Beyond The Hub The Irregulars Review by DJ Forrest

 

Netflix's new supernatural crime drama is set in Victorian London and headed up by a group of teenage misfits, all living below ground in their cellar home, starring McKell David, Thaddea Graham, Jojo Macari, Darci Shaw and Harrison Osterfield. 

When a Rip in time between worlds is opened up, (remind you of anything) all manner of evil enters, and while young Jess is trying to make sense of her nightmares, The Linen Man played by Clarke Peters, offers her help as an Ipsissimus - rubbing a butterfly onto her arm, allowing her access to other people's minds, just by touching their arm. Through this ability, Jess is able to help catch some of the worst of people imaginable - and believe me, there are a lot of those in this series. 

There is a link between Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr Watson, and Sherlock's lost love Alice, played by Eileen O'Higgins, and two members of the young detective group living beneath the world in their cellar. - again, remind you of anything? 

Aside from it feeling like an early take on Torchwood, let's not forget that rips in time have been used in more than the Whoniverse, let's not forget Primeval here. The Irregulars are a group of 5 young people from two different walks of life. Leo, who we see from the off is a Prince of the Realm, whereas his counterparts in the story, including young Bea, who he forms a relationship with, are street urchins, just trying to get by, and not afraid to go out on a limb and get it. It gives a little different take on how you expect every street urchin to behave, considering the last thing you watched was the musical Oliver... 

Now put aside your Sherlock Holmes fantasies for now because this one is not a likeable character. He's weak and pathetic and very hard to engage with. Dr Watson seems quite the bastard (s'cuse my French), and even I wanted to see him bumped off mid way through the season, but you know he can't, for obvious reasons. Although the characters are played exactly like the books and films you remember, this explores their lives AFTER the fame and glory of cracking so many cases. Sherlock's addiction has reached a point where he's given up on sleuthing, because his one true love has stepped between worlds, never to be seen of again and he's pining for her, and love, as we all know, hurts like crazy, and Sherlock can only find comfort in opium. 

Dr. Watson however, keeps 221b Bakers Street alive, and recruits Bea and her friends to find out information about each and every case they work on, which ignites interest and passion in Bea, who you can tell enjoys the investigations, and it helps her and her sister Jess, understand about their mother, and why they were put in the care of the church, and later the workhouse, by events that are caused by the Linen Man. 

It's a really enjoyable, entertaining series and I truly hope a second one is in the making. Naturally, there were a few faces from Who and Torchwood, which warrant this review. Robert Stone (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang bouncer) appears in the first episode as a street fighter, which Billy is completely outmatched by. Clarke Peters I've already mentioned, Emma Cuniffe (Doctor Who - Night Terrors), Simon Ludders (Doctor Who - New Earth/Thin Ice) are to name but a few. 

Written and created by Tom Bidwell who also plays a character in the series and directed by Joss Agnew, Johnny Allan and Weronika Tofilska, if you haven't seen it yet, save it to your List and enjoy it when you can. I loved each and every episode and it did feel Torchwoodesque but on a smaller, younger scale, and I really hope we haven't seen the last of these wonderful characters.

 

Beyond The TARDIS The Dig by DJ Forrest

 

Starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes 

In 1939, at Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, Edith Pretty, hired Basil Brown to excavate one of the large burial mounds at her rural estate. He unearthed, not Viking, but an Anglo-Saxon ship, complete with a treasure trove and gold coins. Soon, news of her dig reached Cambridge archaeologist Charles Phillips played by Eric Stott, who declared the site to be 'of national importance' and took over the dig by Order of the Office of Works. Basil Brown was retained only to keep the site in order, but Edith soon stepped in and as she had hired him, on her land, he was soon reinstated and allowed to dig. 

Going into the film blind, you’re given nothing at all about Mulligan’s character Edith Pretty, apart from the fact that she came from a wealthy family, living on an estate complete with household staff and she has a young son, Robert. Her son is highly imaginative and spends a lot of time with Basil, learning about ancient pasts, and archaeological digs, and Basil enjoys Robert’s company, as he and his wife were unable to have children of their own, and so Basil and Robert form a kind of close bond. 

