LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG (AND A FEW WORDS)

So...

REVIEWS 

- Crimes parfaits: Marché de dupes/Bain de minuit (Episodes 7 & 8, France 3):

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/10/crimes-parfaits-marche-de-dupesbain-de.html

- Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth (BBC One/France 4):

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/10/doctor-who-woman-who-fell-to-earth.html

- Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie: Ding Dingue Dong (France 2):

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/10/les-petits-meurtres-dagatha-christie.html

We are currently preparing our necessary relocation, which has obviously an impact on this little blog. Thank you for your comprehension, your patience and your trust.

DOCTOR WHO: THE WOMAN WHO FELL TO EARTH - SERIES 11, EPISODE 1 (BBC ONE/FRANCE 4)

Special thanks to Nicole Loutan.

It's a new world. With new enemies. And new threats. But you can still depend on one man woman.

The bottom line: You Know The Name. You Know The Number.

Written by new Doctor Who supremo Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch, Torchwood) and helmed by Jamie Childs, The Woman Who Fell to Earth takes place soon after the latest regeneration of the Doctor from a "white-haired Scotsman" (Peter Capaldi) to... Jodie Whittaker. The gender swap sparked a frantic debate when the casting of this talented English actress, who worked with Chibnall on Broadchurch, was announced. Even if fans were prepared to the idea with Missy (Michelle Gomez), the Mary Poppinesque regeneration of the Master previously played by John Simm.

Before that, The Doctor's Wife (Series 6, Episode 4) stated that Time Lords could change genders. The legendary Joanna Lumley was briefly the character in the non-canonical Doctor Who: The Curse of The Fatal Death (1999) for Comic Relief. Regardless of the heated comments about the gender question, the star of Doctor Who has never been a problem. The role of the Doctor is always cast with utmost care. Jodie Whittaker was great right from her short appearance at the end of Twice Upon a Time, the 2017 Christmas special. Unsurprisingly, The Woman Who Fell to Earth confirms that she was aptly chosen.

« Why are you calling me "madam"?
- Because you're a woman.
- Am I? Does it suit me? »

Weird events occur in Sheffield and its surroundings. Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), a young man who suffers from dyspraxia, involuntarily triggered them. Police officer Yasmin "Yaz" Khan (Mandip Gill), Ryan's gran Grace O'Brien (Sharon D. Clarke) and her second husband Graham (Bradley Walsh) are also involved. Torchwood being unavailable, the Doctor literally drops by to help against a cousin of the Predator named Tim Shaw... sorry, T'zim Sha. The Woman Who Fell to Earth is quite chatty (to fill 63 minutes) and very nocturnal but it's an enjoyable series premiere, reminiscent of the 1996 TV movie. Whatever Chris Chibnall's motives, the absence of intro is most regrettable. That's like no Gunbarrel in a James Bond.

Bradley Walsh is a fantastic addition to Doctor Who. What happens to one of the Doctor's new friends is unfortunate in many respects. The new version of the iconic theme by composer Segun Akinola is excellent. French pubcaster France 4 airs Series 11 on Thursdays with subtitles, only four days after BBC One. This tour de force is impressive, especially when you remember that French fans of the classic series weren't so lucky (1). Also starring Samuel Oatley (Tim Shaw), Jonny Dixon (Karl), Amit Shah (Rahul), etc. Produced by BBC Studios Cymru Wales. Nikki Wilson is the series producer. Matt Strevens and Chris Chibnall exec produce. French subtitles by Blandine Ménard (Game of Thrones) for Dubbing Brothers.

(1) See the very interesting article by Alain Carrazé in Doctor Who Magazine Special: The World of Doctor Who.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0
https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/about-dyspraxia/
https://www.nouvelobs.com/rue89/rue89-nos-vies-connectees/20170731.OBS2783/game-of-thrones-blandine-a-vu-les-episodes-avant-vous.html (An interview of Blandine Ménard about Game of Thrones) 

See also: 

https://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2018/10/reviews-doctor-who-black-lightning.php

LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG (OR NOT)

First allow me to wish you all the best for this new year. Actually I don't even know how this little blog and I managed to survive 2016. 

But we're both here. By the way, delayed reviews (El tiempo entre costuras, the Callan book and Les nouveaux feuilletonistes) will of course surface at some point. Should I finish them with 40°C and a smartphone. Incidentally, I must receive some DVDs for the blog. Never give up, etc.

The recap of last month will be short, I'm afraid:

- Watched this Christmas.  Some words about Doctor Who, Maigret's Dead Man, Revolting Rhymes, The Witness for the Prosecution (sigh) and Jonathan Creek: Daemon's Roost.

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/12/watched-this-christmas.html

- Prof T./Professor T. (TF1/Eén). TF1's Prof T. is the remake of Flemish detective/crime drama Professor T. and I'll stick to the original. The French version is this year's Doc Martin (the one with Thierry Lhermitte, I mean...) Except it took them less time to obliterate the subtlety of their model.

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/12/prof-tprofessor-t-episodes-1-2-tf1een.html

I didn't even notice that the new series of Midsomer Murders started earlier on ITV (December 18!) The premiere was rather Midsomer Slumber...

WATCHED THIS CHRISTMAS

[Update - January 1, 2017] « One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. » (Again)

- Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (BBC One, December 25). Clumsy and chatty nocturnal "homage" to the superhero genre. With an irritating sense of déjà vu, this Christmas... special is closer to Glen A. Larson's NightMan than to Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio manages to be not as annoying as the squeezing toy of the episode (alongside a Ghost action figure soon?) thanks to the interesting presence of Tomiwa Edun (Mr Brock) and Aleksandar Jovanovic (Dr Sim) in the guest cast. And it's nice to see Matt Lucas back as Nardole.

- Maigret's Dead Man (ITV, December 25). In these troubled times nothing is more Christmassy for ITV than a slaughter in Picardie or maybe they had to find an answer to BBC One's Christmas Agatha Christie. After Maigret Sets A Trap last March, comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson is back  as Commissaire Jules Maigret, the laconic, pipe-smoking French policeman created by Belgian author Georges Simenon.

