Tag Archives: TV

Small Screen Crushes and Swoon-Worthy Characters

17 Sep

A crush on Ron Swanson goes without saying. Lots of guys have a crush on him, too. I can’t even handle this picture. I just can’t.

Ladies. I don’t know how we’ve gone a whole year without making a single mention about crushes. I’ve mentioned my boyfriend, Brian, a few times in various posts, but now that several shows are returning for their fall season premieres, I’m getting my TV boyfriends back. Yes, Hulu Plus has been a big help, but you know as well as I do how lame it is when the only thing on for the evening is that quadruple rerun of The Big Bang Theory. (But I’ll probably watch it, because, hey… still better than Honey Boo Boo.)

My very first TV crush was Billy, the Blue Ranger, from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. (Don’t judge me, I was probably about 5 years old.) Thinking about his character, it’s easy for me to see why I liked him best: 1) his power coin was the Triceratops, and when I was that age, I wanted to be an archaeologist; and 2) he was quite the nerd. My second TV crush was probably also one of your mom’s first crushes: Davy Jones from the Monkees. It was 1997, and Nick at Nite was hosting their “Block Party Summer,” 4 weeks of three-hour blocks of a different classic show every weeknight, and I was glued to the TV for Monkee Mondays. (Skip ahead to about 1:02.) Davy Jones was the British heartthrob of America’s answer to The Beatles, which just goes to show that girls have always preferred a guy with an accent. The very first concert I attended was a summer oldies music festival he was headlining. Much like this blogger, I was saddened to hear of the actor/singer’s passing earlier this year, since he’ll always hold a special place in my little teeny bopper heart. But, I’ve grown up a little, and although I’d like to think my tastes have matured since my first decade of life, I can’t help but notice a trend in the TV characters I like best.

Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation (Season 5 premiere on September 20 at 8:30pm on NBC)

Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott, from Parks and Recreation is a state auditor who comes in to help fix Pawnee’s budget. I only got into the show this past spring after getting over a slight aversion to Amy Poehler. (I was so wrong about her, why didn’t anyone correct me?) Ben peppers his conversations with references to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and comic book characters. Throughout the third and fourth seasons, his relationship with Poehler’s Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, develops as she embarks on a campaign to become a city councilwoman. While I appreciate a good pop culture reference as much as the next girl, it’s Ben’s patience with the extremely driven, hyper Type-A Leslie and the support he gives her during her campaign that makes him crush-worthy for me. That, and the fact that he’s a Batman-loving Model UN alum.

Jim Halpert and Andy Bernard from The Office (Season 9 premiere on September 20 at 9pm on NBC)

Jim Halpert (played by the adorable John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly’s relationship is the standard to which I measure all other TV romances. Jim is the hero for everyone who has ever had an unrequited love, having had to simply stand by Pam’s side as her friend, even when she was engaged to another man. It takes a good deal of intelligence and creativity to pull off many of the pranks Jim has committed against Dwight, and that smirk… But anyway, I also love Krasinski in his role in Away We Go as Burt Farlander, who is kind of a beardy hipster version of Jim — madly in love with his girlfriend and wanting to do what’s best for their growing family. I can’t watch the wedding episode without getting really close to doing the ugly cry. Yeah, ok, I have cried a couple of times watching it, but it’s the best. JAM forever.

Andy Bernard, you dapper gentleman, you. What’s not to love about Ed Helm’s character? He was in an all-male a cappella called “Here Comes Treble,” and he was willing to meet all of Angela’s outrageous demands for their wedding. Now he’s with Erin, creating my second favorite Office couple. Plus, he rocks that New England seersucker-and-boat-shoe prep look, and you have to respect his confidence to wear coral pants. But, what I really like about Andy is that he’s just such a nice guy, almost a people-pleaser to a fault. You know that the Nard Dog will always have your back.

Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News (NBC)

Brian Williams is the second greatest export of New Jersey, with the first being The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, and the third probably being salt water taffy or something. In fact, I would love to see a Springsteen-Williams ticket for the 2016 presidential elections. You can’t deny it would be the most attractive executive duo ever. He’s a little different from the other gents on this list, since he isn’t a fictional character. With Brian Williams, there’s no need to despair over season finales — he’s my evergreen TV crush, since he’s on almost every weeknight, anchoring NBC Nightly News. There’s something about reporting international news out in the field that I find intriguing, and I think he has that certain… intellectual hotness? Is that a thing? It’s totally a thing, intelligence is attractive. In addition to that worldly demeanor, he has a great sense of humor. Have you ever seen him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart? Or Saturday Night Live?