You’re aware that Edith’s husband is no longer around, and that she tends to his grave, but you’re unsure what he died of. But given that era, you’re aware that he probably died in military service somewhere, or at least connected to something military, given the sad glances at the soldiers walking through her village where they’re billeted, as she heads towards the railway station for her private appointments in London. 

That being said, the film in general touched on a certain part of Edith's life, which was primarily about the Dig, and how much Basil meant to her son, and indeed her, during the whole excavation of the mound. At one point, you wonder if the two of them will actually get together. Set in the English countryside and with a moving soundtrack, it was a story without guns and without fighting, but it did have a tragic plane crash and a community working together to rescue the crashed pilot. 

Despite the setting, the house, and the lady of the manor, as it were, the story wasn’t really about Edith, but Basil, the man who came to work on three of the 18 mounds on her estate, and despite his earlier thoughts on one of the smaller mounds, her persistence that he digs the largest one, eventually happened. 

It was Edith’s determination regarding the unearthed ship, that kept Basil on the job when the Museum came begging for a piece of the action. With the ever-creeping War, the excavation of the burial mound would have to cease, so it was literally, as many hands-on decks as possible, to unearth the rest of the finds, and pack them away in a bunker somewhere safe, till after the War had ended. 

Edith insisted that Basil’s name be mentioned alongside everyone who was at the dig, reminding them, that he was the one who had unearthed the find in the first place. However, his name did not feature anywhere in the credits of the dig. It was only when the items were put together for an exhibition at the Royal Museum in London, many years later, that Basil's name was added, posthumously. Which seems terribly unfair, because if it hadn't been for Basil, who unearthed the find, the Museum would have nothing to show of a bygone era. 

The underdogs always go unnoticed. 

What you discover, when you do a little research. 

As much as I know that Carey Mulligan is a wonderful actress, and going in blind for this film, you see a woman completely in control of who she hires, and you see how much her health is debilitating her, and confining her to her bed more than out in the fields, watching over the dig, with her son, you’re fooled into thinking that Edith was a young woman when she was mother to son, Robert. Truth be known, Edith was 47 when she gave birth, which is quite an age really, and for there to be no complications either, as is often the way of the world nowadays. So, during the time of the dig, Edith would be in her 60^th year, as young Robert, as far as I could tell from the film was about thirteen. So, Carey was much too young, I feel to play such a role. 

Also, I was led to believe that her husband had been killed in battle. It turned out, that after the First World War, Frank Pretty, remained within the Suffolk regiment obtaining rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the 4th Battalion, and died at the age of 56 from stomach cancer. 

If it’s the only quarrel I have with the film, it’s a small one. 

For everything else, this film, is a wonderful look back at a bygone era, where life seemed far less fraught as it is today. Summers seemed to stretch out for months, and the premise was relaxing and easy on the mind. I could rewatch this film countless times over and not be disappointed. Except perhaps only with the less than credible casting, and then only because I did my research. Curses! 

Carey Mulligan wasn’t the only Doctor Who actor in the film, Danny Webb (Impossible Planet) was the butler, Arsher Ali (Before the Flood/Under the Lake) also starred and Chris Wilson (Torchwood 2006 – 2011), who was involved with the Museum crowd – which means I’ll have to watch it again!!! 

The Dig was a 2021 film directed by Simon Stone and based on the novel by John Preston. The book was published in 2007, and I might just look that one out. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. Book yourself a seat on the sofa, with popcorn and maybe some ginger beer! 

Beyond The Hub Designated Survivor by DJ Forrest

 

Designated Survivor is a political drama series that spanned 3 seasons, with only 10 episodes in the final season rather than the 20 or so episodes in the first two. It was written by David Guggenheim (younger brother of Marc (Arrow) and Eric (Hawaii 5-0) and starred Keifer Sutherland as the new POTUS and Maggie Q as the FBI agent and Kal Penn as his Press Secretary. 

A bomb explodes on the night of the State of the Union where all the President's Men and indeed women are residing, including the President himself. They are all killed. This leaves only the designated survivor, Thomas (Tom) Kirkman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He is quickly sworn in and assumes the role of President without having the faintest idea how to be one. During the first season, he makes many decisions, not all comfortable ones and perhaps not all good ones, but with a dedicated team behind him, he soon finds his feet and settles comfortably behind the desk of the Oval Office. 

