TV

Castle
3x01 A Deadly Affair
Back on C5! After just... 9 months. Well, still, hurrah!
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Celebrity Fifteen to One
That was surprisingly good fun. I imagine the sheer volume of celebrities required for any one edition will prevent this becoming some kind of back-door pilot, though.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Doctor Who
13x03 Terror of the Zygons Part Three [2nd watch]
Y'know, I think the Skarasen is actually a pretty well-executed effect, all things considered -- I mean, this was 1975, on a UK kids' TV budget. Some (like in the BBC episode guide linked above) assert it ruins the story, but that's going far too far. And with this placing in the top 20 of the Mighty 200, it would seem others agree.

Friends
2x12 The One After the Superbowl Part 1 [4th or so watch]
2x13 The One After the Superbowl Part 2 [4th or so watch]
No Superbowl occurs or is mentioned in either of these episodes. I presume it was originally on immediately after said sporting occasion, a point which is thoroughly lost almost 18 years later.

A Touch of Cloth II
2x02 Undercover Cloth Part Two

A Touch of Cloth: Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes of A Touch of Cloth II, with a look ahead to A Touch of Cloth III.

TV

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
4x06 80s Night Special
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Friends
2x10 The One with Russ [4th or so watch]
2x11 The One with the Lesbian Wedding [4th or so watch]

Mock the Week
12x09 (19/9/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Vera
3x04 Prodigal Son [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Comics

A Redtail's Dream by Minna Sundberg
Chapter 2

Only about four days of the print campaign left, and I'm beginning to feel pretty sold. It's not perfect storytelling -- see my complaints last time, only now with more typos -- but the story and characters are appealing, and the art can be quite beautiful.

Articles

William Boyd's Solo reviewed
by Cathy Rentzenbrink (from The Bookseller)

The new Bond novel. Sounds good. My copy arrived today (the cover looks great in the flesh), but I didn't get a chance to start it.

TV

Archer
4x06 Once Bitten
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Doctor Who
13x02 Terror of the Zygons Part Two [2nd watch]
Damn fine story, this. Weirdly, I'm certain I've seen it before, but whole swathes are unfamiliar. Like the silly bit where Sarah Jane and some soldiers need to split up while chasing a potentially dangerous fellow... so Sarah Jane goes one way and the three armed men the other. But, y'know, other than that.

Friends
2x08 The One with the List [4th or so watch]
2x09 The One with Phoebe's Dad [4th or so watch]
I think I've quite consistently seen all of Friends' first season, but I've definitely seen some of season two (and, probably, later years) more than others. For instance, I'm very familiar with The One with Phoebe's Dad (which is also The One Where Gunther Has His First Line!), but in a few episodes' time it's The One with the Lesbian Wedding, which I feel like I've only seen a couple of times (I've seen the entire series through at least twice already, so, hey).
This doesn't signify anything, just something I've been mulling over.

The Newsroom
2x04 Unintended Consequences
Every episode, it strikes me how clunky (and therefore painfully predictable) Sorkin's writing can actually be (see also: last time). On the bright side, at least some of the plot lines rattle along to revelations, rather than dragging every mystery out only to pay them all off at once in the finale.

TV

Archer
4x05 Vicious Coupling
Hurrah, C5 have deigned to give us more!
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Downton Abbey
4x01 Episode 1
Oh Downton and your funny ways. It's so painfully on the nose at times, and yet Americans seem to think this is Great Drama... even though they produce plenty of subtle, great drama of their own. But as a high-class soap, with plenty of unintentional hilarity, the Abbey can't be beat.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Friends
2x07 The One Where Ross Finds Out [4th or so watch]

The Last Leg
3x08 (18/9/13 edition) [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

TV

Dexter
8x12 Remember the Monsters? [series finale]

Another packed episodes, with a near endless array of things that could be discussed -- and debated. Did the show's writers make all the right choices? I'm not sure. The end was always going to be controversial: some fans wanted Dexter caught, some wanted him dead, some wanted him to live happily ever after -- three different endings that are not compatible. But the particular way they went about it... well, of course some people hate it -- some people have hated the whole season; heck, some people have hated the series for years (and yet still they watch...)

