Category: TV

Tidy Tidbits: Viewing Options

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This week, I’m sharing a group of TV series that run the gamut from the life of a successful Italian businesswoman, to puzzling and murders to solve, to a devastating portrayal of providing hospital care under the Nazis.

DELIGHTFUL CONFECTION

Luisa at work (RMPBS Video)

Luisa Spagnoli Queen of Chocolate (PBS Masterpiece)

Have you ever enjoyed one of the chocolate kisses called Baci Perugina? If so, then you’ve experienced one of the confectionary wonders created by Luis Spagnoli.  Luisa Spagnoli grew up in Perugia.  An ambitious woman for her time (late 19th century), she bought a confectionary shop that made and sold sugared almonds.  From that beginning, with her husband Annibale and then their business partner Giovanni Buitoni, Luisa was the driving force behind the development of an innovative international candy business.  Later, she ventured into the world of fashion.

This is a feel-good story about hard work, determination, marriage, romance, and more.  During WWI, Luisa hired women to work in the factory and provided day care for their children.  She pushed back against traditional boundaries, lived outside the lines, and was an inspiration to many.  

There are four episodes each about an hour long.  Highly recommended as enjoyable change of pace viewing—perfect for summer!

GRIM WARTIME MEDICINE

Charite’ Season 2 (PBS Masterpiece)

Surgeon Sauerbruch (express.co.uk)

Charite’ is a large research hospital in Berlin that still exists.  It was central to medicine in the late 19th century and was bombed by the Allies in the Second World War.  Season 2 covers the period from 1943 to 1945 and is even more devastating than the first season.  

The hospital is operating under the Nazi regime.  Some staff are dedicated supporters of Hitler while others cooperate, when necessary, but privately try to work around it, and a few are secretly assisting the Allies. Noted surgeon Ferdinand Sauerbruch is one such complex individual whose role as a hospital leader sometimes requires compliance not defiance.  Psychiatry chair Dr. Max de Crinis was key in the development of Hitler’s euthanasia program.  Young physicians Anni and Artur Waldhausen face a moral quandary when their infant daughter appears to have a serious condition.  

Before the bombing, the operating rooms seem primitive, and the surgeries raw and graphic; later hospital conditions rival the battlefield.  It’s an intense series, not for the fainthearted, but provides a different perspective on aspects of the war. I personally found it riveting viewing.

DETECTIVES AT WORK

Karen Pirie  (Prime Video)

Detective Pirie (express.co.uk)

Scottish detective, Karen Pirie, is promoted and assigned to re-open and investigate a cold murder case from 25 years ago.  Initially pleased, she later suspects she was chosen because she is less experienced and female.  A young woman’s body was found slashed and dead on the local cathedral grounds.  Three young men who knew her well and hung out with her at a local bar were primary suspects, but no one was ever charged in her death.  Karen and her assistant look at old leads, talk to the original detective who handled the case, and run into roadblocks, but persevere.  There are 3 episodes all built around solving this one case based on novels by Valerie McDermid.

My initial response was that I didn’t care much for Karen as a character and wondered if the series would jell.  I stuck with that first episode and got hooked.  Taken together the episodes are an in depth look at motives, relationships, and corruption.   A second season has been commissioned. 

Ridley (PBS Masterpiece)

Alex & Carol (BritBox)

Alex Ridley is a retired British detective who gets called back to assist his former colleague Carol in solving a case.  He is still grieving the death of his wife and daughter by arson in a fire intended for him.  A parttime singer, Ridley also co-owns a local pub.  Music is a feature of this series, both in his performing with the bar combo and the jazz tunes that form a backdrop to the action.  

And it’s fun to see starchy Miss Higgins (Georgie Glen) of Call the Midwife as the precise but somewhat less stiff pathologist Dr. Wendy Newstone.  There are four cases in this first season, and they are each presented in 2 parts.  The pace is more leisurely than some crime series, but I’m enjoying getting to know Ridley and his compatriots. A second season is planned.

Note: Header photo of Luisa and Annibale Spagnoli is courtesy of Amazon.

Summer Fare: Reading & Watching

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This week was a good one for reading, and I’ve now checked two more books off my summer list.  I also watched the first season of All Heart on the treadmill, while the Chief Penguin and I learned some significant medical history in the engrossing Charite’ series. 

