Quote from: CallieOK on October 23, 2016, 10:18:14 PM
What do those of you who are watching Dorrells In Corfu think about the characters?

I like the fact that at the beginning  they
were not defined (other then their actions) but as the series goes on,  we are find out more about each one,  and what we may have thought of them first,  may not necessarily be
true as the series matures ..   

I really love this series !
Sandy

QuoteWhat do those of you who are watching Dorrells In Corfu think about the characters?

Quirky, interesting, puzzling, but find they each have a depth that is slowly being revealed.  Lawrence Durrell was one of my favorite writers.  I read the Alexandria Quartet a very long time ago.  I honestly don't remember it much now but do remember that I was engrossed by it at the time.

For some reason my TV and Internet kept going in and out as the Show was on last night.  Lasted about hour and half.  I have Comcast. Don't know if it was their problem but seems O.K Now.

Now did anyone watch that TV show last night. What is the name of it. "This is us" or something like that. I have tried 3 times but don't think I will bother seeing it again. To me its Awful.  Not only that it has more commercials in the hour show than any I have ever watched. I started counting. Was over 20 commercials. Then I times it was 8 min. of show then 5 to 7 min. for commercials. I finely did figure the story line at the end showing where some of them came from. Even that was crazy. Had the mother and father and the male twin skinny and the daughter weight at about 350 lbs. Never happen in a twin.

JeanneP - I wanted to see This Is Us, so watched it On Demand.  Silly me - I thought I could scroll through the commercials, as I have in the past, but you can't scroll through anymore for anything on Broadcast TV. (Meaning, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox). I have NEVER seen so many commercials!  At first I was annoyed, and then infuriated, because they break up the continuity of the show.  I finally just gave it up, and turned it off. In my opinion, I think the major broadcast networks, are cutting their own throats, (so to speak) by doubling down on commercials. 

So the only network show I watch now, is DWTS, and when this season is over, not sure if I'll continue on with the next one.  The regular cable shows (like HGTV, History), have plenty of commercials too, but not so many in a row! No wonder people are willing to pay for the Premium channels like HBO, Showtime, etc., or the streaming channels like Netflix and Amazon!

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now! 

Marilyne  Now I don't think that show "This is us" is worth putting up with all the commercials .Surprise me if it gets renewed. I have Comcast for my TV and Internet but just have the Min. Chanel's. Not a big TV watcher. Mostly PBS.   

I'm falling far behind in my TV viewing!  I had planned to watch all the PBS Sunday shows, On Demand, but haven't done it yet.  I've also neglected other favorites on other channels, but will catch up eventually!

Have any of you seen anything that you'd like to recommend on either Netflix or Amazon? I know that The Man in the High Castle, will be returning in early December.  I'm looking forward to that one for sure!  Is anyone else following it? 

Won't it be a relief when the election is over, and we can watch the news channels, and see programs that aren't political?  I'm saddened to see on Facebook, how people are arguing and insulting each other over the two opposing candidates!  I hope people will regain their sense of humor, and sense of perspective, when the election is finally over.  Right now, both are seriously lacking when it comes to anything political.

We're watching the new Netflix series"Crown" about the life of the present Queen of England.  It is really interesting to see this young woman of 25 become queen with so little preparation.  Her father died at a fairly young age of 56 years.  It shows her as she is learning and growing in experience.  Now she is 90 years old and a remarkable woman.

Well now it is over. I was surprised in a way that he won. We saw the worst of him, now lets see  what he can do.  I think all people were not happy with the choice they had but just had to pick one.
He now has his chance to prove himself. Will he be all Talk or Action. Like Jeanne says. Should be a interesting 4 years ahead.

I'm watching The Crown, too, and enjoying it.  I have to keep telling myself that the fictionalized part of it is something that just fills out the known facts.  How could a writer, or writers, know what went on in personal conversations between the people in the royal family and/or with the government leaders of that time?  John Lithgow is doing a good job as Churchill and the production is very lavish.  I loved seeing the north Scotland coast in the episode where the Queen Mum was looking at the castle and thinking of buying it.  100 pounds?  Unbelievable!  My husband and I had a wonderful trip across the "top" of Scotland.  It is a stark and beautiful area with very few people living there.  Or, at least that was the case when we were there in 1980.

