Xmas on the Goggle Box
I haven't watched a lot of telly this Christmas; to be honest, there didn't seem to be a lot I felt I couldn't live without seeing.
I did, however, watch the Merlin finale, which I thought was very well done. I really didn't think they would kill Arthur - not because it wasn't the way the story was bound to go, rather because it went out on Christmas Eve and probably upset a lot of the kids who were watching! But kudos to TPTB for sticking to their vision and giving us the ending I think the series deserved. The past five years has been principally about the deep and loyal friendship between Merlin and Arthur, so it was absolutely right that the finale put that to the fore. Merlin's grief at the loss of his friend was utterly heartbreaking, as was Arthur's final "Thank you" and his insistence that Merlin should never change. I admit it - I cried.
The principal emotion evoked by Doctor Who on the other hand, was - I'm sorry to say - boredom. It looked lovely, as usual, and (also as usual) made very little sense, even by DW standards! I quite liked the new title sequence. They've been going back towards the warm reds and oranges of the RTD era for a while anyway, and the graphics, together with the superimposed shot of the Doctor's. face (not seen since the McCoy era) gave it rather a retro feel. That seems right, in this 50th anniversary year. The redesign of the TARDIS interior felt similarly inspired; and as I didn't particularly care for the old Orange Desktop theme, I wasn't fussed one way or the other.
Oh, and finally, we have a new companion! A young, very pretty, feisty woman, surrounded by mystery... hang on. Is anyone else getting a sense of deja-vu?
I haven't watched Downton Abbey yet - that might be on the agenda for later. As long as Dame Maggie gets the best one-liners and there is none of that toe-curlingly awful Matthew/Mary flirting, it's bound to be entertaining enough.
I did, however, watch the Merlin finale, which I thought was very well done. I really didn't think they would kill Arthur - not because it wasn't the way the story was bound to go, rather because it went out on Christmas Eve and probably upset a lot of the kids who were watching! But kudos to TPTB for sticking to their vision and giving us the ending I think the series deserved. The past five years has been principally about the deep and loyal friendship between Merlin and Arthur, so it was absolutely right that the finale put that to the fore. Merlin's grief at the loss of his friend was utterly heartbreaking, as was Arthur's final "Thank you" and his insistence that Merlin should never change. I admit it - I cried.
The principal emotion evoked by Doctor Who on the other hand, was - I'm sorry to say - boredom. It looked lovely, as usual, and (also as usual) made very little sense, even by DW standards! I quite liked the new title sequence. They've been going back towards the warm reds and oranges of the RTD era for a while anyway, and the graphics, together with the superimposed shot of the Doctor's. face (not seen since the McCoy era) gave it rather a retro feel. That seems right, in this 50th anniversary year. The redesign of the TARDIS interior felt similarly inspired; and as I didn't particularly care for the old Orange Desktop theme, I wasn't fussed one way or the other.
Oh, and finally, we have a new companion! A young, very pretty, feisty woman, surrounded by mystery... hang on. Is anyone else getting a sense of deja-vu?
I haven't watched Downton Abbey yet - that might be on the agenda for later. As long as Dame Maggie gets the best one-liners and there is none of that toe-curlingly awful Matthew/Mary flirting, it's bound to be entertaining enough.