This Week: Literally Nothing I Can't Tie Back to Doctor Who

Mikey Heinrich: OK, so lately my only real night of appointment TV is Ghosts and Elsbeth which air Thursdays on CBS. And by night, I do mean that I get around to streaming them sometime Friday or Saturday.

Regardless, this week the new episode of Ghosts was titled "I Know What You Did Thirty-Seven Summers Ago" and the new episode of Elsbeth is titled "I Know What You Did Thirty-Three Summers Ago" and apparently, according to every online source I can think to look at, it's just a complete coincidence.

Five Shows that Replaced their Entire Cast

In my previous Doux Five post, I looked back at some of the shows that managed to successful (and unsuccessfully) replace key characters. Today, I'm going to go one step further and look at the shows that actually managed to replace every single member of their original cast.

Mark's Best of 2013

At first, I wanted to do something a little different this year. But I soon realised that that would require me to actually think of something different, so I ultimately decided against it. This is Christmas. It's not a time for thinking. It's a time for stuffing your face and saying "Thank you, it's just what I wanted" with absolute sincerity. So I ultimately settled for just doing the exact same thing I did last year.

Profitez de mes amis.

Oh, and beware the Spoiler Kitten if you don't watch any of the shows in the tags but might want to someday.

Being Human: The Last Broadcast

Alex: "Shit's getting real out there."

As far as finales go, this was incredible. Just when we thought we were about to get our happy ending, they pulled the rug out from under our feet and sent us sprawling. For fifteen minutes I felt excitement, which turned to weeping, then disappointment, then happiness, then confusion. I think I'm still stuck at confusion. Was this a fitting end to five years of blood, death and long brooding stares? You know, love it or hate it, I think it probably was.

Being Human: No Care, All Responsibility

Rook: “Close your eyes. Don't look at the monsters.”

I spent the first half of tonight's episode wondering when something was going to happen, and the last half wishing that nothing had. In traditional penultimate episode style, everything went colossally wrong – leaving Toby Whithouse just with 60 minutes to either pull it out of the bag or feel the wrath of my right boot up his arse.

Being Human: The Greater Good

Hal: “All we are doing is marking time until the inevitable happens.”

Another great character episode, although the season arc itself is a little slow in getting going. I guess I keep expecting Captain Hatch to explode in a burst of malevolent madness. Instead, he just sits there, gently picking people off and manipulating others from afar. Not that I'm complaining -- it's certainly an effective strategy. The Barry Grand Hotel has a higher mortality rate than Midsomer.

Being Human: Pie and Prejudice

Hal: "What have you done? You've broken Mary!"

I confess, I wasn't anticipating any stand-alones this season. With the end in sight, and a reduced episode run, I was expecting a mainly story driven final four. So, although initially miffed by the appearance of the seemingly obligatory comedy episode, this actually turned out to be a fascinating character piece. To say Hal killing Larry has thrown a spanner in the works seems like something of an understatement. After over 200 years of lying to Lady Mary, Hal looks set to continue the tradition with his house-mates. This isn't going to end well, is it?

Being Human: Sticks and Ropes

Hal: “Very well, Thomas. I accept the challenge.”

Now Being Human has been cancelled, I'm finding it difficult to decide what might pass as an appropriate finale. Will they all live happily ever after? Have the new characters had sufficient time to develop so that, in the event of their possible deaths, we'll all feel suitably distraught? If Hal died, I'd definitely miss him. Tom, too probably. Alex, being the relative newcomer, needs some work, but tonight Toby Whithouse did his best to oblige, and thankfully, he did a better job of hanging flesh on Alex's bones than Alex did of playing the organ.

Being Human: The Trinity

Hal: “Fill a bowl with boiling water and washing-up-liquid. This is a two sets of Marigolds problem.”

A solid opener to what promises to be Being Human's biggest season yet. Thanks to the rickety economy, we're down to six episodes instead of eight, but this doesn't seem to have diluted Toby Whithouse's ambition. The villains have been getting bigger each season, so it should come as no surprise that this year's big bad is none other than Beelzebub himself. And with Phil Davis on board as Captain Hatch, how can this not be awesome? Well, quite easily, really – but at least we're off to a good start.

Being Human: All God's Children

“George. All the werewolves die. Tully.”

A truly amazing finale. For two seasons now George, Mitchell and Annie have tried to live like humans. Tonight, they were forced to acknowledge that humanity is as flawed as they are. Everyone makes mistakes, but what separates man from monster is knowing when to stop. Despite Mitchell gazing over the precipice, it was George who held out his hand and Mitchell who chose to come back. Everyone has it in them to be a monster -- but anyone can be human, too. Therein lies the truth.

Being Human: Damage

Mitchell: "I don't get saved."

