The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Well there we have it; the spectacular ending to the 13-year long saga that launched the world of Middle-Earth onto our screens in blistering glory. I still maintain that it is a remarkable feat for Peter Jackson and his team to have stretched the relatively small book of The Hobbit (compared to say, Lord of the Rings) into a trilogy of lengthy films (though this is one of the shorter ones - at a mere 144 minutes long). Back in January, upon reviewing this films predecessor, The Desolation of Smaug, I concluded by saying that, though technically it was a great and pleasing film there were a few niggling flaws that spoiled the overall picture. 

Nearly one year on and broadly speaking, in terms of the final film itself and in terms of an ending to this epic saga, I have similar feelings.

Let us start with the positives, because there are quite a few. Firstly, it was a joy to see so many firm cast favourites (from the first trilogy and the second) back in fine form for one final hurrah. Casting and performance-wise, I could not fault anyone. Though we have already established that Martin Freeman is great as Bilbo the titular Hobbit (and he continued to be so in this final film) both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films have always been spectacular, intricate and awe-inspiring ensemble pieces, and this finale reiterated that; each member of the ensemble shining brilliantly.

Yes Martin Freeman was great as Bilbo, as was Ian Holm as Bilbo 60 years on; the minute he was on screen right at the very end filled me with warmth and firm knowledge that both actors can now easily encapsulate Bilbo to a tee. In terms of other brief cameos - it was joyous to see the likes of Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Sir Christopher Lee back as Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman respectively. Not only did they remind us of why we loved them so in previous films, but they also gave us a little snippet of newness in terms of their characters that we haven't seen before.

Legendary actor and stalwart favourite of every Tolkien film yet, Sir Ian Mckellen definitely and deservedly went out on a high as Gandalf. His was probably the most satisfying ending to watch as his part in the tale is so integral, and McKellen's performance so loved - it was great to see Gandalf's final bow.

Richard Armitage I have found in the previous Hobbit films to be stoically solid as Thorin Oakenshield but not much more. This time he created a moving character arc from honour to madness to honour again all in one film - the results of which were very well done. Luke Evans' Bard grew into his own and reached his final full potential, and Thorin's fellow company of dwarves also reached the end of their journey too - again it was immensely satisfying to see their tales told. We even got to see a new dwarf in the form of Dain - played beautifully by the ever resolute Billy Connolly. 

As with the dwarves, so too did the elves return with a vengeance. Lee Pace again was ever ethereal and commanding as Thranduil. Orlando Bloom was still ever-watchable as fan favourite Legolas (his newly added Hobbit journey was very well done and very well fitted into the rest of his story). And also completely fresh character Tauriel returned and resolved her story beautifully - all embodied in the wonderful Evangeline Lilly. Last time with the last film I picked up on the hinted romance and the distinct love triangle between Legolas, Tauriel and dwarf Kili. This definitely came back strong as an element of this film and again felt like a stop-gap to fill a few plot holes, or even to accentuate a story that did not need embellishing in such a way (more so in this film than the last I'd say). I can see why they've done it, and though it is not what I would have done, in the end it is done in a nice enough way and is just enough of a nice touch for them to get away with it.

Finally, I am glad that though the iconic dragon Smaug was killed, and killed rather swiftly in the prologue of this film, they did  play to the dragon's strengths and to the strengths of the incredible vocal performance of Benedict Cumberbatch before the dragon met his demise. For this was a massive highlight of the second Hobbit film, and an integral part to the third.

In terms of the overall feel of the film - again broadly speaking a fitting conclusion. I do think they did go overboard in trying to justify their new Five Armies title. Not much subtlety about it - the battle scenes were meant to be massive and they were.  Just about different enough in some places to set them apart from previous drawn-out battle scenes that Peter Jackson is famous for, yet there were also times when these elements fell stagnant, Having said that, the overall epic battle scale that was hoped for was achieved 90% of the time. The challenge then laid in infusing enough powerful plot to go with the battles. Again for the most part this was done and done well (note the stellar performances I have mentioned). Yet again there were a few times when I felt they were pushing it, and that they were trying too hard to justify making us wait and pay to see a third film. This slightly sporadic flow did hinder proceedings somewhat, but as I say overall the end result was good.

