Merlin - Season 3 Review

UK Airdate: September 11th – December 4th 2010

The third series of the Saturday drama sees Morgana finally making her choice as both Merlin and Arthur seemingly get closer to their respective destinies and Uther’s relationship with Morgana changes forever.

One Year Later: You have to admire this show, don’t you? It can be the epitome at times of adopting a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix’ approach to storytelling while every now and then making some little changes and ending with some big ones that will hopefully pay off in the long run. And that is also the show’s third season in a nutshell too.

Doing a year long time jump has its pros and cons and often, it’s usually the latter that are felt. By skipping a year, it’s like the writers have skipped a vital part of Morgana’s development as a character. The Morgana of old would’ve shown traces of conflict and unease with turning sides but the version we’re left with this series is sadly devoid of those qualities.

It’s almost a shame to see that because not only does it make Morgana too black and white as a villain but it also seems odd that everything she seems to despite with Uther are the very things that she embraces a little too liberally here. From her open hostility with Merlin throughout the season through her various attempts of putting both Arthur and Gwen’s lives in danger, I’m not sure I like this Morgana all that much. Katie McGrath is on fine form though but not only is Morgana too narrow as a villain, she’s also one at times that is rather incompetent too.

The psychological warfare she inflicted Uther too in the opening two parter, “The Tears Of Uther Pendragon” was fantastic but her failed attempts of trying to murder him in “The Crystal Cave” were laughable by comparison.

It’s only in the two part finale, “The Coming Of Arthur” (minds out of the gutter, people) that both her and Morgause seem to be a match for the good guys and actually manage to run Camelot for a short time period before both of them are defeated by Arthur and his newly appointed knights of the round table. Here is hoping that by next season, both sisters of evil are more capable of realising a scheme without being stopped by the totty brigade.

Morgana aside, this is also a season for Merlin. Not so dependant on the dragon (whose reduced appearance are a help rather than a hindrance), it’s nice to see him mostly go it alone and get it right. He’s the guy who still puts up with Arthur’s putdowns but is getting better at delivering his own and he’s the guy who is still saving people, even if they’re unaware of it at the time.

He’s also getting seemingly closer to his destiny with various episodes in the season working his progression quite nicely and it’s not just him. For every time Arthur acts like a berk, he’s given reason and moments to prove that when he does get Camelot, he will be more than a worthy king to the land.

As for Gwen, well I’ve always liked her and Arthur as a couple and I love that this season finally progressed it to the point where Arthur stood up to Uther for her but I also loved the inclusion of her brother, Elyan and her own role in helping the guys take down Morgana and Morgause in the finale. When given the right material, Gwen certainly seems to shine and hopefully next season continues that too.

People who get to shine less are Uther and Gaius. The latter has two big episodes but they’re a mixed bag. “Goblin’s Gold” is horribly unfunny but “Love In The Time Of Dragons” is quite moving, given that Gaius manages to get himself a love interest. It’s just a shame that said love interest incurred Uther’s wrath but that man is so easy to get on the wrong side nowadays.

This leads to my main issue – Uther. I think Anthony Stewart Head is wonderful and while there are times where I feel bad for Uther, they’re becoming few and far between. Uther seems to be turning on people too quickly and I have a feeling that thanks to Morgana holding him prisoner and admitting her hatred for him (despite the show revealing that Uther is her actual father), Uther will probably continue to harden but then again, maybe I’ll be proved wrong.

In terms of guest characters this season, this is something of a strength. Okay, Morgause could’ve used better and Cenred’s not as nasty as he could’ve been but with the nice formation of the knights of the round table with Sir Leon, a returned Lancelot, loveable rogue Gwaine, Gwen’s brother Elyan, hunky Perceival, this show does work out nicely in that respect.

DVD EXTRAS: With all of this season being released on DVD together, shortly after it finished transmitting on BBC1, the extras are reasonable. There’s a good making of feature for the season, bloopers, deleted scenes, commentaries from cast and crew as well as download wallpapers and character profiles.

