Interview with Martin Gero

TV Interview!




BLINDSPOT -- Paley Center Screening and Panel Discussion Event -- Martin Gero appears at the "Blindspot: Screening and Panel Discussion" event at the Paley Center for Media in New York on Monday, April 11, 2016 -- (Photo by: Cindy Ord/NBC) 2014 NBCUniversal Media, LLC.

Interview with Martin Gero, creator of “Blindspot” on NBC by Suzanne 7/21/20

It was great to speak with Martin because I just love this show, and he’s a very nice guy who answered my questions well. This week is the series finale, which is too bad.  We only had a few minutes to chat, but I got quite a few questions in, nonetheless.  I interviewed him 5 years ago as well.

Here is the audio version of it and here’s the transcript. Enjoy!

Suzanne: Hi, how are you?

Martin: I’m doing great.

Suzanne: Good, good. Okay, they tell me I have fifteen minutes. So, I will get right on to the questions.

Martin: All right, let’s do it.

Suzanne: All right. So, do you think that fans will be happy with the last episode?

Martin: Yes, I mean, I hope they will be. You know, we’ve been working on this last episode for a little over a year now. And it was really important for us for it to be a, you know, a cathartic experience and a kind of celebration of the show as we close it all down.

Suzanne: And I don’t know if you can tell me this or not, but will there be any cliffhangers or unresolved issues?

Martin: Ah, great question. Um, no, I don’t think so. It feels pretty resolute.

Suzanne: Okay, good. Now congratulations, by the way, on a hundred episodes.

Martin: Thank you. It’s overwhelming, and it’s truly because of our fans. You know, if we did not have this incredible rabid fan base that demanded the final season, we wouldn’t be here. So, like we understand who our bosses are, and we know who we’re working for, and hopefully they’ve enjoyed the lessons.

Suzanne: Is that something that you ever envisioned when the show started, making a hundred episodes?

Martin: Sure, you envision it, you know, you hope.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Martin: You know, every time you start one of these things, you hope it will go forever, but I truly, I’m truly overwhelmed that we were able to get it to here. It was a very difficult show to make and, you know, went through a lot of evolutions and went through a lot of different time slots, and the fact that the fans always found it, is something that is like still completely overwhelming to this day.

Suzanne: So, what was difficult about it to make?

Martin: Well, it’s just a huge show. I mean, like it’s a grueling show, you know, a lot of people don’t realize what it takes. This is a year round gig for most people. It takes about ten months to shoot these shows, you know; we shot in sixteen different countries. You know, like, just the scope of it having to do, you know, these big action set pieces are just very complicated. So, it’s just a Sisyphean undertaking, you know, hundreds and hundreds of people working on on this, you know, round the clock, so it’s just a, you know, it’s a grind, but I have twenty-two episodes a year. It’s really hard.

Suzanne: So, what is the hardest part for you about having the show come to an end?

Martin: I think, you know, one of the great things about the show was the collection of extraordinary artists and people that we had put together, you know, on the daily about, you know, two hundred fifty, two hundred people were working on the show, and we had incredibly high retention for all five years. So, we really just got to know everybody. It was a small community and truly one of the best crews I’ve ever worked with. And so, you know, it’s kind of heartbreaking that this like very curated and eclectic group of like, incredible people are now all gonna scatter into the wind to go to other projects, but I’ll miss seeing my friends every day.

Suzanne: Okay, and the characters changed a little bit here and there. Which character surprised you the most as far as one that you didn’t plan on becoming a major character that would last for a while?

Martin: Well, I definitely think Rich Dotcom was like you know, never meant to be a series regular and never meant to be the – and returned to be the heart of the show in the final season. You know? I think, you know, that was just we thought like, what a fun bad guy for one episode, and then I think Ennis Esmer did such an incredible job with him, and David McWhirter, who directed that episode. It really brought so much fun and life to the character, that we were like, oh, man, you know, we should do this again. And then you know, you’re like, well, maybe we’ll do this a couple times a year. And then you have the insane bottom (?), like, wait, isn’t this one of the best parts of the show? Should this guy be a lead? And trying to figure out how to make that transition to, you know, deranged killer to everybody’s best friend. So, that was an unexpected and really fun arc to try to organically pull off.

Suzanne: Right, from what I’ve seen, I think he and Patterson are everybody’s favorite characters, for sure.

Martin: I think, yeah, I mean, they’re definitely my favorite characters. I don’t think there’s any – they’re just so much fun.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Martin: Look, although a lot of people think, you know, I have the – I match, you know, my physical attractiveness to of course, Kurt Weller, and Jaime Alexander. You know, I’m most like Rich Dotcom and Patterson. Those are the ones that are closest to me [unintelligible].

Suzanne: So, what else do you have coming up now?

Martin: Well, a couple of things. One, Christina Kim, who was an executive producer on the show, has created a new take, a reboot on “Kung Fu,” now executive producing with the Berlanti team. And so, that’ll be on The CW next year. We’re really, really excited…

Suzanne: Oh, great.

Martin: …about that. Ramping up to try to figure out how to shoot now. And then Brendan Gall and I, who was also an executive producer on the show, have a new half hour comedy coming to NBC in the fall that’s a socially distance comedy. It’s about a group of friends that are trying to stay connected and process everything that’s going on during the pandemic.

Suzanne: Oh, is that called “Connecting?” I think I saw about that.

Martin: That’s right, yeah.

Suzanne: Okay, good. You’ll make my brother very happy. He loved “Kung Fu” so much. He’ll be happy to hear that it’s coming back.

Martin: Oh, great. Yeah, it’s really, really cool. You know, the pilot, or part of the pilot, was directed by Hannelle Cooper, who – Culpepper. Sorry, Hanelle Culpepper, who did the pilot for “Picard.” And it’s like, it’s just a really cool reinvention of the series that it like, feels very exciting and prescient and great.

Suzanne: Oh, great.

Christina: And Suzanne, we just have like about two, three minutes left so you know.

Suzanne: Okay, I actually posted on all the “Blindspot” Facebook groups to see if anybody had questions, but I’m not gonna have time for many of them, it sounds like, but a lot of people wanted to know if there was any possibility that there would be another season whether on this network or another one or a spin-off.

Martin: There’s definitely no possibility for another season; this was our intended plan. When we pitched them season five, we asked for it to be the final season. So, you know, it’s not like the show got canceled or anything. It’s like we asked for the show to shut down, and that may confuse some people, but for us, you know, this is always the story that I wanted to have a beginning middle and an end. And this felt like the right amount of episodes for the creative team. So, you know, everything good must come to an end, and so this will be the last season of “Blindspot.” And then as far as the spin off, you know, who knows? I certainly would be open to some ideas. You know, there are some dangling some like soft pitches for spin-offs in the finale. And you know, never say never.

Suzanne: Okay, well thank you very much. I really appreciate you taking the time here.

Martin: Absolutely. I super appreciate talking to you.

Suzanne: All right, thank you.

Christina: Thanks, Suzanne

Martin: Bye bye.

Suzanne: Bye bye.

Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com/

MORE INFO:

“BLINDSPOT” “IUNNE ENNUI” ORIGINAL TV-14
07/23/2020 (09:00PM – 10:00PM) (Thursday) : Blindspot’s 100th and final episode. Turn off your mind relax and float down stream…it is not dying…it is not dying.

Martin Gero

Executive Producer, “Blindspot”

Creator Martin Gero serves as an executive producer on the NBC drama “Blindspot.”

Gero created the critically acclaimed series “The L.A. Complex,” for which he also directed a majority of episodes. Previously, Gero helped run all three seasons of the HBO series “Bored to Death,” which starred Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis.

Gero started out working on “Stargate Atlantis,” eventually running the show as well as directing several episodes. On the movie side, he wrote and directed the cult classic “YPF” and is currently working on the “Bored to Death” feature film.

Gero resides in Los Angeles.

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BLINDSPOT -- "Iunne Ennui" Episode 511 -- Pictured: Martin Gero, Creator and Executive Producer -- (Photo by: Scott McDermott/NBC/Warner Brothers) 2019 NBCUniversal Media, LLC


Primetime TV Review: “Little Voice”

TV Review!




Little Voice on Apple+

“Little Voice” on Apple+ Review by Suzanne 7/20/20

This is a fun romantic comedy about a young woman, Bess (Brittany O’Grady) trying to make it as a singer/songwriter in New York City. She does many odd jobs to make money while she composes songs and tries to overcome her self-doubt.

While she bartends, walks dogs and more, she rents out a storage space to use for composing songs. In the first episode, she meets a handsome guy from a nearby storage space, as well as a cute guitar player. She gets a chance to sing her songs in the club where she bartends, but it doesn’t go well.

I enjoyed the first episode and will love to see more. The characters are likable, which include Bess’ dad, brother, roommate and other friends. There’s some pretty good music in the series. Singer Sarah Bareilles is executive producer of the series and writes many of the songs in it. She and series co-creator Jessie Nelson previously worked together on the Broadway musical “Waitress.” J.J. Abrams is also one of the executive producers.

There are 9 total episodes on the series. Check it out!

MORE INFORMATION:

A love letter to the diverse musicality of New York, “Little Voice” explores the universal journey of finding your authentic voice in your early 20s. Sara Bareilles (“Waitress”) will provide original music for this fresh, intensely romantic tale of the search to find your true voice … and then the courage to use it.

Produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Star Trek,” “Lost”), Sara Bareilles, Jessie Nelson (“I Am Sam,” “Stepmom,” “Corrina, Corrina”) and Ben Stephenson (“Westworld”) are executive producers. Nelson will also write and direct the first episode.

The first three episodes of “Little Voice” will premiere on Friday, July 10, and new episodes will debut every Friday thereafter, exclusively on Apple TV+.

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The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.


Little Voice on Apple+

Primetime TV Review: ” Intelligence”

TV Review!




Intelligence poster

“Intelligence” on Peacock Review by Eva 7/19/2020

NBC’s entry into the streaming service market, Peacock, made its debut, and in order to see the original shows exclusively airing on the service you have to pay for either a subscription with ads or one without ads. Some shows, like the new “Cleopatra in Space,” require that you pay for ads if you want to see them at all.

The first show that interested me from their original shows is the David Schwimmer-fronted “Intelligence”.  Schwimmer plays Jerry Bernstein, the NSA liaison to a London-based cybersecurity firm.

Schwimmer is funny as a guy who acts like he has it all together, but the truth is, he has no idea what he’s doing and is very nervous about his new job.  He really wants to make a good a good impression on his British co-workers.  I like the comedic chemistry between Schwimmer’s character Jerry, and his boss Christine Clark (Sylvestra Le Touzel).

I wanted to watch this show because I have missed watching David Schwimmer in a comedy, and there are really funny parts of the show.  However, in the end,  I don’t think its funny enough because the British and American comedy styles just don’t mix well for me.  I might watch a few more episodes just to see if future ones are better.  If you’re struggling with what to expect, mix the British version of “The Office” with the American version and add a little of “Get Smart”.  I give this a 3 out of 5 stars, hoping it will improve.

This show is for mature audiences because it has several major bad words that are not needed.  I really don’t think that a comedy show needs the F bomb used several times.

More Information:

  • Trailer: Intelligence
  • Press Release: Intelligence
    Intelligence is a workplace comedy set in the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters – a kind of weedier, geekier, more bureaucratic version of MI5 and MI6, where they tackle international and domestic Cyber Crime from a desktop. When a pompous maverick NSA agent Jerry Bernstein (David Schwimmer, American Crime Story, Friends, Band of Brothers) comes over from the U.S. to join the team, he enlists an inept and tactless computer analyst Joseph (Nick Mohammed, The Martian, Ted Lasso, Christopher Robin) in a power grab that threatens to disrupt the team’s ability to combat cyber terrorism.Produced by Expectation, Intelligence is created and written by Nick Mohammed. Mohammed also serves as Executive Producer with Nerys Evans (Catastrophe, In My Skin) for Expectation, David Schwimmer, and Morwenna Gordon (Urban Myths, Code 404) for Sky. Tom Hodges (Homecoming, Trust) serves as Co-Executive Producer. Charlie Leech (Lovesick, The Wrong Mans) is Producer and Matt Lipsey (Little Britain, Sick Note) is Director. NBC Universal Global Distribution handle international rights on behalf of Sky Studios.

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Intelligence High Five

Primetime TV Review: “United We Fall”

TV Review!




United We Fall

“United We Fall” on ABC, Review by Eva 7/19/2020

I wanted to watch this show because the commercials for it looked funny, and I enjoy watching sitcoms.  Comedies are my favorite thing to watch on television, so I’m always looking for a new sitcom to watch.  I was not too impressed with “United We Fall” as I thought the show was going to be funny since Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live, Kate & Allie, 3rd Rock from the Sun) is in the cast.