By the second series, Tom seeks council with the 44th President Cornelius Moss, who at first seems to be helping Tom in his position. So much so, that Tom gives him an active role in his administration. But when it begins to turn sour, a huge wedge is driven between the two men, and Moss is fired from his role. It also ignites Cornelius' decision to stand again in the coming elections, for a 'better President'. However, after a dirty tricks campaign, administered by campaign manager Lorraine Zimmer played by Julie White, left a foul taste in the mouth, when it seemed that Kirkman didn't respond in the way that the team felt he should have, close friend and colleague, Emily Rhodes took matters into her own hands. 

Maggie Q plays Hannah Wells (one of my favourite characters in the series) who we may all remember from the series Nikita, is now an FBI agent, dedicated to her job, perhaps a little too dedicated, and enacting her own levels of justice on those who wrong her, but her heart has always been in the right place - to protect and serve her President. Right up to the end. 

Kal Penn plays Seth Wright, the White House Communications Director. He doubted Kirkman's role as President, saying as much to the man himself, unaware of who he was in the other cubicle (at the time) but soon became one of his strongest supporters. He was promoted to Press Secretary and in Series 3 promoted further to Communications Director. 

An interesting factoid that I've only just discovered, is that Kal Penn is not just an actor but was also a former White House staff member during the Obama administration. Or to give him his full title, White House Office of Public Liaison. In 2009 he was offered and took the position of Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. He has been a strong supporter of the Obama Administration and full supporter of the Democrats, even supporting Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic nomination and campaigning for Hillary Clinton. After remarks by Chump, Penn and other members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities resigned in 2017 after the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

But what has all of this got to with Doctor Who and Torchwood, I hear you scream. Well I'm coming to that. Patience! 

I was searching for a boxset to watch over the next couple of months, to break up the general 'sod all to watch on freeview' of an evening, and 'remind me why I'm paying for a TV licence, again?' when a suggestion came up after watching 'Homeland' for the past 7 seasons over the course of about 2 months!!! 

Designated Survivor had been saved in My List for some time before I decided to give it a go. A family member told me that it was worth a watch, so one bored evening, with 'sod all on the telly' I tried out an episode. Three episodes later, I was hooked. It felt very much like The West Wing, and had a group of likeable characters. Kal Penn I felt I'd seen before, and had, from 'House'. Keifer obviously from all those 80s classics such as 'Lost Boys' and 'Stand by Me' and not forgetting 'Young Guns'. 

There were several people during the season to get excited about, especially for the Torchwood fans and most especially because we've now reached the month (Issue 88) where we're covering The Blood Line, and not only hear the voice of The Cousin but actually see him too. Yes, Chris Butler plays a devious role in DS, but actually, I quite liked him in this. He came over far more charismatic than the Cousin. He drew people in, but his deceit came at the end, when his ruse was discovered. 

From Doctor Who we had Kevin McNally who played Hugo Lang in The Twin Dilemma. During the first season of DS he played General Harris Cochrane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was like all these old Generals you see at the first sign of enemy attack, or enemy threat, is to strike first and to hell with the casualties. He hated Kirkman's responses to attack and was determined to take matters into his own hands. He was eventually removed from office and was tagged by the Police, not to leave his home after curfew. Eventually, the real perpetrator was uncovered, but the damage had already been done. 

Dillon Casey also made an appearance in Series 2, when Hannah Wells began to work closely with a British double agent. It was great to see Casey back on the telly again, and he was in more than just a few episodes. 

There are many interesting faces and I'm still working through it all for an article in the coming months. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Designated Survivor, and it showed the level of work a President has to face on their first day, let alone their first week in office. I doubt Chump ever did anything as worthwhile short of throwing his toys out of the pram when he didn't get his own way. 

One of the things that I am most happy about these days is that there is a definite shift in the way trans people are portrayed on the television, and more so because, often they are played by transgender people, and not just an actor pretending to be trans. You can only really understand the suffering of a trans person, when you’re actually really in those shoes, and not just slipping them on for a few days filming. Jamie Clayton played Sasha Booker in the third season of Designated Survivor. Sasha was Kirkman’s sister in law. Kirkman used the correct pronoun and treated her like the woman she really was, and admitted that there were still some things he still couldn’t get his head around but said it in such a way that she was relaxed around him, and to be fair, he came across as a very loyal man who deserved to be a President. Very Obama! 

