And here's all the other news you need to know...

[rochvelleth]

Tonight, marvellously, sees the arrival of the new (third) series of Robin Hood, which airs at 6.50pm on BBC1. It's promising to be dark and exciting, and if it's anything like the first two series it will be brilliant. I can't wait. Indeed, last night I watched the season 2 finale to prepare myself - in that one, Marian was killed by Guy of

Comments

[constant_muse]

Tut, tut, ITV putting up the new Primeval against the new Robin Hood. I may be a medievalist (okay, because I'm a medievalist) but Primeval was the winner in this household. The 10 year old is obsessed with mythical creatures and dinosaurs, and I find the Primeval cast very easy on the eye, and it's all so funky and bright. Sad to discover that Cutter's sidekick had been written out at the end of series 2, he was extremely pretty and implausible as a professional adventurer, but his replacement looks very promising. And Ben Miller is a super comic book villain.

Re your earlier post about the Dr Who special, sounds a bit OTT assembling all the Doctor's companions. I am feeling the enthusiasm I had for the 'new' Doctor Who ebbing away with the retirement of David Tennant.

[rochvelleth]

I turned over at the end of Robin Hood and watched about two thirds of Primeval, and I have to say it wasn't too bad (given my usual reservations about plot and script and CGI). I do think the new sidekick is quite promising too. Haven't decided about the egyptologist yet, but I did like the cage thingy.

Actually, probably the most promising development for me was that they might start looking at textual evidence for anomalies, which I would have done right from the start! I do like the idea that one was represented in hieroglyphics, though I know I shouldn't :)

And yes, I was a bit confused as to why the Dr Who team would want to bring back the previous three companions. Don't they trust themselves to create new characters? Couldn't they let that all lie with the end of series 4? It really needs to move on if it's going to keep renewing itself as interesting television.

And besides, if they bring Martha back it'll play havoc with my ideas about her giving up the alien-hunting life to become Alesha Phillips in Law and Order UK!