I think the overwhelming theme among all of my TV boyfriends is that they’re all lovable dorks… although Brian Williams seems pretty smooth. That, and they’re all from NBC. I’ll be sad when The Office is over, but Parks and Recreation is still there, and something else may come along next fall to fill the void. Here are a few runners-up:

Phil Dunphy from Modern Family
I probably only like Phil because he and his wife, Clare, remind me so much of Brian and myself. If you’ve seen Modern Family, you know that I’m basically Clare.

Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory
Again, lovable nerd and he’s able to deal with Sheldon. That takes a lot of willpower.

Liz Lemon from 30 Rock
Girl crush! I’ve already spoken of my admiration for Tina Fey, and unfortunately this will be 30 Rock’s last season, too. True story: I had a dream where Tina Fey named me the next head writer of SNL. Best dream ever.

Frank Reagan from Blue Bloods
Well, obviously — he’s Magnum P.I. (And my mom has a mad crush on Tom Selleck, anyway.)

Who are your TV crushes?

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“Who Do You Think You Are?” — No, Really.

9 Feb

Life just gets more and more hectic, doesn’t it? Between classes, thesis, worrying about PhD applications (I’m a finalist at one school – invited for an all expenses paid on-campus visit in 2 weeks!), trying to be a good Dame, and everything else I have to do, it seems there’s no time in the day. Certainly not enough time to take for yourself.

The idea of taking time for yourself, of understanding yourself, is partly where the idea for this post came from…

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Who do you think you are?

I’m not asking this sarcastically, I’m asking this in earnest. Who are you? And why are you who you are? How did you become this person?

Now, the answers to these questions are complicated. In fact, there’s more than one answer. There are many. But, seriously, think about it. Who are you? Is who you actually are different than who you think you are?

I think so. No, scratch that.

I know so.

It’s no secret on here that I’m studying to be a historian, and that I, well, love history. So it should come as no surprise to you when I tell you that your history — your family’s history — is a big part of you and why you are the way you are.

When I was in seventh grade, I had to research my family tree for Social Studies class. At age 13, I knew nothing about my family tree. Talking to my parents and my grandparents yielded some information — enough to present on my poster for class — but not enough to satisfy my interest in my family tree.

This project started a 10+ year odyssey of family tree research that will probably never end.

My interest and, at times, obsession with genealogy (the proper name for researching one’s family history) has largely been a personal venture and not one that I publicized to my friends. I mean, I admit to being a nerd in high school, but I sort of figured that admitting that I had a subscription to Ancestry.com wouldn’t help my popularity any.

I wasn’t always dedicated to genealogy either, in spite of how much it interests me. Researching your family tree isn’t easy. It takes time, patience, hard work, perseverance, luck, and a little faith. Because of this, genealogy isn’t a constant for me. I pick it up, I put it down. I’ll work feverishly for months and then not look at it again for months or a year.

So, imagine my surprise and my envy when genealogy took America by storm.

Two years ago (in the Spring of 2010), Lisa Kudrow, the actress who played Phoebe on Friends, decided to help launch a new show on NBC called Who Do You Think You Are? — a program, already several years old and very popular in the UK, that followed celebrities as professional genealogists helped them trace their family trees.

The first season followed 8 celebrities: Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Emmit Smith, Brooke Shields, Spike Lee, and Susan Sarandon. The second season followed: Vanessa L. Williams, Tim McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, Kim Catrall, Lionel Richie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, and Steve Buscemi.

Each celebrity discovered something about their family, and in turn something about themselves, that they previously did not know. But, the message of the series is that it isn’t important who you’re related to. It’s about how we perceive ourselves in reference to where we and our families came from, and how that knowledge changes us.

It’s about the sense of guilt Sarah Jessica Parker felt before she knew whether her ancestor was an accuser or a victim during the Salem witchcraft trials, the sense of amazement of Brooke Shields when she learned she was a direct descendant of the French royal family, Matthew Broderick’s disbelief when he helps solve the mystery of an unmarked Civil War grave, or the sadness and anger of Kim Catrall when she learns the fate of her wayward grandfather.