Just in the fight for the Presidential seat, when he had initially brought Sasha in as a voice for the people, he changed his mind, and felt that the trans issue would damage his chances of becoming President during the final campaign. Perhaps that’s true – perhaps it’s easier to set that president aside and fight for trans and gay rights once you’ve got your foot firmly inside that door. One thing throughout the series that did change though for Kirkman. Instead of making all his speeches personal – at the final stage, when dirty dealings had been brought to his attention, and ideally those people should have been brought to task and fired, he put it all aside and became a politician. 

All in all, it was still a great series and well worth the binge watching! Now, what else can match that? 

 

 

Beyond The Hub Enola Holmes by DJ Forrest

 

It makes a change to see a much light hearted and entertaining story about the little sister of the Holmes brothers, that is rarely heard of, given that, for much of the series of Sherlock Holmes, it took some time to realise that he even had a big brother, let alone a kooky sister who they barely even spoke about. 

Enola which when read backwards spells Alone, is a child brought up by her Mother, and barely saw her brothers. Naturally, the age difference between her and her brothers is massive and you could expect to see Mycroft despairing at the laughter and gaiety of a young girl, more of a tomboy in nature, causing chaos and mayhem around the old family estate. 

In the New series of Sherlock, we learnt about Mycroft, his big brother, and a little of the sister, who was locked away for her own good, and who was plotting on getting rid of Sherlock once and for all, or so I was led to believe. 

In the Netflix film, Enola is 16, lives with her eccentric mother in the country at the family estate, with a housekeeper and a series of women who frequent the house, who have in some way taught Enola how to protect herself in times of great need. 

Enola played by Millie Bobby Brown of the Stranger Things series, who is also one of the producers of the film, engages you with her character throughout, talking to the camera as if she’s really talking to you, explaining the facts of the situation. 

Enola learnt to read ALL the books in the library at a young age. Learnt how to use weapons, and how to play a mean game of tennis – indoors, and uncovered great secrets about her mother, (that had been kept hidden from her, throughout her childhood) when she woke up one morning to find that her Mother had vanished. 

Mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, without giving too much away of the plot, is planning on something hugely explosive, and requires hush hush talks in study rooms, away from prying eyes and 16 year old girls. Of course, Enola, unaware of what is afoot, begins to learn something about secrets and how to look for them after speaking with her brother Sherlock under the shade of the old tree on their property. She goes in search of clues in her Mother’s study and uncovers quite a few things which take her to London, on board a train, which brings her more trouble than either of the Holmes’ brothers could muster between them. 

And that’s where it gets interesting; not that it wasn’t interesting before, but for a Woody, I grew extremely excited by the lead baddie in this story, who appears more than once in the film. Not a blink and you’ve missed him, although I did have to rewatch the trailer a second time and freeze frame it to be absolutely sure of my facts before screaming: IT’S OWEN!!! 

Yes folks, Burn Gorman plays another convincing baddie, and plays him well. He suits the bad boy role and Linthorn is indeed a nasty piece of work. I can’t really tell you too much about his employer, but his role in the piece is to eliminate the young Tewkesbury played by Louis Partridge, for reasons that are later explained in the film. 

I have to admit that I quite enjoyed watching the actor who played Lestrade, because unlike his character in the present day Sherlock, this character was much more entertaining and had a touch of Inspector Clouseau about him.

It has a great cast who suit the roles perfectly. Henry Cavill plays Sherlock and Sam Claflin plays Mycroft, along with Ellie Haddington playing Miss Gregory, and Frances De La Tour as the Dowager. 

Everything about this film is uplifting and exciting and fresh and with a flavour of the great British countryside, which for me is enjoyable. The steam train scenes were wonderfully put together and tight as the corridors are between carriages, the angles of the filming for the scenes when young Tewkesbury is hanging off the door has you on the edge of your seat as to whether he’ll make it back onboard the train before it reaches the bridge.

I loved every inch of this film and I can’t rate it highly enough. You have to watch it. It’s one of those Saturday afternoon, or rainy day films. A pick me up film. A tonic. A laugh. An edge of the seat bit of excitement. Oh and did I mention – it’s got BURN ruddy GORMAN in it?

