My Doctor Who shoes are nearly dead; three to four months and the seal around the sole is going.
So, what else is new?
Season two of ‘The IT Crowd’ was a disappointment. Whilst some of the episodes had some great sequences and featured some great acting the host of those ‘somes’ didn’t add up to a glorious second run. The biggest ‘pity’ is Matt Berry. Loved his work in ‘The Mighty Boosh’ and ‘Snuff Box’ but as Chris Morris’ successor he felt well-overplayed.
The other problem was the utter lack of resolution or even movement on the ‘Will they/Won’t they?’ dynamic set up in re Jen and Roy from season one. Moss was still Moss, which was great, but the stories strayed away from the workplace dramas and into generic sitcom land, which made it less and less about the dymanics of IT geeks and more about just how much fun you can make of nerds.
Also, was it me or did this season go for one too many easy jokes at the expense of the Gay Community, Foreigners, et al?
The opening episode for ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures,’ Revenge of the Slitheen’ was perfect kids TV. Elizabeth Sladen works in the titular role and the returning villian from ‘New Who’ was better realised here than it was there. Much better than ‘Torchwood.’Â
‘Heroes’ season two starts off… well, indifferently. Time has passed since season one and yet it doesn’t seem all that mysterious. There’s no sense that ‘things are happening.’
Also, aside from Hiro, none of the characters seem all that interesting. I’m sure the mystery will ramp up; it took season one awhile to find its narrative feet.
‘Hyperdrive,’ which I saw a bit of in the UK, was better on rewatching and season two was better still (but still not great). Jeffers and Yorke made the show; Kevin Eldon’s sadistic Spock-like character makes the show; I now am actively working on my very own banato.
Finally, Atlantis’ season four has just started. I’m beginning to dislike the tendency in that franchise in not only having cliffhanger resolving season ends but having them as two sets of two-parters bridged by a six month hiatus. I just want to know how it all ends; I don’t want to have to wait another week. Still, I thought they were going to kill off my favourite character but he’s still alive. Go Radick!