Tag: television

TV Shows Worth Watching

Rain has taken over England right now and summer seems markedly dampened so I thought I would share some good TV shows that I am currently viewing. My interest in telly changes all of the time and I go through phases of trash TV and reality shows, but one thing I consistently like is a good drama. Lately, as I have researched the YA genre more, being a writer of that type of book, I have also discovered some fun YA series as well.

Do you need something fresh to watch? Here are my suggestions.

1) Physical

I haven’t been taking advantage of my Apple TV Plus membership and recently decided to check it out, only to discover some great new series emerging. One of them stars Rose Byrne, the incredibly funny and soulful actress who made everyone split their sides laughing in Bridesmaids. The picture looked a bit like the ‘Physical’ music video which Olivia Newton John got to number one with in the eighties. Rose was wearing a leotard whilst doing a frantic aerobic workout, similar to those I sometimes do, but without the colourful sweatbands.

Quirky, nostalgic and awkward.

Well, this series starts with a warning about it covering the sensitive issues of eating disorders and soon we discover why. With a cool eighties soundtrack and some references that take me right back to my childhood, Rose’s character takes us on her journey from bored housewife to assumed celebrity, whilst taking time to share her internal monologue which constantly judges both herself and her friends based on appearance. She indulges her food desires and then throws up, each time suggesting it will be her last ever binge.

The eating disorder is dealt with honestly and with no holes barred. Everything else about the programme is funky, humorous and intriguing. Although I am only half way through I am totally hooked. This series is enlightening, nostalgic and indeed sad. It is refreshing, however, to see such a difficult subject covered openly and with some balanced representation.

Never Have I Ever

Currently streaming series two on Netflix, I find this YA comedy very entertaining, not least because it is written and co-created by Mindy Kaling (whose autobiographies I am reading). It covers the life of a teenager whose family live in California but still stay close to their Indian roots.

Devi is growing up, conflicted by culture, social media, body image and ‘guys’. She has such funny encounters with her peers, enjoys competitions of the geeky kind and sees a therapist regarding the death of her father, who is seen often in flashback. What’s best of all is that her life is narrated by her dad’s favourite tennis player, John McEnroe. He actually has a way of making it even funnier and was originally approached by Mindy at an award ceremony, which he thought was itself a joke.

In season two she has to decide between two guys, one bright and rich, the other handsome and sporty. What a dilemma! I love that each episode is under half an hour and Mindy has a way of bringing up so many references to today’s society, in a comical, thought-provoking way.

Thanks for checking out my suggestions and I will add a few more next week, so perhaps consider following my blog for similar content, book reviews and more…

If you missed my previous TV recommendations click here

Three TV Shows You Must Watch!

Usually I write about fabulous books and incredible authors, but I felt that it was time for me to share some inspiring TV shows that are well worth a watch. Often the TV that I binge reflects what I read, but not always. Today I wanted to write about three wonderful series that really managed to keep me hooked.

1) Mare Of Easttown

Kate Winslet is brilliant as a rough-round-the-edges small town cop.

As a massive Kate Winslet fan, I was pleased that she had committed to a HBO limited series and had enough faith in it to also become the executive producer. When I eventually caught a glimpse of the trailer, I was unsurprisingly immediately drawn in.

Mare is a down-to-Earth detective in the kind of small town where everybody knows everybody else’s business. She has a lot to cope with: a deceased son, a grandson she cares for embroiled in a custody battle, a daughter feeling anxious about university and an ex-husband who lives opposite her with a new fiancee.

Haunted by an unsolved missing person case, Mare discovers a new tragedy which unravels in a complicated way. This hard to predict story had me desperate for more as each instalment was released weekly.

This was originally on HBO and Sky TV and it is reported that its audience grew week by week, which is a really rare outcome. Many now tip Kate and the series for many awards in the coming months. If you have access to this dramatic, twisted story, then definitely check it out.

2) War Of The Worlds

The Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) has found an alien and Gabriel Byrne wants to keep it.

This Star original series on Disney Plus is a take on the well known space invasion story, but without the Tom Cruise element. It is a joint British and French television production and has a stellar cast including Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Elizabeth McGovern (of Downton).

A scientific research centre in the Alps discovers sound patterns in space and before long some mysterious vessels have landed on Earth. They send out waves which wipe out millions of people, though our main characters have luckily found ways to avoid falling victim to this attack.

Each episode builds tension and the narrative is carefully woven, revealing nuggets of information slowly and leading to more and more questions needing answering. Can a couple of scientists, a refugee and a split family find a way to defeat these weird, unpredictable invaders?

3) Love, Victor

Season Two is well underway.

Now I can stick a YA tag to this show but it really appeals to all ages. From the incredible world of Becky Albertalli, this ‘Love, Victor’ spin-off has plenty of heart, humour and a really interesting storyline.

Victor is confused about his feelings and dates a professor’s daughter, but is side-tracked by a new guy who he comes across, working at the coffee house. The whole bunch of characters are fun, sparky and lovable. Victor’s mum is brilliantly played and has a challenging marriage to his dad. His neighbour soon becomes his best friend and confidante and his siblings have interesting storylines of their own.

I can’t put my finger on why I like it so much but it just generally has that feel-good factor. For my review of Becky Albertalli’s writing see my previous article: https://jamieadstories.blog/2021/06/01/5-talented-ya-writers/

Hopefully you found this blog post interesting and perhaps you will consider following my blog for similar posts.

Summer feelings- work and distraction

This summer heat really is making it hard to concentrate. So many ideas are rushing around in my head and yet I cannot fix them down and finish an individual task.

I am a hard working person but this new climate we have really does not promote a healthy work appetite as the heat just makes it uncomfortable to do anything productive. Maybe it is time we started to have siestas like they do in Spain.

This week has been interesting in terms of the types of things that have come up as trending on twitter. From many Love Island hashtags linked to bickering twenty-somethings who want to expand their instagram followings, to earthquakes in California and scandals linked to potential prime ministers. Oh what a weird week it has been.

My instinct tells me that the kinds of things that should be trending are climate change and educational subjects and mental health. We live in a culture of excess and superficial thinking but sadly our behaviour lets us down.

In terms of writing, I spent the week exploring how to move my WIP forward, having had a few weeks break from it and suddenly realising how to unwind the middle of it. Sometimes a change is needed to help you come unstuck. Being busy with work gave my head the clarity it needed to then return to my story and develop its turning point.

I hope that you all are having such a wonderful summer and look forward to reading more inspiring blogs over the coming weeks. Blogs that will make me sit up and grapple with issues that really are important.