[Tuesday, 01st] MNF replay: the Vikings @ the Bears [13:00, SS 2] A 59 yard rush to the red zone by RB Howard got the Bears to the MV 13, just a FG from it. Another FG by the Bears in the 3rd minute of Q2, 0-6. The Bears sacked the MV to a punt and Howard rushed for a TD, 0-13. The Vikings got close but were sacked to a FG. 3-13.
   Jeffrey took a TD pass 5 minutes in to Q3, 3-20. The Viks had to make 4th & 2 in their own half to start Q4; another CB sack, punt. The Viks managed a TD for Diggs with 6 minutes to go for 10-20, but that was the end of the scoring.
Crumbs! What a cheerful night on TV! Lt. Okay Yar was croaked on Syfy in an episode of Star Trek TNG [18:00] and General Carter and the Tok'ra Sel'mac, who started off as female but finished as male, got the chop in Stargate SG-1 on Pick [19:00]
   Meanwhile, poor old Barry the Flasher [20:00, Sky 1] had been time-travelling and changing stuff, and everything had become FUBB. The nice Felicity thought he could put everything right but the scriptrotter clearly hates him.
SNF replay: the Eagles in Dallas [VM/SkyoD] Nearly a fumble to the PE from the kick off return by Dallas, a sack by Smith, punt. The Eagles stalled in the red zone, FG. A 53 yard pass play against a blitz got the DC to the PE 22; Prescott called his own number for a TD. 3-7 after 10 minutes.
   Q2 started with a DG FG, 3-10. Holding gave the Eagles another shot from the DC 4; TD for Matthews, 10-all after 10 minutes. The Cowboys reached the PE 7 but were stopped by a pick in the end zone. A 55 yard FG was made twice when Dallas got cute and called a time out. 13-10 at the end of the quarter.
   A TD for the Eagles against confused Cowboys in the 9th minute. 20-10. DC about to go 3 & out? They got 30 yards on 3rd & 8. Lots of Elliot on the ground, just a FG. 20-13.
   A FG for the Eagles in the first minute of Q4, 23-13. A quick out for Dallas but they recovered a fumble and a FG try squeaked through. 23-16. The Cowboys managed a TD with 3 minutes to go, 23-all and on to OT.
   The Cowboys made 4th & a bit; TD pass to Witten, 23-29, lucky win.

[Wednesday, 02nd] Rizzoli & Isles [21:00, Alibi] A family doing their own portering dropped a heavy coffin because there was an extra body in it. The mortician! Jane's mom wasn't thrilled to hear that she's going to the FBI, 500 miles away. The dead guy's sister, his business partner at the mortuary, denied killing him. The lady broker, who was rushing through a sale of the business, didn't know about the sister.
   Maura had a sick baby dumped on her by the parents. There was another body, also stabbed like the first one, so the sister was harassed again. Some funerals were missing from the books; the cops found graves with multiple occupants. A serial killer in action? The cops closed in on a dodgy photographer. Then it was back to the Rizzo family and Maura, who was upset by a medical miracle.

[Thursday, 03rd] Rosemary & Thyme [The Gooseberry Bush, 20:00, ITV 3] The ladies went to a christening then they found an abandoned baby, which Rosie insisted on keeping instead of turning the kid over to social services. The job was building a memorial garden for Penelope's ex-mother-in-law as she was remarrying her ex. Rosie and Laura kept grabbing the wrong end of the stick when looking for the kid's mother, who didn't seem to be missing it.
   The ladies found the weird neighbour shot dead. Penelope failed to hide her gun and Rosie added it to her haul. Laura went burgling and was caught in the act by a copper after spotting a nude rear view portrait had a butterfly tattoo, like Penelope's sister.
   The baby vanished so the ladies had to go to the police. The dead mother-in-law wasn't! So that was the remarriage off. The baby was explained. Rosie got the sisters fighting then called the cops to bust them.
Crossing Lines [21:00, Alibi] A judge was shot; the Mafia? His watch was stolen by the perp. The judge was on a drug case but the gaoled Mafia guy said it wasn't him. The boss was told there must be an arrest within 24 hours, so no pressure. He did a deal with an MI6 lady. The judge's wife had a BF and a motive! A BG was busted with the judge's $40K watch; found it in the street, he said.
   Cue a bit of shooting. The gunman failed to jump from one building to another. Splat! So no confession from the killer. The wife denied meeting the killer; the cops decided she was lying about something. The cops confronted the son with the fact that his father was violent and kept injuring his mother, which cracked him. But a clear case of justifiable homicide.

[Friday, 04th] TNF replay: the Falcons in Tampa Bay [11:30, SS 3] TB got into the end zone twice in their opening drive; the 2nd one stuck. The Falcons drew level in less than 2 minutes. 7-all. The Falcons forced a fumble after a penalty on TB and got the ball at the TB 14; FG, 10-7. The Falcs recovered another fumble in the 13th minute. Almost a TD in the first minute of Q2, FG, 13-7.
   A fumble went to TD 6 minutes in. Their 6' 5" receiver outjumped a 5' 10" corner in the AF end zone, 13-14. The Falcs scored a TD with a minute to go in the half. 20-14. End zone PI helped the Falcs to a TD after 6 minutes of Q3, no +2, 16-14. A TD for Jones made it 33-14.
   Evans on the other side made a spectacular one-handed catch but TB went out on downs in the 1st minute of Q4. Another TD for the Falcons after 5 minutes, 40-14. TB made a 4th & 16 after the Falcons' 3rd sack; TD, no +2, 40-20. The Falcons made a 50 yard FG, 43-20. TB got a consolation Td with a minute to go, +2, 43-28 final.
Rosemary & Thyme [Racquet Espanol, 20:00, ITV 3] Laura got to disapprove of bullfighting; the client wanted to turn a bullring into a hotel. Eeek! a body with a strange bite on his hand. Charlie believed in what Ray was doing with his tennis club and his money had kept Ray going. Natch, Rosie & Laura were sure Charlie had been murdered rather than just fell out of a window.
   Karen had a crash in the bus called Martina and Rosie found her stolen trowel in the wreck! This week, it was her turn to save the day with an exhibition of reckless scooter-riding to get the double killer caught. Then she exposed Karen as a plant thief; but you'd think she'd have her own trowel for that.
Hooten & the Lady series finale [21:00, Sky 1] Hooten took a big wad of cash to a contact. The Lady strolled up after Captain Morgan treasure and strolled off with the map segment which the contact had obtained. They found the Morgan artefacts, only to be hijacked by the contact.
   The fiancé turned up when they returned to sort of civilization; he wanted a beach wedding instead of the jamboree planned by Alex's mom. Hooten caused some carnage and got a BG busted. Then he zoomed off to Vietnam in search of a huge gold Buddha. And the last we saw of our two heroes, they were both tied up in Vietnam and about to be eaten by bears

