Hey there! It’s been over three years since I posted a television or movie recommendation, but I have certainly not stopped partaking of either, so here we are with the first of a few installments. I hope you enjoy!
Before I get to them, a nod to my Grandma Tess. Whenever we spoke on the phone, she was one of two places, at the little table in the kitchen: listening to the radio, looking out the window, or sitting with Aunt Mary (before she died) or Grandpa. Sometimes all three! The second place was in front of the television in the basement, watching a program.
Though she died in 2014, I carry much of her with me, sometimes without even realizing. The other day, Greg was out of town, and we were catching up on the phone. When he asked me what I was doing, I said I was watching a program, which immediately got me giggling, and him to say, “Okay, Grandma.” It was, in no way, offensive, just an amusing recognition of fact. I now, seemingly out of nowhere, call shows programs. Another part of her DNA bubbling to the Colleen surface. Don’t mind if I do…
Speaking for Grandma Tess, about my programs, she would NOT like them, and, quite possibly, disapprove of my liking of them. If you haven’t yet grasped it, I like quirky and weird. Most of the shows I enjoy fall heavily on this spectrum, as I find the majority of television either thoroughly irksome or banal, which is definitely a me, NOT you or Grandma thing. I am what I am (to quote Popeye) and let my freak flag fly. I don’t generally like reality t.v., shows centering around doctors or hospitals, murder investigations, people being purposefully mean, or soap operas. Sorry, not sorry. Let this be your frame of reference as we proceed.
And now, to KLEO, a first-class German program, detailing the life of a former Stasi agent released from prison after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is two glorious seasons of late 80s/early 90s nostalgia, with a plethora of terrific Ladas, Trabants, and one 1965 Mustang, many fabulous clothes and interiors, albeit in the strange other-world of the former East Germany (mostly).
Kleo was imprisoned under false pretenses, had super horrible events occur while inside, and is very keen on exacting revenge on everyone even remotely involved, while also determining why events unfolded as they did. I believe the most apt descriptor would be madcap mystery-thriller, with a dose of violence (unfortunately). It is zany and laugh out loud funny, at the same time delving into the politics of a world of changing allegiances, enemies, and belief systems.
Imagine being high school age and gay and losing your beloved father and not really knowing how to deal with either and putting your life on hold to cope with your crippling grief!! Then imagine finally getting slightly ahead of it and going to college, where you are shoved into, not a dorm, but essentially a fancy shed, made to live with your polar opposite (who will eventually become your platonic soul mate) and do all of the normal college things. This is Big Boys. Also occasionally madcap, full of love and silliness, anger and acceptance, and quite a bit of confusion and wisdom.
Counterpart – Parallel worlds created when an experiment in 1987 East Germany (a minor theme in our viewing!) goes awry, causing each human to have an identical counterpart in the other world. Then, a deadly virus, a cold war, intrigue, politics, questions of how and why. So very good.
The City & The City – another program of parallel worlds, my friends. Two cities exist in the same geographical space, one vibrant, advanced, and prosperous, the other a cornucopia of browns and yellows and disadvantaged people, each population “unseeing” the other spaces, despite their fluid borders, for fear of Breach and disappearing forever. Underlying is a mystery of a single, ancient city beneath it all.
When a detective is tasked with solving a murder of a woman from the other city within his borders, it brings a personal mystery to the fore, along with competing loyalties between the police, the government, and the truth.
Now for Creamerie, which fulfills my promise for weirdness to the nth degree. In a world void of men after a deadly virus killed them to virtual extinction, women struggle not only to cope with the loss of spouses, partners, brothers, and children, but also jockey for control of the WORLD!
Dinosaur – Nina, an autistic woman in her 30s, finds herself at her wit’s end when her roommate, who is also her sister and best friend, is rather suddenly engaged. The series focuses not only on their changing dynamics, but Nina’s struggles as an autistic woman, the ups and downs of her job at a museum in Glasgow (the city is an awesome additional character!), and her fears about dating and moving forward with life. Gosh, is it brainy and illuminating, and quite hilarious, too.
Irma Vep (2022) – An actress tired of playing superheroes ventures to Paris to remake a 1920s film about vampires. Her world begins to shift the moment she dons the Irma Vep costume, and the realities of time and space and gravity begin to blur, but that is only the tip of the iceberg, peeps. Fantastically brilliant. Also, Vincent Micagne absolutely steals the show.