Budapest doubles rather well as Paris and production values look great. Atkinson seems a bit more at ease but, how to put this nicely... He could be a perfect Commissaire Fowleur or Commissaire Blackaddeur but not Commissaire Maigret. We should humbly know as we had the definitive Maigret with the late Bruno Cremer. This said, BBC Worldwide (the distributor) is probably not worried given international sales and the very good ratings of Brit detective/crime dramas on France 3, which will show the 2016 Maigret adaptations here.

While we're at it, I still can't figure out the meaning of the lyrics on the beautiful theme composed by Samuel Sim. And I'm supposed to be French. Produced by Maigret Productions and Ealing Studios with Pioneer Stillking Films. Adapted by Stewart Harcourt and directed by Jon East.

- Revolting Rhymes (BBC One, December 26 & 27). Astute and charming 2 X 30-minute adaptation of the book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Another pure wonder from Magic Light Pictures, the company which gave us The Gruffalo (2009), The Gruffalo's Child (2011), Room on the Broom (2012) and Stick Man (2015). Adapted and directed by Jakob Schuh & Jan Lachauer. Co-directed by Bin-Han To. Animated at Magic Light Pictures, Berlin and Triggerfish Animation Studios, Cape Town. With the voices of Rob Brydon, Bertie Carvel, Gemma Chan, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Rose Leslie, Bel Powley, David Walliams and Dominic West.

- The Witness for the Prosecution - Part One (BBC One, December 26). This year's Christmas Agatha Christie. Compared to And Then There Were None (this adaptation is from the same prodco and writer) it's quite a disappointment. And it's darker... I'm talking about the lighting, of course. Who's the culprit? Mr Budget with a candlestick in the library? 

- Jonathan Creek: Daemon's Roost (BBC One, December 28). Alan Davies returns in his most famous role for this Christmas special of the mystery drama created by writer David Renwick. Launched in 1997, Jonathan Creek  has had its up and downs since Caroline Quentin, who played the duffel-coated sleuth's first partner Maddy Magellan, left in 2000. Thankfully, Daemon's Roost is pleasantly entertaining. Sarah Alexander is back as Jonathan's wife Polly and the legendary Warwick Davis steals the episode as Creek's self-proclaimed biggest fan Rev. Wendell Wilkie. Ken Bones guest stars as former Hammeresque film star Nathan Clore. Directed by Sandy Johnson.

LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG

Reviews, "mini reviews" and news.

REVIEWS AND "MINI REVIEWS"

- Death in Paradise (BBC One, Series 5):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/death-in-paradise-series-five-episode_25.html (Episode 8)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/death-in-paradise-series-five-episode_18.html (Episode 7)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/death-in-paradise-series-five-episode_12.html (Episode 6)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/death-in-paradise-series-five-episode.html (Episode 5) 

- El Ministerio del Tiempo (La 1, Series 2):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/el-ministerio-del-tiempo-series-2_22.html (Episode 2)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/el-ministerio-del-tiempo-series-2.html (Episode 1)

- The Night Manager (BBC One):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/the-night-manager-bbc-one.html (Episode 1)

- Midsomer Murders (ITV, Series 18):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/midsomer-murders-harvest-of-souls-itv.html (Episode 6) 

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/midsomer-murders-saints-and-sinners-itv.html (Episode 5)

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/midsomer-murders-dying-art-itv.html (Episode 4)

- Lucifer (Fox):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/lucifer-episodes-1-and-2-fox.html (Episodes 1 and 2)

NEWS

- Inspector Montalbano (RAI 1, Series 10):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/two-new-episodes-of-inspector.html

- Blood on the Docks/Deux flics sur les docks (France 2, Series 5):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/new-blood-on-docks-on-france-2-in-march.html

- Unforgotten:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/unforgotten-on-france-3.html

- Doctor Who:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2016/02/les-maris-de-river-song-on-france-4.html

LES MARIS DE RIVER SONG ON FRANCE 4

The Husbands of River Song, the 2015 Christmas special of Doctor Who, will be aired in France on France 4 on February 27.

You can find some words about it here:

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2015/12/watched-this-week.html

WATCHED THIS WEEK (LOOK WHO'S BACK EDITION)

With Doctor Who!

- From Andy Pandy To Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children’s TV (BBC Four). A marvellous, heartfelt and informative documentary narrated by Nigel Planner, with nice clips and interesting interviews. Produced and directed by Verity Maidlow for BBC Entertainment Production London. Caroline Wright is the executive producer.

- Stick Man (BBC One). « I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'm STICK MAN, that's me! » Adapted from the children's book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Produced by Magic Light Pictures and Orange Eyes Productions. Made by the creative forces who wonderfully adapted The Gruffalo (2009), The Gruffalo's Child (2011) and Room on the Broom (2012). Superb but it couldn't be otherwise given the outstanding quality of the previous adaptations.

With the voices of Martin Freeman (Stick Man), Rob Brydon (Snail and others), Russell Tovey (Dog), Sally Hawkins (Stick Lady and others), Hugh Bonneville (Santa) and Jennifer Saunders (The narrator). Directed by Jeroen Jaspaert and Daniel Snaddon. Michael Rose and Martin Pope produce. Music composed by René Aubry. Produced in association with BBC and ZDF.

http://www.magiclightpictures.com/
http://ifeeltoooldforthis.blogspot.fr/
http://www.reneaubry.fr/

- Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (BBC One). « One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. » You didn't expect me on that one, did you? Considering that I "left" a while ago. Well, strictly on the basis that it was a Christmas treat right after Stick Man I actually loved it (except for a propension to recycling and the ending but never mind). Full of fabulous lines such as « I don't like being sure about things. One minute you're sure the next everybody turns into lizards and a piano falls on you. » or « Still digesting their mother. Thank you for asking. »

Peter Capaldi is, of course, extraordinary as The Doctor. Alex Kingston returns as River Song. Written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon. Matt Lucas (Nardole), Greg Davies (King Hydroflax) and Phillip Rhys (Ramone) guest star. Produced by Nikki Wilson. Exec produced by Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin. Music composed by Murray Gold, conducted and orchestrated by Alastair King. Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production.

http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/alastairking

- Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas (BBC One). The first ever half-hour special for Aardman Animations's beloved Shaun the Sheep. With the typical but always irresistible Aardman antics for children and grown-ups plus llama thugs. Produced by Aardman in association with WDR. Written by Nick Vincent Murphy, Lee Pressman and Richard Starzak. Created by Richard Starzak. Based on a character created by Nick Park. Directed by Jay Grace.

