Veronica Mars!

Hi guys, I know it's been a while. I'm back from the USA, and I'm going to attempt to post more often...although I feel like this is a promise I've made before...

Anyway, in news that is super exciting to me, and possibly no-one else I know, the first footage from the Veronica Mars movie is available online!

The film, which apparently picks up several years after the last season of the cancelled series, was given the green light due to an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, that helped it secure additional funding and whatever else happens in Hollywood. Looks like all the original cast members are returning, too!

Arrested Development Season 4 trailer

Happy Tuesday

Five for Friday no. 57

Read about the Think, Eat, Save Campaign. 

 

Andrew Davies, the man who adapted the beloved 1996 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice is adapting War and Peace. Any other classic adaptation nerds out there excited by this one?

New bar opening on Caxton Street. For those of us who like to be a little bit classy pre-game. 

Vintage couples in love. Not sure I will ever get a couple-photo charming enough to be found in a list like this. 

And some website hilarity for my friend Sarah - You had one job to do.

TV review: Elementary

Last night Channel 10 aired the first episode of Elementary, a CBS re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes. It was not an outstanding debut for an 'American' Holmes. The case itself was not that intriguing and I was thoroughly underwhelmed by what was merely a good – not hyper or exceptional – level of observational skills in Holmes. The patches on the wall denoting frames that have been moved or changed, surely that is blindingly obvious and part of the dull first glimpse into Sherlock's skills. The episode is overall ok. There was obviously a lot of potential, so for a pilot it was pretty good. As inducement to watch the series, I'm not sure it would fly without the strength of the Sherlock Holmes canon. 

However, I would encourage viewers to stick with it. As murder mystery crime drama, it pays off. It is easy to watch and entertaining, with the right amount of dark content and the occasional nod to classic Holmes (the title of the show, for example, being a nod to the line "Elementary, my dear Watson"). As a reconstruction of one of the best known detectives in the world, it is rather liberal. What remains of Holmes is his name, his nationality, parts of his personality and his profession. What remains of Watson is the name and profession; doctor, or former-doctor, who spends time with Holmes as his 'companion'.

I know I shouldn't compare Elementary with Sherlock, but it is impossible to avoid a comparison when there is a British and an American re-invention Sherlock Holmes on our televisions at the same time. My conclusion is that they are both enjoyable and both have excellent qualities. Personally, I would infinitely prefer to sit down to the BBC version. The relationship dynamics are better, the cases, though bastardised, bear an infinitely closer resemblance to the original stories. I know that a re-invention takes liberties and that it is a great thing, to re-invent Conan Doyle, Shakespeare, Austin and revitalise a great story. But there should always be respect for the inestimable base material.

Five for Friday no. 42

A book for the children: an alphabet of terrible advice.

Another reason to go to Paris - like you needed one. An art installation of an inflatable trampoline bridge across the river Seine.
 

Fairytales for 20-somethings.  

Costume books released by the Metropolitan Museum of Art online. 

25 most devoted fan bases. Seriously interesting.

 Fans of the show 'Community' come in at no.13.

TV review: Pan Am

I am quite aware of how ridiculous it must seem, to be reviewing a TV show that only lasted one season before getting cancelled earlier this year.

However, I have only just discovered Pan Am and I thought the chances that other people had heard of it at all weren't high so I was safe to do a review without too much ‘Euch...so last season…’ eye rolling.

Pan Am, named after the iconic Pan American World Airways, follows a group of stewardesses and pilots living the glamorous life of Pan Am employees in the swinging 60s.  All the ingredients for a successful drama are there from episode one. The 60s had so much going for it as a decade for screen drama. Women's liberation, the Cold War, the breakdown of the traditional class systems to be replaced by an idealised meritocracy and the rise of the working woman. It's all there in Pan Am, perfectly exemplified by the 20-something girls taking charges of their lives, not prepared to settle just yet for marriage and children, but preferring to assert their independence and take to the skies.

The four stewardesses who make up the core team in Pan Am are led by Maggie (Christina Ricci), the purser and also the rebellious at-home-bohemian who is enjoying life to the full. Karine Vanasse plays the subtly chic and world-wise Colette, the only non-American on the team. Laura (Maggie Robbie) is the newest recruit, having run away from her picture-perfect wedding to join her sister Kate (Kelli Garner) in her life as an independent woman. But behind the perfect eyeliner their stories are so much more. Colette lived through the horrors of Nazi-occupied France, co-pilot Ted is intensely angry and unable to deal with the changing class system and Kate is drafted into the CIA and slowly drawn deeper and deeper into Cold War espionage.

