Lessons in Chemistry – book and TV show

One of those rare cases when the TV adaptation is better than the book. A very important TV show. Everyone should see it.

Brie Larson is fantastic as chemist Elizabeth Zott in the 2023 miniseries.

After being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1950s TV cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics.

Alice Halsey as daughter Madeline “Mad” Zott is perfect.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I liked the show so much I downloaded Lessons in Chemistry, the novel by Bonnie Garmus  (2022).

Stephanie Merritt of The Guardian praised the author’s ability in creating a “richly comic novel around a character who is entirely deadpan” …

Elisabeth Egan called the book “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” and claimed that “feminism is the catalyst” … 

Michael Byers from Cascadia Daily News wrote that the “heroine is brave, original and completely unafraid” …

The debut novel was a hit when published 2022.

A brilliant idea, I feel. In an era when ReTrumplicans want to go back to the 1950s — this book reveals how unfairly women were treated in the not-so-distant past.

When they say MAGA — the Great Again was this era of American history when women and minorities were treated so badly. For me, MAGA = racist. MAGA = sexist.

A highlight of the book is the dog Six-Thirty. And that’s well done in the show, as well.

All of the changes made from book to screen were for the better, I feel.

Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloane is a much more interesting friend / neighbour on TV than in the novel.

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

Another great read from one of the best in the business.

The 38th book by Michael Connelly is Resurrection Walk (2023). Mostly a court room procedural.

Retired LAPD Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch has cancer.

To get into an experimental drug research treatment program, he’s hired by half brother, criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. The Lincoln Lawyer.

It’s an interesting premise to put the two together as Mickey works to get accused criminals free. Bosch has had a career putting the accused in jail.

The unlikely duo try to prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her ex-husband — a cop.

“a stunning combination of police and legal procedural.” —– Booklist ⭐️ Starred Review

Of course both Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer currently have TV series.

Personally, I still picture Haller as Matthew McConaughey, who played him in the feature film.

But it’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on TV. Of course Bosch is Titus Welliver on TV.

Collision (British TV series)

Great TV.

And a good reminder that the most dangerous thing most of us do is to climb into motorized vehicles.

Bloody wasp.

Another Anthony Horowitz mini-series.

Collision (2009) is a five-part British television drama serial …

… the story of a group of strangers whose lives intertwine following a devastating car crash. The crash opens a number of startling revelations as stories of everything from government cover-ups and smuggling, to embezzlement and murder start to unravel. …

Jo Woodcock is particularly good as Jodie Tolin, a teenager paralyzed in a car crash — now trying to find a way forward in life.

Lucy Griffiths as Jane Tarrant is very appealing, as well. Oddly, her story has very little to do with the collision. It’s more like Love, Actually … with a twist.

… Beyond the crumpled cars and beleaguered emergency services are the invisible dramas and when DI John Tolin begins his investigation he finds himself drawn into many different and dangerous worlds including government cover-ups, smuggling, torn relationships and murder. …

anthonyhorowitz.com

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Not bad. Lightweight but no-nonsense

Another charming British novel with an elderly heroine. 

The Marlow Murder Club (2021) focuses on a group of older women who form a club to investigate a series of killings in Marlow.

It was published in January 2021 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. … The second book in the series, Death Comes to Marlow, was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award for Best Cosy Crime novel published in the USA in 2022.

PBS Masterpiece and UKTV greenlit an adaptation of The Marlow Murder Club written by Thorogood and starring Samantha Bond in June 2023.

Abbott Elementary – season 2

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 Mandalorian – season 3

Though no particular fan of Star Wars, I do enjoy Mandalorian.

YES, it’s a stupid escapist Western shoot-em-up. With space pirates.

Like many westerns before it, the show’s plot is lifted directly from a popular samurai film series. 

Lone Wolf and Cub follows a father and son as they walk the way of the ronin. The connection between Lone Wolf and Cub in Star Wars has only deepened with time. …

CBR

Baby Yoda is still cute.

Din Djarin (Mando) is still engagingly naive — and as principled as Gandhi.

Episode “Chapter 20: The Foundling“, directed by Carl Weathers, is particularly amazing in terms of special effects.

They do love flying through slot canyons. 😀

It’s only one small step from StageCraft to replace human actors with digital.

Inevitable, I’m thinking.

StageCraft is an on-set virtual production visual effects technology composed of a video wall designed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).

Initially developed for the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, it has since been used in other productions and has been cited as a revolutionary visual effects technology. 

Click PLAY or watch some examples from season 2 on YouTube.

I liked seeing Jack Black as Captain Bombardier. And Lizzo as Duchess of Plazir-15. Christopher Lloyd is in the same episode!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Bosch: Legacy – season 2

The 9th season of Bosch.

Still worth watching. Still popular.

Madison Lintz as “Maddie” Bosch, a rookie Los Angeles police officer and Harry’s daughter is increasingly important.

Stephen Chang as Maurice “Mo” Bassi, Harry’s hacker is excellent. Maybe my favourite character.

Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler is always good.

Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar is understated and believable.

The good ol’ regulars: John “Mank” Mankiewicz,  Gregory Scott Cummins as Crate, Troy Evans as Barrel.

Set in L.A., Maddie’s boyfriend and many of the new characters are hispanic.

Bosch is a grumpy private investigator. Gruff and not all that loveable.

I miss Lance Reddick as Chief Irvin Irving, who died 2023 (aged 60). RIP. But he does make one appearance in the season.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Morning Show – season 3

I mostly complained about the first two seasons. Rich, powerful people bitching about their celebrity lives.

Season 3 is easily the best, so far. I quite enjoyed it.

Reese Witherspoon can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. One of my favourite actors.

It was cool to see Reese in the Capitol when Trump sent his criminals to overturn the election. Her brother Hal was one of the rioters.

Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison kept me watching. A death spiral.

Greta Lee as Stella Bak is … intriguing.

For me season 3 is by far the best season, so far. (It’s got mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.)

I appreciate the ambition of trying to cover real-life events close to LIVE.

I liked how they handled the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court leak. LIVE.

Right. This show is much about empowerment of women. None of the cast like the decision.

Abort the Court

I laughed to see Jon Hamm joining the cast as tech billionaire Paul Marks (Jeff Bezos?, Elon Musk?). For sure billionaires controlling old media is an important issue in 2023.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – The Morning Show’s Third Season Is Crazy Enough to Work

Season 4 is a go. Season 5 already under consideration.

Murders in the Building – season 3

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.

Case Sensitive – season 1

Excellent TV.

Season 1 was on Amazon Prime Canada — but not season 2.

It’s a shame people with money can’t simply and easily pay for what they want to watch.

Case Sensitive (2011) is a British crime drama series based on the best-selling books by Sophie Hannah

… starring Olivia Williams and Darren Boyd, …

Zailer and Waterhouse investigate when housewife Geraldine Brethrick and her young daughter are found dead. The early view is that Geraldine killed them both, an opinion endorsed by criminologists Harbord and Hey – but her husband Mark, away on business at the time, claims she was perfectly happy and would never have taken her own life.