But these cases showed up the main story-arc. Whilst these mini-cases are clearly lifted directly from Arthur Conan Doyle short stories and demonstrate Sherlock Holmes’ impossibly quick powers of deduction and reason, the frankly ridiculous story involving Sherlock’s sister(?!?) Eurus made you realise that whilst Mark Gatis is an accomplished writer and a Holmes fan, he is no Conan Doyle.

If Sherlock returns for a new series, and I do hope it does, then I really would like it to return with maybe 6 hour-long episodes that stuck more closely to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories whilst bringing them up to date in the 21st century. Remember back to the very first episode A Study in Pink that was lifted directly from A Study in Scarlet! That’s the kind of thing we need.

Christmas is a time for the confort and traditions. Some of these traditions are whole family traditions, and some are more personal and come and go. I was thinking about this today, because I’m making huge progress through Alan Bennett’s Untold Stories. It’s been on my shelf for probably the best part of the decade after I got it for Christmas upon it’s publication – I only read about 70 pages. Clearly something didn’t grab me, or circumstances were not the same as they had been a few year’s previously when I remembered fondly devouring his Writing Home along with two novels, and a nature book whilst also installed on the end of the sofa scanning old slides into the computer. I remember wanting this book and organising my time between Christmas and New Year to try and relive that joy and happiness.

Christmas traditions is something that are brought to life in a short extract from Mr Tumnal which I recorded recently for That’s Oxfordshire television for broadcast over Christmas 2016. For readers not in Oxfordshire, this reading is now online to watch.

This is my first bit of television I’ve done! What do you think?

I think the TV series, for its faithfulness to the books will always live on (I have them on dvd), but this has a charming magic about it which I think I could watch again and again without getting bored. Perfect Boxing Day entertainment!

And then there was the anticipation years ago when the BBC’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe launched. I can remember thinking of nothing else all day, which made the disappointment at the end of the first episode even more the greater.

So, I approached last night’ Doctor Who with caution. And you know what, I think it has to be one of my favourite episodes. The ‘aliens’ were genuinely scarey – almost on a par with the angels of Blink – and I loved the turning of the Doctor into a doctor who changes history, who defies the rules. He was scary himself though, as a ‘turned’ doctor, living on the edge of being evil, almost Master-like … something which I’m sure is no coincidence considering the latter’ iminent return at Christmas.

I’m not about to knock Bill Oddie ‘cos I do like him, but I do think that his presenting style was getting just that little too over the top for the programme. Now though, with the pairing of Chris and Kate, the dynamic is just so funny – it’s great!

I’m thinking that tonight will be a perfect opportunity to snuggle down with a bowl of popcorn and catch up with the marathon run of Battlestar Galactica Season 4 (or first half of season 4 – last year’s one – whatever…).

Hrmm, sounds like a plan!

Kind of like Ground Force for people who dislike decking, but love birds.

I am fast coming to the conclusion that Russell T. Davies should stay in his Exec Producer’s chair and leave the writing to the like’s of Stephen Moffatt. :-

—–Original Message—–
From: BBC archive trial
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Subject: BBC archive trial – coming soon!

Hello and thanks for signing up for the BBC archive trial.

We thought you’d like to know that we’re in the final stages of preparations for the trial. We’ll e-mail you your account details in just a few weeks and then you’ll have access to hundreds of hours of programmes.

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That said, I do have a sneaking regard for the series and it’s creators in particular. What they have succeeded in contriving to create is ‘must see’ drama that people find compulsive to watch. It preys on our liking of drama with good-looking attractive characters, and on action and adventure, thrills, and mystery and intrigue. People watch it because they have set a story which they have to know what is going. My prediction is this: you are never going to find out what is going on.

To find out what is really going on in Lost is not, in my view, the point. It’s fantasy drama of the highest order. Fantasy, in that what you want to happen will happen in a universe where there are no rules. Everything will happen because anything can happen. I don’t think, as some have suspected, that it is all a dilusion or a dream in the mind of one or some of the characters, because that would emply that there will be an ending. I don’t think there will be an ending in so much as there will be a resolution – just one more incredulous cliffhanger. And fans of the series will love it for this.

I have a certain respect for the writers and producers of this series for creating a series which is so blatantly about nothing at all but which are compulsive to watch. In this way it goes beyond the likes of Casulty and ER in that stories come and go, themes and issues are explored, but it’s not really about anything. Oddly, my problem with Lost is that the writers are writing, so say a story, and introducing story arcs with not a clue where it’s going or how or if it will end. At least with Casulty or 24 or Dawson’s Creek, it’s about person’s fight against cancer, that guy’s broken leg or car accident, that terrorist plot, or that group of kids growing up in Boston – and whilst all the greater story arcs might never end, the individual stories come to some kind of end or resolution or finality. You can at least understand the open-endedness. With Lost you can’t begin to comprehend the open-endedness, you can’t work it out, and come to a conclusion that you can agree with yourself about the next day, because the writers don’t know what’s really going on.

It’s good to keep your reader/viewer guessing, but as creators/writers you at least need to have some idea what the hell is going on!

As I say, for me, Lost has lost the plot for me, but I probably will continue to respect the writers for being able to hook so many millions people on nothing…

Come on BBC, play.com isn’t that expensive, can’t you spend a few quid more out of the license fee and buy a bit more music?

Incidentally, it comes with a USB connection to hook up to my PC, so if any of You see something on a digital tv station and can’t receive, let me know, ‘cos I have two tuners so unless you are talking Sunday’s at 9pm I am likely to be able to record it for you, and burn it off onto a dvd as an MPEG file. Just let me know! (cloud_less, anything you want to watch on BBC3?)

I am impressed to discover that even though it’s been up there getting cold for over a year it has retained the tuning of all my channels; although I did have to use my ‘Perpetual Calendar’ to discover that the corresponding year to 2006 as regards dates to days of the week, is 1995 (this I had to do, as the old video recorder only goes as far as 2005 – I guess they thought no one would still be using it…). I have hooked it up to record Rock School, and have now only to decide which of the other dramas to watch and which to record.

In other news, I went for a gorgeous walk in the sunshine in Stoke Woods. Very nice, although the signs of spring, despite the sunny weather, are still far from advancing. I guess it is still only January…

I have also put up the shelves in the lounge from yesterdays Ikea trip, cleaned the house, and I am now thinking about cooking my roast lamb for dinner.

I think I am going to phone them come Monday and arrange a collection/refund. And then once that is secured, head down to my local Comet (or similar and buy a different make and model (the same as the one my parents have got).

Gggrrrr – I really hate technology when it doesn’t work for any good reason!

Supplementary: I’ve fetched the old video recorder down from the attic for tomorrow so that I can record The Virgin Queen, Rock School, and still watch Lewis (the Inspector Morse spin-off).