If there's a great British show that you're not watching, it's Garrow's Law. The show, which premiered on the BBC in 2009, is one of Acorn Media's best titles, alongside the genius Life on Mars and Single-Handed. The series has the unique conceit of being a legal drama set in the late 18th century, and centers upon barrister William Garrow, a real historical figure who coined the term "innocent until proven guilty." The series portrays Garrow as a legal revolutionary who begins to change the way trials are held in England through his new perspective and practice of persuading juries. The second series of the show arrives on DVD from Acorn Media August 2.

Click here for my review of Garrow's Law, Series 1.

To call the series anything but great would be wrong. It's deliberately paced, with both the procedural element and an overarching storyline at perfect balance within each episode. The thread that runs through the entirety of the season, which shows Garrow accused of 'criminal conversation' with another man's wife (Lady Sarah Hill, pictured on the cover alongside Garrow), builds to an emotionally satisfying conclusion at the end of the series. It's a perfectly executed build-up filled with tension, and the resolution just might have you cheering. Series 2, which consists of four episodes, is well worth the money -- though of course you'll want to enjoy series 1 first.

It's a brilliant series that features some superb acting (from Andrew Buchan as Garrow, primarily), great plotting, and if you've not seen it before, you certainly should.

Garrow's Law has been renewed for a third series, which should premiere on the BBC later this year.

Order it on Amazon.

DVD Review - Garrow's Law, Series 2

Today BBC Worldwide launch a global iPlayer service that will allow viewers with iPads from outside of the UK to subscribe and watch content in a similar scheme to Hulu and Netflix. This player is first being launched in 11 European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland) with the US, Canada and Australia to follow later this year. So what will the service contain and what will it cost?

For Europe the iPlayer will have some limited free content which will be supported by commercials and sponsorship but the key to this service is subscription plans. These will be monthly at €6.99 (about $10) and yearly at €49.99 (about $70), though when the plan hits the US the cost of both Netflix and Hulu have been taken into consideration so expect it to be around $7.99 a month. The iPlayer is free in the UK but this is due to the licence fee that UK households must pay if they watch television. The global version of the player does feature a couple of functions that are missing from the UK version (and which UK users wish the app had). These are the ability to to use the player with both 3G and Wi-Fi (in the UK you can only use Wi-Fi) and being able to download content to watch later when you are offline.

Current and past content will be featured; you will be able to watch shows from the past month as well as from the last 50-60 years. The player when it launches today has at least 1500 hours of content and the team of editors who have been hired to increase this will be adding approximately 100 hours of programming a month. This team will also be collating themed collections including organising Doctor Who episodes by each actor who has played the lead role as well, as one that features Dalek only episodes. One goal that BBC Worldwide is looking to hit is to adjust the player to local demand and BBC.com managing director Luke Bradley-Jones has said that:

"We're not trying to compete against a Netflix or a Hulu. This has to be tailored and hand-crafted, so we can create a tone of voice."

What they are trying to portray with the content that will be available from today is a "best-of-British proposition" which will include some non-BBC produced and commissioned shows such as ITV's Primeval and Channel 4's Misfits and The Naked Chef.

Two big questions that have been asked of this player is why is it only available on the iPad and why is it taking longer to launch in North America? First of all the iPad is currently the dominator in the tablet market with nearly 25 million sales worldwide. Bradley-Jones also explains that they have a great relationship with Apple and that the player will be more of a success if they concentrate on one device/platform for the initial release. The hope is of course to make this a multi-platform player but it is understandable why they are focusing on the market leader in their test year. The issues regarding the US launch are legal ones, Bradley-Jones says on this matter:

"The rights picture for the US is a little bit more complicated. The nature of the agreements with our rights partners are different, and the windows across our existing business are older than they are in Europe. From our side, we have to jump through a few more of those commercial and legal hoops. We could have launched in the US with a product this week, but there would have been a few too many missing parts."

It seems that the launch of this product is one that BBC Worldwide do not want to get wrong and so they are proceeding with caution and care. The player in the US will not be looking to replace distribution agreements with iTunes and Netflix so there will still be some element of choice when watching BBC product.

Will you be interested in getting the iPlayer? Let us know your thoughts on this launch in the comments below.

BBC Launches Global iPlayer Service

It is not just NBC and ABC that have been influenced by the success of Mad Men with some of their new shows (The Playboy Club and Pan Am), across the pond in the UK a new BBC produced 6 part drama The Hour is also being likened to the hit AMC show and has been dubbed 'the British Mad Men.' The show airs in the UK starting Tuesday, July 19 and will make it's way to BBC America next month airing from Wednesday, August 17.

Set in London in 1956 it tells the story of the launch of a topical news programme entitled "The Hour" and will explore the social change and sexual politics that occurred in post-war Britain. The three leads who make up part of the competitive team, who also happen to be in somewhat of a love triangle are Dominic West (The Wire, The Devil's Whore), Ben Whishaw (Bright Star, Brideshead Revisited) and Romola Garai (Atonement, One Day).

Whishaw's character Freddie Lyon is a passionate and brilliant journalist who will do anything to get to the bottom of a story no matter what the danger is. He joins the team of 'The Hour' to use the shows resources to pursue a mysterious murder that has been committed which propels him further in to dangerous situations. He is less outspoken when it comes to his feelings for Bel Rowley (Romola Garai), who he has to watch flirt with and fall for Hector Madden (Dominic West), the anchor of "The Hour", who got the job thanks to his well connected wife and through his charm and education. This all becomes more complicated as Bel is a producer of "The Hour", a position that comes with the pressure of being judged as a woman and because of the ambitions of those who work under her, not to mention romantic entanglements that threaten friendships.

Navigating this world of social change and risky investigations features a much larger ensemble cast that includes; Tim Pigott-Smith (Quantum of Solace, V for Vendetta) and Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply, Mona Lisa's Smile) as Lord and Lady Elms, Anton Lesser (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Primeval) as Clarence Fendley who is the BBC's Head of News and instigates the creation of "The Hour", Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing, Any Human Heart) as the Prime Minister's eyes and ears Angus McCain, Anna Chancellor (Spooks, Law & Order:UK) as "The Hour's" hard hitting and hard drinking foreign correspondent Lix and Oona Chaplin (Quantum of Solace) who plays Marnie Madden, Hector's spoilt and beautiful wife (for a larger look at the cast click on the photograph above).

The similarities to Mad Men are drawn because of the style, similar period and charismatic but flawed leading man (who has a beautiful but spoilt wife, sound familiar?). The focus on sexual politics and social change is another area that has comparisons to Mad Men but that looks to be where the similarities end. The murder mystery element and the idea of a women being in charge are different interplays in to this kind of drama and it seems that Mad Men is being used as a promotional tool to give a larger audience something to compare it to (I too am guilty of this, mentioning Mad Men in the title of this piece).

The promo below shows the passion of Whishaw, the smug and charming West and Garai rising to the challenge of her role, all whilst accompanied by some Saul Bass like titles. Check it out below and let us know what you think, will you be watching? Is this The Hour that you can't miss?

The Hour Promo: BBC America's New Drama Has a Mad Men Feel

The social networking site Twitter has in the past couple of years become a big outlet of news sharing, quite often being the first place to break stories and spreading these news pieces at top speeds. This is generally a problem free area unless you get hacked (see today's horrific Obama fake story) or if news leaks early, that was intended for a bigger unveiling. This latter area is one that is somewhat controllable and is the one that the BBC are considering to explore regarding contracts of their stars, writers and other talent that are involved with a project on their payroll. In fact what some are campaigning for is a total ban on writing about these projects on sites such as Twitter to prevent any leaks. What this would entail is a new clause being drawn up to state that any information that might be considered sensitive or confidential could not be written about online.