This final film was marketed as "the defining chapter" of the entire Middle Earth saga. Whilst I do not think it is the defining chapter (though don't ask me to say which one is) and although it is certainly not perfect, it is a pleasing and resounding end chapter. There may come a time for greater reflection on the whole epic six-film saga, but for now I shall say that The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was a fitting end to what truly has been an incredible journey.

RIP Christine Cavanaugh

1963-2014

Noah

As biblical epics go, this is a belter. One of the more blistering (and in some ways one of the most controversial) films of 2014; once again thanks to Sky Movies I have now been able to watch it. This film was controversial at its heart due to its religious nature and origin, like most biblical tales re-presented and re-vamped in the media, Hollywood or otherwise. But I do not really want to get bogged down in all that. At the box office Noah was broadly speaking quite a success and I can see why.

First and foremost, I believe Darren Aronofsky and his team succeeded in getting the initial setting and tone of Noah right from the off. In terms of the locations, sets, costumes, and characters we get the feeling almost instantly that this is taking place just a few short years after the dawn of man. The times are primal, they are organic, they are sometimes savage and they are raw. All this gives us a unique blend of situations, featuring a tinge of biblical "history" (if you want to go down that route) and a distinctly mythical and legendary factor. Having initially succeeded in setting this world up for us in the first half of the film, Noah then proceeds to tear it apart in biblically apocalyptic fashion - presenting to us a classic tale, incredible disaster movie, and a distinctly human story all in one.

Like the setting of Noah, the characters all feel raw and new in the world. They are all individual yes, but they all manage to encapsulate in their own ways the feeling of people who are just stepping out into the light (or darkness) and still all need the guidance of their Creator along the way. In terms of performances, yes they are all varying in terms of feel, screen time and indeed quality, but each actor seems to have pretty much succeeded in fitting their own character into this world of Noah, allowing the story to flow without one having to question individuals too much.

Whilst not necessarily negative, there are a couple (but not too many) characters/performances that fade into the background and become integral yet forgettable building blocks of the story. Douglas Booth as Shem (the titular character's eldest son) is definitely the underdog in terms of fame-attached-to-the-name, and indeed the performance is just as note-worthy. He is involved in a couple of big scenes, but broadly his is the typical "older brother" in the family unit and really seems like a tool to move the progression of Emma Watson's story forward.

Similarly child actor Leo McHugh Carroll as Japheth is the typical "younger brother" of the piece. Nothing bad to say about his performance, but nothing good either.

With an older and a younger brother, we must have the middle brother - Logan Lerman as Ham; and his character feels very deliberately and very markedly placed into the story to stand out (at least among the "youth" section of the cast). I think it is more the situation written and crafted around Lerman's character, rather than his acting talent that allows him to stand out, but to be fair there are moments that, when given the opportunity he does shine enough to fit into his character well.

Speaking of Emma Watson, hers was quite a pleasantly surprising performance for me. I have followed her transitional career somewhat (including but not limited to Harry Potter of course) and whilst I thought she had potential, I generally thought her presence on screen came off as quite shallow and arrogant. In Noah however, I was glad to watch Emma Watson give a layered and emotive performance as Ila. Yes occasionally a few of her moments seemed a bit forced, and at times her character too feels very deliberately placed into the plot just for the sake of it, but generally a positive, well rounded and again quite fittingly raw performance.

The other main female force in Noah is Jennifer Connelly who, in my experience of watching her work is generally known for creating forgettable stuff (apart from 2001's A Beautiful Mind; both she and the film were terrific). Here she fitted well into the story, her relationship and chemistry with other characters was good, and yet again when she needed to be she could turn up the raw and ragged edge to produce some quite trembling moments.

Ray Winstone was his usual "geezer" self but also gave just enough gritty villainy as nemesis Tubal-cain, and I also just want to mention the consummately superb Sir Anthony Hopkins who was a welcome touch of experience, wisdom and class as Methuselah.

So - Russell Crowe as Noah. A few people criticized this bit of casting, saying Crowe was not right for the role. I must disagree. Most of the characters in this film do not really change much from beginning to end, or if they do such change is very predictable. I think ultimately Crowe succeeds in accurately and emotively portraying Noah's transition (both in terms of the biblical story and what is needed for the film) from erstwhile, dedicated and environmentally conscious family man, to hardy, brave saviour of the innocent, to briefly the first aging alcoholic, to eventual patriarch and replenisher of mankind on Earth. This I feel is one of Russell Crowe's better performances, certainly from what I have seen. He inhabits the character of Noah well, and is strong enough and human enough to lead this epic tale from beginning to end.

