A Young Doctor’s Notebook and Other Stories

Series two, episode two
D-Radz continues to bring Mikhail Bulgakov to the small screen with mixed results. While there’s no doubting his commitment to the part of the rural, morphine-addicted titular doc, the overall effect is rather less than the sum of the parts. High production values, a sprightly cast and a real love for the source material are all very well, but Bulgakov dealt in politics, irony, fantasy and subversion, which are largely absent.

Instead, a rather madcap, Gogol-esque humour prevails, which might make it more accessible for an audience of ‘Mighty Boosh’-loving culturati, but gets a bit grating at this length. Still, nice to see a bit of proper lit on the telly.