- Dickensian (BBC One). This 20 x 30-minute drama (?!) brings together some of Charles Dickens's most iconic characters in 19th century London. Created and written by Tony Jordan ("inspired by the works of Charles Dickens"). Directed by Harry Bradbeer. Produced by David Boulter. Exec produced by Tony Jordan and Belinda Campbell for Jordan's Red Planet Pictures (Death in Paradise). Huge cast including Pauline Collins, Peter Firth, Pauline Collins, Anton Lesser, Caroline Quentin, Omid Djalili, Stephen Rea...

Judging from the first couple of episodes it's Midsomer Dickens as a soap opera with the classic literature equivalent of MCU cameos. Not as enjoyable as Lost in Austen (2008) but global markets adore period dramas and detective dramas. For my part, I'll stick to An Inspector Calls (2015) and Death Comes to Pemberley (2013) and I'll not go beyond episode 2. The "Sherlockian" music was composed by Debbie Wiseman.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-12-26/soapy-and-silly--what-the-dickens-is-the-bbc-up-to-in-its-latest-drama-series-dickensian
http://www.debbiewiseman.co.uk/

- And Then There Were None (BBC One). « Conventions, Miss Claythorne, is what keeps us together in the face of impending chaos. »  In 2014 the BBC announced it would be the new TV home of Agatha Christie in the UK for the 125th anniversary of her birth, thanks to a major deal with her estate. Their first commissions were the excellent Partners in Crime (starring David Walliams and Jessica Raine) and this adaptation of Christie's classic.

The three-part serial, co-produced by Mammoth Screen, Agatha Christie Productions and A+E Television Networks for the BBC, is written by Sarah Phelps (Great Expectations) and directed by Craig Viveiros. And Then There Were None stars Douglas Booth, Charles Dance, Maeve Dermody, Burn Gorman, Anna Maxwell Martin, Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Toby Stephens, Noah Taylor and Aidan Turner. This new take on one of Agatha Christie's most famous books is brilliantly thrilling and scary. A must see, effective even if you know the story. The locations are truly incredible.

Produced by Abi Bach. Exec produced by Sarah Phelps, Hilary Strong, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer. Titles by Ben Hanbury and Paul McDonnell. Music composed by Stuart Earl. John Pardue is the director of photography. Part 2 aired today, Part 3 tomorrow.

http://www.thelocationguide.com/blog/2015/12/bbc%E2%80%99s-and-then-there-were-none-filmed-in-cornwall-and-hillingdon/
http://hugedesigns.co.uk/
http://stuartearlmusic.com/

- Harry Price: Ghost Hunter (ITV). A TV movie about real-life "ghost hunter" and skeptic Harry Price, who investigated tales of the paranormal and supernatural. Adapted from Neil Spring's novel The Ghost Hunters by Jack Lothian (Doc Martin) for Bentley Productions, the prodco behind Midsomer Murders. Midsomer regular helmer Alex Pillai directs and Rafe Spall plays the title role. Regrettably, beneath the paranormal thing there's a forgettable period detective drama.

DOCTOR WHO: THE SNOWMEN (BBC ONE)

Retired in Victorian England, a disenchanted Doctor (Matt Smith) reluctantly teams up with his friend Silurian detective Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), her human partner Jenny (Catrin Stewart), and her Sontaran manservant Strax (Dan Starkey), against the snowy agenda of the sinister Doctor Simeon (Richard E. Grant). He considers having a companion again when he meets Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman), a young woman who already investigates on her own.

In september the first half of series 7 drowned Doctor Who under its marketing "blockbuster" concept, the blatant winks to the American market, and the Pond family soap opera. After that the announcement about an "iconic" star in the 2012 special, the title sequence and theme makeovers, the new TARDIS interior, etc, etc, could only be received with a shrug of despair. « Sir, permission to express my opposition to your current apathy? »  Though sometimes Christmas miracles really happen.

« Carnivorous snow meets Victorian values. »

Of course this special, like often with contemporary BBC drama entries, visually looks like someone didn't pay the EDF bill. Of course you have to buy the idea of a lesbian reptile detective in the Victorian era (« Good evening, I'm a lizard woman from the dawn of time. And this is my wife.» ) And to forget that certain scenes with Madame Vastra and Jenny, returning like Sontaran Strax from the calamitous A Good Man goes to War, almost shout "spinoff backdoor pilot" with a megaphone. Past that and given what preceded last autumn, The Snowmen, written by showrunner Steven Moffat himself and directed by Saul Metzstein, is surprisingly enjoyable and even fun.

You don't even need to swoon over Moffat's Sherlockian credentials or heavy nods to Conan Doyle and Holmes to taste the atmosphere of a story where Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman shine as the true Victorian sleuth duo of the episode. The way Smith can bring maturity to his portrayal of the Doctor and capture attitudes of his predecessors remains fascinating. Also it was clear that Coleman was an excellent choice for the new companion right from her role in Julian Fellowes's Titanic. And although it seems no evil race in the galaxy will be spared by the Grand Moff's sense of trivialisation, the comic relief provided by the "psychotic potato dwarf" Strax offers some of the best moments of The Snowmen.

