Reviews

I'm a big fan of DCI Banks, and like all the fans, I was outraged by the shock axing of DCI Banks after five seasons. I've sometimes wondered why, but maybe the network thought DCI had run its natural course once DCI Annie Cabbot (Andrea Lowe) was no longer a part of the series unfortunately. And indeed, and Steve Richards and Tamsin Richards, played by Shaun Dooley and Maimie McCoy, respectively, are a very central couple throughout this season five of DCI Banks and the fate of Cabbot.

Anyway, in this episode Ace Bhatti guest stars as Malik Nadir, and Bhatti had a key role in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

Steve Richards and Tamsin Richards, played by Shaun Dooley and Maimie McCoy, respectively, are a very central couple throughout season five of DCI Banks. To Burn in Every Drop of Blood: Part 1 is the first episode of season five, and at the time all the fans (and no doubt the actors and production crew) thought there would be a season six, but sadly not to be, and the Richards couple are key to the very tragic fate of DS Annie Cabbot (Andrea Lowe) at the denouement of season five. Anyway, Chief Supt Colin Anderson (Shaun Dingwall) tries to shake things up, and he certainly wants his way with DI Morton.

Nell Campbell, famous for her role in the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, guest stars as Joanna Lomas in Nine Tenths of the Law from season one of Shoestring. I discovered Shoestring a few years ago when I read about it as being a possible inspiration for the TV drama Midnight Caller, which was set in a radio station as well. Anyway, here Shoestring is faced with a dilemma of doing his job to find the missing child and knowing that the mother is not exactly, as the English have the unique phrase, fit for purpose as a parent. Anyway, the father has returned from Australia to get custody of the child.

I was a big fan of season one of survivor, but for some reason I missed out on seasons two to four, so I have to finally watch them. Anyway, being a fan of reality TV shows like Survivor, I was fascinated by the faux reality show in UnREAL and the behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Much has been written about UnREAL, but I do wonder how the production was co-ordinated. For example, how were the actors playing the production crew distinguished from the real production crew, like did the actors playing the production crew wear vests when the camera didn't roll. Anyway, all credit to the production units for co-ordinating them.

What a very sad and tragic episode this was, A Little Bit of Heart: Part 2, because DS Annie Cabbot (Andrea Lowe) is murdered (quite unexpectedly may I add in my humble opinion), and I wonder if Cabbot's departure from DCI Banks pretty much meant the network decided no more season six for DCI Banks, which is a favorite series that sure, there's lots of shouting, but it was compelling and it was must see TV.

Annie experiences problems at home and she decides to return to Banks, but unfortunately this did not happen. Maybe DCI Banks can be revived for a new generation of fans that deserve this fine series.

I recently discovered the series Burger Land, hosted by ebullient and enthusiastic George Motz (Motz is a major burger expert who has written many books about burgers). I discovered Burger Land at the same time I discovered Burgers, Brew and 'Que hosted by another major burger enthusiast Michael Symon (who looks very much resembles Telly Savalas of Kojak fame). So here George Motz travels to Houston to check out the burger joints and catch up with the latest trends in this part of Texas.

Motz checkes out the burgers from Christian's, Tookie's, Blake's and Stanton's. I have to travel to Houston to check them out.

I recently discovered the series Burger Land, hosted by George Motz (a major burger expert who has written many books about burgers), along with Burgers, Brew and 'Que hosted by Michael Symon (who quite seriously very much resembles Telly "Kojak" Savalas). Anyway, here George Motz heads to New Orleans to check out the burger joints and catch up with the latest trends down south. Anyway, it's a shame there was only one season of Burger Land, because really it deserved at least three seasons init. We learn about Po' Boy Burgers, and that makes me want to go to New Orleans and check out the burger scene.

I really like DCI Banks, along with other English police or detective dramas such as New Tricks, Vera, Rosemary and Thyme, Death in Paradise, The Last Detective, Inspector Lynley. Anyway, A Little Bit of Heart is from season five of DCI Banks, and at the time there was no reason to think DCI Banks wouldn't be renewed for season six, but sadly that happened. Anyway, there's a lot of twists in the murder investigation of Xun Li (played by David K. S. Tse) who is a pillar of the Leeds community. Annie (Andrea Lowe) is conflicted big time, and wants to return to Alan, but what will happen with Annie.

Here in this episode of the Secret Life of Lighthouses, we travel to the famous Shetland, where of course one recalls the famous Shetland TV crime drama from England with its noir and all. In this episode we meet Julia Elton, who is famous for her research of literature of engineering and the images of the industrial revolution.

Dr Anjana Khatwa make another welcome appearance. I find her insights very thoughtful and refreshing about lighthouses and their history. Anyway, it appears this episode is the penultimate episode of the Secret Life of Lighthouses, but hopefully it will return for a fourth series.

