I came here to say that I agree with all of your picks: Ted Lasso, The Crown, Queen’s Gambit, and (of course) Wandavision. I just started watching Ted Lasso on my plane ride 2 days ago and love The Crown (so interesting and I was and am a big Diana supporter). I enjoyed the Queen's Gambit although I read that female chess players IRL never had men congratulate or be pleased by their wins. Typical. And I'm a big Marvel fan even though they need more female superheroes. It's too bad we live so far apart. If not, we could have lunch, talk politics, and watch a show. As it is, I'm glad I get to read your writing. Carry on!
I would love that, too, Misty! Would we ever stop talking? Have you watched "The Morning Show" on Apple? It was the reason I subscribed to AppleTV in the first place and it's excellent. The second season just started last Friday and now I have to wait for Fridays!
I knew nothing about chess but loved The Queen's Gambit, just as I know nothing about British Soccer--and don't care--but I love Ted Lasso. Chess was the other star in Gambit, but football is peripheral in Lasso, I think. It's all about relationships. I just happened on Wandavision one night and watched it for a long time before I realized the characters were part of the Marvel family! Since then I've watched more of the Marvel movies and I love them.
And of course The Crown. Wow! Can't wait for that new season, either. I still love Downton Abbey and watch the reruns when I can. And my cellphone ringtone is the Poldark theme. So many great ones, so little time!
I don't think we'd ever stop talking. We'd have to make a get-together a weekly one.
I started watching The Morning Show on another plane (that seems to be how I find Apple+ shows) and finished the whole first season. I hear the 2nd season isn't as good. But, if you're curious about my thoughts, I did a whole essay on it: https://drmistyhook.medium.com/the-morning-show-the-story-of-today-996d5f9f7e58.
I've never watched Downton Abbey. Clearly, I must start.
I read you masterful Medium piece about The Morning Show and I'm about to comment there, too. You make some excellent points, though I think I probably saw fewer flaws in it than you did, and I still can't get over Jennifer Aniston's performance. In my eyes it was absolute perfection. I didn't know she had it in her!
It surprised me that I grew to love Downton Abbey so much. I despise that kind of haughty wealth and wouldn't usually choose to spend that much time on a British period drama, but it drew me in and I was hooked!
I wrote about one episode on my original WordPress Constant Commoner. Warning: there are spoilers.
In the piece I talk about "someone on Facebook" who first said, "Oh, no, Sybil", but, in fact, it was Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize winner and wife of Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has a huge following on FB. The convo about Downton went on for days. I had no idea it had such a huge audience then.
I fell in love with Poldark initially because I couldn't take my eyes off of Aidan Turner, the actor who played Poldark. OMG! The early seasons were insanely good and right up my alley--it's about tin miners in Cornwall and the wretched lives they lived, with every chance thwarted by the evil upper class. The complete opposite of Downton Abbey! But the last couple of seasons veered off and even Aidan Turner couldn't save it for me. The main character, Poldark, has his demons and, after some stunning heroics and a chance at true love, much of what he does later is reckless and unforgivable.
I have to admit that part of what I loved most about Poldark and Downton Abbey was the music. The themes are gorgeous! It's what I loved about West Wing, too, maybe my all-time favorite of any TV series. When the music starts I'm into it, no matter what happens from then on!
But I've gone on long enough. I'm heading over to comment now.
Oh, I loved The Morning Show. I too was surprised by Aniston's performance and that's with me being a Friends fan! Of course, I love Reese Witherspoon. I also was impressed with Steve Carrell. He made Mitch somewhat relatable, a man we've all worked with. The "nice" ones are sometimes the worst because you don't see them coming (so to speak).
Yes about the 'nice' men in workplaces. Interesting that Jennifer Aniston's character, Alex, at first couldn't allow herself to believe he did those things and then she was furious at him, not so much for what he did but for destroying her trust in him and ruining their friendship. She missed him! That kind of honesty is what draws me to that show. All of the characters are flawed in ways that are believable.
