carol-morley's reviews

Made it through the first half hour, noting both the excellent ideas included by experienced actors and academic experts. Dates, filled-out careers of the early ("pre-Shakespearean") poets, variety of venues and successful plays, which could have provided a much clearer and richer context for Shakespeare's emerging success, are clumsily bodged in and worked around to the show's overall lack of credibility. Both Peele's Edward I and Greene's James IV need a nod before trying to imply that Shakespeare invented post-Armada English chronicle history crowd-pleasers out of thin air. Also, to show Marlowe's death as a back-alley mugging before cutting to a much better-informed speaker referring to contradictory, documented facts is farcical incompetence. I'll come back, in small doses, to hear what the expert contributors have to say, but I think fast-forwarding through the schlocky reenactments will be the way to go. Wasted opportunity to make the best of a fascinating subject.

Halfway through s.1 and getting funnier by the episode. Just when you think this is cheerfully broad clowning, and all the better for being Catherine Tate leading the circus, the snappy one-liners kick in and keep on coming. Royal caricatures destruct-tested in an unlikely Aussie parallel universe. The unfinished koala joke from episode 1 is capped by the traumatic kangaroo event of ep.2 (which, shamefully was even funnier). Before the end of this first series, will there be a regal cock-up with the prawns at a Palace Barbie? An unspecified Vegemite Scandal by Royal Appointment? Will - and already I wouldn't put it past Her Australian Majesty - we see her Christmas Speech on the beach? More please.

With which headline, welcome to the bonkers world of Austenland. If you loved Lost in Austen, it's just as much fun, but not at all the same. If you loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, well, at least you get a ninja here, and a stuffed peacock (how many times can YOU spot it?). The glorious Jennifer Coolidge magnificently indulges the widespread American belief that all English accents are either dead posh or strangulated cockney. Jennifer rules, with her riotous headwear a close second. Chuck in some cheeky Mellorsish-meets-Jane Eyreish with a Bridget Jones punch-up at some point. Actors, eh? Front and centre though, a heartsick, disillusioned hero does meet a lovelorn and idealistic heroine and this viewer was left wishing for an extended visit to Miss Charming's theme park, for further fun, possible peacock sightings and definitely teatime whenever.

Enjoying this very much so far - of course it's not the Original, so it lacks a fair bit of Originality (like the replacement cast of Horrible Histories, come to think of it, but so far much better than that disappointment). Starting strong with well-developed parallels to many of the original characters, bouncy dialogue and gags, so I'm cheerfully ploughing through batches of these short episodes with great content and lots of chuckles. Of course I prefer Lady Fanny to her Henry Jamesian counterpart and know there could never have been a substitute Captain, but it seems already that superficially-cheery Scout-ish masters and sleezy yuppies are the same in the afterlife everywhere. Quality Viking contribution, although I'm perplexed ay his fixation with cod rather than herring so far. A great Jazz age diva and a Native American wiseguy are promising and I'm looking forward to more of lovechild Flower and alternative founding Father Isaac too. An American adaptation of a BBC original that really hasn't got it wrong at all.

In the pure joy of rewatching Lucifer from the very start (thank you Netflix!) - this is starting to niggle me a tiny bit. It's at least the third episode when Chloe gives Trixie a meal then immediately tells the child to go off and do something other than eat it. OK with Maze as a surrogate mum the kid'll turn out fine, but early unset acid reflux is a threat I missed the first time round.