 

 

Beyond The Hub The Sinner by DJ Forrest

The Sinner developed by Derek Simonds from Petra Hammesfahr's 1999 novel, was the basis for the first series which came out on 2nd August 2017.

Bill Pullman plays Detective Harry Ambrose who investigates the crimes committed over three seasons and is very meticulous about his job. You really, really would want him on your team if you were in the position of at least two of the 'guilty' characters in the three seasons.

Each story is not as clean cut as you are led to believe. Underneath each of the crimes, there's another story, the back story that begins to unfold as you work through the eight episodes of each season.

But it's not just the 'criminals' who are the Sinners, there's also Harry Ambrose's back story and the secrets that he hides beneath that shaggy beard and those eyes that you're not entirely sure, despite knowing that you want him on your team, that you completely trust him. But then again, nobody else in the Police department wants to help you, and he leaves absolutely no stone left unturned.

Having just watched Miracle Day series again, and then watching The Sinner, it's interesting to see those eyes in action. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but there's a sneakiness behind them. As I say, you're not entirely sure you can trust those shifty eyes but there's an interest in him. You want to know more about Ambrose, although come the third series, when he reconciles with his ex wife, he's playing a strange game with another woman, which leaves you to wonder, just what is going on inside that head of his? Was that why things didn't work out with his ex in the first place?

I have to point out, that Netflix, in its wisdom, had muddled up all the seasons, so that the car accident story in Series 3, was the first series it aired on its channel, so I'm now reviewing this whole programme backwards.

Series 1 - 2017

Cora Tannetti has a stable home, a loving family, a cute little son, called Laine. She works, so her mother in law minds the child. Although, every so often, she shuts herself off from her husband. She swims out at the lake into the 'restricted' area, and tries to drown herself, but eventually swims back to shore. She uses a knife to slice pieces of pear for her son, and hears a young couple on the beach, laughing and chatting, although the young bearded man continues to ask his girlfriend to turn off the music, seemingly quite insistent.

Cora strides over to them both and without provocation, stabs the man repeatedly in the neck and chest, screaming at him to "Get off her" to the shock and horror of everyone around them. It's a mess, and you know he's not going to survive (not a spoiler). Taken away by the Police, and standing in the court room, she pleads 2nd Degree Murder but the judge takes a different stance and orders a competency evaluation, and Harry Ambrose steps in to conduct it.

Cora suffers flashbacks, and certain ones seem to be so severe that she wakes up terrified. She sees a foot crush a woman's chest and the crack wakes her up, gasping for air. In several visits by Ambrose to the prison, Cora tells a series of different events that don't tally. The score marks on her arms make many believe she's a heroin addict, except she doesn't know how to shoot up. She says she aborted her first child after stepping in front of a truck but no history of a woman coming into the hospital match her description. Ambrose has a difficult job trying to find some truth to her stories, until he begins to dig deeper.

Harry Ambrose is a detective, and a good one at that, but his private life is a shambles. When he works on a case, he's focused solely on that, and if out for a walk in the woods with his ex wife, he would go off on a tangent, when something in a clearing piques his interest, and he discovers it's another part of Cora's story, that is coming to light.

It makes you wonder sometimes how our minds work. Little inconsequential moments in our life, suddenly interfere with a major event and it's only when it’s all pieced together, does it all make sense. Such as the discovery in the woods, which led to further discoveries later on.

It's a very intricately woven story, and takes a while to unravel, but when it does, you're blown away by it.

Series 2 - 2018

In Keller, many secrets are buried deep, and only resurface when trouble comes calling. Harry Ambrose returns to his home town when a young boy has been charged with murdering his parents. Thirteen-year-old Julian, was travelling to Niagara Falls when the murder took place. He poisoned his parents with jimson weed in their tea, but their reactions to the poison shocked him. He thought that they would just lapse into a deep deep sleep, instead of writhing in agony on the motel room floor.

When Harry Ambrose and his team investigate the crime, they notice that nothing has been packed for Julian. If they were indeed going on holiday, where are his clothes, his belongings. The deeper into the story involving the 'parents' and Julian, the more Ambrose begins to discover.

Helping him on this murder case is a young police woman, with a history of her own, and all connected with Mosswood Grove, the Utopian commune where many disappeared to but never came out, including her high school friend Marin, who was desperate to get away from her abusive mother, and strike out on her own.

