Tag: TV viewing

Tidy Tidbits: Watching and Eating

JWF Leave a comment

VIEWING

Still (Apple TV+)

Michael J. Fox (The Hollywood Reporter)

This documentary about Michael J. Fox is ultimately a testament to one man’s steadfastness in the face of illness.  Michael J. Fox was a hot young TV star in the 1970’s who then branched out to movies.  He was funny, brash, and always in motion.  It seemed the world was his oyster, until.  As many know, he got a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease at 29, but kept it a secret from all but a few for a few years.  

The film traces his growing up years, his striving to achieve despite his short stature, his marriage to Tracy, and the births of his children.  Interspersed with his history are interview segments with him today at 61.  He speaks frankly about himself, his condition, and his career.  It’s a thoughtfully made film with occasional flashes of wit.  Highly recommended!

Walter Presents

I have recently become acquainted with several series offered by Walter Presents.  PBS Masterpiece is showing a few of them; I got curious about who and what Walter Presents is.  It is a curated collection of international TV programs from different countries and in a variety of languages with English subtitles.  Launched on the UK’s Channel 4 in 2016, it subsequently was offered in the U.S. and other countries.  The man behind the selections is Walter Iuzzolino.  Examples I’ve watched thus far include Astrid (French 2 seasons) and Murder in Sweden.

Murder in Sweden (PBS Masterpiece)

Sebastian & Maria (PBS)

Detective Maria Wern works alongside Sebastian, another detective, on a small crime squad on the island of Gotland.  Maria, a widow, is a complex person, hardworking, driven, and mother to two older boys.  She’s also reserved with her feelings.

The murder cases are difficult ones requiring teamwork, but occasionally Maria goes rogue in her zeal to solve them.  Her relationship with Sebastian is initially one of joking and bantering, but he would like more.  How their interactions evolve over the series adds depth and tenderness.

Each episode is in 2 parts and I just have access to one season. It’s in Swedish with subtitles.  Recommended!

SUPER SAVOR SARASOTA—DUVAL’S

Savor Sarasota is this city’s annual June dining out festival.  Participating restaurants offer special menus usually at a discounted price.  We dined at Duval’s downtown and had the best meal there ever and one that was superb in general.  With four courses at forty dollars, the menu offered two choices for each course.  

Interior of Duval’s (TripAdvisor.com)

The Chief Penguin and I started with the salmon spread on crostini for me, the excellent gazpacho for him; then a green salad for me and tuna poke for him.  We both selected the mahi piccata and the key lime pie as our entrée and dessert.  The mahi was a lovely presentation, a tasty piece of fish served over julienned carrots and other veggies.  And what’s not to like about key lime pie!  The Chief Penguin was delighted that it came topped with a layer of whipped cream and more on the side.  A glass of Chardonnay added to this wonderful meal!

Note: Header photo is the key lime pie at Duval’s from Facebook.

Tidy Tidbits: Potpourri of Viewing Options

JWF Leave a comment

DOCUMENTARIES—HEROES & SCIENTIFIC DETECTIVES

Defying the Nazis:  The Sharps’ War  (PBS)

Martha & Waitstill Sharp (uusc.org)

This film by Ken Burns is a moving portrait of the sacrifices made by American minister Waitstill Sharp and his wife Martha during the Second World War.  In 1939, they left their children behind in Massachusetts and went on a secret mission to Berlin to help refugees in Europe escape the Nazis.  It was a dangerous undertaking and a noble one, but one that splintered their marriage.  They were an amazing couple and one that more people should know about.  This film is a testament to their courage and their beliefs.  

The Gene: An Intimate History  (PBS Passport)

Mukherjee & Burns (news.columbia.edu)

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee is the author of a comprehensive account of the human gene, how it governs life and its role in hereditary diseases.  This series by Ken Burns brings the book to the screen featuring commentary by Mukherjee and others interwoven with real patient case histories.  It’s a densely packed series and a good way to update one’s understanding of human biology.    

ESCAPISM—VILLAGE CRIME & INTERNATIONAL SPYCRAFT

Whitstable Pearl  (Acorn via Amazon Prime)

Pearl & Mike (environmental.co.uk)

Based on a book series by Julie Wassmer, these are cozy mysteries.  Not much violence and little blood and gore.  Pearl Nolan owns a restaurant and bar in small town Whitstable, England. She’s also a former police officer turned private detective.  Known to almost everyone, she hunts for missing people and lost items.  When detective Mike McGuire an urbanite from London, is assigned to a suspected murder case, Pearl offers assistance.  Their unlikely alliance slowly morphs into a fragile friendship.  