[Saturday, 05th] The last FNF replay of the season: the Blue Bombers in Ottawa [10:30, ESPN] The 2nd BB play was picked for 6 by Taylor. Jensen started Q1 and the RBs were sacked to a punt. They survived a first fumble in another drive but not the 2nd. More defence. A 50 yard pass to Dressler got the BB to the RB 20; 2 plays with 00 on the clock, TD, 7-all.
   O'Brien started the next 2 quarters for the RBs. A pick half way through Q2 gave the BBs a FG. 10-7. The RBs kicked one after the 3MW. 10-all. A 51 yard pass to Harris + roughing the passer got the BB to the RB 12; FG, 13-10.
   The RBs started the 2nd half by going 2 & out. A 39 yard pass to Adams to the RB 8, FG, 16-10. The RBs had to punt but got the ball back by mugging the return guy. A 29 yard TD run by Vann, 2 plays, 16-17. Then the kick off was returned 95 yards for a TD by McDuffie! Crumbs! 23-17. The RBs dug themselves out of a hole with a 52 yard pass to Smith, close to a TD, just a FG in the end. 23-20. Did Adams get another TD in the last minute of the quarter? Yup. 30-20.
   Nichols was clobbered avoiding a sack for a safety in Q4. Jensen returned for the RBs. A fake FG almost produced a TD for Harris. The sacks continued. Glenn replaced Nichols for the last 6 minutes. FG for the BBs, 33-20: Medlock's record 60th in a season. Dressler was allowed to gain 1,000 yards. No such luck for Harris. Their 11th win of the season gave the BBs a shot at 2nd in the division if the Riders beat the Lions. The Redblacks became the first team to win the division with an 8-9-1 losing record.
Earthfall (2015) [17:00, Syfy] Bitz from space were bombarding the Earth and a rogue planet was towing it away from the Sun! One face of the planet was in permanent sunlight and the other was freezing. A computer hacker exposed the government's S.A.F.E. plan. People at a music festival, including the daughter of the lady who devised the plan, thought they could get to a save haven. Wrong!
   The Earth was being towed into the asteroid belt and facing an extinction-level strike from a space rock. The makers of this epic had no idea of the actual density of the rocks there. The plan lady and her husband went after her daughter because the government was planning to blow up a massive deposit of natural gases at the "safe haven" co-ordinates with nukes to blast the Earth out of the grip of the rogue planet. So lots of thrashing about to save the daughter.
The Land That Time Forgot (2009) [19:00, Syfy] is an Edgar Rice Burroughs story with big debts to Sir A. Conan Doyle's The Lost World and Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island. A gang on a yach with a defective engine wash up on an island and one of the guys is promptly eaten by a pterosaur. The boat and Karen, who was left aboard, disappear. Surprise! there's a pilot who parachuted onto the island and an old bloke called Conrad there
   Another surprise! There are also the survivors of a U-boat, which ran out of fuel and is beached there. The Germans have Karen prisoner. The newcomers rescue Karen and find deposits of tar, which can be distilled into diesel fuel. When the pilot and Conrad dash off in the yacht's dinghy, the rest form an alliance with the Germans and fight the Allosaurs, which want them for lunch.
   Karen and her husband are left behind when the sub leaves the island, so the husband puts their story in a thermos flask and throws it into the sea.

[Sunday, 06th] NFL Sunday [17:30, SS2] the Eagles @ the Giants. Well, that was original. Getting a first-year piano student to do the anthem.
   The Giants went 3 & out but got the ball back from a pick and turned the turnover into a TD. Another PE drive, another pick, another NJG TD. 0-14 after 6 minutes. The Eagles kicked a FG and the officials missed roughing their kicker. 3-14. The Giants were sacked to a punt.
   The Eagles blew up right away on 4th & 2 in Q2. A 58 yard pass to Treggs got the PE to the NJG 12, TD run for Matthews, 10-14. Cruz took a pass 45 yards, another TD for the Giants, 10-21. The Eagles went out on downs instead of kicking a FG. And when they tried a FG, it was blocked!
   The PE opener of Q3 went to a TD. 17-21. One back for the Giants at the half-way mark. 17-28. Lots of D. Q4: FG for the Eagles, 20-28. The Eagles were awarded a strip and recovery, which was declared an interception as Beckham never had control of the ball, which survived a review. Punt.
   FG for the Eagles with about 4 minutes to go, 23-28. A pick by the Eagles gave them some hope. But the Giants took it away.
Next, the Titans in San Diego [21:26, SS 2] A 5 minute opening drive by the Bolts to a TD for Gates. The PAT missed. Some boo-birds out when the Bolts were held to a FG with 4 minutes to go. 0-9.
   Gordon to the TT 6 in Q2, a TD for Williams, 0-16. The Titans came back with a TD 4 minutes in. 7-16. Lots of defence. A pick by the Bolts went to a FG, 7-19, which left the Titans with 19 seconds more than they needed to get a TD. 14-19 at the half.
   The Titans took the lead with their opening drive of Q3. 21-19. The Titans staged a goal-line stand, a 3rd down sack was wiped out b y a penalty and the Bolts bashed into their end zone. 21-26. Lowry recovered a fumble and went 41 yards for a TD in the 13th minute, 21-33.
   The Titans came back with a TD 5 minutes into Q4, 28-33. SD kicked a FG with 6 minutes to go, 28-36. Flowers returned a pick for 6! 28-43. The Titans scored a TD with 2:48 to go, 35-43. The Bolts faffed about a bit over clock management but finally got to where they could go into victory formation.

[Monday, 07th] CFL mega-replay Monday: The Als in Hamilton [09:00, ESPN] The Als punted. The TC punted and the kick was returned 86 yards for a TD by Logan! 7-0. Two end zone catch failures, FG for the Cats, 3-7. Another FG from the next TC drive. 7-6.
   Matthews came on for the battered Collards in Q2. Lots of defence and QBs being clobbered. After a 45 yard punt return for Logan, a pass from Adams to Giguere produced a TD 5 minutes from half time. 14-6.
   A FG for the Cats 3 minutes in to Q3, 14-9. Lewis took catch 100 of the seasor for a 1st down, punt. The Cats went out on downs at the MTL 22 but Lewis was mugged and lost the ball to Raymond. The Cats went on to a TD, +2, 14-17.
   Adams to Giguere again for a TD in Q4, 21-17. A TC fake punt gave them a 1st down, and they got a rouge when they had to punt for real. 21-18. The TC recovered a fumble on the first MTL play, plus half the distance, that was 1st down at the MTL 5. TD, 21-25.
   More Lewis for the Als then a 42 yard TD pass to Cunningham on the next play, 28-25. The Als kicked a FG with 1:10 to go and got a rouge from the kick off. 32-25. A pick by MTL with 36 seconds to go sealed their win.
   Meaningless in the standings? Not a Pro Bowl on the field! Collards took a quarter of battering before being yanked and both teams went full speed for a win in a match which wasn't decided until the last minute.
Next, the Argos @ the Esks [13:30, ESPN] The Argos spent 6 minutes going to a TD. An on-side kick try flopped. Franklin started for the Esk, 2 plays to a TD for Zylstra. 7-all. Ray was sacked by Vega, punt. 46 yards for Zylstra and a TD for Bell 2 minutes into Q2, 7-14.
   Bang! a 72 yard TD pass to Bailey, 7-21 with 11 minutes to go. A 39 yard pass to Mitchell, another TD for Zylstra, 7-28. The Argos came back with a TD just before the half. 14-28.
   Lots of D in Q3. The Argos were sacked to a FG after 9 minutes. 17-28. Another big pass to Zylstra set up a FG, 17-31. Ray bit the turf again with a couple of minutes to go in the quarter.
   Lynch got to do a bit for the Esks in Q4, FG, 17-34. Another sack on Ray, punt. Lynch ran in for a TD with a couple of minutes left. 17-41 and that was enuf.
   Reilly, Bowman and Walker all got a night off, which let back-ups as well as some of the less regulars show off their Excellence. None of the possible outcomes could affect the Esks' progress to Hamilton for some cross-over action, but they kept the pedal to the metal to the end.
The Riders in BC on Military Appreciation Night [13:45, ESPN] Jennings was picked in the first minute. Lots of defence but a TD for Arcenaux after 8 minutes, no +2, 0-6. The Riders kicked a FG after 11 minutes. 3-6. Johnson lost the ball to the Riders and went off injured. 2 & out for the RR and a FG try missed for 1 point, 4-6. A big run by Rainey, TD for Arcenaux (No. 100 career), +2, 4-14.
   Jennings got to 5,000 yards in Q2. Johnson returned. Sack for Cambell, FG try for McCallum, aged 146! 4-17. BC fumbled the ball away with 6 minutes to go. A sack for 'Death' Roh was wiped out mysteriously, still a punt. A big pass to Arceneaux. A BC TD with 2 minutes to go, 4-24.
   A FG 3 minutes into Q3 put BC 4-27 ahead. Then BC staged a mugging and got the ball right back for a FG. 4-30. A huge pass to Sinkfield set up another FG. 3-33. The Riders outscored BC by 2 TDs to 1 in the 4th quarter, but they still ended up on the wrong end of 18-41.
   We all knew which way things would go in Vancouver; it was always a question of 'by how much?'
SNF replay: the Broncos in Oakland [16:00, SS2] The Raiders marched to a FG. They were sacked to a FG after 10 minutes. 0-6. The Raiders dominated but the couldn't get into the DB endzone until a 'just squeaked in' in the first minute of Q2. 0-13. The Broncos scored a TD in the 7th minute for 7-13. Janikowski missed an OR FG try!! PI by Denver put the Raiders at their 1; A TD was wiped out by a penalty so the Raiders just scored again. 7-20. Which left Denver with time for a long FG, 10-20.
   Lots of help from the zebras for the Broncos in Q3 was trumped by a sack. The Raiders kicked a FG to start Q4, 13-20. A circus catch by Crabtree set up another FG, 13-23. A huge scrum with 7 minutes to go was unpicked with the ball in Raider hands! On to a TD, 13-30. A 69 yard TD run by Dibbs with great blocking got the Broncos to 20-30 with 5 minutes to go. They ran out of hope after being stopped by a pick just after the 2MW.

