The Fall seems dead set on setting itself apart from other crime shows. Not because we know who the murderer is – Columbo hung its raincoat on that particular chair 44 years ago – but because it's so desperately grim that it makes its Danish contemporaries look as light-hearted as Murder, She Wrote. It's a show so darned dark that it forces you to adjust the brightness settings in your own mind, as well as your telly.
For those perhaps not in the know, back in the Sixties two Dalek movies were produced featuring all-new Daleks (in all-new colour!) and an all-new Doctor, Peter Cushing (also in colour). In these outings, Cushing was an Earth-based scientist called, wait for it, "Dr. Who". Don't worry though, the TARDIS is still bigger on the inside (just) and the Daleks are as mean as ever.
What with the lingering prospect of an extended winter in place of the British summer and ever-more media coverage of UKIP gremlin Nigel Farage’s awful visage, things are getting decidedly dark. Still, in this wretched modern world, we can be thankful for the simple things in life.
As we’re starting to learn, these are invariably provided by Arrow DVD, who this month continue their glorious project of restoring and re-releasing the back catalogue of Italian hero Mario Bava.
Following last night's dramatic finale, we take a look back at Series 7 of Doctor Who.
CultBox were lucky enough to attend last week’s third series premiere of Sky1’s Mad Dogs in London.
The drama, starring John Simm (Doctor Who), Philip Glenister (Life On Mars), Marc Warren (Hustle) and Max Beesley (Hotel Babylon), has proved to be a critical and populist hit - and the new run of episodes shows no signs of easing up in terms of quality.
Often, being a fan of Doctor Who, you have to park your fanboy gene somewhere the other side of Kasterborous. True, there’s no point loving the bones of a show if you’re not prepared to dissect it to death sometimes. But the critical scalpel-sharpening that’s been the response of some to Series 7B has been a reminder that Doctor Who isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the preserve of the online obsessive. It’s the children’s own programme which adults adore. It isn’t made for the groupie or the anorak or the geek...
