The Crimson Petal & The White (Series Wrap-Up)

The BBC's adaptation of Michel Faber's novel finished up last night; and I really, really enjoyed it. While the first part followed Sugar's (Romola Garai) journey to become an integral part in William's (Chris O'Dowd) life, these remaining episodes chart her move first into a house paid for by William and then into his house proper, alongside his mentally ill wife Agnes (Amanda Hale), as governess for his neglected daughter, Sophie (Isla Watt).

Again, I really do applaud the BBC for striking out with a much darker adaptation than their normal period drama fare. Whilst The Crimson Petal & The White does have moments of lightness-particularly in Sugar's interaction with Sophie-it is generally a quite dark story, especially in the latter episodes where it seems that it is not just Agnes who has a troubled mind. The grim depiction of poverty-striken London is again, wonderfully shown, as is the increasing number of 'fallen women'; despite numerous societies attempting to save them. It also details just how badly treated women were during the Victorian era; Agnes' poor treatment at the hands of Dr Cardew (Richard E. Grant) which probably increased her problems and the way men generally seemed to treat women a commodities is well shown.

The one thing I felt was quite weird about the programme was that the characters motivations were quite ambiguous. William remained a cad throughout; using the people around him and only releasing what he had when it was gone. Sugar, on the other hand, confused me. She certainly began full of loathing for her profession (which we learn she started at just 13) and men, at first it seemed that she was merely using William as a tool to gain her longed-for independence yet she is driven to distraction when he begins to treat her badly-I'd like to think that this was due to care towards Sophie as opposed to any kind of weird feelings she may have for Rackham.

Romola Garai was wonderful as Sugar, and I really hope she gets some more leading roles soon, because she's wonderful, and I find Chris O'Dowd's performance even better now that I know he's actually Irish-which makes his flawless English accent pretty impressive. Other good support comes from Amanda Hale, who I thought was brilliant as Agnes; Isla Watt who is unbearably cute as Sophie and the underused Shirley Henderson as Mrs Fox.

The Crimson Petal & The White was a really great TV series; I just need to get round to reading the book at some point!

Doctor Who (Series 6)

The sixth series of Doctor Who began again this evening, with a cast headed by Matt Smith. I didn't actually watch any of Series 5, bar the recent Christmas episode, generally because I kept forgetting it was on...and in part because I loved David Tennant as the Doctor as well.

This episode begins with the death of the Doctor (Matt Smith), whose wake is attended by companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill), fellow time traveller River Song (Alex Kingston) and an old man named Canton Delaware III (William Morgan Sheppard). Although this seems like a rather morbid beginning, Amy, Rory and River soon discover a younger Doctor in a cafe. From there begins a journey back to 1969, the year of the moon landings, when Richard Nixon (Stuart Milligan) requires help solving a mystery of a young girl who keeps ringing him saying that she's scared of a spaceman.

First off this episode, written by Steven Moffat who also created Sherlock, was pretty dark, and pretty mature for the young audience that are typically viewed as Doctor Who's target age group. This was primarily due to the rather creepy monsters; reminiscent of the Ood from a couple of seasons ago, the person who sees them forgets about them as soon as they look away. Plus, the rather complicated plot involving a dead Doctor and an alive Doctor, could be a little complicated for young viewers. However, it's not without some humour; primarily around different forms of head ware and the opening sequence.

Matt Smith is different Doctor to David Tennant and Christopher Ecclestone, and is all the better for it. He's a awfully English doctor, right down to the bow-tie and he combines this with the same frenetic energy that makes the Doctor the Doctor; he's certainly a compelling screen presence. It also really proves his versatility, to think that he recently starred in Christopher & His Kind, and is playing a rather different role here. I also enjoyed Alex Kingston as a rather spunky older companion. To be honest, I'm yet to be convinced by Karen Gillan; to me she doesn't seem to have been cast for a reason other than a) being pretty and b) being able to look scared-but I will probably warm to her as the season progresses.

The only issue I had with this was that I worry that I missed out on some of the action because of my lack of seeing Series 5. I get the feeling that there are numerous themes that have been carried over that I didn't really understand, although I'm hoping they too will become clearer.

I think I'll definitely be trying to fit in Doctor Who on my Saturday nights from now on.

Twenty Twelve (Series Wrap-Up)

Easily one of the funniest things I've see on television in a while, Twenty Twelve wrapped up its all-too-short first series last night. For those who don't know, it follows Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville), Head of Deliverance of the Olympic Committe, attempting to organise the 2012 London Olympic Games. Problems they encounter along the way include discovering Roman architecture in the swimming pool venue, a totally incapable youth outreach leader, the hunt for a 'cultural ambassador' and the encroaching problems in Fletcher's personal life.

Not one of the episodes had a weak script, mostly written by John Morton, and it kept up its ability to put forward such stupid situations, but also make them very realistic at the same time. One such instance is the attempt to find the cultural ambassador; Kaye Hope (Amelia Bullmore) accidentally lets slip that they'll be appointing Anna Mitchell (Lucy Briers), but then 'upstairs' says it would look better if they hired the black Fidel Wilson (Johann Myers), but it is then thought that maybe a woman would be better after all, meaning the team is left with the slightly useless Roshanara Khan (Salima Saxton).

The episodes are all narrated, documentary style by David Tennant-in many cases the narration is totally dubbed over the top of people speaking; which is rather amusing. The performances remain strong from everyone; Hugh Bonneville as the somewhat useless Ian Fletcher is great, as is Jessica Hynes as 'Head of Brand' Siobhan; and other good support comes from Olivia Colman as Sally Owen, Ian's besotted PA as well as Tim McInnnery as Tony Ward, an ex-film director and new eco-warrior in the final episode and Darren Boyd as the likeable ex-Olympic athlete Dave Wellbeck, who is unfortunatly somewhat useless at presenting. One of the best 'performances' comes from Briers, again, in a pixalated-role as Fletcher's wife, Laura, a lawyer whose appearance is obscured as she was no part in the documentary.

Twenty Twelve was great, and it's a shame it was hidden away on BBC4. It's all on iPlayer, and a new series is apparently being commissioned.

The Kennedys

The new History Channel-broadcast The Kennedys is essentially an epic biopic of one of the most famous political dynasties. This first episode traces the years up to the day of John F Kennedy's (Greg Kinnear) election to the presidency.

The story, as told by the show written by Stephen Kronish, tells of the ambition of Joe Kennedy Sr (Tom Wilkinson) who wanted to be president himself. However, a breakdown in communications between him and President Roosevelt over the American line on intervention in World War Two leads to him being fired and his dreams of the presidency being dashed. However, Kennedy Sr decides to funnel his desire for the presidency into oldest son, Joe Kennedy Jr (Gabriel Hogan). However, when Joe is killed during the War, Kennedy Sr's efforts are then channeled into getting John the White House.

I'm not really sure of enough of the history of the Kennedy family to know how accurate this is. My only knowledge of the Kennedy years is in relation to their foreign policy and their opinions of African-American equality. So I really can't comment on whether or not it is factually accurate. However, I did really quite enjoy it. The script was not at all as bad as some have made it out to be; sure, there was a lot of emoting but it wasn't really annoying. I also really liked how the characters weren't already depicted as being perfect-we see JFK flirting with one of the interns, and it seems like a very weird world, Kennedy Sr kisses his assistant in plain view of his wife, Rose (Diana Hardcastle) and she did absolutely nothing.

This may have been because of the performances, which were all fine. Greg Kinnear is a dead-ringer for JFK and even does a fine accent; he also brings a certain level of being haunted by the ghost of his older brother, in addition to a level of supreme cockiness to John F Kennedy. Tom Wilkinson is great as Joe Kennedy Sr, a man who thinks that he can use money to win anything; and this episode almost proves that he can. Barry Pepper was also fine as Bobby Kennedy, whose attempts to strike out by himself but Kennedy Sr still tries to keep him enmeshed in the Kennedy web; plus I was slightly distracted by his nose. Which is horribly superficial, but I guess appearance is quite important in biopics. I also thought Katie Holmes was fine as Jackie Kennedy, I don't think I've ever actually seen one of her films, and so she was pleasantly surprising and she got all the best costumes. Also mention should go to Kristin Hannah as Bobby's wife, Ethel, whose relationship with Bobby was a great contrast to that of Jackie and John's. Maybe the only weak link, and I feel bad for mentioning it, was John White as the young JFK, he seemed a little stiff.

So, in conclusion, I really enjoyed The Kennedys. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series.

The Crimson Petal & The White

The Crimson Petal & The White is a BBC adaptation of a novel by Michael Faber. It tells the story of Sugar (Romola Garai), a high-class, educated prostitute who 'never disappoints'. Despite her profession, Sugar hates men, especially when her close friend dies after being apparently violently attacked. Into her web falls William Rackham (Chris O'Dowd), a foppish 'writer', whose wife Agnes (Amanda Hale) suffers from severe depression, and who is pretty much lacking in everything.

This first episode details William's first encounters with Sugar and his growing attachment to her-apparently believing that he is falling in love with her. This is rather drastically contrasted with Sugar's own feelings towards him, which come in the form of various imagined murders. In addition, we see Agnes' attempts to get better outside of the ministrations of the rather creepy Dr Curlew (Richard E Grant). Another strand of the story seems to involve William's brother Henry (Mark Gatiss) who is courting the widowed Emmeline Fox (Shirley Henderson) and is keen to help her in her mission to save 'fallen women'.

I must admit it's refreshing to see the BBC tackling some non-traditional novels as part of their 'Books' season; Crimson Petal is by no means a Downton Abbey. It doesn't gloss over the seedy aspects of London, with the areas around Sugar's boarding house wonderfully brought to life; looking like something out of Oliver Twist. Plus, Marc Moran's direction is remarkably 'trippy'; lots of close up camera angles and fading in and out.

As Sugar, Romola Garai seems to be having a lot of fun, but also manages to bring a sense of vulnerability to Sugar-she obviously doesn't want to be doing what she is doing. Chris O'Dowd's William is utterly vile, I had zero sympathy for him, but I don't think we're supposed to-this is a man who sells his wife's jewellery in order to pay for sex! My favourite performance was definitely that of Amanda Hale as Agnes; she brought just the right amount of frailty to her role, without pushing it over the edge.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this; I particularly want to see how Sugar and Agnes' relationship develops; and I'd quite like to see William get his just desserts.

Women in Love

This two-part BBC 4 drama is an adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's novels The Rainbow and its sequel Women in Love. The drama tells the story of school teacher Ursula Brangwen (Rachael Stirling) and artist Gudrun Brangwen (Rosamund Pike) as they attempt to find love in all its forms; emotional and physical. Their main love interests come in the form of vicar and scholar Rupert Birkin (Rory Kinnear) and in hedonistic aristocrat Gerald Crich (Joseph Mawle).

The first part focused on the breakdown in Ursula's relationship with Anton Skrebensky (Joseph Kennedy) because he does not 'fulfil' her, an assertion he does not take well; a journey that is mirrored in the relationship between her parents, Anna (Saskia Reeves) and Will (Ben Daniels), in which Anna worries that she does not please her husband any more. In London, Gudrun is a somewhat accomplished artist, having an affair with a married man, who she thinks she loves; a feelings she thinks he shares. Meanwhile, Rupert and Gerald begin their opposites attract friendship, much to the distaste of Rupert's slightly obsessive ex-lover Hermione Roddice (Olivia Grant).

The second comes some years later, after the first world war. Gudrun has returned home, and Gerald is instantly attracted to her, hiring her as a drawing tutor for his younger sister. Meanwhile, Ursula attempts to understand the changing relationship between her and Rupert. The drama really begins to bubble when the two couples head to Africa for Gerald's mining venture, where the two relationships become more strained with tragic consequences.

I've never read any D.H. Lawrence novels, slightly put off by the 'Lady Chatterly' connection. It seems that these pieces deal with the relationships between men and women in a rather, physical manner. The idea of power-play between men and women is heavily explored; as is the relation between sex and love. All the characters are very interesting; with maybe the exception of Hermione, all the characters are fully formed, with their own flaws.

Something that enables the characters to be so three dimensional, is because of the great acting within this drama. Rachael Stirling brings a wonderful earthiness and vulnerability to Ursula, and as the younger Gudrun, Rosamund Pike puts in a wonderfully carefree performance with her apparent understanding of men ultimately getting the better of her. Rory Kinnear gives probably the best performance as the very confused Rupert-he's confused about how he wants to live, about religion and even about his sexuality (a factor that is apparently more latent in the novel) and his performance makes me really regret missing his performance as the title role in Hamlet. Joseph Mawle completes the quartet with good characterisation as a man whose aristocratic, live-dangerously sheen is ultimately reveled to be covering a dark secret. Olivia Grant also seemed to be having a great deal of fun as the slightly mad Hermione.

I quite enjoyed Women in Love, although maybe not quite as much as Christopher & His Kind; I'm not a prude but I dislike gratuitous sex scenes, and the amount of unnecessary (c.f. Rupert and Gerald wrestling on a beach) nudity all seemed a bit much. However, having good acting makes the drama clip along well.

Twenty Twelve

I've finally caught up with the first episode of Twenty Twelve, the BBC4 comedy about the people who attempt to make the Olympic Games run smoothly. This first episode begins with the approach '1000 Days' Day; marking a thousand days until the games start. Head of Brand Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) has commissioned an artist Anthony (Nicholas Greaves) to create a clock to count down until the opening ceremony. There is also the additional problem of Graham Hitchens (Karl Theobold), Head of Infrastructure, who decides to use the day to test his new traffic light phasing system, thus making all of North and North-East London impassable.

Twenty Twelve is filmed in a mockumentary style, complete with a voice-over commenting on the action and a journalist questioning the key members of the team. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the show is the fact that you could actually imagine that there are people who actually act like the characters in the show; the over technical language and totally ineffective office workers seem rather realistic. There's a rather unsettling conversation about who should be the torch bearers for the Olympic Games; where names like Prince William, Trinny, Susannah and Gok Wan are banded about by Siobhan; who dismisses J.K. Rowling, as they've 'already got Joanna Lumley, which sort of covers that'.

In addition to the clever language used the show benefits from, firstly, incredible timing. Although it was obviously filmed earlier in the year, this episode was released a few days before the real countdown clock was unveiled, and then stopped working. In Twenty Twelve, the main problem is that the clock counts backwards, from the opening ceremony in July 2012 to the '1000 Day' Day, which is obviously a bit of a problem!

The show also benefits from great performances. As Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher, Hugh Bonneville is great as a man attempting to bring some kind of order to the assortment of characters in his office, as well as sorting out the '1000 Day' Day, dealing with a sidelined Boris Johnson and organising a get-away with his wife to Barcelona. Perhaps the best performer is Jessica Hynes as the PR woman Siobhan, who seems to communicate in a series of 'okays' and also doesn't appear to be the smartest person in the room. There is also good support from Vincent Franklin as Yorkshireman Head of Operations Nick Jowett and Olivia Coleman as Ian's devoted secretary, Sally, who seems to be constantly plying him with food.

I'm really glad that I've caught up with this, having just caught the second episode as well, and it seems like it'll just get better.

Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet

Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet was a three-part series broadcast on BBC4, which had behind-the-scenes access to three productions performed by ENB; Swan Lake at the Albert Hall, a touring production of Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker at the London Colesium. It was also one of the most interesting pieces of television that I've seen in a while. I know very little about ballet; I've seen productions of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, always though it looked beautiful and wished I could dance like the women (and men) involved...but little more. This documentary really opened my eyes into the real behind-the-scenes ballet world. Fresh after Black Swan, which many dancers criticised as showing ballet in a negative light, I was interested as to how the documentary-makers would do this; would they try and make it all look elegant or search for dark back stories? In the end, it was something along the middle.

The first episode dealt with Derek Deane's production of Swan Lake, which required a massive corps de ballet (around 60 chorus dancers) to create the effect of all the swans. It would star 20-year-old Russian dancer Vadim Muntagirov and Russian ballerina Polina Semionova. However, Semionova has Visa problems getting out of Germany, and so Muntagirov rehearses with English National Ballet principal Daria Klimenotva who, at 38, says she is not enamoured with the idea of having to having Odile/Odette again. Deane lacks any kind of understanding when it comes to dealing with Klimentova, spending much of the rehearsal time telling her that she's a bit too old/weak/not interesting enough, whilst lavishing praise of Muntagirov. To Klimenotva's credit, she doesn't let Deane's harshness get her down, saying she is just more determined to do well. Meanwhile, the corps face gruelling rehearsals; hard on everyone especially the young additions who are fresh out of Ballet School. One company member even dances despite the fact she has recently recovered from a knee operation and *shock horror* wears kneepads in rehearsal. In the end, the visa drama ends with Klimentova performing the central role on opening night...and Deane remains nonplussed by her performance. However, here and Muntagirov are apparently compared to Fonetyn and Nurayev...so she gets the last laugh. Deane was probably my least favourite choreographer of the three parts-he seems unnecessarily cruel and, having had a bit of a google, his production wasn't raved about either.

Part Two dealt with the revival of Nurayev's production of Romeo & Juliet. The main problem this time round was the lack of men in the company to perform the very physical roles-which involve dancing and stage fighting. For instance, Max Westwell (who is lovely) performs not just Romeo, but also Benvolio and many other male roles. The rehearsal period is strained by numerous injuries and frayed tempers, from both creatives and cast members and the observation of the 'heart attack' pas de deux between Romeo (Westwell) and Juliet (Sarah McIllory) really showed the sweat and tears that go into the creation of a ballet. This episode also clearly shows the disputes between the dancers and the company, as they try and secure higher wages, but have no knowledge of the company's somewhat uncertain financial future as no one really shows them it.

The final installment was a brand new Nutcracker, directed by Wayne Eagling. Whilst Eagling was by no means a Deane; he wasn't cruel, he was a little lacking in understanding. Choreography kept changing and changing, to the point that by about the day before the performance there was still six minutes of the ballet that hadn't be choreographed. This, in addition to the heavy snowfall, meant that there was hardly any chance for all the casts to rehearse with all the sets and costumes, which are complex and Eagling keeps insisting on last-minute changes. There is additional pressure due to the fact that Nutcracker is the companies biggest 'cash-cow', it means a huge amount to the company that the production is successful. Again, Klimentova plays Clara in adverse circumstances, she performs in front of an invited audience the night before the show opens when the choreography hasn't fully been tightened and company member Ksenia Ovsyanick performs a soloist role that is highly troubled due to Eagling's continual changing of the choreography; the dancers all rise above the drama. Eagling, on the other hand, is just disappointed that one of his complex ariel works doesn't work properly.

Agony & Ecstasy was a really good, interesting documentary that is really worth catching on iPlayer if you're interested in any kind of performing arts, for a chance to see what really goes on in the wings.

Christopher & His Kind

This BBC film is based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood of the same name. It follows the journey of Isherwood (Matt Smith) to Berlin in the 1930s for the 'boys', having had it recommended to him by his friend and occasional lover W.H Auden (Pip Carter). He ends up living in a guest house run by Fraulein Thurau (Issy van Randwyck), where he lives alongside Gerald Hamilton (Toby Jones), Fraulein Mayer (Maggie Hayes) and the wannabe actress nightclub singer Jean Ross (Imogen Poots). Isherwood also takes time to sample the local nightlife, beginning a love affair with Caspar (Alexander Doetsch) which ends when he disppaears suddenly. He finds solace in his friendship with Jean, and another relationship with young Heinz (Douglas Booth).

Isherwood seems to be having something of a revival at the minute, his semi-autobiographical novel A Single Man inspired the wonderful film of the same name. This drama is wonderfully bought about; with the changing political situation in Germany very tastefully done. The conversations about how 'we can get used to everything', the way in which Hitler managed to make the poor believe in him and the depictions of Kristallnacht and the burning of books are very tastefully done. Isherwood's lack of ability to really properly join a cause, until he finds that Heinz may be at risk due to the Nazi's dislike of homosexuality is also very well done.

For someone who is interested in musical theatre, the nods to Cabaret, which was based on Isherwood's I Am A Camera were rather exciting. Thurau seems to have inspired Fraulein Schmidt, Fraulein Mayer inspired Fraulein Kost and, most obviously, Jean Ross inspired the wonderful character Sally Bowles; even down to lines 'perfectly marvellous' being one of them.

The performances from the cast were all very solid. Matt Smith proves that he's far more than just the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, and I'm looking forward to seeing him do more work outside of that show (not that he's bad in that). He even brings a really interesting accent to Isherwood. Imogen Poots is wonderful as Jean Ross; I'd love to see her actually play Sally Bowles in Cabaret, she's not a strong singer, but that's kind of the point in that musical. She's wonderful optimistic, but also very smart and aware of the political systems at work. Douglas Booth, an English actor, does a brilliant non-comedy German accent and is rather easy on the eye as well. Other able support comes from Toby Jones whose character attempts to capatilise on the unsure political system and from Lindsay Duncan as Isherwood's mother.

This is being released on DVD tomorrow (the 21st) and is definetly worth buying, I really enjoyed this at times funny and very moving programme.

Frankenstein's Wedding

This live filming of Frankenstein apparently follows on from productions of other classics and biblical stories that have been done in a similiar light on BBC3.

I'm going to assume that most people have at least some idea what the Frankenstein story entails; and this version picks up the tale on the night of the wedding of Victor Frankenstein (Andrew Gower) and Elizabeth Lorenza (Lacey Turner). The proceedings are somewhat marred by Victor's distraction, seemingly more distracted by work than ever. His creation (David Harewood) has demanded that he be given a companion by this evening, and it seems that it will not happen.

To be honest, I didn't really like the strange staged aspects of the presentation. Every so often random cast members; normally the wedding planner and the 'maid of dishonour' would randomly gather on stage and sing a cover of a pop song. The sound quality for these wasn't great, and neither the man playing the wedding planner (the credits went too quick) or Jemima Rooper's voices were loud enough to carry over the massive band.

However, I'll admit to being ultimately moved by the drama's conclusion; primarily because the three central performances were pretty good. David Harewood was probably the greatest performer; his Creature was incredibly moving and seemed to be in a totally different league to the other actors in the piece. Andrew Gower and Lacey Turner were both fine; Gower brought as much sympathy as possible to a rather unsympathetic role, and has a glowing singing voice; and in the final scene Turner actually really stepped up her game.

All in all; the production seems to have been popular on Twitter, but I don't think it was really that good. It sacrificed a lot of the messages of Frankenstein, in order to make it more for the ''BBC3 Generation' by introducing unrequieted love subplots.

Skins (Series 5 Wrap-Up)

I really loved this series. To be honest, based on the the last series, this generation of Skins would always be brilliant!

The storylines in this series explored issues that have previously been seen on the show, such as taking drugs, exploring parent-child relationships and exploring sexuality. In addition, a couple of issues emerged that haven't been dealt with in the same way previously; relationships where the girl feels pressured into sex and mental illness; in a sensative way, as opposed to a melodramatic way like in the last series.

Character-wise, pretty much all of the characters are pretty likeable, maybe with this exception of Nick (Sean Teale), who is probably the only character that gets very little real development in the series. Although we get a glimpse into his rather troubled home life, domianted by wayward brother Mattie (Sebastian de Souza) and their pretty hideous father (Dorian Lough), little is developed in his journey. In this series there was less investigation into lives of the parents; in previous series' we learned about as much about the parents as we did the children, whereas in this series the only family we really spent much time with was that of Grace, whose parents David (Chris Addison) and Sonia (Jenny Jules) are pretty overbearing.

The acting in this series was also a return to form. The entire ensemble of teenagers are quite good, with perhaps the only weaker performance coming from de Souza, who seemingly only has one facial expression. I think special mention should probably go to Dakota Blue Richards as Franky, Freya Mavor as Mini, Jessica Sula as Grace and Will Merrick as Alo all of whom develop their characters thoroughly and step away from the possibly stereotypical ways in which their roles could be played. Also, despite being saddled with a less than great character, Teale does a pretty good job as Nick.

I'm really looking forward for this cast to return next year (which is a scary thought). I really like how the writers have taken a slightly gentler approach rather than attempting to be pverly 'gritty' in a way that removes the realism of situations.

Skins (Series 5)

A new year means a new intake for one of the most-talked about English teen drama. After the anti-climax of Series 4, I was intrigued as to how this new series would start; and it appears that it's going to be a return to the character-driven focus of Generation 1 (which was the one that featured Nicholas Hoult and Dev Patel).

This episode opens with the androgynous Franky (Dakota Blue Richards) starting college in Bristol, having moved away from Oxford to escape bullying. Despite her attempts to blend in, her unique dress sense marks her out to school popular girl Mini (Freya Mavor), who eagerly grabs the first joke at her expense, which is then exacerbated on the hockey field. However, although Mini and her friends Liv (Laya Lewis) and Grace (Jessica Sula) seem out to get her, especially when Franky rejects Mini's attempts to make her over, Franky does discover some good people in Bristol. These are Alo (Will Merrick) and Rich (Alexander Arnold), who don't like Mini that much, and Grace herself, who thinks Franky's 'awesome'.

I liked that this time the opening episode didn't feature any overly controversial scenes; people may think this makes Skins but seeing an episode 'only' feature a little bit of drug taking is refreshing; it's nice to see that perhaps the writers are heading towards a more mature outlook on the programme. There are some fun one-liners still, and the soundtrack of the show is still brilliant; Skins has always used a really good range of songs, that in my mind have become almost synonymous with the show (for instance, 'Standing in the Way of Control' by The Gossip).