[Tuesday, 08th] MNF replay: The Bills @ the Seaweeds [17:00, SS 3] The Bills sent the SW 3 & out and blocked the punt, TD, 7-0. A big pass play then a TD for Seattle, 7-all. Another TD for the Bills in the 13th minute, 14-7.
   Graham made a one-handed TD catch to start Q2, 14-all The Bills were sacked to a Fg, 17-14. A TD for the Weeds, and then another Graham one-handed catch with a minute to half-time, 17-28. The Bills had 3 seconds for a FG so the Weeds clobbered their kicker, who had to leave the field for a play, and the next kick try after a delay of game penalty was NG.
   The Weeds did nothing with a pick in their end zone after 5 minutes. The Bills finished a drive in Q4 with a TD, +2, 25-28. A FG for the Weeds after 5 minutes, 25-31, and that turned out to be the final score.
   New Rule: the SeaWeeds are allowed to get away with at least one blatant swindle every match. How did that come about?

[Wednesday, 09th] Rizzoli & Isles [21:00, Alibi] The father of a girl, who was done in 4 years ago, was murdered in his home; nothing taken. A Fed wanted to do dinner with Jane and Maura's book wasn't a hit with an editor. His girlfriend wanted Korsak to retire. DNA evidence told Maura that Walter was killed by the same man who killed his daughter. Korsak was on that case.
   Korsak didn't believe the gardener did it, but there was no other suspect. Maura applied modern technology to find fingerprints on the dead girl's dress. The cops did a dramatic bust as the fugitive was trying to flee in his chopper. Then Maura decided to go to France to fix her book.

[Thursday, 10th] Crossing Lines [21:00, Alibi] Milan a year ago; Marco the kidnap guy failed to prevent a serial killer from decapitating another victim, a useless cop let the killer escape and the useless Italian courts set the killer free. There was another bomb. The cops thought it was a suicide bombing gone wrong in an area with no CCTV. There there was the serial killer's signature.
   There was another bomb but without the card. Then a body killed by another killer's method. The cops worked out that someone was hunting people who'd been named as murder suspects and condemned in the court of public opinion. As a duty, the lady psychologist thought. Gulp! it was the pathologist, whose daughter had been murdered.

[Friday, 11th] TNF replay: The Browns @ the Ravens [11:30, SS 3] Q1 ended on a pick by the Browns? No, the ball was brought out to their 1 and they went 3 & punt in Q2. The Ravens came back for a FG in the 5th minute. 0-3. The Browns did one better with a TD in the 9th minute. 7-0. Another bad call by officials hleped the BR to a short FG in the last minute of the half. 7-6.
   The Ravens went ahead again with a TD in the 5th minute of Q3, and scored another later that same quarter. 7-21. Another TD for the Ravens in Q4 with 6 minutes to go was their last statment in a massacre. 7-28 final.
England v Scotland [19:45, ITV 1] Who are this bunch of Pink Panthers? Scotland obviously had so little confidence of being able to beat the auld enemy in his back yard that they turned up in disguise. Didn't do them much good, though.
   Lots of faffing about at the start of the match, then Sturridge knocked one in for England (!) after 23 minutes. Scotland blew a couple of good chances, and they did it again after 48 minutes of second half. And again a minute later. Lallana put England 2-0 up after 50 minutes with a header. And Cahill completed a 3-0 victory from a Boy Wayne corner after 60 minutes. This was pretty much a mirror image of the standard England performance. We're so used to seeing them getting close and not scoring whilst the foreign side sneaks goals past them.

[Saturday, 12th] Midsomer Murders [The Dogleg Murders, 17:55, ITV 3] A golf club, so we can expect members to be knocked off and found there. But will the hissy pillock of a killer have an imagined motive connected with the club? Colin, a grounds keeper, has a bossy mom, who's also a loan shark, and a mommy's-favourite git of a brother. And there's a guy trying to buy back a big house which his family used to own.
   The first corpse is terminally obnoxious. The next guy is done in whilst on the phone to DS Jones! Colin's mom is trying to get his creepy mom into the golf club as a full member. Jones sees the mystery hoodie, who was seen at the first murder, when he goes in search of body #2. Tom Barnaby's superintendent is trying to get into the club and a pain.
   The killer is left-handed, says the pathologist, so that's Crisp, the guy trying to buy the big house in the frame. He's trying to kill off the membership committee to get Colin's brother into the club so that mom will give him a loan to buy the big house. So epic fail.
Bones [20:00, Living] A long-dead body at a Civil War jamboree turns out to be a dentist, who's full of spider eggs, which hatch in the Institute while the body is being extracted from a mass of clay. The spiders are not native to the area where the body was found.
   The dead guy's angry ex-boyfriend is hassled. Then Agent Booth hassles the dead guy's football team. Booth eventually fits up a swindled builder for the murder. And Booth's (former?) alcoholic brother is unfazed by the news that he's dating a (former) professional escort.
Rebus [21:00, Drama] A dumped body with a tattoo turned out to be an art dealer. Rebus threw a wobbly in front of the squad and ended up the the Last Chance Saloon with a gang of other rejects. So DS Siobhan was on her own with the art dealer. Some of the rejects recruited Rebus to their Pension Scheme plan.
   Siobhan was after artwork stolen to order. Rebus and Co. were nearly caught in a brothel busted by the boss and Siobhan spotted Rebus. He asked her to lay off the bad guy Nolan, so Siobhan went to the boss and got herself in bother. Surprise! Rebus was undercover; the other cops were suspected of a murder.
   Rebus was on the spot, unsuspecting, when Nolan and gang set fire to a house and killed BG Danny's family. ACC Gunner, the big boss, was cool with 3 more deaths and full of threats against Rebus. Rebus went to the dead guy's gallery and found a "stolen" painting concealed. One customer, whom Siobhan couldn't trace, had bought millions of pounds of art from the dealer.
   Gunner's antics produced a huge crisis of confidence in polis ranks. Danny shot one of the BG cops and left him in hospital, a vegetable. Nolan told Rebus that his gang was the dealer's mystery customer and the art was the pension fund. Then Danny turned up again with his gun and plugged Nolan, who had made him kill the dealer to protect his family, which didn't work.