« I said I'd feed you. I didn't say who to. »

Richard E. Grant's third visit to the Whoniverse (after The Curse of Fatal Death and Scream of the Shalka) could sound like stunt casting. But Doctor Simeon, the titular villain, concludes perfectly a month where the actor also showed all his talent alongside the great Peter Mullan in the superb The Fear. Simeon displays his cold wickedness while being himself instrumented since his childhood (young Simeon is very Damien Thorn) by a disembodied entity the Doctor previously met. This adversary is voiced by the legendary Sir Ian McKellen in a performance as brilliant as the vocal stint of Michael Sheen in The Doctor's Wife. Tom Ward (Silent Witness) guest stars as the father of two kids in a situation where The Turn of the Screw meets Sci-Fi Channel's The Invisible Man (the Ice Governess has a "quicksilver" bad trip).

« Nice name, Clara. You should definitely keep it. » Too bad Jenna-Louise Coleman's character augurs another of Steven Moffat's contrived storylines for the second half of the seventh series. Anyway this year's Christmas special is rather pleasant, the new title sequence with the revamped theme (reminiscent of the original 1963 version) is fantastic and the new TARDIS interior design is gorgeous. « How refreshing to see you taking an interest again.  » Christmas was good, now there's a birthday to celebrate.

DOCTOR WHO SERIES SEVEN DUBBING UPDATE

We have just received news about the dubbing of Doctor Who's Series 7 from the excellent dubbing author François Dubuc (Doctor Who, Supernatural, The State Within), one of the regular writers of Doctor Who's French-speaking version.

The recording session should start in december and François Dubuc is currently working on the French dialogues of Asylum of the Daleks, while fellow Doctor Who dubbing authors Rodolph Freytt and Olivier Lips are writing the remaining episodes of the series's first half.

Doctor Who is aired in France by pubcaster France 4.

See also (In French):

http://thierryattard.blogspot.fr/2010/01/francois-dubuc-adaptateur-state-within_07.html
http://thierryattard.blogspot.fr/2010/01/francois-dubuc-adaptateur-state-within.html

MRS. PEPPERPOT

Doctor Who - Asylum of the Daleks (Series Seven, Episode One). It's a day like any other day in Albert Square. Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) have a problem, the Daleks have a problem and the new girl in the block has a problem. The Doctor (Matt Smith) has a problem too: the Daleks wants him to solve their problem.

After eight months since The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe (the 2011 Christmas special) and almost one year since the last regular episode, Doctor Who is finally back for its seventh series on BBC One and BBC America. Five episodes in september, this year's Christmas special, and the remaining eight episodes in 2013.

Series six was uneven and often talkative, looking overinvested in terms of production values at some points and the reverse at some others. And sorry but its high concept soap story arc was painful (1). But who cares anyway? As Doctor Who's 50th birthday approaches, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are more popular than ever. Fans majoritarily adore the work of showrunner Steven Moffat and his writing team. The ratings are great and the brand is commercially at the top globally. It's so global that viewers outside the U.K. get a pre-title sequence with Mrs Pond reassuring us just in case we'd think this is Strictly Come Dancing.

« Hang on a minute, lads, I've got a great idea! » (Charlie Croker, The Italian Job)

No Doctor at the London Olympics opening ceremony? Don't panic. We've been promised "a blockbuster every single week" for this series (2). Each episode is meant to be written like a "movie poster" and have one, which is amusing given the brouhaha around a the possibility of a jump to the big screen. The title sequence has been given a (terrible) makeover and the logo changes according to the theme of the episode. This is the "year of the blockbuster" and it starts with an Asylum of the Daleks packed, we're told, with "every Dalek ever!"

The Doctor is thought dead but the Daleks manage to bring him in front of their parliament, where he's reunited with the future ex-Pond couple because the time lord's deadliest enemies have a most unusual demand. Yes, the rigid pepper pots do have a parliament and even a Prime minister! - Question Time must worth a look. « What do you know of the Dalek asylum? » asks M to 007. The Daleks have a planet where they dump their broken ones (the battle-scarred, the insane, Spike Milligan's "Pakistani Dalek", etc...) (3)

« It never made any sense to me, » comments a lucid Doctor. « Because you'd just kill them. » But they have not only a parliament and a PM, they have also cafés philo where they discuss the beauty of the "divine hatred"(« Perhaps that is why we have never been able to kill you. ») This sudden state of enlightenment doesn't include Georges Bizet apparently. Somewhere on the asylum planet a young woman is listening to Carmen and making soufflés while the crème de la crème of nutter Daleks is about to escape.

« How much trouble, Mr. Pond? Out of ten? Eleven. »

The real divine element of Asylum of the Daleks, written by Steven Moffat himself, is the early arrival of Jenna-Louise Coleman, due to appear as the Doctor's new companion at Christmas. There will be no two-parter but we cannot bet for no arc as her introduction augurs another contrived storyline - the "twist" was no Keyser Söze - to replace the Pond soap opera. Moffat's recycling of his own previous ideas has been widely noticed and the episode displays a formidable sense of self-awareness, which culminates with the « Run, you clever boy. And remember » scene.

The Daleks won't remember (oh, lucky them). « Doctor who? » Precisely... On the plus side, director Nick Hurran gives a true cinematic feel to this Asylum of the Daleks and a return of Anamaria Marinca (The Last Enemy) as Darla Von Karlsen, the "Dalek puppet" (surely they have no word for "action figure"), would be interesting. Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor remains amazing and Nicholas Briggs does a superb job as the voice of the Daleks.

(1) http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-05-21/steven-moffat-people-who-call-sherlock-and-doctor-who-too-complex-are-presumably-fairly-stupid
(2) http://www.cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/4585-doctor-who-exec-on-series-7-the-shows-fans-and-a-female-doctor
(3) http://www.telegoons.org/milligan_pakistani_dalek.htm

http://www.cathoderaytube.co.uk/2012/09/doctor-who-series-7-asylum-of-daleks.html
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2012/09/doctor-me
http://www.tardib.fr/article-critique-doctor-who-asylum-of-the-daleks-7x01-109952993.html (In French)
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/01/dr-who

MAKE NOISE IN THE LIBRARY

January promises to be a good month for French-speaking fans of Doctor Who. The books featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond will be soon available in French language, thanks to Parisian publisher Milady (Assassin's Creed, X-Files, etc.)