Maggie, Kate, Colette and Laura. Exemplary Pan Am stewardesses.

So, I've been watching The Borgias. And I have to say, I give it two thumbs up. It's got a great cast, wonderful costuming and set dressing, and it's full of murder, sex and intrigue. Exactly my kind of TV. Although, really, what's not to like about a show about a controversial Pope and his illegitimate children? (Especially one created by Neil Jordan. Yes, that Neil Jordan.)

The Pope plotting with Cesare.

The show starts off with the death of Pope Innocent VIII, and Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, played by Jeremy Irons, immediately begins his machinations to succeed him. His eldest son, Cesare Borgia, played by Francois Arnaud, is Bishop of Pamplona and his father's right-hand man when it comes to bribes and threats. He helps to ensure Rodrigo's ascendancy, and then he goes on to protect his father's rule and the rest of the Borgia family during the ongoing power struggle. He enlists Micheletto, an exceptionally effective hitman played by the awesome Sean Harris, to assist him. Jeremy Irons is excellent as the manipulative Pope, and Arnaud and Harris share excellent master-and-servant chemistry. (Irons' voice always reminds me of Uncle Scar from the Lion King, it's an association I cannot erase, but in this context I find it completely appropriate.)

The show also includes the infamous Lucrezia Borgia. Played by Holliday Grainger, she is first shown as young teenager, unspoilt and lovely. She befriends her father's new mistress, Guilia Farnese, and begins to learn what her role in life will be - someone with little power unless she uses her beauty and wit to her best advantage. Lucrezia's mother Vanozza makes up the third in this triangle of women. She portrays Rodrigo's former mistress and mother of his children, cast over by him once he became Pope.

Guilia and Lucrezia.

The casting here is excellent; Grainger successfully conveys innocence, followed by a growing awareness of her effect on men and capacity for manipulation, and Lotte Verbeek plays Guilia with the kind of guarded awareness and restraint you'd expect from a woman in her position. Johanne Whalley plays Vanozza, and the moments between the three of them are mined with the underlying subtext of the bitterly limited options women had open to them in their lives. Men held all the power, and women were lucky if they were loved enough or pretty enough to be spoken to. Even when they were loved, it was dicey; Lucrezia is bargained off at 14, sold into marriage as part of a larger plan to consolidate Rodrigo's power against threat of a French invasion.

The Pope, getting a headache from his Cardinals.

This show would also, of course, be nothing without its design. The sets and costuming are spectacular, creating a beautiful visual aesthetic that highlights and complements the characters and storyline very strongly. It's not a completely realistic look - everyone's a lot cleaner than they probably would have been, for starters, and it doesn't quite get to HBO-levels of realism (eg. Deadwood, where you feel like you can smell everyone through the TV screen). But there's just enough realism, so that even though some of the costumes are stiff and new, you do still get a clear sense that this was how people lived and interacted, with all these manners and rules, and in these huge houses, or in the Pope's chambers. (There is also the occasional bit of dodgy CGI, but that's most often in the long shots of what's supposed to be 15th century Rome, so I feel I can excuse it.)

Some of the marketing for this show described Rodrigo as the first Godfather, with Cesare as the first consigliere and Lucrezia as the first mob princess. While this is possibly appropriate for Cesare - he was already fairly unscrupulous, and his new BFF the assassin Micheletto merely enables him to branch out into murder - it seems like only a partially accurate description. There are power struggles in The Borgias, sure, but comparing this show to something like the Sopranos is setting up false expectations. Think less organised crime, more power politics. And family drama; Rodrigo craves power, and his whole family pays for it. I suppose they are like a mob family, in their loyalty towards each other and ruthlessness towards anyone standing in their way, but I'd compare them more closely to a political or business dynasty. (Or Game of Thrones, but without the dragons.)

Cesare and Micheletto, negotiating their friendship.

