Author: Becki Watson

Of all the Sherlock Holmes adaptations in the past few years, Elementary has certainly been the most controversial, and I’ll admit that, initially, I was one of the sceptics  When it was announced that CBS were planning on a modern day adaptation of the famous detective novels set in New York, fans were quick to accuse the series of cashing in on the success of the wildly popular BBC series Sherlock. But after hearing about the casting of Lucy Liu as a female Watson, Elementary intrigued me enough to give it a go, and I definitely haven’t regretted it. Lucy Liu plays…

Bangor one match away from semi finals Bangor are in with a chance of reaching the semi finals of University Challenge after defeating Imperial College London on Monday. Bangor beat their competition with an impressive tally of 210-120, their best score so far in the series. If Bangor win their next match, they will have secured their place in the semi finals. Their second defeat in this round means that Imperial College London are now eliminated from the competition. In their first round of the famous quiz series, Bangor beat the prestigious Scottish university St. Andrews 125-105 to take them…

It was the time of Tamagotchis, Pokemon, scrunchies and the Backstreet Boys, but it was also the era of some pretty great TV. In celebration of Seren’s long awaited 90s Night, the Seren team are here to share their favourite programmes of the all time greatest decade! Becki Watson – The Simpsons From the opening notes of the theme tune, to the end pages of the credits, The Simpsons is a truly iconic programme. Even though the first episode was broadcast in 1989, it was during the 90s that Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie rose to meteroic fame, being…

House of Cards is a political drama based around Frank Underwood, a manipulative US congressman played by Kevin Spacey, using those around him to further his own political ambitions in a modern day game of thrones. It is based on the original series of the same name, which unlike the new series, was set in the British political world. House of Cards is the first Netflix exclusive TV series; it was entirely financed by Netflix, was only released on their site, and released all at once, rather than on a weekly basis. This has allowed people to turn into overnight…

The long-awaited Christmas season has finally arrived and we all know what that means; Christmas specials! And what’s more, the Seren team is here to share their favourite Christmas episodes of all time. Merry Christmas! Tom – Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special Rewind to September 2012, and I’m stood in my living room, the shocked faces of my housemates staring back at me after I revealed I’d never seen Gavin and Stacey.  And now, after watching every episode, it’s easy to see why. The programme was brilliant, and the Christmas special was a particular highlight. December 25th, and Stacey’s family…

The holiday period is finally upon us, and Seren is here to guide you through the highlights of this year’s Christmas television. After the emotional farewell to the Ponds last episode, this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special sees the Doctor mourning their loss and withdrawing from the world. But when the Earth is once again in danger, a young governess called Clara (as well as some old friends from past series ) calls on the Doctor to help. Can he move past his heartbreak and return to his world-saving ways? A must-see for all Whovians, this episode looks to be…

As the countdown to Christmas begins, fans across the globe prepare for the hit BBC show Merlin to air its final episodes. The show, which some believe has been axed when in reality had always been planned to only ever have five seasons, was first aired on 20th September 2008 and is loosely based on the Arthurian legends, following a young Merlin (Colin Morgan) and his adventures with Prince Arthur (Bradley James). Merlin, a young wizard, is sent to Camelot by his mother, who sends him to stay with the court physician Gaius (Richard Wilson). With magic being outlawed in…

The 2012 season is definitely one to be remembered in the world of tennis; with shock defeats, unlikely victories and long held records falling left, right and centre, it’s been one of the most gripping seasons in living memory. The 2012 season will certainly be one for the history books in terms of British tennis, and marked the best season in Andy Murray’s career so far. After reaching the first Wimbledon final of his career (before losing to Federer in four sets), Murray defeated Federer in straight sets at the Olympics to win the gold medal, the first British male…

Like any responsible student, instead of getting a sensible amount of sleep in order to focus better on my studies, I spend my evenings watching hours of television, and my latest obsession has been the hit US comedy Community. While the show has never gained huge audiences, it has received great acclaim from critics across the board, and is sure to become a cult classic. Set in Greendale Community College, the show follows ex-lawyer Jeff, who had to return to school when the bar found out he’d forged his college diploma, as he sets up a fake Spanish study group…

Your at-a-glance guide to the highlights of what’s coming up on your screens! The highly anticipated fourth series of Misfits returns to E4 on the 28th October and it’s sure to be amazing. With the departure of Kelly, Simon and Alisha and the introduction of three new characters, things are going to get shaken up, but with show runner Howard Overman telling fans (perhaps not 100% seriously) to expect ‘killer rabbits and the four horsemen of the apocalypse’, this series will definitely be one to watch. For those patiently waiting for the next series of BBC comedy Miranda, there is some…

Andy Murray has become the first British man to win a Grand Slam tournament in 76 years after a heroic 5 set victory over Novak Djokovic at the US Open. Adding to his Olympic goldmedal and first ever Wimbledon final, Murray’s first Grand Slam victory ensures his place in tennis history It was a very close final, and was as thrilling a match as was expected from the world no.2 and no.3. An extremely close first two sets, which included a 26 minute tie break and a 54-shot long rally, ended in Murray winning 7-6 7-5, and one set away from…

It’s the most important event in every geek’s calendar – Comic Con. As game, film, TV and comic book fans from all over the world gathered at the San Diego Convention Centre, the rest of us scoured the internet hoping to find teasers and trailers for our favourite franchises. Originally a small convention for comic book fans, Comic Con has become a huge event for fans and the media alike, with some of the biggest studios around using the occasion to release exclusive information about upcoming projects, such as interviews with the stars and creators, posters or stills, and trailers.…

All there seems to be on television these days is one reality show after another; if it isn’t The Only Way is Essex, it’s Made in Chelsea or Geordie Shore. But after MTV announced their latest show The Valleys set in Wales, a few of the locals have decided enough is enough, and have struck back at the media giant with their own portrayal of life in Wales with The Valleys are here. The premise of The Valleys is taking a group of Welsh youngsters dreaming of stardom, plucking them from their ‘hamlet towns’ and seeing how they survive big…

Coming at the end of this year’s summer film season is Brave, Pixar’s latest animated feature. As this was Pixar’s first film with a female protagonist, there were high expectations across the board for the studio’s 13th feature film, despite the production being hit with setbacks and disagreements during production. Set in the highlands of medieval Scotland, Brave tells the tale of Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald), daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly), who rebels against the regal life set out for her by her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). After refusing an arranged marriage and embarrassing the local clan leaders…

A week of close matches, surprise winners and shock defeats has made the opening rounds of this year’s Wimbledon some of the most memorable in recent memory. The big story of the week is the astonishing exit of second favourite Rafael Nadal on the fourth day of the tournament. The 26 year old lost to little known Czech player Lukas Rosol in 5 sets on Centre Court, who is only placed 100th in the world. Rosol played the game of his life and outclassed Nadal to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, causing one of the biggest upsets in the…

As the most prestigious tennis tournament on Earth kicked off on Monday, the world’s top ranked players have to bring their best game in order to be crowned champion. When predicting the men’s Wimbledon winner, it’s hard to think of any player that isn’t one of the Big Four. Number one seed Novak Djokovic is a dangerous opponent; despite losing the French Open to Nadal, he’s had a great season. With victories at the Australian Open, US open and Wimbledon last year, the 25-year-old is in great form. Rafael Nadal comes to Wimbledon after winning his seventh French Open title,…