The Woman In The Wall


Who out there watched this six-part psychological drama which came to a close on BBC One last night ?

And how many found the ending disappointing ? I watched this through to the very end, then found myself ask “And ?”

When the series began I struggled to maintain interest as we were confronted with lead character Lorna Brady and her psychotic episodes. She apparently had a long history of sleepwalking based in trauma she endured during her time spend in one of Irelands infamous Magdalene Laundries.

Having battled through the first episode I found the story line drawing me in. Admittedly there were annoying elements, which I felt were superfluous to the plot. Aren’t there almost always in any drama. But this intriguing story was masterfully told by a strong cast of actors led by Ruth Wilson. By the end of episode two I was hooked. So much so that the sixth and final episode , broadcast last night, was essential viewing. For an hour I was glued to the screen, and then it was all over and the titles were rolling.

I can only compare the the feeling I had, to the anticipation of a roast dinner. For hours you smell the meat and tatties roasting, and associated veggies cooking. Then the dinner is plated up and it is spread out in all its glory. But the meat is bland and tasteless, roasties soft, not crispy as they should be, and the veggies have had all the goodness boiled out of them. The meal is eaten, hunger pangs satisfied but mentally you are disappointed.

And so it was with this show. Six weeks of anticipation but no real closure.

I hate it when dramas end and leave you to make assumptions, leave loose ends hanging. I want to know if the hard faced bitch of a nun got her comeuppance . Were all of the accomplices rounded up and prosecuted. Did the duplicitous James Coyle wriggle out from under, or ….. ?

No spoilers here. Well not really. But …. ?

What Will I Be Doing This Evening ?


What are you doing this evening?

I will be doing what I always do every evening. Preparing the evening meal for me and my wife.

This will be followed by our daily wordle challenge. My wife and I compete with each other to see who completes it in the least number of lines. It’s interesting to note that our thought processes are very different. When stuck, my wife will make up words to try, whereas I seem to be resolutely locked into my own limited vocabulary.

Following the wordle brain strain, we will settle down to watch a bit of TV. Our viewing will typically start with “House of Games,” so a bit more mental gymnastics before moving on to a mix of fly on the wall documentaries and crime drama.

In the fly on the wall category we are watching “Top Guns: Inside the RAF” whilst in the crime drama slot, we are currently hurtling towards the end of “Ozark”, which we will probably finish this evening

So, if you don’t mind, I’ll pop off to start the preparation of our evening meal.

Who hoo – It’s Coming


At last, the wait is over, Series 7 of Dr Who gets underway this Saturday.

For those of us that remember the very first Doctor -William Hartnell, the shaky sets and watching in black and white from the very beginning of this British saga, the latest incarnation is far removed from its roots. The special effects are up there with the very best and the series can still make the cold crinklies run up and down ones spine.

Watch the trailer for the new series…..

Asylum of the Daleks: Saturday, 7.20pm on BBC One!