Readers and Reading discussion

Talk about TV shows here......

I'm rewatching Angels in America all the way through - 3 parts tonight, 3 tomorrow night. It's so good!

Bunny wrote: "I'm rewatching Angels in America all the way through - 3 parts tonight, 3 tomorrow night. It's so good!"

I tried watching this a couple of years ago and - well - really disliked it. It was just so over-the-top.

I am being annoying this week, aren't I.

Bunny wrote: "I am being annoying this week, aren't I."

Maybe you are just an over-the-top kinda gal! LOL

Bunny wrote: "I'm rewatching Angels in America all the way through - 3 parts tonight, 3 tomorrow night. It's so good!"

I loved that series. I finally bought the series on DVD. I think almost every actor in it won an Emmy for it. Brilliant series!

I thought some might be interested in a special on the History channel. The excerpts I saw looked very interesting. (Zinn is on Bill Moyers this weekend )


It premiers Sunday December 13th at 8pm on The History Channel

The People Speak

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, THE PEOPLE SPEAK gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Narrated by Howard Zinn and based on his best-selling books, A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People's History of the United States, THE PEOPLE SPEAK illustrates the relevance of these passionate historical moments to our society today and reminds us never to take liberty for granted.

http://www.history.com/content/people...

I've got a cold and didn't feel that well yesterday, so we watched 4 movies in a row - Incident at Loch Ness the Werner Herzog documentary which I thought was great, but it annoyed DH

(That's cute - how did I manage that?). Anyway, next was Julie and Julia, great movie - Meryl Streep's amazing, then Sunshine Cleaning, again with Amy Adams and another good movie. I like her a lot.
Lastly we watched an oldie, The Year of Living Dangerously which we hadn't seen in a few years but held up very well. Great film, if you haven't seen it, I recommend it highly.

Bunny, i liked TYOLD & still think of it despite the fact it was uncomfortable in many ways. I feel the humidity. lol We also liked Sunshine Cleaning, feeling everyone did a good job in it. I've been a big fan of Adams since seeing her in Enchanted

deborah

madrano wrote: "I've been a big fan of Adams since seeing her in Enchanted ..."

I do not like musicals, fantasy, or animation, yet I loved Enchanted, which had all three! Go figure.

Did you see her years ago in Junebug? That was when I became a fan!

We saw her in another one, too, with Frances McDormand - The Perfect Day of Miss ???? something like that. Adams was great in it and completely different.

I'd forgotten all about Junebug - that was a very nice movie. She must have a good agent and good taste to get so many good movies.

Bunny wrote: "We saw her in another one, too, with Frances McDormand - The Perfect Day of Miss ???? something like that. Adams was great in it and completely different."

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. FANTASTIC

JoAnn, i saw & liked her in Junebug but didn't really think she was going to be an actress we'd hear from again. When i saw her in Enchanted i changed my mind. THEN, after seeing her in Sunshine Cleaning i felt she was better than i ever realized. I look forward to seeing her in more roles with meatier parts.

deborah

Imagine this....a TV show about a book group, set in Glasgow, with a different book in every episode. Sounds good to me!

http://www.ovationtv.com/media/progra...

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/enter...

I had never heard of Ovation TV, but it is a network that we actually get here. You can find out if you get it by looking on the home page:

http://www.ovationtv.com/

Neat idea for a program, JoAnn. Ovation usually airs programs about the arts, so this fits in. I admit we don't watch the show but we still like seeing what's airing on it. I'll try to remember that the new show begins Jan. 4. Thanks.

deborah

I've written myself a note and shall try to remember to check out this show when it debuts. Sounds like something I would enjoy. Thanks for the tip.

It sounds like something I would enjoy. I like English TV shows.

Thanks, JoAnn !

The only new thing this week was The Kennedy Center Honors. It was on CBS last night. The shows, such as Mercy, Desperate Housewives, Lie To Me and The Good Wife should resume the week of Jaunary 3.

Mary, i'm glad my regular shows are on break. It's giving me a chance to catch up with life after our unusually busy holiday season. Most years i miss my shows, though. And i feel as though FlashForward has taken a semester off, not returning until March!

deborah

I always forget that my shows will all be in rerun or replaced by specials during my winter break. I look forward to watching episodes that I "rested my eyes" during, and then it will end up being something I've already seen. That's ok, I just turn to Netflix or my own collection of dvds. Currently I'm on a David Strathairn run and will watch anything he's in.

Kate

Another good show is Castle on ABC

kate/Edukate12 wrote: "I always forget that my shows will all be in rerun or replaced by specials during my winter break. I look forward to watching episodes that I "rested my eyes" during, and then it will end up being..."

We recently watched "Good Night and Good Luck." He was excellent in that. I just hated all the smoking, but I know it used to be that bad.

Donna

Oh yes, Strathairn was great in Good Night and Good Luck. I think he's a great actor. I was amazed when I found how many movies he's been a part of, big or small. I just find him enormously sexy for some reason. Ever seen Limbo? Enormously frustrating ending. : )

Kate

Kate, thanks for mentioning Limbo, i've added it to our queue. I think i first noticed Strathairn in THE RIVER WILD with Meryl Streep. Good but thankless role as her husband.

MARY, i have enjoyed the few episodes of "Castle" that i've seen. However, i find myself not watching it regularly. I do that with several shows, for some reason.

deborah

Mary wrote: "Another good show is Castle on ABC"

DH and I both enjoy "Castle" as well. I find that it has grown on me. There are a few programs that we like, but it's hard to keep track of the days and times that they are on. Most comedies I can't tolerate. Those laugh tracks---UGH!!

Reminder that the new show, The Book Group, on Ovation TV, starts on Monday at 8 EST. I already set my DVR. There are two half-hour episodes in a row.