Although maybe it is a little early to talk performances, Dakota Blue Richards is very good as Franky, having moved on hugely since I saw her as Lyra in The Golden Compass. I also loved the character of Grace, and Jessica Sula does a really good job as making her amusing and not just silly. I'm also intrigued by the character of Mini, as Freya Mavor gives her a good edge of insecurity despite the tough exterior.

I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series, and I'm hoping that Skins returns to the cleverness of the first two series.

Glee (Series 2)

Since debuting on Fox last year, Glee has exploded into a global phenomenon. With the cast albums monopolising charts on both sides of the pond, and with their version of 'Don't Stop Believin' becoming better known that the Journey version (for some), and the launch of a live tour, Glee has become an overnight success.

But could it be that this new success has backfired on this new season?

I came into Series 2 full of anticipation, Glee had become one of my favourite guilty pleasures. It is back to school at McKinley High, and the Glee Club remain the bottom of the pile, after not being placed at sectionals, being beaten by Vocal Adrenaline. Adding to this is the arrival of the new football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) who seems be totally unafraid of cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Sue enlists her usual nemesis Will Schuster (Matthew Morrison) to help bring her down to size. But this backfires when Beiste doesn't fall for their tricks, and even turns on Finn (Corey Montieth), removing him from the football team.

This is just one of the problems faced by the students in the Glee Club. Over the summer, Tina (Jenna Uschowitz) has broken up with Artie (Kevin McHale), after bonding with Mike at a summer camp for Asian children! Quinn (Dianna Agron) returns to the Cheerios and her old position as Head Cheerleader, at the expense of Santana (Naya Rivera) who lost her position due to having a boob job over the summer. Two new students also seem to threaten the positions of the Glee Club. Sunshine (Charice), a Filipino exchange student, seems ready to threaten Rachel's (Lea Michele) position as top of of the New Directions pecking order, whereas Sam (Chord Overstreet) seems able to sing and also be ready to become quarterback of the football team (sound familiar...)

To be honest, the characterisations really bugged me this episode. Will, who we last saw with Emma (Jayma Mays), becomes almost as bad as Sue for most of the episode, and seems to show little guilt for his actions, and Rachel is returned to being the self-centered annoying person she was for most of series one. Perhaps the only evidence we had of character is from Quinn and Santana's fight in the corridor, which showed some great acting from Rivera and Agron.

I felt that as a first episode it was a little flat. The vocal performances were, as usual, very good. Charice and Lea Michele's performance of 'Telephone' (as sung by Lady Gaga & Beyonce) was strong, as was Charice's 'Listen', although the performance was slightly marred by her slightly over-the-top hand gestures.

In general, I was a little disappointed with this episode. I'm hoping that the rest of Series 2 is a lot better! I think the funniest moment was courtesy of Broadway performer Cheyenne Jackson, as the new coach of Vocal Adrenaline (replacing fellow Broadway veteran Idina Menzel), carrying a Hello Kitty backpack. Hopefully the humour and the characters will be back on track next week.

Any Human Heart (Series Wrap-Up)

The first episode finished with Logan Mountstuart (Matthew Macfayden) leaving to be a journalist in the Spanish Civil War on the news that his mistress Freya (Hayley Atwell) is pregnant.

Whilst there he runs into old friend Ernest Hemingway (Julian Ovenden) and obtains some paintings by Miro that he gives to his friend Ben (Ed Stoppard), an aspiring art dealer. He goes through an acrimonious divorce from Lottie (Emerald Fennell), and moves into suburbia with his Freya, and their daughter Stella. It is not just Logan who is facing problems of the heart, his old friend Peter's (Samuel West) infidelity to his wife of many years Tess (Holliday Grainger), leads to her committing suicide and in turn, Peter's conversion to Catholicism and release of a bestselling novel Guilt. After being a journalist, he is recruited by Ian Fleming (Tobias Menzies) into naval intelligence, where he posted to observe the Duke of Windsor (Tom Hollander) and Wallis Simpson (Gillian Anderson) in the Bahamas. Yet he is thrown out when he refuses to support the Duke when he tries to frame an innocent man for the murder of a local businessman. Logan is then sent into Switzerland to pose as a trap for the Nazis, but he is caught and thrown in prison. When he returns, he discovers Freya and Stella have been killed in a rocket attack.

Some years later, Logan is now living in America, working for Ben and married to an American, Allanah (Natasha Little) and her daughter Gail (Skye Bennett). However, his somewhat staid lifestyle and lack of inspiration has led him to turn to alcohol and in turn to therapy with Dr Bryne (Richard Schiff). On a visit to London, he then embarks on yet another affair, this time with Peter's third wife Gloria (Kim Cattrall). When he returns to New York, Allanah leaves him for another man. Yet soon, Lionel, Logan's son from his marriage to Lottie, turns up with a new name and with a band in order to find success in America. Tragedy strikes again when Lionel dies of a drug overdose, and Lottie blames her ex-husband. Logan responds by embarking on a love affair with Monday (Lydia Wilson), his son's girlfriend and a minor, leaving him open to prosecution. Ben advises him to flee the country.

More years have passed, Logan (now played by Jim Broadbent) lives a frugal existence in a basement flat in London, which he purchased when his mother died. Gloria, now divorced from both Peter and an Italian count, returns to him, dying from cancer and spends the last few days of her life with him. As Logan moves on from the loss of a dear friend, and the news that Ben is suffering from cancer, he too finds himself in hospital after he is hit by a truck when leaving follows outside the house where he once lived with Freya. Logan is devastated by the news that Ben has died whilst he's been in hospital and is left with little chance of earning any more money. Whilst he makes do, while leaving on a diet of dog food stew, he discovers the Socialist Patient's Collective, believing that it is to help improve patient care in England. What it actually is is a left-wing organisation working to free the Baader-Mainhof gang. When Logan discovers this, he quits the group and moves to the house in France that an old poet friend left for him in his will. Whilst living there, he meets a wealthy divorcee, Gabrielle Dupetit (Valerie Kaprisky), who reminds him very much of Freya. News soon meets him that Peter too has passed away, whilst researching for his new novel, and as the last one now alive, Logan gets rid of his plans for a novel, and decides to spend his time writing a memoir, based around the women he has loved; Tess, Land, Lottie, Freya, Gail, Gloria and Gabrielle.

