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I could really take or leave Howard and Bernadette by this point. The whole NASA storyline hasn't produced much in terms of comedy, and this episode is no great exception. I don't think I found anything in it remotely amusing.

It lets down an otherwise very funny episode, with the Sheldon storyline being enormous fun. Sometimes just putting him in the simplest of life situations and seeing him battle against them in his own way is very funny, and this was the case here. It's all very well played, despite a rather predictable ending.

Overall, the good outweighs the bad, and this proves to be fun.

Weak.

Very simply this felt like a very weak episode indeed and relied heavily on Jim Parsons to try and pull it over the line in terms of quality. Even then he can only do so much.

'Geeks try to do sports' - it's a fairly standard sitcom plotline, used many times before, and if 'The Big Bang Theory' was to try and use it I thought that they especially would be able to put some new slant onto it.

They don't.

Even the Penny/Amy (normally a reliable pairing) storyline with the painting has been airlifted from 'Friends', and they did it much better as well.

Overall, this was not a good episode for me.

For once the Howard and Bernadette storyline was engaging and well played out. Of three couples that the show is circling around right now this is the least interesting one for me, so to see it 'clicking' for once was nice.

It all gets upstaged rather brilliantly by the plot involving Sheldon having to take a holiday from work and ending up working alongside Amy in her lab.

It's all very funny stuff, and wonderfully played. There are very few Sheldon storylines that misfire in a show that often that does have one dud plotline, and this continues his good run.

Overall, a lovely episode of the sitcom.

A big question I've always had linked to this show was how Leonard put up with Sheldon and his demanding ways. Surely he wouldn't suffer in silence quite so much as he does.

This episode shows him snap, and although he does end up going crawling back (of course he does, there's no real show if he doesn't) it was nice to see someone notice that Sheldon is more than a little demanding and annoying. He really does need someone to tell him to go and take a long walk off a short pier!

It's all very nicely written and played though, with even the B plot involving Raj and Howard proving to be nice as well.

Not since 'Rise of Skywalker' has a film frustrated me to such a degree. Because it had so much potential that it doesn't deliver on.

This is 'Wonka', the origin story of Willy Wonka that the world didn't know it needed or indeed wanted.

It's also basically the team behind the 'Paddington' films regrouping and trying to make a film that's very similar in themes and tones. That big family film you can all sit around and watch at Christmas.

The problem is that while those things felt natural with that franchise, here it comes across as being false, almost done by a checklist.

Timothee Chalamet is good in the lead, but is he trying to be the young Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp, both of whome played the character prior. Is this a prequel to the Wilder film? How did this cheery chap suddenly become a recluse?

The film quite simply doesn't truly know what it wants to be, so ends up being a hodgepodge of lots of different bits and pieces. It's basically a selection box of chocolates, with no big thing to get your teeth stuck into.

It feels long. When you keep checking how much of the run time you have to go, it's not a good sign of your enjoyment.

Yes, you can get a bunch of well-known UK character actors, shove them in small roles and make it look like an all star cast, but none of the side characters are half as engaging as those in 'Paddington'.

People bang on about how great Hugh Grant is in this film, but he's barely in it, and even then feels like he's just doing what he did in 'Paddington 2' all over again.

Overall, this is a big sticky concoction, that never really delivers for me.

People of course know Nicholas Lyndhurst from 'Only Fools and Horses' - a show that continues to be a massive part of the British comedy landscape to this day. A show I must say he deserves more recognition for the success of than he gets.

You might also know him from other shows such as 'Goodnight Sweetheart', 'After You've Gone' and of course his scene stealing turns in the rebooted 'Frasier', a show that I hope will give him some cred in the US.

People don't really know this show though, which is a shame. Yes, spy spoofs are ten a penny, and this one isn't amazing, but when you look at what a master Lyndhurst is in the sitcom genre, you can only sit back and watch talent at work.

Well worth seeking out.

I was under the impression that Leonard and Penny were dating in secret based on the last episode (timey wimey though it was) so the fact that Sheldon and Amy knew about them here was confusing.

This was an episode of two halves for me - the Amy and Sheldon 'Fun with Flags' stuff was amazing. So very funny.

The Leonard and Penny stuff was engaging, though you do wish Leonard had a bit of a spine and wasn't quite so beguiled by Penny's beauty all the time. Though it must be said the work they have done on the latter character has been well well done.

As for Raj and his phone...yes. Not the show at its best. Funny, yes, but very very low hanging fruit in terms of seeking comedy.

This is dire.

It's almost like the people behind the scenes of this film had a Bingo card of standard indie comedy tropes, characters and dialogue and took great delight in then ticking them off as they completed the making of this limp project.

There's very little to like about it I'm afraid. It ticks the indie comedy boxes sure, but there's nothing here of note. A few big names slumming it, but nothing more.

