Tag: Toby Haynes

Black Mirror: Demon 79

Black Mirror: Demon 79

by Charlie Brooker & Bisha K. Ali; dir. Toby Haynes (Netflix, 2003)

TV poster: “Black Mirror: Demon 79” by Charlie Brooker & Bisha K. Ali; dir. Toby Haynes (Netflix, 2003)

Gloriously dark yet laugh-out-loud funny, even while tackling such topics as racial prejudice (in Britain immediately post- the Winter of Discontent), just murder, and Fight Club–reminiscent mental imbalance. Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu and Shaun Dooley bring impressive truth to their characters.

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall

by Stephen Thompson; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2012)

Postage stamp: “Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall” by Stephen Thompson; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2012)

Another clever (if frenetic) script, reworking Conan Doyle’s ‘The Final Problem’ and cramming a whole series of character arcs into one episode. While Andrew Scott (Moriarty) positively steals the show, Rupert Graves (Lestrade) proves subtly effective, grounding the mad turn of events.

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

by Steven Moffat; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2010)

DVD cover: Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol

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.

 

 

Derelict Space Sheep