The programme of Milady for the Doctor Who license looks very ambitious. They intend to release twelve adventures of Eleven and Amy and two with the Ninth Doctor during the whole year 2012. Three books are announced for January 20:

- Apollo 23 (Apollo 23) by Justin Richards.
- La nuit des humains (Night of the Humans) by David Llewelyn.
- L'armée oubliée (The Forgotten Army) by Brian Minchin.

Horloge nucléaire (Nuclear Time) by Oli Smith, and La chasse au mirage (The Glamour Chase) by Gary Russell, should follow in February. The two adventures of Nine announced are Rien qu'humain (Only Human) and Les voleurs de rêves (The Stealers of Dreams) - for September and November 2012, respectively.

In French:

http://www.milady.fr/
https://twitter.com/#!/MiladyFR
https://www.facebook.com/milady.editions
http://milady-le-blog.fantasyblog.fr/
http://www.doctor-who.fr/
http://doctorwho.xooit.fr/t2576-Milady-edite-les-DW-Books-en-Fancais.htm

HEATHERS

Sherlock - A Scandal in Belgravia (Series Two, Episode One). Sherlock and John are summoned by the highest authorities for a very delicate case involving Irene Adler, a shadowy character who has the power to compromise a very important personality.

Sherlock, the BBC 2010 hit from Doctor Who supremo Steven Moffat and actor/scriptwriter Mark Gatiss, is back since yesterday on BBC One for a second 3 X 90-minute series. This modern take on the Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was launched during summer 2010 with impressive ratings, a warm reception from the public, and a concert of critic praises celebrating Moffat and Gatiss's "re-imagining". Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return as Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr John Watson, as they were left in the swimming pool cliffhanger of The Great Game, facing the nefarious Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott).

Hailed as the second best thing since the invention of running water, the first series of Sherlock was a glorified British answer to The Mentalist. You had to come back from Gilligan's Island and have been deprived of the gazillion repeats of Monk to buy without a smile Sherlock's « I'm a consulting detective. I'm the only one in the world. I invented the job. » You had also to taste the on-screen text and graphics showing phone messages and even morphing Sherlock's deduction into an advert for a credit card. A Scandal in Belgravia premieres the new series as an update by Moffat himself of A Scandal in Bohemia and its central character, Irene Adler, "the woman" in Holmes's life.

Played here by Lara Pulver, seen this autumn in the final series of Spooks, she now walks in the shoes of Lady Heather - the recurring character from CSI (Melinda Clarke), as a high-end professional dominatrix known in some circles as "The Woman". Sherlock's services are required by his brother Mycroft (Mark Gatiss), on the behalf of the government, to handle a delicate situation where she could compromise a young female member of the monarchy. But Holmes and Watson have to face the most glamorous adversary, CIA agents, international terrorism, and a X-Files type state conspiracy where Mycroft does a Cigarette-smoking man tribute act.

Director Paul McGuigan brings back the on-screen text and adds a deduction sequence which will sound familiar to the fans of Hustle, but credits must be given to him and director of photography Fabian Wagner for the cinematic feel of this episode. Some may prefer the less obvious game of seduction by Gayle Hunnicutt as Irene in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) and Andrew Scott may not fit the traditional image of Moriarty - which is precisely why he's a smart choice. The episode sometimes stretches to reach its duration and Steven Moffat, who knows how to pen good lines, cannot resist a few easy tricks of the kind he uses in his Who finales.

Kudos to the BBC for starting the new TV year with a drama eagerly awaited by its fans. Though a few of us will be allowed to search something else for the second best thing since the invention of running water. Sherlock is produced by Hartswood Films for BBC Wales (with US pubcaster PBS's Masterpiece).

http://danowen.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-sherlock-21-scandal-in-belgravia.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/sherlock/

INTO THE WOODS

Doctor Who - The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe. Yesterday BBC One aired a delightful and funny piece of mystery and suspense taking place in a snowy forest. The Gruffalo's Child was magnificent, a superb appetizer before the eagerly expected television event of this 2011 Christmas holiday: the Downton Abbey special on ITV1. In-between the Beeb aired Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is all angst for its loyal fans these days: changes in the production team, interrogation about the schedule of Series 7 and its number of episodes, what looks like communication mishaps around rumours of a movie project, etc. This after the totally unsatisfactory sixth series, with its budget arbitration and blatant writing issues. As the celebration of our favourite time lord's 50th birthday comes closer, Doctor Who Confidential has been axed, Torchwood will be remembered as a global laughing stock, and we miss the wonderful Elisabeth Sladen.

In The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe, the Doctor (Matt Smith) escapes from a spaceship before its destruction, falls into space and must catch a space suit before reaching the Earth. He "gets dressed in a hurry" and crashes in 1938's England, where he's rescued by Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner). Three years later, during World War II, Madge's husband Reg (Alexander Armstrong) is presumed killed while flying his bomber home. She won't tell the news to her children, Lily (Holly Earl) and Cyril (Maurice Cole), until after Christmas, which they must all spend at their uncle Digby's house. The house has a new caretaker, the Doctor, who always pays his debts.

Sold as the "most Christmassy Christmas special ever", 2010's A Christmas Carol was in reality just plain bad: Dickens goes Top of the Pops, with Michael Gambon as Scrooge, Katherine Jenkins as herself, and Bruce from Jaws. This time, Who supremo Steven Moffat goes into C.S. Lewis's territory with a nod to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And past the shaky and gratuitous pre-credit sequence, and the irritating scenes with Matt Smith as Willy Wonka in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, viewers can embark on a story surprisingly more faithful to the spirit of Christmas than last year's mess.

Of course most of the light of this episode seems provided by candles - like in many BBC contemporary dramas - and some sfx range from clumsy to near embarassing, but The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe succeeds in delivering an average hour of family entertainment. Which is even more than what you can say of the majority of Series 6, especially after the disastrous The Wedding of River Song. Besides, unlike the previous series, the special does a proper use of its guest talents - particularly the great Bill Bailey. The Harvest Rangers of Androzani Major (hello, reference alert!) are a pure comedic treat.