I really like watching DCI Banks, even with all the shouting, but still worthwhile watching, and Stephen Tompkinson's DCI Alan Banks is such a far cry from his role in the 1990s sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey. Anyway, Ghosts: Part 2 sees the fallout of DS Martin Hexham's affair with DI Helen Morton (Caroline "Doc Martin" Catz), and anyway, in we also have the fallout and intrigue about the identity of the fetus of Melanie Thomas (played by Tanya Fear, who later had a role in My Dinner with Herve). Anyway, it's a shame DCI Banks wasn't renewed for season six because it was such a compelling series set outside the London bubble.

DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) returns (she made a brief surprise appearance at the end of the previous episode) and it's a major set-up for her declaring her feelings for DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little), especially with Parker finishing up to travel around the world to find love and all init.

Django Chan-Reeves almost steals the episode as influencer Cressida Dempsey, and it turns out she did the deed on Abigail Warner (Eve Ponsonby). Anyway, the part about Warner leaving the camera memory card on a tree was kind of far-fetched but it is what it is.

I've been a fan of Death in Paradise since it debuted, and with the impending departure of Parker, it's impressive this series continues from strength to strength.

Dr Anjana Khatwa appears again, this time in Beachy Head, the first episode of season three of Secrets of the Lighthouse, and I find her insights very thoughtful and refreshing about lighthouses and their history. Dr Khatwa is an acclaimed Earth Scientist who has appeared in many programs, and is also a university academic, so it's good to see she is a regular guest on the episodes of Secret Life of the Lighthouse, which is hosted by Rob Bell. I like how Rob talks to the experts, the historians and just gets all confused. Now this Rob Bell is not to be confused with the Rob Bell who was the former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church here in America.

Beachy Head lighthouse has the job of warning sailors of the Sailors' Graveyard.

Dr Anjana Khatwa appears in The Longstone, and I find her insights very refreshing and thoughtful and helpful about lighthouses and their history. Dr Khatwa is an acclaimed Earth Scientist who has appeared in many programs, and is also a university academic, so it's good to see she is a regular guest on the episodes of Secret Life of the Lighthouse, which is hosted by Rob Bell. I like how Rob talks to the experts, the historians and just gets all confused. Now this Rob Bell is not to be confused with the Rob Bell who was the former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church here in America. The Longstone is worth watching.

What a season finale, wow, now that's how a season finale should be written. But unfortunately for whatever reasons that really aren't convincing, the network has axed Quantum Leap, so unfortunately no season three. It's not too late surely, and maybe, just maybe, Scott Bakula can be encouraged to issue a social media post calling for Quantum to be picked up. This episode had an incredible twist, with Gideon being Jeffrey! Wow, that would have made M. Night Shyamalan proud. Anyway, Ian's line about the bumping off the baby leader of the world war 2 axis was a knowing wink to the ethics dilemma about changing time.

Still, even if there's no season three, then this episode ensured Quantum Leap ended on a high with Ben and Addison reunited truly.

I really like watching DCI Banks, even with all the shouting, but still worthwhile watching. Anyway, Ghosts: Part 1 has a Breaking Bad element to it, with a science student and supervisor manufacturing ecstasy. DS Martin Hexham (Cal MacAninch) rekindles a former affair with DI Helen Morton (Caroline "Doc Martin" Catz), so that's quite explosive, and we learn that Morton had an affair when she was married with children. Anyway, it's a shame DCI Banks was axed when it did because it could have lasted two more seasons with compelling crime stories in Leeds and the surrounding area for us to view.

I like Cake Masters, as it's kind of the antidote to the kinetic frenzy of Cake Wars and Cupcake Wars (two shows which I like by the way), and Geoffrey Manthorne is a cool dude who manages to keep the ship steady when dealing with a crisis (e.g. A leaky roof) when baking the master cakes. I'm not kidding, but I think Manthorne has more than a passing resemblance to Dave Grohl, the founder and lead singer of Foo Fighters.

It's a shame Cake Masters didn't run for more seasons, but who knows, maybe it can be rebooted for a new generation of cake fans who enjoy the mastery of cakes without all the competitiveness.

Yes, there are a lot of negative imdb user reviews for Part 2 of Buried, and fair call, so there's not much more for me to pile on init. Anyway, still I think any DCI Banks is better than none at all, and still, if the plot holes in this episode had occurred in an episode of Murder, She Wrote, then perhaps we could give it a pass, but DCI Banks is supposed to be a cut above the rest with its hard edged realism in Leeds, England. Certainly Part 1 of Buried was better, so I guess not all writers can maintain the quality that easily, but still perhaps in a reboot there would be changes for more realism in DCI Banks.