That's what Noah is really - an epic tale in the best possible way. As I say the overall tone of this film is crucial, and getting it right even more so. I feel they have broadly done just that, and thus this film does indeed bring the classic tale of Noah's Ark positively and resoundingly into the 21st century.

RIP David Ryall

1935-2014

Doctor Who ~ Last Christmas

As I have said recently, I was going to and indeed did enjoy the helping of festive viewing this Christmas. And as I also said recently - the latest Doctor Who special was chief among them. For me, like most Whovians, this annual Who event not only has to be enjoyable (which for me it surely was) but it also still has to mean something within the annals of the Doctor Who series, and the current Doctor carrying the keys to to the TARDIS.

Just as last year's Christmas Doctor Who was important in that it was the superb swansong of Matt Smith (for my review of this see my BLOG ARCHIVE) so to this year's special was important because it was going to be the first time new twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi took the reins at Christmas. For me, a Christmas special has always seemed to be a little rite of passage within the realms of new Who; I always resented that Christopher Eccleston never got one, and messrs Tennant, Smith and now Capaldi almost always excelled in theirs. Thankfully, Peter Capaldi's first festive special did not disappoint at all. 

This is always expected with Who now (particularly in the current Moffat era) but the way in which this episode was marketed was in several key areas vastly different to how it played out. Yes there was a distinct, nay vital, flavour of festivity (but not quite how you might expect) the usual Moffat chills and thrills were all there, and the fate of a certain companion was definitely sealed (at least for the time being).

One of the big exciting plus points of Last Christmas was that it would star Nick Frost as Santa Claus. Cast member and character match made in heaven or what? There is no denying Frost was superb; quite possibly the best TV representation of St. Nick I have ever seen. There is also no denying that this was Santa with quite a Doctor Who twist. Without wishing to give too much away, as well as having all the right amounts of sass and bad-ass attitude (again - which Frost brought to life brilliantly!) there is again a sting in the tail of Santa that, whilst appreciated, is not entirely what you might have been expecting.

The main antagonists (i.e. "monsters") were admittedly (even Moffat does) huge Alien rip-offs, but nevertheless they were fed into the story brilliantly and pivotally. Indeed, the Dream Crabs did enough in this one episode to give them a good chance of getting onto Doctor Who's extensive list of most chilling monsters. 

Another lingering and pressing question weaving its way through the build up of this episode was over the fate of Clara Oswald, aka Jenna Coleman. There was plenty of whisper that this would indeed be her last time on Who. There certainly was plenty of misdirection from Moffat and co. to support this, but there was always a nagging feeling at the back of many-a-Whovian's mind (including yours truly) that Clara could simply not be done, and that it would be cruelly mundane to end her there.

Happily, not only were we reassured that she was to stay, but we were treated to a total renewal of the character. Indeed, Clara's relationship with Christmas, her relationship with her old demons, and most importantly her relationship with the Doctor were all examined and just about resolved in time for New Year; all embodied by the beautifully brilliant Jenna Coleman.

Speaking of the companion - let's look at the Doctor himself shall we?  I suppose it could have been tempting for Capaldi to change tact slightly seen as it was Christmas; to allow a bit of bend in his steely, edgy yet terribly enigmatic Doctor. Not a bit of it. The genius of his performance was such that this episode was a smooth and flawless transition from when we last saw him (freshly triumphant and fully-fledged at the end of his last series). Capaldi merely directed his Doctor at this Christmas special, and the chaotic magic ensued. We got all the right amount of crisp magic and sparkle from Capaldi's Doctor - including an engaging powerhouse performance opposite his companion Clara, some sizzling interplay with Nick Frost's Santa and, when the occasion warranted, a complete and utter mastery of the scene showing that, when all is said and done, he is still the Doctor in Doctor Who after all!

Last Christmas faults? Not many at all! OK, yet again there was a bit too much Moffat meddling for my liking (in an otherwise wonderful plot line) and I feel we could have done without seeing Danny Pink again (though I do get that for many it was a bit of a treat cameo). But that's about it.

Overall I really am happy with this special, as I was with Capaldi's first series. It is further proof that his Doctor is a great one in his own right, and will surely go on to greater things, plus Last Christmas gives us yet another cracking Doctor Who Christmas special.