EPISODE RATINGS:

3x01: The Tears Of Uther Pendragon Part 1 = 9/10, 3x02: The Tears Of Uther Pendragon Part 2 = 8/10, 3x03: Goblin’s Gold = 4/10, 3x04: Gwaine = 8/10, 3x05: The Crystal Cave = 9/10, 3x06: The Changeling = 8/10, 3x07: The Castle Of Fyrien = 7/10, 3x08: The Eye Of The Phoenix = 8/10, 3x09: Love In The Time Of Dragons = 8/10, 3x10: Queen Of Hearts = 9/10, 3x11: The Sorcerer’s Shadow = 8/10, 3x12: The Coming Of Arthur Part 1 = 9/10, 3x13: The Coming Of Arthur Part 2 = 9/10.

It's A Fix It's A Fix

And here's a look at some of the programmes I've been watching over the last two weeks.

Glee - It's that time of year again - Sectionals! Last time we had set lists revealed and Emma's wedding become a non starter. This time around you've got Emma actually marrying Carl, Sam/Quinn doing Time Of My Life (wasn't Black Eyed Peas enough?) along with Santana belting out Valerie and Rachel/Finn coming to an ending for now. Elsewhere, Kurt's beginning to realise that the Warblers aren't that great, we've got a new member in Lauren and while I'm still not invested in Artie/Brittany, I didn't mind them this week. Oh, and no Sue along with Mercedes/Tina's rendition of Dog Days Are Over along with Rachel/Kurt's Don't Cry For Me Argentina certainly hit the musical spots.

Misfits - Last two episodes have for me seen this show go from great TV to must see TV. I know the whole Time Traveller's Wife arc with Future Simon and Alisha is hardly the most innovative thing on TV but damn it, it worked brilliantly and it's certainly improving both characters as well. Plus episodes with powered up tattoo artists, psychotic gamers and power tranfers through heart transplants shouldn't be this good but it's nice to see this show exceeding my expectations nonetheless though. Now if only Nathan and Kelly could just see sense with each other and I actually don't mind Curtis and Nikki as a pairing.

Merlin - For the most part I've enjoyed the last two episodes and while the series has still been worth watching, it's also been horribly inconsistent in places as well. At least with this story, we've got the Knights of the Round Table, Morgana temporarily defeated, Cenred and Morgause despatched and a brief reappearance of Freya along with some actual progression with Arthur and Gwen if not as much with Merlin (though I liked the last scene a lot). Here's hoping when the shorter fourth season returns that this level of progression will sustain itself.

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here - Aww, when I got into, I actually liked this series again. Gillian provided some morbid comedy before she got the boot and I could empathise with Dom Joly's complete irritation with Kayla (what, she wasn't famous enough for the US version?) but overall it reminded me why I liked Stacey Solomon so much. The girl is utterly bonkers but so damn likeable that at the end, it only made sense for her to win the bloody thing. Maybe a certain other ITV show could take some tips.

The X Factor - Memo to Simon Cowell - this show is supposed to be decided by the public and while you and Cheryl Cole continue to prove how little you both actually know about music, someone with actual talent got sacrificed last night. I never thought for a second that Mary Byrne would win the show but she deserved to be in the final and the fact that Cher Lloyd got through after an abysmal performance of Everytime only proved two things - a) ageism is still alive in Britain today and b) Simon really needs to stop sucking to Cheryl, even if I do want Rebecca to win. I knew Mary Byrne was going but after last night, it should've been Cher. At least the Glee bit was fun.

- In news that won't shock at all, Dexter has been deservedly renewed for a sixth season. I still have to watch Season 5 but I hear I'm in for a treat.

- True Blood's third season will air on FXUK in January. Looks like they're promoting the werewolf aspect of the series as well.
- Stephan Amell is joining The Vampire Diaries for a two episode arc playing a character called Brady.

- Expect to see the return of both Susan's mother and her aunt in Desperate Housewives soon. Also in the last episode this year, someone gets shot.
- The CW are planning a series based on DC Comics character, Raven as a replacement for Smallville.

- Glee will be covering a Black Eyed Peas song in an upcoming episode. The Christmas one airs tomorrow on FOX.

Umbrella

And here's a catch up on some of the stuff I've been watching over the last few days ...