This drastic measure comes after several stories have been leaked rather innocently through Twitter, that has ruined marketing and PR work that the BBC had been working on and were going to announce in the near future. Examples of these ruined marketing moments include the singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor tweeting that Sting would be appearing alongside herself on the new Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant show Life's Too Short. The BBC had in fact prepared their own big announcement of this guest star which was swiftly wasted by 140 charcters (or less) that Bextor wrote without knowing what a big deal this spoiler was.

Other past examples of tweets that have upset BBC statements include Armando Iannucci announcing a return of the political satire The Thick of It and Stephen Mangan doing the same with the drama Dirk Gently.

An anonymous BBC executive spoke to MediaGuardian about the discussions of this proposed Twitter ban and why such a seemingly extreme measure is needed:

"Broadcasters can have a number of reasons for wanting to delay press announcements, such as the deal not being done or contracts not being signed or, indeed, the broadcaster wanting to make a big splash with a great story at a particularly opportune moment. A random tweet can rob an artist of his or her potentially much louder fanfare."

This executive also highlight the positive reach that Twitter has regarding communication but that there needs to be limits, so people who work in the PR and marketing departments can still do their jobs effectively.

Guidelines do exist regarding the use of social media when writing in a BBC capacity but because these Twitter accounts fall in to personal usage it is harder to police and the responsibility falls to the stars and their agents to read these guidelines before posting. By putting clauses in contracts this would be an area that would become easier for the BBC to control. Obviously the BBC won't want their stars/talent to stop promoting projects all together as Twitter has become such a big tool in doing so in the past few years, so it is likely to only cover anything that the BBC hasn't reported from their Press Office and once it has been it is fair game to be discussed.

As Twitter and other social networking sites are in their infancy their are still bumps in the road regarding usage and these steps that the BBC are taking seem to be as an adjustment to issues that they have encountered, but is this a step too far? Or is this needed to stop early leaks that ruin other peoples work? Let us know your thoughts on this subject in the comments below.

The BBC to Consider a "Spoiler" Clause in Stars Contracts

The Daleks are going into retirement.  At least for a little while.

Doctor Who's most recognizable villains, the Daleks, first appeared on the hit BBC show back in December 1963. They were created by Doctor Who writer Terry Nation and designed by BBC designer Raymond Cusick.  They've enjoyed long-running success and have appeared in several Doctor Who serials, as well as two 1960s moves.  Now a part of British popular culture, they've appeared on a postage stamp in 1999 and were selected by readers of SFX in 2010 as the all-time greatest monster (beating out Godzilla and Lord of the Rings' Gollum).

Now showrunner and writer Steven Moffat has told the British and TV listings magazine Radio Times that the Daleks are going to take a break from Doctor Who.  “They aren’t going to make an appearance for a while,” said Moffat. “We thought it was about time to give them a rest.”

Moffat joked that the Doctor has defeated the Daleks "around 400 times", which actually makes them pretty inept as villains.  “There’s a problem with the Daleks,” Moffat said. “They are the most famous of the Doctor’s adversaries and the most frequent, which means they are the most reliably defeatable enemies in the universe.”

No word yet on when the Daleks might be returning from their vacation, but we're sure they'll be seen again sometime in the future.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
twitter.com/clarissa373
twitter.com/tvovermind

Doctor Who: Daleks Won't Be Seen for a While

The full trailer for the newest season of Doctor Who has been released by the BBC. There isn't much that needs to be said about it. Just watch!

What do you think? Doctor Who premieres on BBC One and BBC America over Easter weekend with the two parter 'The Impossible Astronaut' and 'Day of the Moon'

Full Doctor Who Season 6 trailer released

The prequel webisode to the highly anticipated Doctor Who series six opener, "The Impossible Astronaut," has finally been released on both BBC and BBC America's Doctor Who web pages.

The webisode, which runs under two minutes, features the White House and introduces the monster(s) the Doctor, Amy, and Rory will be facing when they land in America. So now courtesy of BBC/BBC America, here is the webisode for your viewing pleasure.

This webisode is the first in three planned to run throughout the season and since the clips will be made available for American audiences, U.S. Who fans do not have to worry about being left out of extra content from the series. However, it is still up in the air whether or not those the next two webisodes will air during this block of episodes or if they will carry over into the Fall block of episodes.

The BBC didn't stop there in blessing us with tidings of great Who joy. The network also released the latest 'iconic' image for the show that will most definitely be downloaded on to the computers of millions of viewers. The image displays the Doctor, Amy, and Rory's reflections on the helmet of a U.S. astronaut. We're calling now that this might be this season's DVD cover as well.

Here's the photo for your consumption:

Awesome is it not?

So are you guys just as excited as we are about Doctor Who's upcoming season? How about the prequel episode? What did you think? Sound off below!

The Sixth Series/Season of Doctor Who Will Premiere on April 23rd @9/8c on BBC America.

Source: BBC America/BBC

Doctor Who: Prequel Webisode is Available NOW, Along With New 'Iconic' Image

The Doctor is getting closer to resuming house calls though our television sets next month and after a comedic two-part webisode for Red Nose Day in the U.K., the teasing of the upcoming season continues.

Doctor Who TV has announced that BBC will roll out a prequel webisode to the two-part season premiere "soon," which will introduce the audience to the menace the Doctor, Amy, and Rory will encounter in the first episode of the sixth season. Written by the shows current showrunner Steven Moffat, the prequel will set "the scene in scary and mysterious style," according to the BBC.

The network also warns viewers to pay attention to what could be a "new monster," but whether this monster will be a recurring monster, the Big Bad of the season, or just a one off character has yet to be reported. But we do know that these prequels, especially the first one, will be integral to the plot points for the upcoming series.

"The first prequel stars Stuart Milligan and introduces us to story strands that will bind the Doctor – and enthral his audience – throughout the weeks ahead. We’ll bring you more details soon, but be warned, it’s a scary one…" the BBC advised.

No word has been given if these prequels will also be available for American audiences since the BBC media player blocks some content from American viewers. We will keep you posted if we find out more about that little tidbit.

Prequel/spin-off webisodes have been used a lot lately for a couple of other British genre shows of late. Primeval aired a six-part prequel webisode series that properly introduced the new characters, bridged the gap between the third and fourth series, and also set in motion an integral plot point for series four. The original Being Human also did a webisode spin-off titled, Becoming Human, which followed a character named Adam, who was introduced in the third episode of the third series of Being Human. The full 8 webisodes were aired as a 50 minute special this past weekend on the BBC.

With both of those webisodes ending up being hits with viewers, it's a safe bet to assume that the Doctor Who webisodes will be equally as entertaining and popular with the shows fans. Now if we could only get webisodes leading up to this summer's Torchwood: Miracle Day event, then life would just be oh so grand.

Doctor Who Series/Season Six Premiere Airs April 23rd @9pm/8c on BBC America.

Source: Doctor Who TV

Doctor Who: Series Six Prequel Webisode To Premiere Soon

Can you believe we're at the end of another season of Top Gear already? Where am I going to find outlandish things like this to laugh at? (Okay, so that's from Episode 15.04, but BBC America didn't have any images from this episode. And you can't tell me that's not hilarious.) Jeremy, Richard and James sent us off tonight with some help from Law & Order: Criminal Intent's Jeff Goldblum.

The Intro

"Tonight, Richard wears a towel, James and I eat some crisps, and there's a fly in our studio." Yes, Jeremy, thank you for that typically uninformative introduction. It's still better than Episode 4's "everyone wears a hat" intro.