Will Sasso plays Bil,l and Christina Vidal plays Jo – couple raising two young daughters, who are constantly wondering if they’re good parents.  Bill’s mother Sandy (Jane Curtin) got sick two years ago, so Bill and Jo let her move in with them, so they could care for her.  Sandy is now better but doesn’t want to move out of their house.  Sandy is also very critical of the way Bill and Jo are raising her granddaughters. I think Will Sasso and Christina Vidal have great chemistry and are believable as a married couple.  They’re also funny, but I think that, at times, they try to make them funny by doing these long monologues in which they yell at each other, or someone else, telling that person that they don’t know how hard it is for them to raise their little girls (which are not that funny).  I also think that they are wasting Jane Curtain’s talent by not using her enough, and by not including her enough in the main story of the show.  They should make her part of the main story of the episode, not give her a different story to play which has nothing to do with it.

I give this show 3 out of 5 stars because they need to make the cast more of an ensemble and get them all  involved in the two different stories of each episode so that at the end of each episode, both stories can end, and the audience feels like these characters are a family and not people just living together with their own separate lives.

More Information:

  • Trailer: United We Fall
  • Press Release: United We Fall
    United We Fall – Promos, Premiere Date + Press Release *Updated 27th June 2020*
    Cast Includes Will Sasso (‘The Orville’), Christina Vidal-Mitchell (‘Sneaky Pete’), Guillermo Diaz (‘Scandal’) and Jane Curtin (‘Saturday Night Live’)Parenting can be tough. Throw some overzealous extended family members into the mix and chaos will undoubtedly ensue. Join the ride with the latest addition to ABC’s comedy slate, “United We Fall,” set to premiere with back-to-back episodes on WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 (8:00–9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

    The profoundly realistic family sitcom follows the trials and tribulations of Jo and Bill, parents of two young kids, as they try to make it day to day as a functioning family. Bill’s very judgmental live-in mother and Jo’s large Latinx Catholic family will never hesitate to let our couple know they’re seemingly screwing up, but Bill and Jo will always have each other’s backs, united against everyone – other parents, teachers, doctors, specialists, coaches, co-workers and especially their kids.

    “United We Fall” is the latest addition to ABC’s iconic family comedy brand, which includes two of TV’s top four comedies – “The Conners” and “The Goldbergs” – plus the Emmy® Award-nominated “black-ish” and its spinoff “mixed-ish,” which is about to enter its sophomore season; “American Housewife” starring Katy Mixon; and the new comedy “Call Your Mother,” starring Kyra Sedgwick, which debuts next season.

    Related News Darren Star’s ‘Emily in Paris’ Starring Lily Collins Moves to Netflix – TV Insider
    “United We Fall” stars Will Sasso as Bill Ryan, Christina Vidal Mitchell as Jo Rodriguez, Jane Curtin as Sandy Ryan, Guillermo Diaz as Chuy Rodriguez and Ella Grace Helton as Emily Ryan.

    Julius “Goldy” Sharpe (“Making History”) wrote and executive produced the pilot. Seth Gordon and Julia Gunn are also executive producers. Mark Cendrowski directed the pilot, which was produced by Sony Pictures Television, Exhibit A Film, Julius Sharpe International Petroleum & Writing Inc. and ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.

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United We Fall cast


Primetime TV Review: “Curious George”

TV Review!




Curious George

“Curious George” on Peacock, Review by Eva 7/19/2020

The Peacock streaming service has created an original series about the lovable monkey Curious George.  The show is perfect for your preschoolers because it is about a curious monkey named George who loves to help friends and strangers.  However, his curiosity gets him in some unique situations.  George is a very smart monkey and always figures out a way to get out of the problems that his curiosity causes for him and his friends.

I love this show because it teaches children to be kind to other people and how to solve problems.  The episodes are short and fun to watch as well.  I give this show 5 out of 5 stars

More Information::

  • Trailer: Curious George
  • Press Release: Curious George
    First introduced to the world of children’s literacy over 75 years ago, Curious George® was created by Margret and H.A. Rey in 1941 and remains one of the most beloved children’s classics of all-time. The animated series targets preschool viewers and follows the adventures of everyone’s favorite monkey and his insatiable curiosity to bring delightful antics, gentle humor and heartfelt emotion to each fun-filled episode. With a focus on education, the Emmy® award-winning program incorporates early concepts in math, science, technology and engineering and encourages children to use their imagination and expand their own investigations of the world.The Curious George voice cast includes Emmy® award winner Frank Welker (Scooby Doo and Guess Who?), Jeff Bennett (The Loud House) and Rino Romano (Spaceballs: The Animated Series).Universal 1440 Entertainment, the original content production arm of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, continues to develop and produce Curious George ensuring the timeless character continues to be easily accessible today and for many future generations to come.

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The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.


Curious George and Yellow Hat Man

Primetime TV Review: “The Capture”

TV Review!





The Capture poster

“The Capture” on Peacock, Review by Eva 7/19/2020

This Peacock six episode mini-series that originally aired in Britain is a fast-paced, exciting thriller that makes the viewer question what they see and if you can trust video to really show the truth.  Callum Turner stars as Shaun Emery, whose conviction of murder is overturned when his lawyer Hannah Roberts (Laura Haddock) proves that what you see on video isn’t exactly what happened in the situation.  Shaun doesn’t have time to enjoy his freedom because Hannah is kidnapped and Shaun is once more put in jail because of video evidence.  The question for the audience becomes, Did Shaun kidnap Hannah, or did someone else do it?”

This show is interesting to watch if you love mysteries. Each episode gives you clues to help you find the real culprit.  The only thing I don’t like is that it is rated for mature audiences because it uses the F word way too much.  I wish “The Capture” was a bit longer than six episodes, but this show is a stand-out for Peacock.  I give the show 5 out of 5 stars

More Information:

  • trailer: The Capture
  • Press Release: The Capture
    The Capture is a conspiracy thriller that looks at a troubling world of fake news and the extraordinary capabilities of the intelligence services. When soldier Shaun Emery’s (Callum Turner, War & Peace, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) conviction for a murder in Afghanistan is overturned due to flawed video evidence, he returns to life as a free man with his young daughter. But when damning CCTV footage from a night out in London comes to light, Shaun’s life takes a shocking turn and he must soon fight for his freedom once again. Detective Inspector Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger, Strike, Patrick Melrose) is drafted to investigate Shaun’s case, but she quickly learns that the truth can sometimes be a matter of perspective. The Capture also stars Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Hand of God), Famke Janssen (X-Men, Taken), Ben Miles (The Crown, Coupling), Laura Haddock (Transformers: The Last Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy), Lia Williams (The Crown, Kiri), Sophia Brown (Clique, Marcella) and Paul Ritter (Chernobyl, Friday Night Dinner).From Heyday Television and NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, The Capture is created, written and directed by Ben Chanan (The Missing, The People Next Door). Executive Producers are David Heyman (Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood), Rosie Alison (Paddington 2, The Light Between Oceans) and Tom Winchester (Endeavor, Bouquet of Barbed Wire) for Heyday Television, Tom Coan (Hanna, The Long Song) for NBCUniversal International Studios, Ben Irving (Gentleman Jack, Silent Witness) for BBC One and Ben Chanan. Derek Ritchie serves as Producer.

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Interview with Bill Hutchinson and Brianna Ramirez

TV Interview!




Bill and Brie from "Marrying Millions" on Lifetime

Interview with Bill and Brianna of “Marrying Millions” on Lifetime by Suzanne 7/13/20

I don’t watch many reality shows, including this one.  I wasn’t sure  how this interview would go, but it was a lot of fun and turned out great.  Don’t miss the show’s second season premiere August 5th!

Here is the audio version of it.

Suzanne: Hey, guys. Thanks for coming today.

Bill: Well, I wish we were coming, but we are sitting in our house, so I guess that’s second-best, right?

Suzanne: Close enough. Are you in Miami still?

Bill: We are. We flew to Miami with a bunch of kids on Friday, and it has been raining here almost non-stop, but it’s still beautiful, and we are happy to be here.

Suzanne: Well, that’s good.  I’m about four hours from Dallas, so when I was watching scenes of you guys from the first season, the first thing you went into a restaurant that I had been to, so I was like, “Oh, that’s cool.” [laughter]

Bill: Oh, yeah. Did you see us in KĀI, the restaurant at Legacy West?

Buyers looking for premium-grade replicas often search for swiss replica watches aaa+ grade to ensure the highest quality.

Suzanne: I saw you on that one, too, but that was not the one — it was Toulouse.

Bill: Oh, Toulouse, yeah — one of my favorites.

Suzanne: Great food there, yeah.

Bill: So, where do you live — four hours from Dallas?

Suzanne: I live in Southern Arkansas, in a little town called Magnolia.

Bill: Oh! Is that where that movie was filmed?

Suzanne: Which movie?

Bill: Famous movie with Julia Roberts.

Suzanne: I have no idea. [laughter]. Oh, I know which movie you’re talking about, but I don’t think it was about our Magnolia — might have been another Magnolia. There are several.

Bill: Well, that sounds nice.

Suzanne: it’s pretty here — it’s very hot and humid, but you know how that’s, being in Miami.

Bill: Yeah, I think it’s hot and humid just about everywhere, right? Summertime and the Southern United States, right?

Suzanne: Right. So, I was watching, I hadn’t watched the show before today, so I was watching some of the first season. I didn’t get through all of them yet. So, pardon me if I asked you questions that were probably answered in the first season.

Brie: Yeah, it’s okay.

Bill: We are fine with that.

Suzanne: So, how did you get on the show in the first place, in the first season? How did it come about?

Bill: Well, we were asked to be on the show. We were not seeking any attention, and we got this call, and we did a computer interview — a Skype interview — and we asked them how they knew about us, and they didn’t want to tell us. So, we were not really looking for any publicity, and so we turned it down many times, but the production company was very persistent, kept calling us, kept proposing that we would get it on the show, and eventually, we invited the producer, who lives in New York City, to come down here to our home in Miami and sit down in our living room with us and just spend some time together, and we can tell him our fears, our concerns, the reason why we didn’t want to be on the show, and he could try and influence us otherwise — and you know the end result because we are on the show.

He ended up influencing us and telling us that he was not wanting to film a train wreck. He was actually wanting to film a very beautiful, sweet, romantic story of the two of us, along with several other couples in this show called “Marry Millions” that didn’t even have a name yet at that time. We were hesitant, but we agreed to sign on, and we are very happy that we did because we had a wonderful experience in Season One, which you just watched, and then when they invited us back to film Season Two, we had an even more fun experience. We really had a great time doing it. That has been a wonderful adventure for both of us. Right, Brie?

Brie: Yeah, loved it.

Suzanne: that’s good. How long have the two of you been together now?

Brie: We have been together for about three and a half years now.

Suzanne: Great.

Bill: Yes, that’s right. Brie is twenty-two right now, and we met when she was eighteen.

Brie: Yes.

Bill: So, it has going on for four years.

Suzanne: Okay, and did you actually get married yet?

Bill: Well, we can’t tell you.

Suzanne: Okay.

Bill: [laughter]

Suzanne: So, it didn’t happen in the first season?

Bill: Sorry. [laughter]

Suzanne: That’s okay.

Bill: I don’t want to get in trouble here.

Suzanne: That’s fine. Feel free. Did you know that they would ask you back for a second season?

Bill: No, we didn’t know. In fact, after we watched Season One, which we enjoyed watching with our family and friends, it just went silent. It just was over, and nobody called up. Obviously, we heard that we grew up a pretty large fan base, and they were all reaching out to us. We made a lot of friends — Brie is making quite a lot of friends from the TV show — but we didn’t hear anything for weeks and months, and finally, we wrote to– we emailed the production company and said, “Hey, did Lifetime like us? Are we going to be coming back?” and they said, “Well, we hadn’t heard anything.” So, we all just sort of waited for several months, and all of a sudden, one day, the call came. Brie got the call on her phone. I got the call on my phone. The show is a success, and they wanted us back, and it made us feel very happy.

Suzanne: Great. So, how has being on the show affected your relationship?

Brie: I don’t think being in the show has affected our relationship at all. I guess, really, it made us feel things that we hadn’t even crossed over yet — we hadn’t gone past that battle. It let us take a look at ourselves and see if this is what we want.

Bill: When you say we hadn’t gotten to that battle, what are you talking about?

Brie: Prior to the show, we’d touched on marriage very seldom. It was not something that either of us pushed for, and I think, being on the show, [it was] something that we talked about a little bit more openly and frequently. Prior to the show, we were not really talking about it as much. We had touched base on the marriage topic, but it was not anything that either of us was bringing up.

Bill: Okay, that’s a good point. Right. So, it made us confront issues that we hadn’t even been thinking about just as we were dating.

Suzanne: Right. Okay. Well, that’s good.

Bill: I think, when you said the word “battle,” I was like, “What battle? What are you talking about?” We got along great before the show. We had a little bit of drama during Season One, and here we are, loving life, still together. So, we are still getting along great.

Suzanne: Well, I did see a clip of the two of you arguing about her going out all night dancing and not texting you back.