Glee - The last two episodes have certainly been interesting. The first one with Gwyneth Paltrow's Holly Holliday was a lot of fun and to be honest, auto-tuned or not, I did enjoy the mash-up of Umbrella/Singing In The Rain as well as Sue's pretty ruthless attempts of becoming principal, only to jack it in protest of Kurt being victimised by Karofsky in the next episode. It's nice that in the midst of Burt and Carole's wedding that the Glee club, Will and Sue finally stepped in trying to deal with Karofsky, even it backfired somehow. As for Sue's own wedding - um, weird but I did like seeing her mother and while it's nice to see more of Blaine and have Kurt transferred to Dalton, I only hope that Mercedes is due a storyline soon because protesting about tator tots is not good enough to be honest.
Merlin - I love this show, I honestly do and while I loved this episode, this show really needs to step up a gear. Tournaments aren't that exciting anymore and apart from the fact that Gilli wasn't a baddie and made some perceptive comments to Merlin about concealing his magic, this wasn't an episode that progressed much to be honest. Still though, the finale starts this weekend and that does look genuinely exciting.

Misfits - A fantastic second episode. I wasn't exactly in love with the idea of Nathan getting a brother out of nowhere but it certainly worked in helping him and his father overcome some of their own issues when said brother also died as well. It's also interesting that the influence of drugs has some pretty bad effects on the gang's powers as well but along with the ninja guy and mystery girl, Nikki, this show is definitely building up some interesting arcs this year. Oh and excellent choice in music at the start of this episode too.

The Vampire Diaries - One has to feel a little for Pearl. She's all about trying to start over in Mystic Falls and when she isn't having to deal with Anna's interest in Jeremy, she's got rebellious minions torturing the crap out of Stefan for fun as well. I suppose being emtombed for 145 years will do that to you though. On a serious note, these last two episodes have been good but not as good as previous ones, even if I do like Alaric being utilised into Stefan's rescue this week.

Desperate Housewives - Another two episodes which were interesting to varying degrees. Gabby's obsession with Grace is naturally causing problems with Carlos and Juanita but there were some amusing moments when Carlos and Bob hung out more and the latter reunited with Lee. Lynette and Tom's story with the latter's mum was far more affecting than Susan having to become babysitter after Paul made sure she was fired and I'm not sure if the casting was right for Keith's parents but I do like that him and Bree deepened a little more before going their seperate ways. Renee's still not working for me and Beth is only slightly more interesting than when she started. I knew she was a plant.

- Jessica Tuck has been promoted to series regular for Season 4 of True Blood. Janina Gavankar will play shapeshifter/school teacher Luna while Alexandria Breckinridge will play witch Daisy and Vedette Lim will play cage fighter Naomi.

- Grey's Anatomy are planning a musical episode in the second half of the seventh season.
- Calista Flockhart will not appear in the series 100th episode of Brothers And Sisters. Damn.
- Lucas Grabeel will be reprising his role as a teenage Lex Luthor in an upcoming episode of Smallville.

- Being Human US starts on Syfy from January 17th at 9pm. I'll be doing more spoiler blogs on it in the next month.

- The cast of Glee will appear at the semi-final of The X Factor next month. The series will also return in February after the last two episodes air in December.

- Teri Hatcher has denied reports that she's set to leave Desperate Housewives. Rumours did surface that she was due to quit her role in the series.

A Bit Of A Huge Roundup

This is going to be a little short but over the last two weeks, there have been some good shows to watch over.

Lip Service - Pretty interesting finale. I'm not gonna lie that I didn't see Cat/Frankie happening because it was pretty obvious that was going to go there and it'll be interesting to see if Cat does choose her ex-girlfriend over Sam. I did also like Frankie's mystery being resolved and it was nice to see Tess sort out her friendship with Ed, get a good acting gig and spark up a relationship with Finn. Pun intended. Hoping this series returns for a second run.

Merlin - what is it with Uther trying to crush other people's love interests? First, he ended up banishing Gaius's one, Alice after it was revealed that her hand was being forced by a Manticore and thanks to Morgana's scheming, he almost ended up having Gwen executed as well. I have to admit to enjoying Merlin using a disguse in order to save Gwen and give both Uther and Arthur a piece of his mind. Now, I need to go and catch with last night's episode.

