keysam-02610 Reviews

Lovejoy: Angel Trousers (1992) Season 3, Episode 4

Thank goodness for Angel Trousers

[7/10 · 23 May 2024]

First of all, Suffolk to Portsmouth is a big trip to do in a day! If you choose Lavenham as the starting point, it's a more than 3 hour trip right round the edge of London on the M25, and that's assuming no traffic. Given the leisurely pace of things at the funeral and after, I think Lovejoy and Jane would be looking at an overnight stay.

Anyway, this episode is another that drags a bit at first. The sea burial story is very sad, as is the idea of having to sell the medals, but it's also a bit over-done, with the three old comrades.

Things brighten up considerably with the arrival of the (admittedly awful) Fiona, her even more awful boss, Jeremy Prince and the remarkably cute Angelo Pantalioni - the Angel Trousers of the title.

Lady Jane turns out to speak very acceptable Italian and so negotiations with Angelo go very well and (obsession with Mussolini aside) he emerges as one of the nicer characters in this episode, especially as he enables the gang to ensure the medals end up out of the clutches of the horrible Jeremy.

Very much a game of two halves, this one.

Lovejoy: No Strings (1992) Season 3, Episode 3

Not the best

[5/10 · 23 May 2024]

A lot of people (though not apparently IMDB reviewers) do like this episode. They find it sweet and heartbreaking. I am not one of them. I think it's downright poor in places. And the writing and plotting is pretty bad.

It seemed to drag, which is always a bad sign.

The Lovejoy/Victoria romance comes to an end but is very badly handled as it does so. First, Lovejoy does a half-baked proposal, which Victoria turns down but also in a very unclear way. She explains more to Jane later than she ever does to Lovejoy.

That said, if you're turned down for marriage, walking off in a huff is not the correct reaction. Just because someone doesn't want to get married doesn't mean it's all over! This crops up in a few shows & movies I've seen and it strikes me as misogynistic. Usually a bloke decides to offer marriage. The woman declines, but almost always not in a rude or rejecting way, just turning that institution down really, not the man. Man decides well, in that case, he's off! It's basically saying the woman has no right to decline without losing the whole relationship.

Anyway, Victoria then, having only just a) said she fancies touring the UK and b) pursued Lovejoy to say 'I wasn't turning YOU down, just marriage' hoofs off back to Peru. This is a really poor bit of writing. Her actions makes NO sense in the context.

Nor is the subplot of the dodgy promoter very well handled. It's too rushed. Blink, and you would miss the bit where Lovejoy tells Eric (iirc) to 'Call Uncle Bill' ie get the police to come to arrest Morgan for stealing the £100,000.

Then, all of a sudden out of nowhere, NUNS! Convents aren't common in the UK (Henry 8th &c) and finding a convenient one to donate the harp to stretches the credulity, though the player does a lovely job. (The harp got mended a bit fast too, didn't it?)

Finally, I like Hothouse Flowers and they were very pretty to look at but OMG they can't act! Still, the music was enjoyable, what little we heard of it.

All in all this is NOT vintage Lovejoy. The line about friends being better than lovers though, that's a good one.

Edit to add - nearly forgot, there's more evidence of poor writing with the whole Lovejoy on a boat thing. It's mentioned briefly in goofs, here, but he was literally on a boat in the very first episode, then again in the Venice double bill and again in the one with the French thieves who were clearing out mansion houses. Yet here, he turns to camera and claims never to have been on one before. What?!

Lovejoy: Montezuma's Revenge (1991) Season 2, Episode 4

Spooky

[8/10 · 10 May 2024]

First of all, it feels like Trevor Byfield has played a few rock managers/promoters. It's probably not as many as I think! It's an interesting role to get typecast in though, if he did.

Anyway, the main plot is about a gold statuette which may come with a curse. It certainly does seem to be followed by sad occurrences. It's also followed by a beautiful woman, which is more interesting to Lovejoy than a curse!

The sub-plot is that Alexander has told Jane he's off to Paris on business, but then unfortunately she spots him when she's shopping in Cambridge and he's got an attractive woman on his arm. She finds out they spent the night at a hotel there - although there's no indication they shared a bedroom. This leads Jane to consider kicking over the traces herself, with Lovejoy. Unfortunately, (or perhaps not), Lovejoy is distracted by Rosita the beautiful South American and he barely notices what poor Jane's up to.