To be honest, apart from the big names, if you were to have told me that this was a students final media piece for school I would have believed you.

This really wasn't very good I'm afraid.

As it reaches 100 episodes here I don't think there can be any denying that 'The Big Bang Theory' has developed as a show in that time.

It's no longer just the 'beauty and the geeks' premise that was the mainstay of the comedy in the early years of the show, it has developed into something more.

Has it been plain sailing? No. Has it taken a long time for the show to settle into itself? Yes.

It's getting there though, and the addition of Bernadette and Amy has been a big part of that.

This episode paid massive service to the on/off relationship between Penny and Leonard which has been the lynchpin of the show for a lot of those 100 episodes, and it was all very nicely played in a very clever way.

As it closes in on 100 episodes I don't think there can be any denying that 'The Big Bang Theory' has developed as a show in that time.

It's no longer just the 'beauty and the geeks' premise that was the mainstay of the comedy in the early years of the show, it has developed into something more.

Has it been plain sailing? No. Has it taken a long time for the show to settle into itself? Yes.

It's getting there though, and the addition of Bernadette and Amy has been a big part of that.

Some people will prefer the early days, and I point them in the direction of the Series 1-3 box set, but for me this episode was a good example of what the show has grown into.

Of course the big 'novelty' of this episode now we have 'Young Sheldon' is seeing Lance Barber (who plays George in that show) pop up here as Leonard's bully from high school.

I didn't think this episode worked as well as it could have. The plot didn't seem to go anyway. Also I believe there was another one where the characters were faced with a bully and had to confront them. Didn't they send Penny in to fight their battle instead?

The plot with the girls works much better in my mind and I like the dynamic between them. It gives the character of Penny a few more much needed layers to her personality too, as we realise she probably wouldn't have been friends with Amy and Bernadette (who works much better without Howard actually) in High School.

Overall, fine, but not amazing.

I thoght that thsi was a great episode of the show.

I really like the slowly but surely development of the Sheldon and Amy relationship, and that we actually got to see Sheldon have a bit more of an emotional reaction. I know the creative powers that be liked to make out that this was an ensemble show, but look how fast they wrapped it up once Jim Parsons expressed a desire to move on...

The plot with the playing card game was good fun, and I'm really enjoying the way that the three female characters and their dynamic too.

Poor old Raj doesn't really get much of a look in really, but other than that this was a good episode indeed.

Whoever had the idea of teaming up Terese and Jane together needs a medal - they work so well together as characters.

I think they are not doing such a good job of teasing us with a potential Leo/Krista relationship - if anything seems like a certainty, it's that.

Holly is very much her mother's daughter, and actually it's nice to see her show those qualities. Quite why she is getting so hot and bothered about Haz though remains a mystery to me - it's HAZ! Really?

Overall, this was another good episode of the show, and it seems to be hitting a bit of form as it approaches Christmas. Long may it continue.

This was a nice episode of the show and Series Five feels like it is kicking into gear now after a bumpy start.

Pitting Sheldon, smart as he is, against a bird was a lovely plot idea, and it helps when you have someone as gifted comedically as Jim Parsons to pull it off. His snap around to being devoted to his 'Lovey Dovey' was a nice twist too.

The writers are obviously toying with the idea of a Penny/Leonard recoupling, and this storyline again was played out well. The actors who play them have such nice chemistry that you do root for them to be together.

The best bit though, as others have said, was Amy being jealous of the bird.

They tried.

This was a sequel/spin-off series stuck in development hell for years, and when it finally did emerge into the sun it didn't last very long. Yes, it was always unlikely to be allowed to go for a 9 year run like 'How I Met Your Mother' did, especially in our modern times, but to only go for 2...

Why was this? Well it was a Hulu/Disney+ creation, and goodness knows they don't give shows much leeway to breathe. Look at 'The Wonder Years' - perfectly good, but not good enough.

This was show was always going to be compared against the original, which for all the ending was rubbish does still hold up as a good modern day sitcom, and never looked likely to be able to match it for quality.

The characters aren't engaging enough, with them all feeling like sitcom staples that had been thrown together with the creatives hoping for the best. Hilary Duff shows again her comic timing as the Ted equivalent (Sophie), but she's not as endearing as he was.

They tried to make this part of the same universe, there are crossover references/appearances, so it doesn't feel like 'Joey' where the main character appeared to be living in some alternate world where his nearest and dearest were never spoken of, but those shouldn't be the best episodes.

I think this deserved more of a chance, but it was never set to be a classic.

This is a nice, very slight film.

It takes quite a while to warm up (annoying seeing as it's only short in run time to start with), but once it does crackle into life it proves to be good fun.

Hoffman and Thompson have good chemistry, and the film does make some very nice points about family, connection, and finding love (or the potential of love) in later life.

