Reviews by Kyle Ellis

I love the Muppets with a passion, they were part of my childhood. And like my childhood I do miss it. It is ingenious, from the humour, the songs and the characters it is so much fun. The puppetry is first rate, and the backstage parts are exceedingly entertaining. The songs are simple, easy to remember and easy to sing along to without being repetitive. There are so many classic Muppet moments- Kermit singing It's Not Easy being Green, Leo Sayer, Floyd Pepper, John Cleese, the cannonball stunt, the hospital saga, Waldorf and Statler and their heckling, the ballroom dancing and Julie Andrews singing with the goat- the latter was priceless! I love every single one of the Muppets, Kermit with his charm, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Swedish Chef, Floyd Pepper, Statler, Waldorf, Fozzie and Dr Teeth, and Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt and Steve Whitmere deserve nothing but praise for bringing these timeless characters to life. Overall, the Muppets are the epitome of my childhood, I shall never forget them and I shall never stop loving them. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Now I don't absolutely despise this show, but I just don't care for it. It has its moments, but that isn't enough to like a whole show that ran for nine or so years. Don't get me wrong I do love some American sitcoms, Frasier to me is a classic, but Everybody Loves Raymond, something I have tried to love, just doesn't do it for me.

One major problem is that I don't find it particularly original. I wouldn't have minded this so much if only the writing was fresher and more irreverent, but the jokes here come across as unfunny and stale. The direction can get unfocused, and the story lines are the sorts that you've seen before and better and they are quite predictable in some cases. I don't think the music is that great either, but that's probably just me. Like the show, save two or three exceptions I don't care for the characters. Ray comes across as a total wuss who can't do anything right, and Debra while independent is opinionated, obnoxious and quite unlikeable. In fact the only character I can stand properly is Robert, who is dim-witted but has some common sense. Though crusty and boorish Frank(played by the wonderful late Peter Boyle) and matriarch Marie(whose cooking makes my mouth water) both have their moments as occasionally their insults can be comedy gold.

Overall, I have tried to like the show, but it is unoriginal and predictable, often unfunny despite some moments, has characters(lead and supporting) that I feel indifferent to and it doesn't break any new ground. The cast do their best with what they can but they deserve better. This is of course my opinion, take it with a pinch of salt. 3/10 Bethany Cox

I have seen a lot of great shows and a few bad ones. Arrested Development is brilliant, at least in my view. The show is well made visually, with very nice photography and sets that don't look cheap in any way. The music is memorable, particularly the theme tune, the story lines are well-structured with any big themes executed cleverly and the writing and jokes are some of the funniest and smartest I've seen. The characters are admittedly strange, but they are also unique and have their likability too, while the acting from the whole cast is consistently top-notch and the show even uses their guest stars in a creative way. All in all, funny, smart and engaging, quite simply a brilliant show. 10/10 Bethany Cox

As a huge fan not only of the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but also of the portrayals given by Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett, I saw Sherlock. And to be honest, and I don't know why, but I was expecting to hate it.

What a big surprise! Sherlock was surprisingly brilliant, and made my week when it was on. (I said the same thing about Luther too by the way) Why did I love it? Well, it was fresh and exciting not to mention hugely entertaining. Though I have to agree I wished there was more and I hope there is more in the future.

Visually, Sherlock scores highly. The photography is skillful, the sets are lovely and the costumes are beautifully tailored. The music is another strong asset, not just the clever main theme but the haunting and beautiful background music too. I found the stories very engaging, with a nice balance of humour, mystery and adventure, with the reveal of Moriaty both "campy" and chilling and each episode moving very briskly, and the writing is top notch being humorous and intriguing.

The direction is rock solid as well, and the characters are still very likable. Holmes is still charismatic and intelligent, and Watson authoritative and charming. The acting is very well done too, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman perfect as Holmes and Watson and Rupert Graves great as Lestrade. And while some may disagree, I personally had little problem with Mark Gatiss writing himself as Mycroft.