When they do get close, they're interrupted, because for the second episode in a row, Lovejoy has the police on his tail.

Rosita seems like she might be a 'shady lady from....er, Bogota', but in the end she turns out to be OK. Well, mostly OK (poor Eric).

It's rock manager Jeff (Trevor B) who turns out to be the villain, faking wanting to sell the figure in order to find out where the raft part is, so he could get that back and flog the whole thing for money to pay off drug dealers.

Alex' lady friend turns out to really be a business deal too, so that's OK as Jane hasn't managed to do anything she might come to regret (& Lovejoy's none the wiser that she was trying to!)

Happy endings all round, except for the poor bloke who was going to auction the figure for Lovejoy.

Good episode.

Lovejoy: The Italian Venus (1991) Season 2, Episode 2

One of the best

[9/10 · 9 May 2024]

This is definitely one of the best episodes of all. It's a terrific story with a perfect ending where the good guys have an unqualified win.

The excellence is largely down to the characters of the ghastly Carey-Holdens and the brilliant acting of Celia Imrie and Patrick Malahide who inhabit these creatures. Even before you know they're refusing to help Hugo's impoverished younger brother (the artist who is trying to scratch a living faking 'Victorian' bronze horse statuettes), they're instantly hate-able.

Lovejoy and his friends, along with the younger brother, score a total victory (with some nail-biting moments along the way) and it's all highly satisfactory.

Lovejoy: Death and Venice: Part Two (1986) Season 1, Episode 10

Just as good as part one

[8/10 · 7 May 2024]

Most people don't seem to like this story, but I do. Lovejoy IS at its best when it sticks fairly close to Suffolk, but leaving that aside, this is an entertaining romp.

Haydn Gwynne having been seen safely to hospital, Lovejoy sets out to get closer to the bad guys because he has even more reason now to pay them back.

This leads to him meeting Luciano, their head forger, who turns out to be a displaced Scot and eventual partner in putting paid to Camilla and Lavinia's evil schemes.

Lovejoy ends up in the Grand Canal again - and this time it seemed Ian McShane really does go in. Possibly.

The weakest characters are the two 'Aussie' policemen, both as characters and in terms of believing that they really had Lovejoy and the criminal gang under surveillance. Still, even though they pop up again at the end they don't really spoil Lovejoy's plan over all. To the contrary, Lovejoy and Lucky win the day and the only downside is that Lady Jane is possibly rather cross!

Lovejoy: Just Desserts (1991) Season 2, Episode 1

Great start to the new series

[9/10 · 7 May 2024]

As others have said, this does seem like not only a new series but a reboot. They've kept the best bits of series one and ditched some others, most notably giving Lovejoy a safe place to live that brings him even closer to Lady Jane and the protection she affords by being posh and wealthy. Their 'will they won't they?' relationship is great fun, but it's these other aspects that actually Lovejoy probably needs most.

Charlie Gimbert was actually a great character. He wasn't a one note villain. On the contrary, it was clear that he & Lovejoy could actually get along fairly well in the right circumstances. I just don't think having an antagonist so close to home was necessary and the role is easily filled week to week by guest stars.

This first episode also sees the return of Antony Valentine's character from the early episode The Judas Pair. It was clear then that he was a teeny bit obsessive when it came to flintlock pistols, but now it seems he's almost as bad with other antiques, to the extent that he's the one who is really responsible for Lovejoy's 8 months in prison.

Happily, Lovejoy gets satisfaction & enough cash to resolve several issues in his life so that they don't have to be plot points going forward - alimony for example.

It's good fun, as indeed the show would continue to be.

Lovejoy: Death and Venice: Part One (1986) Season 1, Episode 9

Part one

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

This episode is a bit all over the place because - due to there being a part two - it takes everything at a leisurely pace and so it's not all that clear what's going on, except some of the people involved are pretty hardcore nasty.

Where antiques regularly bring out the best in Lovejoy (such as in the previous episode), they seem to have a terrible effect on a great number of other people and there are several like that in this story.