Julian was the only child born in Mosswood Grove commune, and Vera Walker was the only person to take care of him throughout his childhood years.

Ambrose faces a lot of old memories about his time in Keller, where he grew up. Staying with an old friend, it soon becomes clear that a lot of old feelings still run high, and Harry takes the step, or leap of faith, to deal with some of them, when he takes a private class with Vera Walker in a way of trying to understand their way of life. 

A lot of fingers point out in all directions in this case. Mosswood Grove were always at the centre of anything sinister. For all they knew, Mosswood could be the next Waco. So, it was labelled as an area that nobody went to, for fear that they would never return. But in videos of certain rituals, many of the male residents of Keller, were part of something quite violent and grim at the Grove, which leads Ambrose down a dangerous path, and where old friends became enemies.

It’s a seriously interesting case and I watched practically the entire season back to back in one day! I do that sometimes!

Third Series 2020 – also the first series that aired on Netflix that I saw.

Jamie Burns is a school teacher. He's good at his job and dedicated to the kids in his care, concerned as ever for their futures. When an old college friend reappears in his life, it sets off a chain of events that escalate violently to its bitter end.

In the world of Netflix, this was my first introduction to The Sinner, and out of all three seasons, this was perhaps the most avidly watched season. It was also the most violent.

After Jamie's college buddy returns into his life, things begin to change for the school teacher, and putting to bed one problem, opens up a series of more problematic issues. In the old classic 'I see dead people', Jamie sees Nick everywhere he turns, to the point that he begins to scare his partner, currently pregnant and carrying his child. His work life is affected, and as Harry digs deeper into Burns' story regarding the accident, a lot of things begin to irritate Ambrose. So, he digs deeper, forcing Jamie to suffer repeated panic attacks, which escalate throughout the series.

There are some people who you think are part of the main story but are only on the outskirts of it.

Throughout the different seasons, Ambrose's personal life is revealed but because I saw it back to front, (thank you Netflix), I saw a side of him that was trying to reconcile with his ex wife, rather than the other way around, and he was practically beating himself up towards the end. Whichever way you end up viewing The Sinner, it's a fantastic series, and one I can't wait to watch for the fourth instalment out in 2021.

Bill Pullman is brilliantly cast in this and I couldn't help but notice a slight similarity in the way he approached an awkward situation. It's his eyes. It's the way he sideways glances. As much as you would want someone like Ambrose fighting your corner, leaving no stone unturned, you're not entirely sure you could fully trust him...they do say your eyes are the gateway to your soul, and Ambrose's soul has been most definitely damaged over the years.

Connections Safe by DJ Forrest

A Netflix Original Series broadcast May 2018. About a young girl Jenny who disappears after a party, and whose boyfriend is found dead in a swimming pool, at a party which should never have taken place. With a host of well known faces, this British drama series starring Amanda Abbington, Amy James-Kelly and Michael C. Hall is a must see programme. It's as gripping as Marcella and keeps you guessing right to the end as to who ‘dunnit’ and why, as to the fate of the young girl, and who may be responsible for her disappearance.

We've done the research, so you don't have to.

Cast & Crew

Directors

Daniel O'Hara directed 3 episodes in 2018. Directed Doctor Who two parter Under the Lake and Before the Flood in 2015.

Daniel Nettheim directed 2 episodes in 2018. Directed four episodes of Doctor Who from 2015 - 2017.

Cast 

Joplin Sibtain played Neil for 8 episodes in 2018. Played Tarak Ital in Doctor Who episode The Waters of Mars in 2009, credited as Chook Sibtain. Played Mark Grantham in SJA episodes Warriors of Kudlak parts 1 & 2 in 2007, again credited as Chook Sibtain. (Chook is a nickname). 

Marc Warren played Pete Mayfield for 3 episodes in 2018. Played Elton Pope in Doctor Who episode Love & Monsters in 2006.

Laila Rouass played Lauren Marshall for 3 episodes in 2018. Played Colonel Tia Karim in SJA episodes Death of the Doctor in 2010. 

Rohan Nedd played Mike for 2 episodes in 2018. Played Simon in Doctor Who episode The Eaters of Light in 2017.

Film Editor

Annie Kocur was editor for 3 episodes in 2018. Was additional editor for Doctor Who episode World Enough and Time in 2017.