Strictly Come Dancing 2014

I cannot believe it is that time of year again, but it is indeed time to take a look back at another year of Strictly. After becoming an avid viewer last year (thanks in no small part to the joy that is Mark Benton - for my review of Strictly 2013 see my BLOG ARCHIVE) I had high hopes when it came around again for 2014.

For the most part, the ever-popular show did not disappoint. Great cast of celebs, truly marvelous professionals, great routines, dazzling quality, great journeys; bish bash bosh - the end. Broadly speaking, this series of Strictly did not defer from its core qualities compared to last year for me (and compared to years gone by I suspect also), This is a good thing, for as the ratings, the hype and the ever-growing popularity of the show shows, there is not much wrong with Strictly.

It genuinely was a pleasure for me to sit down each week to watch what is, essentially a dancing programme. Sounds boring, but it is a dancing programme that has consistently captured the heart of the nation, and I for one would not have it any other way at all.

Obviously though, a major new factor every year on Strictly - is the new crop of Strictly stars. "Celebrity" status may be questionable at times, but Strictly stars they all soon quickly become, and once again it was a joy to watch the highs, lows, twists and turns for each one of them, as each week fifteen were gradually whittled down to one. 

Everyone has their favourites of course, but going through the weeks stand outs for me included the likes of Allison Hammond  whose infectious, bubbly and beautiful lust for life infected our screens week-on-week; she deserved a bit more time on the show than she got I thought. Also Eastenders star Jake Wood was the really fantastic dark horse for me - his winning personality and talent should have easily seen him to the final; he was robbed in my view.

A quick word on the finalists as I do think each of them deserved to be there one way or another. I despise "TOWIE" and any television monstrosity any way associated and/or similar to it, but Mark Wright managed to shake off his reality show backdrop and grow into a cheeky likable gem in my eyes, and to those of the general public. His was the dark horse that made it to the final as, whilst there were those who were better dancers than him who did not make it, his combination of ability, likability and sheer hard work earned him a finalist spot.

Blue singer Simon Webbe is also one whose hard work paid off. His Strictly journey was probably the least consistent and the most shaky, but each week he came back fighting until he progressed into a fantastic all-round dancer. A bit of undeserved, over the top swagger peels away to reveal an approachable Simon that I think audiences warmed too, plus of course eventual sheer dancing talent.

Pop star and Saturday Frankie Bridge was the finalist who, personality wise, I warmed to the least (compared to her partner Grimsby born Kevin who is a real character of the show). Frankie's swift progression in the show seemed to rapidly inflate her head a tad too much, and she did always seem a bit flippant and self-centered with regards to her role in the show. That said, her abilities as a dancer just beggared belief! Everything that was thrown at her she overcame with apparent ease, and any development she gained on the floor only rendered her that much more of a class act.

Finally we have (SPOILER ALERT) the winner of Strictly 2014 Caroline Flack. From roughly half way she seemed to be a serious contender and to me she rapidly became my favourite to win (especially after the exit of Jake Wood). To me she is a thoroughly deserving champion, alongside her partner Pasha Kovalev. She is just the right blend of sassy, sexy, stunning, endearing and beautiful blossoming dancing talent.  

Sir Bruce Forsyth. He was a huge part of the history and legacy of the show from day one, so it is not right that he be eradicated completely from Strictly (he pops up for the odd special episode, which I do not deny him at all). However I do think it was right he stepped down as permanent host. As I pointed out last year, even for me his rapport, humour and spark (or lack thereof) really was getting beyond cringe-worthy. Step in new hosting pair (and also Strictly regulars) Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Newly promoted main presenter Tess is a lot more rounded and a great deal slicker than Brucie (although she is quite monotonous and unimaginative when it comes to the chatter between dances) and the wonderful Claudia is a perfect blend of ease, flirtation and watchability. Together they make a great combo, and even when Claudia had to take a leave of absence for a few weeks, Zoe Ball stepped in to great effect too.

One more massive element of Strictly we cannot of course fail to mention is the judges. Once again this awesome foursome were huge sources of entertainment in their own unique ways. The demure and sarcastic Craig, the sassy classy Darcey, the lovable lad Len, and the fabulously flamboyant Bruno. All had great interplay with the dancers and each other. A joy to watch.

