The Walking Dead - Mid Season break

Mid season break for the fourth season, and what a way to break for Christmas, no cheer here. Herschel gone, the Governor gone and the prison is gone. Wow!

The writers again are excelling themselves, having just survived a nasty breakout of a killer disease the prison group are now attacked by the Governor's new group with a tank. Rick give a very convincing speech of reconciliation and conceding they could live together in the prison. But no the madman Governor is not having it and takes off Herchel's head starting the battle ending their occupation of the current home. 

When it returns in the New Year where will they be, who has survived and who will they encounter? I personally cannot wait, can you?

Strictly Come Dancing

It is beginning to tighten up at the the top in Strictly Come Dancing, with all the lame celebs being eliminated apart from Mark Fenton. Hopefully now the concentration will be on dancing as a whole and not just it being entertaining - it is a competition.

The judging this year has deteriorating with really only Craig Revel Horwood performing as I would expect for a professional judge. The marking in general has been unjustifiably higher than normal and only Craig deducting for technical faulting. This has been disappointing as normally you rely on Len Goodman the traditionalist to mark on technique and dance step content, but no he has surprisingly switched camps and being high marking his favourites whilst totally ignoring the technique etc. This was clearly demonstrated with Dave Myers and this week with Mark Fenton.

Tens I think should be used sparingly and only awarded for a fault free dance which also entertained to a high standard. It is difficult for the non dancer to understand the difference, when 3 judges give tens yet Craig has identified mistakes or sub standard technique. Are the judges losing focus or are they to busy thinking up their witty or camp repartee for the post dance panel feedback.

The time will come when the BBC must change the judge line up again and this time casualty has to be Bruno Tonioli, his excessive camp and wide spread legs are too much to bear for another season. Who to replace Bruno? What about Anton DuBeke? This has to be his last season as a dancer. 

My favourite for the season is Sophie but perhaps it could be Patrick who can win the prized glitter ball.

Person of Interest - Channel 5

Just got to be the best series on TV at the moment. A small team of people are protecting people from danger and death. The target people to be saved " a number" are selected by a computer once sponsored by the US government using networked resources of databases and CCTV. 

James Caviezel as John Reese an ex CIA operative recruited as the muscle in the team is fantastic, displaying ultra cool when under pressure. He works closely with Michael Emmerson playing Harold Finch ( Lost ), the inventor of the computer. They have roped in two city detectives to help them in their quest to protect the "numbers", building very interesting but different relationships with both detectives.

Now halfway through the second series the writers have introduced a great new character - a dog " Bear" who takes commands in the Dutch language. Graubaer’s Boker, dog actors name is a purebred Belgian Malinois that is well trained and extremely talented. The dog is providing Finch the confidence to face the outside world after a period of captivity.

Their methods may be unorthodox but they do deliver results and as the story revolves around " a number" it gives the writers plenty of scope for exciting and interesting episodes. Try it, it's on Channel 5.

The Walking Dead - Season 4

I have been looking forward to the start of the new fourth series of the Walking Dead and have not been disappointed. This show just seems to get better and better. The key to this success I believe is not just the superb makeup / effects but more the way the writers have changed the location and theme of the story with each new series.

Some time has passed since the end of the last show and a little community has built up at the prison, and food is being grown again and not just surviving off pre disaster supplies. New characters have been introduced and the scene set for the next few episodes. The main problems still surround how to avoid and protect against the zombies, who are still gnashing away in ever increasing numbers, as  illustrated by the community members lining the fence taking down zombies in a continuous stream.

I suspect Sky will prolong the excitement again by splitting the series over Christmas, but I don't mind.  It is sometime since I looked forward in such anticipation to a new series of any show, that is how good it is.

Supernatural - Season 8

Well for me there is no doubt the eighth season of Supernatural has been the best yet, and sets up what could be an even better season nine. Sam and Dean Winchester have fought all sorts of demons, vampires and horrible creatures and still survive unscathed if only a little battered and worn.

The most incredible thing about this series is creative ability of the screenwriters to generate so many "plausible" supernatural scenarios. This season the fights over the tablets, and those trials have been excellent. We have also had the guest starring of my favourite Sci Fi star Amanda Tapping as the angel Naomi - turned out not to be much of an angel getting her just desserts in the conclusion of the last episode.

The introduction of the "Men of Letters" secret base has been a master stroke. It gives Sam and Dean a home from which they can abandon their nomadic life and enjoy some of the comforts associated with home. The writers are going to have field day with this set up using all the material collected by the previous occupants. What are they going to dream up next with the fall out from Heaven? I am certain series nine is going to be stunning.

Dexter - Fox (Final episode)

The final episode, were you disappointed ? You are not alone. When you think of the history of Dexter it is not unreasonable to to expect some sort mega blood fest, but instead we get Dexter still alive, ready for reincarnation in a spin off series.


My hope was Dexter himself should get his just desserts, be slaughtered in the same fashion he used to employ, and Debra gets to live happily ever after raising Harrison. However the producers decided on a flat ending banking on someone who will invest in a new show in a new location. Perhaps they are right to look after future revenues but it is not as exciting and thrilling as a mega blood fest.

Friday Night Lights - Sky Atlantic ( Final episode )

What a final episode. I am so happy with the way it was all wrapped up. It is always very difficult to work out the endings to suit everyone, but it was done here to great effect, like a fairy story ending with everyone living happily ever after.

You might say it was easy to see how they were going resolve Eric and Tami's dilemma of where should they be at the start of the new term. Of course the big promotion for Tami and a new team to take to state for Eric is perfect.

The best of all was the match up made with all the leading characters in the current series, Matt and Julie, Tim and Tyra. The only missing characters from the series that maybe should have had a conclusion was Lyla and Jason who were a central part of the series for so long. In all this has been a fantastic five series. The only question left is how long before I re-watch it?

Friday Night Lights - Sky Atlantic

Last episode of this excellent US high school football drama tonight. Have not watched it yet, will be saved on the box. I have really enjoyed the series although fiction it does give you an insight into how central the football team is to high school life in the US. There is nothing to compare it to in UK not even our version of football stirs up these types of emotion and passion. Interestingly I cannot remember any UK based drama that centres on sport, closest we get is Footballers Wives?

Top Gear - BBC

Top Gear, last in the current series. 

As ever Top Gear delivers on the entertainment made up or not. All the features including Mark Webber beating Seb Vetel's time were superb. The end item however was outstanding, showing everyone we still have a manufacturing capability in the UK for vehicles and many manufactured in some of the most modern and hi tech facilities in the world. Sadly though not all are financed by UK money. 

The Americans -ITV

This series gets better and better. The Cold War is clearly highlighted as a futile exercise carried out by deluded scared people. Unlike some spy series it is very easy to follow as all the main characters are kept in a tight circle working together, working against each other, having sex with each other on both sides - easy.