Jekyll

Steven Moffat is very good. He's written some cracking episodes of Doctor Who, including The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace and Blink. He's good at seeing what you pare away from a story, missing bits out and letting the audience join the dots. It's also nice to see some complicated drama on TV that isn't about cops or hospitals. That said, Saturday is a drama extravaganza for me. Doctor Who, then Casualty then Jekyll. I'm in absolute heaven. I'd love to write for Casualty. And Doctor Who. Did anyone see 'Human Nature / The Family of Blood'? Wow! Cheers, Mark

Pepsoid, you should give it another go. The current season of Doctor Who is probably the best yet. Or possibly ever. I'm toying with going to Pride to watch it on the big screen next week: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=594932(link is external) but what if someone keeps talking through it? Cheers, Mark

I don't think you can mention Steven Moffat without bringing up the subject of "Coupling" - surely one of the most cleverly-written sitcoms of the last few years. Moffat uses all sorts of techniques to take you by surprise - split screens, flashbacks, multiple versions of events - all absolutely brilliantly funny! And yes - to answer Peps' original question: Jekyll is pretty damn good too. I've always thought of James Nesbitt as being one of those actors who plays himself in everything, but he pulls off the Jekyll and Hyde thing really well.

I've haven't seen much of the last two series of Dr Who, but I have seen the last two episodes and thought they were excellent. Jeykll; I saw the first episode but wasn't really concentrating. I think I can watch the whole of series two of Dr W on my tv (it's on the VirginMedia thingy I think.)

Drew, watch Who. It's amazing. For the first time, I don't know whether I want to follow the doctor or fancy him. Cheers, Mark

Well, that's quite a recommendation. I definitely fancied Eccleston. Check out this blog - http://strugglingauthor.blogspot.com(link is external) by Marie Phillips. She writes about WHO every week. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/drew.gummerson2(link is external)

This was SO me the other week: http://www.thedragnet.org/blog/television/doctorwho/whogasm.html(link is external) A Whogasm indeed! Doctor Who, it's the new football. Cheers, Mark

Mark's said it all really, but I just wanted to chip in: Dr Who. Bloody, bloody brilliant.

Depends on your definitions of both Great and Actor, I suppose... John Wayne was great, but he wasn't an actor. Roger Moore, ditto. Val Kilmer and Daniel Day-Lewis are actors, and possibly great: I still find it hard to believe that it was the SAME Daniel Day-Lewis in "A Room With a View" as it was in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"; and Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday was the best thing about "Tombstone", and I also think he's the best Batman by miles.

So what I'm arguing, just to be clearer, is that John Wayne and Roger Moore play themselves in everything so aren't actors, and DDL and VK are really good actors who practically BECOME SOMEONE ELSE when they act. I always had Nesbitt in the first group, but I think he's surprised me in "Jekyll". This is one of those really wide-ranging threads that are great fun o contribute to - thanks Peps!

Sci Fi leaves me cold, as does Big Brother. It's a bit like the way I feel about religion. Great if you believe in God, but it just doesn't float my boat. Great actors who always played themselves. Walter Matthau, a loveable old rogue, I'm sure he played a loveable old rogue as a 20yr old. But brilliantly. Rod Steiger brooding but brilliant, ditto Marlon Brando. Robert de Niro the same. I cringe with embarrassment when he attempts comedy. There are very few actors who can switch characters with ease. Jack Lemmon, obviously well known for his comedic abilities, but superb as Willy Loman (?) in Glen Garry Glen Ross as the neurotic salesman, and this has particular relevance to me, as an alcoholic in Days Of Wine And Roses. The scene where he attempts to walk through a glass door and the look of incomprehension is stupendous. I'm going to throw you a curve ball here - David Schwimmer. Excellent in Friends but very scary as the nasty Capt Sobel in the TV series Band Of Brothers. Reese Witherspoon as the bitchy nasty younger sister of Rachel in Friends, the put upon wife in the Johnny Cash biog, and brilliant as the ditzy blond in Legally Blond. Yeh good thread Peeps.

Willy Loman was played by Dustin Hoffman in the film of Death of a Salesman, Styx. Shelley Levine (sp) was the character Lemmon played in Glengarry Glen Ross. I wrote an essay comparing the two characters from both - funny that. Both brilliant portrayals anyhow.

Thanks Liana, sometimes I don't know which way is up. Hey ho.