The Features

Jeremy tests the Ferrari 458, which has more buttons than a TV remote. He's not impressed by how you can't have the satnav and the speedometer at the same time, as they use the same monitor. He does, however, think it's pretty, comparing parts of it to Kristin Scott Thomas's cheekbones. We all know how much Jezza loves Kristin Scott Thomas. He's also thoroughly pleased by the ride, saying it makes him forget about the extravagant price tag(about $272, 837.70 in US dollars) and calling it "one of the all-time greats." I think that means he can overlook needing a manual to work the steering wheel. The Stig tests it out to the tune of "Cotton Eye Joe" and clocks in at 1:19:1.

In the News segment, Hammond brings to everyone's attention Cameron Diaz's positive words in the press about her appearance last episode. He claims that Jeremy was taking all of her attention. Jeremy accidentally says "I'm now on her to-do list" to raucous laughter from the audience, which realizes the double entendre before he does.

The Challenge

The producers of Top Gear are having another argument with our boys, this one about whether or not British sports cars are terrible. To settle this, they're given 5,000 pounds to buy one and put it through a series of challenges to be determined. Jeremy arrives in a Jensen Healey, James in a TVR S2 (hopefully it won't burst into flames), and Richard in a Lotus Elan.

The first challenge is on the Lotus factory test track, where they try to see who can post the fastest individual lap time (Richard at 2:09:00, followed by James at 2:17 and Jeremy at 2:19). They then have to compare their times to the Stig's in a Peugeot. It's not even close; the Stig does 2:22:00.

Part two involves seeing if their cars can make it on another road trip, but before they can get started, the Peugeot explodes in a fireball. At least the Stig survives. The boys brush this off and take to the road, where Hammond's Lotus quickly loses a roof clip. You know that's not the last mishap that's going to happen on their 280-mile journey.

Continued on next page...

Top Gear 15.06 "Jeff Goldblum" Review

We've seen John Luther try to take down Alice Morgan. We've seen them almost bond in a strange way. Now what will happen when Luther needs the help of one murder suspect to stop another killer?

In one of the truly creepy and disgusting opening sequences in television, a young mother is kidnapped by a razor-wielding psycho named Burgess, who likes to decorate walls with cryptic messages written in blood - the fresh blood of someone kidnapped ten years earlier. (In other words, I should not have decided to have lunch while watching this episode.) It's now a race to find both past and present victims, and it's creepier than anything I've ever seen on Dexter.

Luther and Ripley try to sort out the mess that Burgess has left. Luther deduces that since the blood found at the first victim's house was also human, there has to be an even earlier victim somewhere.  Just as he sends Ripley to check cold cases, he gets an email from Alice that has video footage of Mark enduring quite the beating. Mark has turned up at the station convinced that it has something to do with Luther - given that one of the girls who attacked him told him that "John says hello."

Not knowing any of this, Luther is interrogating the ex-cop who once went undercover trying to capture Burgess, hoping for clues to the man's modus operandi. The details are stomach-turning, so I won't reprint them. The ex-cop tells Luther about his harrowing fifteen-month experience undercover and how he snapped as a result. I can't say that I blame him one bit. He says his greatest regret is not killing Burgess when he had the chance. His and ours, as we're treated to more creepy goings-on, although thankfully it's more about implication than actually showing anything. Still, this episode always makes me a little nauseous watching it.

Continued on next page...

Luther 1.03 "Episode 3" Recap

Finding a dead body in a fireplace is not my idea of fun, but if it means I get to spend some time with my favorite Detective-Sergeants and Crown Prosecutors, I'm all for it. Thus begins "Buried," an adaptation of 1991's "...In Memory Of."

The body is that of a young boy named Tommy Keegan, who went missing twenty-five years earlier. Brooks and Devlin reopen the case to find out who murdered him. Unfortunately for them, the original investigation was more like a vendetta against the openly gay neighbor, Edward Connor. It's up to Ronnie and Matt to cut through the bias of the times and find the truth. I particularly adore Matt's verbal sparring with the original investigator while Ronnie tries to be diplomatic. Both of them can see the bigotry and aren't going to let it slide.

Their investigation leads them to Tommy's childhood friend Julia Mortimer (former Waking The Dead star Holly Aird), whose parents are among those still insistent that Connor did the deed. For his part, Connor is still bitter at the physical abuse he suffered at the hands of the previous lead investigator, even as Ronnie tries  his best to assure him that times have changed. Something is buried under all that hate, and Matt finds it: he realizes that the statement Julia gave in 1983 is practically word for word with the one she gave them in the present day. She's holding something back, and they're eventually able to persuade her to undergo regression hypnosis to see what even she doesn't want to know. It's a bombshell: she fingers her father Vernon for the crime.

As Steel points out, any court cases hinges on whether Julia will be considered as a credible witness. Taking a tack that Michael Cutter would have been proud of, he badgers her to see if she'll stick to her story, and she does. Unfortunately for him and Alesha, Julia decides to call her father and gloat about what she's done. A meeting between the CPS and Julia's parents proves to Steel that the whole Mortimer family is dysfunctional. The only good thing about this is that we're treated to the appearance of the wonderful Colin Salmon (who will always be Superintendent Johnson from Keen Eddie to me). Alesha uncovers another boy Vernon made a pass at years earlier, and Julia recalls being molested by her father. With each skeleton they dig out of Vernon's past, Steel and Alesha become more determined to prosecute him, even if Castle thinks it's not worth the trouble. I have to say that I also adore how Steel is completely fearless. He's the lawyer I'd want on my side.

It's good that Steel has that capacity, because the defense attorney tears Julia apart when she testifies. He has no choice but to try and get Vernon to confess. This is Ben Daniels at his best, launching a calculated attack without falling into the TV trap of becoming overly dramatic. His voice hardly rises, but you can hear the conviction in every word. It's no surprise that Steel gets the confession he's after, in front of all the people who have suffered for the last twenty-five years, including Edward Connor, who gets his overdue vindication. It's one of those TV moments that provokes a satisfied smile.

If I can give Law & Order: UK one compliment, it's that this show is so good, it reminds me of who I almost was. Let me explain: when the original Law & Order was on, it sparked a lifelong interest in criminal justice. I was on the verge of going to law school, ready to become an Assistant District Attorney. I settled for a degree in Administration of Justice. I've never really regretted changing careers until now. This show reminds me of how much I love the law, the investigation, the achievement of justice. It makes me wish that I was a part of it. I won't ever be, but at least I can watch these great characters and enjoy their part of it.

Law & Order: UK 1.05 "Buried" Review

If you're not sure what Top Gear is, all you need to know is that the show's official description takes pride in being "one of the most illegally downloaded shows on the Internet." The motoring show is that irreverent. It's also charming, occasionally controversial, and always wildly fun. That's why 60 Minutes featured it last night, calling it one of "the most popular television programs on the planet." I'm more than happy to fill the void in TVO coverage and bring you the vehicular mayhem.

The Features

We're treated to a review of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. I'm not much of a car geek, but I'll admit that the Veyron is one of my dream cars. Most of us will never be able to afford one, but watching one in action is a beautiful thing. Captain Slow himself, James May, hosts the piece, in which he tells us the Veyron was no longer the fastest car in the world (second to the Shelby Aero) so the Germans made a new Veyron. Yep, that sounds about right.

The alleged top speed of the Super Sport is 258 miles per hour, five more than the original Veyron. At 200 miles an hour, James calls wind resistance "trying to drive through a fruitcake," hence why the Super Sport needs an additional 200 horsepower. Of course, he has to test out all these new improved specs for himself, with the help of a team of Bugatti experts and a test track. It's a pretty amazing watch, as you have to wonder how much the car - and James - can take. As he says, it's "beyond the known borders of car performance." The Veyron tops out at 417.9 kilometers per hour (260 mph) under James, but gets 267 mph with a Bugatti test driver behind the wheel. If I only had an extra $1.6 million.

