Contains mild spoilers
The schedule is a bit different this week, knocked off course by seemingly-endless work promoting my new self-published book, (Phil’s Marvellous Machine and Other Stories, available here). How did I manage the diversions, deviations and distractions? Scroll past the preamble to find out.
The Story So Far…
When linear television was at its height in the UK, with 60–80 channels to choose from (depending on regional coverage), I had my own schedule. Flitting between channels to catch my favourite programmes and using tapes from my video cassette collection when there was nothing else worth watching, it was a personal routine of programmes slotted in perfectly between school, friends, family commitments, homework, and my own projects.
Now, it’s my job, smallholding and home life that demand my attention. But I’m a creature of habit, so I absolutely need my routines.
This is the viewing diary that I keep for myself, but with added context and detail. It runs from Saturday to Friday. You might notice that I like my TV shows to be aged to perfection, like wine.
*Contains spoilers
Saturday 15th August
Sergeant Cork (Series 3, Episode 12)
It feels like absolutely ages since Detective Sergeant Cork and DC Marriott were out making enquiries together. Lately, Marriott has been far more intrepid than his increasingly desk-bound superior. A bit of a throwback to the first series, it was also the most straightforward mystery we’ve had in a while. Fantastically well-acted throughout too.
It’s taken a while to reach the end of the third series, but when I look back at each episode that I’ve watched so far, I remember each one very well. I can’t rate Sergeant Cork high enough. It’s made on an absolute shoe-string, but it’s ever so charming and the weekly mysteries are often absorbing.
Space Precinct (Series 1, Episode 1)
By the time I finished various tasks to support the release of the book, I decided it was too late for the usual Saturday night movie. I really did not know what to watch. Then I remembered Space Precinct, hidden away and waiting to be watched.
First impressions: The presentation is a bit clunky, dialogue a little stilted, but the animatronic masks for the aliens are impressive for the time it was made (1994) and Ted Shackelford makes a more than capable lead.
It’s a Gerry Anderson show, so it contains a few of his usual fixations (mighty explosions, high-speed chases), his hallmarks (exceptional modelwork), and a company of actors previously employed on other Anderson projects (Shane Rimmer and David Graham).
Sunday 16th August
Sword of Freedom (The Arranged Marriage, The Bell)
For a lot of archive TV fans this series, made in 1958 originally for cinemas, doesn’t even qualify as middle-of-the-road. Considered a poor stable-mate to other historical adventure shows of the era like Sir Lancelot, The Buccaneers, and Sir Francis Drake, it follows renowned artist Marco Delmonte, a member of the Florentine resistance against the ruling De’ Medici. But I like it, even though the romanticism era and the dashing male lead make me almost certain this was made to appeal to little girls. It’s harmless fun and, as ever with these things, it’s surprising who turns up (John Le Mesurier, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Carson, Paul Eddington Patrick Troughton, and Roger Delgado, so far).
Having watched a Gerry Anderson show the night before, I decided to use the hour reserved for Thunderbirds for something even more undemanding. I have been watching Sword of Freedom very sporadically since buying the Network DVD. It works better in small doses. I watched two episodes back-to-back.
Space Precinct (Series 1, Episode 2)
Due to a technical hitch, Anthony Valentine and Christopher Strauli in Raffles was unavailable. At something of a loss, I opted for another episode of Gerry Anderson’s police procedural in space.
I just realised where I’ve seen Ted Shackelford before: He was estranged brother Gary Ewing in Dallas, and in the spin-off, Knots Landing.
Monday 17th August
I was exhausted after launch day of my book. Launch day does not involve a launch party, media round, and champagne. As a self-published author, launch day involves me at the computer letting as many people know about it as possible.
The Curse of Peladon is one of those stories that’s an entertaining merry-go-round of ever-more tense and terse conversations between the Doctor, his friend Jo, and an array of alien races including the Doctor’s old foes, the Ice Warriors, that I find charming and easy-going.