Thorne - I really enjoyed the last two episodes of this series but I'm hoping for a little more of an oomph if we get a next series. Thorne's guardianship over Charlie and his scenes with his father, Phil and Ruth were fantastic but Sandra Oh was surprisingly disappointing as Sarah Chen and I wasn't too sad to see her killed by Martin. Overall, a worthwhile addition to Sky1's staple.

Accused - Christopher Eccleston and his gritty dramas, eh? He certainly seems to enjoy them and the start of this six-parter from Jimmy McGovern was a decent stab at something for Monday nights. Each week sees a court case and this week saw Eccleston's character steal money to pay for his daughter's wedding and ending up getting six years as well as having his affair quietly revealed in the background. Certainly not a good day for Willy.

The X Factor - Well, in the last three weeks, we've had TreyC, Aiden and Paije all fall to the sides whilst Katie Waissel and Wagner have triumphed yet again. Having weeks dedicated to both Elton John and the Beatles certainly has been telling but at this point, I just know that either Matt Cardle or One Direction are going to win this, so it doesn't matter what controversy Katie generates, though to her credit, she did a cracking version of Help.

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here - Maybe it's a form of twisted karma but for a woman who examines other people's poo for a living, Gillian McKeith certainly has managed to become a figure of fun and scorn for the general voting public and her fellow teammates. Personally, while I'm not glued to this series, I am finding the excess picking on Gillian a tad too mean and I don't even like the woman.

The Apprentice UK/Irish Versions - Mmm, I'm watching the Irish more and actually enjoying it more. We've lost misery guts Tara and moronic Dave (while still being lumbered with patronising git, Jamie) and with any luck, Will will develop a personality and Michelle will win the bloody thing. As for the UK versions, I wasn't too sad to see the departures of either Alex or Sandeesh to be honest.

We're Off To See The Fisher King

Another UK TV based blog. I'll do another US one next Thursday after I've finished Dexter off and seen the first episode of The Walking Dead.

Lip Service - Terrific fourth episode. Okay, I might not find Frankie the most likeable of people but she certainly keeps things interesting to a degree. Not only did she nearly get arrested for trashing a house with Sadie and sleeping with Jay at the end of the episode but her search for her past is starting to cause problems for Sam and Cat as well. Speaking of them, I cringed a little when Sam had to meet her girlfriend's parents. I think I could go a healthy stretch without seeing Cat's mother to be honest. As for Tess, the internet being a disaster storyline was cliched but amusing enough. I still think in spite of Lou's douchey behaviour that she'll end up going back to Tess. Dating Tom the prick can't be doing her the world of good and Lou is preferable to Ed getting with Tess. I like him but I'd rather that him and Tess didn't get it on if that's possible.

Merlin - Eight episodes in and this season still feels like it's on the slow path. This week did try to make some progress with Arthur going on a mission for an artefact whilst unaware of the fact that it was actually Merlin's destiny to meet the dying Fisher King (look, it's Kemp from Being Human) and get some water from Avalon while Gwaine did some monster slaying. Another plus to this episode was Warwick Davis's cameo appearance and the fact that Gwen became privy to Morgana's evil ways and confided in Gaius about it. Overall, an enjoyable episode though Morgause was wasted to a cameo this week.

The X Factor - It was Halloween during the weekend, so there was perfect excuse to use it as a theme for the show on Saturday. Well, it would've been perfect if more than a handful of contestants actually had songs/costumes that adhered to the theme. If I never hear Wagner's take on Bat Out Of Hell or Aiden's odd version of Thriller, it won't be too soon. Cheer up, Aiden. In terms of songs, I actually thought that Cher's version of Stay With Me worked the best, even if Simon's comments about the similarities between Cher and Cheryl are about two months too late. Oh and Belle Amie left but that wasn't much of a surprise.