The third season of Who Do You Think You Are? is currently being broadcast on Fridays at 8pm on NBC. If you’re not home at this time (don’t worry, I’m not usually either), you can catch the episodes on NBC.com or on Hulu. Here’s Lisa Kudrow’s (the show’s executive producer) preview of Season 3:

Of course, everyone’s family tree will not be filled with such “extraordinary” tales. There are many celebrities whose stories don’t make it on the show because they’re not interesting enough. My family tree certainly isn’t this fascinating. But that doesn’t matter, because your family tree doesn’t have to be full of royalty or heroes or famous people to be important and interesting.

You wouldn’t be here without that family tree.

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So, think about it.

Who do you think you are?

I can tell you who I thought I was.

I was Joni. White girl with curly brown hair and freckles from working-class Ohio with college educated parents and working class grandparents who were all born in this country. I was Slovak and Lebanese and Croatian and something called (as my Mum puts it) “Heinz 57″. When my Gram would talk about how one of her ancestor’s married a Native American woman, my cousins and I thought you could quantify that — like we’re 2% Native American somewhere in that Heinz 57 mixture. Now I know that it doesn’t work like that.

Because your ancestry isn’t so simple.

With a lot more digging, a lot more questioning, several hundred dollars worth of subscription fees to Ancestry.com, and a whole lot of luck, I know a whole lot more.

Because who I am is about  a lot more than simply ethnicity percentages. It’s also about more than those ancestors that are long dead. It’s about those still alive.

I am 25% Slovak. I am 25% Lebanese (perhaps originally Syrian). I am 25% Croatian. But I’m not Heinz 57.

I’m English, Welsh, and Irish. My Gram’s ancestors were original Americans. From Jamestown, Virginia circa 1620.

You learn through the genealogy experience that it’s not all about the ethnicity, not all about where you’re from. It’s about how your family got to where you are.

It’s about the journey.

And you learn the strengths and hopes and dreams and character traits and struggles of these people who you wouldn’t be here without.

I learned that it took a lot of bravery for my Grandfather to survive a German POW camp, that it took a lot of bravery for his mother to cross the Atlantic Ocean by herself at 14. I learned that my Gram’s family were some of America’s first settlers, starting in Virginia and New York, moving to Maryland, then to West Virginia and Pennsylvania. I learned there are historical markers at some of the places they lived.

Your ancestors are not simply names and dates on a page. They were live people living in a present that only happens to now be the past. They passed on ideas, traditions, traits, and wisdom that, whether you realize it or not, is somewhere in you and in your family.

So.

Who do you think you are?

Who are you, really?

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If you’re interested in researching your family tree, the internet is your best friend and Ancestry.com is the best website to get started. Although I said that I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on their services, you can use the website for free to access basic information. My suggestion is to use the free services and search some of your grandparents or great-grandparents. If you find a lot of information and want to know more, I suggest trying out a subscription for a month or two. (There’s a 2-week free trial too!)

Happy Hunting! (And don’t forget to watch Who Do You Think You Are? on Fridays at 8pm on NBC! You won’t regret it!)

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Welcome to the Real World, Snow White; Or How Fairy Tales Have Taken Over My Sunday Nights

23 Jan

Do you believe in fairy tales?

I do.

But, let me clarify. I don’t believe in fairy tales literally. I mean, we can talk about how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live a fairy tale romance and lifestyle all we want, but in the end they’re normal human beings with highs and lows just like everyone else.

So, to say I believe in fairy tales doesn’t mean that I believe they actually exist. I do believe that everyone can have fairy tale moments in their life. But, mostly, I believe in the escapism of fairy tales, the mechanism they provide for children and adults alike to imagine and dream, and I believe in their entertainment value.

The last six months have been big for fairy tales, and it looks like the trend is going to continue.

In particular, it’s been a big year for fairy tales on network television where  two different series focus on them, one on NBC (Grimm) and one on ABC: Once Upon a Time.

While I’ve heard good things about Grimm, I’m not going to talk about it here, because I’m not a viewer.

I am, however, going to talk about Once Upon a Time and how it has filled a void in my Sunday nights that I didn’t know existed, since I (as discussed in a previous post) devote my Sundays nights to PBS’ Masterpiece.

