Strange was a much welcome relief amongst the dross of Saturday night game shows and lame reality TV. It was thought provoking, different and highly entertaining. It's sudden disappearance from our screens remains a mystery in itself, and even an email to the BBC failed to deliver an answer.
Hunting down supernatural beasties is not a new concept, but it was done in a fresh and unique way. The characters had back stories that were slowly drip fed into the series without distracting from the heart of the ghost chasing, unlike the X Files which let subplot complexities ruin the excitement of finding a paranormal explanation.
Seeing the delightful Richard Coyle in a role other than the freakish and sexually disturbed Jeff from Coupling was also refreshing, he certainly proved his talents in Strange. And Samantha Janus in a role that didn't make use of her as just eye candy also gave value for money. Tom Baker made some inspired cameos that harked back to him in his most camp yet genius years on Doctor Who.
If you wanted something that didn't rot your IQ from the moment the opening credits rolled because of its sheer banality, then Strange was the show to watch. I hope it returns. And I also hope it makes it onto DVD.