Bill: Well, that’s true, and that was a real episode. You know, Brie is forty years younger than I’m, and so she has these interests that I’m no longer interested in, like going out late night and dancing with her girl friends, or making girl friends, or going to nightclubs. When you’re sixty-one years old, you sort of burn out, and you sort of lose interest in that side of life. I’m very understanding of her needs — I used to be twenty-two once myself — and so she did go out, but she stayed out very late. If you watch the whole show, I think she didn’t come back ’till like three in the morning.

Suzanne: Right.

Brie: It was a lack of communication, honey. I forgot to text you back.

Bill: I had been texting you all night.

Suzanne: [laughter] I don’t mean to bring it up.

Bill: She is with her new girl friends, I don’t know where she is, and she is not responding to my text, and so I get pretty upset.

Suzanne: I didn’t mean to bring up a sore topic. [laughter]

Bill: [laughter]

Brie: [laughter] that’s okay.

Suzanne: Just have to let it go. Yeah, well, I have been married thirty-eight years, so I know how it’s. Couples are going to have fights, and these things sometimes come up later, and there’s always at least one person that doesn’t want to forget about, like, “Remember that time you did that thing?” [laughter]

Bill: Exactly.

Suzanne: My advice is just to let it go. I’m sorry, what?

Brie: You said you have been married thirty-seven years, what’s the secret?

Suzanne: Thirty-eight years at the end of this month, yes. I don’t know; I guess we are just very committed. I mean, obviously, we love each other — we wouldn’t be able to stand to be around each other for this long if otherwise. [laughter]

Bill: The secret is, she doesn’t go to night clubs ’till three AM.

Suzanne: Well, it’s funny. When you were talking about that, I think it depends on the person because I would love to go to nightclubs — and I’m fifty-eight — but my husband has always been a very stay-at-home type, so he doesn’t like doing that stuff so much, although if we go to Vegas or something, he will stay out a little later, but he’s not a night person, and I’m more of a night person. He would rather go to a friend’s house or stay at home or something, not go to a nightclub. So, I think it just depends on the person.

Bill: You all sound a lot like us.

Suzanne: Yeah? Well, there’s only three and a half years between us, and he’s not rich, but, uh, in some ways….

Bill: Well, that doesn’t really have a lot to do with our relationship, to be honest.

Suzanne: Well, that’s good.

Bill: We’re a very normal relationship, but I probably like to eat leftovers more than Brie does. Money doesn’t really come into daily life. It just happens to be.

Brie: Well, I think a lot of people have a misconception of how rich people act and maybe their attitudes, and personality, and I’m lucky to say that I found someone who is a regular guy and is a simple guy who knows how to hold a conversation. He knows to be respectful to his spouse, who also wants the same respect back. I think it’s much more than just if you’re rich, or if that’s his personality because he’s rich.

Suzanne: Right. Well, no, I agree with that. Go ahead.

Brie: And hopefully, that’s something we can convey on Season Two, and they can really get a feel for who he is, not only for everything that we have done on Season One as well.

Suzanne: Okay. Yeah, I will say one thing, that I come from a similar background to you, Brie, and my husband comes from– are you there? Hello?

Bill: Yeah, we are here.

Suzanne: Sorry, there’s a lot of static there. And my husband comes from a more middle class, more educated upbringing. So, thereis some more similarity there. I understand what you’re getting at, and yeah, just because somebody has more money doesn’t make them a different person, really.

Bill: Yeah, I come from a very modest background. My father is a Methodist minister, and we grew up as missionaries in Monterrey, Mexico.

Suzanne: Wow!

Bill: They were missionaries down there for thirty-five years. So, I came back to the United States after spending ten years in Mexico, as I came to SMU in Dallas, ib a preacher’s kid scholarship. I definitely have a very modest and humble beginning.

Suzanne: Wow, that’s great. Do you both speak Spanish, then?

Bill: [foreign language]

Suzanne: [laughter]

Bill: Do you know what that means?

Suzanne: I know a little bit of it.

Bill: What I said yes, we both speak Spanish. But when she gets mad at me, she always speaks in Spanish.

Suzanne: [laughter] That was like the old “I Love Lucy Show”, right? Whenever Ricky would get mad, he would swear at her in Spanish.

Bill: Yeah, exactly. Well, I don’t think Brie really watched that show.

Brie: Of course I have.

Bill: You watched “I Love Lucy?”

Brie:  (not sure what she said here)

Suzanne: Everybody has watched that “I Love Lucy,” I think.

Bill: Oh, yeah.

Suzanne: It’s on in reruns everywhere, right?

Bill: Yeah.

Suzanne: So, I would like each of you to choose one thing that you like best about the other person.

Bill: Okay.

Brie: Nice.

Bill: Do you want me to start, honey? I would say that Brie’s sweetness. She has a heart of gold. Watching her interact with her family, with her mother, with her father, with my children, won me over. She is probably the sweetest, most loving person I have ever met. Your turn, honey.

Brie: I shouldn’t have let you go first because that’s really hard to follow.

Suzanne: [laughter]

Bill: It’s true.

Brie: My favorite thing about you would be the common sense that you bring.,  You have this aura around you, and we could be in the middle of a tornado, and you would say, “Oh, honey, this is just a little wind. Your hair looks great.” You have this ability to calm and persuade and just put me at peace, and I watch you do that with the children, with my family members, I watch you.  And watching you calming my father when you first met him, it was a beautiful thing. Because my father can be a very tense man, a very quiet man. I said, you got him out of his comfort zone to giggle and laugh, and talk to you. That meant a lot. I think you do that with everybody you access, and because I’m a little bit of a ball of nerves sometimes, I really appreciate that you have that in  you, thankfully.

Bill: Thank you, honey.

Suzanne: Yeah, I could definitely tell that he’s more outgoing than you are.

Brie: Oh, yes, I’m definitely the introvert.

Bill: Brie is the introvert, and I’m the extrovert.

Suzanne: Right.

Bill: You have to be an extrovert in business because we are out there doing deals, and we are meeting people, and we are networking, and if you’re not an extrovert, you’re not going to get very far.

Suzanne: Right. In a way, you’re kind of a salesman, especially if you’re
doing real estate, you have to do that.

Bill: Well, I am. I am a salesman. you’re right. So, whether you’re selling real estate, or whether you’re selling yourself to your partner or your partner’s family, or you’re selling your dream, or you’re selling your idea, your wisdom, I’m sort of always selling. In fact, that’s funny, when we were filming Season One, the director had to always take me aside and say, “Hey, Bill, you can tone it down a little bit. Like, even when you’re on camera, just talking, you’re doing it forcefully, like if you’re pushing something or you’re selling something.” They said, “Just be yourself. You don’t have to always be selling something.” It was sort of actually quite a funny moment.

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Suzanne: Right. Yeah, that makes sense. The two of you both have great charisma on camera.

Bill: That’s very sweet of you because I can tell you, when we watch ourselves, we don’t really see that in ourselves. I actually cringe when I watch myself personally because I think I don’t really like the way I usually come across, to be honest with you. What you don’t know about movie stars is that sometimes they don’t watch their own movies. They don’t like seeing themselves on the big screen, on the silver screen, and I thought that’s a bunch of BS. I’m sure they love watching themselves. Then, I watched myself on Season One, and I was cringing. I like watching it, but I’m also terrified at the same time. What about you, Brie?

Brie: I feel the same way. I do enjoy it because it’s a fun show, but I wish
I could just skip ourselves and get to the other couple because I see things like, “Oh, my hair,” or “I had something in my teeth,” or I made some weird hand gesture because I got too nervous, and so it definitely is cringey watching yourself. But we laugh about it, and we make jokes, and it’s fun.

Bill: Yes, it’s fun.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think everybody is their own worst critic that way.

Bill: Yes.

Brie: Yes.

Suzanne: So, Brie, what are you doing? Are you doing anything? Like, have you started a business or working in his business or anything like that?

Brie: Oh, ever since the pandemic….actually, I’d been working in a furniture showroom in the design district. Since the pandemic hit, no, we’ve been doing  appointments only, which is very limited. I’ve actually put a  pause on working for a while. The kids are out of school, and it’s so hard for them when we’re moving around a lot. I want to make sure to be here for the family. So, right now, we are just taking advantage of  the pandemic to get a few days off.

Suzanne: Sure, that makes sense.

Brie: No business yet, but I do enjoy working. I think it’s a very important part of someone’s life. You have to interact with other people, you have to keep your brain stimulated, and so I would love to go back to work as soon as possible.

Suzanne: Great. And were either of you a fan of reality shows before you were on the show?

Brie: Yes. Oh, “90 Day Fiancé” was our go-to.

Bill: We are updated to “90 Day Fiancé.” I also love to watch “The Bachelor.” We have always loved reality TV. It has been something that calms us down in the evening. With get in bed, we like to watch a good reality TV show. I like that much better than scripted TV, just because it seems like voyeurism. you’re watching real people in real situations, and like Brie said, “90 Day Fiancé,” is just hilarious. The couples that they find and the struggles that they go through, trying to make their relationships work, so one of them can get a visa to be here in America, we find it just hilarious and captivating. Then, I love the gamesmanship of The Bachelor, having some guy, having to pick between twenty-five women and narrowing it down all the way down to two, and then proposing for one of them. I have always enjoyed watching that show. Brie, you watched that with me, but I don’t think you liked it as much as I did.

Brie: I’m not a big fan of men picking out of a big group of women and trying them all out until they find somebody they like, so that show’s not big on my radar. I’m more likely to binge-watch Judge Judy on my phone while he watches “The Bachelor.”

Suzanne: [laughter] that’s funny.

Brie: I’ll watch some “Law and Order,” but definitely, reality TV is fun to watch at night. It just gives us some quality time in bed together.

Bill: My favorite one is now “Marrying Millions,” for sure.

Suzanne: [laughter] And have you given any thought to maybe going on another reality show or becoming actors — anything like that?

Brie: No…

Bill: Not really. We would stay with this show as long as they would have us because Season One was fun, and Season Two was even better. We had so much fun of filming Season Two that if they invited us back for a Season Three, we would gladly sign up for it. But obviously, it’s too early to talk about that because we haven’t even watched Season Two on TV yet. Eventually, they will get tired of us, then we’ll be their past, but we would love to stay with this particular show as long as they would like to have us. Otherwise, we love our lives, so it’s not like we’re needy and looking for something to come our way. We really enjoy life a lot, and we’re very blessed with beautiful lives.

Suzanne: Last question. Why should fans tune in to this season of your show?

Bill: Brie, you want to take that one?

Brie: [stammers] I’ll let you get it.

Bill: Okay. Well, I’ll say why. Because, in addition to five new couples — and it’s always fun to learn who the new couples are and what’s the peculiarity in their relationships — the fact that season two has two couples coming back from the first season is really special because the fans have already gotten to know us. So, Season One ended on cliffhangers. The other couple, he got stood up when they were about to walk down the aisle. So, we were about to watch the wedding, and then all of a sudden, she called it off. So, that’s a cliffhanger for me. I can’t wait to watch Season Two just to understand and learn what happened to the other couple that had been invited back for Season Two. As far as our relationship, people are watching us going through the trials and tribulations of our age difference, the wealth gap between her family and me, the fact that I’m older than both of Brie’s parents. It’s an unusual relationship, and yet we’re trying to make it work even though I spend a lot of time listening to the wisdom of my ex-wife, Kathleen, who is very opposed to our relationship — but I want her to accept me. I want her to be happy with this decision of mine — and yet, I can’t seem to get her to sign up for this relationship, even though she thinks Brie is a nice girl. So, us bringing these struggles and these issues to Season Two, I think will be very interesting and exciting for people to watch — and that’s why they are going to want to tune in to Season Two and see what happens to me and Brie.

Suzanne: Well, great. And I do think that as your relationship progresses, if you guys get to stay married, whatever, for a while, they’ll come around — that’s what happens — so eventually, they have to accept you, right?

Bill: That’s some good wisdom from you, and I appreciate you telling us that, because we do want to keep both of our extended families united and loving us, and we don’t want to hurt anybody. We never have wanted to hurt anybody. So, where this relationship has really gone against the grain for people in both of our families, our goals have been to win people over by watching us, watching our love for each other, and realizing that this isn’t fake and it’s real and it’s meaningful and it’s deep to both of us. So, we really do want to win over family members and understand each other better. Our relationship is not perfect. As you witnessed in Season One, we got in a fight over Brie’s desire to be a twenty-two-year-old and go out and do shots and be dumb.

Brie: Hey, it wasn’t “dumb.” What did you do at 22 years old? [laughter] I don’t want to hear it.

Suzanne: [laughter]

Bill: Well, honey, I learned a long time ago not to do shots.

Brie: But it’s definitely, what he said is right because we are two completely different people that come from different paths. He’s lived a whole life before I was even born, and it’s beautiful to really understand each other, and when you come to these problems, actually being able to work it out or talk to someone that you trust, I think it’s important, and we want people to see that.