Within the family, Cesare and his brother, Juan, clash frequently, most often because of the careers Rodrigo assigned to them. Cesare would rather be in the army than the clergy, and Juan takes his soldierly duties too lightly but refuses to listen when anyone points this out. The children's illegitimacy is sometimes an issue, and Rodrigo's 'lewdness' is a major factor in the arguments against him as a Pope. Then there's the way everyone sleeps around, and the way Cesare occasionally organises a murder. While I have no idea if this is a realistic portrayal of this infamous family, it all makes for very intriguing TV.

The politics of 15th century Italy are a primary driver for much of what happens, as the Vatican was a huge seat of power in an unintegrated land. Italy of the time was divided into many principalities, all with a variety of rulers, and the security of Borgia's reign depended greatly on his ability to secure allegiances with the great houses - the Medicis in Florence, the Sforzas in the north in Milan and east near Forli, the rulers of Naples, and so on. Rodrigo marries Lucrezia off to the Sforzas and opens communication with Florence, Milan and Naples, but someone else seeks alliances with the major houses - Cardinal della Rovere, played by Colm Feore, whom Borgia defeated in the competition for Pope. He has become determined to see Borgia deposed, and it becomes a race to determine whether Borgia (and Cesare, and Micholetto) can secure his Papacy before della Rovere returns.

I won't tell you how it ends, or give away the many and varied storylines and intrigues I haven't mentioned. You'll just have to get hold of a copy of season 1, and see for yourself. As for me, I can't wait to start watching season 2.

Well? Do you think you could take them on?

Where is my butler?

Every so often, I think I would like to have a butler or valet to cater to my whims and provide general life-assistance; make the path smoother, as it were.

 

Perhaps something along the lines of a Jeeves who, as we all know, has the solution to every problem and can do anything within the Valet remit.

Jeeves, brilliantly played by Stephen Fry with Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster in the TV mini series 'Jeeves and Wooster'. Just Brilliant.

Jeeves could do just about anything. If you had a butler, you'd want him to be a Jeeves. 

However, if I were to think about it seriously, I don’t think I could ever actually give someone orders. I don’t think I could pay someone to cater to my whims. Though I may wish for breakfast in bed, I am perfectly capable of getting it all myself. Though I may crave a cider or a chocolate cupcake at around 2:32pm on a weekday afternoon, I don’t actually need either and I don’t need anyone to fetch them for me.

I suspect that the employment of a butler, lady’s maid, valet, chauffeur, is something that you grow up with, accepting the presence of someone to take care of the little things. An integral part of extremely privileged way of life. I’m sure many of my friends may like the idea of someone to attend to them, most would revolt against the notion if that person was presented before them and they could suddenly issues instructions such as ‘Fix me a martini’, ‘Fetch my dinner jacket’, ‘Pop to the shops to get me some herring.’

Do you think you could feel comfortable issuing instructions to a maid or valet? Or does the idea make you cringe? 

Jim Carter as the butler Carson and Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey.

The night that was: MasterChef Australia 2012 Finale

I didn’t start out as a MasterChef fan. The whole first season in 2009 passed me by without an acknowledgement. Come 2010 however, I was sucked in by Chuck into the nightly drama of watching 24 ordinary Australians ‘battle it out for the food dream’. Two years later I am still watching every night (except Friday, who cares about Friday?) and together we two addicts made special preparations for the 2012 finale, which aired last night.

To celebrate MasterChef Night, we decided to have a fellow MasterChef fan-couple come over for dinner to watch and make loud sarcastic comments with us. We also decided to mark the occasion by cooking them a meal of MasterChef recipes from this season. I was in charge of Andy’s fish pie whereas Chuck took Kylie’s strawberry and apple crumble. 

We prepped the night before, which for me meant cutting up piles of vegetables. Wednesday night our friends were expected nice and early so I got into the cooking the minute I got home.

Sustainable blue swimmer crab stock - I'm so freakin' fancy-pants.

I stuck to the recipe to the letter, as one should when making something for the first time. The only deviation I dared was to include a purple carrot as well as an orange carrot in the veggie mix.

All the veggies and deliciousness softening.

Do you love drama? Are you intrigued by complex, manipulative characters? Do you love the idea of getting close to the people who destroyed your loved ones and taking them apart, piece by piece?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you might just enjoy a little show called Revenge.

The show is set in the Hamptons. A wealthy young woman named Emily Thorne (played by Emily Van Camp) has just rented a house for the season, planning to attend parties and charity functions and move in the social circles of the ultra-rich. At the pinnacle of this social circle are the Graysons, a billionaire family including matriarch, Victoria (played brilliantly by Madelaine Stowe). She rules the social scene, dotes on her two children, and supports her tycoon husband Conrad. At least, on the surface.