In conclusion, hugely entertaining and fun take on the great literary detective, and I think it is a must even if you like the stories or not. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I never realised I would like Lost, but I think it is just great. I thought it wouldn't be my thing, but from the first episode I was hooked from the word go. The acting is exceptional from all involved, nothing like the amateurish acting I have seen before. One of my favourite characters is Hurley, he is hilarious, there is one episode when he hurts his foot in the sea and he screams at Jin to "pee on it!" Matthew Fox is quite a hunk, and Evangeline Lilly has that star quality that draws you to her. Another favourite is Charlie, he is a great character, same with Locke. The characters are so well developed, and you learn a lot about them. From the excellent photography, the chilling theme tune, the clever plot lines and the well crafted scripts, Lost is a rarity of excellence in my book. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Had heard nothing but great things about 'The Walking Dead' from friends and IMDb reviewers. It took a while to get round to walking, both from being busy and also not being sure whether it would be my cup of tea.

Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be. Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant, and it still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so. My only complaint about the early seasons actually is the slightly slow start to Season 2.

'The Walking Dead' is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up which helps make the already freaky zombies even freakier. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.

For five seasons, the writing was intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and improving every time a story and character were expanded and given more complexity. Loved that the stories had multiple layers and felt satisfactorily resolved, while the action is both thrilling and terrifying, the blood-spattering gore uncompromising.

Seasons 3 and 4 are especially good in this regard, and it is the latter where the complexities and nuance of the storytelling and characterisation particularly shine. The pace was a little slow to begin with in Season 2 but thrilling elsewhere while not rushing through important pieces of information. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted especially from the two leads playing particularly well-crafted characters.

Which is why it is so sad that Season 7 has been a dead mess on the whole, apart from the production values, some effective world-building and the actors did their best with what they had (an achievement somewhat, admiration is to be had for anybody able to do anything with such poor material). Season 6 did have some slow and pointless moments and the finale was a disappointment but had good things. Can say very little good about Season 7 though.

A season where once interesting, complex characters are no more. Negan was a fascinating villain, now a cartoonish caricature that one wants done away with, don't blame Jeffrey Dean Morgan here, he's great in the role, it's the writing. Pacing has been all over the map, often brutally slow. The season has had too many characters and subplots that are mostly under-explored or completely superfluous. There was heavy reliance on over-convenience, lots of melodrama, very talky sections that add little and feel like padding, little character growth, frustratingly illogical decision making and some convolution. And there were very few thrills or scares thanks to lack of suspense and a sense that everything feels toned down.

Overall, brilliant for about just over two-thirds but Season 7 was a serious disappointment and has left me dubious as to whether to stick with the show for the eighth season. With such a decline lately, there is a sense that a once addictive personal favourite show has run its course. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

I have nothing against sit-coms in general, as long as they are funny. In America, there is Frasier and Will & Grace, in Britain, there is Only Fools and Horses and Last of the Summer Wine, they are great sit-coms. There was a time when I didn't like Friends very much, then again it was also at a time when I wasn't into sit-coms. My brother and sister, who absolutely adore the show suggested I should try the show again, so I did. Well, my initial reaction of the show was wrong, this show is great, it is funny and smart with appealing characters. It is by far one of the better American sit-coms and I do think it is better than Everybody Loves Raymond.

First and foremost, I love the theme song. It may get on some people's nerves, but I find it irresistibly catchy, memorable and fun, with a simple melody and nice lyrics that are relevant.

I also love how funny and smart Friends is. Some of the episode titles alone are hilarious and clever. That reminds me when I see and review When Harry Met Sally, maybe the title of the review should be "The One With the Scene in the Diner". Along with this the writing is consistently funny, with some wit and intelligence and very rarely becomes clichéd and cringe worthy. I even like the plot lines, I don't find them boring, predictable perhaps occasionally but the funny situations that the characters get into make them absorbing and worthwhile.

The direction is also really solid, and the photography and scenery are striking.

I love the characters, they are unique and engaging, even with their flaws they manage to be likable. Rachel does have moments when she is spoilt, but she is also the epitome of sweetness. I know there are people who have problems with Jennifer Aniston, the thing is I don't and I find her at her prettiest and most appealing here. Monica is another strong character, not the funniest by all means, but because she is almost like a maternal figure to the other characters with her caring and sympathetic attitude. I loved how Courtney Cox portrayed her. Phoebe is my favourite female character, she is hilarious; I especially love her songs, they are the sort of songs that are so bad they are great. Lisa Kudrow couldn't have been the more perfect choice for her, she pulls off Phoebe's personality to perfection.