Innocuous, this 2011 Christmas "special" brings nothing to the mythology but at least doesn't scorn it. A solace in these uncertain times. Oh, could have done without the Ponds.

Directed by Farren Blackburn.

THE ASTRONAUT'S HUSBAND

Doctor Who - The Wedding of River Song (Series Six, Episode Thirteen). Written by Steven Moffat and directed by Jeremy Webb.

On the 13th of September 1999 the Moon didn't leave Earth's orbit - or someone would surely have noticed. And on the 22nd of April 2011 nothing happened either.

« If God had a name what would it be?
And would you call it to his face?
If you were faced with him
In all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question? »
(Joan Osborne - One Of Us)

One day... No one dies. And London goes nuts. The sky looks like a Ford Mondeo advert, parks go Primeval, Charles Dickens (Simon Callow) is asked about his Christmas special on BBC Breakfast, and Bert Large - or is it Winston Churchill? (Ian McNeice) - is the Holy Roman Emperor. It's always two minutes past five in the afternoon and Silurian doctor Malokeh (Richard Hope), Caesar's personal medic, sees nothing wrong with that. Something has happened to time and the Doctor (Matt Smith) does the "It's" man from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Why can't he just be a good boy and die on this 22nd of April? Because of a woman, says our favourite time lord although we can suspect there's far more behind this mess than "hell in high heels".

« This is absurd. Other worlds, carnivorous skulls. Talking heads. I don't know why I'm listening to you. » (Emperor Bert Large)

The Doctor "marries" River Song (Alex Kingston), the daughter of Amy Pond agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Karen Gillan), and cheats death by pulling a Meet Dave in the finale of Doctor Who's sixth series. There's a Dalek... Oops, sorry! There was. There's also a viking who dies in an 80s Italian horror movie, Dorium Maldovar (Simon Fisher-Becker) as Alfredo Garcia, trains, pyramids, Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) as ARC's Captain Becker. And poor Frances Barber covering for Joan Collins as the queen of panto villains Madame Kovarian - whose only goal in life just to p**s off everyone. Oh, almost forgot Meredith Vieira (Hello, lovely American viewers!) and Roger from American Dad plus some pals all dressed to kill for the occasion.

« Oh... that man. He's always one step ahead of everyone. Always a plan. »

Another series of Steven Moffat's big Timey-Wimey scheme is finished and aspirins will not be included in the DVD boxset. Series six was uneven, often talkative, looking overinvested in terms of production values at some points and the contrary at some others. « Budget cuts are tough: I don't like them, but they force you to be creative, » said the Great Moff in 2010. And budget arbitration forces you to manage. Who cares anyway? Most fans love Moffat's Doctor Who and the work of his fellow writers is unreservedly hailed as genius. Rating panels love it too and so does the American market (Matt Smith was again a guest on Craig Ferguson's show this monday). And BBC Worldwide adores it (the brand is commercially at the top globally).

« Those reports of the sun spots and the solar flares. They're wrong. They're aren't any. It's not the sun. It's you. The sky is full of a million million voices, saying, "Yes of course. We'll help." » And yeah, yeah, God is great. Yeah, yeah, God is good, says the song. In an aborted timeline, in a world that never was, nothing happened. The Brigadier is gone; Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith; Torchwood has become a global laughing stock. « On the Fields of Trensimore, on the Fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a question will be asked. A question that must never ever be answered. »

Doctor What?

WÜNDERFUL STUFF (INDEED)

The advert for yogurt brand Müller's Wünderful Stuff, their new advertising UK campaign, is the coolest animation-related thing since Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band.

The new 90-second ad, aired for the first time last saturday during The X Factor on ITV1, is from the TBWA\London advertising agency. It stars KITT from the 80s Knight Rider series, Yogi Bear, some Mr Men characters, Muttley - the dog from Hanna-Barbera's Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines, a robot, unicorns, and some severe employees who look like they work for the banking or finance sector. Oh, there's a ant too.

This amazing commercial, central to a £20m integrated advertising campaign, is directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet. It mixes live-action, traditional hand-drawn 2D and digital 3D animation. Partizan Lab is the production company and The Mill (Doctor Who) is behind the post-production. The superb epic piece of music is composed by Guy Farley.

Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBujoJpDxo0

http://www.tbwa-london.com/#gsi0ci0q
http://www.partizanlab.com/partizanlab/home/
http://www.themill.com/blog/2011/october/10/we-help-mueller-stir-a-little-bit-of-wuender-alongside-tbwa-london.aspx
http://www.guy-farley.com/index.htm

See also:

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/october/muellers-new-wuenderful-stuff-spot
http://randymatheson.com/muller-wunderful-stuff-yogurt-campaign-features-unicorns-yogi-bear-k-i-t-t/

DEATH AT BARGAIN PRICES

Doctor Who - Closing Time (Series Six, Episode Twelve). In which the Doctor meets an old friend, takes a job, and faces old foes.

« Take my shoes off and throw them in the lake.
And I'll be 2 steps on the water. » (Kate Bush, Hounds Of Love)

Doctor Who is more popular than ever with Matt Smith and under Steven Moffat's tenure. Its ratings stay healthy in an environment where TV consumption has evolved beyond overnights. Its brand is commercially at the top worldwide and the programme managed to conquer the US market. Moffat's narrative approach is supported by a majority of Whovians, seduced by his multi-series high concept soap story arc conundrum. And the work of his fellow writers is unreservedly hailed as genius. Never mind if some old fans, unmesmerized by the big timey-wimey scheme, may choose to leave.

As the sixth series's second half is about to conclude, Closing Time writer Gareth Roberts brings back Craig Owens from The Lodger - the episode he wrote for the previous series. Comedian and TV personality James Corden is a better actor than funnyman, even if his contribution to the 2011 edition of Red Nose Day was undoubtedly the best thing of the charity evening. He succeeds in portraying Craig as an engaging chap in full paternity angst mode when the Doctor returns in his life. His friend Sophie (Daisy Haggard) has left the young man with their baby, Alfie, for the weekend.

