get a little ahead, but I didn't mean to play three days' worth! But that's because these days contain the climax to the story and a few quick days of resting and whatnot. And yet, there's still two-and-a-half weeks of the calendar to go. What will happen?!
7–14 December 2021
I wanted to get a little ahead, but I didn't mean to play three days' worth! But that's because these days contain the climax to the story and a few quick days of resting and whatnot. And yet, there's still two-and-a-half weeks of the calendar to go. What will happen?!
Thursday, 21 December 2023
Wednesday, 20 December 2023
TV
Doctor Who: The Bedtime Story
David Tennant reads the Cbeebies Bedtime Story... but in character as the Doctor, which... makes this canon? Hm.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Murder, They Hope
2x02 A Midsummer Night's Scream
2x03 The Unusual Suspects [season finale]
University Challenge
Christmas 2023 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
David Tennant reads the Cbeebies Bedtime Story... but in character as the Doctor, which... makes this canon? Hm.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Murder, They Hope
2x02 A Midsummer Night's Scream
2x03 The Unusual Suspects [season finale]
University Challenge
Christmas 2023 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Monday, 18 December 2023
TV
imagine...
Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me
This was fantastic. A great reminder of how much important TV RTD has created, and also how important that TV has been. Doctor Who is beyond lucky to have someone of that calibre in charge.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Russell T Davies: The Doctor and Me
This was fantastic. A great reminder of how much important TV RTD has created, and also how important that TV has been. Doctor Who is beyond lucky to have someone of that calibre in charge.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
[#90 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #10
Well, I've managed one better than last year, at least.
[#90 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #10
Well, I've managed one better than last year, at least.
Sunday, 17 December 2023
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
22–24 November 2021
Despite playing ahead to cover my busy weekend, I did have some time after all. I could've just held off, but (like I said) I want to make sure I finish this in December, so playing ahead even further ahead still seems a reasonable idea.
22–24 November 2021
Despite playing ahead to cover my busy weekend, I did have some time after all. I could've just held off, but (like I said) I want to make sure I finish this in December, so playing ahead even further ahead still seems a reasonable idea.
Saturday, 16 December 2023
Fiction
The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories —
Part V: Christmas Adventures edited by David Marcum
The Queen's Writing Table by Julie McKuras
Part V: Christmas Adventures edited by David Marcum
The Queen's Writing Table by Julie McKuras
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I should have had a fair few titles to add this week — all new releases — but some stuff has got held up with international shipping, other things with old fashioned delays. And when I say "new releases", most were actually out next week, so, really, fair enough.
In the end, out of a possible/predicted nine new additions, only one arrived. And that's one that's technically out on Monday, so, y'know, the others could have managed it too. Ah well, no harm done — it's not like I regularly get round to watching these things...
Number of titles in collection: 3,205 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,020 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,185 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 318 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,823 [up 2]
Number of films: 3,943 [up 1]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,665 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,106 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I should have had a fair few titles to add this week — all new releases — but some stuff has got held up with international shipping, other things with old fashioned delays. And when I say "new releases", most were actually out next week, so, really, fair enough.
In the end, out of a possible/predicted nine new additions, only one arrived. And that's one that's technically out on Monday, so, y'know, the others could have managed it too. Ah well, no harm done — it's not like I regularly get round to watching these things...
Number of titles in collection: 3,205 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,020 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,185 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 318 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,823 [up 2]
Number of films: 3,943 [up 1]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,665 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,106 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
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