[Sunday, 13th] The Brazilian GP got away 10 minutes late due to heavy rain [16:10, SSF1] behind the safety car for 7/71 laps. Some drivers went in for inters right away. Vettel had a big spin and aquaplaned right off the road, so he came in for inters!?! and went down to 19th. Ericson aquaplaned to a crash at the pit lane entrance, SC and lots of debris on the track.
   Raikkonen went into the wall on the main straight at the restart; more debris and a red flag to allow his car to be recovered. 20 laps done. The restart was behind the SC at 17:20. They had until 8 p.m. to get the race done with. More rain was forecase; 50, that's five-zero, minutes of it. Another red flag and lots of booing by the customers even though Hamilton was urging the director to bring the SC in.
   Back out behind the SC for lap 29 @ 18:03. Verstappen bagged 2nd right after the restart. Massa got stuck on the track on lap 49, SC to cancel Hamilton's big lead over Rosberg. A bad move to inters then back to wets dropped Verstappen to 16th and blew his podium chances? No, he took 5th off Vettel on lap 67 and 3rd of Perez on lap 70.
Meanwhile, some sport that's actually happening: the CFL divisional semis [18:00, ESPN] starting in the East with the crossover Eskimos in Hamilton, where it's sunny but very windy. The Cats went out on downs near the EE 30. The Esks advanced into the red zone, helped by a challenger, and a TD lunge by White put them 7-0 ahead. A big pass play to Tyms burned the Esks, FG, 7-3.
   Another TD for White, an 18 yard run, in Q2, 14-3. Plus a rouge from the kick off, 15-3. Hamilton got the first sack, then they blocked an EE punt. Tyms dropped the ball in the end zone, a TC challenge failed, and an FG try missed and was returned by Bell, 25 yards + a 10 yard penalty on the TC. Fumble, scramble, retained by the Esks, punt. More punting then more White and a FG for the Esks in the last minute of the quarter, 18-3.
   The Cats found a bit of sparkle in Q3 and Gable got a TD. The PAT missed, 18-9. The Esks kicked a FG with under 3 minutes to go. 21-9. Masoli came on for a huge pass play to Watt but the TC were held to a FG in Q4, 21-12. Reilly was hurt running for a 1st down, Franklin in, punt. Finally, a sack for the Esks but the TC pulled off an on-side kick & recovery with their punt! Bang! Gable to the EE 2, TD sneak by Masoli to the right of the line, +2, 21-20 with 4 minutes left.
   A huge rouge from a kick off with the wind, 21-all. Zylstra then White to the 3MW, EE punt. Collards was picked with 1:25 to go, the Esks from the TC 20! Nearly a fumble on the exchange, White to the TC 2, FG for Whyte with 7 seconds to go, Eskimos win 24-21 and go on to Ottawa.
The Western Final: the Bombers @ the Lions [21:30, ESPN] The Lions were stopped by a pick. The Bombers advanced to a TD for Harris plus a rouge from the kick off. 8-0. Another takeaway near the BB 20 in the 10th minute; the ball was stripped from Jennings. Taunting by the Lions kept the BB drive going, and PI but it ended with a punt in the last minute. 11-0.
   Q2: A dive to the left pylon by Burnham, no +2, 11-6. BC was sacked to a punt in the 7th minute. A quick TD for Smith in a couple of minutes, 18-6. Smith dived for the pylon on the other side with a couple of minutes to go, 25-6. The Lions needed just one minute to get a TD via Johnson, no +2, 25-12. Frantic efforts but no more scoring in the half.
   The Bombers kicked a FG 6 minutes in to Q3, 28-12. Lots of penalties on the BB got the Lions close, TD for Jennings, 28-19. Lots of defence into Q4, relieved only by a FG for the Bombers and a TD for Sinkfield, 31-26.
   Can the Lions score a major and eat up most of the last 3 minutes? A major scramble for a TD by Jennings, no +2, 31-32 with a minute left. An artful challenge by the BB flopped and a 61 yard FG try was short. Shudda gone for it on 3rd down. The Lions get to play the Stamps for the division title.

[Monday, 14th] NFL Sunday replay: the Seaweeds v Armstrong United [13:00, SS 2] NE took their opening drive to a TD. FG from the Squawks in reply, 3-7. Another FG toward the end of the quarter, 6-7. The Weeds scored a TD 4 minutes in to Q2; the PAT was blocked, 12-7. NE were stopped by a pick, the Weeds were sacked to a punt. Blount battered in for a TD with a minute left, 12-14. Which was enuf time for the Weeds to score a TD instead of a FG, 19-14.
   Another TD for Blount after 7 minutes of Q3, 19-21. The Weeds were double sacked to a FG, 22-21. In Q4, NE were sacked to a FG, 22-24. The Weeds kicked a go-ahead FG, 25-24. Another TD for the Weeds in the 11th minute, no +2, 31-24. NE went out on downs in the last minute. The End.
Next, the Cowboys v the Steelers [14:00, SS 2] An early takeaway b y the PS, on to a TD after 5 minutes, no +2, 0-6. A FG for the Cowboys, another TD drive by the Steelers, no +2, 3-12. Great blocking gave Elliott an 83 yard TD from a screen pass, 10-12. The Cowboys took the lead with a FG in Q2, 13-12. The Steelers replied in kind. 13-15.
   Q3: The Steelers got close but just a FG, 13-18. A longer FG for DC, 16-18. A defence-busting TD for Bryant put the Cowboys ahead, going 50 yards on 3rd & 11, 23-18. In Q4, the Steelers got close and Bell reached for a TD, again no +2, 23-24. A TD for Dallas after the 2MW, Elliott again, no +2, 29-24. The Steelers stormed down field to a TD for Brown, no +2, 29-30. 42 seconds left, Elliott in for a TD with 9 of them left! no +2, 35-30. And that was enough for the 8th win in a row for Dallas.
The Falcons in Philly [15:00, SS 2] The Eagles opened their account with a TD for Matthews. 0-7. An FG from the Falcs in reply in Q2. 3-7. Some concentrated defence sacked the Falcs to a FG toward the end of the half. 6-7.
   The Eagle were in the red zone 5 minutes into Q3 but just a FG, 6-10. FG for the Falcs with about 4 minutes left, 9-10. Matthews to the goal line for the PE at the end of Q3.
   Will the PE go for it on 4th down in Q4? Nope. 9-13. Gabriel wide open for Atlanta, TD, PAT missed! 15-13. Matthews found the end zone for the Eagles this time, +2 after end zone PI, 15-21. FG for the Eagles with 2 minutes left. 19-24. A pick by the Eagles sealed the deal.
Taggart [Cause & Effect, 21:00, True Entertainment] An elderly husband, Tod, with money troubles and his young wife killed when a prowler was spotted lurking. Burke met again the ex-wife of an ex-copper, Jack, who went to gaol. Burke got nothing from a venture capitalist with a sideline in security, Archie. And less from Tod, who'd been beaten up by an intruder.
   Burke had a drink with the gaolbird, who reckoned he was stitched up by the bent Drug Squad guys he was watching. Jack was done in by Archie's thugs whilst Burke was dining his ex. Jack had a Swiss bank account! Jackie joined in the game of calling everyone a liar.
   A bloke was torched on a boat; shot with a Very pistol. A saga of rape, revenge and blackmail unfolded. Archie was clobbered into a vegetable state. And Burke had Jack's ex busted, the bastard!

