redfiona99

I hope nwhyte got to the UK safely, not just because it's a pain in the neck not being where you want to be at Christmas, but because I'd love to know if he's as boggled as I am over one of the bonus rounds on University Challenge.

Other than that, also on a TV tip, I am very annoyed that the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures have been shunted off on to More4. No, Channel 4, and the rest of the broadcasters, you don't get to abdicate your responsibilities like that. Am I more cheesed off than I might otherwise be because it's a biology year and it's on a topic I am very interested in [botany], yes, but really, given the state of science education in the UK, we need all the help we can get to get children interested in it, and this year's, so far, has been so very good.

On a tv making me happy tip, I get a new Poirot on for Christmas, An Appointment With Death, the Ustinov version of which was one of the first Poirot's I saw. It also features Mark Gattiss, John Hannah and Tim Curry. I am watching it, even if it clashes with Dr. Who. My little grey cells require it.

There's also the Tennant version of Hamlet, which I am still iffy about, except Gregory Doran is the director and I loved Coriolanus when I watched, so I'm booked on Boxing Day as well, or the video is, anyway, as Mother dearest is videoing it for me.

I don't collect Hamlets in any way (whistles) but he's going to have to go some to beat Kenneth Branagh, who is still my favourite.

I also don't collect Holmeses, and was therefore in no way embarrassingly excited by seeing a Holmes I hadn't seen before, when I saw Murder By Decree (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079592/) last night. Christopher Plummer's Holmes was a little too soft but he made a good fist of it, and I'm mildly in love with James Mason's Watson, because he got it that it's not that Watson is not clever, it's just in comparison to Holmes.

The story itself wasn't up to much, but the atmosphere was very good.