This, of course, begs for the appearance of The Stig. "Some say the Scottish released him a little bit too soon," Jeremy says, "and that he spent all week pushing an effigy of Rubens Barrichello through his desk fan." Even though we now know who The Stig is (not officially, but we're pretty sure he's Ben Collins), it's still great to see him, and the Veyron tops the lap board. One wonders how they'll kill off White Stig, and whom he'll be replaced by (the Stig's fat cousin? German cousin? Vegetarian Stig? Russian Stig?).

In the news, the boys discuss how women in short skirts may be the biggest driving hazard in the world (to men, anyway). "It's impossible not to look," Richard insists. Jeremy wants to know if there could be a car that runs on "cheese and onion crisps [or] corned beef salad," which leads to a piece in which we see a Porsche 911 that is covered in aluminum foil and runs on pedal power. The resulting lap of the track is so slow (18:37:00), they don't even show us the entire circuit.

The Challenge

After last week's caravan fire, the boys have decided to scale back on the challenge front this week. After a letter from "some Swedish youths," Richard gets the unenviable task of driving a customized Volkswag Tourareg to race against professional snowmobile drivers. Whether it's sticking him in a bobsled, stuffing him in a sub-zero car, or letting him race to the North Pole with a dog team, the Top Gear Powers That Be certainly do like trying to freeze the Hamster.

The race covers approximately twelve miles at a ski resort. From the start, Hammond falls into his usual habit of yelling at the car as if it will help him (remember the time he tried to race a Bowler Wildcat?). He thinks he's taking a shortcut, and ends up driving onto a ski run and trying not to kill some skiers. It's a fairly close race, but when the ice thins out, the VW is able to pass the snowmobiles. He's celebrating when one of the snowmobiles jumps over the roof of the ski shop, and he realizes he's been had (though he continues to insist he's won).

Is it as fun as watching a caravan catch fire? No, but admittedly, burning caravans are one of nature's great joys.

Star In A Reasonably Priced Car

This week we get a double dose of celebrity guests as both Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz drop by the studio. Jeremy calls them "the genetic blueprint for the human race." I don't think he's been this happy to see someone since Kristin Scott Thomas was on.

The pair are there to discuss Knight & Day, so they talk about the cars in that film, as well as the stunt work. Having heard Cameron did a lot of her own stunts, Jeremy persuaded her to take him out for a drive on the TG track, where she proceeds to pull off some powerslides. "I was vomiting," he says. From there, they discuss Tom's motorcycle collection, including his tailored bike. Cameron makes the mistake of mentioning that she drives a Prius, causing Jeremy to pretend he suddenly loves them.

Lap time! Cameron has a fairly calm lap (except for having to be bleeped a few times). She does it in 1:45:2, which puts her on top of the entire celeb lap board for this series. Tom, however, has all the fun. Not only is he talking to himself, but at one point he nearly rolls the car. The entire left side of the car lifts up off the track. Yet he clocks in at 1:44:2 and swipes the title from her. Cameron, enjoy your one minute of victory.

I maintain that we need a campaign to have Law & Order: UK's Jamie Bamber and Bradley Walsh on in Series 16. Preferably at the same time. They'd try to one-up each other's lap times and it would be epic. Hopefully you're listening, BBC Two?

If there's one disappointing note here, it's that we are officially less than a month away from a US version of Top Gear, which is sure to pale in comparison to the original. The US has a horrible track record in adapting British television, and I can't imagine that the hosts will have the same great chemistry that Jeremy, Richard and James do. Yet I suppose it's also a great compliment when three countries (Australia, Russia and the US) want to copy your show. Long live Top Gear.

Top Gear 15.05 "Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz" Review

Tomorrow sees the wide release of Law & Order: UK - Season One, which was previously available only as a Target exclusive. If you haven't already picked up this box set, or have been catching the recent broadcast airings on BBC America, here's a sneak peek of what you're about to be able to get your hands on.

The Show

If you've been following along with my reviews (all of which you can find here), you'll know that I'm a major Law & Order: UK supporter. It's safe to say that I've enjoyed this adaptation more than any other installment in the franchise except for my undying love of the original series. Even if you've been disillusioned with the Law & Order brand over the past few years, you'd do well to give the British incarnation a chance.

Law & Order: UK is the first British adaptation of an American series (and it's about time, considering how many shows we've adapted - and ruined - from British TV). It has an impressive pedigree: it's produced by the same studio that gave us Spooks, with a lead writer whose resume includes Torchwood and Life on Mars. Some have griped about the lack of wholly original scripts, but in all honesty, unless you're a die-hard fan of the original series, you probably wouldn't notice, considering the latest script to be adapted in this set is thirteen years old (1997's "Working Mom," which becomes "Vice"). When the adaptations are as good as if not better than the originals, I don't see a reason to complain.

It's also a treat to see a note-perfect cast. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) perfectly plays DS Matt Devlin, who is both charming and capable. With Bamber's natural affability, Matt is impossible not to love. His partner is DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh), who will undoubtedly be compared to Jerry Orbach's Lennie Briscoe, as Walsh is equally talented at portraying the world-weary senior detective. The two have a rapport together that makes the first half of the hour a delight to watch, with able support from their boss, DCI Natalie Chandler (Harriet Walter).

In the second half, Ben Daniels reminds me of Michael Moriarty as senior prosecutor James Steel, although he gets to show more emotion than Moriarty's Ben Stone ever did. His second chair is Alesha Phillips (Doctor Who star Freema Agyeman), who is likewise allowed to do more than sit at a table in court and look concerned. Their superior is George Castle (Bill Paterson), who's the UK's version of Steven Hill. Everyone plays their parts ably, and the cast gels together much like the early years of the original series. It makes me happy to know this cast will be sticking together for awhile (ITV has recently ordered 13 more episodes).

Though this set is labeled "Season 1," it actually contains both the first and second series (13 episodes), so if you purchase this Tuesday, you'll be able to watch part of the first series and all of the second before BBC America broadcasts them for US audiences.

The DVDs

Universal has gone fairly simple with the packaging here. The box art is the same promo shot you've seen on BBC America's homepage; nothing overly special but it gets the job done. The cardboard slipcover contains three plastic cases, each with a single disc inside. There are episode synopses and lists of special features on the back of each case, so if you're looking for a specific episode or disc, you'll be able to find it easily.

The menus are the one graphical weak point: rather than stick with the British version of the titles, they use the American version, which just looks like whomever designed the menus is trying too hard to remind you that this is still Law & Order. I'm also not a fan of the grey font or the decision to include a promotional website URL prominently at the bottom of the main menu.

Functions are minimal; there's a play all feature, and an episode selection, but no scene selection.

Video is presented in widescreen (1:78:1). You have an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track and English SDH subtitles, but there's no foreign language support. Technically speaking, while the content is great, the menus and tech specs make it clear that Universal is very much testing the waters with this release. I'd expect more audio options and slicker menus should they choose to continue releasing the series (which I hope they do).

The Special Features

Ah, now we get to the good stuff. Law & Order: UK comes with a good assortment of special features, though it's surprisingly missing the usual "making of" that you'd expect on a set like this.

You get deleted scenes and a tour of the Crown Prosecution Service (that's lawyers) set with Freema Agyeman. Better still are interviews with the "Law" side of the cast (Jamie Bamber, Bradley Walsh, and Harriet Walter) as well as brand head honcho Dick Wolf, series boss Chris Chibnall, and producer Richard Stokes. I can only wonder why Agyeman didn't record an interview, and where Ben Daniels was; if they're going to interview the whole first half of the show, it would've been nice to see someone representing the "Order" side as well.

