Today over at MSN TV: I've reviewed the season 3 premiere of medieval fantasy epic GAME OF THRONES on Sky Atlantic with "Valar Dohaeris", and the Easter Monday special of BBC1's long-running murder-mystery drama JONATHAN CREEK.
I found Games of Thrones' first season a tough nut to crack, having never read the books it's adapting. There were so many characters and locations (each with a rich and detailed history) that it took me seven episodes to get a grasp of everything. The second season had a choppier narrative style, but less exposition made me appreciate things more, despite the fact it swelled its ranks with extra characters and new places to explore. But I'm glad I put the work in and stuck with Game of Thrones through some weeks of confusion, because it's become a firm favourite.
Continue reading 'Game of Thrones' at MSN TV...
It's hard to believe Jonathan Creek's been going since 1997, even if instalments since 2009 have slowed to irregular holiday treats. David Renwick's popular sleuth returned for a feature-length mystery in The Clue of the Savant's Thumb, and the first half of this story certainly entertained and bamboozled in equal measure. Renwick took great delight in filling the plot with bold genre clichés (some of which Scooby-Doo wouldn't dare touch), but it's hard to deny there's something comforting and pleasurable about a hammy mix of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders.
Continue reading 'Jonathan Creek' at MSN TV...