Suzanne: Well, great. And I think, too, what comes over in your relationship is that Brie, even though you’re young, you’re kind of what they call an “old soul” — you’re very mature, and you know what is what, and he’s open to that. He’s not some guy stuck in the past, so I think that’s what works.

Bill: [laughter] I agree with that. Brie is like an old soul, even though that’s a cliché, but you know what itis? I’m still like a young man. I call myself a golden retriever. I mean well, I’m friendly, and yet I sort of bumble around and knock things over and upset people when I’m not meaning to, and so we sort of meet in the middle.

Suzanne: That’s right.

Bill: …in a very nice way.

Suzanne: I appreciate–

Tracy: I think we have got to wrap it up.

Suzanne: That’s fine. I appreciate it, and thank you guys so much.

Bill: It was great talking with you.

Suzanne: Yeah, you too.

Bill: Thanks for the interview.

Brie: Thank you.

Suzanne: Alright, good luck.

Bill: Thank you, Tracy!

Suzanne: Bye.

Bill: Okay, bye-bye.

Brie: Thanks, bye-bye.

[END]

Transcribed by TranscriptionPuppy

MORE INFO:

Lifetime Press Release header

LIFETIME’S PROVOCATIVE DOCUSERIES MARRYING MILLIONS, RETURNS WITH SEVEN COUPLES, PREMIERING AUGUST 5

  

Catch Up Special Marrying Millions: Couples Journey So Far Debuts July 29

Facebook Live Extensions of the Premiere and Finale To Be Hosted by Glamour’s West Coast Editor, Jessica Radloff

Trailer

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 29, 2020) – Lifetime’s hit series Marrying Millions returns for a second season with seven couples and more relationships under the microscope than ever before, premiering Wednesday, August 5, at 10 pm ET/PT.  Five new couples join the series with returning favorites Bill and Brianna from Dallas and Gentille and Brian from Las Vegas.  From the creators of 90 Day FiancéMarrying Millions follows relationships where one partner is incredibly wealthy and the other is definitively not, leading the couple to face intense scrutiny from family and friends and questions about whether it’s true love…or true love of the money and lavish lifestyles. While these love stories may sound like modern-day fairytales, they are not without major challenges as the couples must try to bridge their vast differences and fit into each other worlds.

Marrying Millions: Couples Journey So Far premieres the week prior on Wednesday, July 29, at 10 pm ET/PT to provide a look at what’s life’s been like for Bill and Brianna and Gentille and Brian since season one.

“Marrying Millions continues to expand our unique relationship content,“ said Gena McCarthy, EVP Development and Programming Lifetime Unscripted.  “We’re excited to introduce five outrageously relatable new couples as they all navigate clashes of class, culture and background in pursuit of love and the American Dream.”

Following the premiere on August 5th, at 11pm ET/8pm PT, Glamour’s West Coast Editor, Jessica Radloff, will be joined LIVE for a social aftershow with some of the Marrying Millions couples to chat about the premiere on Lifetime’s Facebook Page.  The aftershow will also be available on IGTV and YouTube.  A second social LIVE aftershow is also slated for September 23, at 11pm ET/8pm PT to discuss the finale of the first half of the season.

MARRYING MILLIONS SEASON 2 COUPLES:
 
Bill and Brianna (RETURNING COUPLE) – Dallas, TX

Bill, who describes himself as 61 years young, founded and currently runs a commercial real estate company with investments in the billions.  Twice divorced, Bill met Brianna, 22, at a popular restaurant in Dallas where Brianna was a hostess and the two began dating.  Despite an almost 40-year age gap, these two couldn’t be more in love with one another.  Now that Brianna has become more accustomed to the tribulations of fitting in with Dallas high society, Bill must decide whether or not he’s finally ready to settle down and propose.

Gentille and Brian (RETURNING COUPLE) – Las Vegas, NV

Gentille is a real estate investor who buys and sells extravagant homes, and in doing so, lives an extraordinarily lavish lifestyle.  On the other hand, Brian works construction and lives at home with his parents.  Much to Brian’s dismay, Gentille called off their engagement at the altar. Brian isn’t ready to let go yet and holds out hope that the pair can get back together, but the question remains whether or not Gentille is willing to rekindle things.

Rodney and Desiry 
Washington, DC & Los Angeles, CA

Multi-millionaire Rodney and his girlfriend Desiry are head over heels for each other, despite living separately on opposite coasts. Rodney made his fortune in the wine industry, which has given him the ability to take care of Desiry, who works for a non-profit. But with Rodney living outside Washington, DC, and Desiry residing in Los Angeles, their relationship has its share of challenges, including the fact that they have kept their relationship a secret.

Dani and Donovan – McKinney, TX

After a missed connection while attending the same high school, it was fate that brought these two back together down the line. From humble beginnings and raised by a single mother, Donovan now runs a highly successful multi-million dollar real estate company where he employs his girlfriend, Dani. Now that he has found success, he enjoys spoiling his girlfriend with lavish gifts and trips around the world.  But issues simmer just below the surface, as Dani resents being a low-paid employee of Donovan.

Rick and Erica – Miami Beach, FL

Erica is a 23-year old small town girl from Springfield, Illinois, while 68-year old Rick lives aboard his yacht in Miami Beach.  The shock factor of their 45 year age gap hasn’t worn off on family and friends, including most notably Erica’s 5th degree black belt father, who doesn’t understand their relationship. Rick met Erica through social media, and after liking some of her photos, moved quickly to ask her to live with him on his yacht.

Kevin and Kattie – San Diego, CA

Kevin (30) is a self-made multi-millionaire who first met Kattie (23) when she traveled to one of Kevin’s speaking events in Mexico. Despite a net worth approaching $50M, Kevin is frugal with his money when it comes to spending on his girlfriend. This draws the ire of several of Kattie’s friends, who don’t understand why she is in a relationship with Kevin, despite her assurances that their love is pure.

Nonie and Reese – Seattle, WA

Nonie made a name for herself in the London fashion scene as a nail tech, working her way up to eventually launch several successful international beauty brands. She met her polar opposite, Reese, 17 years her junior, after swiping right on Tinder and the pair have been inseparable ever since. Nonie has a fierce work ethic which has led her to obtain properties in New York, London and Seattle. Reese, on the other hand, occasionally works as an arborist and lives at a skate house with several buddies.

Marrying Millions is produced by Sharp Entertainment for Lifetime and executive produced by Matt Sharp, Dan Adler, Jason Hollis and Kate Bernstein. Gena McCarthy and Cat Rodriguez executive produce and Juliet Barrack is supervising producer for Lifetime.

About Sharp Entertainment
SHARP Entertainment is a New York-based television production house with a record of creating and producing groundbreaking unscripted television. Founded by producer Matt Sharp in 2003, Sharp has flourished to become one of the industry’s leading production enterprises, delivering thousands of hours of programming and achieving an unmatched track record of ratings success across multiple networks.

About Lifetime

Celebrating over 35 years of entertaining audiences, Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning award-winning movies, high-quality scripted series and breakout non-fiction series.  Lifetime has an impressive legacy in public affairs, bringing attention to social issues that women care about with initiatives such as the long-running Stop Breast Cancer for Life, Stop Violence Against Women, and Broader Focus, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers, including women of color, to make its content.  Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Bill and Brie from "Marrying Millions" on Lifetime


Interview with Chelsea Caldwell and Jake Norton

TV Interview!




Chelsea Caldwell and Jake Norton of "Happily Ever Avatar" on HBO

Interview with Chelsea Caldwell and Jake Norton of “Happily Ever Avatar” on HBOMax by Suzanne 7/14/20

I had never seen this show before, but I enjoyed watching it. I’m not a big fan of reality shows, but they do this one well. It’s HBO, so of course they do. I watched most of the episodes to prepare for this interview.  I would say that Jake and Chelsea are the most stable of the three couples and are more likely to stay together.  The guys in the first couple have way too many jealousies and hangups.  The second couple is long-distance and already having problems with it.  Jake and Chelsea live together and seem to be doing fine.

I’m also not a gamer, but I have a brother, a sister-in-law, and a brother-in-law who are all into gaming. They’re older people, but nowadays most young people do play video games of one sort or another. I was taking classes part-time until recently, and most of my fellow students were gamers.  They even have a Game and Animation Design major.  Watching these gamers on this show, I can tell you that there are many people like this who spend most of their free time gaming.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the interview. They seem like nice people.

1. So how did this show come about for you?

Jake – Chelsea actually found it and wanted to try it. And here we are now.
Chelsea – I think I had tagged us in at a Comic Con on Instagram, and I got a random message from someone with the casting call so I asked Jake if it was something we should apply for. I genuinely didn’t think we would be chosen for it.

2. Have you watched the episodes?

Jake – I have not.
Chelsea – I did, yes.

3. Do you feel like the final “cut” is accurate and they treated you fairly?

Jake – N/A
Chelsea – Yeah, I feel like it’s pretty genuine, but it was definitely weird seeing our faces on HBO Max.

4. Did you meet the other couples in the show?

Jake – We did not.
Chelsea – Nope, we know as much as you all know from watching the show.

5. Have you gotten good or bad feedback from gamers about the show?

Jake – I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback in regards to the show.
Chelsea – I haven’t had any feedback from gaming friends, just from family, and they think its cute.

6. What are your “real life” jobs?

Jake – I am your average IT guy.
Chelsea – I manage a beauty supply store.

7. Are you both still living in Kansas?

Jake – Yes we are. Just moved but still in Kansas
Chelsea – Yep! Different area from where we were at time of filming, but still Kansas.

8. How long have you been together now?

Jake – 9 years.
Chelsea – 9 years.

9. Any plans to do more TV or online streaming shows?

Jake – I actually stream on Twitch under the name Hxcsasquatch, but as far as doing another show? I don’t plan on it.
Chelsea – I wouldn’t say I have plans. Jake keeps trying to get me to stream on Twitch and has helped me get it set up to be able to, but it’s not something I’ve done yet. And as far as more TV, who knows. It’s not something that has presented itself yet, but it’s not something I would completely write off doing.

10. Jake, please tell us about your podcast.

Jake – I am part of a podcast called The Boss Battle Show with my two friends Adam and Gordy. It’s a show where we talk about video games and news related to them. Currently we are on a break as we reorganize some stuff and figure out some formatting, but we should be back to it soon enough.

11. Have you heard anything yet about a possible season 2?

Jake – I have not, no. Chelsea has shared that she may be interested in a season 2.
Chelsea – We haven’t heard anything about there being a 2nd season yet, but I’m not opposed to doing one if the opportunity arises.

12. Do you guys ever play D&D or Magic?

Jake – I play D&D, at certain points in the year, 4 times a week. I play Magic Arena a lot now. At one point I was trying to go pro in physical Magic but the cards weren’t in my favor. No pun intended.

Chelsea – D&D is not something I have gotten into like Jake has. I’m not big on the roleplaying aspect of it, to be completely honest. But we do have a campaign that we’re playing with one of my best friends in Australia that started out as a one shot for her husband’s birthday that we’ve decided to continue. And as far as Magic goes, I played a few games with Jake a while back and never really played again.

13. Chelsea, what do you miss most about California?

Chelsea – Number one would 100% be my family and friends. It’s been a few years since the move, but it’s still really hard being away from them. I also miss Disneyland, as silly as that is. I had an annual pass and went a ton. And something I didn’t think I’d miss but I actually do is the beach. I didn’t go a whole lot, but there’s been days where I wish I could go, and now that I can’t, I miss it.

14. Have you experienced Winter in Kansas yet?

Jake – Several times over.
Chelsea – Yep! I think that’s one of my favorite things living here is having the different seasons. I always get super excited when we get snow!

15. How has the virus affected your lives?

Jake – It’s been a big change. I personally had some plans this year for us. Experience new things. But the virus had other plans. For now. We stay in as much as we can.
Chelsea – It’s been a really weird time, that’s for sure. A few trips back home have had to be cancelled for now, so that’s fairly upsetting, but it is what it is. We’re just still trying to do what we can to quarantine as much as possible.

16. What do you hope that viewers take away from watching your show?

Jake – Love can be found in all kinds of places.
Chelsea – That you can start out a relationship online and have it turn out to be something amazing.

MORE INFO:

 Video Preview

STREAMING NOW ON HBO MAX

‘HAPPILY EVER AVATAR’ – PRODUCED BY STAGE 13/MAGICAL ELVES – PREMIERES ON HBO MAX

Gamers-in-Love Docu-Series follows Three Couples from Virtual to IRL (In Real Life); 12 episode series produced by Stage 13, Magical Elves Shows the Love that comes from Behind the Avatar

LOS ANGELES – June 11, 2020 – Stage 13, the award-winning and EMMY© nominated original content studio, and Magical Elves, leading producer of award-winning, non-fiction content including “Nailed It!,” and “Top Chef,” have premiered their gamers-in-love docu-series “Happily Ever Avatar” on HBO Max. The 12-episode short-form series follows three young couples who find love while playing a video game and take the leap from virtual to real life.