The Apprentice - UK/Irish Versions: I have to admit that between the two of them, I'm actually preferring the Irish version a little more this year. The UK version has had some good moments in the last weeks and I was glad to see both Melissa and Paloma get the boot in the last two weeks but the Irish one is making me laugh. Especially with Panos being gloriously out of his depth and the figure of fun with a bad game during a task for Cadburys in a local village. Oh, and kudos to Michelle being project manager given that her dictator style actually meant that people get things right and given that she was on the team that lost out to an 11 month calender last week, it was nice that she was able to get a victory. I wasn't too bothered to see Sarah and Nagaite go though I'm hoping that Jamie is next.

- Nina Dobrev has revealed that more will be revealed about Katherine's colourful past in an upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries.

- Kevin and Scotty will be taking in a young girl named Olivia in Brothers And Sisters.

- Gwyneth Paltrow's character on Glee will be called Holly Holiday. Burt and Carol will also be getting married in an upcoming episode as well as Kurt possibly transferring/spying on another school.

- HBO have ordered a pilot from Steve Coogan and Justin Theroux.

- Eliza Dushku will be playing an FBI agent in The Big Bang Theory, whose job is put in danger by Sheldon.

- True Blood's fourth season will finally introduce Andy's sister, Portia as well as cage-fighter Naomi, z-list palm reader, Marnie (who gets posessed by a witch's spirit - Hallow?), fairy Queen Mab and Suzanne McKittrick, who's a shapeshifter. Casting for these roles has yet to be confirmed.

Siblings Reunited

Okay this is going to be brief runover of what I've seen in the last few days and sorry for the delay.

Merlin - Two very interesting episodes here. With the first one I've seen, there was the return of the fairy creatures from the first season and a young woman named Elena, who sensibly did not want to be Arthur's suitor. Top marks to the writers for keeping the goofiness at the right level and for the sympathy drawn for Elena. As for the second episode, nice to see Gwen's brother and the return of Cenred but I would like the Morgana/Morgause stuff to move a little more forward now.

Lip Service - I really do like this show. Okay, so the comparisons to The L Word probably won't end soon but it's certainly more believable and less elitist take on lesbian culture and the characters are definitely interesting to watch. Frankie's not too likeable but she's fascinating and it's hard not to lovbe/feel bad for Tess, given that Lou's pretty much messing her about and she lost her job after impersonating a child psychologist badly. Plus Cat's burgeoning relationship with Sam is nice to watch as well. Not really too bothered about Jay and Ed or Becky - yet.

Thorne: Sleepyhead - Going on the second episode alone, this is definitely taking a different route than the books, which isn't a bad thing. Thorne and Phil's fractured friendship over an old secret is definitely interesting and it was nice to see some of Holland's home life as well as a means for Allison to try and communication with Thorne and Anne but the cliffhanger at the end of the first episode seemed resolved a little too quickly, even if a fair amount of time passed for Tom. I'll comment about the last part of Sleepyhead in a later blog.

Single Father - I'm not going into hyperbole about how this is a brilliant show but the hype surrounding it is certainly justified, that I will admit. Taking Dave to the levels of seeking out Lucy's bio-dad and then sleeping with Sarah after learning that Rita had one secret too many did all make sense, even if it was terribly predictable. The acting in this, especially from the youngsters does continue to impress but I can see some difficult decisions ahead for Dave in the next two episodes.

The X Factor - Ah, the last two weeks of this have been fun. In the space of four shows, we've lost Storm Lee, Diva Fever and John Adeleye (the latter I was sad to see go) but more importantly, we've also had Cheryl plug her latest rubbish song as well as a totally manufactured feud between her and Louie to endure. Um, guys, this show is about the contestants, not the judges. Speaking of contestants, I find it hilarious that for all the negative publicity she's generated that Katie has still managed to be saved for the last few weeks. And my sister keeps nagging me about the greatness of Mary Byrne. I get it, already - Dublin should be proud.

The Apprentice - Ireland/UK Versions - I'm beginning to think that I need to seperate these two because at the moment, I'm enjoying them in equal measures and find myself supporting certain candidates and bemused by others. In the UK version, Shibby bemused me but his bad decisions with the task made it just for Alan Sugar to give him the boot, whereas I also find myself a little taken with Jamie. The Irish version makes me wonder why Dave hasn't been booted out but I guess it had been fair for Caroline to get the chop over the ad fiasco, even if her comments about certain people coasting along might be true. Either way, I bet BBC1 and TV3 are very happy with the ratings for these shows nonetheless.

