vivdunstan: Space station Babylon 5 against a dark starry background (babylon 5)
This has been on hold for nearly a year. With my recurring flares and heavy sedation we were struggling even to manage to fit in just one episode a week, after our Sunday night dinner.

But now restarted, aiming for that Sunday night slot. And we’re picking up where we’d got to, with season 2 episode 15* “There All The Honour Lies”. Luckily we have watched the whole run many times, so know the overarching plot well. Otherwise we might be a bit confused about the arc plot after such a long gap.

Watching this it does feel like revisiting old friends and a favourite place. I hope we can keep the momentum going. There are some stunning episodes coming soon. Seasons 2 and 3 are my favourites of the run.

* actually might be #14. But it’s far through the season anyway.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
Onto the last in the Memoirs collection, and going to discuss this pivotal story with big spoilers. Expandspoiler cut ... )

Wimbledon

Jul. 8th, 2025 07:38 pm
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
I never get to see much of Wimbledon now. I am asleep far too much, including most of the day. But I like watching doubles on the red button over dinner, and above all the fun invitational matches with old players that started today. We are currently enjoying a mixed doubles match including Todd Woodbridge and the wacky Mansour Bahrami. So much fun. I played tennis a lot as a teenager, including at inter club level.
vivdunstan: Test card (tv)
Been too sleepy to watch any more movies. And still haven't got to Rings of Power season 2. Our Babylon 5 rewatch is also currently on hold while we try to catch up with a mass of too much recorded telly in our Sky Q box.

I have been binge watching a lot of the early episodes of Glee. Which though cliched and corny is remarkably watchable. As a musical theatre fan I'm also happily there for all the songs shoehorned in. Martin hasn't strictly been watching it, mainly commenting as he potters around that "That sounds very weird!" But he did say tonight that having sat in for a bit more he can see how the format works, and is starting to appreciate it.

I'm also watching a lot of recorded panels/talks from the recent Cymera 2025 festival in Edinburgh of science fiction, fantasy and horror writing. Have already enjoyed panels including authors John Gwynne and Cymera regular T.L. Huchu. With many more to watch in the next 3 weeks or so while I still have access to them using my purchased digital festival pass.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock)
Nearing the end of Memoirs and on to this tale of a stolen secret treaty ... Expandspoilers )
vivdunstan: Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor with his best friend Sarah Jane Smith (sarah jane smith)
Was just pondering this. If I focus on a decade at a time, pulling out my absolute favourites, it would go:

1960s - Jamie (to be fair I haven't seen/heard all of this era of Who)
1970s - Sarah Jane and Romana I
1980s - Peri and Ace
1990s - nope, going to pass!
2000s - Rose and Donna
2010s - Amy and Clara
2020s - Ruby

And if I narrow those down to a top 3 favourite list:

1st - Sarah Jane
2nd - Romana I
3rd - Clara

Interesting that my favourite pre-dates my time watching as a Who fan. I only started watching as a youngster with Season 16 in 1978. I'd then see Sarah Jane Smith in K9 and Company, and "The Five Doctors". Then watched loads of her old stories before she returned to Doctor Who and got her own spinoff series.

Romana I was my first ever Who companion as a viewer. Great starting point!

And although Clara has her flaws, and annoys a lot of people, I really like her. There's a very "classic" feel to her, both as written and acted. So she definitely earns her place on my list.

From left to right: Sarah Jane Smith, Romana I and Clara Oswald
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Enjoying my Patreon membership of Time Team, and the bonus content we get to see as a result. They’re digging at Sutton Hoo again right now, and we’re currently watching a patron-only video with Stewart Ainsworth exploring and musing over the landscape.
vivdunstan: The 15th Doc swirling round on the dance floor in his kilt (fifteenth doctor)
No spoilers from me on this one. Just to say I thought it was another really strong Doctor Who episode tonight. Which had a fantastic idea at the very heart of it, as well as a refreshingly different setting. Great season so far. Just a few more to go sadly!
vivdunstan: A vibrantly coloured comic cover image of Peter Capaldi's Doctor, viewed side on, facing to the left, looking thoughtful (twelfth doctor)
I've been continuing to slowly rewatch the early Peter Capaldi incarnation stories. But not feeling the urge to blog about them individually. And also, frankly, struggling to keep watching fully through many of them.