There's commentaries by producers (no cast involved, sadly) on "Care," "Samaritan" and "Honour Bound." These aren't half bad, but I can't help but think they would've been even better had we been treated to the snappy observations of Jamie Bamber and/or Bradley Walsh, both of whom would be great to listen to considering they're both fairly witty in real life as well as on screen. (One of my favorite interview clips of all time is Bamber discussing his initial audition for Battlestar Galactica.)

The Bottom Line

Highly recommended. Law & Order: UK is, in my opinion, the best Law & Order currently on television, and will serve as a balm for those still mourning the cancellation of the original series. The DVDs have a good amount of special features, but mostly, you can't pass up such a well-done show.

DVD Review - Law & Order: UK - Season One

I'm kind of amused that this morning, BBC America was running the newer version of Brideshead Revisited, and tonight we get the second episode of Luther. Both feature amazing individual performances from the lead actors (Matthew Goode and Idris Elba) and both are stocked full of dysfunctional characters who do plenty of damage to themselves and others. Maybe there was a theme.

It's another bleak night as a pair of cops are shot and killed by a man pretending to be dead. This is Luther's next case, once he comes down off the roof of the building, that is - and once he's done being investigated for the scuffle he had with Zoe's new boyfriend Mark at the end of the last episode. His old partner Ian comes to get him down before he decides to take a step off the edge.

Luther and Justin visit the crime scene, which Luther declares "staged" and "an execution." Back at the office, Justin has spotted a potential suspect on nearby cameras, and Luther is sure that their man is a soldier simply by his body language. That's when he gets a phone call from a now-blonde Alice, who's signed up as a volunteer at the hospital where Henry Madsen is still in a coma. She wants to taunt him over whether Madsen really slipped or not. He warns her again not to go near Zoe. "Are you scared what I'll find out or what she will?" she says before he hangs up on her.

They finally narrow down their suspects, zeroing in on a man named Terry Lynch who has killed one police officer previously. Terry might be in prison, but his son Owen isn't, and Owen has mental health issues to boot. In other words, he's a time bomb, as evidenced by how he walks up to another police officer in a parking lot and shoots her at point blank range. By the time Luther, Justin and a horde of cops turn up on the scene, Owen appears to be gone and his victim is fighting for life - something that doesn't match with his previous kills. Luther realizes too late that it's another trap. Owen starts sniping at cops from the roof of a nearby building, killing two of them and galvanizing the detectives to find him.

Owen, however, is still one step ahead of them. He's dressing up in full military uniform, recording his manifesto to be delivered to the cops. He's still bitter about his father's prison sentence, and plans on killing cops until Terry is freed. While Luther is psychoanalzying him, Alice decides to call again for another friendly chat. He's not in the mood. "These are good cops doing good jobs being gunned down in the streets," he tells her, and when she asks if he is afraid of her, he admits that he is. She reiterates that she's going to pay another visit to his wife.

Continued on next page...

Luther 1.02 "Episode 2" Recap

"Unsafe" is the adaptation of one of my favorite Law & Order episodes, 1993's "American Dream." That episode was not only well-done, but featured a great performance from Zeljko Ivanek (one of my favorite franchise guest stars), so I was expecting a lot from "Unsafe."

It delivers.

The uncovering of a shallow grave that contains a badly decomposed body is the starting point for Brooks and Devlin. Thankfully, they're able to identify the victim by his watch and the pin that was in his knee: David Ackroyd. There's one major hitch: Steel had already convicted Luke Slade (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider's Iain Glen) of Ackroyd's murder. Ronnie and Matt have to reopen Slade's case when they realize that where they found the body isn't where Slade's accomplice testified that it would be, and the cause of death is completely different. When this gets out and the case is scheduled for an appeal, it's up to the two of them to prove that Slade is still the guilty party, or risk him going free.

Needless to say, Steel is not a happy camper when he gets to start going through boxes of files to revisit his very first prosecution. He's even more unsettled when he finds out that Slade is representing himself in court - and wants to have a friendly chat besides. The look on Ben Daniels' face makes me believe that Steel would much rather take the man outside and hit him with something heavy. He starts to doubt himself, even as Alesha points out that she, Matt and Ronnie still believe in Slade's guilt. The conviction is overturned, and a retrial is set, setting up a rematch that has plenty of vitriol in it and Steel's reputation on the line.

Steel enlists Brooks and Devlin to start from the beginning, and it's obvious where the near-decade has paid off; Matt is able to track Slade's girlfriend's vehicle, which the original cops never could. Forensic evidence proves that car was used to move the body, which makes Slade's accomplice right about that part. (Although I have to giggle when Matt and DCI Chandler simultaneously inform Ronnie that "Forensicate is not a word.") At the same time, the accomplice goes conveniently missing. Chandler suggests they interview Slade's cellmate, and they dig up his ex-girlfriend. Awkward times are had by all, especially considering Slade was arrogant enough to write what time he'd be killing Ackroyd in his diary.

The retrial ends with a "not guilty" verdict, and Steel is obviously (and audibly) upset. Especially when he finds out Slade is trying to get him fired, adding insult to injury. Then he appears out of seemingly nowhere. The man is everywhere, like a crazed stalker. When Slade brings up Ackroyd's daughter, Steel completely loses it in a way his American counterpart never would have dared.  I love Ben Stone, but rarely did we get to see him come undone, and not with the ferocity that James Steel does.

After the confrontation, Steel understandably needs a drink. He confides in Alesha that something must have happened to the missing accomplice, and she says that after nine years in prison, there were probably plenty of friends Slade could have asked for help.  Going over Slade's prison file, she uncovers a complaint he filed on behalf of his cellmate. Steel squeezes the cellmate, who tells him who to talk to. After Law & Order: UK's first major foot pursuit, they find the body of the accomplice. This means a very gleeful Matt and Ronnie can arrest Slade for his accomplice's murder. His grand plan has unraveled. Steel tells Slade that he'd better confess to both crimes, and Slade can't believe he's been beaten.

"Unsafe" hits many of the same high notes that "American Dream" did. Like Zeljko Ivanek before him, Iain Glen is smart and smarmy, compelling the audience to root against him; as with that episode, I really wanted to punch his character. Michael Moriarty gave a great performance in the American version, but I like Ben Daniels even better; he conveys Steel's self-doubt and frustration perfectly, without being melodramatic. We even get to see more of Freema Agyeman as she tries to hold her boss together. While the first version was more focused on Stone, the UK version turns Steel's fight into a team affair. As a result, the episode almost feels more complete.

Law & Order: UK continues to put itself head and shoulders above current American crime dramas. I can't think of one that I enjoy more than this series. It's been announced that ITV has asked for 13 more episodes, and I am excited for every one. Yes, it's an adaptation of the American version, but damned if it isn't done just as well, if not better. Quality television is quality television, whatever the pieces - and Law & Order: UK has all the pieces.

Law & Order: UK 1.04 "Unsafe" Review

Even more Law & Order good news today: British broadcaster ITV has asked for thirteen more episodes of the superb UK incarnation.

They have given the green light to a fourth series of the British spinoff, which features Jamie Bamber, Bradley Walsh, Freema Agyeman and Ben Daniels (pictured). Harriet Walter and Bill Paterson also star. Law & Order: UK is currently airing its third series, with the final episode to screen tomorrow in the UK and a week from tomorrow in Canada. It began its run on BBC America on October 3.

In a press release, ITV also reveals that Juliet Stevenson and Nicola Walker, both of the hit British series Spooks, will guest star in the fourth series. The long-running Spooks is produced by Kudos Film and Television, which is also behind Law & Order: UK, alongside Dick Wolf and his Wolf Films brand.