Tonight's episode fairly fizzled with action. Mitchell lost the plot and massacred a train carriage full of people; George came within an inch of wolfing out in public; and Nina, George and Annie, all desperate for a cure, signed themselves into Jaggat's Care Home for the Supernaturally Challenged. Fat lot of good that'll do them. The compression chamber does nothing but blow people up, and no amount of praying can dis-possess Annie. So, if there's no real cure, then what's Kemp's angle? Does he simply want them all dead?

Being Human: In the Morning

Mitchell: “This is the problem with vampires. Too much fucking introspection.”

An excellent episode all round. Good character development, some nice main arc advancement, and a decent stand alone story for Annie. (Not before time, too.) This was an episode which seemed to split the fan community -- people seemed to either love it or hate it. I thought it gave an effective insight into the crumbling lives of our three main protagonists. It even made me feel for the bad guys.

Being Human: The Looking Glass

Mitchell: "Please! I'm begging you. Save me!”

Mitchell's been a ticking time bomb all season and tonight he finally exploded. Despite preaching a message of peace and abstinence, he still ended up killing Chief Constable Wilson. Not that Wilson didn't have it coming, but there'll be a price to pay. In the emotional aftermath which followed, Mitchell even confessed to being a vampire. I wonder how this full disclosure will affect his relationship with Lucy. Will she be able to kill him now? Does she even want to?

Being Human: Educating Creature

Ivan: “You know, Mitchell, eventually it just makes children of us all.”

This was a stronger outing for Annie. I keep waiting for them to do something interesting with her character. (Instead of her current role as Barry Chuckle's marginally smarter sister.) We're not quite there yet, but I did detect a subtle shift in the force tonight. Sykes was the perfect foil for Annie to riff off. When the dialogue's this good her character shines. It's just a pity it's not like this every week.

Being Human: Long Live the King

All: “The King is dead. Long live the King.”

Who'd have thought that Hugh and George would have so much in common? Their hatred of limescale on draining boards, their love of coasters, the fact that they've both recently been dumped and can't seem to get over it. No wonder Kirsty fell for George -- he was like Hugh's long lost twin. Add a love of kebabs and German impressionist cinema to the mix, and Kirsty never stood a chance. Yet, all it took to turn her back to Hugh was George's simple admission of love for Nina. All we need now is for Nina to have a similar revelation -- and hope Jaggat doesn't kill her.

Being Human: Serve God, Love Me and Mend

Annie: "What is it with me and volatile, unsuitable men? Be honest, am I Ulrika Jonsson?"

Well, there goes Saul. Hugh was right: what a twat. Not only did he assault Annie, he also tried to drag her down to hell with him. I'm guessing that's where he went-- black feathered men with sticks and ropes doesn't sound much like the other place. Did Saul redeem himself by letting Annie go? Maybe. There were mitigating circumstances. But why is Annie so deserving of hell anyway? And who's pulling Wogan's strings? I always suspected 'The Floral Dance' was demonic.

Being Human: Cure and Contagion

George: “Not you. Don't let me have done this to you.”

I was relieved to see George and Nina make up by the end of tonight's episode. I had visions of them dragging the story out for half a season. George now knows Nina's a werewolf, so if his self-loathing was already too much for you to stomach, imagine the depths of guilt, misery and despair he can now plumb. Poor George -- although, I have to say, his behaviour tonight was at times baffling. I'm not sure how Nina will react when she finds out about him and Daisy. I'm guessing it'll be handbags at dawn.

Doux News: April 1, 2012

This week: Game of Thrones -- Alphas -- Bones -- Torchwood -- Fringe -- Three Years Ago -- New at Doux: Mad Men and Castle

Being Human: The War Child

Annie: “Hal isn’t a living thing.”

It’s official: Being Human has been renewed for a fifth season. Despite a slight dip in ratings (compared with season three), fans appear to have taken to the new line-up like a duck to l'orange. Season five will be a shorter season – six episodes instead of eight – but that may not be such a handicap. In the past, extra minutes have translated into filler. Thankfully, tonight's episode was mostly useful, and saw the departure of Annie, our last surviving original character. Can a show survive with none of its original cast members? If this season's proved anything (apart from disco's not dead), the answer is probably yes.

Being Human: Making History

Cutler: “Softly softly, massacre monkey.”

It seems strange that after six weeks of theorising over Cutler’s plans and motivations, it all comes down to Hal. Since 1950, he's been a malign influence in Cutler's life. (Despite being presumed dead for most of it.) In fact, this whole season’s been about Cutler trying to live up to his sire’s expectations. As well as conditional immortality, he wants historic immortality too. He wants statues erected in his honour. He wants Brazil. He wants the world to know that the defeat and mass conversion of humankind was all his idea. In short, he's disappeared up his own megalomaniacal arse -- and it's all Hal's fault.