The series was created by Stage 13 and Magical Elves to show couples going from finding their match virtually to real life. With the enormous popularity of multiplayer games, people around the world are linking online like never before. Games like World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and Elders Scrolls are connecting people online, and some are even falling in love…behind their avatars. Follow three young couples that meet online through their avatars. From long-distance lovers meeting IRL (in real life) for the first time to happy couples who are faced with the next stage of their relationship, viewers will see how they all play the game called love. As in gaming, some move to the next level of their relationship and see if these n00bs’ (newbies) love connection can survive the virtual and real world.

Credits:
Cast:
Amadeus Balmaceda
Karoline Rodriguez

Nick Theurer
Tony (Anthony) Bernardo

Jake Norton
Chelsea Caldwell

Executive Producers:
Dan Cutforth
Jane Lipsitz
Casey Kriley
Allison Schermerhorn

Co-Executive Producer:
Melissa Purner

For Stage 13:
Shari Scorca, VP, Unscripted
Marcel Fuentes, Director, Unscripted
Jenny McNicholas, VP, Production

The Cast:

Amadeus Balmaceda and Karoline Rodriguez
Amadeus and Karoline met playing Elder Scrolls Online. They immediately bonded over their Latin heritage and began a virtual relationship. Amadeus considers leveling up on their relationship and traveling from Texas to Connecticut to finally meet Karoline in person. Even if making that trip confirms their feelings, the couple must face the challenge of a long-distance relationship. Will Amadeus move to Connecticut for Karoline, or will their love buckle under the many miles that separate them?

Chelsea Caldwell and Jake Norton
Jake and Chelsea met playing World of Warcraft. After an initial dislike of each other, they bonded during an all-night raid that left the two of them talking constantly. After months of constant communication, they officially became a couple…before ever meeting in person. Then after living together in California for two years, Jake’s job takes him to Kansas, and Chelsea decides to join him. Faced with adjusting in Kansas, Jake finds himself content with his virtual friends while Chelsea is homesick and wants to make friends IRL. Despite their social life, both know they want to be together forever, but is Chelsea more ready for marriage than Jake?

Nick Theurer and Tony (Anthony) Bernardo
Nick and Tony met at a League of Legends gaming tournament. For Nick, it was love at first sight. He forced their teams to play against one another and ultimately won a date with a reluctant Tony, who thought Nick was straight! Nick wants to ask Tony to move in with him, but Tony is still hesitant about trusting Nick. Will Tony’s insecurities push Nick away, or will he be able to commit and truly fall in love?

“Happily Ever Avatar” was produced by Stage 13 with Magical Elves for HBO Max.

QUOTES FROM PRODUCTION:

“We wanted to show the union of gaming and love, and the notion that we live in and with technology and people find each other in different ways. One is through the world of gaming by using avatars to showcase their personality. It’s a different way of showing love,” said Shari Scorca, VP, Unscripted, Stage 13.

“When we were making ‘Happily Ever Avatar,’ you could tell this was something special,” said Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon, co-CEOs of Magical Elves. “The experiences of real-world couples who developed true relationships through the world of gaming resonated with us in a meaningful way. We are so happy we are able to showcase these unique people with diverse backgrounds and their love stories.”

“Watching a couple meet for the first time in person really cannot be topped and we see that in this series,” said Allison Schermerhorn, Executive Producer and Showrunner. “We tried to show all levels of relationships, including the relationship of an LGBTQ gamer couple. Anyone who’s met online knows there’s a big difference between talking with someone in-game, over email and text, and seeing and talking to them in person. We show what it’s like from that first meeting through being connected in real life, not just through an avatar in a game.”

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Chelsea Caldwell and Jake Norton of "Happily Ever Avatar" on HBO Max


Interview with T.C. Warner

TV Interview!




T.C. Warner

Interview with T.C.Warner of “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul” and “All My Children” by Suzanne 7/14/20

It was great fun to come up with questions for T.C.   She had some great answers – as you will see!

1.    Thank you so much for the interview! I loved that period when you were on “All My Children.” I watched from 1986 until the show ended. “Kelsey” was one of my favorite characters. You are such a good actress! Did you ever have  any fans come up to you and treat you as if you were really Kelsey?

I had many many fans come up to me and address me as Kelsey. I couldn’t walk the streets of NYC without having someone walk up to me. I had two dogs, and walking them was quite the social event. At times, when the storyline got controversial, I would have to wear headphones to disguise that I wasn’t hearing people shout. I never plugged the headphones in, so I heard them when they thought I couldn’t. New Yorkers are very opinionated, and you add an adorable innocent baby into the mix, then you get to hear new versions of profane words. Most other situations that happened were the fans wanting to hug me. The character of Kelsey made bad choices but was still a very lovable character. The Writers were careful and kept the results of the bad choices displayed on-screen. You could see Kelsey’s pain, her desire, and her frustration. She was very lost and in the middle of finding her way – like many people in this world; this is a trait that is identifiable. One person came up to me at a blood drive with United Way that I was helping with and just burst into tears and hugged me. She cried, saying she couldn’t thank me enough for sharing her story. The reason why many people relate to Kelsey is because the writers kept the story true to life. I still get recognized for this story.

2. You worked with so many handsome men. I think I would have had terrible crushes on all of them. Did that ever happen to you?

Thankfully, I enjoyed working with them all, and they were all good looking in their own way. I think the only one that ever came close to being attractive in my eyes was Danny Cosgrove because of his sense of humor. I can say that almost all the men in Daytime, gay or straight, have a beautiful side to them – aesthetically or personally. Actors are by all means an interesting dynamic. In my personal life, my husband is my rock, and I am the spontaneous one – I need that balance. I am more drawn to have an official crush on men outside of the acting world…

3. I was so happy to read that “Silverado” was your first acting role. That’s one of my favorite movies. What part did you play on there?

Carol. I was one of the two locals hired in New Mexico. The other one was Thomas Wilson Brown as Augie (I think). Two things about that movie – one was they had these metal barrels filled with firewood, and lit to keep us warm between takes. I wore a wool jacket, and during the festival that gets broken up – when Scott Glenn and I were on the roof  – I would slide down, jump off and run to the fire barrel to get warm. I turned my back to the fire and apparently scooted too close and caught the jacket and my hair on fire!

The other funny story about “Silverado” was that I was eating a piece of corn bread during the scene, and between takes, I would put my piece of cornbread down, and slide off the roof. It was mid-February and the roof would either get covered in snow, or the snow would turn to ice (which for me, made sliding off the roof more fun – Scott Glenn did this too, just FYI). They would bring this huge fire torch to melt the ice/snow and maintain the continuity of the roof. After this one piece of cornbread got torched multiple times, and we did endless takes, I was eating what I called Cajun Corn bread… I will never touch corn bread again.

4. You were also on an episode of “Eerie, Indiana,” another show I love. You got to kiss Omri Katz! Was that your first on-screen kiss?

Yes! I think that was! Tobey Maguire was on that show as well. He and I were also in a private acting class together. One story about that show – they brought in the largest fan I have ever seen in my life. No one knew what impact this powerful 10 foot tall fan would have, so they did a dry run with it, and all the book shelves blew over, my hair covered my face, I couldn’t see anything, and I almost fell over myself (because I had no shelf to grab on to).

5. Which of your “All My Children” co-stars are you still in touch with on social media or other ways?

I was always in touch with John Callahan (Edmund) until his passing, but I keep in touch with Catherine Gardner (Rosa Santos – 6 yrs on AMC and now owns 9+10 Media) and Cameron Mathison (Ryan) via social media. Julia Barr (Brooke) and Jill Larson (Opal) as well as the writers (Lorraine Broderick and a few others) are in more communication with me. Others, I have less communication with but always am thrilled to chat with them.

Brian Gaskill as Bobby and T.C. Warner as Kelsey on "All My Children."6. I’ve always loved Brian Gaskill (Bobby), so I really was rooting for your characters to end up as a real couple, but that was not to be. Was he fun to work with?

Brian was wonderful to work with. Very professional and always prepared.

7. Did you ever get to speak much with Agnes Nixon, creator of the show?

I did! She immediately made you feel included and very known. Every character on the show – big or small, was made to feel important with Agnes. She wrote me a letter that to this day stays in my bedside table drawer… Her words are just as graceful and impacting as herself in person.

8. I think all of the fans would love to go back and watch those great episodes. Do you ever watch them on YouTube or anywhere?

I do! I love that these are available and my kids now “Google Mom”.

9. IMDB says that you played a nurse in “Breaking Bad” and its prequel series “Better Call Saul.” How did that come about?

I auditioned a few times for them, and when I first auditioned for the nurse, it was one line, one scene. That turned into three scenes and improvisation. The creator (Vince Gilligan) was directing, and he saw that I have strength in improv – so he let me run with it. I loved it, and I have my fingers crossed I can go back! The recurring roles are the hardest, because you wait and hope the writers pull you back in.

10. IMDB also says that you’re filming a movie called “The Man Who Thought He Was Salvador Dali.”  Is that true? Why were there so many years between your projects in this century?

Yes – a few years between jobs because my family took precedence and I needed to be near them. During that time, I wrote, I got my Masters Degree, I got married, we adopted two fabulous children, and until I had some real breathing room, I couldn’t dedicate time to acting. Now, I can.

11. What is your role in this movie, and what is the movie about?

This movie started out as “Salvador Dali,” and after too many legal parameters of the rights to many aspects, the director/writer Philippe Mora changed it to “The Man who Thought He Was Salvador Dali”. It has been fully rewritten and again, my Improv skills are put to use. This story is about the man who thought he was Salvador Dali and walks you through the many sides of the character that will shock you, humor you, inform you, but above all – entertain you.

12. Will it be released in theaters?

Will theaters open? Almost every part of the film business has changed. The media forms we have available now are plenty, but when it comes to distribution, we hope this will end up in theaters.

13. What have you been doing when you’re not acting?

Raising my kids, writing, traveling and auditioning.

14. Do you still get recognized for any of your roles?

Yes!

15. What do you like to do for fun when you’re not working?

I like to white water raft, hike, camp (or glamp), travel, read, and write. Mostly I love just spending time with my family.

 from Victoria T.C. Warner-Stratton, MBA

The Official T.C. Warner Fan Club 

MORE INFO:

T.C. Warner was born on March 5, 1970 in San Francisco, California, USA as T.C. Victoria Warner. She is an actress, known for All My Children (1970), Snide and Prejudice (1997) and Eerie, Indiana (1991). She has been married to Chris Stratton since October 10, 2010.

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T.C. Warner as Kelsey on "All My Children"


Primetime TV Review: “Japan Sinks!”

TV Review!




The Muto family with disaster around them in "Japan Sinks!" on Netflix

Japan Sinks! 2020” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

This is an animated series, based on a book from the early 70’s about an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. They made a movie out of it, too. That explains the terrible title, I suppose (it’s the name of the book, too). The artwork is so good, and the story so interesting, that sometimes you might forget that you’re not watching a live-action show.

The action centers on the Muto family, who are in different parts of Tokyo when the first earthquake hits. The dad is working at a construction site. The mom is flying home on an airplane. The daughter is at a track meet in a stadium. The little brother is playing video games at home. There is another, worse tremor, and then all find each other, but they have to deal with more tragedy and disaster.

This is not a series for children. There is blood, violence, and death. For the rest of us, it’s a really good action/family drama. It’s very different from American disaster movies and books. Usually, they start with a lot of different characters, before the disaster, and then we see who survives and who doesn’t. That’s the same formula used in “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Airport,” “The Towering Inferno,” and all the rest. It’s nice to see that someone has made a disaster epic without adhering to the same formula. Check it out because it’s worth watching.

MORE INFORMATION:

After catastrophic earthquakes devastate Japan, one family’s resolve is tested on a journey of survival through the sinking archipelago.
From director Masaaki Yuasa, the project marks the first anime adaptation of the bestselling science fiction novel by Sakyo Komatsu.
Masaaki Yuasa (Director) Sakyo Komatsu (author)

An ordinary family is put to the test as a series of massive earthquakes throw Japan into total mayhem. From director Masaaki Yuasa (Devilman Crybaby), the first anime adaptation of the bestselling science fiction novel by Sakyo Komatsu, Japan Sinks: 2020 premieres July 9th only on Netflix.  Trailer

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The Muto family of "Japan Sinks: 2020" on Netflix

Primetime TV Review: “Was It Love?”

TV Review!




Was It Love? cast

Was It Love?” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

This is a fun little Korean romantic comedy about a woman, Noh Ae Jung (Ji-Hyo Song) trying to be successful and provide for her daughter. Along the way, she finds that she has more suitors than she can deal with. Ji-Hyo is very funny. She really made me laugh.

