Adrian Mateljan

Adrian’s rating: 7
Tilt: +1 Red Dwarf
First watched: 10th - 12th April 2009 (TV)

“Red Dwarf: Back to Earth” - Red Dwarf is back after 10 years. And it shows. The guys are all looking older (except perhaps for Kryten). The sets and costumes are very clean, almost sterile.

Part 1 is particularly sterile and wooden. I felt the actors were performing individually and not as a team. Lou thought it was the lack of canned laughter to fill the void between punchlines, though the gags were poor and not well orchestrated - I thought perhaps it wasn’t funny enough for even the canned laughter…

Part 2 was better and felt more like the series of old, until the groan moment of them coming through to our world. Not an exactly original plot device, and certainly not an easy one to pull off successfully. I managed to pick up the Bladerunner take-offs well before they became as subtle as a sledgehammer (not having seen or heard anything about the series beforehand). Again - a lofty goal. Better executed than the “back to earth” though.

Part 3 ended well, or at least, not as poorly as it could have…

Adrian’s rating: 8
Tilt: +1 Doctor Who
First watched: 11th April 2009 (TV)

“Planet of the Dead” is the Doctor Who Easter special, although it felt more like a long epsiode rather than a “special”. The companion was so resourceful it bordered on contrived. Still, it seemed a bit odd that he decided not to take her with him - surely someone of the Doctor’s age realises he will lose people all of the time. In her favour, she seemed the most capable of all of his most recent companions of looking after herself (or maybe just getting into more trouble - but then so does the Doctor)

Adrian’s rating: 8
First watched: 25th December 2008 (TV)
Tilt: +1 Doctor Who

Another year, another Doctor Who Christmas special. This time it is the Cybermen’s turn to attempt to ruin a London Christmas - this time in 1851. Doesn’t disappoint.