First Assistant Director

Thomas Alibone was first assistant director for 2 episodes in 2018. Was second assistant director for the television movie An Adventure in Space and Time in 2013.

Sound Department

Helen Dickson was sound effects editor for 8 episodes in 2018. Was foley editor for 13 episodes of Doctor Who in 2010 and dialogue editor for 4 episodes in 2017. Was sound editor for 2 episodes from 2014 - 2015 and sound effects editor for 1 episode in 2014.

Was sound editor for 12 episodes of SJA in 2009.

Special Effects

Scott MacIntyre was special effects supervisor for 8 episodes in 2018. Was supervising armourer for Doctor Who episode Twice Upon a Time in 2017. Was uncredited as supervising armourer for The Day of the Doctor in 2013.

Beyond The TARDIS The Crown by DJ Forrest

A Netflix Original Drama

Starring Matt Smith

Written and created by Peter Morgan

Music by Hans Zimmer

The opening credits, feels very Game of Thrones-y as Hans Zimmer draws on the design of the crown from its very concept to the finished product.

The Crown tells the story of Princess Elizabeth Windsor who after her father’s death became the new Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. The story takes up after Edward’s abdication and Bertie’s role as the King, Churchill’s role and that of the Queen Mother. It gives great insight into the young Princesses, both in childhood and in adulthood – Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, their loves and their lives. It handles the childhood past in a series of well drawn out flashbacks, which aide the story well. And as much as I knew some things about the royal family, there were many shock surprises in this series.

Matt Smith plays the role of the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip Mountbatten and portrayed in such a way that you can’t help feeling sorry for him, for the way in which the House of Windsor, and that of parliament at that time, forced him to give up so much. And yet, he remained by Elizabeth’s side.

From marriage, Elizabeth who should have taken his surname, kept the name of Windsor, denying a Mountbatten the throne.

Philip was to leave active service in the military. There was even a moment when Churchill was to clip his wings and prevent him from learning to fly. Obviously, there were royal rows which were often caught by the paparazzi, waiting on the edges of the royal retreats during their tours of the Commonwealth.

Claire Foy plays the young Queen and crafts her accent well for the role. John Lithgow plays the ageing Churchill, and no hint of an American accent, well maybe once or twice, it’s almost uncanny how much he portrayed the great man himself right down to the stoop. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that in as much as McNeice nails the character in Doctor Who, Lithgow was the obvious choice for the drama.

The actresses who play both the young Margaret as well as the adult are uncannily alike. In fact it’s absolutely hard to find anyone who doesn’t suit the role of the characters they play.

I can’t fault this series at all, and even if you’re not a complete fan of the Royal family, and there are many who aren’t – it is an immensely interesting drama.

Peter Morgan is renowned for his historical dramas. He wrote The Queen, as portrayed by Helen Mirren for the big screen. Both she and Blair lookalike Michael Sheen were perfect for their roles.

Every attention to detail has been met, and it is completely unmissable viewing.

There were a few characters I didn’t like in the series, which was not down to their portrayal, but of the character themselves. Pip Torrens played the Secretary to the Queen who dictates what is right for the royal family. When Elizabeth wished for someone she’d worked with on a different level as Princess, Torrens’ character made it clear that there was a point of rule that only the person rightfully due to take over the role once his character retired, would take the role. Plus, there was an awful lot of interference regarding Margaret dating Townsend. The trouble it could cause the Royal family at that time, as far as the Government were concerned, and that of the Royal staff (higher up), meant Margaret and Townsend had to part company. I wonder what happened to him.

It’s interesting to think just how much government dictated back then as to what is just and right for the Royal family, and how much they may interfere now, given how little it seems the Royal family are these days – a mere tourist attraction to foreign visitors. That being said, the Queen is now the longest reigning monarch, at 90, she’s still working, and Philip is still by her side, after all this time.

There were a lot of familiar faces too in this drama series of ten episodes. Familiar to the world of Who especially. There are to be more seasons of the drama, with Series 2 already in the making, and four more planned, covering the years leading up to present day, I really can’t wait for the next series.

Whatever your feelings of the Royal family are, it’s a drama worth watching, and the acting is superb, and if I had to rate it, it would be full marks to all involved.