Not only is this a big year for fairy tales, it’s also a big year for Snow White. Not only are there two feature films coming out soon focusing on Snow White (Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror Mirror), but Once Upon a Time builds upon Snow White and Prince Charming’s story, allowing for a whole new take on the land of fairy tales, how its characters are all interconnected, and how they’re not all quite what they seem.

I had seen the previews for Once Upon a Time online and on TV early in the Fall and was waiting excitedly for it to premiere — I may claim that I don’t believe in fairy tales, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a sucker for them. :-)

I knew from the beginning that Once Upon a Time was going to be interesting, not only from what I knew of its basic premise, but also because its two creators were once writers on the JJ Abrams’ series Lost. 

To explain that basic premise of Once Upon a Time , I need to take you back to the beginning of my post. I asked you whether you “believed in fairy tales,” but what I should have asked was “What if fairy tales and all their characters were real?”

This is what Once Upon a Time is all about.

As I said before, Once Upon a Time, at its core, is about Snow White. Most of us know the story. Snow White loves Prince Charming, she makes the Evil Queen mad, the Evil Queen poisons her with an apple, the Seven Dwarfs place her in a glass coffin, Prince Charming finds, kisses, and saves Snow White and they all live happily ever after.

Or do they?

Once Upon a Time begins with a wedding. Prince Charming has rescued Snow White and they’re getting their happy ending — until The Evil Queen shows up and vows to destroy the newly married couple’s happiness.

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as Prince Charming

 
Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen.

Our stay in “fairy tale land” (real name: The Enchanted Forest) doesn’t last long and before we know it, we’re being introduced to Emma Swan, a bad ass bailbonds-woman living in present day, modern Boston.

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan.

It’s her birthday – her 28th – and she’s alone in her apartment, just having blown out the candle on her cupcake when the doorbell rings. Her unexpected guest is 10 year old Henry, the son she gave up for adoption, who says he’s come to get her and bring her back to his hometown of Storybrooke, Maine. Freaked out by his appearance and willing to do anything to shove this skeleton back in her closet, Emma agrees to take Henry home.

Jared Gilmore as Henry.

Henry doesn’t keep the motive for his visit secret long. He’s brought a book with him, one whose stories, he claims, are true, and in which he says his birth mother is a character.

Henry tells Emma that she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and she is meant to save the residents of Storybrook — all fairytale characters from the Enchanted Forest — who were cursed by the Evil Queen. She was born shortly before the curse was enacted and her parents found a way to send her out of the Enchanted Forest in time. Since then, all of the Forest’s residents have been trapped in Storybrook, where time stands still and no one except, it seems, for Henry, can leave. No one knows who they are either, or how they’re related to one another. They are “normal” people who go on with normal lives and don’t notice that no one ages and nothing ever changes.  The Happily Ever Afters are over.

Mary Margaret is drawn to the comatose John Doe.

Snow White is Mary Margaret, a lonely teacher who spends her spare time volunteering at the hospital where she dotes on a comatose “John Doe” (Prince Charming). Rumpelstiltskin is Mr. Gold, the town pawnbroker. Granny and Red Riding Hood are Granny and Ruby, grandmother and granddaughter running an inn and a diner. Jiminy Cricket is the town psychiatrist, Dr. Archie Hopper.

She doesn’t believe Henry and takes him home. He claims his adoptive mother, Storybrooke’s mayor, is evil.

Does the Mayor remember who she really is? Does she know who Emma is?

Turns out she is, because Mayor Regina Mills happens to be The Evil Queen.

Emma drops Henry off and when she tries to leave town, “something bad happens” — just as Henry tells her it will — and she is prevented from leaving.

So, Emma stays, and again, just as Henry predicted, things begin changing in Storybrooke.

Broadcast on Sundays at 8pm on ABC, Once Upon a Time is my new obsession. It perfectly blends fairy tales, with their romance and fantasy qualities, with a great mystery.

Each episode takes place both in Storybrooke and in the Enchanted Forest. The action is Storybrooke drives forward, while the backstory in the Enchanted Forest doesn’t always take place in order.

If you’re interested in watching, I definitely suggest starting from the beginning. This is a show that builds upon its previous episodes, like puzzle pieces being fit together.

If you don’t have access to previous episodes, then you should catch up via recaps on the internet.

Have fun in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest. But watch out for The Evil Queen/Regina — her dishes are deadly.

