Yes nepotism.

'Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business.'

I choose to view her appointment as nepotism, many others don't.

I think you mean Anthea Redfern, unless Ms Turner's been stealing more husbands than I've managed to count?

OOps, no - although it would be an interesting pairing!

Redfern, I meant Redfern ...

Good points

How do you know how fair (or otherwise) the process was?

Oh dear.

No, we're upset that it takes 3 series to conclude a plot point. We're upset that narrative has been prostituted to the lowest grab-bags technique of a desperate hack. We're upset that the Doctor (with Tennant as well as Smith) has become a Messiah onto which the showrunners fantasies have been projected. We're upset that intelligence has made way for convenience. We're upset that the reset button has replaced depth. We're upset that Moffat has turned the show into a vehicle for his fantasies. We're upset that Moffat can't write female characters, putting them back even behind the excesses of the 70s.

The problems with Sherlock echo the dire situation Doctor Who finds itself. And there's one constant. His name is Steven Moffat.

Yes it was hugely fair process and just a huge coincidence that she ended up with the job.

As I said previously, I realise lots of people don't have a problem with this but I'll stick to my opinion as you stick to yours. I think that sounds fair.

Can we talk about the latest episode and not this nonsense?


The episode was excellent as usual, had a very different tone to usual but this made for a nice change and I loved the direction, scripting and acting in the episode

How about Judi Dench & Michael Williams in As Time Goes By. It raised no eyebrows at all.

And most famously, Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor appeared in a few films together.

It's an open-and-shut case of nepotism.

That was pretty much my point. They took a cliche and debunked it.

Isn't it weird how reviews that agree with your views are always written by really insightful and intelligent reviewers whilst those that you don't agree with are always written by fawning sycophants or people who have lost their critical faculties.

It's such an odd coincidence isn't it?

So what? Does your opinion that this is nepotism actually affect your enjoyment of the episode?

The Dire situation Doctor Who finds itself in?

Christmas Day viewing figures up over a million on last year, 50th Anniversary episode breaking box office records and international audience figures, raking in plenty of profit for BBC Worldwide?

Bloody hell, dire indeed.

Yes it's nepotism. So what? Just because a decision is made because of the already existing relationship between the actors in real life doesn't make it a bad one. Look at Woody Allen, he used Mia Farrow in about 8 films whilst they were together, does anyone care? No, because they were still good films.

Just because there has been Nepotism doesn't make the casting bad.

I adored that whole series, and grew up with it. Brett was fabulous and he introduced me to Sherlock. I love Benedict too.


I think so too. It hardly matters, they are actors, they did the job fine.


I actually think she's perfect for the role, very convincing. And I don't see that it's some big deal either. A lot of casting is thought of before the event so to speak. And that's fine if it WORKS and this did, extremely well.

Going off topic though didn't Bruce meet Anthea Redfern on the show? If so that wasn't nepotism it was called knocking off your assistant

Perhaps, in your view, Mycroft should have been played by someone else then.

But few seem to have raised this as an issue previously.

I liked the ep on first viewing, but was a trifle annoyed at it's shapeless start and what I saw as 'filler'.

But I've just watched it again. And it made me laugh my head off, and I was moved by the end. And I was much more satisfied with the middle.

It's not bad at all.

And I sort of love it, even if it's not quite the Sherlock we're used to.

I feel a great deal better. As it is, though not quite what we expect, it was huge fun, clever and delightful.

As usual the Anti License fee crowd are looking for any excuse to attack dear old Auntie

Only bugs me when it's done with public funds.

I think Mycroft is genius casting. He's fantastic. Don't care who he is in real life. He has terrific presence and is complex and believable in the part. I can't think of anyone who could do this part, in this incarnation, better.

Who cares? Your license fee is £12.12 a month and for that you get a wealth of fantastic programming. Or alternatively, don't pay the license fee and watch on your computer on Iplayer which you don't have to have a license to use

I feel it's more a 'last ditch' attack on the programme (and the ptb behind it) than an excuse to attack Auntie.

Most cast is a variety of ways, true of every branch of show business, but the beeb mustn't be like every other sort of producer?

Silly.

Agreed, but why no so-called "nepotism" charges? Someone closely linked with, and a friend of Moffat? Someone who writes for the series?

Without Gatiss, we could have been denied a wonderful characterisation.