So once again, it only remains for me to thank the cast and crew and everyone in between of Strictly Come Dancing for yet another vintage year on our telly screens. Here's hoping for another belter next year, and in the mean time (I just have to do it!) - -

Keeeeeeep Dancing!

A few of my festive picks...

We are now well and truly into December and the Christmas period, and what's more Christmas Day itself is only a few days away. For years, we ALL have developed our own habitual set of festive viewing habits. From newly awaited specials to all time classics, there are TV shows and films we just love to see at Christmas time. So I thought I would just share a select few of my favorites for the festive season... 

CHRISTMAS FEEL GOOD FILMS

Rather an obvious one, but an important one nonetheless. The Christmas film is a genre well and truly in its own right now, with more and more coming out every year in the hope of becoming modern and future classics that people return to again and again.

For me, that is what its really about - if a new Christmas film is good enough it will still be around strongly enough in a couple of years time - and in the meantime, there are plenty of winter warming staples for me to choose from.

Highlights of mine include the whimsical and charming The Holiday, the utter classic Its A Wonderful Life, and the pretty much perfect Love Actually.

CHRISTMAS SITCOM

The Christmas specials of our favorite TV sitcoms have been a solid institution of viewing for decades. There is something quite remarkable about watching this plethora of characters that you have grown to love and laugh out loud with make you laugh again at Christmas. Not only is it very welcome to watch, but it also gives us that special warm fuzzy feeling inside, which is surely the point of Christmas time.

The list really is endless, and in my case it is quite an extensive one.

If you want to indulge in some vintage Christmas comedy ( and I often do ) then might I suggest the likes of Porridge, Steptoe and Son, One Foot in the Grave, or of course the classic Only Fools and THAT Vicar of Dibley.

Or you might want to mix and match with some more modern stuff. Miranda is fast becoming the queen of sitcom these days, and her last hurrah this Christmas is eagerly anticipated, as is Mrs Brown's Boys, Stella and the return of Still Open All Hours.

CHRISTMAS CHILDHOOD

Of course, it is not just the more mature festive films that can tickle your fancy. Far from it. It is often said - Christmas is for the kids; so why not take the time to embrace your inner child? 

Just as there are a massive amount of Christmas adult films to choose from and enjoy, so too are there those for the more junior audience. Or more specifically - films all ages can enjoy. Naturally if you have little ones around you at Christmas, then it is an ideal time to bond and enjoy a truly heart-warming festive film, from their era or yours.

But come on - that is surely not to say you cannot revert back to your own childhood alone at Christmas!

Whether it is classic Disney Christmas, Home Alone or Home Alone 2, or a cartoon Nativity, embracing your old favorites is a must. And what's more, there is nothing stopping you from embracing modern festive family films that tick all the boxes - I found Arthur Christmas of a few years ago to be an excellent modern classic Christmas film (in fact for my review of it - see my BLOG ARCHIVE).

THE DOCTOR AT CHRISTMAS

Festive Whovians rejoice! This time of year only means one thing for us, as it has for some years now; the Doctor will see you for Christmas!

It really is refreshing I think that such a iconic cult of a phenomenon cannot and will not be excluded from Christmas - and long may it be so! Almost every Christmas special of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005 is special in its own right, and they are individual episodes that, even if you aren't that into Who, you can watch singularly and enjoy tremendously.

David Tennant and Matt Smith both had  a good few festive episodes throughout their own tenures respectively, and I urge any Whovians or otherwise to give them a go. But if you are constantly looking towards the Time Lord's future, then you need look no further than this Christmas day, where Peter Capaldi's relatively new Doctor on the block will face his first Christmas adventure; it already promises to be a TARDIS of a treat for Christmas!

A DICKENSIAN CHRISTMAS

There is a reason why Charles Dickens' great work is widely reputed to be the Christmas tale, and why it has gone on to prove ample and wondrous inspiration for so many other festive entertainments. A classic story in every sense of the word. Beautifully written, superbly detailed and characterized to a tee. The rotten life, mystical journey and ultimate redemption of Ebeneezer Scrooge is simply perfect to my mind.

If you don't feel up for reading the original book (which I do urge you to do at least once in your life) then thankfully it has been epitomized in several film versions, almost every one of them becoming Christmas classics in their own right. Whether its the timeless Alastair Sim, the legendary Patrick Stewart or Michael Caine (yes you know - the Muppet version!) or more recently the dazzling Jim Carey taking on that paradigmatic character, you couldn't get more Christmassy than A Christmas Carol if you tried.