They pique Lovejoy's interest - beyond the fact that they have a lot of beautiful antiques - by being responsible for the death of a friend, the injury of another and showing entirely too much enthusiasm for curtailing Lovejoy's life. So off he trots to La Serenissima to try to find out what's going on. Lady Jane correctly assesses this behaviour as reckless.

Venice is made even lovelier by the presence of the adorable and much missed Hadyn Gwynne. Her fluent Italian impresses (apparently she was genuinely fluent and for 5 years taught at University of Rome La Sapienza prior to acting) and adds authenticity to the production. Possibly as a cost reduction measure, they clearly shot the episode off season, when there's a lot more water about even for Venice - acqua alta? - and it's not terribly sunny or warm. I don't think this matters, in fact I think it adds atmosphere. We don't *see* Lovejoy fall into the canal, just his soggy return to the cafe. I gather it's not recommended, so this was probably a wise choice!

In all honesty, Lovejoy stories always struggle a bit when they take him out of his regular haunts and away from the usual ensemble cast, and this is no exception. Even Venice can't really make up for Lady Jane and co just being on phone calls &c.

Still, it is good fun overall and the episode does finally ramp up to a proper cliff-hanger, with mortal danger included.

Lovejoy: The March of Time (1986) Season 1, Episode 8

The softer side of Lovejoy

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

As another reviewer says, the main interest in this episode comes from seeing Lovejoy's delight at the letters and watch him fall head over heels in love with a woman who lived centuries ago.

Oh, yes, he fancies Sophy but he *loves* the poor heartbroken lady from the Napoleonic era.

It's not the most exciting episode but it is a lovely insight into Lovejoy's psyche. It's highly entertaining too to see hi various friends - and frenemies - trying to stop him spending far too much on the little drawing.

It's just as well Lady Jane turns up as a deus ex machina at the end to pay his bill!

Good stuff.

Lovejoy: To Sleep No More (1986) Season 1, Episode 6

Very sweet

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

This is a very sweet episode because basically the only reason Lovejoy gets involved is to help out the widow of Sam, a copyist (forger) he admired, who has been left virtually penniless by his sudden death. All she has is a silver snuff box which looks good and which the lady loves because it was a gift from her husband, but which Lovejoy has to tell her is one Sam made, not a 'real' one.

This much loved item is stolen, as are two further boxes from the shop of one of Lovejoy's antique dealer friends and the link is a priest of all things. Lovejoy managed to track the culprit down and finds him to be a well-known ne-er do well, recently out of prison.

From there the plot expands to involve a much richer widow, this one of a predatory nature, and an insurance scam.

An excellent story.

Lovejoy: The Real Thing (1986) Season 1, Episode 7

As Hustle taught us....

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

....you can't con an honest man.

There are two cons in this episode. There's the cheap and nasty one, where a 'retired military man' asks a shopkeeper to mind a supposedly non-valuable painting. A little while later a woman comes in and tells the shopkeeper the painting is actually valuable and she will pay good money for it, please tell the owner.

Now, the *honest* person will just pass the message on to the 'military man' when he comes back, give him the business card the woman left and return the painting. But if the shopkeeper isn't completely honest, they offer the owner a sum for the painting which is LESS than the woman offered but more than the owner had previously said he'd paid, planning to sell it to her - or to someone else - themselves for a fat profit. When they try to do that, they find out they've been had.

Hustle has a similar short con with a dog!

The other con artist in this is actually closer to one of Hustle's long cons (and actually this is where I part company with Hustle's guiding philosophy because not all the people potentially being conned are dishonest and the main mark, Pierre's, 'dishonesty' is of the womanising variety rather than greed). This sort of person often flies under the radar because he hides his frauds under the cloak of being an 'entrepreneur'. Frankly, this word often seems to be code for dodgy dealings.

Perhaps because he's no stranger to a slightly dodgy deal himself, Lovejoy spots both con artists straight away and sets out to put a spanner in their works. Possibly because friends of his are involved rather than from conscience or love of the rule of law, but nevertheless he thwarts both con artists.

In the process he even seems to miss out on an evening where Lady Jane was giving signals that she might actually be about to succumb to his advances!