Personally, I thought it was mostly fitting, in its way. Don't know if it's what I wanted, per se, but (as discussed) it's a damn hard show to know how to end right. Not sure about the coda, though; it was the one moment where it seemed like the writers lacked the courage of their convictions. But what's done is done.


Doctor Who
13x01 Terror of the Zygons Part One [2nd watch]

My choice for the Fourth Doctor's entry in #bbbDW50 is both an acknowledged classic (it came 17th on DWM's Mighty 200, putting it in the top 9% of all Who tales), and the only on screen appearance for monster design icons the Zygons... before their return in November's 50th anniversary special, of course.

It was also going to finally come out on DVD the very week we were scheduled to watch it... until inserting the TV Movie pushed all my plans a week earlier (see also: Ice Warriors). Fortunately, the Fourth Doctor Time Capsule came to my scheduling rescue.

It's a cracking story, too. The monsters are teased gradually, building to a great -- and very sudden -- cliffhanger. There's plenty of mystery, plenty of excitement and humour. Once again, the stuff shot on location on film looks great -- why oh why couldn't the whole show have had the budget to go that route?!


Friends
2x06 The One with the Baby on the Bus [4th or so watch]

Smelly Cat makes its debut! Sung by someone else! Weird.

Articles

Dexter producers explain finale, defend final season
by James Hibberd (from Inside TV on Entertainment Weekly)

Obviously this is riddled with spoilers if you're waiting for next Sunday's UK airing of the finale. Otherwise, interesting.

TV

Dexter
8x11 Monkey in a Box
And lo, my plan did work perfectly: this episode was on UK TV tonight, and the series finale will be on US TV a few hours after I post this. That's tomorrow's viewing, then.
I don't despise this final season as much as some of Dexter's fans (former fans?), but it's not been the best ever. Nonetheless, still excited to find out what happens in the end.

Films

The Falcon in Hollywood (1944)
[#82 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]

North by Northwest (1959)
[#81 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]

this week on 100 Films

Three new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week!


Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter (2013)

Action-packed, funny, character developing, and with some hilarious cameos at the end… You couldn’t ask for much more from a 15 minute superhero-universe short.

Read more here.


Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 (2012)

This is exactly the kind of tale I presume the imminent TV series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be telling. Considering fans seem ultra-hyped for that, I’m not sure why they dislike Item 47 so much

Read more here.


The Muppets (2011)

a film that embraces the Muppets’ anarchic nature and old-fashioned entertainment style, while also integrating them into the modern world... breaks of the fourth wall abound, and constitute most of the film’s best bits.

Read more here.


Plus a whole load were new to the new blog...


The Green Mile (1999)

draws the viewer into believing that miracles may be possible. It’s a whole hour before Michael Clarke Duncan’s near-silent John Coffey (“like the drink, only not spelled the same”) does his healing thing, at which point what was apparently a straightforward period prison drama gains a new dimension.

Read more here.


Henry V (1944)

I didn’t much care for it. It failed to engage me, and I’d put this down to Olivier’s infamous staging (literally) of it.

Read more here.


Henry V (1989)

Olivier’s version is an over-stylised, propaganda-inspired, outdated version of Shakespeare, whereas Branagh’s is a comprehensible, realistic, textured and, perhaps most importantly, genuinely enjoyable interpretation.

Read more here.


The History Boys (2006)

The History Boys isn’t really about what it’s about — the boys applying for Oxbridge is shoved into a corner almost as soon as it’s introduced — but is instead about their learning, and their experience gained while (and from) learning, and a bit about growing up and discovering oneself too.

Read more here.


