Later, at the post screening party (yes the one that was in the news a few weeks back – “Should Licence Payers Fund SFX Hack’s Alcohol Addiction?”) his girlfriend shows up. She immediately seems very interested that I’m on casual nodding terms with Moffat. “You must introduce me,” she trills. I mumble something noncommittally and politely extricate myself from the conversation by spotting anyone I vaguely know (the hapless victim turns out to be Kevin McCloud, not that I can recall his name so I introduce myself by going, “Hey, are you Mr Grand Designs?" Oh dear.)
I finally bump into Mr Moffat again, and am just about to ask him who's he casting as the new Doctor when the actress appears from nowhere (if this had been a film she would have been tracked across the room, running in slow motion). Grinning at me as if we’re old friends, she immediately launches herself at Moffat and gabbles at him for ages about what a great Doctor Who companion she'd make. I tactically withdrew. The last thing I remember is Steven Moffat staring dagger at me over her shoulder.
Sorry, Steven. It really wasn’t my fault…
TOP 3 TV SHOWS OF THE YEAR
Doctor Who
Lost
The Middleman
(With Medium, Chuck and True Blood just not quite making the cut)
TOP 3 EPISODES OF THE YEAR
Survivors - "Episode Three": I'm not great fan of the show as a whole but if more episodes were like the third one I would be. Shocking (when the Government woman executes the thief), brilliantly acted (the guest star girl with the freaky dad is astounding) and edgily directed, it made me sit up and pay attention.
Chuck – “Chuck Versus Santa Claus”: A cheap, bottle episode set at Christmas (it’s almost entirely set in Buy More) shouldn’t be great, but by heck it is. Very funny, but with a bittersweet sting.
Medium - “Wicked Game 2": The finalé of the Cynthia Keener (played so magnificently by Anjelica Huston) is just plain riveting.
TOP 3 FILMS OF THE YEAR
The Dark Knight
Hellboy 2
WALL-E
(Never has a selection been so easy to choose!)
TOP 3 BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Kethani (Eric Brown)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (JK Rowling)
The Last Theorem (Arthur C Clarke/Frederik Pohl)
PERSON OF THE YEAR
Natalie Morales – star of The Middleman, so refreshingly different to most US TV actresses
REVELATION OF THE YEAR
Merlin – it should have been rubbish, but was actually great fun
DUD OF THE YEAR
Heroes Season Three – I gave up (and I bet people thought I was going to say Flash Gordon, but while that was complete drivel, it was fun drivel; Heroes just became unwatchable)
Go to Jayne Nelson’s Pick of 2008