[Tuesday, 15th] MNF replay: the Bengals @ the Giants [13:00, SS 2] The Giants opened with a 4-minute drive to a TD. A 72 yard pass play for the Bengals got them back level much quicker. 7-all. A long period of defence stretched into Q2 and Manning was sacked on a 4th & 2 some 5 minutes in. The Giants got a sack back on Palmer. The Bengals punted to the NJG 1, the Giants worked out to their 20 then Manning was picked off, FG, 10-7. A TD for the Giants in the 14th minute put them back ahead at 10-14.
   The Bengals almost returned the Q3 kick off for a TD, going 84 yards. A walk-in TD made it 17-14. Nearly another TD for the Bengals, FG 6 minutes in, 20-14. The Giants were knocking on the door at the end of Q3 and kicked it in in Q4 with a 4th down TD. 20-21. Defence, picks, sacks and neither side was able to score again.
Taggart [A Taste of Money, 21:00, True Entertainment] Two blokes met a burglar going out of a block of flats with loot. There was a trashed flat and a body trussed up with an apple in the gob! Tyler, who lived in the building, was Stuart's ex. Burke wasted time on an ex-con, whose rep had been savaged by Barry, the dead restaurant critic.
   The chancer burglar was busted; not the killer. Ross reckoned Barry was living above his pay grade. A drugs thing? There was a disappeared chef, who's business went bust. He was the new prime suspect. Val, Barry's GF, told the polis that he was a secret girlie author of airport bux. And he was on to a serious story.
   Rob, the disappeared chef, had been hiding at Val's retreat, where he was trussed up and dead. He told Barry that an Edinburgh investment firm had stolen his business. Burke & Jacke went to Edinburgh to be sneered at. There was a Casino on the Clyde scam. Andy, Tyler's mate and the other guy who found Barry's body was a killer thug!
   Burke burst into a meeting with American casino investors to bust the deal and the poncy Edinburgh crooks. And there was a bit of a chase to top things off.

[Wednesday, 16th] MotoGP of Valencia replay [19:00, BTS2] All the championships have been decided but there's another set of trophies up for grabs. Lorenzo was off into the distance after lap 1/30 with Iannone 2nd. Pedrosa was an early casulaty. Rossi was 3rd and Marquez 4th. Crutchlow became another casualty with 13 laps to go. Marquez bagged 2nd several times then made it stick. Iannone ended up with 3rd after swapping the place with Rossi several times.
The last ever Rizzoli & Isles [21:00, Alibi] Maura was going to make a virtual memory book of crime-scene photos! Weird or what! Luckily a DB deflected her; a guy in red underpants tied to a bed. Maura's weird assistant was doing videos of the disintegrating squad. The dead guy was violent to his young wife, a friend who said she gave money to the wife claimed. So justifiable homicide. No, the wife was still there, so cue a chase to bust her. And cue a fuzzy, girly finish.

[Thursday, 17th] Crossing Lines [21:00, Alibi] At the Croatian seaside, a doctor on holiday spots a bloke bleeding all over the place, goes with him in an ambulance and disappears. The wife runs into Agent Marco. The guy died and he had CLV virus, so big cover-up and quarantine. The dead guy was working for a Balkan war criminal, hence the International Court interest.
   CCTV gave the team another suspect and a witness. The dead guy was a drug mule. The guy who collected the shipment was infected and his wife was unco-operative; because the BGs had kidnapped their son. The wife was shown plague victims to make her co-operate. Her son's only chance of survival was to give up her plague-ridden husband. The husband croaked, the boy was saved and the BGs were shot up a bit.

[Friday, 18th] TNF replay: the Saints @ the Panthers [VM/SkyoD] A long and troublesome CP drive ended with a FG. Same for NO in the last minute of the quarter. 3-all. A pick stopped the Saints after 6 minutes of Q2. The CP reached the NO 1 (again) but got a TD this time. 3-10. The Panthers kicked a long FG with 3 minutes to go.
   One back for the Saints in the last minute of the half was blocked by the Panthers and returned for a TD! No, there's a flag. Illeagal block. But a miracle back of the end zone catch by Ginn, which needed a review to be awarded, got the Panthers a TD. 3-20.
   The Panthers went further ahead with a FG in the 7th minute of Q3. The Saints kicked a FG to start Q4, 6-23. Then the Panthers sat back whilst the Saints played frantic catch-up They got a TD in the 4th minute. Linebacker Keuchley of the CP was carted off with 4 minutes left. Another NO TD with 3 minutes left, 20-23. And that was as close as they got.
Taggart [Cause To Kill, 21:00, True Entertainment] A girl chucked out of a club ditched a ring and a picture of her and her ex, then she was grabbed and murdered; stabbed, washed, bin-bagged and strung up in a crucifixion pose. A copy of a 20-year-old murder. There was a female author with a book about the case, taking all the credit, and the mother of the killer wanted his name cleared.
   Burke found out that the killer was out of gaol. His daughter showed Burke a pot of ashes; he'd croaked. The ex-BF did a runner when Ross & Stuart arrived to harass him. Burke had to include the lady author to get to talk to the late Tommy Clark's insane former cellmate. Waste of time.
   Another body. What if it's not a copycat? said the author. The dumped BF was harassed. Then a guy who collected stray girls. The cops collected a trafficked girl. A girl wearing the writer's coat was grabbed by mistake. The author tracked down and confronted the crazed killer; the father of the original killer, who had erased the forensic evidence from his son's killings.

[Saturday, 19th] A Touch of Frost [17:55, ITV 3] A bloke saws the barrels off a shotgun. Frost finds himself looking down the barrel of a teenage drug dealer's gun. There's an armed security van robbery. Frost is chucked off a TA camp after one of them is shot on an exercise using blanks. Frost refuses to keep his nose out.
   Surprise! One of the security van guys is in with the thieves. And the firm is about to be sold off with redundancies. The MP Captain, who arrives to investigate, tells Frost that the fatal shot was fired from outside the camp. Frost uncovers a blackmailing female sergeant when he gets back on the military camp.
   Frost busts the nazi shop guy. The "4th guy" in the robbery turns out to be a shop dummy! The kid got the gun from the nazi shop guy, who was harassing his mother. The blaggers are busted. The MP captain turns up another Russian pistol and decides that the wrong soldier was killed. The corporal who sold guns to the nazi shop guy is busted and the nazi shop guy is done for the murder.
   The female sergeant is done for blackmail and Frost lets the MP captain do a cover-up to protect the army's reputation. At the end, he's chucked out of his digs at the Indian restaurant because his presence is frightening off the post-pub trade.

[Sunday, 20th] It's the playoffs in Canada and everyone in Ottawa was being snowed on as we got set for the East final between the Eskimos and the Redblacks [18:00, ESPN] The RBs reached the EE 29, FG. Lots of defence then a big run of 26 yards set up a TD for Ellingson. The PAT missed, 0-9. The RBs got the first sack in the 14th minute, another EE punt.
   The RBs marched to the EE 2 in Q2, TD for Paden, +2, 0-17. What a catch by Zylstra! An attempt to make the RBs jump with a fake FG didn't work, actual FG, 3-17. A review gave the RBs PI on a ball thrown away by Burris. But they were stopped by a pick with 2 minutes left. An EE FG try in the blizzard missed and was brought out of the end zone.
   Q3 was delayed whilst the ground crew repainted the sidelines! having scraped the original pint off with the snow. The guys with scrapers were doing a heroic job of putting lines on the field during the breaks. It definitely shouldn't be no yards if the receiver fails to make an effort to field the ball.
   Lots of defence and miscues. The RBs got away with intentional grounding for no good reason. Jackson returned a punt for a TD after 12 minutes, +2, 3-25, game over? A TD for Bowman in the last minute of the quarter, 10-25.
   The Esks recovered a fumble at the start of Q4, TD for Getzlaf, 17-25. The RBs fumbled away the kick off, nothing by the EE. Almost a miracle TD catch by Ellingson but the RBs punted. The RBs kicked a FG with 4:37 left, 17-28. A TD for Bowman with 3 minutes to go, no +2, 23-28. A TD for LaFrance in the last minute put the RBs back in the Grey Cup match. 23-35 final.
   What do you get when you build a championship-winning team but make no effort to keep it together? What you don't get is to be in the final the following year. Why is that so hard to grasp?
Next, the Lions @ the Stamps in the West final, and the weather was okay in Calgary [21:30, ESPN] The Stamps blasted to a quick lead with a TD for Messam, +2, 0-8. Neither offense could do anything in the rest of Q1. McDaniel took a TD pass 5 minutes into Q2 to cap a 103 yard drive, 0-15. Daniels went 76 yards for a TD with 5 minutes to go, 0-22.
   The Stamps were awarded a very dodgy TD in the last minute of the half; cancelled on review, so they kicked a FG. 0-25. BC shudda taken a knee, ran a play instead and got themselves pick-6ed by CGY 31. 0-32. Bad throw by Jennings.
   Lulay came on for BC in Q3. A big strike to the CGY 32, Lulay scrambled and rushed and found Arceneaux with a TD pass. No +2, but BC did get a rouge from the kick off, 7-32. The Lions failed to pick up a live ball after a badly bothed QB sneak by Mitchell, but they managed to stop the Stamps with an end zone pick. Same fate for a BC drive in the 14th minute.
   The Stamps started Q4 with a sack on Jennings, BC punted after wasting a vexatious challenge. A grinding drive by the Stamps produced another TD, 7-39. Jennings was sacked at the BC 1 but BC got off the punt. The Stamps kicked a FG after the 3MW, 7-42. Rainey made a consolation pylon dive for BC with 1:27 left, no +2, 13-42. Calgary pratted about a bit and gave up a safety, 15-42. And that was it.