Thunderbirds (2004)

If you loved the series you’ll never like this; heck, unless you’re under 10 you’ll probably never like this (and that’s being generous). Maybe, someday, there’ll be a decent new version of Thunderbirds. Sadly, this has probably hindered any attempts at that.

Read more here.


Transformers (2007)

It may be clichéd in places, with too much of a tech fetish, shallow female characters, too many faceless soldiers, bouts of weak dialogue, a muddled climax… But it’s still fun.

Read more here.


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

This is what happens when a studio allows someone like Bay an essentially limitless budget and less than two years to turn a blockbuster around.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Dexter
8x10 Goodbye Miami
Tension!
And, "only 2 episodes remain this season" ever.

Friends
2x05 The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant [4th or so watch]

The Great British Bake Off
4x05 Biscuits and Traybakes
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Films

Wolf (1994)
[#80 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]

Articles

Dark Horse Can't Stop the Signal, Relaunches Serenity
by Graeme McMillan (from Heat Vision at The Hollywood Reporter)

Though the currently released info is a little light on specifics (it's happening; the artist is named), it's certainly made to sound like a "Buffy Season 8" style revival of the story -- i.e. a full-blown on-going continuation, rather than a mini-series or one-off (as the franchise has been treated in comics before). Exciting stuff.


Doctor Who: the man who shot the show's first Radio Times photoshoot 50 years ago reveals all
by Patrick Mulkern (from Radio Times)

With little time and no sets, photographer Don Smith managed to pull together some photos that are amongst the most recognisable of the First Doctor's era. It's like the story of the entire series itself: taking not very much and turning it into something incredible and enduring.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

After the uniqueness of last week's update being 100% DVDs, it's happened again! Don't worry though, I guarantee at least one brand-new Blu-ray next week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,612 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,184 [up 3]
Of which Blu-rays: 428 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 4,017 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,717 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,954 [up 8]
Number of short films in collection: 392 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Dexter
8x09 Make Your Own Kind of Music
Man, this season is packed with Plot!

Doctor Who
10x04 The Three Doctors Episode Four [2nd watch]
The Third Doctor phase of #bbbDW50 comes to an end today, with this final episode of the 10th anniversary special. Overall I enjoyed the story more this time round, with the antics between the Doctors being particularly fun, but it still has more than its fair share of silliness -- the waddling "om-nom-nom"ing Gel Guards, for instance, or the bizarre fight at the end of episode three. As anniversary celebrations go, The Five Doctors nailed it better. Hopefully The Day of the Doctor can do the same.

Friends
2x03 The One Where Heckles Dies [4th or so watch]
2x04 The One with Phoebe's Husband [4th or so watch]

QI
11x02 Kit and Kaboodle (XL edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

DVD Extras

Commentary on The Green Death Episode Six and Death of the Doctor by Russell T Davies & Katy Manning

Two big, well-matched personalities have a glorious natter over 79 minutes of Doctor Who-related material. Wonderful.

Films

Macbeth (1948)
[#79 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]

TV

Dexter
8x08 Are We There Yet?
Loved the 'dysfunctional family' bits of this episode. But the way things are going, feels like next time is more the finale than only the start of the final third! What strange and exciting new twists are left in store for us?

Friends
2x01 The One with Ross's New Girlfriend [4th or so watch]
2x02 The One with the Breast Milk [4th or so watch]
I know I've seen season one a good deal more than some of the middle years, but this is all still very familiar -- and very funny. So we'll go with "4th watch", because it's a bit less unwieldy.

Comics

A Redtail's Dream by Minna Sundberg
Chapter 1

Some of the dialogue is a little clunky (it's obvious English isn't the author's first language), and the word balloon layout could also use some work at times... but other than speech-related issues, the art is lovely, the characters are mostly likeable, and the story is intriguing. Not yet convinced about spending such a large amount on the hardback, but I'm almost there.