There are six episodes in Season 1.  Many viewers like me are hoping for a second!

Alias  (Amazon Prime)

Agent Bristow with cast (cinema blend.com)

Alias is pretty much the extreme opposite of gentle Whitstable Pearl.  Sydney Bristow is a double agent working for both SD-6 and the CIA.  She was recruited as a spy during college, but when she discovered that SD-6 were the bad guys she thought she was working against, she went to the CIA.  Sydney and her partner Dixson get sent on challenging and dangerous assignments around the world, everywhere from a mountain slope in Chile to Barcelona, Rome, and Cairo.  They have nifty technical devices to jam signals, encrypt files, and the like.  Despite innumerable physical fights, torture, and nasty encounters with the enemy, Sydney always manages to return home safely to Los Angeles.  

Preposterous and fast-paced, with lots of action, this series is unbelievable, but good entertainment.  There are five seasons and I’m about midway through Season 1.

FAMILY DYNAMICS

Us  (PBS Masterpiece)

Douglas, Albie & Connie (pbs.org)

Are you yearning to travel abroad?  This 2-part series shot in some great European cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome, is a visual feast.  It’s also a study of a marriage on its last legs and a coming-of-age story.  Connie tells Douglas she wants out of their marriage, but reluctantly agrees to carry on with their planned family trip abroad.  Albie at 17 is disgruntled, rattled by the tension between his parents, and eager to be on his own.  Add in that relations between Albie and Douglas are tense and awkward at best. 

 I liked this series more the farther into I got.  Initially, I found Douglas annoying and my sympathies lay with Connie.  But each of them has faults and how they struggle to get along and be supportive of their son is very believable.  As one summary put it, there’s humor and heartbreak here.

Note: Header image is waterfront in Whitstable, Kent, England (planetware.com)

Maine Coast: Reflections

JWF Leave a comment

GENTLE PACE OF LIFE

One of the most appealing aspects about being here is the relaxed, slower pace of daily life.  I indulge in reading in bed before arising, we spend as much time as we like over the newspapers at breakfast, then perhaps head into town to re-stock the larder before lunch, followed by an afternoon of reading, reviewing photos or transcribing.

In my head, I’m currently re-living the events of 1990 (a family reunion we hosted in Swarthmore; our son’s first visit to his orthodontist; visits from out-of-town friends; adjusting to living with a dean), and simultaneously recalling where we were in 1970 as I explore the food revolution in the book, Provence, 1970.  Evenings we often gather with friends, be it for the annual oyster or lobster fest, drinks before dinner at the island inn, or a trip into town to explore the shops and galleries, then dinner at Ports of Italy or The Thistle Inn.  I am not keeping up my usual regime of exercise, but life is good.  There is much for which to be thankful!

PARISIAN MYSTERIES

If you like mysteries and are familiar with the streets of Paris, you might enjoy the Aimee Leduc series written by Cara Black. I just read the first one, Murder in the Marais, published in 1998 and set in 1993. Detective Leduc supposedly specializes in crimes related to corporate security and the internet, but she gets pulled into investigating a woman’s death related to the neo-Nazi movement and former Nazis.

I found it took me a little to get into the book, but then I got hooked. Aimee reminds me a little of Lisbeth in The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo given her unconventional clothing, many disguises, and physical daring (into the sewers of Paris, e.g.). But she is a more social person than Lisbeth and works with her partner, Rene, a double amputee and whiz computer hacker. The city is a character in its own right too. I enjoyed this neighborhood in particular since years ago we stayed in the grand Pavilion de la Reine in Place des Vosges. (~JW Farrington)

IN WITHDRAWAL

We finished bingeing on The Americans with the completion of season 5. Now we have to wait for what I believe will be the last season. They tied up a number of loose ends this year so I hope there really is a season 6. The focus on teenager Paige as well as on Philip and Elizabeth’s increasing doubts about how much longer they can do what they do made for a fascinating season.

And we watched the last episode of Grantchester. Another superior series that managed to bring love and harmony or at least the promise of rapprochement to everyone except Sidney.   With so many knots tied up, it’s possible this is the end, but, I want more.

Note:  All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)