FlaJean & Phyllis - I'm anxious to see The Crown. Sounds like a good quality show about Queen Elizabeth.  I've seen a few documentaries over the years about the Royal Family, and have always been fascinated with the life she is required to live.  Also there was that excellent movie, The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. 

Not TV here, but I just got back from seeing "A Man Called Ove".  Maybe some of you have read the book.  I haven't gotten the book yet (long wait on library request list), but the movie is Superb.   It has some depressing scenes, but the acting is wonderful. The man who plays Ove...Wow.  But there is this actress who is Middle Eastern, who almost carries the movie as soon as she first appears.  I will look up her name and let you know.  The movie is in Swedish with subtitles.  Bound to be nominated for Best Foreign Film next year!  The actress is Bahar Pars, born in Shiraz, Iran.  (she's beautiful too!)

Tome - Good to see you checking in.  I hadn't heard of A Man Called Ove, until now.  I'll look for the book at my library, but will probably have to wait for the movie to come to On Demand.  Seems that these excellent foreign films, only play for a short time in local theaters, and then go straight to DVD and TV.  It's too bad, but there doesn't seem to be an audience anymore for serious drama or foreign films.

Strangely enough, this movie has been in its original theatre run for about 3 weeks now.  My "movie pal" said the only difference in the book/movie is that one character had a bigger part in the book.   She had already seen it once, and said she wouldn't rest until I went to see it!

Tome - Friday is the day when our newspaper runs a full page of theater listings, from here in the San Jose area, all the way up almost to San Francisco.  This would be about 50 plus theaters, most of them being the huge complexes with up to 15 different auditoriums in each theater.  Out of curiosity, I sat down with the paper, and was disappointed to see that the same four or five films are playing in all of these hundreds of venues.  Number one movie playing everywhere, at all times is Doctor Strange - followed by Jack Reacher, Trolls, and Inferno. (Never heard of any of them?)  I scrolled through to see if I could find A Man Called Ove, and I did see that it is playing at only ONE theater, which is located in Palo Alto. (about midway between here and San Fran).  People here in Silicon Valley just won't support a good drama or a foreign film with subtitles.

* I had started a post, but "disappeared" it.  I'll try again.  I must say the "people in Silicon Valley who won't support a good drama or a foreign film with subtitles" are really missing out.  I know following subtitles is difficult when you are trying to "hear" the dialogue.    I can give two examples of foreign movies that I saw quite awhile back, that were released in the US with US stars and English dialogue: (1)  "Mostly Martha" - in German, released here as "No Reservations" with Catherine-Zeta Jones (was actually a good movie). (2) "Shall We Dance" - in Japanese, black&white; released here with Richard Gere and not nearly as good as that Japanese original.  I'm sure there are more, but my brain is not hitting on all 8 cylinders this A.M.
Has anyone here seen these "originals"?

I think "Dr. Strange" might attract viewers because it stars Benedict Cumberbatch!  "Inferno" is the latest rendition of Dan Brown's oeuvre (DaVinci Code, Angels&Demons, The Lost Symbol, Inferno.  It is not going well at the boxoffice or with film critics.  Same with "Jack Reacher".  I love the mystery/thriller books about him, but the movies starring Tom Cruise are a bit more than I can take, as I feel he doesn't fit the part of Reacher at all.  So they cover it up with lots of action segments (somewhat overblown in my estimation!)  Enough of my blather.

I am not watching any movies, but I am enjoying DWTS this years. Can not believe its already down to the finals,

Of course HallMark has there Christmas shows, I am looking forward to some of the new ones. I have not cared for some of the movies on the Turner Channel. I use to watch it all the time.

TomeReader, I agree with you 100% about Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.  I am a big fan of Jack Reacher--and Tom Cruise is NOT HIM, in my opinion.  Jack Reacher is a big guy, tough, honest (well, T.C. is probably honest), and doesn't take much guff from anyone.  Jack is not handsome, but is a moral, upright good guy.  Somebody tall, craggy, and a bit gruff would better portray him.