Any Human Heart was stunning. A roller coaster-ride of emotions accompanied each episode, as the fine performances pushed the story onward. Whilst it is like Forrest Gump in that it is hard to imagine that one man could have played an important part in all these social movements, the backdrop of these events makes Logan's own story the more interesting.

I mentioned in my last post how much I adore the performances of the ensemble cast, and this is not diminished in the other episodes. Matthew Macfayden is wonderful as the imprisoned and heartbroken Mountstuart, who attempts to find solace in alcohol and women. Jim Broadbent plays Logan in the final years of his life and was remarkable detailing Logan's decline from a man who is still very much the man he was in his younger years, just with less money and less hair, to an elderly, somewhat frail man.

Other good performances come from Hayley Atwell as Freya, Tom Hollander as the annoying and cruel Duke of Windsor, and most of all from Kim Cattrall as Gloria. I'd only ever associated Cattrall with the few Sex & The City episodes I'd seen, and she surprised me with her wonderful performance as Gloria, who goes from a vivacious and flirty women to one who is very, very ill. I also got a bit of a chick out of seeing Richard Schiff, who I adore as Toby in The West Wing, playing Logan's American psychologist-who would appear to be a bit of a fraud (when Logan steals a look at his notes it is merely doodles) but perhaps represents the idea that the best form of treatment could be having someone to talk to, about anything.

Channel 4 has really surprised me with this and Pillars of the Earth, and I hope that more good dramas come from them in 2011.

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

For the last few years, the revived Doctor Who television has been a staple of the Christmas Day broadcast on the BBC.

This year, Steven Moffat took the Dickens' A Christmas Carol and updated it to fit the inter-galatical work of the Doctor. Companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Davill) are enjoying an intergalatical honeymoon, when the ship they're travelling on falls into difficulty and it looks as though Christmas will end fatally for the 4000 passengers. Amy and Rory contact the Doctor (Matt Smith), and he decides to find a way to land the craft safely. Unfortunately, this planet's skies are controlled by Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon), a bitter old man who hates Christmas and doesn't care about the pending doom of the people on the shuttle.

The Doctor decides to attempt to alter Kazran's past, having noticed that he is still living in the shadow of his father. He visits the child Kazran (Laurence Belcher) who is bemoaning the fact that he was off school on the 'Day the Fish Came', when the fish that inhabit the sky invaded the school, and he has been longing to meet one ever since. The Doctor manages to attract a shark to the boy's bedroom. When fleeing the shark, who has now eaten half of the sonic screwdriver, The Doctor follows Kazran into a chamber where numerous family members are kept on ice as 'security' for family loans, and discovers Abigail (Katherine Jenkins), whose singing voice soothes the shark. They proceed to meet her every Christmas Eve, until Abigail reveals her secret to an adult Kazran (Danny Horn), and he turns into the hardened man that the Doctor had been trying to undo.

But, of course, as this is a Doctor Who episode, the day is saved, through opera singing, sharks and snow. This is the first time I'd watched Doctor Who since Matt Smith took over as the Doctor from David Tennant, and I really enjoyed his performance. I'd previously liked his performances in Ruby in the Smoke and Shadow in the North, and he gives a quick, humorous and yet empathetic performance as the Doctor. Michael Gambon, is, as always wonderful as the miserly Kazran, desperately trying to hold onto his past and protect himself. Katherine Jenkins doesn't really have to do all that much, other than sing and look pretty, but she is surprisingly strong in the scenes that require her to act. A mention should also go to Laurence Belcher, for being a wonderfully unaffected child actor, and giving a good performance as a young Kazran.

I'm defiantly going to try and catch the return of this Doctor

Any Human Heart

Any Human Heart was broadcast in late November/early December on Channel 4, and I'm only just getting around to watching it. And it's wonderful.

Based on the novel by William Boyd, Any Human Heart follows the life of Logan Mountstuart, a writer who lived through some of the most important parts of the last century. The television programme begins with Jim Broadbent as the elderly Logan, looking through his journals and retracing his life; seemingly as he is about to die.

The story begins properly in 1926, at Oxford University. A young Logan (Sam Claflin) is in his final year at Oxford and sets a wager with his two best friends Peter Scabius (Freddie Fox) and Ben Leeping that they will lose their virignities. Peter finds his 'one' in the stable girl Tess (Holliday Grainger), which leds to him being almost disowned by his parents. During a time when Peter is banned from seeing Tess, Logan fills his shoes quite quickly, but soon finds himself in a far more intellectual passion for 'undergraduette' Land Fothergill (Charity Wakefield). After the death of his father, to whom Logan promises to look after the family business, he travels to Paris to meet Ben, and whilst there, having coverted with Russian prostitutes and Ernest Hemingway (Julian Ovenden), Logan decides tht writing is the only career for him. When he gains an agent, he also finally gains Land, and they live in apparent bliss. His novel, The Girl Factory, is branded 'obscene' and yet is a commercial hit, however, when he proposes to Land she rejects him, saying he is living an 'empty life' and that his book is rubbish. On the rebound, Logan finds himself marrying Lottie (Emerald Fennell) much to the suprise of his friends.

A few years later Lottie gives birth to a son, but Logan (now Matthew Macfayden) soon leaves looking for work and travel upon the commercial failure of his novel The Cosmopolitans, a critique of the poets he met in Paris. When in Spain, he meets Freya (Hayley Atwell), whom he is immediatly attracted to and on his return to England he starts a love affair with her; when he leaves to work as a journalist in civil war Spain, she reveals to him that she is pregnant.

All this happens in one episode. Yet the narrative is pretty tight, it doesn't feel as though you're jumping around in time too much, as it flows pretty nicely between the decades. There is also a somewhat strange use of a boy in a boat, apparently Logan's first memory as he is trying to work out if he is the boy in the boat or an observor on the bank-the people on said bank are Logan at various forms of his life; Broadbent, Macfayden & Claflin, and occasionally people such as his father. To me, this seems a bit like an interruption in the story; it doesn't seem to make all that much sense.

The performances also aide the flow of time; as the young Logan Claflin is good at being awkward and naieve, whilst as the older Macfayden is good at being a man in love and yet also retaining his awkwardness in social situations. Macfayden also carries across some of the habits that Claflin gave Logan, which makes the passing of time more realistic. It was great to see both these actors in work straight after their work in Pillars of the Earth, and Claflin's performances give me hope that his work in POTC 4 will not be quite as wooden as that of Orlando Bloom.