Remember Me

Quite a novelty for me, for this blog, and recently for TV in general - BBC One's three-part drama/supernatural ghost story, starring Michael Palin.

In itself, whilst I found Remember Me to be quite different in terms of concept, tone and approach, upon its resolution I did feel it to be quite a good nugget of telly. Chilling, horrifically shocking, but still quite good.

An eerily subtle score, stunning but eerie visuals, and an eerie spine of a story. I'm no expert on ghost stories but that is definitely the word - eerie. Not eerie in the sense that you know what effect something is trying to have but remaining distant from it; properly jumpy startling eerie. At least that is what I found. What's more, this chilling story is intertwined with the drama and dramatic performances within it; quite seamlessly and effortlessly. And at times too much so. It was quite a task for me to isolate positives and negatives with Remember Me, so stunned was I most of the time about how different and paced it was - it just came at me in great powerful lumps.

Let's talk about performances then as, more so than some other programmes, performances as a whole are a big factor in carrying Remember Me to its end. Michael Palin's first lead dramatic role in 20 years was a welcome and strong one. Occasionally he seemed to be overdoing it but mostly his character of Tom is endearingly grounded, witty enough in that old Yorkshire fashion, and powerful enough to hold his own at the centre of proceedings.

Just as integral to the plot and the feel of the show was the young Jodie Comer as Hannah. Again mostly very endearing and wonderfully raw were the performances she exuded. Yet at times she did appear to be a tad one dimensional - often in the lighter, more trivial scenes. She can provide drama and strong emotion like the best of them, but I think her day-to-day acting reactions do actually need a little work.

The ever-watchable Mark Addy was stand out for me as DC Rob Fairholme. Down to earth, magnetic, and a sheer genius at presenting a plethora of moments and emotions to a tee. 

Supporting cast included Julia Sawalha who fell completely flat for me as Hannah's depressed and neurotic mother (by the end she was just plain annoying) but also included pleasant appearances from Mina Anwar and Sheila Hancock.

Remember Me did not blow me away completely on any level if truth be told. It didn't sit well enough with me to appeal to me in any great all-encompassing fashion. However, if you open your mind a little, I am sure you like me will see that there are a lot of little things done in a very novel, professional and effective way. This is done just enough to present us with a three episode long series that just gets away with being different so it can succeed in hitting you with everything its got. 

Haworth at Christmas 2014

At the risk of repeating myself one year on (a whole year - good lord!) here is a quick word relating to how I do love Haworth at Christmas time!

After discovering the annual Christmas candlelit procession and carol service last year, it was pretty much a given for me to go this year. Once again that charming Yorkshire village, which is quite wonderful to behold at any time of the year, came into its own when immersed into the festive season. Same, great atmosphere, same larger than life people, same picturesque visions and vistas, same warm fuzzy feeling inside. The procession was just as festive, the carol service just as special, and Haworth itself just as magical.

Slight dampeners compared to last year out of my control included the weather (not the pleasantest) and the fact I did not have as much time to enjoy the village this time around.

Nevertheless - still a wonderful evening, and one I would urge anyone to enjoy as part of the festive celebrations next year, and in years to come.

Cilla

This ITV biopic of Cilla Black caused quite a stir when it was shown back in September, and now I have finally gotten around to watching it so I can see why.

In short - it is rather great. Stunning performances, quite intrinsic and sublime music, interesting factual inspiration and compelling subject manner - all wrapped up in three hour-long episodes. For me personally, most biopics, particularly those featuring times gone by and particularly those focusing on musical stars (be it on the small or big screen) work best when they do not make too much of a fuss and a show about what they are doing. 

A few musical biopics from previous years have initially fallen short for me just because the feel of the show is to flashy and trying too hard at being impactful. Surely the right idea is to find a subject, craft a good script, find the right talent and let the story flow from there.

This is exactly what Cilla does more often than not. Charting the iconic woman's rise from office typist/ club singer to the beginnings of global super stardom, as well as her relationship with manager Brian Epstein and on-off manager and lover Bobby Willis.