[Monday, 21st] NFL Sunday replays: the Pack in windy Washington [11:00, SS Mix] The Skins scored a TD after 12 minutes. The Pack lost a TD to holding 5 minutes into Q2, TD on the next play, 7-all. GB were sacked to a FG in the 11th minute. 10-7. TD for the Skins in the last minute of the half, no +2, 10-13.
   The WR were sacked to a FG in the 6th minute of Q3, 10-16. They got a TD in the 12th minute, no +2, 10-22. A walk-in TD for Starks to start Q4, 17-22. A 70 yard TD for the Skins, 17-29. A TD for Cook with 5 minutes to go, 24-29. Another big pass for the WR, a TD with 4 minutes to go and the PAT was NG. 24-35. GB fumbled the ball away with 3 minutes to go. The End. Another TD by the Skins was an unnecessary nail. 24-42 final.
Next in the reverse order, the Dolphins in wet LA [12:00, SS Mix] The Rams, with their new QB Goff, scored a TD after 5 minutes. And then it was all defence. In Q3, lots of rain and almost a pick by the Rams. The Fins punted but the Rams obligingly fumbled the ball back to them at the LA 37. Tannehill was picked in the end zone on the next play.
   A 46 yard FG put the Rams 0-10 ahead. A 48 yard try for the Rams after 8 minutes of Q4 hit the upright and was NG. The Dolphins shoved their man into the end zone when he stalled 4 yards away! 7-10. Another TD for the Dolphins in the last minute left them 14-10 winners.
Finally, the Ravens in Dallas [13:00, SS Mix] The Cowboys were sacked to a punt. The Ravens scored first with a power running play in the 10th minute. 7-0. The Cowboys got level with a TD with 6 minutes to go in Q2. 7-all. The Ravens went ahead with a FG in the 14th minute, 10-7. Dallas drew level with a FG in the last seconds. 10-all.
   A TD half-way through Q3 put Dallas ahead. 10-17. Another TD for Dallas in 4th minute of Q4, Bryant's second TD, 10-24. A TD for the Ravens with 8 minutes to go. 17-24. The Cowboys made themselves safe with a FG with a couple of minutes to go. 17-27 final.
The Librarians are back for series 3 [20:00, Syfy] Starting with Egyptian stuff. A tourist was bamboozled and filled up with flying bugs from a mummy. Meanwhile, the Librarians were pratting around, collecting an artefact. Weird stuff in the Boston Science Museum. A book at the Library exploded. Why? To send the Librarians to Boston.
   The goverment is also investigating magic and its bungling agents grilled the museum's janitor. Oh, no! There was pure evil to be released. The Librarians got to play with the submarine in Boston. Then they had to work as a team to win. The government stooges were routed, and they need to be watched in the future as they don't know what they're doing.

[Tuesday, 22nd] MNF replay: the Texans and Raiders in Mexico City [15:00, Sky Sports 2] The Texans advanced into FG range, and that's all they got after a bad call by the officials. 3-0. The Raiders went ahead with a TD to Start Q2, 3-7. And they got the ball right back again from the kick off; bounced off the return man's helmet! Houston held the line, FG, 3-10. Miller to the OR 1 from a big run, not a TD, back to the 12 from a blunder and a penalty, TD! 10-all.
   The Texans made a 4th down in the first minute of Q3. The Texans to the OR 1 on dodgy PI, TD run by Miller. 17-10. PI by the Texans helped the Raiders to get close but just a FG from it, 17-13.
   Q4 The Texans kicked a FG 4 minutes in, 20-13. Bang! TD Oakland in under a minute, 20-all. The Texans returned to the red zone, They had to go for a 4th down after getting a bad spot, no cigar. TD for the Raiders with 4:43 left. 20-27. The Raiders went for 4th down with a minute left. And that was enough for a win with a fair degree of help from a useless bunch of zebras.

[Wednesday, 23rd] Even the Jaffa were having problems with a referendum in Stargate SG-1 [Stronghold, 19:00, Pick] A lot of sneaking about behind the scenes was going on to frustrate the will of the people. Vested interests are at it across the galaxy, kidnapping and brainwashing.
   Natch, Baal, the Aussie Goa'uld, was behind it. He wanted the Jaffa to le him lead them into battle against the Ori. Natch, when he was blown away, the audience realized that it was only another clone which had been deaded.
Get Carter, the "remake" (2000, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine) [22:00, ITV 4] Scumbag enforcer Jack Carter's scumbag loser of a brother gets a bit dead, so he goes AWOL on a rampage, which bugs his boss, trying to prove that someone offed his brother to nark J. Carter. Carter bashes people, burns bridges with his boss and eventually finds a blackmail CD in a cookie jar at the dead brother's home; which the cops failed to find, of course.
   Carter's niece is in the video. "Revenge doesn't work," sez M.C. "Sure it does," sez S.S. Cue a defenestration onto a car, some crazy driving with a bonehead going into a subway entrance, another thug telling Carter he's not a good guy before kicking his ass when Carter tries to cheap-shot him, Carter pratting about with a gun and then shooting that nice Mr. Caine and going on the run for the rest of his miserable life.
   Mr. Caine must really have needed the money!

