Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
by Steven Moffat; dir. Jamie Payne (BBC, 2013)
Ending Matt Smith’s tenure with a Christmas special was a brave choice, but one that pays off. The story is chaotic and full of holes, yet Smith himself is quite brilliant as the ancient but ever-young-at-heart friend of children. A fitting farewell.
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)
Cleverly executed, presenting initially as a standalone special then morphing into a bridge between series. Gatiss and Moffat indulge in some social commentary while poking gentle fun at the original Sherlock Holmes canon. Cumberbatch and Freeman (especially) revel in the old-fashioned characterisation.
Sherlock: The Sign of Three
by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)
Possibly the funniest of all Sherlock episodes, albeit skewed beyond the pale towards character development and adapting little of its plot from Conan Doyle’s stories. While Benedict Cumberbatch brings Sherlock’s misanthropy painfully centre-stage, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are more humanly sublime.
Sherlock: His Last Vow
by Steven Moffat; dir. Nick Hurran (BBC, 2014)
Another inspired reworking of the source material. Lars Mikkelsen turns Magnussen into one of television’s more memorable one-off villains. Amanda Abbington employs consummate restraint in selling Mary’s character development, her inner turmoil matched only by Martin Freeman’s at his subtle, expressive best.
Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
by Steven Moffat; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)
Sherlock finally hits its stride. The characters are more measured and Moffat delivers a complex, clever script encompassing subtle allusions (Mycroft’s alleged ‘power complex’), bold reworkings (Irene Adler as dominatrix) and overt, rumbustious outbreaks of comedy (most notably the ‘punch me’ scene!).
Sherlock: A Study in Pink
by Steven Moffat; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC One, 2010)
The 90-minute version is consciously more murky than the unbroadcast 60-minute pilot. It is also more complex, affectedly stylish, and scored to give an impression of big budget. This doesn’t actually make it better, but it’s the Sherlock people came to love.
Sherlock: A Study in Pink (Original Pilot)
by Steven Moffat; dir. Coky Giedroyc (Unbroadcast, 2009)
The original 60-minute Sherlock pilot supposedly was considered a ‘potential disaster’. In fact it serves perfectly well to introduce Moffat’s new Holmes interpretation. It’s easy to imagine a parallel universe where Sherlock thrived in this shorter, more straightforward (though still innovative) format.
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
by Steven Moffat; dir. John Hayes (BBC, 2013)
Prior to ‘The Day of the Doctor’, fans were given 6 minutes 49 seconds in which to celebrate Paul McGann and to lament his not being given a full special (or indeed an entire series) or being cast as the War Doctor.
Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor
by Steven Moffat; dir. Saul Metzstein (BBC, 2013)
This season finale exhibits some very cool ideas, stitched together with plenty of good humour. Matt Smith carries the pathos well, yet there’s a bit too much plot crammed in and the episode is scored to within an inch of its life.
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
by Steven Moffat; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2010)
A successful transplanting of Dickens’s novella into the Doctor Who universe, using science fiction to clever effect and adding a twist to the tale. Moffat captures both the Doctor’s exuberant childlike aspect and the seriousness beneath. Matt Smith is in top form.