Laura Mackie, ITV's Director of Drama, is quoted as saying: "Law & Order: UK is continuing to deliver audiences with its top flight acting and 'ripped from the headlines' storylines that captivate and entertain."

It's not yet known when American audiences will see these episodes. BBC America has only aired three episodes of the first series, and will air the second immediately thereafter, but has not made any statement regarding any episodes beyond that. Still, American fans of Law & Order: UK can now enjoy the idea that there will be thirteen more episodes of this impressive, engrossing crime drama.

For more Law & Order: UK, you can check out my review of last week's episode "Vice" and stay tuned on Friday for my review of this week's episode, "Unsafe."

Law & Order: UK airs Fridays at 9 PM ET/PT on BBC America, and recurs throughout the week.

ITV Brings More "Law & Order: UK"

My fellow critics have been raving about Luther for the past month, and I couldn't be happier, or more amused. I've been saying this is an amazing show since I caught its UK run. The acclaim doesn't surprise me. It's as if everyone suddenly remembered that Idris Elba is one of the best actors on the small screen. Pairing Elba with both the always watchable Indira Varma (Torchwood) and material written by Neil Cross, who also leads the writing staff for a little show called Spooks (or MI-5 to the American audience), was a brilliant idea. The final product is one of the best crime dramas I've seen, possibly even better than Prime Suspect. Luther has been compared to that series, and it's a worthwhile comparison; they're both quality and both worth watching over and over again. This is the third time I'm watching the series through, and I'm still having my breath taken away.

It's a familiar archetype: a brilliant detective with a miserable personal life. Yet Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther isn't one of those TV cliche workaholics who broods a lot, forgets to shave for a day, and thinks staring at things makes him look smarter. He really is obsessive, with a half-crazed look in his eye and an unmistakable intensity. There's no question that he probably has a screw loose. We meet Luther in hot pursuit of a child abductor, and when the man falls through a weak floor and is hanging on for dear life, his indifference (or was it intentional neglect?) means that the perp falls through and ends up in a coma.

Seven months later, Luther is still there, staring down the hole, wondering what if. He's separated from his wife and college sweetheart Zoe (Varma), who's making out with colleague Mark North (Paul McGann). He's also getting a new partner in Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley (Warren Brown), who's a fan of his work. Their first case together is a grisly one: Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) calls the police to report the death of her family (and the dog; was that really necessary?) but did she actually kill them herself? At the very least, Luther is convinced that something isn't right with the alleged home invasion.

His investigation starts with interviewing Alice, who is also obviously not right in the head. Just one look at her tells you she's a few marbles short, making it no surprise that the two understand each other on some level. It's easy for him to finger her as a "malignant narcissist" and start turning her screws. She self-identifies as a freak and admits she hated her parents, which only encourages his theory. The two engage in a battle of wits in the interrogation room; after all, they're on the same level. Alice may have slaughtered her family, and Luther is at risk of losing his, whether it's his adulterous wife or his police family - his boss's boss sees fit to remind us all that he's a loose cannon who could destroy the entire unit. Yet without evidence, Luther has no choice but to let Alice go, to the tune of some painfully obvious dramatic music that indicates they'll meet again.

Continued on next page...

Luther 1.01 "Episode 1" Recap

Law & Order: UK just gets better every week. It's a godsend for those of us who miss the glory days of the franchise. In "Vice," which is based on 1997's "Working Mom" (which I'm always going to call 'the second Felicity Huffman episode'), a former vice cop's death leads to the uncovering of some dirty little secrets.

Two would-be car thieves find a corpse in the backseat, and the responding patrol officers recognize the deceased. He's former DS Frank McCallum. His wife's declaration that his former job "eats you from the inside" is unsettling to hear for lifelong cops Brooks and Devlin, who begin their investigation by having to probe into what little remained of McCallum's post-law enforcement life. They find some of his belongings in the possession of a prostitute (oh, the irony) who discovered his body, but she's forensically vindicated. However, it's obvious their victim has some interesting proclivities.

Asking some of McCallum's current and former coworkers brings up a company called Velvet Holdings that he was using the company credit card to make payments to. "I became a cop for the glamour," Matt complains while slogging over the corporate paperwork, which in turn leads them to a virtual office - which has to be one of the most boring things I've ever come across. It merely exists to forward mail, and the mail Brooks and Devlin find for this enigmatic company leads them to an unlikely source: a children's boutique. It does not take a genius to realize that's not what it really is. Velvet Holdings is a high-class escort service.

Brooks and Devlin haul in Emma, the woman in charge of the whole operation, on suspicion of McCallum's murder. Her DNA ends up being all over the crime scene, and her lipstick matches the sample taken from the corpse. She also has the money to hire a very expensive lawyer to do battle with Steel and Alesha.

Alesha probes deeper into the relationship between victim and suspect. She visits the hotel the two frequented, only to see camera footage of Emma there with someone else - McCallum's boss. It's not a stretch to realize McCallum had been poking around, found out about the affair, and was sexually blackmailing Emma. Emma not only confirms the blackmail, but claims that McCallum tried to rape her and she killed him in self-defense. Her husband changes his story to support her account, but Steel still isn't convinced. Armed with contradictory forensic evidence, he tears Emma to pieces when she testifies, and sees her put away. It's not easy with her having a husband and two children, but it's what's just.

The more I watch this show, the more I love the perfect cast. I'll admit that I'm nursing a bit of a crush on Jamie Bamber, who may be easy on the eyes but also has a natural wit and charm that makes him so much fun to watch. He's perfectly matched with Bradley Walsh, who delivers a great deadpan counterpoint to his younger partner's sense of humor. Freema Agyeman is well-used as the junior prosecutor, contributing to the episode instead of being the attractive ornament sitting in the courtroom. The more I watch Ben Daniels, the more he reminds me of Michael Moriarty; I know that he knows exactly what he's talking about, even if I don't. He has a confidence in himself that gives the audience confidence in Steel's prosecution. This show really could not have been cast any better. We already know they're working from successful scripts, so it's a perfect marriage of actors and material.

Especially as we watch the American Law & Order incarnations running out of steam, it's so refreshing to know that we can tune in to Law & Order: UK, a cracking and impressive piece of television.

Law & Order: UK 1.03 "Vice" Review

Indira Varma has spoken briefly with TV Guide about her two newest small-screen ventures.

She'll first be seen as Zoe Luther, an experienced attorney who is separated from her spouse, obsessive detective John Luther (Idris Elba), in the BBC's Luther. (Although I would disagree with the article saying she's "emotionally terrorized" by him.) Making its US debut on Sunday night at 10, this dark, twisty crime thriller is one of the best I've seen in years, in either country.

Varma said she's amused by the Stateside reception to the series, which has been overwhelmingly positive, as opposed to the initially cold reception it got in the UK. "Because of Idris, they were unfairly comparing it to The Wire and saying Americans do it better. By episode three, they loved it so much they were going insane!"

The Rome and Torchwood actress also had some minor dish about her new regular gig on FOX's Human Target, which returns on November 17. Varma plays Ilsa Pucci, a billonaire's widow who ends up buying the team after Chance and Co. save her life. What she had to say might induce some groaning among hardcore Human Target fans.

"It really needed a burst of estrogen. Ilsa is not some fluttery-eyed damsel in distress. These macho guys have to answer to her and they resent it." On the subject of a romantic relationship between her and Chance (Mark Valley), she added,  "They're certainly going to tease it."

Count me among the camp that disagrees with her assessment; the show certainly didn't need estrogen to continue, although her appearance hasn't been detrimental to the series. I also have to admit that the idea of a Chance and Ilsa romance only makes me cringe. It seems both cliche and unnecessary. Having Chance swoon over somebody is about the last thing I'd consider for the fast-paced, high-intensity action series.

