Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema

What better company to view a whistle-stop tour of the structure of different genres of cinema than likable film critic Mark Kermode (ably script-assisted by his old friend and legitimate cult vampire Kim Newman)? These colourful jaunts through cinematic history aren't particularly definitive but act as a serviceable surface scratches or invocations for a deeper dive. A solidly authoritative and passionate series, always fascinating to watch and long may it continue.

I was very disappointed with this series. He seems to only consider genres that are currently hyped as if that were the history of cinema. The most glaring example is nothing on Westerns. One can make a cogent argument for all movies being Westerns. The first frickin' movie was a Western. How can you leave that out of the history of cinema? The biggest stars of the 1950's all had to be in a Western. Romcoms? I don't think so.

Besides that he selects about 5 over hyped films and talks about them for an hour as if nothing else existed. Simple hypotheses from small data sets. And I found him very uninteresting personally and as a presenter. This is only the second BBC documentary series I have not liked in 22 years of watching the BBC.

An essential watch for anyone with an interest in cinema. No gimmicks no tricks, just excellent journalism. Reminiscent of the long forgotten BBC2 series Moviedrome with Alex Cox, and a similar programme introduction by Mark Cousins. It would be nice if it was followed directly by a double bill of examples of the genres covered, but you can't have everything.

All he does is play endless clips of film with little comment apart from stating the obvious. Any 'critic' is usual bland and unthought through. Don't bother.

With full disclosure, I must say that I have followed Mark Kermode and his criticism for many years and have in the large have mostly agreed with him. There have been exceptions. This enterprise is entirely different. By the very nature of the format, this is not criticism but analysis of a specific genre and the myriad possibilities they can present. I have seen issues with the limitations of the subjects thus far but it is early days and given the popularity of the first series and specials I believe it will carry on for some time. And a shout for co-writer Kim Newman, a wonderful writer of ridiculous knowledge of genre cinema.