Although the series is light and fun, it also addresses an important social issue in South Korea. Single moms there are treated horribly by everyone and feel great shame. I didn’t know this, myself, until I looked it up. In the show, Noh is defiant about how she’s raised her daughter, No Ha-Nee (Um Chae-Young) alone, but she’s treated rudely by some people because of it.  Thankfully, she does have her mom to help her out (even if she does sometimes smack her on the head).

In one scene, her teenage daughter gets in trouble for fighting a bully. When she arrives to the school, the parents of the bully demand to speak to the girl’s father. Apparently, they have a big problem there with gender inequality, too. When Noh speaks up to tell them that she is both mother and father to her daughter, the bully’s dad tells her that she must be stricter with her daughter, so that people won’t know that her bad behavior comes from not having a father. Ouch!

Most of the show, though, is about how Noh tries to become a film producer and keeps running into guys she knew growing up. Then she suddenly has four different men interested in her, after being single for a very long time. It’s worth checking out if you don’t mind reading subtitles!

MORE INFORMATION:

There was no press release. This is from Netflix’s site: Was It Love? 2020TV-MA 1 Season  International TV Shows
When four very different men appear in her life, a single mother who hasn’t dated in years begins to rediscover love — and herself.
Starring:Song Ji-hyo, Son Ho-jun, Song Jong-ho
Creators:Kim Do-hyung, Lee Seung-jin

This is from Wikipedia: Was It Love? (Korean: 우리, 사랑했을까; RR: Uri, Saranghaesseulkka; lit. We, Were in Love) is a South Korean television series starring Song Ji-hyo, Son Ho-jun, Song Jong-ho, Kim Min-joon, Koo Ja-sung and Kim Da-som. It premiered on JTBC on July 8, 2020 and is available for streaming worldwide on Netflix.

Noh Ae-jung (Song Ji-hyo) is a single mother with a strong survival instinct who has been single for 14 years. All of a sudden, four men who appeal to her in different ways appear in her life. Oh Dae-oh (Son Ho-jun) is a bad but attractive man, Ryu Jin (Song Jong-ho) is pathetic but handsome and rich, Goo Pa-do (Kim Min-joon) is scary and sexy, and Oh Yeon-woo (Koo Ja-sung) is a flirty younger man.

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Noh Ae-jung (Song Ji-hyo) and her friend in "Was It Love?"

Primetime TV Review: “Stateless”

TV Review!




refugees i n "Stateless"

Stateless” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

This is an Australian show, developed by Cate Blanchett, who plays a small role as the wife of a cult leader (she sings!). The drama follows a family of immigrants from Afghanistan (Fayssal Bazzi plays the father, Ameer), who are tricked by greedy con artists. To say that terrible things happen to this poor family is an understatement.

By contrast, a beautiful flight attendant, Sophie (Yvonne Strahovski) gets involved with a cult (one where they dance a lot). She’s got some serious mental problems, which are made worse by the cult and its leader (Dominic West). She ends up swimming out to sea and gets tagged as an immigrant. In her delusions, she tells them that she’s German, so they put her in the same immigration detention center as the others. The show really tells us about the plight of immigrants, especially in Australia in the early part of this century.

These people are all brought together in an Australian immigration detention center in the desert, along with some others. It’s a compelling drama, and the acting is top notch. It’s based on a true story.  There are only 6 episodes to this miniseries, so check it out.

MORE INFORMATION:

Six-Episode Limited Series “Stateless” Premieres July 8 on Netflix
Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Asher Keddie, Fayssal Bazzi, Dominic West, and Cate Blanchett star in the project.

Stateless is a limited series about four strangers (an airline hostess running from a cult, an Afghan refugee, a young father, and a bureaucrat trying to contain a scandal) whose lives collide at an immigration detention center in the middle of the Australian desert

Trailer

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Sophie (Yvonne Strahovski) dancing in "Stateless"

Primetime TV Review for “Ju-on Origins”

TV Review!




Poster for the show Ju-on Origins

Ju-on Origins” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

This is a horror show about a house that is haunted and affects the people who visit it. There are many different characters, so it’s sometimes hard to remember who’s who. There’s a writer who’s investigating the paranormal, and a young woman who kept hearing things in her apartment. It turns out that her boyfriend is haunted from visiting the house. He keeps seeing the ghost of this young woman, holding her dead baby. A young girl, who had some sort of scandal at her previous school, starts at a new school. Two girls and a guy convince her to go to the haunted house, to see the stray cats living there, but they have something darker in mind.

The show starts out a little slow, but it gets better, and scarier. The ending of the first episode is shocking. This is probably too scary for me to keep watching, but you may like it.  Plus, it’s only 6 episodes!

MORE INFORMATION:

JU-ON: Origins

Season premiering in United States on July 3, 2020 2:00 AM CDT

The legendary horror franchise that is “Ju-On” is set to once again shake the world as Netflix Japan sets to release its first-ever horror of Netflix Japan Original, “JU-ON: Origins.”

“JU-ON: Origins” will focus on the true events of which is the inspiring base of the story. Those are the beginning of the “curse” and give a raw look at the chain of terror that befalls all of those who come into contact with the house.

Netflix Original series: “JU-ON: Origins” (6 episodes)

Director: Sho Miyake

Starring: Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Yuina Kuroshima, Ririka, Koki Osamura, Seiko Iwaido, Kai Inowaki, Tei Ryushin, Yuya Matsuura, Kaho Tsuchimura, Tokio Emoto, Nobuko Sendo, Kana Kurashina

Script: Hiroshi Takahashi and Takashige Ichise

Executive Producer: Toshinori Yamaguchi (NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan)
Kazutaka Sakamoto (Netflix)

Producer: Takashige Ichise, Mikihiko Hirata

Music: Kuniaki Haishima, Photography: Hidetoshi Shinomiya, Lighting: Hidenori Nagata, Art: Tatsuo Ozeki, Audio: Masato Komatsu, Sound effects: Kenji Shibasaki, Editing: Yoshifumi Fukazawa, Visual effects: Hajime Matsumoto, Modelling: Screaming Mad George

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various cast members of Ju-On: Origins

Primetime TV Review: “Amar Y Vivir”

TV Review!




Amar Y Vivir poster

Amar Y Vivir” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

This is an entertaining telenovela from Colombia. It follows two main families: the Hererra family, who lives out on a farm; and the Romero family, that lives in the city (Bogotá). It is in Spanish, so you’ll have to read the subtitles if you’re not fluent. It’s worth it, though.  Netflix translates the title to “All For Love,” but it actually translates to “Love and Live.”  They even sing a song about it.

The incredibly handsome soldier, Joaquín, comes home from military service to help his mother, and sister Alba, on their farm. He’s not too happy to learn that their powerful neighbors have been taking part of their land and harassing his family. Their neighbors (the villains of the show) burn down their house, kill his mother, and kidnap his sister. He frees his sister, but the villains beat him up and throw him into the river to drown. He survives but learns that his sister was put on a bus to the city by helpful neighbors.We recommend buying your favorite at super low prices with free shipping, https://www.swisswatch.is/product-category/rolex/gmt-master/ and you can also pick up your order at the store on the same day.

The Romero family’s daughter, Irene, wants to be a famous singer. Her family owns a fruit stall in a market. Her friend takes videos of Irene singing and posts them to YouTube. Irene is also concerned because her father (who also plays in her backup band) is an alcoholic and gets involved with the local mob (he owes them money).

Joaquín and Irene meet in a coffee shop when Joaquin goes to Bogotá, looking for his sister, Alba. He doesn’t know that she’s become a stripper/prostitute. The love story of Joaquín and Irene is the big romance of the show.

If you like good drama, with some action, music and romance, you should watch this.

MORE INFORMATION:

A penniless country boy goes in search of his runaway sister in Bogotá, where he falls for an aspiring singer, but gets tangled up in organized crime.
Starring:Ana María Estupiñán, Carlos Torres, Yuri Vargas Creators:Nubia Barreto

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cast of Amar y Vivir

Primetime TV Review of “Quiz”

TV Review!




Quiz on AMC - The Ingrams and Tarrant

Quiz” on AMC Review by Suzanne 7/9/20

I apologize for the lateness of this review, but you can still watch this On Demand, on the AMC website or on Amazon Prime.

This is an excellent 4- part series, based on a play, of the true story of a British family, Charles and Diana Ingram, and her brother, Adrian, that kept trying to win on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” Matthew Macfadyen (“Ripper Street”), who’s always excellent, plays Charles, the Army Major. Sian Clifford plays his wife, Diana. Trystan Gravelle plays her “loser” brother. Michael Sheen, who is also a fabulous actor (whom I love in “Prodigal Son”), plays the host of the game show, Chris Tarrant.

The first part shows what happened from the point of view of the TV studio. We see how they come up with the idea for the show, and how it becomes successful. Then it looks like the family, and their friends, are cheating. In the second part of the series, we see it from the family’s point of view. They contend that they didn’t cheat. They just practiced a lot for the show and then won. However, since it’s based on real events, it doesn’t have the best ending.  It seems to me that these folks got a raw deals.  See what you think!

MORE INFORMATION:

AMC Announces New Premiere Date for Miniseries Quiz

AMC announced today that the premiere date for its three-part drama series Quiz will be Sunday, May 31 at 10/9c. The second and third episodes will air on Sunday, June 7 and Sunday, June 14 at 9/8c, respectively. The full series will also be available to binge on AMC Premiere beginning Sunday, May 31 at 10/9c.

A three-part drama directed by the globally renowned Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal, Florence Foster Jenkins, Philomena, The Queen) and written by playwright James Graham (Brexit: An Uncivil War, Ink, This House, Labour of Love), Quiz tells the extraordinary and sensational story of how Charles and Diana Ingram attempted an ‘audacious heist’ on the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 

Major Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen), his wife Diana (Sian Clifford) and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock (Michael Jibson), who was sitting in the audience, were accused of cheating their way to a million pounds on what was the most popular game show on earth in 2001. The couple stood trial for conspiring by coughing during the recording to signify the correct answers to the multiple-choice questions posed to the Major by host, Chris Tarrant (Michael Sheen).

For more of the latest news from AMC, sign up for the Insiders Club.

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The Ingrams in the courtroom - Quiz on AMC

Primetime TV Reviews of “Trackers”

TV Review!




Trackers poster

Trackers” on Cinemax Review by Suzanne 7/8/20

This is an action drama with too many characters. I had trouble following it… a little bit. There are three main groups of people. The PBI (Presidential Bureau of Investigation) is trying to find out all they can about some terrorists that are planning something. Their main hero is Quinn (Thapelo Mokoena), who likes to ignore his superior’s orders. Meanwhile, they’re told that they’re going to be disbanded soon. A former PBI detective, Lemmer (James Gracie), who doesn’t say much, takes a job helping someone, in a shady deal. A woman gets a job at what looks like a magazine but it’s secretly some kind of spy place. I’m guessing that they’ll all intersect at some point. I think Lemmer and Quinn are probably the real main stars of the show, but it’s hard to say at first.

What’s confusing to me is that sometimes they speak in English, and sometimes in Afrikaans, and sometimes in other languages. The closed-captioning sometimes just says “speaking Arabic” and that covers up the subtitles that tell me what they’re saying. That’s highly annoying. That’s the fault of Cinemax, though, not the show itself.  Also, the name “trackers” doesn’t make much sense as a title.

If you like action shows, this has a lot of action. It reminds me a little of “24.”

MORE INFORMATION:

Drama Series TRACKERS Debuts June 5, Exclusively on CINEMAX

An adaptation of internationally acclaimed author Deon Meyer’s crime novel, the six-episode drama series TRACKERS, shot entirely in South Africa and debuting FRIDAY, JUNE 5 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), deftly interweaves three story strands into a sophisticated action-packed thriller that covers the length and breadth of the country, explosively colliding in Cape Town in a violent conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, black rhinos, the CIA and an international terrorist plot.

TRACKERS stars James Gracie (“Siberia,” “The Gamechangers”), Rolanda Marais (“Lied van die Lappop”), Ed Stoppard (“Knightfall,” “The Pianist”), Sandi Schultz (“NYPD Blue,” “City of Angels”), Brendon Daniels (“Arendsvlei,” “Lockdown”), Trix Vivier (“Sterlopers,” “Waterfront”), Thapelo Mokoena (“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”), and Sisanda Henna (“Tsha Tsha,” “This Life”).

All six episodes are directed by Jyri Kähönen (“Bordertown”) and shot by cinematographer Ivan Strasburg (“13 Reasons Why,” HBO’s “Generation Kill,” “Treme”).

Executive producers, Cobus van den Berg, Tim Theron, Jonathan Drake, Robert Thorogood, Deon Meyer; executive creative producer, Steve Maher; series producer, Rebecca Fuller-Campbell; directed by Jyri Kähönen; cinematography by Ivan Strasburg;  adapted for television by Robert Thorogood from the novel by Deon Meyer; a Cinemax presentation of a Three River Fiction and Scene23 co-production in association with M-Net and ZDF.

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Trackers cast

Primetime TV Review of “McCallum”

TV Review!