[Thursday, 24th] Thanksgiving NFL Bonanza [17:00, SS 1] That was one of the most bloody horrible murders of the US National anthem perpetrated by A. Franklin before the Vikings @ the Lions.
   The Lions took a long opening drive to a TD. 0-7. The Lions thought they'd recovered a fumble but it was ruled an incomplete pass. But they got a tipped pass on the next play and returned it 71 yards. But DPI wiped it out, so first down Vikings from yet another dodgy call by the zebras. The Viking went on to a TD in the last minute of the quarter. 7-all.
   Defence to start Q2. The Lions were held to a FG in the red zone. 7-10. Why can't there be PI on a tipped pass? The Vikings went out on downs with 3:40 to go. The Lions met the same fate with 2 minutes to go.
   The Vikings opened Q3 with a punt, and got the first sack of the match to make the Lions punt. A 41 yard pass play got the Vikings to the DL 20, FG, 10-all. Lots of defence. A FG for the Vikings in the 14th minute. 13-10.
   The Lions tied things up with a FG with 1:45 left in regulation time. 13-all. A pick in the last minute gave them another FG shot for a win. 13-16 final.
Freddie Jones did a much more musical version of the anthem on his trumpet before the Redskins in Dallas [21:30, SS 1] Excellent job. That dreadful woman, take note.
   The Cowboys crashed into the WR end zone after 4 minutes. 0-7. The Skins missed a FG try in the 11th minute. They were knocking on the door again at the end of the quarter and kicked a FG to start Q2, 3-7.
   The Cowboys kicked a FG after 7 minutes. 3-10. Another FG try by the Skins missed after 11 minutes; the sun was shining right through those cute windows and bright enough to white-out a camera giving the kicker's view. Just plain cheating as the windows can be blocked off but never are when the Cowboys are playing.
   The Cowboys scored a TD in the 14th minute; hell of a tiptoe catch at the plylon. 3-17. Finally, a FG for the Skins with a couple of seconds left. 6-17.
   Q3 was all defence but the Skins were at the DC 5 at the end and they went in for a TD in Q4. no +2, 12-17. Prescott had no trouble zooming into the WR end zone. 12-24 a lot faster than the Skins? A 67 yard pass to Jackson then 19-24 very quickly.
   Elliott lost a TD to holding but he was soon back in the end zone. 19-31. The Skins scored a TD after the 2MW for 26-31, and tried an on-side kick, which went out of bounds. The Cowboys needed to make a first down for a win; and did it.

[Friday, 25th] TNF conclusion replay: the Steelers @ the Colts [20:00, SS 3] Luck wasn't playing for the Colts. Bell opened the scoring for the PS with a TD after 5 minutes. Brown took a TD pass in the 14th minute, pissant celebrating penalty, 14-0. The Colts made a 4th down with a 35 yard pass play instead of a punt to start Q2, and went on to a TD 2 minutes in. 14-7. Another TD for Brown after 6 minutes, 21-7. A big pass to Hilton, and an even bigger hit by a defender, got the Colts to the PS 2, where they went out on down.
   Lots of defence in Q3. The Colts made a 4th down from the PS 18 with a minute to go but blew up in Q4 on another 4th down at the PS 1. Tolzein was picked by Mitchell 7 minutes in to stop the Colts again. A 3rd TD for Brown made it 28-7 with 5:30 left. A pick by Gay let the Steelers eat some clock, and time ran out for the Colts.
Taggart [Users & Losers, 21:00, True Entertainment] A bloke was kicked to death in the street. He had a betting slip with a big losing bet and his place had been trashed. And 50 grand under the floorboards which the searchers hadn't found? Like as if! Was it the proceeds from a robbery arranged on his own firm by Mr. Carney? Ross got no change out of him.
   The money appeared to be being laundered using insider info from a horse-racing stable. Heavy coke user Penny was found dead and bashed after her horse came home alone. The wheels came off the horse doping scam and Burke did some blackmailing.
   Burke resufes to do a deal with a former boyhood pal, whose son was a hopeless druggie, out of sheer cussedness. Jackie had to talk some sense into him to get Carney, the major dealer.

[Saturday, 26th] Martian Land (2015) [19:00, Syfy] The Earth declared war on humanity, as a protest against global warming, we're invited to believe, and the inmates all went to Mars, using space shuttles, which can carry 7 people into orbit but not enough fuel and supplies for a trip to Mars, to live in big domed cities. But Mars starts to fight back against the invaders.
   The cities are menaced by giant dust storms, which have the consistency of cigarette smoke on the real Mars. Egomaniac Dr. Foster, who's trying to clean up Earth after the Yellowstone super volcano let loose, dashes to Mars (if you can dash in a space shuttle) to save his ex-wife, who's married to someone else, and his daughter.
   Foster claims that terraforming has set off Olympus Mons (yeah, right), which has been dormant for zillions of years. The dickhead from Earth wants the Martians to believe they're at war with their planet. The mission comes down to Foster and his daughter with the ex-wife trying to keep a bossy and misguided military lady from screwing everything up. And Foster gets his ex-wife's new husband killed, natch.
Alex Cross (2012) [21:00, 5*] is the touchy-feely detective cum psychologist created by James Patterson. Cross decides to take a job with the FBI for more money when his wife announces that she's pregnant again. But there's a psycho, ex-services killer loose in Detroit doing mutilation and murder. And Picasso-style drawings in charcoal. He fancies himself as a bit of a Rambo and able to sneak past the tightest security system.
   He strolls in after a target protected by the local cops and gets away from Cross with ease. The killer phones Cross and then plugs the pregnant wife, making things more personal. Cross goes off the reservation and gets help from a major crook. Natch, the pissant killer is way smarter and faster than Cross.
   But Cross is the main character so enjoy your plunge down onto a car, pal. Then Cross gets the French embezzler, who nipped off to Thailand and set the serial killer in motion, busted for drug dealing, knowing the penalty for doing that there is a date with a firing squad.

[Sunday, 27th] Abu Dhabi Grand Prix [13:00, SSF1] Hamilton on pole, Hamilton to win the race, Rosberg to take the title. A bit of crashing on lap 1 put Verstappen toward the back but he switched to a one-stopper. Rosberg got stuck behind Verstappen for a while. Button went out of his last GP when his suspension broke.
   Hamilton slowed down and tried to back Rosberg into trouble, and got lots of static from the pit, which he ignored. Didn't work. Vettel was 3rd, if anyone cares.
   Hamilton didn't get the crap car, Hamilton won the race. Story of the season.
NFL Sunday: the Cardinals @ the Falcons [17:30, SS 2] Fitzgerald made a one-handed catch on a 3rd down, on to a TD for Gresham. 7-0. The Falcons made a 4th down at about midfield, the home team got the benefit of a bad PI call to help them to a TD. 7-all. The Cards finished the quarter back in the red zone.
   Q2: a snap screw-up, FG, 10-7. The Falcons were also held to a FG. 10-all. Punting, then Gabriel blasted through the AC defence for a TD in the 13th minute. 10-17. The Cards made an interception in the last minute and kicked a FG in the last second. 13-17.
   Q3: Ryan got a good crunching from the Cardinals. The Falcons increased their lead to 13-24 in the 13th minute with a TD. Q4: Lots of defence. Atlanta held on to the ball. Gabriel flew into the AC end zone to drive home another nail. 13-31 in the 7th minute. The Cardinals scored a TD but no +2 for 19-38. But time was running out for them. A pick in the 14th minute let the Falcons adopt victory formation.
Next, the Panthers in Oakland [21:30, SS 2] Defence to start then a TD for the Raiders after 10 minutes: Roberts leapt into the air at the back of the end zone. A 47 yard run by Stewart to the OR 13, a TD for Newton, 7-all.
   Q2: TD for Oakland in the 3rd minute for Murray, 7-14. The Panthers were sacked to a punt. The Raiders kicked a FG after 8 minutes, 7-17. A pick-6 with a minute to go by Mack extended the lead to 7-24.
   Q3: Carr had a finger dislocated in the first minute and the Panthers got the ball in great field position, TD for Stewart, PAT blocked, 13-24 in the 5th minute. The Raiders were blitzed to a punt. Carr returned to the sideline. An 88 yard pass play to Ginn gashed the Raiders, no +2, 19-24 in 8th minute. Carr back and picked by David. Stewart barged in for a TD. no +2, 25-24.
   Q4: 44 yard pass to Benjamin, what a catch! for a TD, 32-24. A TD back for Oakland via Walford in the end zone in the 7th minute, +2, 32-all. The Raiders chewed clock in the last few minutes, got to 1st & goal, FG, 32-35. When they sacked Newton on a 4th & 10 just inside their half, that was it.
Over to Tronno for the 104th Grey Cup: the Stampeders v the Redblacks [23:30, ESPN] There was an unwelcome surprise during the warm-up when Burris developed a frozen knee. But he was good to go when the match started.
   Q1: Calgary won the coin toss, started and got nowhere. The RBs had to challenge to get DPI in the end zone, TD for Burris, 0-7. McDaniel took a pass 51 yards to the RB 20 and went out, injured. TD pass to Messam, 7-all in the 10th minute. The RBs retook the lead with a FG after 13 minutes, 7-10.
   Q2: The Stamps were sacked to a punt to start Q2 and a bogus roughing challenge was denied. 15 penalty yards helped the RBs, but they were sacked to a punt. The RBs got the ball back from a fumble, they had to recover a fumble in their own red zone, TD by Lavoie after 9 minutes, 7-17. Mitchell was picked by Hightower right away! But the RBs fumbled the ball away in scoring territory. But Mitchell threw another pick to the RBs. Sinopoli got them out of a hole, and the RBs went on to a FG. 7-20.
   There was a half-time show by some pop persons I've never heard of, who were fronted by a booke in a grey '104' hat worn backwards.
   Q3: Time of possession by the RBs in the first half: 20 minutes. Almost a 75 yard kill shot from Burris to Paden in the first minute. The RBs scored a TD via Sinopoli in the 4th minute. 7-27. A mad fumble shambles! But Calgary got the ball back to punt it, and the RBs fumbled it back to them right away. FG for the Stamps, 10-27. Then Durant caught a pass, fell down between 2 RB defenders, got back up and stormed into the RB end zone! 17-27 in the 12th minute. The RBs nearly fumbled away the kick off and went 2 & gone. A roughing challenge failed. The Stampeders were knocking on the door again at the end of the quarter.
   Q4: The Stamps were awarded a dodgy PI challenge when they faced a 3rd down. Total cobblers; their receiver ran into a defender and it was as much PI on him. Mitchell went in for a TD, the convert missed. 23-27. A pick by Evans in the 5th minute did nothing for the Stamps; 2 & gone. Criner made a circus catch to the CS 7, TD for Burris, the convert missed. 23-33. 5:38 left.
   The Stamps made a 3rd & 1; just. Mitchell was picked off by Hightower. The RBs punted with 2:21 left. The Stamps went for a 3rd & 2 instead of kicking a FG and were rewarded with a TD by Daniels. 30-33. 1:38 to go. An on-side kick worked. Then we got a big load of BT adverts instead of the match as it was 3 a.m. and the slot had run out and no one at BT was bothered what was being transmitted. Useless bunch of useless buggers.
   There were 48 seconds to go when we got back to the match. Mitchell was flattened going for a 2nd down at the RB 2. FG, 33-all, 10 seconds left. We were going into overtime and it looked like the Redblacks were throwing alway all their hard work.
   The Stamps won the toss and the RBs started overtime. Jackson juggled the ball in the end zone before securing it. No +2, 33-39. Almost a TD for the Stamps on their first play. Incomplete pass on 2nd down. And 3rd down!
   A team from Ottawa has won the Grey Cup for the first time since Henry Burris was 1 year old.