Here in Part 1 of Buried, we see a body of a famous lawyer washed up, and this leads to all sorts of intrigue, especially with rumors of an affair, and what motive could have led to this. I became a fan of DCI Banks back in 2016 or 2017, and Stephen Tompkinson, who plays DCI Alan Banks, is very different to the role he played in Drop the Dead Donkey, and it shows his acting range. I like that DCI Banks isn't set in London, but rather in Leeds so it's outside the London bubble so to speak.

Jack Deam, who plays DC Ken Blackstone, later became memorable in his role in Father Brown. Danny Rahim plays DC Tariq Lang.

Death's Shadow opens season two of Midsomer Murders, just as we approach the millennium, and we open with a children's initiation that goes very, very wrong, with gruesomeness and all

Children's initiation gone wrong, pastor wreaks revenge gruesomely, so for instance you have Richard Bayly literally losing his head with a sword, David Whitely in a caravan and not living to get out alive, and then Simon Fletcher being shot in the back with an arrow. Seriously, it's like that movie Naked Prey where the hunters are the hunted. Anyway, I'm enjoying reflecting on Midsomer Murders and now long it's survived in popularity.

Stranger's Wood is from season two of Midsomer Murders, and there's intrigue galore in this episode. DCI Barnaby has to contend with more than one murderer, and it really kept me guessing until the end init. That is for me the hallmark of a Midsomer Murders episode when I'm kept guessing until the very end, and sure, it's not like an Inside No. 9 twist or Tales of the Unexpected, but I like that. Anyway, I'm enjoying reflecting on the early episodes. If there's ever a spin-off showing DCI Tom Barnaby (or even John Barnaby) in his younger days like Endeavour with a Touch of Frost, I nominate Danny Dyer to play the young Barnaby.

Rather serendipitously, the T20 world cup is on here and the West Indies, and here we are with a cricket-themed Midsomer Murders episode, Dead Man's Eleven, the penultimate episode of season two. Anyway, Dead Man's Eleven guest stars Anthony Calf who plays Stephen Cavendish. Calf starred in New Tricks, which is also a favorite series alongside Midsomer Murders. Annabelle Apsion plays Jane Cavendish, and there was a later episode featuring Apsion playing a different character. Also Toby Jones plays Dan Peterson. It's fascinating seeing the early seasons of Midsomer Murders and how we get used to the high murder rates in the quaint and beautiful English countryside.

James Bolam, who I first saw in the English police drama, New Tricks, guest stars as Ron Pringle in this season three opener of Midsomer Murders, Death of a Stranger. I must admit, I only became a fan of Midsomer Murders back in 2014 or 2015 or so (although I briefly saw some episodes before that but didn't think too much), so I haven't watched the episodes in chronological order. So I only started watching the early episodes, like Death of a Stranger later on. Anyway, the early episodes were somewhat darker, but that's what the fans wanted. It appears DCI Barnaby doesn't get fazed by the high number of murders compared to say metropolitan London or Manchester or Birmingham init.

I must admit, and I'm really serious, I do sometimes get Cake Wars mixed up with Cake Masters and Cupcake Wars, so anyway, here we have an episode of Cake (not Cupcake) Wars, How to Train Your Dragon. I remember one of the cakes was a fish cake, and all credit to the contestants who manage to maintain their energy, stamina and all. No way can I bake an ounce the way they do, and I'm cheering them on big time. All credit to the judges such as Waylynn Lucas, as they try to be encouraging and not try to trash and bring down the contestants who are really just doing their best under extreme pressure.

Okay, I feel embarrassed to say this, but really sometimes I get Cake Wars mixed up with Cake Masters and Cupcake Wars, but they are quite distinct in a way. Anyway, it would be wonderful if there was a reunification episode bringing together Cake Wars, Cupcake Wars and Cake Masters. Anyway, I can't bake for anything, but I love watching the contestants displaying their master cake baking skills under extreme pressure with no wiggle room at all. Anyway, all credit to them for delivering the goods under the eye of the judges who no doubt mean well and are experts in their field. Cake Wars should be rebooted please.

Cake Masters is one of my favorite cake shows, along with Cupcake Wars. Anyway, in Transformers Mega Cake, it's Duff's birthday. Also the decorators work long hours into the night, and we see Geoffrey Manthorne motivating the team. I like Geof's demeanor and personality, and quite seriously he has a major resemblance to Dave Grohl, the founder and lead singer of rock band Foo Fighters. If Geof wants to go into acting, he should be first choice to play Grohl in a biopic for sure. Anyway, it all ends up well with the long night of cake decorating, and it makes me appreciate the work ethic and all.