Kudos to Gareth Roberts for launching an instant internet sensation when we learn from the Doctor, who pretends he can speak baby, that young Alfie prefers to be called "Stormaggedon, Dark Lord of All". Good dialogues between Matt Smith and James Corden serve quite well a genuine chemistry between the two. But despite nice comedic moments the story is just a pretext for their reunion: the Doctor takes a job in a department store to investigate on strange power fluctuations and the disappearance of a clerk.

« You're here for a reason, aren't you? You've noticed something and you're investigating. And because it's you it's going to be dangerous and alien. » A "silver rat" and an out of order lift lead the pair to troubles in the form of a Cybermen crashed spaceship beneath the shop. Maybe it's time to give the Cybermen "a rest" since they are reduced to nothing but a walking trivia under Steven Moffat's reign. And who really thought Craig could become Cybersmithy in the clumsy conversion sequence? He can still buy a Cyberman to Stormageddon for Christmas, our children will preserve us from the next invasion.

A department store, really... What's next? A movie/TV studio like in the days of Monty Berman? And of course the penultimate episode of the current series ends with the Manchurian Candidate and the return of the queen of panto villains, Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber). Too bad they couldn't get Joan Collins for the role of this eye-patched Ellie Shaw. Closing Time, what an aptly chosen title for this episode directed by Steve Hughes.

Next Time: The Astronaut's Husband.

http://danowen.blogspot.com/2011/09/doctor-who-612-closing-time.html

LITTLE BOY LOST

Doctor Who - Night Terrors (Series Six, Episode Nine). « Please save me from the monsters. » Amy and Rory (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) follow the Doctor (Matt Smith) when he receives a distress call from a scared little boy named George (Jamie Oram).

Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Richard Clark, Night Terrors was moved from the first half of the sixth series to the current second half. Hence the strange lack of preoccupation of Amy and her husband for their missing child Melody/River Song. To swap episodes within a heavy story arc structure can have unexpected side effects. « Today we're answering a cry for help from the scariest place in the universe. » Leadworth under budget cuts? No... "a child's bedroom", says the Doctor.

Little George's bedroom is in a council estate flat where he lives with his parents, Claire and Alex (Emma Cunniffe and Daniel Mays). This council block has barely more inhabitants than Aylesbury Estate in The Fixer and some have escaped from the Overlook Hotel. It has bin issues of an unusual kind. There's also a nasty elevator and a landlord (the always reliable Andy Tiernan) with a big mean dog. Anyway the real problems of George are the mess in his cupboard and some folks in doll suits .

Let's Kill Hitler was the best opener since The Eleventh Hour. Unfortunately Night Terrors doesn't match The Beast Below, with which it shares a couple of elements. Gatiss's episode is an innocuous filler where nothing has a real effect or consequence. No one dies, nobody stays a Peg doll, the surrogate parents can love the alien, and the old lady (Leila Hoffman) awakes in the bins. Genius is so overrated since Torchwood: Miracle Day, two or three classic Twilight Zone episodes as a crash course will suffice for a reminder of what genius is.

« Well I suppose it can't all be planets and history and stuff, Rory. » The production accountant will not beg to differ. Daniel Mays's performance is superb, the supporting cast is excellent and Jamie Oram is very good as George.

http://danowen.blogspot.com/2011/09/doctor-who-69-night-terrors.html
http://www.denofgeek.com/television/1035088/doctor_who_night_terrors_spoilerfree_review.html
http://feelinglistless.blogspot.com/2011/09/distorted-modigliani-faces-of-dolls.html

MEET RIVER

Doctor Who - Let's Kill Hitler (Series Six, Episode Eight). Still looking for their daughter Melody, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) land up with the Doctor (Matt Smith) in Adolf Hitler's Berlin office in 1938. Thanks to Mels (Nina Toussaint-White), a childhood friend of the couple, who hijacked the TARDIS. But the future River Song (Alex Kingston) could be closer than they can imagine.

« More guilt! Come on. There must be someone left in the universe I haven't screwed up yet.»

Doctor Who is more popular than ever under showrunner Steven Moffat's tenure. The programme has healthy ratings, conquered America and is commercially at the top worldwide (1). Moffat even gave the BBC another global hit: Sherlock, "re-imagined" with Mark Gatiss. So no matter some old and loyal fans may choose to leave in the process. His narrative approach is supported by a majority of Whovians, seduced by the Grand Moff's high concept soap story arc conundrum.

One year ago, Who's supremo announced at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh TV Festival that the current 13-episode series would run for seven episodes "building to an Earth-shattering climax" at Episode 7, an "enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything". And then would come back in the autumn after a hiatus for another six. « The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series, » as he explained, referring to the second block as « what would be in fact Series Seven. » (2)

Too bad but Earth survived A Good Man goes to War, Steven Moffat's space operetta mid-series finale and its Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger. Series Six (not Seven finally) of Doctor Who returned on BBC One and BBC America last saturday from its two-month hiatus with Let's Kill Hitler, written by the man himself and directed by Richard Senior. Given that when it comes to dramas genius is an overrated notion since Torchwood: Miracle Day, and that the expectations of a minority of us have been seriously lowered with this sixth series, this premiere is surprisingly enjoyable.

« Thank you. Whoever you are. I think you have just saved my life.
- Believe me. It was an accident. »

« You've got a time machine, I've got a gun. What the hell? Let's kill Hitler. » Of course the Doctor didn't stop Hitler (Albert Welling). Moffat warned from the very title, the famous sci-fi cliché is intended only as a fuse for the firework material which relaunches his machinery. Too much material, worthy of a 90-minute special but reduced to 48 minutes, the way the tiny bureaucrat folks are compressed in the Meet Dave walking death sentence. « We're in a hurry. We're not trying to win an award. » No Writer's Tale necessary for Steven Moffat, the anecdotes are IN the episode.

