Val introduced me to the Henri videos.
Existential angst, as only a cat in France could suffer. 😀
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Henri, le Chat Noir … French for “Henry, the Black Cat”) is a web series of short films on the existential musings of the cat Henri, written and directed by William Braden.
… Braden was inspired by the American perception of French films as “very pretentious and self-involved.
Henri was actually from Seattle. He lived to the age of 17.
My favourite new Christmas song in 2023.
Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor – Wrap Me Up
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Looking for a feel good — ADULT — Christmas flick?
Dave and Lisa Adlard recommended my favourite, Love Actually. (2003 R-rated)
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
related – Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) horrible Christmas variation of The Troggs’ classic hit “Love Is All Around”. (VIDEO)
Even more R-rated is the full version. 😀
I tried this show because … Lucy Lawless.
Xena: Warrior Princess and her as D’Anna Biers on Battlestar Galactica.
I’m a fan of the Kiwi badass. And she’s FUNNY. 😀
Snarky.
Namaste.
… Ya, you have a nice day too. 😀
My Life Is Murder (2019) is an Australian and New Zealand murder mystery, crime comedy-drama television series …
… follows the adventures of fearless private investigator Alexa Crowe, who solves the most baffling crimes as well as coping with the frustrations of everyday life.
Lucy Lawless as PI Alexa Crowe, former detective of the Victoria Police Crinimal Investigation Branch (CIB) . As a side hustle, she bakes bread in her kitchen for Baristas Café. …
Not bad. Standard police procedural.
But what makes it worth watching for me is the humour. And the Melbourne scenery.
There are some personal mysteries you ponder.
WHY is Alexa working cold cases for the police? She doesn’t seem to get paid.
WHY does Madison — who actually does work for the police — drop everything instantly anytime Alexa needs a hacker / analyst?
I’d best continue on to season 2. For one thing, the show moves to New Zealand, my former homeland.
Over the years, I’ve finally watched all 79 episodes 2004 and 2022. A joy.
Sitcoms are pretty much the same formula for each and every episode. But for me seasons 1 and 9 were best.
I MIGHT have to start over again with episode 1.
I finally learned that — in real life — Martin Clunes is exactly opposite the character he plays in this comedy.
For one thing, he LOVES dogs! 😀
And he’s a charming people person, unlike the ramrod stiff and unpardonable Doc Martin.
Sigourney Weaver appeared in season 9 as a stubborn American tourist because she’s a good friend of Selina Cadell, who plays Mrs Tishell, the pharmacist.
International adaptations were made in Czech Republic and Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, and Spain.
Click PLAY or watch a wrap-up interview with Martin on YouTube.
Hilarious mockumentary sitcom.
Season 2 is still charming.
Abbott Elementary stars 4 ft 11 inch (149.9 cm) Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a predominantly Black school in Philadelphia.
William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson, the school’s eccentric, overqualified and talented, custodian is my favourite character.
It’s an insight into the American public school system. ReTrumplicans insist on reducing funding for public education, while subsidizing rich kids in private schools.
The GOP later complains about crime when these same underfunded kids can’t make it in a nation with poor health care and a $7.25 / hour minimum wage.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
For kids, this is a silly show making fun of teachers.
For adults, there are many funny little details. This typical school group photo, for example. 😀
The charm of this unlikely threesome has worn off.
This is the weakest season, so far. They are trying too hard. And it’s a bit painful to watch.
One tell is the increase in profanity. When the script isn’t all that compelling — writers add some swearing to shock the audience. Jon Stewart and John Oliver are guilty of this, as well.
BUT at least the cast is still having fun.
Martin Short and Steve Martin are best of friends in real life. I’m sure they consider this venture a bit of a party. Inviting their friends as celebrity cameos.
It IS worth watching season 3 for Meryl Streep.
AND there are some good 1-liners each episode.
Selena Gomez as snarky Mabel increasingly steals the show. You actually worry about her getting her life together. Yes, the same young woman who’s the most followed on Instagram looks lost at times as she approaches age-30 in this show.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
It’s been renewed for season 4.
Something tells me that will be weaker yet. They probably should have retired after season 2.
FUNNY. 😀
Irish humour is the BEST humour.
Good music.
Rotten Tomatoes 100% approval.
Bad Sisters … is an Irish black comedy television series …
The five Garvey sisters—Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka—live in present-day Dublin.
After Grace’s abusive, controlling husband John Paul dies unexpectedly, the sisters find themselves at the centre of a life insurance investigation.
The series flips between timelines—one before John Paul’s death, in which Grace’s sisters plot to murder their brother-in-law, and another after his death, in which a determined insurance agent tries to prove the sisters’ malicious involvement …
A second season is in the works.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Still buzzing at the historic 4th place Olympic qualification performance of Team Canada at the World Gymnastics Championships, I climbed the fire escape stairs to the top of the arena in Antwerp.
Busted.
Security called me down. As well as a Ukrainian photographer.
Many are taking smoke breaks on those fire escape stairs.
Though unsigned, turns out you are not supposed to climb the stairs. Oops.
Don’t tell the Gymnastics Media Manager, whatever you do. 😀
I have 13 hour days at Worlds. Got back downtown late and grabbed a burger. Also WINE to celebrate Canada going to Paris with 2 full teams.
As my burger arrived, some Gymnastics people from Canada and Australia stopped by. I got chatting with them. Burger got cold.
On return to the hostel, I threw the bag into the microwave. It caught fire.
Turns out that paper bag had a metal liner. Oops.
The night manager put out the flames. Doused my burger.
I had pizza, instead.
I won’t forget that day any time soon.
Not at all my favourite of the Slough House books.
Still, the humour and banter of Jackson Lamb alone makes it worth reading.
Roderick Ho is entertaining, as well.
One of the regulars is kidnapped. And it all goes wrong after that. 😀
This is the Mick Herron’s third novel in the Slough House series. …
In addition to the inhabitants of Slough House, the main characters are Dame Ingrid Tearney, the head of the service, and Diana – ‘Lady Di’ – Taverner, who wants to be head of the service. The two women clearly loathe each other – a fact that Herron conveys superbly by having them behave towards each other with a studied politeness.
There is somebody else who wants to run the intelligence service – Peter Judd, the Home Secretary, within whose department the intelligence service is included. He wants to control it as part of his career plan to become Prime Minister. There is a deliberate similarity to the popular side of Boris Johnson in his portrayal. …
Kirkus