The Curse of Peladon Episodes 1 & 2
I was exhausted after launch day of my book. Launch day does not involve a launch party, media round, and champagne. As a self-published author, launch day involves me at the computer letting as many people know about it as possible.
The Curse of Peladon is one of those stories that’s an entertaining merry-go-round of ever-more tense and terse conversations between the Doctor, his friend Jo, and an array of alien races including the Doctor’s old foes, the Ice Warriors, that I find charming and easy-going.
Tuesday 18th August
Phil’s Marvellous Machine became available for public consumption the day before, and I was still busy working on the promotion side of things on Tuesday. There was just enough time to vegetate in front of two episodes of All Gas and Gaiters, which I reviewed in full over here.
Wednesday 19th August
Ghost Squad Series 1, Episode 6 – Eyes of the Bat
See Thursday.
Battlestar Galactica – The Living Legend Part 2
A much tighter scripted story than previous multi-parters throughout the series so far, it maintained focus and momentum to take the place as probably the best yet.
Lloyd Bridges guest stars as Captain Cain, commander of the lost-presumed-dead crew of the Battlestar Pegasus. Daring to attack the Cylons and survive by might, the glory-seeking Cain is initially a liability. He and his crew have survived their isolation by sheer adrenaline. If engaged in battle, the plodding colony ships would be easy target practice for the Cylons.
Later, Cain’s buccaneering style is needed for an attack on a Cylon city. Beating Baltar and his forces, and embarrassing him as he fails to protect the lead base ship containing an impressive gold and black leader Cylon(!). The Cylons, I have to say, are immensely cool.
The casting of Lloyd Bridges enlivens things. He’s suitably swashbuckling, but Lorne Greene (as Adama) is even better, upping his game in their scenes together. Though the dialogue he’s given is still frequently preposterous, Greene continues to be the highlight of Battlestar for me. And the Cylons, obviously.
On a side note, I’m still unclear why Baltar leads the Cylons and wants the remaining colonists dead and Galactica destroyed. Is he really still pissed off with Adama? I know Adama is a bit melodramatic at times, and he really should have the unconvincing robot daggit go for a walk near an open airlock, but isn’t destroying the entire fleet and all humanity a tiny bit of an overreaction? And why does he need a sparkly Cylon acolyte with such a fruity voice? I’m pretty certain I missed an important detail early on. I hoped by now to have got back on track, but it seems I have permanently lost the thrust of this narrative.
Thursday 20th August
Ghost Squad (Series 1, Episode 7)
The episode I watched on Wednesday, Eyes of the Bat, was a far more engrossing story than today’s rather rambling affair. Nick Craig of the renowned undercover secret unit known as the Ghost Squad Nick Craig posed as a top diamond cutter in today’s episode. It had some fun bit but the plot veered and lurched, making it feel a bit lightweight. Guest stars were Stratford Johns and John Carson.
Raffles (Series 1, Episode 3)
Raffles’ most daring scheme yet. Not for money, this one’s just for fun. The mark is insufferably pompous and arrogant , and terrorists everyone he doesn’t like with his gun, utilising his pin-perfect aim to frightening effect. Thanks to some canny disguises from Raffles, he and Bunny got away safely, with their prize.
Friday 21st August
Tightrope: Episodes 7 & 8
Watching this standalone series made for adolescents at a rate of two episodes per week is prolonging the suspense and upping the excitement between instalments. It’s an involving tale of sixth-former Martin getting mixed up with undercover secret agents posing as teachers at his school, which happens to be close to an important airbase. Fantastic Friday fare. There are another five episodes to go, so I’ll round off the slowest marathon on Earth by binging the last three episodes on the same night.
If you want to find out how I get on next week ditching the algorithms and avoiding streaming wherever possible, subscribe for free to Retroscopic by Martin Gregory
The schedule is a bit different this week, knocked off course by seemingly-endless work promoting my new self-published book, (Phil’s Marvellous Machine and Other Stories, available here). How did I manage the diversions, deviations and distractions? Scroll past the preamble to find out.