In reality, not only is Conrad unfaithful, but his cutthroat approach to business and questionable moral integrity means the skeletons in their family closet are the kind people get murdered over. And in reality, Emily Thorne is not really a socialite. Her real name is Amanda Clarke, and, years earlier, her father was framed and imprisoned as part of a cover up by the Graysons. Amanda never saw him again, and now, she has returned to the Hamptons to wreak revenge on the people who destroyed her family.

Revenge has been described as Gossip Girl meets Veronica Mars, and really, that's not too far off. The storyline is roughly based on The Count of Monte Cristo, substituting the men of Paris in the 1800s with wealthy American women. I enjoyed the change; Emily and Victoria are both uniquely ruthless for female characters, and their passive-aggressive circling (which sometimes turns aggressive-aggressive) makes for damn good TV. Emily schemes and manipulates, working her way through the ranks of people involved in the cover up, exposing their secrets and taking them down. She starts with her father's ex-friends and business partners, working her way closer and closer to Victoria, whose betrayal of David Clarke Emily considers worst of all as they were romantically involved at the time of his arrest. Victoria used her relationship with David to help frame him, and for that, she is the one person Emily wishes to hurt most of all. (She starts by getting herself engaged to Victoria's beloved son Daniel...)

As the first season progresses, more of the David Clarke story is revealed, complicating Emily's quest for vengeance (as if it wasn't already complicated enough...). It all spirals out of her control, and the storylines are excellently handled, with a zillion intriguing plot twists. The scheming, the take-downs, the fantastic clothes, the glittering parties, and the constant underlying themes of accountability and punishment aimed at the very rich and morally bankrupt... it's all very satisfying. And there's a heap of soap opera classics - the husband having an affair with the best friend; the innocent man on trial for murder; the slightly psychotic gold-digger; the secretly illegitimate child - played out with commitment to making the best kind of melodrama. I can't wait until someone gets amnesia and an evil twin!

So anyway, if all of this sounds like your cup of tea? Get into it. This show is a good time.

In case you need more convincing, the cast looks like this...

Bowing out of the conversation

Last weekend I was enjoying a bit of bodice-ripping drama in the form of a re-discovered DVD of the BBC production ‘Charles II’. Amongst the betrayals, the beheading and the superfluousness of sex I noticed one thing in particular.

It was in one conversation that really brought it home to me. History buffs may know that King Charles was married to the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. Unfortunately, despite siring dozens of children with his harem of mistresses, their marriage remained childless.

Charles and Catherine, played by Rufus Sewell and Shirley Henderson.

Get Some

I didn't really know what I was getting into when I bought Generation Kill. It was on sale for cheap, I'd heard good things, I'd seen some production stills. It sat on my shelves for ages, before I finally got around to watching the first episode. And even then it didn't grab me; I watched the first episode, then left it there for a while.

Eventually, I tried again, because the rumours persisted and I kept reading stuff about how good it was. I figured it was something I should watch, even though I'm not really a fan of war movies at all.

Once I got a few episodes in, I was hooked. The series is based on a book written by a Rolling Stone reporter who was embedded for two months with First Recon Marines during the first wave of the American-led assault on Baghdad in 2003. It first screened in 2008, with seven 70-minute-long episodes showing a warts-and-all depiction of military life in an active war zone.

This show, seriously. I've watched it through about three times. The superior production values, the dialogue, the action. The cast is amazing, and the show features great performances from Lee Tergensen, James Ransone (I'm actively looking for other stuff he's been in, now, he was that good), Alexander Skarsgaard, Stark Sands and Jon Huertas.

"You know what happens when you get out of the
Marine Corps? You get your brains back." - Person

Tergensen plays the Reporter, embedded in the lead vehicle of Bravo Platoon with Brad Colbert (Skarsgaard) and Ray Person (Ransone). Colbert is the infamous Iceman, the platoon's point man, and Person is his amphetamine-fuelled, motor-mouthed driver. Sands (who's in the Green Day show on Broadway these days) plays Nate Fick, the platoon's lieutenant (the head of the platoon). He's a Marine dedicated to protecting the lives and living conditions of his men, often butting heads with his superiors to do so. (The real Nate Fick wrote his own book, which I've heard is an excellent read.) Huertas is Antony 'Poke' Espera, Colbert's 2IC and leader of the second vehicle, a former ghetto car repo man with a very interesting perspective on war and his role in it. There's also a multitude of other characters, from enlisted Marines to military command, all well-cast, all excellently played. Overall, the series gives a very clear picture of how many personalities and egos make up a platoon, the different ways they clash, and the ways different men are affected by conflict and death.

One of the very first things I noticed about it was the production values. (Well, no, that's a lie. The first thing I noticed was the amazing dialogue and foul language. But more on that later.) As far as I can tell, every single person working on this show was unbelievably committed to making the sets, props, effects, everything, as realistic as possible. I'll admit, I've never been in a war or to Iraq, so maybe I'm easily fooled, but wow. This series has an almost documentary feel to it.

Being an HBO series, Generation Kill doesn't flinch from the brutal details when depicting the complexities of the Iraq war zone. While, overall, the Marines encounter perhaps less actual fighting that I had expected, there are still graphic scenes of blood and bodies, including the aftermath of American bombs on civilian areas and the bodies left by the side of the road by either retreating Iraqi forces or invading American ones. The Marines aren't constantly under attack or attacking, but every scene reminds the viewer where they are and what they're doing, and, occasionally, how impossible it would be for them to keep their hands clean even if they wanted to. For example, in one scene Colbert's vehicle is leading the platoon through an area that's seen recent fighting and they come upon a severed head in the middle of the road. He instructs Person not to run it over, but in avoiding the head Person accidentally runs over the body it used to be attached to. Accidental civilian deaths are also an ongoing problem for the Marines, and the rate these occur seems fairly accurate from what I've heard of the US invasion.

"People been fighting over this bitch since ancient times, Dog.
How many graves we standing on? Think about all the wisdom
 and science and money and civilization it took to build these
machines, and the courage of all the men who came here, and
 the love of their wives and children that was in their hearts.
And all that hate, Dog. All the hate it took to blow these
motherfuckers away. It's destiny, Dog.  White man's
gotta rule the world." - Espera

In fact, a key theme running through this series is the actual, unglamorous consequences of the war. More than any other war-related show or text I've ever encountered, there's a stark lack of romanticism to the way war is depicted here. There are no sentimental scenes of waving flags or liberation, and the Marines themselves aren't even sentimental about what they're doing, or overly patriotic. Most of them don't seem to care too much why they're there. They're doing their jobs and they're keen to kill because it's what they trained for. It's an interesting contrast to the stereotypical 'dying for our freedom' armed forces rhetoric that seems to come out of the US.

And while there's a lot going on in terms of the overarching invasion, from battle strategy to clashing commands, it's balanced by an extremely close-up and personal view of how these soldiers live. Sure, they complete tactical maneuvers, they shoot people, they do recon so air support can bomb out the Iraqi military. They're invading a country. But they also talk about their families, they get bored, they bitch about supplies, they behave like frat-boy morons. And every Marine in the platoon seems to sing on long drives, it's kind of fascinating.

Now, the other thing that caught my attention was the language. Oh, the language. Another aspect of HBO's unflinching attitude towards the US TV censors is their appreciation for dirty words. Just like the infamous use of the c-word in Deadwood, Generation Kill is scripted so these Marines talk exactly like Marines would talk - swear words aplenty, racism, homophobia, and a complete lack of interest in political correctness or sensitivity. They've also got a whole lexicon of their own, in the nicknames they give each other, and descriptors and phrases that only fellow Marines would understand. (Luckily, someone's gone through the series and the book, and laid out a glossary of Generation Kill-specific terms.) The show is practically worth watching for the dialogue alone.

The book the series is based on, Generation Kill by Evan Wright, was released in 2004, and is a damn interesting read. I read it because I enjoyed the series so much, and while the series is a really excellent adaptation, the book did provide extra background and a more complete picture of the people involved. The war itself was also better described in the book; while the viewer receives about the same amount of military intel that the soldiers seem to receive, the book provides a more complex picture of the military strategies the soldiers are participating in. I'm not sure if this was a deliberate choice on the part of the filmmakers, but if so, it's effective in conveying the relative big-picture blindness the marines are operating under. A key piece of context provided in the book, though,  is that First Recon, as Recon Marines, are actually trained to parachute or swim behind enemy lines for tactical reasons; driving in humvees through enemy lines as an assault force is outside their usual operation. They are elite even within the marines, an already elite force within the navy. These things are alluded to in the show, but not made completely explicit.