- Keith Carradine has been cast as Penny's father in an upcoming episode of The Big Bang Theory.

- Robert Englund will be guest starring in next week's Halloween themed episode of Chuck.

- Kristin Davis is set to star in upcoming NBC series, The Happiness Project about one woman's quest for true happiness.

- Mariah Carey is being rumoured for the US version of The X Factor.

- Chandra Wilson has recently directed an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Wildcards

Merlin has had a mixed couple of weeks, especially with the last two episodes I've seen. Gwaine gave us a dashing knight who got exiled from Camelot, even after saving Arthur's life from two disgruntled thugs using magic to disguise themselves as knights but The Crystal Cave was an episode where a lot actually happened. Merlin tried to change the future but instead his interference caused it and Morgana herself became more incensed with rage when she learnt that Uther was her actual father and made a few more failed attempts to kill him. Somewhere in these last two episodes - Arthur, Gwen and Gaius had middling roles, the Dragon became irritated with Merlin's authority and Morgause was a surprising voice of reason with her volatile sister. The season is having a hit and miss quality but it's still better than mostly everything else that airs during the weekend.

Sky1 deserve a medal for bringing Thorne: Sleepyhead to the small screen. If the first episode alone is anything to go by, this is going to be a fantastic series. David Morrissey is brilliant in the leading role and the ongoing plot with the killer trying to get his victims into a state of locked in syndrone is just as creepy to watch as it was to read and I've read the book. The ending where Thorne got attacked in his own apartment by the killer desperate to connect with him totally took me by surprise. I can't wait to see where this further goes and the supporting cast as also brilliant.

There's been so much hype for Single Father over the last couple of weeks that I wasn't sure if I would end up liking it myself but you know what? I did and them some. David Tennant definitely is a masterful actor and his depiction of Dave's anguish over the death of his wife and trying to keep his family together is certainly a performance that's deserving of major awards within the next year. The writing's not particularly original but it's utterly believable and there's a brilliant cast here, especially Suranne Jones and the actors playing Dave's children are very good as well. I think the kiss between Dave and Sarah was a little rushed at the end of the episode (even if 10 weeks passed since Rita's death) but overall, this is another series I'm looking forward to for the next three weeks.

The Apprentice - well, I've been watching both the UK and Irish versions of the show and it just goes to show that both versions continue to entertain me. Last week's premiere of the UK one showed that Alan Sugar can still startle the bejesus of the show-offs vying for a position in his company. Dan Harris wasn't soon packing his bags after blundering in the first task and there's already a departure of another contestant for personal reasons as well. The Irish version in the last two weeks saw both Niamh Humphries and Kieran Walsh getting the boot through their own incompetence and misfortune. Still though, I'm actually surprised that scheming Tara survived Bill Cullen's wrath this week and then I remember that the argumentative madam makes for interesting TV. Well more interesting than Panos's all too familiar fear of power tools.

If I read more about Cheryl Cole being the most hated woman in Britain because of The X-Factor, I'll scream. I don't remember her generating this amount of hate when she beat the crap out of a toilet cleaner all those years ago, so it's interesting that not putting Gamu through has earned her such grief. Granted both Katie and Cher messed up and shouldn't have gone through but fans tends to go overboard with these sort of things. The use of wildcards was predictable though but the exits were interesting. How did Belle Amie and Katie Waissell fare better over Nicolo Festa and FYD? Oh well, I guess congratulations to Mary Byrne, whose version of It's A Man's Man World really did bring the house down. I always worry when I find myself agreeing with Louis Walsh but even I couldn't fault his hyperbole of the Tesco worker this week. Still think it'll be either Cheryl or Dannii who'll snag the victory this year though.

- Christopher J. Hanke is playing the guy that Scotty cheats on Kevin with in Brothers And Sisters. Richard Chamberlain is also guest starring as a love interest for Saul. Ryan Devlin is also playing a grad student who might interest Kitty.

- Glee's Rocky Horror Picture Show episode will air on FOX from October 26th.