It's an entertaining episode, in the same way Hustle is entertaining, because we can see what is going on. It's also a clean sweep of victories for Lovejoy.

Lovejoy: The Judas Pair (1986) Season 1, Episode 5

Case-hardened? I think not.

[9/10 · 1 May 2024]

My personal metallurgist (PhD and over 20 years in the steel industry) agrees with the entry in 'goofs' with regard to what case hardening actually is (though he said 'baked' wouldn't be his first choice of word).

That out of the way, this IS one of the best episodes, certainly of the early Lovejoy stories.

Poor Lady Jane gets saddled again with some of the 80s nastiest clothing (as do many other cast members); it really was an awful decade for fashion!

There's some genuine jeopardy and unpleasantness here, not to mention an insight into the psyche of the obsessive collectors of the world.

Lovejoy and Jane are in real danger, but display some very quick thinking. It's just as well the cottage boasts the biggest 'priest hole' I've ever seen. They're usually (not that I'm an expert) pretty cramped.

Like Lovejoy, I found Michael Seymour suspicious for a while. It was good to be wrong. Discovering that Judas was less of a reference to the 13th disciple than to the dodgy nature of at least one of the guns comes as a genuine surprise, and it is sad to think of a gunsmith being forced to create such a thing.

The whole episode clips along - it actually seems quite short - and is definitely one of the high points of the show.

Lovejoy: Friends, Romans and Enemies (1986) Season 1, Episode 4

Great episode

[9/10 · 30 April 2024]

First, to deal with what another reviewer says, Lovejoy did NOT admit to having sex with Gimbert's sister Amanda when she was 15! When Gimbert lists ways Lovejoy has annoyed him, one of which being sleeping with Amanda and Lovejoy says 'that was 6 years ago', Gimbert says 'she was only 15!' Lovejoy immediately says 'Not Amanda!' and refers to one of the other things.

However another reviewer is quite right - this could easily have been a two-parter, just like its predecessor The Sting. In fact, up until I rewatched it today, I would have sworn it was 2 parts.

Anyway, it is an entertaining episode, let down by both the 'Americans' sadly.

Lovejoy: The Sting (1986) Season 1, Episode 3

Too much story, not enough episode

[8/10 · 30 April 2024]

It's a good story, this one. It's just there's too much of it for this one episode. It probably could have made a two-parter without too much trouble but I suppose at this early stage in the programme's life, they might have thought they couldn't get away with it.

Anyway, it's quite a convoluted plot and it would have been nice to let it breathe. As it stands, the sub plot with the nasty drug dealer ex-boyfriend for Corinna is dealt with really rather too easily (though the scene in the pub - 'Lovejoy? Rings a bit of a bell...' is amusing). The various forgeries are also reduced to what amounts to a montage and Lovejoy's day out with his daughter ends up being a pointless waste of location filming.

Lastly, the actual sting isn't very clearly explained. It's not obvious why Lovejoy needs more than one forgery to manipulate Gimbert into buying, but it turns out it's so that the items Corinna swaps for the 'jade' cup/vase will make a big enough value to make it realistic that she would give up the jade.

It IS a good, very entertaining story, it just needed a bit more space.

Lovejoy: The Axeman Cometh (1986) Season 1, Episode 2

Tricky

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

Awkward one this. It includes some stereotyping that would generally be thought not to pass muster these days.

I think it can be allowed the benefit of the doubt though.

The 'frummer' , Froebel, turns out to be someone who is himself *pretending* to be an Orthodox Jew on the basis of 'respect for uniforms, so they know what they're dealing with', so any stereotyping is arguably down to him.

Where the episode really loses stars is because it takes Lovejoy out of Suffolk, to London. The regulars (yes, we're only on episode two, but still) only really make brief appearances and the meat of the story involves people we haven't seen before and won't see again (IIRC).

So this is only an average episode.

Lovejoy: The Firefly Cage (1986) Season 1, Episode 1

Terrific start

[9/10 · 27 April 2024]

The first episode of any series is often slightly awkward, perhaps epecially for comedies. If they're sitcoms, you don't know any of the characters and there's only 20-30 minutes to make an impact.

