Two TV Shows I Am Enjoying

Always looking for entertaining TV shows, I thought it would be fun to share a couple that I am currently loving. I watch all sorts of dramas and comedies and sometimes documentaries as well as films on TV streaming services. Today I am talking about two TV shows that are keeping me hooked for different reasons.

I am enough of a TV fan to pay for lots of streaming apps that I dip into all of the time. I use Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Netflix, Now TV, Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime. It sounds like a lot but I treat myself to these and definitely get a lot out of watching them.

And Just Like That (Season 2)

Having been a regular viewer of the excellent ‘Sex and the City’ series back in the 90s, I was always going to try the new incarnation. Already on its second season, the revamp of SITC is already a hit.

Seeing Carrie Bradshaw going through midlife challenges alongside her trusty friends is satisfying. Instead of writing a column for a newspaper, she is now a successful podcast contributor and novelist.

Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is back with Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and some new mates. Miranda is getting to grips with being bisexual and struggling to negotiate a separation from Steve. Meanwhile, Charlotte is parenting two teenagers who keep her on her feet.

The storylines have been varied and funny. I have laughed out loud at some scenes and had teary eyes during the dramatic parts.

The Bear (Season 1)

This fast-paced show is about a chef who has taken on the family business, an American diner, after his brother died. Having worked in a top class restaurant in Copenhagen, Carmen (Jeremy White) leads a great cast in a programme about competition, survival and family ties.

Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) comes on as second-in-charge but as a young chef she finds it hard to win over a long standing cook. The interaction between the characters is believable and interesting, with heightened emotions coupled with kitchen disasters and moments of silliness.

I feel like I am learning about the fine art of cooking while also gobbling up plenty of drama with every episode. The acting is strong and the half hour instalments are really gripping.

The series is edgy as the restaurant, called BEEF, often has breakages which result in inventive money raising. For instance a fridge condenser needs repairing and so the owner’s cousin decides to sell drugs in order to fix the fridge and get the place on track.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t tried either of these programmes, you definitely should. The Bear is on Disney Plus and was nominated for awards. It will be back with its second series on 19th July.

And Just Like That has returned with great storylines and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour. It is well worth checking out on Now TV or Sky.

Thank you for reading my article about two TV shows I am enjoying. You can find out about another great Paramount TV show called YellowJackets here. Please drop a comment below about any of these programmes. Perhaps also follow my blog for similar future TV, film and book reviews alongside environmental articles.

The Last Of Us – Review

Being a blogger who loves reviewing TV shows, I felt that it was time to look back on the series I just finished. To do a proper ‘The Last of Us’ review I need a whole blogpost as it is quite complicated. Hopefully I can take a balanced look at a series that has got the world talking.

This shell reminded me of the worn out buildings in The Last Of Us.

Not really being a person who plays computer games, I hadn’t heard of this title before. However, when I started seeing trailers involving Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, both of whom were in Games of Thrones, it piqued my interest.

What’s ‘The Last Of Us’ All About?

Well…. it is hard to know where to start. In the first episode we were introduced to Joel (Pedro) and his daughter and they seemed to be living a normal life. Little did they know a kind of apocalypse was just around the corner.

In a one hour and twenty-one minute pilot episode, they took us on a rollercoaster ride from normality to chaos. Joel was forced to run away from some seriously creepy people who had been infected by a fatal fungus. He came across Ellie (Bella) who had survived being bitten by an infected. She then joined him on a journey of discovery, awkwardness and danger.

With military forces penning communities into quarantine zones (QDs) and countless infected everywhere, life became challenging. Joel and Ellie had already both suffered losses and the story led to several more acquaintances dying. A bitter-sweet relationship between the two of them led the narrative forward, unflinching.

Positive Points

– The lead actors were believable in their roles and had great chemistry. Bella was convincing as a lost looking teenager, swept up by a journey full of hazards. Pedro finally took his Mandolurian helmet off and was a mix of heroic and vulnerable.

– Each episode had guest actors (like Melanie Lynskey) who played important parts in carrying the story forward. Apart from a couple of characters, most only showed up in one episode each. A sweet episode where Ellie was exploring an empty shopping centre was particularly memorable.

– There is a lovely LBGTQ storyline where a man locked himself into a gated village and met another guy who he fell for. They had been friends of Joel and so he was taking Ellie to see them. Watching the backstory of protecting the village and their romance blossoming was sweet.

