University Challenge
2023/24 Manchester v Edinburgh
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 4 December 2023
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
1–8 October 2021
A busy weekend means I've fallen behind again; to the extent that, rather than catch it all up today, I've spread it across today and tomorrow. (All of this is being an interesting insight into how things are likely to go when I try to play 2024's calendar in real time.)
1–8 October 2021
A busy weekend means I've fallen behind again; to the extent that, rather than catch it all up today, I've spread it across today and tomorrow. (All of this is being an interesting insight into how things are likely to go when I try to play 2024's calendar in real time.)
this week on 100Films.co.uk
No new reviews on 100Films.co.uk again, of course, but it's time once more for a look back at the past month...

And I've also held this post back from its usual Sunday slot to allow for my slightly-delayed roundup of last month's "failures"...

More next Sunday? Stranger things have happened.

And I've also held this post back from its usual Sunday slot to allow for my slightly-delayed roundup of last month's "failures"...

More next Sunday? Stranger things have happened.
Sunday, 3 December 2023
TV
Doctor Who: Unleashed
1x02 Wild Blue Yonder
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x17 Week 4: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x02 Wild Blue Yonder
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x17 Week 4: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
[2nd watch]
[#85 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
[#84 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
[2nd watch]
[#85 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
[#84 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
Saturday, 2 December 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0B Wild Blue Yonder [60th anniversary special #2]
Some fans are disappointed about the lack of cameos or overt anniversary-ness in these specials, which is not a wholly invalid complaint (when the benchmark is the likes of The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, and The Day of the Doctor) — but, as a counterargument, it's also a celebration of the series to showcase the crazy, original, one-off kinda things it can do.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x01 Fools
5x02 Home
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
5x15 The Long Good-bye Job [series finale]
A bit underwhelming as a last-ever episode, to be honest. Good thing the series has been revived, then. I'll move on to that at some point; although it's taken three years to gradually make my way through the five seasons of the original, so I don't feel a huge rush.
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x16 Week 4: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
3x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0B Wild Blue Yonder [60th anniversary special #2]
Some fans are disappointed about the lack of cameos or overt anniversary-ness in these specials, which is not a wholly invalid complaint (when the benchmark is the likes of The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, and The Day of the Doctor) — but, as a counterargument, it's also a celebration of the series to showcase the crazy, original, one-off kinda things it can do.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Ghosts
5x01 Fools
5x02 Home
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
5x15 The Long Good-bye Job [series finale]
A bit underwhelming as a last-ever episode, to be honest. Good thing the series has been revived, then. I'll move on to that at some point; although it's taken three years to gradually make my way through the five seasons of the original, so I don't feel a huge rush.
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x16 Week 4: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
There was almost some funny goings on with the numbering this week — totals going down even as new titles poured in — but, eventually, enough new stuff turned up to tip the tide, and now everything just goes up. Except for DVDs. Poor old DVDs.
The biggest culprit was the new remastered Blu-ray box set of Doctor Who series 1-4 + specials, which replaces my Steelbook copies of series 1-4... but not the specials, because the new set leaves out a whole disc from the old set. So close to being a perfect re-release, argh! On the bright side, those Steelbooks go for a small fortune, so I should make some decent money back when I get round to selling them. (Unless their value now drops...) But anyway, as that new set worked out as one Blu-ray replacing four Blu-rays, but still adding to other totals (like disc and TV episode counts), you can perhaps see where things got muddly.
Then, I bought four things on UHD during the Black Friday sales, including a BD-to-4K upgrade and a DVD-to-4K upgrade. Again, various numbers going up and down all over the place. But throw in two titles from Eureka that turned up slighty ahead of their official release dates, and overall everything goes up. Except, as I said, for poor old DVDs.
Number of titles in collection: 3,200 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,020 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,180 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 315 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 7,811 [up 10]
Number of films: 3,936 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,665 [up 5]
Number of short films: 1,101 [no change]
And all of that occured just in time for the latest monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
551 days, 11 hours, and 5 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 1 hour, and 10 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
There was almost some funny goings on with the numbering this week — totals going down even as new titles poured in — but, eventually, enough new stuff turned up to tip the tide, and now everything just goes up. Except for DVDs. Poor old DVDs.
The biggest culprit was the new remastered Blu-ray box set of Doctor Who series 1-4 + specials, which replaces my Steelbook copies of series 1-4... but not the specials, because the new set leaves out a whole disc from the old set. So close to being a perfect re-release, argh! On the bright side, those Steelbooks go for a small fortune, so I should make some decent money back when I get round to selling them. (Unless their value now drops...) But anyway, as that new set worked out as one Blu-ray replacing four Blu-rays, but still adding to other totals (like disc and TV episode counts), you can perhaps see where things got muddly.
Then, I bought four things on UHD during the Black Friday sales, including a BD-to-4K upgrade and a DVD-to-4K upgrade. Again, various numbers going up and down all over the place. But throw in two titles from Eureka that turned up slighty ahead of their official release dates, and overall everything goes up. Except, as I said, for poor old DVDs.
Number of titles in collection: 3,200 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,020 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,180 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 315 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 7,811 [up 10]
Number of films: 3,936 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 349 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,665 [up 5]
Number of short films: 1,101 [no change]
And all of that occured just in time for the latest monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
551 days, 11 hours, and 5 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 1 hour, and 10 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 1 December 2023
TV
Death in Paradise
11x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
It's only taken me all year to get through this series of Death in Paradise. Next: last year's Christmas special — hopefully before this year's is on...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0A The Star Beast [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x15 Week 3: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
11x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