Even so, the overall verdict from me is that even if you don't like war shows, if you like good TV you'll like Generation Kill. It has fantastic production, great casting, great dialogue, and a fascinating story.

Five for Friday no. 24

Paramount Pictures' epic 100th anniversary photo as featured in Vanity Fair.

25 things you didn't know about Mad Men.

This post in A Pair and a Spare makes me feel better about my long-term secret desire to own sequined shorts.

Photo courtesy of A Pair and a Spare.

Geolocated tweets mapped in real time.

Grilled pineapple guacamole. I want it now!

Texts From Last Night

What's your favourite TV show? Supernatural? Doctor Who? Are you a Star Trek fan?

The reason I'm asking is that, chances are, some enterprising fans have already started mashing up your favourite show with Texts From Last Night.

For background, in case you didn't know, Texts From Last Night is a site where people can post their or their friends' drunken text messages. Yes, a lot of them seem too hilarious to be real, but it's the internet, the object is entertainment, not veracity. (Some of it's a bit Not Safe For Work, too, so don't let it get you fired.)

So, what your friends on the internet do is match pictures from your favourite show up with texts from the website, often with fairly hilarious (and sometimes very subtext-y) results.

http://textsfromwmhs.tumblr.com

http://textsfrombakerstreet.tumblr.com

http://textsfromtheimpala.tumblr.com

http://textsfromthetardis.tumblr.com

Ahh, the internet. So many blogs, so little time...

TV review: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

I only realised yesterday that I had missed out on a major reviewing opportunity. For the last 13 weeks I have been obsessed with a TV show and I haven’t mentioned it to anyone! I haven’t even tweeted about it. For 13 weeks Friday nights were about me, a glass of wine, the couch and Miss Phryne Fisher.

The Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries (formerly of ABC1 Fridays at 8:30pm) are set in late 1920s Melbourne. Based accurately on the novels of the same name by Kerry Greenwood, it follows the adventures of lady-detective Phyrne Fisher as she moves effortlessly between Melbourne’s high society and criminal underbelly. Assisting (or hampering) Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in his investigations, Phryne collects along the way a band of waifs and strays including a companion with a lot to learn about life, an impeccable butler, a daughter and a couple of proper Aussie blokes with their hearts in the right place.

I read the first novel in the series – and the TV series – many years ago. I enjoyed it and I considered buying other Phryne Fisher mysteries but I’m not much of a mystery reader. I’m not even much of a mystery watcher. I’m so fussy and particular about my murder mysteries; I only like historical TV series like Miss Fisher and all of the Miss Marples, set pre-1960s. It might have something to do with the PG violence and the clothes. 

There is so much to love about Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. On a purely practical level, it’s well-researched and shot immaculately in and around period Melbourne. Essie Davis as personifies Phryne Fisher and she is supported by a wonderfully Australian cast who are surely enjoying every minute of the production. It’s also delightful to get involved in an Australian TV series. I don’t watch as many as I should. I still regret that I never got into Offspring, I think I would have loved it. 

Back to Miss Fisher. For pure entertainment, it’s a brilliant show. The first word that springs to mind to describe it is Fun. The costumes, sets, characters, writing, all of it is terrific fun. Phryne Fisher is a modern heroine in a modernising time. I would argue, an excellent role model for young women. Having had her fair share of worldly experiences, she’s not going to be stuck in any dull female stereotypes. She’s independent, feisty and not about to be bossed around by anyone. She also has immense style, from her immaculate coiffeur to her crisp white trousers and her pearl-handled gun. I have a little bit of character-envy, if I’m honest.

Sadly, Miss Fisher has ended. There is talk of a second season but I can find no firm information on that. The show was re-played on ABS2 and may still be if you wanted to do some catching up. Otherwise, the DVD of the series is on sale at the ABC shop. 

This is a great Australian series based on novels by a local writer. It is an absolute delight to watch and I would recommend it to anyone.

All images courtesy of the ABC and Kerry Greenwood.