[Monday, 28th] NFL replay: the Chiefs @ the Broncos [13:00, Sky Sports Mix] DB punt, and KC. The Broncos were pinned deep and a 3rd down sack in their end zone put the Chiefs 2-0 up. Then the free kick was returned for a TD by Hill! 9-0. The Broncos managed an unseen FG and they got to the KC u with help from the zebras in the 7th minute of Q2. A big scramble by Seimian, TD! 9-10. KC were held to a FG in the 13th minute. Flag. Illegal formation by Denver, 1st down KC! Td for Hill, 16-10.
   Q3: There was no Q3 in the highlights, which resumed at the 7th minute of Q4, which was a dead giveaway that we would get OT. The Broncos were threatening and a TD for Sanders put they 16-17 up. A 6 yard TD pass to Fowler made it 16-24. KC faced a 4th down at the DB 14 with 20 seconds to go, on to the 3, another play, a spike at the line with 1 second to go then the previous play was reviewed. The Chiefs were awarded a TD and 12 seconds on the clock. +2, 24-all, OT. (Surprise!!)
   The Broncos scored first with a Fg. 24-27. One back for KC made it 27 all. A 62 yard FG try by the Broncos missed and left KC with a minute to do something. Getting into FG range was no problem but the kick hit the left upright . . . but it bounced through. 30-27 final. Phew!
The Librarians & the Fangs of Death [20:00, Syfy] There were dead bodies and Charlene had gone. She was not just an accountant, she was the Guardian to the first Librarian, so she had to be found. The Librarians went lurking around inside a dark military complex. 75,000 year old Japanese werewolves were tossed into the mix. All the gang found was Charlene's pendant. Gulp! They were up against a fuzzy, luminous incarnation of Anubis, the original werewolf.
   There was a supercollider, which the BG wanted turned on. He was hoping to stage a comeback and get rid of the Librarians. At ground level, the caretaker told the colonel they were in the ultimate battle between good and evil, and they needed Charlene on their side. Flynn dumped the monsters into the supercollider. Then he was written out, on a quest for Charlene, leaving the newer characters holding the fort.
Taggart [The Thirteenth Step, 21:00, True Entertainment] Some scumbag wanted to make amends and he turned up at a meeting to be stabbed. He was an ex-con and Burke ran into a cynical ex-cop, who bad-mouthed his rotten dad. There was a gang once and dead Eddie was one of the 3 leaders. Another is now Mr. Respectable, who fitted Eddie up for possession of smack.
   The lady in charge of Eddie's AA group wouldn't talk to the cops. Burke joined in to discover that another of Eddie's acquaintances was in the group. Eddie's signet ring turned up at a pawn shop. The drunk who hocked it is killed. Burke gives the loan-shark ex-cop a hard time.
   When threatened with gaol as an accessory to murder, the loan shark admits framing Eddie after he committed rape. Eddie was doing the 12 steps of atoning for being an alcoholic, and that involved apologizing to people for what he'd done. The lady admitted killing the drunk who started blackmailing her when he found out what Eddie had done, and having Eddie offed, too.

[Tuesday, 29th] MNF replay: the Packers @ the Eagles [13:00, SS 2] GB opened to a TD for Adams after 4 minutes. Wentz scrambled and dived for the line in the 12th minute. 7-all. Another TD pass to Adams started Q2. 14-7. Swiss Cheese by the Packers at the end of the half let the PE kick a 48 yard FG. 14-10.
   A pick by Dix stopped the Eagles in Q3. A 50 yard pass to Adams got the Pack to the PE 22, FG, 17-10. The Eagles were blitzed to a 50 yard FG. 17-13. Rodgers was limping but playing into Q4. A TD run by Ripkowski in the 2nd minute put the Pack 24-13 up. GB chewed up clock and kicked a FG with 2 minutes left. 27-13. The Eagles went out on downs after a minute. Game over. Nice to see the Pack haven't completely forgotten how to win.

[Wednesday, 30th] WWE Raw [22:00, SS 4] is supposed to be a wrestling show, right? Not much of it before the first adverts. In fact, it wasn't until 22:37 that a couple of divas started larking around with the usual stooge interfering. 3 minutes to a double count-out, so Mick "Charles Manson" Foley scheduled a part 2 for later.
   Shameless and Cesaro has a bar room brawl. 22:54, Fat KO did a cheap shot on Reigns, but at 23:05, Reigns booked a championship opportunity at the next ppv. Then a whinge from Fat KO at one of the little girls. Then a whinge on behalf of Beastly Lesnar. 23:23, the tag chumps v the former sidekicks of the Arce who Thinks he Runs the Farce.
   Off to adverts quickly, and a routine swindle by the New Day to keep their titles at 23:32. 23:37, the divas were back at it, so more ads, natch. Blondie Flair v Pinkie Slasher was all in all over the place. The chump ended up in a submission hold in a crowd barrier and Slasher took her title at 23:54. Enter that old has been Ric Flair for some adulation.