That said, with having to add a woman to the show, they couldn't have done any better than Indira Varma, who's proven to be a reliable actress in Rome, Torchwood (she played the villainous Suzie Costello) and The Whistleblowers.

What do you think? Are you excited for Luther? Dreading the idea of romance in Human Target? Leave your thoughts below. Don't forget to check back as I will be bringing you episode-by-episode coverage of both Luther and Human Target - two shows you definitely shouldn't miss.

Indira Varma Talks "Luther," "Human Target"

It is now official, canon, in the bag, fact. However you want to call it, the BBC has officially declared the title from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who as "immortal," according to the British paper The Guardian.

Long thought to have been capable of only 12 regenerations, Time Lords have are now free to regenerate into as many incarnations as possible. Not only does this solves the age-old debate of what will happen once The Doctor reaches his 12th regeneration, but it also solidifies the franchise's longevity for the network.

The new piece of information comes from the two-part Sarah Jane Adventures story called "Death of the Doctor", which features Matt Smith in his role as the Eleventh Doctor, helping Sarah Jane and her "entourage" fight the latest alien threat. In a passing line, the Doctor answers Clyde's question about his mortality by saying there isn't a limit. While a lot of people (mainly US fans) won't hear this revelation themselves, it could lead to a lot of debate in the future, especially with The Sarah Jane Adventures currently not slated to air again in the US anytime soon (SyFy aired the first series of the show a couple of years ago, but not during primetime). As The Guardian says,  the line "was a stroke of PR genius" that will surely get fans interested, although this isn't The Doctor's first appearance on the children's show. David Tennant's Doctor appeared in last year's two-parter, "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith."

In the 1976 Doctor Who episode "The Deadly Assassin," Tom Baker's 4th Doctor established the 12-regeneration limit, which became a rule in the Doctor Who fandom. Now that this rule has been reversed, will old fans be be upset and think this is a marketing ploy or will they embrace this new opportunity? Plus, could this help solve the reasoning behind Captain Jack Harkness's own immortality? Just saying...

So what do you "Whovians" think? Are you happy for the regeneration extension? Or are you not amused? Vote in our poll over in our Forums and let us know why you voted the way you did!

Source: The Guardian

Doctor Who: 'The Doctor Is Immortal' says BBC

This week's Law & Order: UK is an adaptation of one of my favorite Law & Order episodes, "Born Bad." As the original title suggests, it poses the question of if we're genetically predisposed to be good or evil. The subject of genetic predisposition to anything is likely to be argued for years to come, which makes seeing this plot 17 years later no less intriguing.

When the dead body of Danny Jackson is found by a local reverend, there's no shortage of suspects - whether it's his drug-addicted mother, her abusive ex-boyfriend, or local gangs. However, the investigation leads Ronnie and Matt to an even more disturbing source: one of the boy's young friends, Jonathan Blake. When the Crown Prosecutor charges the thirteen-year-old with murder, the defense attorney (an old girlfriend of Steel's played by Dervla Kirwan, whom Spooks fans may know as the better half of star Rupert Penry-Jones) argues that DNA made him do it. While it seems ludicrous, by the end even Jonathan believes he might be evil. He's motivated to plead guilty to Danny's murder, for better or for worse.

The highlight of this series for me has to be Jamie Bamber, whose Matt Devlin is equal parts ridiculously charming and believably dedicated, with subtle hints at a more complex character than the narrative will allow. Matt's let off his leash here, and it's cracking to watch. Bamber's ably partnered with the veteran Bradley Walsh, who's been compared to Jerry Orbach - a comparison that would rankle if both weren't very good in their well-worn roles. There's a marvelous scene in this episode where Ronnie must break the news of Danny's death to his mother, while Matt waits outside; there's not a word of dialogue, but the acting from Walsh and the reacting from Bamber is so good that it's greatly painful and poignant.

Ben Daniels also gets some great material to sink into, and it has little to do with his character's past affair with opposing counsel, but more Steel having to probe and struggle with the idea of genetic predisposition, not unlike the audience. He carries it well, his performance more interesting to watch than either of his current American counterparts. There's not ever going to be a Law & Order DA on the level of Linus Roache again, but Daniels is the next best thing. Kirwan turns in a great guest star performance as his opposite number, who realizes too late that her idea of a defense has broken her defendant, motivating a touching scene in which Steel visits Jonathan in prison, literally pleading for the boy to let them help him.

Law & Order: UK remains head and shoulders over its stateside counterpart, Los Angeles. It's ironic that as the American juggernaut fades (with that dismal spinoff and Criminal Intent coming to a close), the British spinoff is on the rise - and deservedly so. Law & Order: UK is must-see television, from the first frame to the last. It's Law & Order as it was meant to be.

Law & Order: UK 1.02 "Unloved" Review

He's been perhaps one of the most lauded television stars to set foot on the small screen in recent years. Less than a year after leaving his breakout role, however, David Tennant wants to try something new. Instead of fighting aliens, he's going to be falling in love. And instead of keeping up with companions, he's going to be raising children. Enter Single Father, a new BBC drama that will star Tennant as a widower who falls in love with his late wife's best friend, Sarah (Suranne Jones). The premise sounds kind of familiar, but the BBC assures us that Single Father will be a heartwarming - and original - tale.

"From the first time Mick talked to me about the story of Single Father, I was gripped. It was beautiful, moving and funny and had all the truthful emotional stories that I want to see on British TV. It's basically a great story. I had been a fan of Mick's writing for many years and jumped at the opportunity to work with him," shared Nicola Shindler, an executive producer of the series.

Mick Ford, who wrote the drama, released a rather lengthy statement about his inspirations for the series:

"Single Father is about the mess of family life today and the seismic shocks that hit after a traffic accident robs Dave of the woman he adores and the mother of three of his children. Rita's the woman who runs the family and the woman who leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter from an earlier liaison.

"Dave really tries. He's not a useless dad – I didn't want to get into that. This is a man who can look after the kids and cook and clear up but the emotional and physical demands in the end are too great. Too much stamina is required – there's no hiding place until he's suddenly losing himself in his feelings for Rita's best friend, Sarah. But is it all too soon?

"I think we have an instinct for decorum when it comes to how soon new relationships should blossom after certain events. Timing is everything and to go against that feels wrong and draws criticism.

"Consequently, Dave and Sarah feel all those things and can't be sure that what they're both feeling isn't just an over-riding need to escape from their current situations, rather than a pure, laudable, love that's simply out of synch with events.

"They both love Rita but they are also responding to each other out of a reflex that's sparked by need and a sudden opportunity to acknowledge and advance the attraction they feel towards each other.

"Single Father is a love story – or rather a collection of love stories – between Dave and Rita, Dave and Sarah and Dave and his kids – plus others!

"Through a gradual process anything extraneous to family life has been stripped from the Single Father story, so we end up with a pure relationship drama. There's no thriller elements, no bad people doing others down – it's just life happening and, to me, when that works, I love it.

"Statistics tell us single parents now look after 23 per cent of all children against 8 per cent back in the early Seventies when I started having children. But other things have changed, too. There are now more families formed by two people who already have children, coming together and having their own kids – which leads to a complex family set-up where the extended family can have branches springing off all over the place.

"I have five children and my eldest daughter was born while I was still at college. So, in other words, I've effectively been a parent all my adult life and it was a case of searching for a story that would allow me to tell this story.

"I was also interested in single parenting – I think it's an incredibly difficult way of life which presents all manner of dilemmas. Today, nearly a quarter of all children live in single parent families so writing about that appealed to me.