Lovejoy isn't entirely a comedy and it has a longer running time, so arguably should find it easier to begin, but this is still an impressive first episode.

All the main characters are introduced without it seeming clunky - perhaps the most obvious bit of actual exposition is Tink explaining to Eric what a 'barker' is and that still flows naturally from the situation.

We're also rapidly given a very clear picture of who Lovejoy is - a bit shady, known to the police, but almost universally liked (even Gimbert isn't antagonistic all the time) and respected, plus he's very kind in a lot of ways.

This is comedy-drama, not just comedy, so the criminal plot isn't really detailed (even if it is quite nasty; poor Drummer!) and is fairly readily resolved. Still it brings a bit of action, rather more than in most episodes, if I remember correctly.

All in all a terrific start to a great series.

The New Avengers: Sleeper (1976) Season 1, Episode 10

Top tier caper

[10/10 · 20 April 2024]

Like another reviewer, I like a good heist movie/episode and this is very good. Of course, with the average heist movie, the viewer is often supposed to be on the side of the people doing the heist and that's definitely not the case here.

There's a great deal to enjoy here, but one thing that I do find really sad is that yet again the plot is driven by the murder of one of Steed's friends. The depiction of the phone ringing unanswered on his desk, which shows all the bits and pieces he left lying around when he went out, believing he would return, is very moving.

It seems to be a bit of a feature with the New Avengers, that they keep bumping off Steed's friends. I don't remember that being so much of a trope in the old series, though it certainly did happen.

However, mostly the episode is full of humour to go along with the thrill of the caper. From Purdey being stranded outside in her jim-jams, (which later give her some trouble in the shop window), to Steed and Gambit making like statues at the bus stop, there's a great deal to raise a smile. It does seem an odd choice to have the two unfortunate police officers eating chips (& fish? We aren't shown) at what is effectively breakfast time! But that's a very minor niggle, not worth deducting any stars.

The episode is something of a showcase for Purdey, as she is working alone but still takes care of plenty of baddies, though Steed and Gambit get the mastermind pair.

Finally, we get a terrific twist at the end, followed by a light-hearted pay-off.

A vintage episode.

Ripley: VIII NARCISSUS (2024) Season 1, Episode 8

Perfetto

[10/10 · 9 April 2024]

Binged the whole series over the last few nights. As a fan of the book, (all of them actually) although it's a while since I last read it, I loved everything about this series.

I am also in awe of all the Italian spoken by the various cast members who definitely aren't Italians. OK, for all I know one or more of them might already be fluent, but surely they can't all have been, yet the language seemed to flow effortlessly. I can't really believe it's quite the same as simply learning any old dialogue; maybe I'm wrong. Still found it impressive.

I like the b/w photography too - although I did occasionally wish I could see the colours of various bits and pieces.

This whole series is a triumph; I very much hope there will be more. I feel as though I can trust this director to adapt the rest of the 'Ripliad' faithfully too.

Oh, and that cat was ADORABLE!

Jeeves and Wooster: In Court After the Boat Race (or, Jeeves' Arrival) (1990) Season 1, Episode 1

What an entrance!

[10/10 · 3 April 2024]

Returning home after his court appearance, completely hung over, Bertie collapses onto his bed in an apartment in complete disarray. The front door bell gets him to open the door (eventually) where a smartly dressed man introduces himself as having been 'sent by the agency' because Bertie needs a new valet. Bertie allows the man in and stares in disbelief as all the mess is magically cleared up. Finally, the 'pick-me-up' works instantly to cure Bertie's hangover and he turns to the man 'You're engaged!'.

'Thank you Sir, my name is Jeeves.'

Hands down the best introduction to a character ever. Obviously a great deal of the credit goes to Wodehouse, who invented the characters and this whole sequence is (IIRC) lifted more or less directly from the books, but it's still a terrific few minutes of TV and sets the two main characters up perfectly for the viewers. Fry and Laurie were born to embody these people. I don't believe it can be bettered.

Hamish Macbeth: Destiny: Part 2 (1997) Season 3, Episode 8

Love it!

[9/10 · 1 April 2024]

This review is for both parts.

