AncientArtifact Reviews

The Unexplained (2020)

Shame it did not get more episodes

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

Josh Snares is well known for their many fantastic documentaries for science fiction television series Doctor Who on Youtube but this was by far their best work!

The Last Detective (2003–2007)

A Quality Piece of Television History

[10/10 · 20 January 2021]

Sadly many forget of this shows existence but it is one of my favorite detective series ever made. Starring Doctor Who actor Peter Davison, he does a fantastic job as detective constable Davis. A police officer who is mocked and ridiculed by his co workers but is probably the best officer in the station. This is not one of those shows with shoot outs and car chases all the time and thats what I feel sets it out from the rest, its a lot more realistic. And the stories are fantastic, I can recommend Dangerous Liaisons. Unfortunately the series only lasted 4 seasons which is criminal but I think much like many other underrated series, it just did not get the viewership it needed.

P.R.O.B.E.: The Devil of Winterborne (1995) Season 1, Episode 2

An unnecessary sequel but a good one!

[10/10 · 20 January 2021]

The Devil of Winterborne never needed a sequel as it was pretty much a masterpiece on its own and pairing it with this story can actaully remove much of the tenseness of the original but this is still a good story in its own right, a much better budget over The Zero Imperative and Devil of Winterborne. I enjoyed this continuation.

P.R.O.B.E.: Ghosts of Winterborne (1996) Season 1, Episode 4

A Forgotten Low Budget Masterpiece

[10/10 · 20 January 2021]

Brilliant acting and story even with the budget being unfortunately very poor. I can definitely recommend this story!

Love and Mentors (2020 Video)

A Timeless Masterpiece To Watch While Eating Marshminows

[10/10 · 1 August 2020]

Love and Mentors is by far one of the greatest videos I have ever seen, the writing was pure poetry and the cinematography was breathtaking. The two main characters gelled so well and it had me rooting for them to be together until the end. The fear that Lord Kiv would find out about there secret admiration for each other was so powerful. He was not even shown onscreen but he still effected the audience in this timeless masterpiece. There is no rating that could describe this absolute diamond of a story so I will have to leave it with Ten out of Ten.

Wartime (1988 Video)

An Intriguing Ghost Story and An Excellent Start to Reeltime Pictures

[10/10 · 14 July 2020]

Wartime was one of the first ever Unofficial Doctor Who Spinoffs to have licensed characters from the show onboard. And for a first attempt it delivers a fantastic story about John Benton (a companion from Doctor Who) and his past. Accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack by Mark Ayres who would later go on to create pieces for Doctor Who's 25th and 26th Seasons. It is proof that a Doctor Who spin off can be successful and good without having the Doctor involved.

I feel however the story could have been longer as it only goes for half an hour and It would have been nice to see some more action with Benton fighting off the ghosts of his past such as his father who died in the war and his brother who accidentally fell to his death while playing in the ruins. With that said the setting is also beautiful. Overall I can't say its the best Doctor Who spin off to come out but being one of the first by an independent company I'd say its worth a watch.

Final Jeopardy (1985 TV Movie)

A Look Into the Horrors of being in an Unfamiliar Enviroment

[10/10 · 14 July 2020]

My father showed me this film when I was a teenager, and I have liked it ever since, the atmosphere is fantastic going from busy streets in the daylight to absolute silence and empty streets at night. Its about two out of towners stranded in a dilapidated part of Detroit full of hoods and people who only look out for themselves. There may be many mistakes in the film but overall its still a very enjoyable urban thriller.

London's Burning (1988–2002)

London's Burning: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

[10/10 · 18 June 2019]

London's Burning is one of the greatest if not the greatest firefighting programs to ever be shown on television. The show tells us the story of firefighters in Blackwall and the many situations they find themselves in, there characters are all really likable and the ones your meant to hate, you actually feel anger with. The locations and themes throughout the show are vast and there are many places no longer around anymore which is one thing I loved about the show, the passing of time was very relevant.

The Series consists of 14 series, the first nine are fantastic, afterwards how ever things get more soapy as the show shifts more into drama and the personal lives of the firefighters. Series 11 and 12 I still like despite this fact but series 10 and 13 I just cannot excuse. Series 14 they had hit rock bottom and most of the original cast was no longer there.

There is potential to revive the show for a younger generation aswell, but they would have to cut back and have the story take place after the ending of series 12 as if 13 and 14 never happened. This way they can bring back characters who never fully got closure and create a kind of passing of torch story. Sicknote not dying but being wounded, and Joe still dying. It would take place today so 20 years since the events of the firework factory explosion, there is a lot of potential but Its highly doubtful the show will resurface.

The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option (2001 Video)

Schools Out Forever

[3/10 · 8 June 2019]

The Final Substitute Movie was probably the worst of the series, the plot is way to slow, the characters are boring apart from Treat, the villain is okay too but apart from that the rest are forgettable. The best part of the film has to be the fighting, unlike the previous two films the hand to hand combat in this film was fantastic, when Karl goes up against the Korean is a great example. This film was probably going to be bad either way as after 3 films what more can you do with it. This film I would pass on, unless you really like Treat Williams.

The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999 TV Movie)

Substitute Takes On The Jocks

[9/10 · 8 June 2019]

When I first saw this film I was not really a fan, It just felt like it was drifting away from the whole substitute thing, bringing in the mafia was what kind of made me lose interest, but on a second viewing I liked it a lot more, Treat is much better in this film, and his buddies were also fantastic. Sure we don't get a scene where Karl fights loads of football players on an open field, but we did get some cool shoot outs. Better than the second movie but only just boarders with the original. I can recommend this film an 9 out of 10.

The Substitute 2: School's Out (1998 TV Movie)

School Out For Summer

[6/10 · 8 June 2019]

The Substitute 2 is a surprisingly decent sequel to the original. no one reprises their roles and the characters were mostly replaced but It still turned out to be a great experience. Treat Williams and Daryl Edwards are fantastic here, the others do an okay job as well. My only fault with this film is the ending, It just feels like a whole chapter was cut out as they jump from a shoot out to a workshop fight when schools in session. Overall a fun movie to watch on a rainy day.