Blog Archives
Goodbye to “The Office”
I’ve had a terrible head cold this week – sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, the works! The best part of it all has been hunkering down with old episodes of “The Office”. The American version. I’ve watched the show on and off all of these years and it’s just fallen off the radar the past couple of years. Nothing personal, just a lack of time and perhaps other shows (“New Girl,” “The Mindy Project,” “Girls”) have taken precedence. But this week I’ve managed to get back to it, starting with Michael Scott’s farewell and continuing through Season 8.
I still remember when I first heard that Americans were remaking “The Office.” It was not long after we had moved back to the States and I couldn’t imagine a show without Ricky Gervais and his very talented cast of characters from the original. I assumed it would fall flat, but then I watched it and was pleasantly surprised by how well the American version worked! It began from the same point of the British version and then went a completely different way.
I still have a lot to catch up on and was probably cheating by skipping to the end but in my current “Office” state of mind, I couldn’t resist watching the season finale last night. Did you watch it? Great, right? After nine seasons, I loved the wrap-up, seeing all of those familiar faces and finding out where they landed. No spoiler alert. I’m just proud of what the show accomplished and am excited to go back and continue watching from where I left off.
The Bluth’s frozen banana stand is in London
Attention, “Arrested Development” fans! The Bluth’s frozen banana stand is in London right now! It will continue to pop up in different places around the capitol until May 21 to promote the fourth season of “Arrested Development,” which kicks off May 26. LOVE IT!
Thanks to Buzzfeed for reporting on this!
The Gruffalo now at Target
I was at Target this weekend and ran into a couple of old friends!
Yes! The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s Child on DVD, based on the books by Julia Donaldson! If you haven’t seen these, they’re definitely worth watching and keeping! They feature the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt, James Cordon and Tom Wilkinson. I’d venture to say they are modern classics. Check them out – now on sale at Target for $7.50!
Oscar Night
Welsh singer Shirley Bassey at last night’s Oscars
Did you watch the Oscars last night?
*SPOILERS*
Some of my favorite bits: Adele, the cast of “Les Miserables” performing “One More Day,” Ang Lee and Quentin Tarantino’s wins, Barbra Streisand’s “Memories” and Argo clenching best picture. But best moment of the night goes to Dame Shirley Bassey. Utterly breathtaking at the age of 76. She looked and sounded beautiful! What an inspiring performance!
And happy 50th birthday to the James Bond franchise!
Downton Abbey and One Direction “What Makes You Beautiful” mashup
Love this.
Have a lovely Presidents’ Day!
Allison Williams as Kate Middleton
Oh, to be Allison Williams. Not only does she have stunning good looks (even with an eyepatch), a college degree from Yale University, a dad as awesome as Brian Williams, a hot brother, a very nice singing voice and a prime role as Marnie in the hottest HBO show “Girls.” But on top of all of that, she also bears a striking resemblance to Kate Middleton.
If you didn’t catch her on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this week, check out her skit as Kate Middleton (with Jimmy as Prince William).
That Brit in “The Mindy Project”
Have you been watching “The Mindy Project”?
I love it. I’m convinced that I would be BFFs with Mindy Kaling if we ever met. I was watching last week’s episode last night and like every week, I wondered if the Brit on the show was actually British.
The difference this time? I Googled it at the moment that I thought it. Meet Ed Weeks, the actor who plays Jeremy Reed, and he is a real Brit! More about him here.
Adele at the Golden Globes
Did you catch Adele’s winning thank you speech at the Golden Globes last night? Loved it! She was so gorgeous and real and refreshing and hilarious!
Check it out if you missed it!
Radio Times Christmas issue
There are few words to explain the allure of the Radio Times Christmas issue, which is on newsstands in Britain now. It’s just one of those traditional symbols of the season for Brits. Think TV Guide but bigger, better and packed with all of the juicy details about the Christmas programs that will be airing on British TV during the holidays.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact Brits only have five main TV channels (if you don’t have a Digibox) or the fact that British TV shows typically are limited runs (compared to American TV shows that continue on for years … I’m talking to you, Simpsons!), but there is genuine magic when Christmas rolls around and many of these shows that had ended (ie. “The Office” or “Only Fools and Horses”) have a Christmas episode (a reunion with our old friends on the telly!). This Christmas, there will be Christmas episodes for “Downton Abbey,” “The Royle Family,” and “Doctor Who,” as well as a new sequel to “The Snowman.”
There’s always the usual parade of Christmas movies and children’s programming and even the glorious cooking shows (Delia, Nigella, Jamie Oliver, etc.) serve as a tasty reminder of the season. The Radio Times details them all so you don’t miss a bit. It’s an enduring British tradition that I love this time of year.
Make Bradford British
What does it mean to be British?
This is the subject of the Channel 4‘s cracking new two-part series starting Thursday, which explores the very notion of British culture through the lens of Bradford, a diverse Northern English town and its residents.
I’m excited that it’s already trending big globally on Twitter and is shedding light on this national debate.
Watch the preview, take the citizenship test and see how well you fare. Post your score and I’ll share mine, too, in a bit!
