On ABC, Whitney Houston, and Charlie Brown

Here’s the situation. I’m watching Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown this evening. Charlie Brown and Sally are working on making a homemade Valentine card for Sally to give to her Sweet Baboo, and then… ABC breaks into Be My Valentine with a breaking news bulletin. The anchor, someone I have never seen before, says somethingContinue reading “On ABC, Whitney Houston, and Charlie Brown”

On Downton Abbey News and Silliness

In lieu of any meaningful posts today — the bronchitis still has me feeling at about 70% — let’s talk Downton Abbey! PBS is currently showing the season season of the ITV hit, and I absolutely adore the series. I can’t explain why I love it, except that the characters are awesome and it’s funContinue reading “On Downton Abbey News and Silliness”

On Zooey Deschanel’s “New Girl”

Last night I watched the first episode of Zooey Deschanel’s new television series, New Girl. I’ve been captivated by Zooey since I saw her in Almost Famous a decade ago where she portrayed Patrick Fugit’s rebellious older sister. While she is a fine musician (see the She & Him albums) and an actress capable ofContinue reading “On Zooey Deschanel’s “New Girl””

On Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)

The past few days I’ve been living in a Monty Python world. Edward R. Hamilton, a remaindered books seller. They also sell DVDs, and in a recent catalog I noticed they were offering Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut), a six-hour documentary that was shown on IFC several years ago that I’d neverContinue reading “On Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)”

On Smallville’s Finale

Until last night, I’d never seen an episode of Smallville. I knew about the series, about how it’s about Clark Kent as his powers develop, before he becomes Superman. I have coworkers and former coworkers who watch it religiously. My youngest sister, who wouldn’t be caught dead with a comic book, loved it in itsContinue reading “On Smallville’s Finale”

On the New Peanuts Special, Happiness Is A Warm Blanket

For this Peanuts fan, yesterday was a doubly significant day — not only did Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown come out on DVD, but I discovered 3eanuts, a “Garfield Minus Garfield”-esque reworking of Charles Schulz’s comic strips. 3eanuts takes the classic four panel Peanuts comic strip, then tosses the fourth panel out theContinue reading “On the New Peanuts Special, Happiness Is A Warm Blanket”

On Merlin’s Upcoming Season

The third season of Merlin begins this coming Saturday on BBC1. Here are the BBC’s two teaser trailers: So, the Great Dragon is back. Morgana is back. Morgause is back. And Arthur fights skeleton men! Merlin looks awfully gaunt. They must not be feeding him in the castle. Also, there’s not enough Gwen shown. Actually,Continue reading “On Merlin’s Upcoming Season”

On Emma Thompson and House

Emma Thompson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, flanked by Nanny McPhee costar Maggie Gyllenhaal and Cambridge classmate and House star Hugh Laurie. Seeing Thompson and Laurie together reminds me, besides Peter’s Friends (which I’ve not seen in far too long), of a House story I would love to see.Continue reading “On Emma Thompson and House”

On Sherlock’s “A Study in Pink”

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.” I first read this line, from the opening chapter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, when I was ten. It was the meeting between Sherlock Holmes, soon to be the famous consulting detective, and Dr. John H. Watson, recently invalided home from the front dueContinue reading “On Sherlock’s “A Study in Pink””