The Story So Far…
When linear television was at its height in the UK, with 60–80 channels to choose from (depending on regional coverage), I had my own schedule. Flitting between channels to catch my favourite programmes and using tapes from my video cassette collection when there was nothing else worth watching, it was a personal routine of programmes slotted in perfectly between school, friends, family commitments, homework, and my own projects.
Now, it’s my job, smallholding and home life that demand my attention. But I’m a creature of habit, so I absolutely need my routines.
This is the viewing diary that I keep for myself, but with added context and detail. It runs from Saturday to Friday. You might notice that I like my TV shows to be aged to perfection, like wine.
*Contains spoilers
Saturday 15th August
Sergeant Cork (Series 3, Episode 12)
It feels like absolutely ages since Detective Sergeant Cork and DC Marriott were out making enquiries together. Lately, Marriott has been far more intrepid than his increasingly desk-bound superior. A bit of a throwback to the first series, it was also the most straightforward mystery we’ve had in a while. Fantastically well-acted throughout too.
It’s taken a while to reach the end of the third series, but when I look back at each episode that I’ve watched so far, I remember each one very well. I can’t rate Sergeant Cork high enough. It’s made on an absolute shoe-string, but it’s ever so charming and the weekly mysteries are often absorbing.
Space Precinct (Series 1, Episode 1)
By the time I finished various tasks to support the release of the book, I decided it was too late for the usual Saturday night movie. I really did not know what to watch. Then I remembered Space Precinct, hidden away and waiting to be watched.
First impressions: The presentation is a bit clunky, dialogue a little stilted, but the animatronic masks for the aliens are impressive for the time it was made (1994) and Ted Shackelford makes a more than capable lead.
It’s a Gerry Anderson show, so it contains a few of his usual fixations (mighty explosions, high-speed chases), his hallmarks (exceptional modelwork), and a company of actors previously employed on other Anderson projects (Shane Rimmer and David Graham).
Sunday 16th August
Sword of Freedom (The Arranged Marriage, The Bell)
For a lot of archive TV fans this series, made in 1958 originally for cinemas, doesn’t even qualify as middle-of-the-road. Considered a poor stable-mate to other historical adventure shows of the era like Sir Lancelot, The Buccaneers, and Sir Francis Drake, it follows renowned artist Marco Delmonte, a member of the Florentine resistance against the ruling De’ Medici. But I like it, even though the romanticism era and the dashing male lead make me almost certain this was made to appeal to little girls. It’s harmless fun and, as ever with these things, it’s surprising who turns up (John Le Mesurier, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Carson, Paul Eddington Patrick Troughton, and Roger Delgado, so far).
Having watched a Gerry Anderson show the night before, I decided to use the hour reserved for Thunderbirds for something even more undemanding. I have been watching Sword of Freedom very sporadically since buying the Network DVD. It works better in small doses. I watched two episodes back-to-back.
Space Precinct (Series 1, Episode 2)
Due to a technical hitch, Anthony Valentine and Christopher Strauli in Raffles was unavailable. At something of a loss, I opted for another episode of Gerry Anderson’s police procedural in space.
I just realised where I’ve seen Ted Shackelford before: He was estranged brother Gary Ewing in Dallas, and in the spin-off, Knots Landing.
Monday 17th August
I was exhausted after launch day of my book. Launch day does not involve a launch party, media round, and champagne. As a self-published author, launch day involves me at the computer letting as many people know about it as possible.
The Curse of Peladon is one of those stories that’s an entertaining merry-go-round of ever-more tense and terse conversations between the Doctor, his friend Jo, and an array of alien races including the Doctor’s old foes, the Ice Warriors, that I find charming and easy-going.
The Curse of Peladon Episodes 1 & 2
I was exhausted after launch day of my book. Launch day does not involve a launch party, media round, and champagne. As a self-published author, launch day involves me at the computer letting as many people know about it as possible.
The Curse of Peladon is one of those stories that’s an entertaining merry-go-round of ever-more tense and terse conversations between the Doctor, his friend Jo, and an array of alien races including the Doctor’s old foes, the Ice Warriors, that I find charming and easy-going.