WEALTH AND HORSE RACING

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Author Diaz (BookPage)

Argentinian author Hernan Diaz won the Pulitzer Prize in 2023 for Trust, a financial family saga.  Set in New York, mostly in the 1920’s and 30’s, it’s primarily the tale of Andrew Bevel and his wife Mildred.  Their story is told by Andrew but also by a novelist, a stenographer, and through a long undiscovered diary.  The novel is in 4 parts, the first being “Bonds,” the 1937 novel within the novel which charts the lineage and rise of Benjamin Rask (the fictional Andrew Bevel) and his wife Helen.  

Andrew Bevel disagrees violently with the fictional depiction of his wife and arranges to write his autobiography.  How he perceives the events of his life, how others see them, and what his wife was really like unfold as the novel progresses.  There are financial details, repeated discussions of the 1929 and other stock market crashes, and descriptions of Andrew’s role in these events.  

The book has been highly and widely praised for being brilliant, charming, ingenious, and a host of other superlatives.  I have to say while I found it engaging and intriguing enough to read to the end, I was never completely captivated, nor did I find it exhilarating.  I did, however, appreciate the clever twist as the truth of events was unveiled.  Mildly recommended.  Perhaps of greater interest to readers interested in the financial world of an earlier time. (~JWFarrington)

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Brooks (Wikipedia)

Born in Australia, but residing in Massachusetts, Geraldine Brooks is a favorite author of mine.  I loved this novel!  It’s rich in historical detail, has complex characters (some based on real people and the others contemporary and fictional), and a sweeping time frame moving back and forth between the 1850’s, 1956, and 2019.  Ms. Brooks obviously knows and cares for horses.  With delicacy and thoroughness, she depicts the close relationship between enslaved Jarret and Darley, aka Lexington, the horse he trains; that itself is a love story.  

In the 1850’s, horse racing in the South was dominated by rich white plantation owners.  With slavery in place, trainers were slaves who could be easily sold to another owner.  Jarrett, a boy then young man, goes from being Warfield’s Jarret to Ten Broeck’s Jarret to Alexander’s Jarret until after the Civil War he is finally himself, Jarret Lewis.  

In the present day, a tossed aside painting sets in motion the examination of a horse skeleton and research on 19th century artist Thomas Scott.  Jess works in a conservation lab and Theo, a Black graduate student in art history, brings in the painting.  Thus begins their tentative, but warm relationship.  

Although one might posit that Brooks’ treatment of racism in 2019 is predictable, it is nonetheless believable.  Jess and Theo are fully realized characters, not cardboard cutouts.  Likewise, the portrayals of artist Scott and donor Martha Jackson add further depth to the story.  Highly recommended, whether you are familiar with or a lover of horses or not!  (~JWFarrington)

MEDICAL DRAMA ON SCREEN

All Heart (PBS Masterpiece)

Alberto, Delia, & Cesare (Just Watch)

This series, Cuori in Italian, from Walter Presents is set in Turin, Italy in the 1960’s.  Swedish doctor Alberto Ferraris is recruited to work with lead physician Cesare Corvara on quietly developing an artificial heart.  Tensions between the doctors on staff and qualms on the part of the Catholic Church about funding such an effort pose roadblocks.  Add in the arrival of an American cardiologist, a female no less, and work relations between colleagues suffer.  

Delia Brunello is not only highly accomplished, but she is also Cesare’s wife and knew Alberto in a past life.  Highly entertaining for both the medicine and the heart troubles.  Season 1 has eight episodes.  There is a second season, but I don’t think it is available here yet. (~JWFarrington)

Charite’ Seasons 1 & 2 (PBS Masterpiece; possibly also Netflix)

Nurse Lenze (The Movie Database)

Charite‘ is a historical German drama series set in Berlin in the late 19th century at the famous Charite’ Hospital.  Ida Lenze works as a nurse to pay off a debt, discovers she likes medicine and aspires to become a doctor.   She is curious and strong willed and interacts with several doctors who became famous and were later awarded for their efforts to develop vaccines.  Robert Koch is the only one I knew of beforehand.  His twin focus was on fighting tuberculosis and courting his actress girlfriend.  

Two other doctors research and experiment with injections to prevent diphtheria or at least curb its virulence.  Personal dramas and professional egos occasionally get in the way of reliable results.  It’s an engrossing first season. With its graphic depictions of primitive surgical techniques, one appreciates the many vaccines of today. There are three seasons, each consisting of 6 episodes.