Watching on DVD allowed me to binge both parts together, which I think helps but regardless I love this finale, apart from the fact that it IS the finale because frankly I would have loved Hamish Macbeth to carry on for several more episodes.

Yes, the whole thing is preposterous but it's also funny and sad and dramatic. TV John's brother is a deeply unpleasant character but his bad luck (right down to an easily missed incident near the start with a box of matches) truly is epic and funny. The rich exiled Scot is also nasty and OTT, but makes a useful device to hang the plot on - he wants to buy the Stone of Destiny which starts the whole rigmarole off.

I honestly really enjoyed the whole story, with its spooky content and the innate goodness of TV John saving the day: the hypnotist helps him swap out the stones because he saves her life.

It was also great to see Hamish and Isobel *finally* getting their act together (love how Hamish is fixated on how they could have been 'at it' all this time rather than the more romantic 'together' that most shows would go for!) with the help of Herman and his money-fuelled fire.

There are too many enjoyable parts to this story to list them all. Another one is Lachie and Junior with their own names for engine parts and then letting Rory & the Colonel think their decimal point prank has lasted all these years.

Daniel Boyle has basically thrown everything into these final two episodes. No, it doesn't all quite work, but it's a highly entertaining couple of hours.

Personally I think the Lochdubh guys should just leave the Stone hidden in the hills though. Trying to swap it back now, in these times of better security is going to be a different kettle of fish from the original escapade in the chaos of war!

I wish them Slàinte Mhath!

Hamish Macbeth: The Trouble with Rory (1997) Season 3, Episode 5

It's not just Rory

[9/10 · 30 March 2024]

OK, in this episode Rory is acting out of character and actually not behaving very well but...

The bit that seemed odd to me was how the rest of the village behaved *before* finding out about the situation with the school. It has never before been suggested that Rory is treated as a figure of ridicule, with the other villagers recounting funny stories about him (the one about the sheep) behind his back. Yes, everyone took a little pleasure in gently teasing him and Esme about their 'secret' relationship back before they went public, but it wasn't like the scene in the bar in the early minutes of this episode. That seems like a mis-step by the writer.

Watching on DVD, and in the knowledge that a whole episode isn't included in the box set due to problems over music rights, I can't help but wonder if the scene when the villagers are prepping for the stake out actually featured the real Mission Impossible music. On the DVD it's a sort of knock-off version.

The story as a whole is pretty good, featuring a genuine police mystery and some real jeopardy. Plus it has a happy ending both for Esme, Rory and the school. It's just the part near the beginning in the bar that definitely strikes me as an error.

Hamish Macbeth: No Man Is an Island (1996) Season 2, Episode 5

Quite brilliant.

[10/10 · 24 March 2024]

Wracked with guilt over Alex' death, Hamish has gone off on leave. He's taken himself off to the island he and Alex thought of as 'theirs', perhaps more accurately, hers. He's intending to take his own life, probably.

Meanwhile, back in Lochdubh (where they know he's gone on leave but not where, or what his plan is), a temporary constable has arrived. He's very ship shape and eager. Luckily, the man before the man before Macbeth gave the villagers, organised by TV John, an exact template for dealing with this sort of situation....

Many TV shows would struggle here, and have their main character moping about for many episodes. Luckily we're dealing with a cleverer writer. Hamish encounters an older woman on the island, whose personal story resembles his in that she has been recently bereaved, but who is not willing to give up. She's also not willing to allow Hamish to fob her off when she asks for his story, and uses her current precarious situation to basically blackmail him into opening up. Hamish finally allows himself to grieve.

Our writer - Daniel Boyle - also sticks Alex' dad and Isobel - the sort of 'other woman' in a boat together, so they can also air out their problems, then has them rescue Hamish and Belle, in the course of which the Major makes it clear to Hamish that he (the Major) is not blaming Hamish for what happened.

The upshot is that by the end of the episode, the three from Lochdubh have had a catharsis which will undoubtedly help them come to terms more quickly with the loss of Alex. It's very deft.

It's a great episode. At one turn moving, at the next hilarious as the villagers 'deal' with the replacement constable.

Great telly.

Hamish Macbeth: Wee Jock's Lament (1995) Season 1, Episode 5

Kilts!

