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U.K. TV: Cornwall, Crime Dramas and Chewing Gum

poldark season 1

Lately, I’ve been binge-watching great U.K. TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

I’ve been pretty obsessed with Aidan Turner and the Poldark series, based on the Winston Graham novels. Don’t worry if you missed any of the adventures of Ross Poldark. You can binge-watch all 4 seasons of the BBC series on Amazon Prime. Season 5 will air in September 2019 on PBS and later this summer on the BBC.

Poldark Season is available on iTunes   and stream Poldark on Amazon Prime*

Take a look at a few of my favorites UK TV shows:

Nobody does gritty, crime dramas like the Brits. Don’t believe me? These UK TV shows will grab you by the throat in the first few minutes. What I like best about British crime shows is that they don’t give everything away until the end.

The main characters are often flawed and troubled people with one foot on the wrong side of the law. The criminals are not only bad guys, but they are also complicated and strange. The comedies are outrageously witty and downright hilarious.

Bodyguard

Bodyguard had me on the edge of my seat within the first five minutes. Golden Globe Winner, James Madden (Game of Thrones and my pick for the next James Bond) stars as Protective Services Officer (Secret Service) David Budd is on a train with his two young children quietly sleeping beside him after a trip to visit grandma. He notices something not quite right and before you know it, he is in the middle of a terrorist situation.

His next assignment is to protect the Home Secretary (I think that’s like the U.S. Secretary of State)  who has a controversial view about war and the Middle East.  I can’t say anything else without spoilers. But trust me, you will not believe who the real bad guy really is. 

All I can say is James Madden is amazing and you won’t be able to figure it out until the very last scene. Bodyguard | Netflix Official Site

Other British shows you’ll love

Luther

Idris Elba Luther

Do I need to say more than Idris Elba? You can see him as DCI John Luther, a troubled and conflicted London police detective. In the first episode, Detective Luther meets Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), a sociopath who murdered both of her parents.

Somehow, John and Alice form a strange bond, while he solves some of London’s baffling murders cases. You can watch all 5 seasons of Luther on BBC America and Netflix.

Idris also stars on a quirky little British comedy called Turn It Up, Charlie. Idris plays Charlie, a has-been DJ, reduced to playing wedding and graduation parties. He thinks his fortune will change when he takes on the job of nanny to his former friend precocious 8-year-old daughter.

The Fall – BBC

Gillian Anderson has left Muller and the X-files behind and gone off to London as detective Stella Gibson. Stella is on the hunt to find a serial killer in the British crime thriller, The Fall. Jamie Dornan plays Paul Spector, a social worker who is married with children who also like to rape and murder young girls. The Fall | Netflix Official Site

Chewing Gum

It is hard to describe Michaela Coel’s witty comedy, Chewing Gum.

At least in a way that will do it justice. Coel stars as Tracy Gordon, a 24-year-old young woman of Ghanian descent living in a London council estate (the projects) with her devoutly religious mother, her crazy sister.

Tracy is obsessed with Beyonce’ and works a minimum wage job at the corner market. Along with a hilarious assortment of friends and neighbors (including Cynthia Ervio), she is looking for true love.

Chewing Gum | Netflix Official Site

Black Mirror

If you like The Twilight Zone, you’ll love Black Mirror.  The stories delve into the dark motivations and implication of modern technology and social media in our society.

In Nosedive (S3,ep1), Bryce Dallas Howard shows what some people will go through to get a ‘like‘ on a social media app. Michaela Coel also stars on the episode entitled USS Cassiter, a dark look at a fan of a Star Trek-like show who goes too far with his fantasy world.

Also, look for episodes featuring Jon Hamm (White Christmas), Daniel Kaluuya (Fifteen Million Merits) and  Black Panther’s Shuri, Letitia Wright (Black Museum).

Catch the new episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix, starring Miley Cyrus, Andrew Scott, Anthony Mackie.

*Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase these products or services via these links I will receive a small commission. Hopefully, it will be enough to pay for my monthly Netflix bill and maybe pay for some cute new shoes. I only recommend or suggest movies, products and/or services that I use or think will you will like. This does not affect or influence my views and opinions on the articles I write about.

Sienna Miller Gives a Powerful Performance in American Woman

Sienna Miller (Foxcatcher, Lost City of Z) takes on a grittier look in her powerful performance in American Woman, an engaging story about the love and loss and hope.