We completed Season 1 and have now watched two episodes of the second one.  It’s set in 1943 and is both chilling and painful at points.  A young couple, both doctors, full subscribe to Hitler’s aims, and that impacts how they practice medicine.  Initially, the war seems faraway in Berlin until returning injured soldiers share what the front is really like.  Set against the Waldhausen couple are professor and doctor Ferdinand Sauerbruch and his wife Margot, also a doctor.  Compassionate and accomplished, they become aware of the insidious undercurrents in medical care at Charite’.  Highly recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header image is Thomas Scott’s 1857 painting of Lexington, the very famous 19th century race horse, courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine.

Tidy Tidbits: Watching and Eating

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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.

Potpourri: Cypresses, Cold War & Meals

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TREES IN ART

Van Gogh’s Cypresses (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Wheat Field with Cypresses

The last exhibit we visited in Manhattan this month was the small, but fascinating, collection of Van Gogh’s Cypresses.  Probably Van Gogh’s most famous painting is The Starry Night.  When we saw it here, we were made aware of the tall dark cypress trees on the left.  Something I hadn’t paid attention to in the past nor really noticed.  

Two Poplars in the Apiles

Other paintings from Van Gogh’s time in Saint-Remy, Provence highlight not only the brooding cypresses, but also show off poppies in a field (cypresses in the background) and in a canvas luminescent in yellows, two straight poplar trees.  The exhibit was crowded and occupied only a few galleries but was well worth the visit.

GERMAN DRAMA

Line of Separation (Amazon Prime)

Anna with her father (WGBH)

Line of Separation is a German series set in the divided town of Tannbach after WWII.  A brook splits the town between the Nazis and the Americans.  Families are at odds with one another, and past actions and differing political views make for tension, anger, and violence.  Young Anna, a young aristocrat, takes command of her family’s estate after the death of her mother when the Nazis threaten.  

Tannbach is a fictional village modeled after a real one.  There are two seasons of six episodes each.  We have watched Season 1 and found it a gripping piece of postwar history.

Deutschland 83 (Amazon Prime)

Martin with his aunt (The Hollywood Reporter)

In Deutschland 83, Martin Rauch is an ordinary border guard in East Germany.  He is recruited as a spy by the Stasi and sent to West Germany to infiltrate the army and gather NATO intelligence.  As Mauritz Stamm, he is the chief aide to a high level general.  Inexperienced and naïve, his bungling at the job makes for a series of close calls.  It also provides American viewers a different look at the Cold War years before the Berlin Wall came down.

This 2015 series starts out slowly but becomes more intense in the second and third episodes.  There are 8 episodes in all.  For those who get hooked, there are two more series which we have not yet watched:  Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89.

DINING BITES

Valerie (Midtown)

Valerie, a comfortable dark bar and restaurant on W. 45th Street was just right for lunch with a friend.  We were seated in the back and, all was quiet initially until a boisterous crowd arrived, making conversation more challenging.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed the entrée salads we each had, two with ahi tuna and mine a tasty Caesar with freshly grilled chicken strips.  I’d go back, but probably book for 11:00 or 11:30.

The Bar Room (East 60th St.)

This visit the Chief Penguin and I dined at several bar cum restaurants.  The Bar Room was one where we dined twice.  The first time the back tables were quiet, and the happy hour drink prices most appealing.  We sampled the bar fries and indulged in lobster rolls, almost as good as in Maine.  On our second visit, we went for the guacamole, fries, and the fried chicken bites.  All tasty snack treats.  It was much more crowded and thumping music was an accompaniment.  Go, but proceed with caution!

Imli (1st Avenue, Upper East Side)

We returned to Imli after not having dined there for several years.  They offer delicious Indian fare in an airy, contemporary space.  We liked it so much we ate here a second time.  The tandoor chicken is nicely spiced, the veggie samosas large, the lamb logs a bit different, and the very spicy paneer as billed.  We happily took some home for lunch the next day! 

Barbaresco (Lexington Ave.)

Barbaresco is one of our regular go-to Italian restaurants.  It isn’t overly expensive and we like the vibe.  Recently we tried a couple of their daily specials and were delighted.  Vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal with tuna anchovy sauce) has long been a favorite of mine.  The version I had here, topped with arugula and cherry tomatoes, was one of the very best ever!  

Vitello Tonnato

Note: Unattributed photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is Van Gogh’s Field of Poppies.