The Moff has a knack for fast-paced adult comedy and a taste for superbly crafted lines (« I'm trapped inside a giant robot replica of my wife. I'm really trying not to see this as a metaphor. ») Let's Kill Hitler offers both generously, provided that you forget its flaws. « Then why don't I know you? I danced with everyone at their wedding. The women were all brilliant. The men were a bit shy. » One of these flaws is Mels, the never seen before "childhood" pal, in spite of a fine but de facto frustrating performance by Nina Toussaint-White. "Mels" is another narrative trick in Moffat's big timey-wimey scheme. Like the continuing devaluation of regeneration, a trend initiated by Russell T. Davies (who has devalued more than that since).

« Well. I was on my way to this gay gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled, when I suddenly thought, "Gosh. The Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Fuehrer." Who's with me? »

On a scale where the quality level has been raised sky high by Neil Gaiman's The Doctor's Wife, Let's Kill Hitler is an absurd but absolutely fun escapism and the best opener since The Eleventh Hour. « I love it! I'm all sort of... mature. Hello Benjamin. » Steven Moffat pleasantly revisits The Curse of The Fatal Death with Alex "Mrs Robinson" Kingston as Jonathan Pryce. Matt Smith (nice coat, by the way) and the cast serve the script brilliantly, and it's nice to see Caitlin Blackwood again as young Amelia - but also as the no-nonsense Amelia voice interface (« You will not die now. You will die in thirty-two minutes. ») The production values look more than decent, the direction is excellent, and Cardiff's Temple of Peace is smartly used.

« Rory, take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there. Now. Do it. » Why would we deny ourselves such a treat? Torchwood: Miracle Day surely delivers a worse "tingling sensation" than the Antibodies of the Teselecta. « Right. Putting Hitler in the cupboard. Cupboard. Hitler. Hitler. Cupboard. »

« Glücklich zu sehen, je suis enchanté. Happy to see you. Bleibe, reste, stay. »

(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/12/doctor-who-bbc-worldwide
(2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/aug/29/doctor-who-cliffhanger-video?intcmp=239

http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/2011/08/doctor-who-series-6-lets-kill-hitler.html
http://danowen.blogspot.com/2011/08/doctor-who-68-lets-kill-hitler.html

ZERO EFFECT

Torchwood: Miracle Day - Episode Five (The Categories of Life). The world population is now divided into three "categories of life". Gwen (Eve Myles) is in Wales with her husband Rhys (Kai Owen) to rescue her father from one of the overflow camps set up globally by Pharma giant Phicorp for the first two categories.

Meanwhile Rex (Mekhi Phifer), Vera (Arlene Tur) and Esther (Alexa Havins) go undercover in the San Diego camp. And Jack (John Barrowman) aims to convince Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) to switch side.

« It's... It's a cookbook! » (The Twilight Zone, To Serve Man)

« Look, Torchwood's gone, okay? It's just a name these days. » It means something when even the characters of Miracle Day look like they know things don't fit. « Do you think I'm useless? » asks Little Miss "Yeah, but I'm CIA" Sunshine to the officially former Captain Jack (« He likes to call himself Captain Jack, but I'm not buying that. ») Dr. Vera would be entitled to ask the same question after weeks attending Washington D.C. medical panels and no one bothered to email her that it was finished. But Vera's embarassment is all for a bit of exposition, like those irritating news bulletins. Is it Baa Baa Black Sheep or what?

Talking of embarassment, how can fugitive Gwen Cooper fly with a passport and an alias already used for the Phicorp raid? How can one of the gang even take a plane without being noticed by the CIA or by their presumed nemesis Phicorp, a global contractor with infinite resources. Are Keystone agents Esther and Rex contagious? Gwen is unrecognizable, below her own standards. « Andy, don't be so thick, » she says to her former colleague Sergeant Andy (Tom Price). But who acts a Parker and Penelope fantasy with her hubby at the airport and makes fool of herself in front of a military until she admits a break-in will do better? Hey, it's about her dad! Who ignores that at the end of the episode?

Apparently Torchwood: Miracle Day is a "political thriller" (1) says respected American writer and producer Jane Espenson, who penned The Categories of Life. The "thrill" is widely discussed but in this "new age of care and compassion" we do have politics from both sides of the pond: « No NHS. Who's paying for all this? Phicorp. You've got healthcare being run by private business. And believe me, just the start of your problems. » Stateside, it's poor Dr. Vera - the gang's former D.C. political correspondent - who deals with caricature, once formally accepted amongst the "Freedom Fighters" (« That makes you sound like terrorists. »)

And the Ellis Monroe of the week is Colin Maloney (Marc Vann, who deserves better), the misogynist, racist, Hilary Duffist, Phil Collinsist and insensible camp administrator. Maloney has his own cart with a General Lee horn! But even a low-level nazi-type bureaucrat (he does an explicit "Jawohl" in case you hadn't noticed) must have his self-esteem and Vera should have thought twice before calling him a "stupid little man" during a hard day at work. Full-time member of Clue Club and she already gets what is obviously intended as her Ianto Jones moment, as looms the awful truth: the forces behind Phicorp are familiar with Godwin's Law.

And Jack? He plays hide and seek with Oswald and tries to convince him to "become a hero". Why not? The man is a pedophile and murderer who lost his ticket to Hell and was offered a spokesperson job from a big corporation, nice hotel rooms, a limo, cohorts of fans and his own groupie Jilly Drescher Flekman (Lauren Ambrose). Esther and Rex are indeed contagious after all. And we're looking forward to Bill Pullman's next project to erase the trauma of the rally speech.

The Categories of Life is directed by Guy Ferland. Now two aspirins, please.

Next Time: Big Brother?

(1) http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s8/torchwood/interviews/a332311/torchwood-miracle-day-jane-espenson-interview-writing-welsh-voices-was-a-joy.html

http://danowen.blogspot.com/2011/08/torchwood-miracle-day-categories-of.html
http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2011/08/torchwood_miracle_day_episode_4.html
http://tachyon-tv.co.uk/2011/08/mexican-cooking/
http://feelinglistless.blogspot.com/2011/08/knife-edge-of-taste-eric-saward-was.html