Years and Years (New Russell T Davies)

"Want to feel old? What the kid from Mr Bean's Holiday looks like now will amaze you!"

So with spoilers in mind, how did the Torchwood show end?

I didn’t see you could binge this. I was watching week by week, little ole untechie that I am. It is a good idea as described in the book he write, very good and I think timely. What actually makes it is the acting as some of the dialogue is clunky.

The show had been flagging and that short intense one-episode-per-weeknight series gave it a major shot in the arm. It really underlined RTD's achievement in making the Doctor Who universe seem much more real and occasionally unnerving.

Yes that cabinet meeting scene was superb and unsettling. In general Nicholas Farrell was at his slimy best in that series. My favourite character was government scientist Dekker, played by the wonderful Ian Gelder. He was chummily understated but somewhat sinister. His entry was a very nice touch, with Frobisher's demeanour visibly changing when informed "Mr Dekker is here." Dekker on being asked how he

I honestly think that series might be Peter Capaldi's finest moment. His Frobisher, put in a terrible position by the slippery PM, and riven with tension, is an absolute joy.

Time for a re-watching!

I suspect it was to try to make us care about the characters before unleashing hell upon them.

I have no idea how this is going to end, but knowing RTD it’s quite possible that the whole thing can be resolved by a dog with superpowers.

But boy, I’ve enjoyed the ride, for all its faults.

I was confused about the sight thing. Nice to chuck that in as it is a serious problem and would be nice to have it curable, of course the money thing lovely bit of satire, or whatever. But is she really cured or or what was that conspiratorial thank you across the laptop from the mum and daughter ?

Hard to tell. I caught the latter half of the first episode when it was first broadcast but felt I'd missed out on the 'introductions' to the characters so I was reacting more to the plot - I didn't watch any more because it clashed with Chernobyl, so shelved it for a bit. When I watched from the start this weekend it was the characters that hooked me in and I watched three hours in one sitting, having just intended to watch one because the French Open had a rain delay. I rarely bingewatch (small telly, uncomfy sofa) so it clearly worked for me!

It all seems pretty plausible to me. 80 days of non-stop rain, and concentration camps for undesirables are only a Boris away!

I was finding it plot heavy even before this week but there’s so much thrown in there by now that it is just breathless at times. With so many important ideas that deserve their own episode each, I wish that there could be more depth beyond the immediate reactions to things that happen.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this probably isn’t aimed at me. Maybe I am too tuned into what it is being suggested already, so there is little surprise there. If it gets to an audience of people who hadn't really considered the state we are in or that we are heading towards, even changing some minds, then it will have done a good job, I think. Pretty much preaching to the converted here, though.

But that's why it's so good as an accessible family/character-driven drama - it presents a likeable family that covers all bases and shows them being led down various paths. I'm finding it engaging and enjoyable, whilst something like Black Mirror is a depressing chore.

Somehow the news about oil tankers being attacked in the Gulf of Oman feels very like the sort of throwaway news item in the background of Y&Y Episode One. File under “things to which we don’t pay much attention which turn out to be really significant later”.