Same here. I'm just recording the series. Won't i be surprised to suddenly see them there? ;-)

deborah

this could be interesting:

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-deep-end there is text below the video

So.....what did you all think about THE BOOK GROUP? I kind of liked those quirky people....

And Claire is from CIncinnati, Kate!

Well, i'm going to watch again next week but i had mixed feelings. I DO like quirky people & these qualify. However, books were really too small a part. I'm sure i missed some significance because i hadn't read The Alchemist. The idea of tying the books into the lives is a good one but if viewers haven't read the book, s/he will keep wondering, as i did, if we are missing something else.

Like JoAnn, i got a kick out of the fact Claire is from Cincinnati. Did we all think of Kate when we learned this fact? I was surprised that she felt compelled to lie about her activities to her mom since she'd made a point of telling her in the first episode about the book group. If she was so busy, why create a group? Minor issue, though.

deborah

Well, I couldn't watch "The Book Group" last night, because I had my book group meeting! I had forgotten that they were going on at the same time when I posted that I planned to watch it. Wonder if I should watch it, when I'll miss one show a month on a regular basis. No TIVO (or whatever it is) here.

madrano wrote: "I was surprised that she felt compelled to lie about her activities to her mom since she'd made a point of telling her in the first episode about the book group. If she was so busy, why create a group? .."

RE: the second episode....supposedly a month had gone by since the first meeting, and Claire told her mother that her new friends were in the other room. So I think she wanted her mother to think that she had made friends thru the group in the intervening month.

Ah, JoAnn, i missed that fact. For some reason i thought it was the next week, which is really pushing a book group. Duh. Thanks for that reminder.

Carolyn, i don't know if this will help you but they rerun the show later that same night. So it's aired at 8 & 8:30, then again at 12 & 12:30, same 2 episodes four hours apart. Kinda late to stay up, though.

deborah

madrano wrote: "Ah, JoAnn, i missed that fact. For some reason i thought it was the next week, which is really pushing a book group. Duh. Thanks for that reminder.

Carolyn, i don't know if this will help you bu..."

Thanks, Deborah. A lot of those cable stations do repeats later in the day; I had forgotten. We'll see.... If I like something, I don't mind staying up late to watch it.

Clare, on the Book Group, reminds me of one of the actresses on House--the woman Wilson was in love with and who was killed. Did anyone else notice the resemblance? Do you think she is the same actress?

if you look HOUSE up on IMDB.com, you coul dfind a list of the people who have acted on the show..... I do not watch House so I cannot comment on this.

I went about it the other way around, since i don't watch "House" but am curious, too. I looked up the actress, learning in the process that there are only 12 episodes of "The Book Group" (& learning her name is Anne Dudek). Bummer. It was aired in '03, so more episodes are not likely to be made. Subsequent to the series she was, indeed, in "House" & "Mad Men." http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0240043/

deborah

Return to Cranford on PBS this Sunday and next. I knew that a sequel was being made, but had not heard any news until today.

http://bookpage.wordpress.com/2010/01...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/c...

I remembered the sequel was due as i watched a rerun (encore presentation, PBS calls them), last Sunday. Because she was writing about her own home with aunts (after her mother died) these novels are considered biographical. Btw, Dickens edited Cranford when they were first published as stories.

Here's a link to their '10 schedule, including yet another remake of Emma, which i suspect i'll
pass.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/s...

I don't watch the Sharpe series but may have to tune in just to see Padma act. ;-) And a remake of The Diary of Anne Frank. Hmm, the original was so fine.

deborah

madrano wrote: "I don't watch the Sharpe series but may have to tune in just to see Padma act. ;-)
deborah ."

Have you seen Padma in the Carl's Junior ad? AS IF!

I am SO excited about the "Return to Cranford." The original was so much fun. Thanks for the heads-up!

JoAnn, no, i haven't seen those ads. I wonder if we even have that fast food joint in the Dallas area. Looking it up, i see the entire area (not going into OK) has 5, only 1 in Dallas proper. This is probably why i haven't seen the ads.

deborah

madrano wrote: "JoAnn, no, i haven't seen those ads. I wonder if we even have that fast food joint in the Dallas area. Looking it up, i see the entire area (not going into OK) has 5, only 1 in Dallas proper. ..."

We do not have Carl's Junior here either, but their ads are often in the news due to their "raciness"/"suggestiveness". Remember the one with Paris Hilton washing the Bentley?

I didnt' see that one, either. However, i heard someone mention it on tv this past week. LOL--now i know who the ad was for. Thanks.

deborah

Hi all,

The TV series have resumed. Castle was very good the other night. Mercy will be on NBC tonight at 8 p.m. Ugly Betty will be on at 10 p.m. on ABC tonight. Cougartown will be on before that. Grey's Anatomy will resume tomoorrow night at 9 p.m. on ABC. The Good Wife is on CBS at 10 p..m on Tuesday night. Desperate Housewives in on ABC Sunday night at 9 p.m. Jay Leno's last show in the 10 p.m.time slot on NBC is 2.11. I am glad that the TV shows have resumed.

Mary, i know what you mean. We watched "Castle" this week & enjoyed it. Next week's sounds even better, though.

deborah, still watching reality show "Launch My Line" but thinking i wouldn't watch it again. Those twin hosts kinda freak me out. :-)

I also enjoyed Castle with guest Alyssa Milano. It's one of two Castle episodes that I've seen.

Tonight I watched the new Fringe episode and read a graphic novel based on Fringe during commercials. Yes, I am a fan of this series.

Ugly Betty has been cancelled - BOO

http://content.usatoday.com/communiti...

And Samantha Harris is leaving Dancing with the Stars YEA!!!