It's only taken me all year to get through this series of Death in Paradise. Next: last year's Christmas special — hopefully before this year's is on...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
40x0A The Star Beast [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x15 Week 3: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 30 November 2023
TV
Blankety Blank
3x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x14 Week 3: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
3x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
7x14 Week 3: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Monday, 27 November 2023
Fiction
The Spider-Queen by Austin McConnell & Elizabeth McIvor
Chapter 1
So, about 18 months ago, I backed a Kickstarter to produce an animated movie based on a public domain superhero, which may or may not be the beginning of an alternative kind of cinematic universe (learn more about that in this YouTube video; it even has its own unofficial SubReddit). While the Kickstarter movie still hasn't been completed, other related projects — ones expanding the aforementioned universe — have already come to fruition (which I guess means the movie doesn't begin the universe after all). This was the first of them: a novel based on a hero from a four-issue comic published in 1941. Yes, despite the similar name, this arachnoid hero predates Spider-Man by over 20 years.
As well as being available for Kindle and in paperback, there's also an audiobook version on Audible, and a 50-minute motion comic preview thingy on YouTube, if you're interested.
Chapter 1
So, about 18 months ago, I backed a Kickstarter to produce an animated movie based on a public domain superhero, which may or may not be the beginning of an alternative kind of cinematic universe (learn more about that in this YouTube video; it even has its own unofficial SubReddit). While the Kickstarter movie still hasn't been completed, other related projects — ones expanding the aforementioned universe — have already come to fruition (which I guess means the movie doesn't begin the universe after all). This was the first of them: a novel based on a hero from a four-issue comic published in 1941. Yes, despite the similar name, this arachnoid hero predates Spider-Man by over 20 years.
As well as being available for Kindle and in paperback, there's also an audiobook version on Audible, and a 50-minute motion comic preview thingy on YouTube, if you're interested.
Games
The Dragon Staff of Maladoria
13–21 September 2021
Accidentally fell behind over the weekend again, so today it's a three-day (nine days in-game!) catchup.
13–21 September 2021
Accidentally fell behind over the weekend again, so today it's a three-day (nine days in-game!) catchup.
Sunday, 26 November 2023
Films
The Killers (1946)
[#83 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #9
[#83 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2023 #9
Podcasts
The Official Doctor Who Podcast
60th Anniversary Special 1 - The Star Beast
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts, apparently.]
60th Anniversary Special 1 - The Star Beast
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts, apparently.]
Saturday, 25 November 2023
TV
Doctor Who
40x0A The Star Beast [60th anniversary special #1]
Hurrah, it's finally here! Wasn't quite sure how to number this one (normally specials are attached to a series, but this is a series of specials without a series), but that's the least important thing because... yay, RTD's back! David Tennant's back! And all the fun and joy and excitement and daftness and wonder and thrills of their time are back, too. Magnificent fun. Also watched the in-vision commentary, which is available on iPlayer here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who: Unleashed
1x01 The Star Beast
Ah, the new behind-the-scenes show — I would say "replacing Confidential", but as Confidential has been dead for over a decade, I guess it's connected only in spirit. But it's definitely got the same spirit. I mean, I suppose it is technically a new and modified version (Confidential never had an on-screen, on set presenter), but it feels in-keeping. And that's a good thing.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Secrets & Scandals of Doctor Who
Channel 5 getting in on the 60th in their own particular way. Though I don't think there was anything particularly new here for those up on their Doctor Who history, and it was quite classic series focused — more modern controversies (Chris Eccleston's first season and departure; John Barrowman's behaviour) aren't mentioned. So, kind of an odd duck of a doc, really.
[Watch it (again) on Channel 5.]
40x0A The Star Beast [60th anniversary special #1]
Hurrah, it's finally here! Wasn't quite sure how to number this one (normally specials are attached to a series, but this is a series of specials without a series), but that's the least important thing because... yay, RTD's back! David Tennant's back! And all the fun and joy and excitement and daftness and wonder and thrills of their time are back, too. Magnificent fun. Also watched the in-vision commentary, which is available on iPlayer here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who: Unleashed
1x01 The Star Beast
Ah, the new behind-the-scenes show — I would say "replacing Confidential", but as Confidential has been dead for over a decade, I guess it's connected only in spirit. But it's definitely got the same spirit. I mean, I suppose it is technically a new and modified version (Confidential never had an on-screen, on set presenter), but it feels in-keeping. And that's a good thing.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Secrets & Scandals of Doctor Who
Channel 5 getting in on the 60th in their own particular way. Though I don't think there was anything particularly new here for those up on their Doctor Who history, and it was quite classic series focused — more modern controversies (Chris Eccleston's first season and departure; John Barrowman's behaviour) aren't mentioned. So, kind of an odd duck of a doc, really.
[Watch it (again) on Channel 5.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I feel like I got a bit carried away this Black Friday weekend... but that's all orders, of course, so they'll turn up next week (or later, as some were preorders; and a lot of what I spent was on LEGO, actually. But still — there's stuff to come).
As for this week, two new 4K titles are joined by a BD-to-4K upgrade and a 4K catalogue title to make an all-4K week. Exciting!
Number of titles in collection: 3,199 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,178 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 315 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 7,801 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,932 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 347 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,660 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,101 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I feel like I got a bit carried away this Black Friday weekend... but that's all orders, of course, so they'll turn up next week (or later, as some were preorders; and a lot of what I spent was on LEGO, actually. But still — there's stuff to come).
As for this week, two new 4K titles are joined by a BD-to-4K upgrade and a 4K catalogue title to make an all-4K week. Exciting!
Number of titles in collection: 3,199 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,021 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,178 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 315 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 7,801 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,932 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 347 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,660 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,101 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 24 November 2023
TV
The Graham Norton Show
31x08 (24/11/2023 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News for You
66x07 (24/11/2023 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
31x08 (24/11/2023 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News for You
66x07 (24/11/2023 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
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