I came here to say that I agree with all of your picks: Ted Lasso, The Crown, Queen’s Gambit, and (of course) Wandavision. I just started watching Ted Lasso on my plane ride 2 days ago and love The Crown (so interesting and I was and am a big Diana supporter). I enjoyed the Queen's Gambit although I read that female chess players IRL never had men congratulate or be pleased by their wins. Typical. And I'm a big Marvel fan even though they need more female superheroes. It's too bad we live so far apart. If not, we could have lunch, talk politics, and watch a show. As it is, I'm glad I get to read your writing. Carry on!
I would love that, too, Misty! Would we ever stop talking? Have you watched "The Morning Show" on Apple? It was the reason I subscribed to AppleTV in the first place and it's excellent. The second season just started last Friday and now I have to wait for Fridays!
I knew nothing about chess but loved The Queen's Gambit, just as I know nothing about British Soccer--and don't care--but I love Ted Lasso. Chess was the other star in Gambit, but football is peripheral in Lasso, I think. It's all about relationships. I just happened on Wandavision one night and watched it for a long time before I realized the characters were part of the Marvel family! Since then I've watched more of the Marvel movies and I love them.
And of course The Crown. Wow! Can't wait for that new season, either. I still love Downton Abbey and watch the reruns when I can. And my cellphone ringtone is the Poldark theme. So many great ones, so little time!
I don't think we'd ever stop talking. We'd have to make a get-together a weekly one.
I started watching The Morning Show on another plane (that seems to be how I find Apple+ shows) and finished the whole first season. I hear the 2nd season isn't as good. But, if you're curious about my thoughts, I did a whole essay on it: https://drmistyhook.medium.com/the-morning-show-the-story-of-today-996d5f9f7e58.
I've never watched Downton Abbey. Clearly, I must start.
For sure!
I read you masterful Medium piece about The Morning Show and I'm about to comment there, too. You make some excellent points, though I think I probably saw fewer flaws in it than you did, and I still can't get over Jennifer Aniston's performance. In my eyes it was absolute perfection. I didn't know she had it in her!
It surprised me that I grew to love Downton Abbey so much. I despise that kind of haughty wealth and wouldn't usually choose to spend that much time on a British period drama, but it drew me in and I was hooked!
I wrote about one episode on my original WordPress Constant Commoner. Warning: there are spoilers.
In the piece I talk about "someone on Facebook" who first said, "Oh, no, Sybil", but, in fact, it was Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize winner and wife of Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has a huge following on FB. The convo about Downton went on for days. I had no idea it had such a huge audience then.
https://constantcommoner.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/oh-no-sybil/
I fell in love with Poldark initially because I couldn't take my eyes off of Aidan Turner, the actor who played Poldark. OMG! The early seasons were insanely good and right up my alley--it's about tin miners in Cornwall and the wretched lives they lived, with every chance thwarted by the evil upper class. The complete opposite of Downton Abbey! But the last couple of seasons veered off and even Aidan Turner couldn't save it for me. The main character, Poldark, has his demons and, after some stunning heroics and a chance at true love, much of what he does later is reckless and unforgivable.
I have to admit that part of what I loved most about Poldark and Downton Abbey was the music. The themes are gorgeous! It's what I loved about West Wing, too, maybe my all-time favorite of any TV series. When the music starts I'm into it, no matter what happens from then on!
But I've gone on long enough. I'm heading over to comment now.
Oh, I loved The Morning Show. I too was surprised by Aniston's performance and that's with me being a Friends fan! Of course, I love Reese Witherspoon. I also was impressed with Steve Carrell. He made Mitch somewhat relatable, a man we've all worked with. The "nice" ones are sometimes the worst because you don't see them coming (so to speak).
Yes about the 'nice' men in workplaces. Interesting that Jennifer Aniston's character, Alex, at first couldn't allow herself to believe he did those things and then she was furious at him, not so much for what he did but for destroying her trust in him and ruining their friendship. She missed him! That kind of honesty is what draws me to that show. All of the characters are flawed in ways that are believable.