James Coombes Movies

A commoner has an unusual run-in with the King of England in this offbeat historical drama. In 1547, Thorn (James Coombes) is employed as a servant and caretaker by a wealthy British landowner who has put Thorn in charge of his mansion while he's away for the winter. One night, Thorn is terrified to hear what he imagines are armed bandits breaking into the mansion, and he hides in fear of his life. However, Thorn soon discovers he has a very different breed of unexpected guests. With political unrest sweeping England, King Henry VIII (T.P. McKenna) is travelling incognito while trying to bring stability back to his domain, but his coach has been attacked by thieves and the wounded king needs a place to rest. Henry isn't so sure that the ambush was a simple robbery, however -- he thinks it could have been a cleverly disguised assassination attempt, and one of the advisors travelling with the king agrees. As Thorn observes the political intrigue that has suddenly appeared on his doorstep, he also has to deal with the randy goings-on of Henry VIII's assistants, who are openly and flamboyantly gay. Monarch was the first dramatic feature from documentary filmmaker John Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This 90-minute program is a distilled version of the 12-part, five-hour series based on the life and writings of Edith Holden, a turn-of-the-century British artist and diarist. Holden's genteel observations of nature and of the pastoral life, accompanied by her own illustrations, were published in a best-selling book 70 years after her death. In this production, parts of Holden's biography are dramatized by actors; the main focus, however, is on her thoughts, observations, poetry, and drawings. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide

Doctor Who's record-breaking 21st anniversary was launched January 5, 1984, with episode one of the four-part "Warriors of the Deep." At the height of a 21st century Cold War, the Doctor (Peter Davison) and his companions Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Turlough (Mark Strickson) are accused of being saboteurs. This is a benign threat compared to the one posed by two of the Doctor's former nemeses -- the Sea Devils and the Silurians, last seen on Doctor Who way back in 1972. "Warriors of the Deep, Episode 1" was written by Johnny Byrne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The famous "lost" Doctor Who adventure "Shada" was to have aired in six episodes from January 18 to February 23, 1980, but was never completed due to a BBC strike. In 1992, the existing scenes (mostly "location" footage) were edited together into a two-hour continuity for home video, with the Doctor (Tom Baker) providing linking narration. What emerged was a story concerning a book called "The Ancient Law of Gallifrey," which arouses the interest of the mind-draining Skagra (Christopher Neame), and also the infamous Time Lord outlaw Salyavin (Denis Carey). The title refers to the planet where the story comes to an explosive climax. "Shada" was written by Douglas Adams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide