Sleepin_Dragon

1884: Katrina Grant and her child are taken at gunpoint, a ransom note issued-one that's never answered. Forty years later, Inspector Karen Pirie finally gets a meaningful lead on the case.

After a long break, the series returns with a strong, absorbing mystery. Karen's moved up in the world, and so has the storytelling. We get glimpses into her life, but the episode never lingers on the regulars; the focus stays firmly on the case.

Karen's juggling the usual dynamics-her no-nonsense boss, her boyfriend, her hopeless colleague, and the eager new protégé who's there, but reluctantly so.

I have to mention the period detail: 1984 is recreated perfectly. When you think of dramas from the time, there's normally a token secretary who didn't know what day it was, as long as she smiled sweetly. Here, we have Murray; one wonders how he manages to tie his shoelaces.

There are a few neat jokes along the way-Karen commenting on the sun being bright, conveniently forgetting she's in Scotland.

James Cosmo adds real gravitas as Brody, while Frances Tomelty brings her usual class. Their younger counterparts are perfectly cast.

8/10.

Frank is awe struck when Sam Albany, manager of the local side Avon, asks for help with a saboteur at the club. Promotion is a single win away, but someone is determined to rain on the parade.

Take it for what it is - fun, faintly nonsensical, and firmly within the territory this series happily lives in.

It is unapologetically camp, pushing well beyond anything you might conjure up after a late-night cheese binge. Frank and Sebastian wandering into a dark room... not an image I've ever wanted in my life, yet here we are.

James Sheldon sports an extraordinary set of curtains; the last time I saw hair with that level of cultural depth, Troy was shadowing John Nettles in Midsomer Murders.

You do need to suspend your disbelief. Frank Hathaway, I kid you not, ends up on the brink of becoming a football manager - a promotion-chasing one at that. Still, I liked the scraps of backstory we get about him; he's a man we know surprisingly little about.

Credit where it's due: they did actually film in a football stadium, so applause for that at least.

It's absurd - so absurd it makes The Magic Roundabout look positively grounded - but it's forty-five minutes of warm, cosy escapism.

6.5/10.

The Gizmos team investigate the strange disappearances of several company executives, each involved in struggling arms companies. Naturally, something rather sinister lies beneath the shared misfortune.

This is exactly what Bugs does best: a big, brash plot with enough explosions to rattle the cutlery drawer. It looks incredibly polished too - glossy, sleek, everyone immaculate, and the camera work far better than a mid-'90s action series has any right to be. It moves at pace, and even manages to conjure up a little tension along the way.

The first series has been surprisingly strong, and it bows out with a proper flourish. There's plenty to praise, but the villainous duo steal the limelight. Gareth Marks is superb, and Anton Lesser is the perfect partner-in-crime - both pitch-perfect in that heightened, slightly theatrical way Bugs thrives on.

It's full-throttle stuff: rocket launchers, glue guns, tech-seeking missiles... basically the Friday-night shopping list for the Bugs universe. Even the humour lands nicely, with Beckett's awkward partnership with a child adding a few well-timed laughs.

I'm very glad the show came back - this is a confident, lively end to a quality first run.

8/10.