I don't know if anyone else is a fan of JJ Abrams (Fringe, Lost, Alias, Super 8), Jon Favreau (Iron Man 1 & 2, Cowboys & Aliens, Swingers) and Eric Kripke (Supernatural), but they're all making a new TV show together, and it looks pretty freakin' interesting...

Five for Friday no. 16

Fictional character birthdays: find out who you share your birthday with. I am seriously unhappy that I share mine with a lousy Desperate Housewives character while Chuck gets Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne!!!

Tenthings that made 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch cool. Relevant because there is a movie in the pipeline.

Disney poster re-imagined in a simple grphic-designer-loving manner. Am I the only person who sees something suspicious in the Wizard Of Oz poster? 

In Style Magazine's 50 best fashion tips of all time.

If you're like me and you have a big of a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel and secretly wish you had hair like hers ... sigh ... you might enjoy this 'style evolution' slideshow. The early 2000's were not a good time it seems.

 

 

Carrie and the 80s

As some of you may know, a new 'Sex and the City ' series is in production. 'The Carrie diaries' traces the young Carrie's life in New York prior to the writing, Big, and the manolos. Or not really.

I belong to a generation of women who loved Sex and the City. I remember spending a significant number of my grade 12 Chemistry lessons discussing the latest episode of the show. It was and is a great show, no matter what its many detractors think of it. Sure, it might have given me some unrealistic ideas about fashion and New York city but that was made up for by a little realistic relationship representation on screen.

Ironically, the fashion that helped make the series famous and fabulous was also its downfall. There is no way Carrie could have afforded her wardrobe, not on her salary – even post-Vogue. I remember reading in a mag the financial breakdown of Carrie's wardrobe and this outfit alone cost in the ten of thousands of dollars:

on 2 columns? I don't think so. (Love the outfit though)

Which brings me to my first of many beefs about 'The Carrie Diaries'. First off, stop flogging the dead horse. The first movie was pretty terrible, the second was dismal. Now another series? Just let the poor franchise rest. Anyway, main beef: the first snaps have emerged of the young Carrie strutting around New York and it strikes me that high school Carrie, or high-school Carrie's Mum could never have afforded this outfit:

There was never any suggestion that Carrie came from a well-to-do family. I always believed her to be totally average in that sense, maybe even worse off than others because her father ran off when she was young and there were surely few single mothers in the 1980s who could afford a whole lot of excess.

I'd wear this now, for heaven's sake. NOT 80s enough.

I know that SATC is famous for the fashion and 'Carrie Bradshaw' has a reputation to create, but I would have loved to see a genuinely inventive wardrobe on her, not an attempt at adult-Carrie-but-20-years-younger. In the first season, she didn't even display a quirky dress sense. What happened to scouring TV wardrobes and the amazing NYC vintage scene for genuine 80's pieces? What about a bit of fashion originality from the young Carrie? I can see her experimenting with DIY, denim and neon. The 80s were classy for no one, but they were loud and crazy. I want to see stone-wash-denim Carrie and scrunch-socks Carrie. You know she would have gone there.

I won't even get started on the other inaccuracies in the series, I will only say that 'The Carrie Diaries' in still in the early stages of production in the US. It has a SATC writer and is being produced by a couple of Gossip Girl producers, so even though I'm a little annoyed at it I'm sure it's going to be good mindless, pretty television.

If you want to read a more bitter take on adult Carrie's wardrobe, read this.

Horrible Histories

So this is not particularly stylish but it is a bit intellectual.

'Horrible Histories' is an educational (shudder) kids' series on the ABC, based on the best-selling books. The show has awesome segment titles like 'Slimy Stuarts' and 'Rotten Romans', musical numbers and lots of really bad jokes. It makes history fun and entertaining. The show can also be down-right clever and for a Monday morning I thought I would share this segment with those of you who have not yet discovered just how good this show is:

My very mild super power

I have a very minor super power. I have the ability to instantly read a personalised plate and see what the hidden meaning is. For example:

54MBA = Samba
Wall481e5 = Wallabies
Jealou5 = Dickhead

That sort of thing.

The concept of a very minor super power was introduced to me by David O’Doherty when watching a Melbourne Comedy Festival Show on TV years ago, and then again here on Spicks and Specks:



I’m sure I have others apart from my amazing number-plate-reading skills, but I’m going to need a moment of realisation before I can properly recognise them and officially deem them super abilities.

We all have very minor super powers. What are yours?