Joey is stupid admittedly, but I love him anyway because he is also cool. I am not a huge fan of Matt LeBlanc, but he is really good as Joey. Matthew Perry is great as Chandler, who is like a clownish and sarcastic sort of character, who makes jokes that are almost as bad as Phoebe's songs, but he is still a likable character in his own right. Ross is deliciously neurotic, I constantly love his priceless facial expressions and David Schwimmer's delivery is absolutely perfect.

There have also been some wonderful guest stars, Elliot Gould as Jack Geller, Gary Oldman(who I really like in films like Dracula and Immortal Beloved) as Richard Crosby, Michael McKean and Danny DeVito as a stripper who arrives at a party in a policeman's outfit, all but to name a few. Overall, I love this show, not only for the writing but for the characters. 10/10 Bethany Cox

There isn't much I can add to how brilliant Seinfeld is. It is a true gem of a sit-com and has very quickly become one of my favourite shows of all time. It looks lovely, the photography is always skillful and the locations and sets are striking and effective. The music is pretty infectious, granted it is not the best asset of the show but it is good. The best asset of the show is easily the writing. Very rarely has there been a sitcom or a show even where the writing is consistently witty and hilarious, even in the weaker episodes it makes its mark. The story lines and episode ideas are outstanding, maybe it doesn't always cover new ground but the situations are always superbly realised and priceless. In fact there are several episodes of Seinfeld I would deem masterpieces of comedy. The characters do have flaws certainly, but they are also likable. And the acting is brilliant, with the interplay shining in every single episode. Overall, superb comedy show and deserves to be up there with the best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Don't get me wrong, I do love sitcoms. I love Frasier, I love Friends, I love Cheers, I love Black Adder, I love Last of the Summer Wine(mostly) and I love Fawlty Towers. But I just can't get into How I Met your Mother. At first it was alright, there were some good ideas, some of the situations were at least fun. But as the show has progressed, in my personal opinion it is running out of ideas and it feels more dull and laboured by the minute. I do like the production values, and there is one good character Barney, wonderfully played by Neil Patrick Harris. The other characters I don't care for, in general I find them stupid and unlikeable, while the writing and jokes are forced and predictable now that the show lacks a good pace and freshness and some of the situations are not at all funny, more inane if anything. The acting also feels forced and over-compensated, as if the actors know their characters and writing are lacking and they're trying to make it work. Harris in my opinion is the one exception who doesn't suffer, that's because he's that good an actor, he has had some bad material but he always gives his all to elevate it. All in all, I do like sitcoms and comedies when they're good, but How I Met Your Mother is an example of one I can't get into. 2/10 Bethany Cox

What a shame! When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week.

So what was it that made the earlier seasons of 'Once Upon a Time' so good? First and foremost, it is a very handsomely mounted show, with settings and costumes that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly and pretty good effects work, at their best fantastical. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.

The writing was humorous, poignant, suspenseful and altogether clever, while the story-lines were ceaselessly compelling and fun and layered to watch. Also doing a great job with the development of the characters, which in the earlier seasons felt like real characters with relatable conflicts, far more than archetypes. It was also a sheer delight spotting and recognising them, a huge part of the fun.

'Once Upon a Time's' actors have always made the most of what they're given, regardless of the material, and a lot of it is very good. Outstanding in the cases of Robert Carlyle, Lana Parilla, Jared Gilmore and Ginnifer Goodwin as four of the show's more interesting characters. Jennifer Morrison grew into her role.

Unfortunately something happened later on, 'Once Upon a Time' lost its magic and there was a real sense that it had run out of ideas. Have never had a problem with the actors, the music or most of the production values. The problem is the writing, which at its worst was so poor that giving up on the show was seriously considered but stuck with it for fairness and curiosity's sake.

It was sad that such layered and clever writing before became cheesy and shallow later on, and that the stories became repetitive and convoluted. Not to mention downright strange in some of the subplots, some didn't feel resolved enough and others didn't make sense or add much to the show. The characters lost their nuances and what made them so easy to relate to and fun, character decisions also became odd and even illogical.

Have said that most of the production values have remained good. Still think that but over-time the visual effects have become less than special and at their worst pretty ropy.

Overall, a very uneven show. Started off truly great but now, especially the most recent season, feels like a completely different show altogether. 6/10 Bethany Cox