Directed by Jake Scott (Welcome to the Rileys), American Woman features Siena Miller along with an incredible ensemble cast that includes Christina Hendricks, Amy Madigan, Aaron Paul and Will Sasso.

Sky-Ferreira-and-Sienna-Miller-in-AMERICAN-WOMAN-
American Woman

Sienna Miller plays Debra Callahan, a 31-year-old woman whose life in a small town in rural Pennsylvania is spiraling out of control.

Deb is a junky mess of a woman who smokes too much, drinks too much and is having an affair with a married man. She works a minimum wage job at a local grocery store to support herself, her 16-year old daughter Bridget, a single mom and her 1-year-old grandson Jesse.

Family Drama

She has a troubled relationship with her aging mother (Amy Madigan) and her married older sister Kathy, played by Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, Good Girls). 

Deb loves her daughter and grandson, but she is pretty light on any kind of parental disciple or supervision. So when her daughter goes missing, her life falls apart.

Sienna-Miller-in-AMERICAN-WOMAN

Her family and their working-class neighborhood come together to support Deb during the search for her missing daughter.

As time goes by, Deb continues to search for her daughter, while raising her young grandson and trying to get her life together.  Even though goes through a series of bad romances, Deb is determined to find out what happened to Bridget and make a better life for Jesse. She grows closer to her mom and her sister’s family as she moves closer to a living a happy and hopefil life.

American Woman opens in theaters on June 14, 2019. 

Oak Cliff Film Festival 2019

The 8th annual Oak Cliff Film Festival returns to Dallas’ historic Texas Theatre and Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Kessler Theater, and numerous other venues around Dallas’ vibrant Oak Cliff neighborhood, June 6 – 9, 2019 featuring the very best of Oak Cliff’s historic theater venues, the festival also highlights the area’s popular restaurants, bars, and small businesses, and seeks to showcase and cultivate the best of independent and brave filmmaking in Texas and beyond.

This year’s schedule includes 28 feature-length films, with 13 Texas premieres as well as 36 short films, opening and closing night parties, filmmaking workshops, live music events and much more!

“We welcome moviegoers and film fans to another Oak Cliff Film Festival! The diverse neighborhood of Oak Cliff is the perfect context for the varied programming the festival seeks to introduce to new audiences” said Barak Epstein and Jason Reimer, Oak Cliff Film Festival Co-Founders.

Oak Cliff Film Festival Highlights

Oak Cliff Film Festival full schedule

The Farewell

After learning their beloved matriarch has terminal lung cancer, a family opts not to tell her about the diagnosis, instead scheduling an impromptu wedding-reunion back in China.

Headstrong and emotional writer Billi (Awkwafina) rebels against her parents’ directive to stay in New York and joins the family as they awkwardly attempt to rekindle old bonds, throw together a wedding that only grandma is actually looking forward to, and surreptitiously say their goodbyes. (USA, 98 mins) – Directed by Lulu Wang

The Mountain

The year is 1953. Andy, a young, introverted teenager, works as a Zamboni driver at an ice rink where his father is a flamboyant skating instructor. Andy’s mother is institutionalized. When Andy meets Dr. Wallace Fiennes (Jeff Goldblum), a famous lobotomist now in the sad decline of his career, the shy young man joins the doctor on a tour of rural mental hospitals.

As Fiennes desperately evangelizes for the lobotomy procedure to drum up business, Andy becomes infatuated with a patient and her father and immerses himself in the surreal, burgeoning New Age movement of the American West. (USA, 106 mins) – Directed by Rick Alverson

Yesterday

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James).

After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed — and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, and with a little help from his steel-hearted American agent, Debra (SNL’s Kate McKinnon), Jack’s fame explodes.

But as his star rises, he risks losing Ellie — the one person who always believed in him. With the door between his old life and his new closing, Jack will need to get back to where he once belonged and prove that all you need is love. (UK, 112 mins) – Directed by Danny Boyle

Sword of Trust

When Cynthia and Mary (Jillian Bell and Michaela Watkins) show up to collect Cynthia’s inheritance from her deceased grandfather, the only item she’s received is an antique sword that was believed by her grandfather to be proof that the South won the Civil War. The two attempt to unload the object to a curmudgeonly pawnshop owner (Marc Maron) and his man-child sidekick Nathaniel (Jon Bass).

