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Doc Martin - Series 3 - Complete

starring: Joe Absolom, Lucy Punch, Carol Catz, Stephanie Cole, Martin Clunes
directed by: Minkie Spiro, Ben Bolt

February 18, 2008
Loved the first 2 series - definitely 5 stars each. This third series was a big disappointment. The new village copper was a bore and the main love story was not developed but merely dropped into the land of cliche.
Will have great difficulty in making another series believable

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Waking The Dead : Complete BBC Series 3 [2001]

starring: Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston, Holly Aird, Claire Goose, Wil Johnson
directed by: Jim O'Hanlon, Martin Hutchings, Robert Del Maestro, Gary Love, Ben Bolt (II)

September 25, 2006
They have never made a bad episode. It is consistently brilliant. Its so much better then the similar american programmes like csi. Boyd is a legend.

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Waking The Dead : Complete BBC Series 2 [2001]

directed by: Maurice Phillips, Ben Bolt (II), Robert Bierman, Gary Love, Martin Hutchings

June 26, 2006
I only caught up with Waking the Dead by seeing a couple of repeats, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hadn't seen any of series 2.

Yes, I enjoyed it, but with reservations. It's slick and the characterisation is good. As for the plots, well that's another thing. Part of the fun of the genre is that you have to think, but I'm now getting used to the fact that the reason why I'm lost is not because the writing is clever, but because there are too many things about the storylines that simply do not add up. I watched 'Thin Air' last night and I'm still reeling from the absurdity of it all.

I hope that they spent as much money on a team of writers for series 3 as they did on star actors in series 2.

Top marks to ... Read More:

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Waking The Dead : Complete BBC Series 1 [2001]

starring: Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston
directed by: Jim O'Hanlon, Martin Hutchings, Robert Del Maestro, Gary Love, Ben Bolt (II)

September 12, 2005
I am a big fan of waking the dead, but had never actually watched the first series. After being given some amazon vouchers, I recently brought this series and was not disappointed at all!

It was good to see the team frst coming together and forming their often strained relationships. Added to that were the gripping storylines and solid acting. One of the most haunting episodes is Small Sacrifice. Not only is it spooky, but quite moving too.

I am eagerly awaiting series seven, but this should certainly keep you going in the meantime!

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Silent Witness : Complete BBC Series 1 [1996]

starring: Amanda Burton
directed by: Richard Signy, Mike Barker, Ben Bolt (II), David Thacker, Coky Giedroyc

July 24, 2006
What a great series Silent Witness is and it is still going strong. In fact I watched an episode of the new series last night. This 2 disk dvd contains the first series.
The first story Buried Lies is a strong start and introduces us to Dr Sam Ryan played by Amanda Burton. The plot concerns the death of a young girl who is thought to have fallen from a swing and drowned, Sam has other ideas.
Next up is Long Days, Short Night. This was the first episode I ever watched and features Colin Salmon (Tomorrow Never Dies)as a man suspected of a ritual killing.
Ken Stott stars in the next episode Darkness Visible. Sam investigates a custody death in a police cell. Could there be a cover up ?
The final story Sins Of The Fathers is about a charred ... Read More:

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Waking The Dead - Series 4 [2001]

directed by: Maurice Phillips, Ben Bolt (II), Robert Bierman, Gary Love, Martin Hutchings

January 15, 2007
Waking The Dead - Series 4 [2001]

Contemporary television drama at its best, although I have not seen all the seasons I feel certain this must be the best, if they come any better than this, WOW.

There is a wonderful atmosphere maintained throughout the season, every complex plot is a well acted and a stunning success, even if there are occasional unlikely coincidences, etc

Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve) and psychologist and profiler Grace Foley (Sue Johnson) both well into middle age lead the very much younger team of DI Jordan (Wil Johnson), DS Mel Silver (Claire Goose) and pathologist /forensic scientist Frankie Wharton (Holly Aird).
What makes it stand out against other series (i.e. the American ... Read More:

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Doc Martin : Complete Series 1 - 3

starring: Martin Clunes, Stephanie Cole, Joe Absolom, Lucy Punch, Ian McNeice
directed by: Ben Bolt, Minkie Spiro

September 29, 2008
Waking The Dead - Series 4 [2001]

Contemporary television drama at its best, although I have not seen all the seasons I feel certain this must be the best, if they come any better than this, WOW.

There is a wonderful atmosphere maintained throughout the season, every complex plot is a well acted and a stunning success, even if there are occasional unlikely coincidences, etc

Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve) and psychologist and profiler Grace Foley (Sue Johnson) both well into middle age lead the very much younger team of DI Jordan (Wil Johnson), DS Mel Silver (Claire Goose) and pathologist /forensic scientist Frankie Wharton (Holly Aird).
What makes it stand out against other series (i.e. the American ... Read More:

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Doc Martin - Series 2 - Complete

starring: Martin Clunes, Caroline Catz, Stephanie Cole, Ian McNeice, Joe Absolom
directed by: Ben Bolt, Minkie Spiro

April 03, 2006
With a bit of luck, they would have, without ruining things.

Series 1. Well nigh perfect. Eccentric supporting characters usually have me reaching for the shotgun, but here they are quite over the top, generally annoying, and just all round brilliant.

Even the Receptionist character change in Series 2 was carried off well. How many other series could manage that? Katherine Parkinson should have had an impossible task in taking Lucy Punch's part, after she had done an Alan Rickman, yet she managed it without any seeming effort - just complementing the role, if anything, while ruling, like she always does.

The Christmas 2006 Special was very strange indeed. You'd think after two series, everyone was settled into their characters. ... Read More:

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Silent Witness 8-DVD Set ( Buried Lies | Long Days, Short Nights | Darkness Visible | Sins of The Fathers | Blood, Sweat and Tears | Cease Upon The Midnight | Only The Lonely | Friends Like These ) [1996]

directed by: Noella Smith, Mike Barker, Ben Bolt (II), Harry Hook

January 11, 2007
With a bit of luck, they would have, without ruining things.

Series 1. Well nigh perfect. Eccentric supporting characters usually have me reaching for the shotgun, but here they are quite over the top, generally annoying, and just all round brilliant.

Even the Receptionist character change in Series 2 was carried off well. How many other series could manage that? Katherine Parkinson should have had an impossible task in taking Lucy Punch's part, after she had done an Alan Rickman, yet she managed it without any seeming effort - just complementing the role, if anything, while ruling, like she always does.

The Christmas 2006 Special was very strange indeed. You'd think after two series, everyone was settled into their characters. ... Read More:

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Beauty

starring: Martin Clunes, Sienna Guillory, Peter Vaughan
directed by: Ben Bolt

October 17, 2005
"He looks like the elephant man - only not enough to go on tour".

This is how the Lord of the Manor, the reclusive Tom (Martin Clunes) is described by the villagers whom he avoids. With centuries of in breeding resulting in a deformed forehead and fleshy face, Tom keeps himself to himself and makes sure no one comes close enough to see him. He rattles round his impressive home with only his elderly butler and his wife for company. But things change for Tom when the house plumbing finaly gets beyond his repair skills and a local man has to come and fix it.

When the plumber (Sam Kelly) is injured, his daughter Cathy takes over the work and after various shouting matches, she begins to see beyond Tom's looks to the man inside. In turn, Tom no longer ... Read More: