Since Amanda moved in I’ve discovered a new evening ritual… Eastenders. I’ve always taken a principled objection to soaps — on the basis that I had enough of the mundaneness of everyday life in my life to need anything further from a street in Australia, or the East End of London.

I have to say, whilst not a convert, I’m beginning to see the value. Eastenders, at least, seems to have replaced the Victorian melodrama with people rotating in the part of villain, hero, comic foil etc. Although Max, Ian and Phil Mitchell, as characters go, seem to have few redeeming characteristics.

I don’t know how realistic the scenarios are — I’ve never lived in a neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone else and think I’d probably quite like that at some stage. I don’t know how easy it is for a kid to get a gun in East London (but given that its a core plot element of Arvind’s first film, Sugarhouse, OUT NOW ON DVD, maybe I should…).

Still, I enjoy watching it most weeknights with Amanda, and I’m not (too) ashamed to say it was the first season pass I set on my new PVR. I am, however, much more excited about the imminent launch of the new season of Torchwood… bring it, BBC Wales.