McCallum on Acorn and Ovation

“McCallum” on Ovation Review by Suzanne 7/8/20

This is a British TV series from the 1990’s, but it’s very good. It’s new to us here in the US, as far as I know. You can also watch it on Acorn TV if you don’t have Ovation.

Scottish actor John Hannah plays a motorcycle-riding forensic pathologist who works in the morgue at St. Patrick’s Hospital in London. In the first episode, he gets involved with a co-worker who ends up dead. He’s married but separated from his wife. Still, she’s not too happy to learn that he had a one-night stand with this other woman. From what I can tell, he has relationships with other women in the series as well.

The police are not so friendly or great in this series. They seem to be crude and ill-tempered, and they don’t treat McCallum very well.

The series lasted for two years, which is a shame because it’s kind of a cool show.

MORE INFORMATION:

OVATION DEEPENS THE MYSTERY WITH ELEVEN TITLES FROM DCD RIGHTS INCLUDING SIX FILMS AND FIVE DRAMA SERIES

Featuring Matthew Goode, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Joanne Froggatt & more

NATPE / Miami, FL: Ovation TV, America’s only arts network, has acquired the non-exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for eleven mystery titles from DCD Rights. As part of the network’s Mystery Mornings block, the deal includes two seasons of McCallum (9 x 90’), three seasons of Rebus (10 x 90’), drama series The Code (6 x 60’), drama series Missing (2 x 90’), and drama series The Strange Calls (6 x 30’), plus six films: The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1 x 90’), The Poison Tree (1 x 90’), Bloodlines (1  x 90’), A Model Daughter: The Story Of Caroline Byrne (1 x 90’), Safe House (1 x 90’), and Venus & Mars (1 x 90’).   The announcement was made today by Scott Woodward, EVP Programming and Production, Ovation.

Set in the East End of London, STV produced show McCallum follows the life of Dr. Iain McCallum (John Hannah), a motorcycling forensic pathologist with a passion for truth and more women problems than he can handle. Surrounding him are the dedicated St Patrick’s team of Angela Moloney, Sir Paddy Penfold, Fuzzy and Bobby… close friends at the sharp end, making up a formidable body of opposition to those determined to flaunt the law.

“We’re pleased to have these mystery titles bolster our ever-expanding Mystery Mornings slate,” said Woodward. “Our audiences have responded extremely well to the international flair and artistic storytelling of mystery titles and we are happy to deliver more of this content across all of Ovation’s platforms.”

Nicky Davies Williams, CEO DCD Rights adds, “These drama titles each have strong storylines and characters to engage and enthrall viewers throughout the world.  We are delighted that Ovation has acquired them to air on their channel later this year.”

All titles set to air in 2020.

About OVATION America’s Only Arts Network

Art has the power to inspire us, elevate our thinking, and awaken our senses. As an independent television, production and digital media company, OVATION has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically-acclaimed premium dramas, arts-related specials and documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION salutes innovative storytelling, lives for the art in entertainment, finds beauty in the everyday, and applauds art in unexpected places. OVATION is available to nearly 50M subscribers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV/AT&T U-verse, SPECTRUM, Verizon FiOS, as well as on VOD. Through THE OVATION FOUNDATION, the company is committed to advocating for the arts, nationally and locally, and has provided more than $15M in contributions and in kind support to arts institutions and arts education.  You can follow OVATION on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.

About DCD

DCD Rights is one of the UK’s leading independent television programming distributors representing 3,200 hours of content across a wide range of genres, including drama, factual entertainment, lifestyle, music, documentary programming and formats. DCD Rights’ catalogue contains shows from top international producers/directors and independent producers and also features classic and cutting-edge concerts. An independent for more than 30 years, the company formerly named NBDtv became part of production and distribution group DCD Media plc in 2006. Find out more on www.dcdrights.com.

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McCallum

Primetime TV Review of “Crossing Swords”

TV Review!




Crossing Swords' Patrick

Crossing Swords” on HULU Review by Suzanne 7/8/20

This is a pretty funny show. It uses stop-motion animation, similar to “Robot Chicken” on the Cartoon Network (it’s created by the same people). The show is about a young man named Patrick who yearns to leave his horrible family and be a squire to the king. Along the way, he finds that things in the Kingdom are not what he’d dreamed.

The series uses both slapstick comedy and wordplay in its humor. It’s not as gross as some of the animated shows I’ve seen today. The characters are peg people, similar to Legos. It’s not a kids’ show, though, because it does have sex, violence and nudity.

MORE INFORMATION:

CROSSING SWORDS
*OFFICIAL TEASER RELEASE*
New Show Debuts on HULU June 12, 2020
ABOUT “CROSSING SWORDS”: Patrick is a good hearted peasant who lands a coveted squire position at the royal castle however his dream job quickly turns into a nightmare when he learns his beloved kingdom is run by a hornet’s nest of horny monarchs, crooks and charlatans. Even worse, Patrick’s valor made him the black sheep in his family, and now his criminal siblings have returned to make his life hell. War, murder, full frontal nudity—who knew brightly colored peg people led such exciting lives?
CAST: Nicholas Hoult, Adam Ray, Tara Strong, Tony Hale, Luke Evans, Seth Green, Alanna Ubach, Adam Pally, Yvette-Nicole Brown, Maya Erskine, Breckin Meyer and Wendi McClendon-Covey.
CREATORS: Created and written by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root (Executive Producers of “Robot Chicken”). Directed by John Harvatine IV.

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Patrick and his siblings in "Crossing Swords".

Primetime TV Review of “The Woods”

TV Review!




The Woods on Netflix

The Woods” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/7/20

This is an interesting Polish murder mystery. Much of it is seen in flashback. Something happened  to some teens in the past at a summer camp. We see pieces of it, and one of them is a Warsaw prosecutor in the present. A body is found, and he’s questioned because the man has his contact information in his pocket. This person is one that disappeared that summer, along with his sister. He’s never been able to get over her disappearance, so this body showing up may lead him to find her.

It’s not too slow, like some dramas I’ve seen lately from foreign countries. It does a good job of showing you the characters and circumstances. It does reel you in. It has beautiful locations and lots of interesting flashbacks. What more could you ask for in a murder mystery?

MORE INFORMATION:

NETFLIX ANNOUNCES POLISH ORIGINAL SERIES – “THE WOODS”

Sometimes, it’s best to leave things alone because you never know what you might find…

Amsterdam, September 12, 2019 – 2020 will see the premiere of the next Polish original series from Netflix! Production of The Woods, an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s bestselling thriller of the same name, has already begun.

The six-part mystery series is directed by Leszek Dawid (You are God) and Bartosz Konopka (Rabbit a la Berlin) and was written by Agata Malesińska and Wojtek Miłoszewski. ATM Grupa is in charge of production. Anna Nagler (The Coldest Game) joined the show as a creative producer, whilst Andrzej Muszyński and Harlan Coben serving as the series’ executive producers. The Woods is another collaboration between Harlan Coben and Netflix, adding to upcoming British series The Stranger and Spanish series El Inocente.

Set in two time spans: 1994 and 2019 The Woods tells the story of a Warsaw prosecutor, Paweł Kopiński, who is still grieving the loss of his sister from twenty five years ago – the night she walked into the woods at a summer camp and was never seen again. But now, the discovery of a homicide victim – a boy who vanished along with Paweł’s sister – reveals evidence that links him to her disappearance. As hope rises that his sister could still be alive, dangerous secrets from his family’s past threaten to tear apart everything that Paweł has been trying to hold together.

“I’m so proud to be teaming up with this incredible cast and crew from Poland – and helping introduce their brilliant work to Netflix’s global audience” – said producer and writer, Harlan Coben.

Leszek Dawid, director: “The Woods is a story full of secrets – a story you will want to follow. Try as hard as you might to bury unresolved issues from the past, but one day they will find their way back to you anyway. What I find fascinating is the way the film deals with the idea of a carefree adolescence. Looking back at the time in your life when you lived your most beautiful but, at the same time, your most atrocious experiences. Learning the truth. You cannot go any further without doing that.”

Bartosz Konopka, director said that for him, Paweł Kopiński is an extraordinary character. “I would like to be as strong as him. He has been through a lot in his life – has lost loved ones and has been abandoned and betrayed – but despite this, he still manages to stay standing and keep on fighting; he has faith in other people and refuses to give up hope in them. If he can win over his own demons, acknowledge his mistakes, confront the past, seek the truth, find peace and forgive himself, then I believe I can do that too. This is the most encouraging aspect of this story.”

Michael Azzolino, Director of International Originals, Netflix said: “We are excited to announce that our second original series for Poland will be an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s dual timeline mystery The Woods. ATM Grupa has assembled a top notch team of producers, writers and directors who have created a faithful adaptation of the book while adding local nuance and specificity of character to complete a gripping tale of innocence lost and the power of redemption.”

Project financially supported by the Polish Film Institute.

About Harlan Coben

With over 70 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the perennial number 1 New York Times author of thirty novels including Fool Me Once, Tell No One, No Second Chance and the renowned Myron Bolitar Series. His books are published in 43 languages around the globe. Netflix has entered into a multi-year exclusive overall deal with Coben. As part of the deal, Netflix will work with Coben to develop 14 existing titles and future projects, into English language and foreign language series, as well as films, to premiere on Netflix around the world. Coben will serve as an executive producer on all projects.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading Internet entertainment service with 151 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

About ATM GRUPA S.A.

ATM GRUPA S.A is the biggest independent production studio in Poland, specializing in feature film and series production, few of which has been distributed internationally.

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The Woods on Netflix

Primetime TV Review: “Love, Victor”

TV Review!




Love, Victor on HULU

Love, Victor” on HULU Review by Suzanne 7/7/20

This is the series sequel to the movie, “Love, Simon” (2018). That movie was directed by Greg Berlanti, who has created most of the shows on The CW. I hadn’t seen the movie, so I watched that first. It was pretty good. In the movie, Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) is a closeted gay high school boy at Creekwood High. It was based on a novel, “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.”

This new series follows a different gay high school boy, Victor (Michael Cimino) – one who is Latino and has a very religious family. Both the movie and show take place at a high school, Creekwood High, in Atlanta (not a real school). However, there are no Southern accents to speak of. That’s what happens when you cast people in L.A., I guess.  Like Simon, Victor is very handsome.

Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty,” “Devious Maids”) plays Victor’s clueless mom. Anthony Turpel (“Bold and the Beautiful“) plays his dorky friend that lives in the same building. Victor tries to figure out if he’s really gay or not. He has feelings for a girl, Mia (Rachel Hilson), but also lusts after Benji (George Sear), who is openly gay.

It’s a fun little teen drama. I think it’s slightly more realistic in the TV show than in the movie. I don’t know why any gay teen would be closeted nowadays, unless their parents are super religious – especially in a big city like Atlanta. The movie didn’t quite ring true to me for that reason, but the show does seem true.  Not only does Victor have to worry about his conservative parents, but he’s the new guy in school, which is always tough.  Check it out. Teens should love it.

Victor and Mia in Love, Victor on Hulu

MORE INFORMATION:

School’s back in session, so get ready for all the feels with the official trailer for Hulu’s upcoming YA dramedy series Love, Victor, set in the world of the 2018 groundbreaking film LOVE, SIMONThe series will premiere with all 10 episodes (binge) on June 19th, only on Hulu.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/uh-IaEaEdE0

Synopsis: Set in the world of the 2018 groundbreaking film LOVE, SIMON which was inspired by Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city and exploring his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.

The series stars Michael Cimino (ANABELLE COMES HOME), Ana Ortiz (“Whiskey Cavalier,” “Ugly Betty”), James Martinez (“One Day at a Time”), Isabella Ferreira (“Orange is the New Black”),  Mateo Fernandez, Rachel Naomi Hilson (“This Is Us”), Bebe Wood (“The Real O’Neal’s”, “The New Normal”), George Sear (“Will”, “Into the Badlands”), Anthony Turpel (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) and Mason Gooding (BOOKSMART).

The film’s original writers Isaac Aptaker (“This Is Us“) and Elizabeth Berger (“This Is Us“) serve as executive producers alongside Brian Tanen (GRAND HOTEL), Jason Ensler (“The Passage”), Isaac Klausner (THE HATE U GIVE), Marty Bowen (FIRST MAN), Adam Fishbach (“Narcos”), Wyck Godfrey (“I, Robot”), Pouya Shahbazian (DIVERGENT) and Adam Londy. 20th Century Fox Television serves as the studio.

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Victor and Benji in Love, Victor on HULU

Primetime TV Review: “Perry Mason”

TV Review!