When Mel and Nathaniel discover there’s a black market for the relic, the two pairs reluctantly join forces to sell this rarefied ‘prover item’ to the highest bidder. The adventure that ensues takes the four of them on a wild journey into the depths of conspiracy theory and Southern disillusionment. (USA, 88 mins) – Directed by Lynn Shelton

Daniel Isn’t Real

Traumatized 8-year old Luke invents an imaginary friend named Daniel who leads them both into a world of fantasy and imagination. After Daniel tricks Luke into doing something terrible, Luke is forced to lock him away. Twelve years later, Luke brings Daniel back — and he now appears as a charming, manipulative young man with a terrifying secret agenda. (USA, 96 mins) – Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer

Love, Antosha

LoveAntosha_Still-9

From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton’s impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

Love, Antosha explores his successes and his struggles and lets viewers get to know this extraordinary person the world was cheated from seeing grow old. (USA, 92 mins) – Directed by Garret Price

How to Attend the Oak Cliff Film Festival
Festival badges and tickets on sale now at OakCliffFilmFestival.com
VIP Badges and tickets for individual screenings are available for purchase here.

Tickets for individual screenings will also be available at the door for each venue at a later date. For the latest festival developments and announcements, visit the Oak Cliff Film Festival website. 

About Oak Cliff Film Festival

The Oak Cliff Film Festival was established in 2012 as a regional film festival in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas. The festival has been received national acclaim from prominent sources including The New York Times, Filmmaker Magazine, and Moviemaker Magazine. 

What I’m Binge-Watching on Prime Video

I’m sick and tired of the nightly news. Current events! Politics! Polititans!

The 24-hour news shows are doing their best to make me depressed enough to go on a full-time diet of Blue Bell Cookies & Creme ice cream (a yummy, totally additive combination of vanilla ice cream and crushed Oreo cookies).

I am taking a break from the news and having a binge-watching adventure with some old favorites and a few new series on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

I Love U.K. TV!

What about you? Are you catching up with popular British TV series? T I don’t know how they do it, but the Brits have the best television shows. These are a few UKTV shows you might enjoy:

Victoria (Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes)

Vanity Fair (Olivia Cooke and Tom Bateman)

Being Human (Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey and Lenora Critchlow)

Silent Witness

Downton Abby

Prime Amazon Prime also has several great female-driven series, like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hilarious sitcom, Fleabag, Homecoming starring Julia Roberts, and of course, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amy Sherman-Pallidino, the creator of The Gilmore Girls brings us another Emmy Award-winning hit series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Mrs Maisel

Golden Globe winner, Rachel Brosnahan stars as the vivacious, funny and marvelous Miriam (Midge) Weissman-Maisel. Midge is the perfect 1950’s housewife. Midge and her no good, cheating husband, Joel have two lovely children and live in a gorgeous Upper West Side high-rise apartment in New York City. What else could a woman want? How about a career as a stand-up comedian?

Catch up with Season 1 & 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime before Season 3 begins.

Poldark

Season 5, the final season of the Masterpiece Theater/BBC historical drama Poldark will air on PBS later in 2019 or early 2020. That gives you plenty of time to catch up with Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) and his Cornwall adventures.

Watch all 4 Seasons of Poldark on Amazon Prime Video before Season 5 begins in Spetember 2019 on PBS.
See more of my favorite Binge-Worthy TV Series

Amazon Prime Day is on July 15 – 16. What? You’re not a Prime member? Sign up now for a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime to watch these and many other binge-worthy shows.

*Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase these products or services via these links I will receive a small commission. Hopefully, it will be enough to pay for my monthly Amazon Prime bill and maybe pay for one of those cute vintage coats and dress ensembles like Mrs. Maisel. I only recommend or suggest movies, products and/or services that I use or think will you will like. This does not affect or influence my views and opinions on the articles I write about.

Adventures in Binge-Watching

Last winter I was stuck in bed with the flu for more than a week. With a box of tissue, a pot of hot tea and plenty of chicken noodle soup, I fired up Netflix and I discovered the wonders of binge-watching. 

“Ohhh…. I’ve heard a lot about this Breaking Bad show. Think I’ll take a quick look…”

[4 hours later…]

Before I knew it I had watched at least 4 episodes and I was hooked on the meth-making adventures of Walter White. 

Your next episode starts in 5…4…3…2…1

To be honest, I’m a bit of a night owl. No matter how hard I try, I’m more creative at night and my head is filled with ideas that keep me up all hours. 

Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and HULU load up an entire season of episodes with all the annoying commercial breaks. And behold my love of binge-watching was born.

Binge-watching and Chick Flicks are the perfect match. You can catch up on the shows you have missed and rewatch the shows you love.

TV Shows I’ve Been Binge-Watching…

Schitt’s Creek

Daniel Levy and his father, comedy legend Eugene Levy have created a hilarious series called Schitt’s Creek. Yes, like up that particular creek. The father and son duo star in a ‘fish out of water’ story about the mega-rich Rose family. When they lose all of their money, they are forced to move to the small town Johnny Rose bought for his son as a joke. Catherine O’Hara is absolutely fabulous as Moira Rose,  the matriarch /soap opera star.

Timeless Timeless TV banner

If you haven’t been watching NBC’s Timeless, you have missed one of the best and most original shows on TV.

When Connor Mason, a British tech genius builds a pair of time traveling pods, something goes wrong, Why? Because like all crazy science experiments, something always goes wrong.

Yes, there’s been time traveling shows before. Quantum Leap, Time Machine, and others, but Timeless is different. In this case, Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić) has stolen one of the time machines and is going through history and changing important events.

So, Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer), an American history professor, Wyatt Logan,(Matt Lanter), a special forces military guy,  Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), the time machine pilot and one of the engineers who helped to design the time machine join forces to find Flynn. 

The Time Team travels back to well-known dates in history like the explosion of the Hindenburg, the assignation of Abraham Lincoln and the battle of the Alamo, but they also meet some of the interesting people that helped shape history, like Hedy Lamarr, the Lone Ranger, and Ian Flemming. Timeless is available on HULU

Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels

A western about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad may not exactly fit into the chick flicks genre, but this AMC series has such an amazing and original story, I couldn’t resist. 

Anson Mount plays Cullen Bohanon, a Confederate soldier who wants revenge for the death of his wife and child.  As the railroad construction winds its way west, across the American continent the town of Hell on Wheels follows along with a collection of saloons, brothels, and rag-tag characters. The series also stars, Common, Colm Meaney, and Robin McLeavy. 

Watch all 5 seasons of Hell on Wheels on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

Mad Men

Mad Men Fashion

The award-winning AMC series, Mad Men gives offers a glimpse into the world of 1960’s Madison Avenue ad men like David Ogilvy and  Julian Koenig. It’s interesting to see how Madison Avenue tries to sell products that were brand new but are not yet household names. For instance, the dilemma of how to market Clearasil. “That’s for teenagers with bad skin. Who cares about them.”

It’s a Man’s World

In the world of  Mad Men, the men go the work and smoke unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarettes, drink Old Fashioneds, and a woman’s place is at home.

How times have changed! There are 7 addictive binge-worthy seasons of Mad Men. Watch episodes of Mad Men on iTunes or on Amazon Prime.

What’s Up Next?

Good Girls

Goodgirls2

I have loved Christina Hendricks since watching her as Joan Holloway in Mad Men. She is quite different as Beth Boland in the comedy-drama, Good Girls. Christina stars with Rhetta and Mae Whitman as three suburban moms who turn to a life of crime to solve their money problems.

Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix. More to come on that series before season 3 starts.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek Discovery

I really hate to add yet another streaming service to my entertainment budget, but darn it, CBS All Access has a new Star Trek series. The all-new prequel goes back before the Enterprise and before Kirk.  I thought I could live without watching it and save myself $9.99 a month. That was until season 2 when they brought in a young, bearded Spock (Ethan Peck) and Captain Christopher Pike, played by Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels). I’m talking about pre-accident Captain Pike! 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

What are your favorite shows to binge-watch?

Preview: Dark Phoenix

In the next movie in the X-Men universe,  Dark Phoenix, the X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, and Jessica Chastain. [Read more…] about Preview: Dark Phoenix

Stuck With Some Strangers on a Train

Stuck movie

You see the same people everyday. They are the passengers on your bus, the regulars at your neighborhood coffeeshop or maybe they are just strangers on the subway train.

Stuck poster

You think you know them.

You think you know them from they way they dress and the way they look. But do you really know their stories?

The pretty African-American girl with braids…

the Hispanic construction worker…

the young Asian girl…
the middle-aged woman…

the nerdy guy with the backpack…

the homeless man pushing a grocery cart full of junk. 

Who are they? What are their stories?