Bad Monkey is Vince Vaughn at his best, a little new-agey, a little reckless, and very lovable. He’s a cop on suspension for some genuinely bad behavior, brought back into the fold with what should have been a simple case. A tourist snags an arm instead of a fish, and desperately bored and missing the job, rather than dispose of it, he delves into the mystery. It’s a wild ride.
In Ludwig, a reclusive twin is brought headlong into the world of police detection when his cop brother disappears without a trace. I know, police and murder, but sometimes the formula is just right.
Elsbeth is another example of the police and murder formula being just right. Elsbeth, always carrying a random bag or three (why???), is an attorney assigned to the New York City Police to help ensure cops follow proper protocol. The thing is, she’s great at solving mysteries, too. This is a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I am here for it!
My first foray into Korean drama! Missing: The Other Side follows the only two men, for reasons unknown, who can see and interact with a village of dead people, congregating solely based on the fact their bodies were never found, sometimes for months, other times decades. Watch as they investigate the mysteries surrounding each villager and how their remains can be retrieved to fully cross over.
OVNI(s) – Another show that gently pulls on the nostalgia heartstrings, this time in 1978 France. Didier is a scientist whose career literally bombs when the rocket he engineered explodes. Rather than finding himself unemployed, he’s sent to a tiny backwater to investigate UFO (OVNI en Francais) sightings.
In order to move back to his previous job, he must solve every case on file. He begins rather systematically, and quite cruelly, with his fellow employees and believers, unbelieving himself, until weird events inside and outside the office occur. Gah, such a gem!
Somebody Somewhere – Grieving the death of her sister, a kindly disaster of a woman moves into her home, makes good and bad relationship choices, drinks a shit-ton of booze, sings, rekindles the most marvelous friendship, and takes her alcoholic narcissist of a mother to task. A sweet, heart wrencher if ever there was.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Pardon my rant, but I must: after seriously disliking Deep Space Nine for essentially being a soap opera in a mall; Enterprise for its meanness; Discovery for starting very strong, then devolving into another soap opera about feelings rather than space travel; and rather sadly, Picard, for turning the whole Star Trek universe upside down by not following Gene Roddenberry’s vision; this is the best offering of the Star Trek genre Greg and I have seen in decades. It embodies everything I fell in love with, with exploration and science, great characters, good writing, and boldy going where no one has gone before. Huzzah!
Ted Lasso – upon hearing so much about the awesomeness of this show, I was very worried about how I’d receive it. Turns out, it really is that good, especially considering it revolves around a sport in which I have zero interest. I LOVE that it is primarily about redemption and people being kind! The women building each other up was especially refreshing.
Another sports themed program, and one I actually enjoy watching, though I rarely do – HOCKEY! There are some aspects I really don’t like, the objectification of women in slow-motion being top of mind, and the wildly raunchy talk of sex, but I digress. Shoresy is a stellar show. Lemme break it down: it centers on LOVE. First and foremost, love for the game of hockey; love of friends, family, and team mates; and a desire for loyalty, to do and be your very best, especially on the ice. Plus it is hilarious, a great study in Canadian culture, and brimming with heart. An astounding aside, the star, Jared Keeso (front and center), had his tooth surgically removed, permanently, for authenticity.
I first spied Greg Davies on an episode of Portrait Artist of The Year: very, very tall, big bellied, and ridiculously adorable and funny. I wanted more. Plus, his name is GREG. So I searched the interwebs and learned about The Cleaner, in which he plays, in quite an original spin on a comedy, a crime scene cleaner. Each episode has him cleaning up (or failing to) after a horrific event, and having sometimes tender, other times wild interactions with neighbors, caretakers, and the like. If you ever saw High Maintenance and enjoyed it, the self-contained aspect is reminiscent of that and obviously quite enjoyable!
This Way Up – Struggling to get back to “normal” after being hospitalized as a result of a nervous breakdown, Aine finds challenges all around: in her family, in her job teaching English as a second language, and in navigating the vagaries of friendship. I believe the theme here is never give up.
Alrighty! One very long post and eighteen shows I adore. I’m pooped. Happy Friday, y’all…
