What I’m Watching
I’ve never been a big fan of crime shows but from time to time I find one that holds my interest, like “Prime Suspect” and now “Wallander.” Kenneth Branagh exceeded my expectations in this role, a feat I didn’t think possible for this already award winning actor and director. He plays Kurt Wallander, a Swedish police inspector and the protagonist on which Henning Menkell’s books are based. Wallander is, to say the least, a melancholy character and like many detectives not one to show his feelings. But it’s his reluctance to acknowledge the effect his job has had on his life, even as it crumbles around him, that I found so alarming. He is divorced and married to his work, spending very little time with his daughter. He barely sleeps, eats on the run, if at all, and nurses a guilty conscious. Eventually his lifestyle catches up to him with nearly disastrous results.
I became completely engrossed in Branagh’s performance, so much so I had to remind myself I was watching a television show even though I felt as if I was intruding on someone’s life. Only three episodes of “Wallander” have been produced but my fingers are crossed that the series will continue. If its critical reception is anything to go by, the BBC would be fool hardy not to. The series won Best Drama from the British Academy Television Awards and the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards honored Kenneth Branagh with best actor. “Wallander” aired on PBS’s Masterpiece Theater in the U.S. If you missed it, I’ll tell you how you can get your hands on a copy later in this post.
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Alexander McCall Smith’s best-selling novels have come to life on the small screen, thanks to the BBC and HBO films. Singer Jill Scott plays Precious Romotswe, the sole proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Her side-kick in the private eye business is her type-A secretary Grace Makutsi, fantastically played by actress Anika Noni Rose. Together they investigate mysteries in and around the town of Gaborone in Botswana.
I think Smith should feel good about this series. The program is beautifully shot on location in Africa, the scenery is breath-taking and Jill Scott does a superb job of bringing Precious to life. Her performance is charming and she delivers a Botswanian accent quite convincingly. The relationship between Precious, so calm and serious, and her quirky secretary, Grace, is fun to watch. Then there are the townspeople like the flamboyant hairdresser BK, who makes me laugh, and JLB, the mechanic and prospective love interest of Precious Romotswe. I thought the plot lines were interesting and enjoyed how they incorporated elements of African culture. As of today, I haven’t heard if the program has been renewed for a second season but I have a feeling Precious will be back.
A History of Britain
In 2000, the BBC aired the first in a series of documentaries on the history of Britain, written and presented by Simon Schama, English historian and author. The show was presented in 15 parts spread over three series and produced in conjunction with The History Channel. If you love Great Britain and enjoy history, this is a good first introduction to what amounts to over a thousand years in the life of a nation.
Schama’s delivery of “A History of Britain” is intelligent and engaging, although my husband complained he found him difficult to watch. Let’s just say Schama’s body language is a bit animated, but I appreciated his energy. The first show in the series was especially interesting to me; it covered the period from 3000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. when the island was occupied at one time or another by either the Romans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Danes. I knew very little about this time so I appreciated the attention paid to it, however abbreviated within a 59 minute show. If I have one criticism of the series, it is Schama’s quite obvious omission of Henry V. Other than a mention here and there, Schama completely skipped over his reign. King Henry V is one of my favorite monarchs and I was hoping to get a deeper insight into who he was. Certainly he was worthy of attention, after all, Shakespeare wrote a play about him and I dare say, if it weren’t for Henry’s success on the battlefield, the English may very well be speaking French.
You can find “A History of Britain” and “Wallander” on Netflix, or if you would like to purchase them, they are available in my store. Each would make an excellent Father’s Day gift. If you are interested in watching the “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency”, the first series will be released on DVD in September.
What I Wish I Was Watching
Back in February I introduced you to a new station in the U.K. called Blighty, which airs on Sky and Virgin TV. As the name suggests, Blighty TV is completely dedicated to life in Britain and features shows like the gorgeously filmed “Britain from Above” and the original program “My Brilliant Britain”. Now a new show has debuted called “Made in Britain” which stars comedian Dom Joly. Joly is on a quest to fill his home with items made only in Britain. Good luck, eh? Well that’s the challenge he faces when his house is stripped of everything not made in Britain. In each episode, Dom tackles a different room and he travels coast to coast to find British only furnishings to fill it. Along the way he meets British craftsman and artisans who stand behind their products and are proud to sell British made.
You can find out more on the show and Blighty by going to www.loveblighty.co.uk
Watch this clip of Dom Joly discussing the show.
Kenneth Branagh's Wallander is good, but Krister Henricksson's is even better! The Swedish series is on UK telly these days with subtitles, on BBC4 (Monday evenings, repeated on Thursdays).
Even with subtitles, I like it better, never miss one, and tape them. I just read the first of the Wallander books, and was very disappointed. Maybe it was just the translator. Maybe they get better… I can hope.
I'm also a USA-ian transplanted over here, and I've just acquired dual nationality. I'm blogging about Things British, too.