- HBO have announced that William Hurt, Cynthia Nixon, Paul Giamatti, Topher Grace, Ed Asner and Billy Crudup will appear in upcoming adaptation of Andrew Ross Sarkin's best seller Too Big To Fail.

- Katerina Graham has admitted that Bonnie may be getting a love interest in the second season of The Vampire Diaries.

- Kristin Bell is being linked to NBC's upcoming remake of The Munsters.

It's Brittany Bitches

And it came - the Britney Spears themed episode of Glee and despite the girl only popping up in three incredibly brief scenes (a good thing), the episode wasn't bad. The best ever - nah, but definitely fun. Having Brittany S. Pierce (yes, she has THAT surname) performing Me Against The Music with Santana and I'm A Slave 4 U were definitely stronger numbers as was Artie's take on Stronger, funnily enough. The group's rendition of Toxic, which sparked a sex riot was amusing but Rachel's Baby One More Time just didn't suit Lea Michele's vocals at all and The Only Exception from Paramore was tacked on at the end. In terms of actual plot with this episode - Beiste is still likeable, Sam/Sunshine aren't here, Emma works better with Carl than Will, Terri's appearance was a dead end, Sue getting injured when she pulled the fire alarm was amusing and anything involving Rachel and Finn was a snoozefest and the likes of Quinn, Puck, Mercedes and Kurt had naff all to do. Plus Jacob's level of perviness sky rocketed in this episode. Also the episode could've found a better reason for the Britney videos besides Carl's funky gas but overall, it was an enjoyable episode.

I do generally like lighter, comedic episodes of Merlin and after the rather darker two part opening to this season, I guess one was needed. The problem was that Goblin's Gold just didn't tickle my funny bones. I've watched the episode and I still didn't enjoy it. It was fun to see the goblin possess Gaius and it was refreshing that Arthur used his brain cells to realise that Merlin hadn't cursed everyone but overall, it was pretty much a disjointed and unengaging episode, though tonight's Gwen-centred episode does look promising.

Lois Lane popping out of a cake in a bunny costume? Haven't Smallville devised every excuse possible to get Erica Durance into skimpy attire? Probably but this was a mostly fun episode and it was interesting to see Lois give up the Blur for Clark as well, even if Clark did put her in danger by getting her to have a secret relationship with the Blur at the same time. Only two episodes and Season 9 is done on E4. Wonder if they'll speed up with Season 10.

I hate TG4 for airing The Vampire Diaries at an earlier time, especially on the same as another show I watch but I am getting more and more into the series. This week's episode was a gem for varying reasons - more screentime for Jenna, Logan's reappearance, the debut of Alaric and more importantly, Bonnie learning more about her ancestors, destroying a certain necklace and surviving being bitten by a rather incensed Damon. The only stuff that bogged down the episode was the Stefan and Elena but having Stefan and Damon taking the piss out of each other amended that for me. I'm starting to believe in them as brothers as this show progresses.

It's boot camp time at The X Factor and that only means one thing- the showe being on longer than it should be. There's only so much of this show that should be on and sometimes I do wonder if the increased amount of time is really a good thing. In terms of who wins the bloody thing, I still can't really decide. Cheryl Cole will probably bag it for a third year going.

By this time next week, I'll be talking about the UK and Irish versions of The Apprentice and it will be interesting to see which one is the better series as it'll be the first time that they've both been on at the same time. This week in the Irish had both Elev8 and Fusion having the unenviable tasks of trying to come up with an original diet menu for Unislim and when the lads lost, David predictably got the boot. I'm not liking the fact that so far, it's still male (with Ciara) versus females though. I think it's time the groups got mixed up now.

- Apparently Glee fans are pissed off that Gwyneth Paltrow will be appearing on the show. I know her site makes no sense and that she's a bit weird but I'm intrigued by her appearance.

- Sonia Braga has been cast to play Luc's mother in an upcoming episode of Brothers And Sisters. Her previous TV works have included Sex And The City and Alias.

- Mistresses actress Shelley Conn has landed a leading role in upcoming sci-fi series, Terra Nova.

- NBC have ordered a pilot from Jack Black and also are planning to do a remake of The Munsters.

