This pub ain't big enough for the both of us

[alexsarll]

Off to Devon by way of Watford shortly, and currently waiting for a rather jittery iPlayer to download Mark Gatiss' first Crooked House, and it seems as good a time as any to wish those of you who won't be online for the inevitable Next Doctor post-mortem a very merry Christmas. I just wish that the Buffy Christmas episode was recognised as the festive classic it is and given the annual repeat treatment, but hey, we watched it at hoshuteki's party so I'm good for this year. That was before I mistakenly attempted to go Straight Through, an experience from which if nothing else I have learned that Sprite is on the Proscribed Drinks list for this stimulant-dodger. Speaking of proscription - the story "Pope puts stress on 'gay threat' is even more flabbergastingly infuriating than you'd expect from the title, which is saying something, so let's hope there's something extra big and hard in Santa's sack for Pope Sidious this year.
Right, Crooked House is ready to go. Have a good one, kids.

Comments

[msdaccxx.livejournal.com]

Crooked House scared the bejesus out of me. I genuinely get the wiggins when I read M.R. James stories, even though I've read them all countless times, and it was up to that standard. Huzzah for Gatiss

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

In some ways I think I preferred it to the TV adaptations of James which I've seen, just for being better adapted to the TV format. Now, whether I'll be able to watch the next two before I get back to London is another question.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

Crooked House was absolutely great. I'm looking forward to the other two.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I think I'm especially keen to see how the modern day tale wraps it all up - and interested as to whether it will leave the setting open for future sets of stories.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

I suspect it won't (but I'd love to be proved wrong), as I suspect Gatiss will move on to something similar but slightly different next time round. He does strike me as being someone with more ideas than is reasonable for one person.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yes - cf the way that Lucifer Box could have been a perfectly entertaining Edwardian spy series, but he instead opted to push it forward through the eras.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

While I'd be one of the first clamouring for a direct sequel to The Vesuvius Club its nice to have a writer who doesn't let his creations outstay their welcome, or overuse particular characters and situations. (Rusty and the Daleks comes to mind for some reason).

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh dear heavens yes. I just pray that Moffat has the sense not to use them for another two series at least, if ever.