"From my own experience, when I separated, and subsequently became divorced, from my two daughters' mum back in the Eighties, I had joint custody and they lived with me half the time. This is not single parenting, because half the time they weren't with me and there were still two of us making decisions. But it gave me a taste of what it's like, of how hard it is and the dangers and pitfalls that appear if the adult begins to concentrate too much on their own needs.

"On the other hand, should a single parent sacrifice their own happiness to concentrate solely on the children? Because children, however much we love them, can be infuriating and insatiable for a parent's time and energy!

"I was delighted Single Father was filmed in Glasgow because seven years ago we took our three boys, aged three, seven and nine, to live on the Kintyre Peninsular for 15 months. It was in the middle of nowhere and Glasgow was where we came to get an occasional dose of city life – so I have a fondness for the place.

"Let me tell you something – most writers, when they see their work being filmed, have a crisis because it's not what they imagined. But straight away – and it is a rare experience, for me anyway – Single Father is exactly what I imagined, and more.

"Red Production Company and BBC Scotland have done a fantastic job in every department – from the production to the casting, the design to the direction and the editing – everything has served the process of capturing fantastic performances from all the actors.

"I'm certain viewers will get caught up in this story. They'll become attached to the family, to Dave and Sarah and the children. They'll want to know what's going to happen to them all. For me, Single Father captures the kind of family life I know and recognise."

So what do you think? Are you prepared to see Tennant in a role besides that of the Tenth Doctor? I was personally disappointed to see NBC pass over his comedy Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, but this seems like a solid dramatic role. Everyone's going to be watching to see if Tennant can have a solid career after being on the phenomenon that was Doctor Who. I think he can. I'll be watching.

David Tennant Becomes A 'Single Father'

This is what happens when you stay up late. Good news comes to you!

Digital Spy just exclusively broke from the Edinburgh TV Festival that the next series of Doctor Who will be split into two parts with the first half airing in Spring 2011 and the second airing in Fall 2011. The reason for the split? Two words:

Game. Changer.

Giddy yet?

According to a statement released by the BBC, the spilt was a request from current showrunner Steven Moffat, who will introduce the "game changing" event at the end of the spring run of episodes, leaving the fans and audiences "on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens."

There will be 7 episodes in the Spring with the final 6 episodes following suit in the fall. No word has been given on when the episodes will air in the U.S. or if the U.S. will be treated with the same break or if we will get all the episodes in one swell swoop. If anything, this news can be seen in two ways 1) being with open arms and an open mind or 2) with complete and utter dire. I welcome the former, but Mr. Moffat and company will have to bring the goods for this to pay off.

Read the Official Press Release From The BBC Here.

Breaking News: Doctor Who's Sixth Series To Be Split In Two!

Children of Earth was the banner title for the third season of Torchwood, a five-part miniseries event that was lauded by both fans and critics. Now, after Torchwood's move to Starz, it seems as though it's getting another such title -- something that the first two seasons of the show didn't have.

As a whole, the season will be titled "The New World," according to The Hollywood Reporter. While this obviously refers to the new audience and new setting of the series, it could very well also describe a more literal "new world," as in a planet.

The new story will follow a CIA agent (Rex) and analyst (Ester) who tackle an alien-related global issue. Torchwood, having been destroyed and disbanded, is "like a legend now ... it's like something that's ceased to exist and is now spoken of only in whispers." Soon, Rex and Ester are on the run and are seeking out the help of Captain Jack and Gwen.

That synopsis sort of leaves room for both explanations, though it's interesting to see the two new main characters being American. "The two teams coming together is a big part of the story -- are they friends or enemies? There's a lot of sparks and excitement," shared creator and showrunner Russell T. Davies.

"We definitely have a really big story to tell," said executive producer Julie Gardner. "It's absolutely rebooted to welcome in a new audience."

The series will be akin to Children of Earth in that it will tell one big story, only this time with double the number of episodes. The ten episode season will also, according to the article, have more room for sex and violence now that it's on a pay-cable network.

"I've always had loose standards and practices," Davies said. "If the story demands intimacy or savagery, we will go there absolutely ... [but] there's nothing better than a great big global thriller that stops for a sex scene -- it's probably hard to make that happen in a thriller."

Torchwood: The New World is slated to premiere on Starz and BBC One next year.

Torchwood: After 'Children of Earth' Comes 'The New World'

I had no reason to watch Hope Springs save for one thing: Alex Kingston. The actress, who you probably know from her role as River Song on Doctor Who, stars in the series. Hope Springs originally aired on BBC One last summer, and was released on DVD June 1. Having just received a review copy from Acorn Media, I have to say that the series surpassed my expectations.

The show aired for a little more than a month; it's eight-episode first series was also its last. The BBC cancelled the show because it "did not find its audience in the way that [they] had hoped."

And honestly, that's to surprise. The show is done in such a way that I'm still unsure who it's intended to appeal to. The septuagenarian Annette Crosbie (who also appeared in the fifth series of Doctor Who) seems to be a sort of Betty White character, while the rest of the main cast resemble members of Ocean's Eleven, to an extent -- save that they're much less cool. The show is really an odd mix of Ocean's Eleven, Desperate Housewives, and Hot in Cleveland. Acorn Media claimed the show "mixed crime with fish-out-of-water comedy," and that's very true. But the Desperate Housewives element of soapishness also remains with the characters' interaction with the members of the small town Hope Springs, a Scottish village where they flee to escape gangsters whom they just robbed for millions.

Aside from Crosbie and Kingston, the cast really isn't all that memorable, though the show manages to be a fairly solid affair. Only rarely did I find myself bored with their antics, though the series did begin to show a little wear during its second half.

As for the DVD set itself, it's standard. Three discs contain the eight episodes, as well as a photo gallery and a biography of Alex Kingston. That might be considered barebones, but a show like Hope Springs doesn't really require much special features. The packaging is essentially one DVD case in a cardboard slip, and is one of the sturdier ones I've seen from Acorn.

The verdict is this: if you're a fan of any of the shows I mentioned above, you'll probably really like Hope Springs. It mixes quaintness with modern crime, and it's a happy little diversion that you could probably watch in a week or two. Is it anything wildly special? No, of course not, but it's certainly better than I thought it would be.

You can order the DVD at Amazon for $36.49.

DVD Review - Hope Springs

As soon as I finished watching "The Eleventh Hour," the series 5 premiere of Doctor Who, I immediately knew that I would be adding the following season to my collection. I didn't have any of the other seasons of Who primarily because they were way too expensive for my budget, but series 5 would definitely make me want to change that.I began anxiously waiting for the release date of the DVD box set so that I could add it proudly onto my shelf.

Now, we have a release date for the set. It'll be hitting shelves in the UK on Monday, November 8, while in the US the set will adhere to the Tuesday tradition and be released the following day, November 9.

The six-disc set will also feature additional bonus scenes that were filmed exclusively for the release, set inside the TARDIS featuring the Doctor and Amy in-between episodes. The set will also feature a video diary filmed by Matt Smith throughout filming, which I suspect will be a lot of fun, as well as "cut-down" episodes of Doctor Who Confidential and the Monster Files included with the UK's volumed releases of the series.

The sets are retailing in the UK for £69.99 (on DVD) and £79.99 (on Blu-ray). In the U.S., they're actually a bit cheaper, costing only $55.99 for the DVD and $62.99 for the Blu-ray. They're not the cheapest sets ever, but at least they're a slightly cheaper than previous sets.

The box art for the series has also been released, and in my opinion, it's much better than the previous art for the series. Sure, it is pretty much the wallpaper the BBC released (plus the TARDIS), but it's still pretty sleek. I wouldn't doubt that it has a sort of iridescence to it as previous sets have had.

American fans can pre-order the sets through the links below:

• Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series [DVD]
• Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series [Blu-ray]

Pre-Order 'Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series'