Blog Archives
Misconceptions about Newcastle Brown Ale
Have you seen the latest Newcastle Brown Ale advert “Misconceptions”?
i just saw it for the first time yesterday and was sure it was a goof — until I Googled it and discovered that it was a real ad. What say you? Yay or nay?
(And for the record, it’s been years since I have had Newcastle, but am thinking of trying it again … I, too, thought it was too bitter at the time).
Peter Kay’s Car Share
Peter Kay and Sian Foulkes star in “Car Share.”
I’ve just discovered the funniest British TV comedy that I’ve seen in ages – “Car Share.” I’ve binge watched it this past week and it’s been so hilarious with heart and the greatest soundtrack to boot!
The story centers on Peter Kay and Sian Gibson, who have been randomly assigned to ride share every day to and from their job at a supermarket. They chat. They listen to a fictional radio station of classic tunes called Forever FM. They bicker. Think “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” meets “The Office.” There’s great banter and a little will-they-won’t-they tension that makes for great watching.
And I’m not alone – the new show has become BBC iPlayer’s most successful series to premiere as a box-set.
You can find episodes on YouTube – all six of them. Yep, that’s sadly all there is, but it has a great and complete ending with room for a second season.
Here’s the trailer …
Rachel’s English trifle in real life
Okay, who remembers Rachel’s English trifle from “Friends”?
Well, someone in the U.K. has made it – with beef sautéed with peas and onions. And the sight of this might be one of the highlights of my day.
If you missed seeing that winning episode the first go round, here is a snippet!
John Lewis’ 2014 Christmas advert
Nothing says “Christmas is coming” quite like John Lewis’ annual Christmas advert.
Here’s this year’s present.
What do you think? Do you like #Montythepenguin? I’ll admit that I cried the first two times I watched it. (It’s definitely an improvement over last year’s bear advert, but not as good as the 2011 version)
Gracepoint vs. Broadchurch
David Tennant and Anna Gunn star in “Gracepoint.”
Have you been watching Fox’s new show “Gracepoint”?
It’s the new 10-episode mystery, based on the successful BBC drama “Broadchurch.” Set in a Northern Californian fictional seaside town of Gracepoint, the mystery begins with the disappearance of a young boy. And I am positively hooked!
As I understand it, the first couple of episodes of “Gracepoint” and “Broadchurch” are identical from scene to scene, including main character Emmett Carver, played by Scottish actor of “Doctor Who” fame, David Tennant (although Tennant puts on a dubious and often criticized American accent in “Gracepoint”) but that is where the similarities end. I haven’t seen “Broadchurch” but I understand that the killer is different in “Gracepoint” and that they’ve taken the plot a different direction.
Read the rest of this entry
“Sherlock” Emmy wins
Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch
Congrats to Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who won the Emmy for best lead actor and best supporting actor in a miniseries or movie for their roles as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in BBC’s “Sherlock.” The show’s creator Steven Moffat also took the Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special for “Sherlock: His Last Vow.”
If you haven’t seen “Sherlock” yet, what are you waiting for? You can stream it on Netflix and it is such a great watch!
See the full list of Emmy winners from last night’s broadcast.
The shame of mistaking “Harry” for Harry
Prince Harry? I think not.
I don’t know about you, but I’m still not really caught up after Memorial Day. We went camping last weekend with a group of friends (Oroville, soooo hot!) and I’m just now getting around to washing up the plastic wine glasses and roasting forks. First world problems.
But I haven’t been too busy to miss watching “I wanna marry ‘Harry,’” Fox’s latest Bachelor-esque horror show. I spent much of the episode, backing away slowly in absolute shock and awe, amazed that they could find a dozen good looking women who could be so easily bamboozled into believing a ginger bloke with a posh accent could be Prince Harry and that he would somehow turn to reality television … to Fox of all places … to find his bride. It is TV’s tackiest dating show ever.
Here’s a first look of the show if you missed it:
Have you seen it? What did you think? I felt deeply embarrassed (is it possible to find girls even dumber than those from previous seasons of the “Bachelor”?! Oh yes! It is!) and hoped upon hope that this never reaches the U.K. (for fear that Brits believe the lie that we are really as thick as those girls seem).
Btw, for Brits hoping to fool an American into thinking they are royalty, Metro has created a cheat sheet to help you pull of the hoax. Hint: Got a throne? You may be on your way!
The phenomenon that is Eurovision
So, on Saturday, the whole of Europe was glued to their TV sets watching the phenomenon that is the Eurovision Song Contest, which is kind of a singing Olympics with a smorgasbord of countries from Belarus and Russia to Finland and Germany vying for the title.
I’ll spare you the suspense. The U.K. didn’t win, but the highlights are mesmerizing. Check out Buzzfeed.com’s 24 Most Important Moments from Eurovision and then check out the winning song from Austria’s “bearded lady” Conchita Wurst.
Bravo’s Ladies of London
So, I’ve never gotten into watching “The Real Housewives” series. I’ve only ever watched the full first season of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” (as an Orange County native, I felt it was my duty), but managed to avoid getting sucked into the rest of them.
That may change with the start of “Ladies of London,” the latest Bravo series that airs June 5. It follows a group of elite British socialites and American expats (Annabelle Neilson and Caroline Stanbury along with Americans Juliet Angus, Caprice Bourret, Marissa Hermer and Noelle Reno), with a special appearance from Julie Montagu, who is married to the heir of the Earl of Sandwich.
I expect it will be a lot of wine swilling, tea spilling, diva fights and fascinator wearing shenanigans. Kind of “Real World London” meets “The Princess Diaries.”
Busy as a bee
Ah, it’s been one of those crazy busy weeks at work and on the home front, juggling and trying to stay afloat (and mixing metaphors in the process!).
Oh yeah, and I’ve discovered “True Detective,” and have been a veritable junkie, huffing episode after episode.
I’m reminded today that I may need to employ the Sherlock method of memory to keep my checklists in check and my to-dos done. Happy Tuesday!
BRITRISH.COM 