In the supporting cast, Atwell plays Freya as a bit of a seductress, she knows exactly what will happen between her and Logan from the very moment they meet, and it is only at the end of the episode that we begin to see Freya as a strong woman. Wakefield is also good as Land Fothergill (what a name), who seems less interested in love, and more in her burgeoning career as a politican-she loses interest in Logan when his book is a commercial rather than critical success, suggesting that she was maybe only interested in a leg-up in society.

I will admit to also being rather excited when the lovely Julian Ovenden popped up; and similarly when Tom Hollander appeared alongside Gillian Anderson, playing the Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, who both, judging by the preview of episode 2 will come to play an important part in Logan's life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Any Human Heart, it exceeded my expectations and I hope that it sets a precedent for Channel 4 to produce more solid adaptations of novels or original dramas in the future, hopefully these will take over its reputation for Big Brother and bad documentaries.

Pillars of the Earth (Series Wrap-Up)

Note-This is my review of the first couple of episodes, you should probably read that first.

This is honestly one of the best things I have ever watched. This sprawling adaptation of Ken Follett's novel manages to embrace a huge scope of history, taking in tumultous events, and yet remaining intimate so that the viewer could gain a close tie with the characters that populated the series.

Plot-wise, I don't want to give too much away. Needless to say, the secret that Bishop Waleran (Ian McShane) and Regan Hamleigh (Sarah Parrish) are hiding is revealed, and the good and the bad get what they deserve. This is after numerous deaths; some natural, some very much unnatural and many years of confusion over who exactly is the rightful leader of England; Maud (Alison Pill) or Stephen (Tony Curran) and who will follow them-Eustace (Douglas Booth) or Henry (Freddie Boath). I enjoyed the addition of Elisabeth (Skye Lourie), a young girl who is married to the vile William Hamleigh (David Oakes) and the character arc of Remigius (Anatole Taubman) developed beyond what I expected.

The performances continued to be strong throughout the series. Ian McShane, acting like an Iago figure-constantly setting up characters for a fall for his own gain-continued to be strong in his work as a corrupt bishop, who seems to be convinced that he is merely carrying out God's work. Eddie Redmayne who plays Jack Jackson also reveals himself to be a strong actor, despite being saddled with a somewhat predictable romantic storyline, as Jack moves from being an almost mute to be in charge of the build of the cathedral, Redmayne's performance also gets stronger. I also continued to enjoy the work of Matthew Macfayden as Philip, a character who like Waleran believes he is guided by God but takes his word in a different way, and John Pielmeier as Cuthbert, Philip's loyal follower whose storyline almost reduced me to tears. I'd also like to mention Sam Claflin who plays Richard, Aliena's brother, who strives to regain his father's title and in the process goes from slightly weak young boy, to a brave and dashing knight.

As I've said, I loved this series, and I have the book waiting for me to read. The only slight problem I had was that the characters barely aged between decades, and so when a considerable amount of time has passed the sudden change in appearance of the characters-Philip and Ellen (Natalia Worner) in particular-comes as a bit of a jolt.

Downton Abbey (Series Wrap-Up)

Downton Abbey has proved a huge success, with ratings of around 10 million viewers, meaning that ITV has finally proven itself capable of producing good quality television, and not just stuff with Ant & Dec on. Although cynics claim that the reason for its success is because lazy people can't be bothered to change the channel after The X Factor finishes; it would not have been sustained had the programme not been good. And it was good. I'm not sure what I'm doing with my Sunday evenings now.

Since the first episode the characters have all developed hugely, namely with the introduction of some rather important people. Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) arrived at Downton with his mother (Penelope Wilton) in the second episode, and they herald change coming to the area. Matthew, despite being the heir to the estate, is middle-class and works as a solicitor. His apparent inferior social background is not helped by his mother's emphasis on change, which needless to say, doesn't go down well with the Countess (Maggie Smith).

Matthew's arrival signals one of the key plot points in the series, whether he and Mary (Michelle Dockery) will marry and secure the Grantham estate. At first Mary seems very reticent, she dislikes Matthew seemingly for the reason that she feels she is being forced to marry him; this is exacerbated by the arrival of Kemal Pamuk (Theo James), a Turkish envoy, who immediatly captures the heart of Mary. However, his visit to Downton ends in scandal, he dies in the act with Mary, leaving her with the dangerous predicament of lacking the virtue apparently required for marriage.

Another plotline emerges surronding Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), who is dedicated to the cause of women's rights and the betterment of those in less fortunate situations. She makes Gwen (Rose Leslie), a parlourmaid, her project when she discovers that Gwen wishes to become a secretary; and also has an instant friendship with Branson (Allen Leech), an Irish socialist chauffer.

Downstairs, Mrs O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) and Thomas (Rob James-Collier) continue to try and sabotage Mr Bates' prospects at Downton, whilst Anna and Bates seem to come close to beginning a romantic relationship.

Whilst Downton Abbey's main plotline remains with the upstairs cast, every character is wonderfully well-drawn. From the lovely, kind footman William (Thomas Howes) to the stiff-upper lip Anthony Strallen (Robert Bathurst) to the man who comes to fit the telephones!

Performance-wise its difficult to pick-out specific people I enjoyed the most. Maggie Smith is, of course, wonderful as the true matriach of the family. Hugh Bonneville brings a wonderful empathy to the role of the Earl. Brendan Coyle injects Bates with a quiet dignity, and he works wonderfully with Joanne Froggatt as Anna. Dan Stevens is also good as Matthew Crawley, who comes to love Downton despite his frosty welcome. My favourite character and performance comes from Jessica Brown-Findlay as Sybil, she's spunky, modern and fun and I'm rooting for her when the show starts again in March. I would not say that anyone in the cast is bad; I think Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael are saddled with sort-of stereotypes, Dockery has to convince as Mary moving from ice-queen to wronged woman, whilst Carmichael has to deal with being a generally horrible person, and neither really quite pulls it off. I loved the brief apppearance from Samantha Bond as the Earl's sister as well, hopefully she'll make a return as well.

All in all, Downton is good Sunday night entertainment. With it ending on the outbreak of World War One, change is no doubt going to sweep through the hall, altering the lives of the Earl, Cora, Mary, Edith, Sybil, Matthew and the staff beyond any of their imagintions.

Pillars of the Earth

Note-There has since been at least one other episode of this that has been broadcast. I feel bad about my sporadic posting lately. School seems to have engulfed me the past couple of nights.

The Pillars of the Earth is a television adaptation of Ken Follet’s epic novel (and one I desperately want to read) of the same name. Set in the 1100’s in England, it is the story of many characters, from kings to builders, whose stories entwine in a time of huge political upheaval.

At the opening, a boat sinks which contains the last legitimate heir to the throne. The succession seems open, and with the king having only a bastard son and a daughter, it would seem that there would be huge political issues were the king to die. However, the church have their eye on Stephen (Tony Curran), the grandson of William the Conquerer as he would protect them. So upon the king’s somewhat suspicious death, despite him asking for his daughter Maud (Allison Pill) to be seen as ruler until her son comes of age, the church crown Stephen king.

Elsewhere William Hamleigh (David Oakes) is desperately pursuing Aliena (Hayley Atwell) to become his wife, yet Aliena has little time for marriage, and Hamleigh seems motivated more by his parents (Robert Bathurst & Sarah Parish) thirst for power.

Aliena’s rejection of Hamleigh leads to repercussions further down the social scale, as Tom Builder (Rufus Sewell) is fired from building the wedding house, as it is no longer required. This means that he and his family is forced to look for shelter in the harsh winter, stumbling across the woodland dwellers Ellen (Natalie Worner) and her son Jack (Eddie Redmayne).

Tom eventually finds his way, thanks to Ellen’s guidance, to a priory in desperate need of repair, governed by the new prior Phillip (Matthew McFayden), and offers his services in creating a new cathedral.

Reading all that back it looks as though Pillars of the Earth is an intensely confusing viewing experience. Yet whilst it has numerous characters, their entwined stories mean that the audience is rarely left not knowing who is who, although occasionally working out the character’s actual familial bonds to one another is somewhat confusing.

The series is hugely ambitious, with the first two episodes being the length of films in their own right. However, the performances save it from being in anyway dull. Sewell as Tom Builder is the heart of the story, desperate to protect his family and achieve his own artistic vision despite huge personal tragedy. Other stand-out performances come from Sarah Parish as the wonderfully evil and slightly incestuous Regan Hamleigh, a woman who quite clearly has a greater understanding of events than her husband and also from Ian McShane as Bishop (I think) Waleran, the epitome of the corrupt English church, a man who despite supposedly being pious is incredibly Machiavellian in his actions. I'I think a special mention should also go to Alison Pill, who plays Maud brilliantly; you would never expect that she is an American actress. Her English accent is faultless, there is none of the over-the-top enunciation favoured by other American actors.

There are also some very powerful moments in these first episodes. The show doesn't flinch from the barbarity of war-showing not just the death of men in battle, but also the sexual punishment of women that was rife in such situations. Nor does it flinch from the crowd-sport that was public executions. On the other end of the scale, the 'miracle' at the quarry led by Prior Phillip against William Hamleigh had to be one of the most moving moments on television I've seen, and I'm not particuarly religious (although this also shows the importance of religion in the early years of England)

After only two episodes it is difficult to really say conclusively what I think will happen. There is evidently some history between Waleran and Ellen, and there is the tentative start of a love triangle between a now destitute Aliena, Jack and Tom Builder’s (horrible) son Alfred (Liam Garrigan). The end of episode two paves the way for yet more uncertainty in society, and whilst I couldn’t resist searching the internet for what happened next historically, the impact of this move on the characters in Pillars will no doubt be huge.

The Special Relationship

Michael Sheen seems to have made a career out of playing Tony Blair, first in The Deal in 2003 about his relationship with Gordon Brown, then in The Queen with Helen Mirren and most recently in The Special Relationship, studying Blair and President Clinton’s relationship in the years of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the war in Kosovo.

The film shows how Blair and his team re-imagined the Labour party, seeking advice from Clinton’s advisors, to make it less dangerously liberal, but more a viable option for change-the building blocks for the idea of New Labour.

It moves on to see Blair meeting with Clinton (Dennis Quaid) a couple of years later, as the President and his team become certain that Blair will win the General Election. When he does, the two men seem united in both policy, as centre left politicians, and in friendship-especially in the eyes of Blair.

Yet the relationship becomes gradually more and more strained as the Monica Lewinsky scandal breaks on the eve of Blair’s visit to Washington, where he swears allegiance to Clinton, only to have the man later admit to having had inappropriate relations with Miss Lewinsky. The outbreak of war in Kosovo, and Clinton’s reluctance to commit to ground troops until the very last minute, leads to Blair finally severing the ties they might have had, by using the right-wing American media to help put pressure on the president to place his troops into Kosovo.

Peter Morgan applies enough dramatic tension to make the story gripping, and, as with Frost/Nixon, I had little real awareness of the problems with NATO at the time of the Kosovo war, nor much knowledge of the relationship between Blair and Clinton-‘The Special Relationship’ is a term now almost indefinitely linked to Blair’s relationship with the man who followed Clinton-George W. Bush. Morgan also manages to keep the story intresting with a cast of few main characters; it is really just Blair, Clinton, Cherie Blair (Helen McCrory), Hillary Clinton (Hope Davis) and Blair’s advisors Alistair Campbell (Mark Bazeley) and Jonathan Powell (Adam Godley).

This is in part due to the great performances given by the cast. There is a reason that Sheen is cast again and again as Blair, and that is because he gets the mannerisms so very right, and he is supported well by Quaid as Clinton, who is brilliant as a man desperately trying to cling on to power and the respect of the American public. My favourite performance of the film however, was that of Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton, she stood out throughout as a woman who keeps her dignity, despite coming up against horrible circumstances. McCrory was also good as Cherie Blair, a woman who was constantly made fun of in the press during her husband’s time as leader of the country, even if she is the subject of one of the films funnier jibs from Clinton; ‘She’s from Liverpool, its like the Arkansas of England’.

The best aspects of the film also came in the foreshadowing of events to come. In Blair’s passionate speech to the House of Commons on how we can never deny war on humanitarian grounds-an argument that would resurface in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. There is the conversation between Blair and Clinton in the kitchen of Chequers on the day of George W Bush’s election, where Clinton accuses Blair of having never been a ‘centre left’ politician, again, another criticism that has been levied at Blair in the past few years as he moved the Labour party closer and closer to the more ‘centre right’ Conservative party-an action that the new leader of Labour, Ed Miliband, has said that he wants to reverse.

The Special Relationship was a fine television movie, it was perhaps too small for the big screen (a criticism also levied at Frost/Nixon and The Queen by some), but it was a perfect piece of docu-drama, about some of the most important moments in recent political history, about the failure of a dream of widespread centre left politics and about the importance of legacy. It is interesting to note that despite their respective good works, both Clinton and Blair are finally tied by their respective tainted legacies, one for sexual misconduct, the other for a hugely unpopular war.