Hammer House of Horror: Charlie Boy

 “I’m going to get YOU…”

This is not the greatest episode so far but, after the misstep that it was its predecessor, it's a solid return of form for this tale of a voodoo curse emanating from a sinister African fetish. Hey, it's 1980: the phrase "cultural appropriation" doesn't exist yet. African art may be valuable and admired, but it's seen to come from a mysterious, exotic and somewhat magical culture.

The way the story unfolds is utterly predictable, but that's exactly what makes the whole thing so enjoyable: we know which characters are going to die, and in which order, so it's a question of when and how. There's a clear influence here from The Omen;  the deaths are all due to pleasingly gory incidents.

The cast is good, too, especially Angela Bruce as the sensible (and Geordie) Sarah, and Marius Goring as the slightly sinister German stereotype Heinz. It's also fun to see a young Jeff Rawls in a minor part.

This episode is good, not great: it isn't going to be one of those episodes that lingers in the mind. But it's a solid and enjoyable piece of telly.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Musgrave Ritual

 "And the singular affair of the aluminium crutch."

We have another splendid episode here- a delightful little gothic puzzle which provides us with some entertainment as the mystery is solved yet, for the unfortunate and proud Mr Brunton, his death, amidst a subtext of class (the butler is cleverer than his master by far yet must not be seen to go "above his station") and sexual passion (he's been a naughty boy).

There is a major change from the original Conan Doyle short story in that the whole thing take place in the mid-1890s of the present day, with Watson very much part of the story, although Holmes' early tease of the glorious titles of some of his early cases hint at the story's origins- a nice touch. It's also pleasing to see that, correctly, the servants and the inspector (Ian Marter, shortly before his awful death) speak in a West Country-type accent which we would not usually today associate with Sussex but once (with variations) spread all the way from Cornwall to Kent- although I'm in no way fit to judge the specific accuracy of the accents here. But the fact the Sussex accent is now extinct shows, sadly, how little respect the "Home Counties" have for their own regional culture and heritage. We in the Midlands ought to take note, me duck.

The cast is strong and the tale is a satisfying one both intellectually- I love how Holmes decodes the ritual- and in terms of character. And the final revelation, with the fireplace behind, is quite masterful.