Perry Mason on HBO

Perry Mason” on HBO Review by Suzanne 7/6/20

So far I’m liking this new series. It’s based in part on the Perry Mason novels from the 1930’s, rather than the old TV show. This Perry Mason is a disheveled private eye in Los Angeles. They do a good job of making everything look like it’s from that period. I suspect that we’ll see, eventually, how Perry goes from this scruffy war vet to the dapper lawyer that we know in the TV series….just like other prequel series, such as “Gotham” and “Smallville.”Perry Mason and Della Street

In the first episode, Perry is following and taking photos of a rotund film star (similar to Fatty Arbuckle), to see if he’s staying true to the morals clause in his Hollywood contract. He has some rough dealings with the studio when he hands in the photos of the man, having sex with one of their up-and-coming starlets (and asks for more money). Meanwhile, Perry is helping his lawyer friend E.B. Jonathan (the always-terrific John Lithgow) by investigating the kidnapping and murder of a baby. Police corruption is an important part of the show.

While I enjoy the show, I wish they hadn’t told us in the first episode who the murderer was. That’s one of the best things about the original Perry Mason and most other old cop and detective shows. We learned whodunnit at the same time as the heroes. Seeing the “spoilers,” as it were, really did spoil it for me. I’m sure there are other, bigger mysteries, but that was disappointing.

Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) plays a preacher woman. We also get to meet Della Street (Juliet Rylance) and Paul Drake (Chris Chalk). Check it out and see if you like it.

Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice

MORE INFORMATION:

Drama Series PERRY MASON Debuts June 21

1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, drama series PERRY MASON, starring Emmy® winner Matthew Rhys, debuts SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. The series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.

The series will also be available to stream on HBO GO, HBO NOW, and on HBO via HBO Max and other partners’ platforms.

PERRY MASON stars Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, a low-rent private investigator who is living check-to-check and is haunted by his wartime experiences in France and suffering the effects of a broken marriage; John Lithgow as Elias Birchard “E.B.” Jonathan, a struggling attorney and a semi-regular employer of Mason; Juliet Rylance as Della Street, E.B. Jonathan’s creative and driven legal secretary; Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, the leader of the Radiant Assembly of God, preaching to a hungry congregation and a radio audience across the country; Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, a beat cop with a knack for detective work; and Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland, who is hired by Mason as an extra set of eyes on his various investigations.

The series also stars Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcón, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, and Robert Patrick. A full list of character descriptions is available HERE.

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Perry Mason on HBO

Primetime TV Review: “The Sommerdahl Murders”

TV Review!




The Sommerdahl Murders"

The Sommerdahl Murders” on Acorn Review by Suzanne 7/6/20

This is a Danish police show, set in the seaside town of Elsinore, but it also involves relationships between the police and their families. Based on a series of books, the main characters are Dan (Peter Mygind), a police detective; and his wife Marianne (Laura Drasbaek), a forensic pathologist, who work together and celebrate 25 years of marriage. Dan is your typical TV cop who works long hours and puts everything into his job, neglecting his marriage and family. Dan’s partner is Flemming Torp (Andre Babikian), another detective. A woman’s body is found washed up on the shore, so the detectives try to find out who she is and who murdered her. They discover she gave birth, so they try to find the baby. Marianne and Dan’s anniversary dinner is pre-empted by the investigation in the first episode.

Up until this point, I was pretty bored. It moves very slowly. Towards the end of the episode, though, things picked up quite a lot as Marianne meets an old school friend, which inadvertently (in a somewhat contrived way) gets her dragged into the murder mystery. Quite a few shocking things happen. It might be worth tuning in to the rest. There’s only 8 episodes. The writing is pretty good, and the characters are more like real people than what you normally find in a police drama.

If you want a more detailed review, go here, but it does have spoilers.

MORE INFORMATION:

“The Sommerdahl Murders” Acorn TV June 29

Monday, June 29, 2020

THE SOMMERDAHL MURDERS, Series 1 (Acorn TV Exclusive, Foreign Language, Danish, with English subtitles)In the beautiful Danish coastal town of Helsingør, Detective Chief inspector Dan Sommerdahl (Peter Mygind, Flame and Citron) is the undisputed hero at North Sjælland Police. But while he can look back at a remarkable history of solved homicides, things aren’t going as well at home with his wife, Chief Criminal Technician, Marianne Sommerdahl (Laura Drasbæk, Pusher), who feels neglected and distant from her husband. When the body of a young woman washes up on a beach, Dan and his best friend and colleague, Detective Flemming Torp (André Babikian, The Protectors), quickly determine this wasn’t an accident, and they are in hot pursuit to find the murderer and the baby the female victim had just given birth to. At the same time, when Dan finds out that his best friend is in love with his wife and the admiration is mutual on the wife’s end, these new dynamics put these relationships to the test, under the stress of trying to solve new murders and keep the city safe. (8 EPS, 2020)

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"The Sommerdahl Murders"

Primetime TV Review: “BNA: Brand New Animal”

TV Review!




"BNA: Brand New Animal"

BNA: Brand New Animal” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/6/20

I wasn’t sure if I would like this series, but I got hooked pretty quickly. The animated show takes place in a world where beastmen (humanoids with animal characteristics) are treated like second-class citizens by humans. The series is from Japan but made for Netflix. The heroine is a girl named Michiru, who escapes the regular world to go to a land called Anima City, where beastmen can live and not be bothered by humans. She looks like a raccoon girl, but she’s something called a tanuki, which is a kind of dog that looks like a racoon. Tanuki are featured in Japanese legends and folklore.

As we get to know Michiru on her journey, we learn that she has special powers that she uses when scared, cornered or in danger. When she gets to Anima City, she finds out that nothing she thought about the place is right. The beastmen live in their human form most of the time. Michiru, however, is unable to return to her human form. Also, she was a human teen and then suddenly turned into a beastman, whereas the other beastmen were born as beastmen. She meets up with a superhero called Silver Wolf, whose real name is Shirou Ogami. They form a friendship as they try to figure out what happened to Michiru, as well as fight crime and corruption in Anima City.

We learn that Michiru had a friend back in school who also turned into a beastman and was carted away. My guess is that both girls are the “Brand New Animal” hinted at in the title.  Perhaps Shirou is, too, since they all seem to have superpowers.

The show has a lot of interesting characters. I watch Netflix shows with the closed-captioning on. The problem with that is the CC dialogue can be very different from the dubbed dialogue. What I found very odd, though, is that, on the one hand, Michiru is very childish. She doesn’t act like a teen. She acts more like a child or pre-teen. Many times in the series, it is very loud, exaggerated and has bright colors, like many children’s shows I’ve seen. However, the show is also very violent. Shirou kills criminals in a very violent way. Remember that these are animals. In one scene, he rips off the villainous antelope or deer beastman’s antlers, and then stabs another beast with it. In a fight with a rhino beastman, he tears off its horn. Even though it’s animated, it was horrible. There is also a series of violent baseball games, where some of the beastmen fight to the death. I think it’s strange to have a show that seems very childish in many ways, yet it’s also very violent. The story is good, and it has some adult themes (no sex or anything), but it’s a strange mix. I would not recommend this to anyone under 18.

I have some friends who watch a lot of anime, and apparently, Japanese youth are more used to violence in their pop culture than our kids are, so I guess that explains it. I’ve seen a little anime before, but it never had this odd mixture of “kid’s show” and “violent action show.” If you’re an adult, it’s worth watching. The mystery of Michiru’s background and how it affects both the beastmen and the humans is intriguing. Also, I can’t wait to see whether they’re going to keep Michiru and Shirou as friends (almost like brother and sister) or develop it into something more.

MORE INFORMATION:

Morphed into a raccoon beastman, Michiru seeks refuge, and answers, with the aid of wolf beastman Shirou inside the special zone of Anima-City.

Starring:Sumire Morohoshi, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Maria Naganawa

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 BNA: Brand New Animals

Primetime TV Review: “Warrior Nun”

TV Review!




Warrior Nun

Warrior Nun” on Netflix Review by Suzanne 7/6/20

This series is based on a comic book, “Warrior Nun Areala.” The heroine in that is Sister Shannon. In the TV series, they kill off Sister Shannon, and she’s replaced by a young quadraplegic girl. The nuns battle some demons, but they manage to put Sister Shannon’s halo (which is some sort of powerful device in her back that gives her superpowers) into the body of Ava Silva (Alba Baptista), who died recently. The halo revives her, and she has to not only fight off the demons but then rejoice in the fact that she’s alive and has full control of her body.

After that, Ava finds some other young people to hang out with, not knowing that this ancient order of nuns (and a priest) is looking for her. There’s a lot of action and special effects. There are many characters, but not so many that you have a hard time figuring out who’s who. It’s a good, fun superhero show. I enjoyed it and will probably watch the rest.

MORE INFORMATION:

NEW SERIES WARRIOR NUN

Inspired by the Manga novels, Warrior Nun revolves around a 19 year-old woman who wakes up in a morgue with a new lease on life and a divine artifact embedded in her back. She discovers she is now part of an ancient order that has been tasked with fighting demons on Earth, and powerful forces representing both heaven and hell want to find and control her.

Episodes: 10

Writer / Showrunner / Executive Producer: Simon Barry (Ghost Wars, Continuum)

Consulting Producer: Amy Berg (Counterpart, Da Vinci’s Demons)

Co-Executive Producer: Terri Hughes Burton (The 100, Eureka)

NWEPs: Stephen Hegyes (White Noise, 50 Dead Men Walking)

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Warrior Nun on Netflix

Primetime TV Review: “The Baby-Sitters Club”

The Baby-Sitters Club” Review by Eva 7/5/2020


The Baby-Sitters Club PosterThe Baby-Sitters Club,  based on the book series by Ann M Martin, has been made into a series now streaming on Netflix.

For those (like me) who have never read the books, they center around a group of best friends who start a babysitting business. The show has been updated for 2020, with nods to the past — like the fact that the girls use a landline to get their babysitting job calls.  The phone is a white princess push button phone that they bought on Etsy.  The girls also want to use social media to advertise their business, but they can’t because they are not thirteen and are unable get an account.  The girls decide to use an old-fashioned form of advertising: they print fliers and hand them out in their neighborhoods.

I really enjoyed this show; it is very well-written and smart.  The girls speak like junior high girls and don’t sound too grown-up or younger than their age.  I originally watched this show because I thought my six-year-old niece might like it, but I think this show is more appropriate for kids ten years old and up… not because it has anything bad in it, but because older kids will be able to understand it better.  I think this show is great for families to watch together.  Parents will enjoy it, and so will the kids.  I think it is the perfect show for families to binge-watch together because it is a positive, happy, funny show.  I give this show 5 stars.

More Information:

Watch it at www.netflix.com/thebaby-sittersclub

THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB RETURNS!

ORIGINAL LIVE-ACTION DRAMEDY BASED ON THE BELOVED BOOK SERIES BY ANN M. MARTIN COMES TO NETFLIX

  • Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer are back … this time on Netflix!
  • Based on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling book series, The Baby-Sitters Club is a contemporary live action original series that will follow the friendship and babysitting adventures of five best friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.
  • The family-friendly adaptation comes from Walden Media and Michael De Luca, who will executive produce. De Luca Productions’ Lucy Kitada will also serve as an executive producer. Rachel Shukert (GLOW) will serve as showrunner and Lucia Aniello (Broad City) will serve as director and executive producer. Ann M. Martin and Walden Media’s Naia Cucukov will produce alongside Aniello’s Paulilu Productions. There is a 10-episode order.
  • The beloved and best-selling book series is a timely story of female friendship, entrepreneurialism and empowerment. The series has over 200 books licensed in over 20 territories with more than 180 million copies sold to date.
  • “I’m amazed that there are so many passionate fans of The Baby-Sitters Club after all these years, and I’m honored to continue to hear from readers – now grown, who have become writers, editors, teachers, librarians, filmmakers – who say that they see a reflection of themselves in the characters of Kristy and her friends. So I’m very excited about the forthcoming series on Netflix, which I hope will inspire a new generation of readers and leaders everywhere,” said Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-Sitters Club.
  • “For generations, young people have been captivated and inspired by the enterprising young women of The Baby-Sitters Club,” said Frank Smith, president and CEO of Walden Media. “Bringing this iconic series to life comes at a pivotal moment in Walden’s expansion into scripted televised content. We are honored to be part of this special collaboration with Ann M. Martin, Netflix, and Michael De Luca.”
  • “The themes of The Baby-Sitters Club still resonate 30 years after the original book series was released and there has never been a more opportune time to tell an aspirational story about empowering young female entrepreneurs,” said Melissa Cobb, vice president of Kids & Family at Netflix. “Together with Ann M. Martin and the team at Walden Media, our ambition is to contemporize the storylines and adventures of this iconic group of girlfriends to reflect modern-day issues.”
  • “The entire team at Michael De Luca Productions is ecstatic to be working with Netflix and Walden Media to bring Ann M. Martin’s best-selling book series to a global audience,” said De Luca and Kitada. “These iconic books have sold more than 180 million copies to date and now, through Netflix, they will be brought to life in a new way for audiences in over 190 countries.”

De Luca recently was nominated for a PGA Award for producing Ben Stiller’s award-winning Escape at Dannemora. De Luca was Emmy-nominated for producing both the 89th and the 90th Academy Awards.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

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The Babysitters Club