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Guilty Pleasures-Take 4

29 Nov

So, I’ve been absent for far too long from our blog due to some unforeseen circumstances in addition to being completely overwhelmed with grad school. Nevertheless, I still owe you a guilty pleasure post.

On Monday, I gave a lecture for an undergraduate psychology course on the effects of television and children. I talked about the cons of children watching TV and how it can have negative consequences for them down the road. Although I clearly realize the importance of this lecture, I can’t help but indulge in this guilty pleasure.

So, maybe watching TV isn’t actually a guilty pleasure to most people. But, do you know what is? Watching Reality TV. I know, a lot of these TV shows are deplorable and depict superimposed realities. However, I sometimes find myself really enjoying some of them.

Now, I guess you could say that some of these shows aren’t as bad as others. I like The Amazing Race (haven’t watched too much of it this season, though), American Idol, and Dancing With the Stars. So, I guess you could say my guilty pleasure is Reality TV with a focus on game shows. But, I also sometimes find myself watching some of the different Kardashian shows. I know a lot of people can’t stand those shows, but I find them so entertaining. Maybe it’s because I’m a budding psychologist and am interested in human interaction…or maybe it’s just because I think some of the things they do are just so crazy sometimes (but real at the same time). That’s probably my biggest guilty pleasure. Some people might be inclined to argue with me about how they can’t stand those shows, but for some reason I’m entertained by them :)

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Managing My Curly Hair: How I Gave Up Shampoo and Became a Wen Convert

19 Oct

I’ve been carrying out an experiment over the last month or so. But before I tell you about it I want to assure you that it’s not as gross as the title of this post makes it sound.

First, a little background information:

If you know me personally, you most likely know that 1) I have long, extremely curly hair and that 2) I really don’t like it.

This is me, with curly hair, this summer on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. I usually wear my hair in a ponytail when it’s curly because I hate it so much and don’t feel like I can do anything with it.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my hair for a very long time. It used to be a lot worse, particularly because my hair used to be even thicker than it is now, but thankfully it isn’t as bad anymore. Mostly though, I’ve learned to finally manage it with a good hair cut, product and bobby pins.

I also try to straighten my hair as much as possible which makes it easier to handle (and I think prettier), but sometimes I just don’t have time to do it.

Overall, though, I have had little trouble with my hair (knock on wood) despite all of the bad things I do to it that you’re not supposed to – like highlight/dye it, use a flat iron, use gel, etc.

And now to the experiment:

Anyone with a television in the United States has likely seen the commercials for the product called Wen which is sold by hairstylist Chaz Dean.

For a quick explanation, Wen is a line of hair care products that use natural ingredients. The main staple of the line of products is the Wen Cleansing Conditioner that replaces your shampoo and your conditioner. Essentially, you are eliminating shampoo from your hair care routine and only using a cleansing condition that does the work of both products. Yes, no shampoo. No suds, no lather. Just conditioner. I was skeptical too, but I decided to give it a try.

These are the 32 oz bottles of the Wen Cleansing Conditioner.

The commercials seem to be on all of the time, and mostly when I see advertisements for such products I just ignore it. This time, however, the product caught my interest. If you’re like me and have curly hair, you know that there is no such thing as “brushing” your hair after it’s dry nor is there such a thing as not using copious amounts of conditioner or having tangle-free hair. Wen intrigued me, first because the thought of no longer shampooing my hair was very foreign to me. I have to wash my hair daily, unless it is straight, because my hair becomes so tangled at night.

I was thinking about trying it out, but the price on the infomercial is expensive, particularly in terms of what you receive for your money. However, about a month and a half ago, Chaz Dean was on QVC selling Wen, and the price and the amount of product you got (compared to what was sold on his infomercial) was too good to pass up.

For $50, I received 2 bottles of Wen cleansing conditioner. One 32oz and one 16oz, which is supposed to last 3 months. I also got a replenishing mist, but I’m not going to talk about it in this post because it is unrelated to my point.

I started using it the next day.

The Results:

I like Wen and I think I’m going to continue using it. I haven’t used shampoo since I started, and I am actually considering taking it with me the next time I go to the salon to have my hair highlighted.

Of course, you have to take infomercials and the promises with a grain of salt, but I have noticed differences in my hair.

1. My hair is definitely softer and easier to manage, and although there hasn’t been any kind of radical change to it I can tell that not using a chemical-based shampoo has made a difference.