With original music composed by Riley Thomas and directed by Michael Berry, Stuck is an original pop musical film about six New York City Subway commuters who get to know each other while they at stuck together on a broken down New York City subway train. 

This modern musical starring Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone, Field of Dreams), pop star Ashanti, Omar Chaparro (Show Dogs, Compadres), Arden Cho (Teen Wolf) and Gerard Canonico (Be More Chill) tells the stories of these six strangers through song.

Stuck is a lovely surprise of a movie. While they are waiting for the subway to be repaired. The six stranger get to know each other as they introduce themselves and their individual stories through song.

Stuck opens in theaters nationwide in April 2019.
Stuck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Amazon | Itunes

Meet the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Amy Sherman Pallidino, the creator of The Gilmore Girls brings us another Emmy Award-winning hit series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

In this Amazon original series set in the late 1950s,  a woman’s place was at home supporting her man. That’s why Midge Maisel was at home making pot roast to help her husband, Joel a part-time aspiring comedian get a prime at ‘The Gaslight’,  a Greenwich Village comedy club.

Do you know how long it takes to make a pot roast? Hours, seriously…hours in a hot oven.

The Hilarious Mrs. MaiselMrs. Midge Maisel doing stand up

Miriam (Midge) Maisel 

Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) stars as the vivacious and funny  (and marvelous) Midge Weissman-Maisel. Midge is a college educated woman, during a time when a woman only went to college to find a good husband. And she found Joel. 

Midge is the perfect 1950’s housewife. They have two lovely children and live in a gorgeous upper Westside high-rise apartment in New York City. Midge has a closet full of fabulous clothes. She goes to bed every night in full makeup (including false eyelashes) just to please her husband. The children are always fed, put to bed and dinner is on the table just as Joel arrives home from work.

What else could a woman want? 

A faithful husband who is not having an affair with the dumbest secretary in the world would be nice.

It would also be great if he didn’t decide that flopping at the comedy club is no reason to pack a bag and leave the night before the Rabbi is coming to dinner. Bad timing!

That is where the story starts for the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She drinks a bottle of wine, heads down to Greenwich village and takes the stage at The Gaslight with a hilarious (and a bit raunchy) comedy routine.

The Husband – Joel Maisel 

Joel Maisel (Michael Zegan) has a boring day show working for his father manufacturing business. But his dream is to be a famous comedian, along with the lines of Bob Newhart, Lenny Bruce or Joel’s problem is, he NOT funny. But Midge has a sharp wit and she is naturally funny. 

Professor Abe Weissman, Midge’s father

I loved Tony Shalhoub in Monk. He has an understated style, but he’s very funny. Tony Shalhoub won an Emmy Award for his role of Abe Weissman, Midge’s father. He is a mathematics professor at Columbia University. Abe is a man with deeply entrenched habits and is not happy when anything disrupts is routine. 

The Lovely Rose Weissman

Marin Hinkle plays Midge’s elegant, helpful mother and Abe’s long-suffering wife. Rose is busy trying to please everyone. She wants her family to be happy. 

Enter Susie Meyerson

 After she sees Midge’s drunken, but hilarious comedy routine at the Gaslight, Susie Meyerson thinks Midge actually has ‘the goods‘. Meaning she could be a  female comedian. Sounds silly now, but back in the olden, golden 1950s, there weren’t many women stand up comedians.

Alex Bortstein plays Susie, the wannabe manager who reluctantly helps guide Mrs. Maisel through the seedy, late-night world of comedy clubs.

Also starring  Kevin Pollak as Joel’s dad, Moishe Maisel, Luke Kirby as legendary 1950’s comedian, Lenny Bruce, and  Jane Lynch as Sophie Lennon.

Emmy Award Winner

  • Outstanding Comedy Series
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Rachel Brosnahan
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Alex Borstein
  • Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Comedy Series – Amy Sherman P
  • Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Jane Lynch
  • Outstanding Period Costumes – For all of the gorgeous 1950’s outfits.

Catch up with Season 1 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime before Season 2 debuts on  December 5, 2018.

More great TV series for your binge-watching pleasure.

*Adult language, nudity, and adult situations. Some scenes of drug use.

*Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase these products or services via these links I will receive a small commission. Hopefully, it will be enough to pay for my monthly Amazon Prime bill and maybe pay for one of those cute vintage coats and dress ensembles like Mrs. Maisel. I only recommend or suggest movies,   products and/or services that I use or think will you will like. This does not affect or influence my views and opinions on the articles I write about.