I find this early stage of his Doctor so phenomenally unlikeable. I watch it for Clara, not the Doctor. And then I constantly wonder why she sticks with him. I'm used to post regeneration trauma and all. And, hey, I watched through the Sixth Doctor stories 40 years ago. But I don't have the patience for it this time. And I'm finding it a particularly difficult set of stories to rewatch.

Against that Peter Capaldi's casting was one of the most exciting for me in Doctor Who ever. And he would go on to be superb in the ninth season, with the Doctor's character and relationship with the companion heavily reworked. But I struggle to rewatch much of season 8. I still think it was a fundamental mistake in approach by Steven Moffat.

Yet there are some absolute standout classics even in this year. "Listen" and "Flatline" are both superb. And I have a really soft spot for "Mummy On The Orient Express", despite the Doctor/companion extreme angst.

But, yup, not a happy fan rewatching at the moment. It's just as well I'm enjoying the Fifteenth Doctor's new stories on TV so very much!
vivdunstan: Some of my Doctor Who etc books (drwho)
Loved Doctor Who tonight. Easy 10/10 for me.

Expandvery mild spoiler discussion )
vivdunstan: Test card (tv)
Excavating deep into our DVD collection - it feels like a combination of vertical and horizontal archaeological stratigraphy! - clearing out 30-ish year old VHS tapes (yes really!) and in the process rediscovering some DVD things I forgot we had. Like American Gothic, the short-lived 1995 gothic/horror/fantasy series, that aired in the UK on Channel 4. Well that will be fun to rewatch!

vivdunstan: The 15th Doc swirling round on the dance floor in his kilt (ncuti gatwa)
Joining down some quick thoughts. These are restricted to just this episode, and don't discuss spoilers for later in the run. Expandspoilers ... )
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
Recently I reread "The Musgrave Ritual" story in the Sherlock Holmes canon. I blogged my thoughts then. In a nutshell it's one of my favourite all time Sherlock Holmes stories, revolving around an old riddle and a treasure hunt. I mentioned in that blog that I planned to rewatch the Jeremy Brett version, and newly watch the Basil Rathbone film version. I've done that now, so will jot down some brief thoughts. Note there are some spoilers in here, though light.

Firstly I rewatched the Jeremy Brett TV version from 1986. This takes some liberties with the plot, which in the original story involved a young Holmes on his own in the past, but here was changed to Holmes and Watson going together to a countryside manor for Holmes to recuperate. There are lots of little elements even early on retained and reworked from the original story, such as Holmes having a big box full of old case papers that tantalise Watson. The TV version puts the story of the manor's butler firmly in the forefront, and we see this back story play out early on. James Hazeldine as butler Brunton is extremely effective, and carries his scenes very well. A few small changes are made to the treasure hunt itself, but the story is otherwise largely faithful. And those changes that are made are effective for transferring it to a TV episode. Good stuff.



The Basil Rathbone 1943 movie version is a much looser retelling, but charming in its own way. Here Watson - during WW2 Britain - is working in a Northumberland convalescence home for servicemen suffering from shell shock. And a series of murders lead him to call in Holmes for help. In this version of the story there are three members of the Musgrave family to meet, not one as in the original story, plus a characterful group of wounded servicemen, who are superbly written and acted. The butler Brunton is retained, though here with a wife. And there's another medic, and also the American airman that Sally Musgrave is in love with. The ritual is totally reworked, not really recognisable from Conan Doyle's original. Rather than a hunt around the physical grounds of the manor, this ritual leads to a giant chess game in the house, with the inhabitants playing the chess pieces as Holmes shouts out moves. Ultimately the secret treasure is uncovered and there is a satisfying ending. But it doesn't feel much like the original story. But, as I said, I like it. The direction is dynamic, with sometimes amazing special effects for 1943. The cast of British and American actors generally do a great job, with only a few dodgy accents (London-born Dennis Hoey as Lestrade has a surprisingly poor accent). The film is a little over an hour long, but full of incident and interest, and kept my attention throughout.



So two fun but different retellings of this Arthur Conan Doyle story. My favourite is the Jeremy Brett version, which is more faithful, and also features my all-time favourite Holmes and Watson pairing of actors. But the Basil Rathbone version is a delight in its own way. There's also a 1912 short silent film version of the story, that can be viewed on the story's Wikipedia page.

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