It does spend far too long on set-up though, and there are some lovely things that don't get fully explored because of this.

The mother and her Polish neighbour 'comedy' subplot I could have done without as well.

On the whole though while I enjoyed this film less on a return visit, it remains a charming enough affair.

Someone should absolutely have taken the keys to Middle Earth away from Peter Jackson upon completion of his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

People rarely know when to stop though, especially creatively minded people, and often they end up going too far with people not knowing when to tell them to stop.

This small book didn't need to be stretched half as much as it has been, and in Martin Freeman (yes, the guy from 'Hardware' of all people) the lead role has been badly badly miscast. He's not the best of actors I'm afraid to say.

This is fine, it's passable, but if you are going to do 'The Hobbit' then shouldn't it be better than just passable??

I didn't mind this film actually.

I thought it was a different sort of kids film, and had a nice sense of heart.

It's got some lovely messages in there, and while they perhaps overdo the 'Oliver Twist' similarities, it's well played.

No, this isn't the best performance from Robin Williams that you'll ever see in your life, but he can only work with what he's given, and I thought there was a bit of a twinkle that came with what he did do.

Overall, this was a nice little film and one that sadly doesn't seem to have been given much recognition.

I hope through this review to give it a bit of a push into people's mind.

Someone should really have taken the keys to Middle Earth away from Peter Jackson upon completion of his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

People rarely know when to stop though, especially creatively minded people, and often they end up going too far with people not knowing when to tell them to stop.

This small book didn't need to be stretched half as much as it has been, and in Martin Freeman (yes, the guy from 'The Office' of all people) the lead role has been badly badly miscast. He's not the best of actors I'm afraid to say.

This is fine, it's passable, but if you are going to do 'The Hobbit' then shouldn't it be better than just passable??

Someone should have taken the keys to Middle Earth away from Peter Jackson upon completion of his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

People rarely know when to stop though, especially creatively minded people, and often they end up going too far with people not knowing when to tell them to stop.

This small book didn't need to be stretched half as much as it has been, and in Martin Freeman (yes, the guy from 'Nativity' of all people) the lead role has been badly badly miscast. He's not the best of actors I'm afraid to say.

This is fine, it's passable, but if you are going to do 'The Hobbit' then shouldn't it be better than just passable??

Not very good.

There we go, there's my review of this film. Unfortunately I have to write more.

I am so bored of Marvel films by this stage. They are all the same, it's all white noise now. None of them are very good.

They look like they are made quickly and with no real love put into them. Lots of big name stars just pop up in them for a big pay check, and it's easy work I imagine - just stand by a green screen and look afraid of some pretend beast running at you.

My hope is that one day people will get bored of this type of film too and we can have some variety.

With the way Disney and Marvel are churning these out though I might have to wait a while.

It's all kicking off at number 32 and sadly it's all over Haz, a character I can see one day merging into being a serial killer, because he certainly comes across as being creepy. How he's got two characters pining over him is beyond me.

I like the ongoing Chloe and Elly wedding talk, but fear that once that's wrapped up it will see the characters head off into the sunset, which is a shame.

Overall it's lovely to actually be seeing the neighbours celebrate Christmas at the same time that we in the UK are, it makes it feel a bit more genuine.

Isn't it just lovely to have 'Neighbours' back in general!

There are some lovely moments here in this episode, especially those between Toadie and Mel. I know the writers are trying desperately to get us as viewers to buy into the whole 'Toadie and Terese' relationship, but I think we as viewers will always secretly hope that one day Toadie and Mel will be together again. She never really wanted to leave him in the first place.

Other matters elsewhere are suitably engaging, and I really like what they are doing with the character of Krista, but this is for me very much a Toadie and Mel affair, and this was the storyline I connected with most.

Another good episode.

This was one of the better episodes of Series Five so far for me.

The reason for this is because they almost just give the episode over to Mayim Bialik and just let her be very very funny. She is an absolute scream here.

It's a good episode overall, with the Sheldon/Amy dynamic continuing to be the gift that keeps on giving for this show as it develops further. It's odd to think of a show still finding its feet in the fifth series of its run, but that is the case.

The Howard/Bernadette wedding prep is going to take up a lot of this fifth series, but in small doses I suppose it's not too bad.

This was a bit of a 50:50 affair for me.

I didn't much care for the Sheldon plot. I know this show can go for the broader comedy at times, but this felt like an overstretch. It's well played out, but I prefer it when the show doesn't go quite for such low hanging fruit for its comedy.

The Leonard plot is much better, and shows signs that this sitcom is gaining confidence with heavier material. I like the Penny and Leonard dynamic as ever, that is always reliable in terms of delivery.

I can't say that this fifth series has started as strongly as the fourth series finished up so far.

Here's hoping things improve.