– I was reluctant to watch The Last Of Us as I knew nothing of the computer game. However, I’m glad that I began to watch as it was addictive and brilliant.

Downside

– There were a couple of scenes which were overindulgent and could have been much shorter. Sometimes the script wallowed a bit in conversations which didn’t push the story forward.

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Final Thoughts

I genuinely fell in love with this exciting narrative which focused on just two characters, played by excellent actors. One minute I was laughing at Ellie reading puns from the book she had managed to save and carry with them. The next my heart was jumping due to some pretty scary infected zombies.

Admittedly, some episodes were better than others but it really made me think. What if an incurable disease took hold and spread throughout the world? What if infected people hid the fact they had it until it was too late? How would we adapt, given our reliance on fuel and imported food?

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my The Last Of Us review. Check out my recent Scream VI review for another exhilarating viewing choice.

Two TV Shows Worth Watching

Lately I have been watching a lot of TV, trying to catch up on all the series that I love. Some are shows that I have seen before, like the third season of ‘Emily In Paris’ and others are brand new, like ‘Wednesday’ (both of which are on Netflix).

I thought I would highlight a couple of brilliant TV shows that I am currently enjoying. These have been really entertaining in their own unique ways. So if you want to open that box of chocolates that is left over from the holidays and find some really good TV shows to watch, hopefully I can lead you in the direction of some that are both satisfying and moreish.

Andor (Disney Plus)

As a massive Star Wars fan, it was inevitable that I was going to check out the latest Lucasfilm production which is set during the times of Emporer Palpatine.

Andor even has Storm Troopers in it.

Having watched and enjoyed ‘The Mandalorian’ as well as ‘Obi-Wan’ but not been so keen on ‘The Book of Boba Fett’, Andor could have gone either way.

Luckily, its twelve episodes were cleverly written and its lead characters were compelling. Cassian Andor had a difficult past, being rescued from his troubled planet by Maarva Andor (played by the ever-brilliant Fiona Shaw) who brought him up on the industrial planet of Ferrix.

A Great Plot!

Cassian started the story searching for his sister but became wound up in a mission to destroy an Empire fortress on a planet not unlike Scotland. With a secretive Luthan (Stellan Skarsgard) directing him initially, he finds that later his efforts are being sniffed out by a formidable Empire Supervisor. Denise Gough plays the very serious Dedra who is determined to get to the bottom of stolen resources.

The story is captivating, full of twists and turns and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. With a stand-out performance by Andy Serkis (of Lord of the Rings) and such an incredible cast, this is by far the best series that the Star Wars people have made and I cannot wait until season two.

Young Royals (Netflix)

If this were a book it would be a YA fiction novel. We are now on the second series of Young Royals and I feel that the drama has got even better. Willhelm – the eventual Crowned Prince of Sweden – is at a private school and secretly fell in love with another student, Simon.

Not wishing to spoil anything but their love affair is the main context for the TV show and was explored in season one. Watching the students go through Swedish traditions, whilst negotiating going into adulthood is interesting and fraught.

The Queen was initially not impressed to find that Willhelm’s affair had been exposed by a mystery cameraman. Willhelm gave a statement to deny that it was him rolling around with poor Simon. The story then intensified from that point. I am currently midway through the action as twists and turns take these brilliant actors through fun, awkwardness and turmoil.

If you are not a Swedish speaker then obviously this is well subtitled. I find it hugely entertaining and great to see LGBTQ lead characters in a story about modern royalty.

In A Nutshell

In my opinion, both of these programmes are wonderful in their own distinct ways. Young Royals is modern and fresh, making my own stuffy royal family look very stale. This series explores great characters, beautiful settings and introducing us to swedish culture.

For meAndor is slow to start (as it needs to be) before charging full throttle. It whips us through a whole host of adventures at light-speed. The script is penned so that you often wonder why some remote bits are happening and then later realise they are all cleverly interwoven into the plot, connecting all of the dots in a thrilling narrative.

Final Thought

I hope that I have given you some ideas for interesting TV shows to view tonight. Maybe they will keep you coming back for more. They definitely kept me entertained as they drew me into their intriguing plots.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post. I hope that you will comment your thoughts underneath and consider following my blog for more book and TV reviews as well as environmental articles.

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