2. Yes, my hair really is clean. At first I was worried that my hair would feel dirty or oily because it wasn’t being shampooed. I did have a momentary worry about that, but my hair feels and is clean.

3. My hair is also shinier and my highlights – which I pay more money than I probably should for – look better and brighter.

A caveat though: The instructions for the product suggest that you refrain from using products like gels (and buy the Wen styling product) or using a flat iron to prevent damage to your hair. Unfortunately, although I could probably find a way not to use gel, it is impossible for me to straighten my hair without a flat iron. So, my results may be slightly off.

Some Cons to Wen:

1. The Cost.

I’m not going to deny that the product isn’t cheap. If you are interested in trying it, I highly suggest you purchase it on QVC, even if you have to wait for it to be on again to get it. You will get a much better bang for your buck. If necessary, feel free to contact me for advice on what to buy to get you started.

2. The amount of product they suggest you use.

There’s really only one moderate issue that I have with the Wen product, and that is how much product you are supposed to use per application versus the amount of time one bottle is supposed to last you. The amount of product you use depends on how long your hair is. For example, for my medium-long hair (several inches below my shoulders) I’m supposed to use a total of 15 pumps of product. Doing this daily is supposed to allow my 48oz of product to last me for 3 months. However this would be impossible, and frankly, I feel that that much product is too much. I only use 8-10 pumps per application, including one pump as a leave-in conditioner. I’m nearly 2 months in and still have a small amount of my 32 oz bottle left and my entire 16 oz bottle left.

Note: If you are interested in trying Wen, I highly suggest you take a look at the Wen website, only because there are different formulas of the product for different kinds of hair. I use the Pomegranate formula, which is good for any hair type.

So, what do you think? Are you willing to give up your shampoo?

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Nothing on TV, you say? Turn on PBS! – Part 2

7 Oct

I don’t know about you, but it’s been a busy couple of weeks. I took the GRE for the second time last Friday — which thankfully went well, but left me feeling like a zombie afterwards — and have been extremely busy with schoolwork and grad assistant duties this week. Unfortunately, a Master’s thesis does not write itself and is proving to be more stressful than I imagined — but that may just be because I overthink everything. :-)

As promised, here is the second (and final) part of my post on some of the excellent and entertaining programs that you can find on PBS.

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Last time I mainly devoted my post to the Masterpiece program on PBS which provides the majority of the channel’s fiction-based programming. Today I’m going to tell you about some of PBS’s other programs.

If you like politics, health, education, or other news based topics, definitely check out Frontline. Broadcast on Tuesday nights at 9pm, Frontline has presented a multitude of well-produced and interesting documentaries since 1983. Some of the best recent programs have been on the 2008 Financial Crisis, September 11th, and the controversy of for-profit colleges.

 

If news based documentaries aren’t your cup of tea, but you’re still into historical or political things, you may want to watch American Experience. Whereas Frontline is more of a strictly educational, interview and fact based documentary, each episode of American Experience is like a film. The majority of American Experience episodes are 1 to 2 hours in length, however some films are multiple hours that are shown in installments.

Recent 1-2 hour episodes have centered on: The New England Hurricane of 1938, Music of the Civil Rights Movement, Dinosaur Wars, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and War Letters.

Recent multi-hour episodes include: Abraham and Mary Lincoln, The Kennedys, Reagan, and God in America.

 

If History or related topics aren’t to your liking, but you like music, art, and acting, then you’ll probably enjoy either American Masters or Great Performances (one of my favorites).

American Masters is a documentary series that chronicles the creative genius of some of our most talented artists, whether they work in the world of music, art, dance, theater, or film.

Some of the recent and upcoming episodes focus on: Pearl Jam, Carole King and James Taylor, Elia Kazan, Woody Allen, and Jeff Bridges.

 

While American Masters goes behind the scenes of artistic genius, Great Performances puts you in front row of some of their best artistic offerings. From Broadway musicals and Opera to Pop Concerts and Symphonies and Orchestras, Great Performances is an excellent way to spend a few hours — especially when you would otherwise have to travel thousands of mile and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to see the same performance in person.

Recent and Upcoming episodes feature: Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Hugh Laurie (he sings the blues in New Orleans), “Macbeth”, “Hamlet”, various performances of the Metropolitan Opera, David Foster, Sondeim’s “Company”, “Chess”, Andrea Bocelli, and Michael Buble.