Obviously, the one to play Cilla Black must be key, and Sheridan Smith is absolutely fantastic. To me she is the stand out performance by a mile. Perfectly crafted and centered in her origins, great Scouse accent and all, her persona and charm is instantly that of Cilla Black. Not only that, but she is credited with performing all her own musical numbers and rightly so. Her vocals are immediately recognizable as representative of Cilla Black, but also with oodles of Smith's own sass and talent. Singing or not, the sheer power and plethora of wonder that exudes from Sheridan Smith is divine; there is no end to the heart, passion, sass, sex appeal, beauty, drama and emotion - she is a true joy to watch.

Her opposite leading man, the relative unknown Aneurin Barnard, plays Bobby Willis. At times Barnard's performance is very good and very quick to relate to us the humble, gritty nature of this home-grown character, and also the parallel versus opposite relationship with Cilla is palpable and the pair's chemistry tangible. Yet at times, the believability of Barnard just flops a tad, and there were a few scenes per episode where I just felt he was coasting through them without much effort or input.

Another key player/character we must mention is Ed Stoppard as legendary music manager Brian Epstein. Again occasionally I found him a bit one-dimensional, but mostly Epstein's fragility, gravity and magnetism were allowed to shine through quite pleasingly indeed.

Other welcome performances? Well Cilla's parents, played by Melanie Hill and John Henshaw respectively, were both very grounded, very funny and very entertaining characters executed perfectly. It was also a treat to see interpretations of the young Beatles, including Jack Farthing of Blandings playing John Lennon.

Really though, for all of Cilla's positive and negative points, I for one just cannot get away from the fabulous Sheridan Smith as the titular role. She for me is what makes the representation of Cilla, and this small series truly and masterfully come alive.

Tommy Tiernan Live! The Lowry Theatre, Salford

After spending a wet Sunday December night in Salford watching the legendary Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan, I feel truly blessed. I was of course, massively aware of his reputation, both in Ireland and beyond, and of course I was also aware of what he can do on stage (I have watched and laughed at his genius when I have seen it on TV for many years now). To me, here was a comedian who humbly moves through the circuits of the globe, achieving great acclaim pretty much wherever he goes, but either not seeking or not achieving the "iconic" status that some comedians now have attained or have otherwise aspired to. Nevertheless, quite obviously I'm sure, it is one thing being aware of, or watching and appreciating the work of a comedian on TV, it is another thing entirely to go to see them live. Perhaps more so than any other stand up comedian I have ever gone to see, Tommy Tiernan was the one I was really hoping did not fall short of his own legend.

He did not. He rapidly coursed into his own legend and smashed right through it. I was aching from moment to moment; from start to finish. A bombardment of utterly and intrinsically unique hilarity ensued and washed over the audience gathered.
It was apparent from the first second that Tommy Tiernan knew exactly what he was doing, and it quickly became apparent as time went on that he possessed a mastery of comedy that few have ever achieved before. This allowed him to do pretty much anything he wanted - from his completely inauspicious entrance (devoid of any announcement or fanfare - he just walked on) to his utterly incredible opening rant about "how shit life is", to his endless but still infectious use of the words f**k and c**t (he may be happy to blurt them out and for him it was genius, but I'm not) to his wonderful back and forth motion of insanely loud and ludicrous rants to his measured, wise and perfectly timed tangents.

What's more, whatever Tommy Tiernan did, however quickly or however slowly he took to get there, he crafted and delivered each word that escaped him in such a way that the audience thanked him for it, even if for a few moments they awkwardly didn't know what was happening before them.
I heard a few people after the show asking each other if they thought he actually knew what he was doing backing himself into a lot of corners and veering wildly to and fro from utterly random topics and tales.
I think he did; I do not believe there was anything random about what Tommy Tiernan does or did. Part of his genius lies in his style - that of seemingly coming across as this mad Irish man ranting at an audience, but within that being able to throw an utterly eclectic mix of comedic gold at each and every one of them. And even if a chunk of what Tiernan did was not planned, and was indeed improvised - that does not at all detract from the incredible skill and flair of his comedy; far from it! Either way - what he did was utterly incredible; there are no two ways about it.

I feel I am not quite doing him justice here (despite 5 stars etc) but I also realise that to try and accurately describe the work of Tommy Tiernan would be both impossible and futile. To me watching his comedy could be a kin to seeing a great master's art or hearing a wonderful piece of music; you cannot fully recount why you love it; you can only express how much you love it - and urge others to try and love it too. So in summary I thank Tommy Tiernan for a wonderful night of comedy, and I indeed urge anyone who might be even remotely inclined to see him in action.