[9/10 · 18 March 2024]

I have deducted a star for the fate of poor Wee Jock, but basically this is a perfect episode if we overlook that terrible plot choice.

It really marks the start of the otherworldly content that came to be a feature of Hamish Macbeth as the series progressed and which brings something really individual to the show.

I love how the men of the village (apart from Lachie Jr) put on kilts to go searching for Hamish, considering them to be the ultimate practical garment for tromping through the heather. (Though possibly not great for stopping the midges from making you itch!) I'm sure I remember this being explained explicitly in a later episode.

To go with the kilts, and as a knitter, there are some gorgeous jumpers on display!

Wee Jock 2 is simply adorable (there's an unacknowledged time jump I think as the dog Hamish has with him at the end is a bit more than the pup he takes from the flat) and yes, as another reviewer says, the final scene is sublime.

Brilliant.

Kingdom: Episode #3.6 (2009) Season 3, Episode 6

Oh, bother! How could they?!

[10/10 · 14 March 2024]

This is a lovely series. I don't think there's a single duff episode. I do think the marriage of Mr Snell, in ep 5 of this series, is a bit daft. It would have been better to have his romance of Gloria continue. But other than that I don't think they put a foot wrong.

It's also clear that there were stories left to tell, as this final episode ends on a very intriguing cliff hanger. It is therefore also extremely annoying!

We already know that the older Mr Kingdom was no saint, not least because of the cash he had stashed in the house. But now we are left to wonder what secrets his wife, Peter's mother, was keeping. Either she was already pregnant when she married Kingdom Snr, or she had an affair of her own. Otherwise Peter, supposedly half-brother to Simon & Beatrice and older than both of them, wouldn't exist. It seems Aunt Auriel knows all about it. Unfortunately, we never will. Bah!

Last of the Summer Wine: The Rights of Man (Except for Howard) (2010) Season 31, Episode 3

The thing is...

[7/10 · 22 February 2024]

The thing is I cannot stand Howard. He's a dreadful character. His behaviour is appalling and frankly laughing at the things he does regarding his wife and Marina feels quite icky. So this little run of episodes is a mixed bag from my POV.

Unlike the 'live' audience, I do not feel the need to go 'Awwwww!' when Pearl has finally had enough and throws him out. It's about time!

That said, Robert Fyfe, who has the misfortune to play Howard, does an excellent job. He also clearly managed to stay fit well into later life, as his dancing (apart from the bit where he was obviously sitting on a green-screened chair) illustrates.

(There's also an earlier episode where at the end Howard emerges from a police car and legs it up a sloped street in a remarkably short time. I couldn't see any evidence of camera trickery, it seemed to remain firmly on him and there wasn't a cut that might have hidden a swap. I think Fyfe was just in good health!)

There is some humour here though, mainly from the sheer idiocy of Hobbo's expertise.

Things are winding down in LotSW and it does show. But it's still not a terrible way to pass a half-hour.

Silent Witness: Kings Cross - Part 2 (2024) Season 27, Episode 10

Really good

[9/10 · 19 February 2024]

This pair of episodes were really excellent. It was a genuine mystery, with no *real* jeopardy for the pathology team, nor too much soapy content. I much prefer Silent Witness when it keeps the Lyall personnel to their professional tracks rather than at the centre of the plot.

Additionally, this plot was slightly more novel than the usual serial killer fare. The killer was horrifically banal - he had no more idea than anyone else really as to why he'd committed the murders ('Practice?') and his policeman protector was as horrified as anyone else but still felt parental feelings for the younger man.

Like many people I still don't find the personal relationship between Nikki and Jack all that believable. That said the final scene was lovely and it would REALLY annoy me if this relationship, now it's been visited upon us, was tossed aside in any forthcoming series. I'm still smarting over the abrupt and almost completely unexplained disappearance of Matt, the American love interest!

Silent Witness, which did struggle slightly after Clarissa left, (not least because of the high turnover of cast members) has achieved a measure of equilibrium with the current team - Nikki, Jack, Gabriel, Velvy and Cara (though she can't realistically remain an intern/student placement forever, I very much hope she will be around regularly). I hope all the actors remain available and the writers don't do anything silly.