- FX UK will be airing zombie series, The Walking Dead from November 5th.

- It's being heavily rumoured that Sky will be picking up Mad Men for next season while LivingTV will be airing the fourth season of Chuck from October 14th.

A Bunch Of Slackers

I've had to make a hasty edit to this blog because I foolishly forgot to talk about The Road To Coronation Street. Apart from the fact that this should've been on ITV instead of BBC4, this was powerhouse television as Daran Little broke down into 75 minutes, creator Tony Warren's struggle to get the longest running British soap on television. If you've got any interest in the series history or want to be a writer in general, then I strongly recommend seeking this excellent one-off, especially for Jessie Wallace's convincing turn as Elsie Tanner actress, Pat Phoenix.

It took me a few days to catch up with the second part of Merlin's two parter season premiere and while it wasn't as good as the first half, it certainly was a delight. The use of the dragon in this episode was a nice one but it was Merlin and Morgana's sparring that really set the episode apart. Even though I'm liking the fact that she's finally embracing her darker nature, I thought I could see some doubt shrouding Morgana as well. Also I got a sense that Morgause might have felt betrayed when her plans to get rid of Uther and take over Camelot were squandered as well. The second episode was certainly solid on action packed moments and Morgana keeping within Uther's favour but the Merlin/Arthur dynamic really needs to switch gears at this point.

When it comes to reality TV, The Apprentice might be one of the few left with a point to it - people actually get a job from it and while I'll have to wait next for Alan Sugar to return on BBC, the third series of Bill Cullen's one certainly kept me entertained. As for the contestants, it's hard to go on much with the first episode, apart from Cathal's 'oopsy daisying' himself out of the series and Tara and Barry being the more obnoxious of the bunch. The magazine shows You're Fired and At Home are also a pretty nice addition to a franchise that's becoming a success for TV3.

BBC3 seem to have a habit of comedies that only take place in largely one set. Their latest addition, Him And Her is another one of them. Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani play lazy couple, Steve and Becky who spend the first three episodes coming up with plenty of reasons not to work, avoid birthday celebrations and fancy dress parties. It's not the funniest series on TV but it's definitely a diverting half-hour and I have seen far less funny programmes on that particular station.

The X Factor's move to two nights a week for the rest of the year certainly is going to be an obstacle for a lot of programmes in the next couple of months but seeing as we're heading for boot camp, things shouls get a lot more interesting in the next while as well. Nicole Scherzinger was a decent enough judge ("I think you need to work on your vocals" - indeed) and whether or not there is a prostitute amongst the contestants, you can still guarantee that the Dark Lord Cowell is laughing his way all to the bank as the tabloids obsession with the series remains intact.

I have not seen one but two new episodes (for me) of The Vampire Diaries recently and I'm still enjoying the series. It's a pity that Vicki couldn't have had a similar plotline like Jessica in True Blood and remain on the series as a newbie vampire but I'm sure the series will eventually go there. As for Stefan's old friend Lexie and Bonnie's increasingly showing of powers - this is way more exciting stuff than the Stefan/Elena/Damon triangle.

- Teri Hatcher will be appearing in Smallville as the mother of Lois Lane. Well, she did play the intrepid reporter once upon a time. Justin Hartley's wife will also appear in the 8th episode of the final season.

- Dave Annable's real life fiance, Odette Yustman will appear in Brothers And Sisters as a potential love interest for Justin after his marriage to Rebecca collapses.

- Nancy Travis has been cast as the mother Brian Austin Green's character for Desperate Housewives. It's also rumoured that Bree will have menopause this year.

- The current series of The Inbetweeners is to be it's last. The producers have announced that the show will not be returning for a fourth run.

- Gwyneth Paltrow is rumoured to be appearing in two episodes of Glee as a love interest for Will and a replacement teacher. Channel 4 will be airing Season 2 in January 2011.

- Amber Benson will be appearing in the new series of Grey's Anatomy, playing an estranged daughter of one of Cristina's patients. She's already appeared in spin-off series, Private Practice.

- ABC have decided not to make a US version of Gavin And Stacey after all. Now if Showtime's version of Shameless could not suck, then we'd be home dry.