Fantasy land

I’ve watched so much TV over the last week that I should win a Committed Viewer Award, or perhaps an Obsessive Viewer Award (OVA - odd, but probably accurate as my brain cells die until I have as many as a foetus of 2 weeks gestation.) Personally I have no complaints about the quality of programming over Christmas. I’ve enjoyed what I watched or it has created a pleasant backdrop to a nap. Either way it has done me good. Shaun the Sheep comes top of my ‘sheer pleasure’ list; Agatha Christie's Poirot and Marple repeats top the nostalgic entertainment (I never tire of the Art Deco architecture and interiors, nor of the frocks and costumes worn by the glamorous women.)

Dr Who has been very good value too. I even watched the programmes about making the episodes. It seems like only yesterday that I mourned the disappearance of one Dr and thought the next would never match up, until Tom Baker arrived when sadly I lost track altogether in the miasma of Belgium and babes. I would have missed the end of this series too though if g’son had been staying with me. He has found almost all the episodes since 2005 ‘depressing’ and I do wonder how many actual children actually have enjoyed them. I suspect the writer of enjoying the notoriety of working for an iconic British TV series too much and getting a bit carried away with it all so he was writing for the revenants, the ex-child viewers rather than the latest batch of hatchlings. Certainly the last two episodes were rather sophisticated in content and the action quite slow to allow for emotional retrospectives. No matter. They probably did what was hoped of them and David Tennant has been the best ever. He really made the role his own. Sandy enjoys the Sarah Jane Adventures (so do I) and they are much closer to the targeted viewing age of the originals.

One question I will carry with me for ever: The Oods with their revolting facial wriggly bits, which reminded me distressingly of the way meat comes out of a mincer in strands - how on earth did they finally manage to make them almost sympathetic? Now that was magic!

Otherwise I was happily entertained by ‘The Wind in the Willows’ ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Peter Pan’ ( I really liked the film made by P J Hogan in which the growing up theme is emphasised. I still remember the utter horror with which I viewed the prospect of growing up. It isn’t only men who don’t want to do it!)

Possibly it was the wrong choice to see the New Year in but I hate the false Hogmanay shenanigans filmed weeks in advance, so put on the last episode of ‘Wallander’ with Krister Henriksson and Johanna Sällström in which Stefan tops himself, overcome with memories of childhood abuse. It didn’t help to know that three months after the episode was filmed the actress Johanna topped herself for real. So very sad .