30 April 2015

TV: Inside No 9 - Series Two


And so another fantastic series of Inside No 9 has ended. Easily living up to the standard of the first, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's wonderful show has continued to attract impressive guest stars and plots alike. There's no one thing I could single out for criticism across this second series, and I sincerely hope it's bagged a third. Stunning entertainment from start to finish, and I'd love to see more.

Read on below for episode-by-episode discussion.





Beginning the series in typically witty style, La Couchette sees Shearsmith assume the role of an agitated scientist on the way to an important job interview, while Pemberton is - unknown to him - his flatulent German competitor. As always, there's more to this than you'd think and attracting stars of the likes of Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton and Jack Whitehall for what are essentially bit parts sets the series' stall out early on. It's a 9/10 from me.
The 12 Days of Christine is undoubtedly my favourite episode of Inside No 9 ever, and one of my favourite half-hours of television. I've seen this five times now, and it really is perfect. Sheridan Smith is of course heartbreaking as the titular Christine and I'm not ashamed to say the climax had me tearing up. This is an extremely clever episode, and a real triumph for all involved. If you work out the twist before the revelation, you're far more assertive than me. I've no option but to give this 10/10.
The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge is probably the weakest of the series, but that said, it's far from poor. David Warner stars in this witch hunting tale and it's notable for the fact that it's the only episode of the second series not set in contemporary times. This is a little less focused than other episodes, but the production values and scripting are still impressively good. It's nice to see Dan Zeff return to primetime telly, having mostly handled BBC Three sitcoms for the last few years. Still an excellent, if predictable, episode, this gets 9/10 from me.
This is a truly unnerving episode. Cold Comfort begins a three-episode trend of putting Shearsmith and Pemberton front and centre, with the latter filling our screens for the majority of this half-hour. The direction plays a huge part in the way this story is told, and it's an impressive turn from the stars/writers. What starts out as what might be a typical call centre fare soon turns creepy. The end of the story is extremely memorable, and this is another fantastically-devised concept and script. 9.5/10.
 This is a very strange episode. It deals with some painfully middle class adults holding a birthday party, but the subversion (as always) is the most exciting thing about this. Pemberton plays the one we're supposed to warm to most, but come the end of the episode it's Shearsmith's character who we feel most sorry for. The tracking shot of Pemberton standing alone, framed by the doorway, is perfect and certainly sticks in the mind. More layered goodness from this fantastic pair - and that's just the cake! 9/10
What an excellent series finale this is. Seance Time plays with the audience even more than most of its neighbours. There's two major twists to this and Shearsmith is undoubtedly excellent in the lead role. Alison Steadman is hilarious, but hardly the focus of the story. Dan Starkey's character adds some excellent depth to the story, and there's even a little breaking of the fourth wall with some of his comments. A deceptively clever conclusion to a brilliant series that's pushed this series in all the right ways. 9.5/10.

01 April 2015

MA: The Plotters


There's no doubt in my mind that The Plotters, one of only two contributions to the William Hartnell era by Gareth Roberts, is excellent. In it, the Season Two team of the First Doctor, the eternally-paired Ian and Barbara and Vicki arrive in seventeenth century London, in another bid to return the school teachers home. In one of those happy coincidences Roberts notes the Doctor seems to have more than fair share of, the TARDIS has touched down just days before the Gunpowder Plot reaches its climax.

Pleasingly, this is a "pure historical", devoid entirely of extraterrestrial interference - the Doctor excepted of course. The 1600s are not a period I've ever been particularly interested by, but in Roberts' skilled employ, they really come alive. I must confess I was pretty much entirely ignorant of the Gunpowder Plot beyond the location, date and most famous conspirator (Fawkes). As a result of this novel, though, I certainly want to find out more. The politics and machinations of each party exploiting and playing off the others is fascinating; Roberts makes it instantly accessible and continually intriguing. 

After allowing Ian and Barbara an afternoon at the Globe once they realise they're several centuries out of time, the Doctor hatches his own plan. It turns out he's always been interested by the Gunpowder Plot, and under the guise of investigating the translation of the Bible, he leads Vicki right to the quarters of James I, much to the King's delight. 

This is a hugely witty novel, without ever tipping into comedy or farce. The author neatly treads the line to deliver a massively readable narrative that never drops the ball. Despite being only a few pages shorter than The Sorcerer's Apprentice, I read this almost three times as quickly. Little surprise then that I rank this at the opposite end of the scale. There's laughs from absolutely every character, but the integrity of the plot and intelligence of the narrative is never damaged. There's a brilliant revelation at the conclusion that makes me want to reread the whole thing - undoubtedly a good sign. 

To be frank, although I can appreciate the quality of the Hartnell era (every season of his has some remarkably good stories), it's never been a favourite of mine. I have particularly little experience of Maureen O'Brien's Vicki, having seen a handful of her stories once or twice each several years ago. So until now I've never had much of an impression of her. In Roberts' hands, Vicki is intelligent, caring and self-deprecating, and above all endearing. If her TV characterisation marries at all with her portrayal here, I might have to prioritise watching and listening to her era. 

Even though the plot is initially split into two main streams, for large swathes of the novel, the action's divided four ways. These never feel forced though. Indeed, one of the most impressive things about The Plotters is how realistic it all feels. This really does feel like an historical recounting rather than a well-woven plot, meant in the nicest possible sense. History nerds ought to heed Roberts' opening warning that this isn't 100% accurate - one event in particular will probably come rather out of the blue. It does however make for a great read. 

The First Doctor is simply excellent here, and as a result I've sought out more of his Missing Adventures. I doubt he'll be portrayed as acutely to my tastes as he is here, but if any of the authors can get even halfway there, we're onto a winner. Ian and Barbara are equally great, and having four leads never seems to faze Roberts. Even the TARDIS is tied effectively into proceedings. James, and all the other contemporary characters, are quite excellent, with distinctive personalities the reader can immediately grasp effortlessly. The insights we get into characters is first rate, and the background Roberts slips in (however true it is) serves only to add to them, and is never arduously lengthy. 

This really is an excellent story, in every sense. I may be inherently biased because Roberts' writing has always appealed to me, but I'm yet to see a review of this that's anything but glowing. It's not just the engaging narrative that I loved but the style in which Roberts writes. Over the course of the book, he slowly adopts a vocabulary akin to that of his seventeenth century characters. It's done so expertly the transition feels entirely natural and only serves to enhance the overall experience reading this book offers. Roberts took both a period and a TARDIS team I wasn't especially interested by and captured my attention entirely. Given that adaptations of some of his other Missing Adventures are currently in hot demand with Big Finish, I'd love to see this added to the schedule. In fact, I'm so enamoured with this I've already started my own adaptation, so David Richardson, if you're interested..! In conclusion, this is now one of my favourite Doctor Who titles, and a breath of fresh air. Allow yourself to be immersed in a world of intrigue, deception and wit for a few days - I promise it'll be worth it. 

In a Nutshell: Undoubtedly a forgotten classic, The Plotters is one of the most accomplished books I've ever had the pleasure to read.