 

Don’t worry if your turn on PBS and aren’t interested in what you find. Sometimes, just like other network or broadcast channels, what’s currently on doesn’t interest me. However, PBS offers a lot of great programming on a variety of topics that are wonderfully entertaining.

Happy Watching!

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Nothing on TV, you say? Turn on PBS! – Part 1

26 Sep

Note: This post is an addendum to both Jeannette and Abbie’s posts from last week about this Fall’s TV schedule and the Emmy Awards.

There are 2 parts to this post, because there’s simply too much to talk about!

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What do you think when you hear the phrase PBS?

I know, I know. Some of you are groaning right now, saying “Please don’t write a blog post about that boring channel Joni!”

Don’t worry, I would never purposely bore you. That’s why I’m going to tell you why PBS isn’t boring, and why you shouldn’t only think of it as the channel that broadcasts Sesame Street.

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Do you like Drama? Maybe some Romance? Mystery? Murder? Political Thrillers?

Then Sundays at 9pm should be your night and Masterpiece (previously Masterpiece Theater) should be your show!

Masterpiece is divided into three sections: Classic, Mystery, and Contemporary. Masterpiece Classic is broadcast from January through April, Masterpiece Mystery is broadcast in the summer and fall, usually through October, and Masterpiece Contemporary is broadcast in the late fall through December. So, basically, there’s something to watch almost all year-long!

By far, the best program from Masterpiece this past year was Downton Abbey. In fact, if ratings and the Emmy Awards had anything to say about it, it may be the best program in the history of Masterpiece. Broadcast over four weeks in January of 2011, Downton had already been broadcast in the UK (where it was filmed and produced) in the Fall of 2010 to rave reviews.

Downton follows the Crawley family at their home Downton Abbey. The Earl and Countess have 3 daughters, and no sons, so when the Earl’s cousin who is set to inherit the estate and the Earldom dies on the Titanic, chaos ensues. The series explores how the lives and world of the Crawley family and their household staff changes as the new heir descends on the Abbey. A mysterious servant arrives, a maid is keeping a secret, the Countess and her mother-in-law are conspiring against the Earl, a Turkish diplomat dies in a compromising position, and world war looms on the horizon.

Downton’s popularity earned it multiple Emmy Awards last week and has been renewed for 2 more seasons. New episodes air in January.

Other Masterpiece Classic programs to check out:Upstairs Downstairs, Any Human Heart, and South Riding – all broadcast in Spring 2011.

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If you like murder mysteries, then it is “elementary” that you tune in to Sherlock.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are back and better than ever, but this time they’re solving murders in present-day London. Three episodes were broadcast as part of last year’s Masterpiece Mystery season, and more are coming in the future. I highly suggest you check this out!

Masterpiece Mystery is rife with programs, many based on the mysteries of Agatha Christie – Poirot and Miss Marple. But, also check out the Inspector Lewis, Zen,  and the forthcomingCase Histories.

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Finally, Masterpiece Contemporary rounds out the Masterpiece line-up. Although it features far fewer programs than its counterparts, watching Masterpiece Contemporary is a great way to wile away cold, winter Sunday nights. Check out:

God on Trial -  Broadcast in the Fall/Winter of 2008, this 90-minute production follows a group of Jewish concentration camp prisoners as they place God on trial in absentia for his abandonment of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. This brilliant and profound drama depicts the simultaneous faith and loss Holocaust victims experienced during their horrific imprisonment.

The Last Enemy - Does Big Brother, like George Orwell depicted in 1984, really exist? What if it did? After spending years in China, obsessive-compulsive genius Stephen Ezard comes home to Britain for his brother’s funeral. But not all is as it seems. Mystery and danger abounds as Stephen is roped in to becoming the spokesman for the new government Total Information Awareness program that tracks every citizens every movement. It is supposed to protect you, but is a world where nothing is private and you cannot ever disappear protecting or controlling you?

This Fall, check out Page Eight about a veteran British spy who stumbles across a conspiracy that may destroy the British government. He’ll have to figure out what to do about it though, before he falls victim to it himself.

Also, look for the 50-minute long Song of Lunch starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson as former lovers who meet for lunch 15 years after their relationship ended. The production is based on the poem of the same name by Christopher Reid.

Next time, I’ll talk about some of the other programs you can see on PBS.

For now, turn on your local PBS Station – you may be surprised by what you find!

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