SCFSue

Amen to that, SFSue!

Should not say this but. I can't stand Tom Cruise. Never go to see him in anything. It is just something about him.

Tome - Thanks for bringing me up to date on the movies I mentioned.  I was totally clueless on all three of them! Doctor Strange, sounded to me like your basic horror movie, but if it stars Benedict Cumberbatch, it's probably very good.  I saw him in, The Imitation Game, and thought he was wonderful, and deserving of the many awards he received.

Also, I had no idea that Inferno, was adapted from a Dan Brown book.  I was thinking in terms of, The Towering Inferno! LOL!   I did like The DaVinci Code, both book and movie, but I haven't read any of the other books by DB. 

As for Tom Cruise, in Jack Reacher.  I will definitely pass on that one.  Not my style of movie at all, and I don't care for Tom Cruise either.  When he was younger, I liked his movies . . . especially Rainman, Magnolia, and Jerry Maguire.  After that, Scientology took over his life, and that really soured me on him. 

Good Afternoon...

I  am watching The Danish Girl
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/04/14/the-tragic-true-story-behind-the-danish-girl/

via my Roku.       

I have be practicing being with out cable tv,
as my goal is to cut the cord in a couple of
weeks.     So I am daily backing off from it. 
With hopes that I can be free of it 
altogether soon.   

The Danish Girl is an Awesome Film
and I am tickled that I can see it
here at home.

I now stream thru my computer and
I am using Roku .....  between the two
along with Netflix,  Amazon,  and CBS All Access...    I think that I am going to do fine.

But the hardest thing for me to do is to
actually unplug my cable box and
return it to Time Warner Cable.

Sandy

Gwen Ifil  1955 ~ 2016

So sorry to hear about the passing of journalist,Gwen Ifil.  I've watched her for at least 30 years, on the many different networks where she has worked.  I'll miss her on the PBS News Hour, and also as a calm moderator for the Presidential debates.  She was only 61, which seems so very young to me now. 

Marilyne, I also have missed Gwen's absence from PBS during her illness and so very sad that she has died.  I watch the PBS news daily and she was  such a great correspondent.  I've missed her also during the 30 minute program which follows the news on Friday evenings.  The tribute PBS paid to her last night was so poignant--her colleagues did a wonderful job of memorializing her with beautiful memories. 
SCF Sue

Yes. she was good. So young and looked so healthy. We are loosing quite a few of the people who we have watched on TV over the Years.  Even our local stations. Now being replaced here with very young people. Right out of University.  I suppose as they now just read everything off their IPads they don't need lots of Experience

This is just a reminder: On Thanksgiving evening, November 24 at 8 p.m. on PBS is  a remake of  the wonderful, Anne of Green Gables...with Martin Sheen playing the part of Matthew Cuthbert  originally played by the late Richard Farnsworth.
It should be a wonderful evening...

Did anybody watch the finale of DWTS?   Personally, I thought it could have been condensed into an hour without all the extra "glitz".
I agreed with the judges that any one of the 3 finalists could have won.  Wonder how close the viewer voting was?

Chia,  thanks for the reminder about Anne of Green Gables.   I visited that house when in Nova Scotia and will be mentally "placing" the scenes in the tv show.

I'm wondering if my granddaughter who moved to NYC a couple of months ago is going to try and see the Macy's parade in person.  She's about 20 minutes by subway from the parade area but may decide (wisely, IMO) that the crowds will make the trip to/from unmanageable.     I didn't know the parade route is only 1 1/2 miles long. 

Chia. That is one of my favourite books and movies.  I don't see it listed on our PBS station though. Never seen it with him.

When I reported about Anne of Green Gables I did not realize that it would be up to local PBS stations to  present the show... Luckily, there are 3  PBS stations in my viewing area, and one of them will definitely be showing Anne etc. I hope you won't be too disappointed if your station does not show it...or angry at me for reporting its showing  on Thanksgiving night...