Tuesday 18th August
Phil’s Marvellous Machine became available for public consumption the day before, and I was still busy working on the promotion side of things on Tuesday. There was just enough time to vegetate in front of two episodes of All Gas and Gaiters, which I reviewed in full over here.
Wednesday 19th August
Ghost Squad Series 1, Episode 6 – Eyes of the Bat
See Thursday.
Battlestar Galactica – The Living Legend Part 2
A much tighter scripted story than previous multi-parters throughout the series so far, it maintained focus and momentum to take the place as probably the best yet.
Lloyd Bridges guest stars as Captain Cain, commander of the lost-presumed-dead crew of the Battlestar Pegasus. Daring to attack the Cylons and survive by might, the glory-seeking Cain is initially a liability. He and his crew have survived their isolation by sheer adrenaline. If engaged in battle, the plodding colony ships would be easy target practice for the Cylons.
Later, Cain’s buccaneering style is needed for an attack on a Cylon city. Beating Baltar and his forces, and embarrassing him as he fails to protect the lead base ship containing an impressive gold and black leader Cylon(!). The Cylons, I have to say, are immensely cool.
The casting of Lloyd Bridges enlivens things. He’s suitably swashbuckling, but Lorne Greene (as Adama) is even better, upping his game in their scenes together. Though the dialogue he’s given is still frequently preposterous, Greene continues to be the highlight of Battlestar for me. And the Cylons, obviously.
On a side note, I’m still unclear why Baltar leads the Cylons and wants the remaining colonists dead and Galactica destroyed. Is he really still pissed off with Adama? I know Adama is a bit melodramatic at times, and he really should have the unconvincing robot daggit go for a walk near an open airlock, but isn’t destroying the entire fleet and all humanity a tiny bit of an overreaction? And why does he need a sparkly Cylon acolyte with such a fruity voice? I’m pretty certain I missed an important detail early on. I hoped by now to have got back on track, but it seems I have permanently lost the thrust of this narrative.
Thursday 20th August
Ghost Squad (Series 1, Episode 7)
The episode I watched on Wednesday, Eyes of the Bat, was a far more engrossing story than today’s rather rambling affair. Nick Craig of the renowned undercover secret unit known as the Ghost Squad Nick Craig posed as a top diamond cutter in today’s episode. It had some fun bit but the plot veered and lurched, making it feel a bit lightweight. Guest stars were Stratford Johns and John Carson.
Raffles (Series 1, Episode 3)
Raffles’ most daring scheme yet. Not for money, this one’s just for fun. The mark is insufferably pompous and arrogant , and terrorists everyone he doesn’t like with his gun, utilising his pin-perfect aim to frightening effect. Thanks to some canny disguises from Raffles, he and Bunny got away safely, with their prize.
Friday 21st August
Tightrope: Episodes 7 & 8
Watching this standalone series made for adolescents at a rate of two episodes per week is prolonging the suspense and upping the excitement between instalments. It’s an involving tale of sixth-former Martin getting mixed up with undercover secret agents posing as teachers at his school, which happens to be close to an important airbase. Fantastic Friday fare. There are another five episodes to go, so I’ll round off the slowest marathon on Earth by binging the last three episodes on the same night.
If you want to find out how I get on next week ditching the algorithms and avoiding streaming wherever possible, subscribe for free to Retroscopic by Martin Gregory
Copyright Martin Gregory 2026
If you like tales with a retro feel and vintage vibes, explore my fiction on Amazon:
Phil’s childhood friend, old Mr. Murray, becomes an early owner of a brand-new video recorder—and everything changes from there.
Suitable for teens, and adults of (almost) all ages, this collection brings together ten different tales of comedy, mystery, and a touch of the uncanny.
The Man in Room 17
A newly-researched guide to the first series of Robin Chapman’s classic drama. Available to buy now in paperback and for Kindle. READ AN EXTRACT
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