So yes. I’m a little past midway of the month but will try to make up for it by giving you more choices.
Netflix
First the obvious ones …
The Crown — It follows the rise of Queen Elizabeth from the early fifties through … . Hard to say, since the final season ( #5) will drop in November of this year. You don’t have to be an Anglophile to enjoy this show, but it doesn’t hurt. Claire Foy played Elizabeth in seasons one and two and the marvelous Olivia Coleman took control of the empire in seasons three and four. The supporting cast is excellent and the sub stories within the season, including Diana et al. should keep your interest.
Inventing Anna — I can’t describe this series except to say that Julia Garner, who plays the title role ( Ruth in ‘Ozark’), has one of the strangest accents I’ve ever heard. AND this is done on purpose. It’s based on the true story of Anna Sorkin who served four years in prison for posing as a fake German heiress, “Anna Delvey.” Hang in with it, it’s a little slow at the start, not to mention a little confusing, but that becomes part of its charm.
The Queen’s Gambit — This miniseries won eleven Emmys. Anya Taylor-Joy plays 1960’s Chess champion, Beth Harmon, the lead character from Walter Telvis’ 1983 novel of the same name. It is absolutely NOT as boring as watching two people play chess, I promise you! Chess is just the device Telvis uses to get inside Beth’s head and it’s a very interesting place, believe me.
Life in Color with David Attenborough
For those of us who remember Disney’s great nature documentaries, like The Living Desert, this is Disney on Steroids. The photography is spectacular and, of course, we have Sir David narrating the series. There are three stand-alone episodes, each about fifty minutes. You may want to save this for a cold winter’s night in Boston, but don’t. Watch it now. It’s uplifting and don’t we all need an uplift about now? PS there’s no reason you can’t watch them AGAIN in the dead of winter … except it will just make you jealous for Spring.
I could continue, but it’s a good start. If you have any suggestions for Netflix shows please send them along to me and I’ll check them out.
Now, on to another App.
HULU
This app is a mix of original stories and material brought in from other providers, so some of what’s on there you may be able to find on your cable channels.
Free for 30 days
HULU offers a FREE TRIAL on both the ad-supported and the no-ads plan for 30 days. Take advantage of it. But know, they’ll only let you try the ‘free trial’ plan once, so make sure you intend to use it. Here are several shows that might grab your interest.
Only Murders in the Building ( 2 seasons)
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez star as the unlikely crime solving trio/podcasters in an NYC Upper Westside Apartment building. It’s tongue in cheek comedy with murder thrown in to keep the action moving. Steve Martin is no ‘Wild and Crazy Guy’ in this series but Martin Short is excellent as Oliver Putnam, a ‘has been’ Broadway director who is looking for his next big project. Selena Gomez is the ‘dark horse’ in the series. We keep finding out more about her as the series progresses. Nathan Lane has a recurring role as Teddy Dimas, keep an eye on him. The episodes run thirty minutes, so if its not to your taste, no worries. But I’d give it try before moving on.
Dopesick
This is about the opioid crisis and how it affected one small Virginia community, French Creek. As you might imagine, it’s not easy to watch, but the performances demand your attention, especially Michael Keaton as the only doctor in French Creek. And his journey from being a ‘believer’ to an accuser. It’s strong material based on the New York Times bestseller by Beth Macy.
There are other shows worth watching, such as To Catch a Smuggler, a documentary series about the border patrol and SILK, a British Import that focuses on Martha Costello, a “brilliant, passionate, defense barrister with a passion for defending the poor… .”(Blurb) I enjoyed it. If you like legal dramas, this is a good one with a ‘Brit Twist’.
UpDate…Vanished
This series just dropped this week so I’ve only watched two episodes but from what I’ve seen, I like it. It takes place down under and we have a female ‘Bernie Madoff’ as the main character. That should also give you a hint about the story, but it’s only a hint. We start on a beach with a dismembered foot in a running shoe that has somehow managed to have traveled 500 Kms. Hence the title. Where’s the rest of the body? Vanished.
Finished
So, that’s enough for now. Next time, I’m going to talk about Two different APPS, Prime and Acorn. If anyone out there has been using/watching one or both of these apps, please send along your picks. Oh and BTW, if there’s a streaming app out there that you LOVE, please let me know so we can share it. Thanks. I’m shooting for my next post to be somewhere around Labor Day, maybe sooner but no promises.
Don’t Be A Stranger!
Like I said, keep in touch and let me know what’s on your ‘streaming’ mind.
Here are some trailers to whet your appetite.
The Crown —
Only Murders in the Building —
And the trailer for SILK :
And I can’t go without leaving you with a little David Attenborough. Enjoy.
Happy Streaming!