Good Lord, how we agonized over spending so much time in the briefing scene in this ep. Ironically, this episode arrived just as we were collating feedback off the 'net and found, stunningly, you people love the briefing scenes. For we writers, it was always X pages of pipe we tried to make as entertaining as possible and move past to get into the plot. For the audience, watching competent people banter and plan was a big part of the appeal. Competence porn as we started calling it.

He joined the trousered class, which included journalists, doctors, teachers, lawyers, clerks, ministers, managers, police, soldiers, students, and artists.

And when the long-illumined cities flame, / Their ever-loyal iron leader's fame, / With honour, honour, honour, honour to him, / Eternal honour to his name.

Francis's own unlovely tunic, and that of his female colleague Clare, foundress of parallel communities for women, are lovingly preserved and displayed by the nuns of St Clare in Assisi […]