Hamish Macbeth (1995-1997)

While most of us know Robert Carlyle from either Trainspotting (1996), The Full Monty (1997), or perhaps, the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time (2011-2018), his first breakout on screen was a little Scottish TV show called Hamish Macbeth that aired on BBC from 1995-1997. It took me years to jump on board with it, but after doing so, it jumped to be in my top 10 personal favorite TV shows of all time.

Robert Carlyle did guest star appearances on TV shows in the early/ mid 90’s, such as Cracker, and he would go on to have 3 other TV shows after Hamish (as of 2024) as a main character: Stargate Universe (2009-2011), Once upon a Time, and Cobra (2020- present). (I myself have seen only Once Upon a Time.)

Hamish Macbeth is based on books by M.C. Beaton, and while it may upset some people that it doesn’t follow the books (I have not read them) separately as it’s own medium, it’s great. Hamish Macbeth, Police constable is a laid back guy who loves westerns, his dog, Wee Jock (a West Highland Terrier), and hanging out with the local townsfolk. The show isn’t so much about being a police officer but just rather keeping peace or investigating odd happenings in the town of Lochdubh (that’s Lock-doo).

Lochdubh is a little bit eccentric but that is the full charm!  There’s Hamish’s right hand man and best friend, “TV” John McIver (Ralph Riach) who has the gift of sight. TV John was the first man in town to own a TV, hence the nickname!

Making mischief is father and son duo Lachlan McCrae and Lachaln McCrae Jr (Billy Riddoch and Stuart Davids), under the eyes of pub owners Barney and wife Agnes (Barbara Rafferty and Stuart McGugan). Alexandra Maclean (Valarie Grogan) is the “town princess” who is a romance author and daughter of the town’s manor owner Major Roderick Maclean (David Ashton). While Alex may or may not have Hamish’s heart, she’s not the only one with a crush on him, as Isabel Sutherland (Shirley Henderson), who writes for the newspaper, also has a quiet crush. Rounding out the townsfolk are school teacher Esme Murray (Anne Lacey), grocery owner Rory Campbell (Brian Pettifer) and the doctor (who smokes dope!) Dougal Brown (Duncan Duff).

What I adore about this TV show is NO ACTOR- waters down their Scottish accent! What’s even cooler is that at the 2019 Belfast film festival Carlyle, during a Q&A, admitted that he had some creative control on the series and every actor from his Raindog Theatre company guest starred on the show, meaning he got to act/ work with his friends. This includes his final girlfriend before his wife, Caroline Paterson (who guest starred in season 3).

My favorite episodes are: West Coast Story (season 1) which uses music and borrows plot from West Side Story (1961), A Bit of an Epic– set on a trekking of the Highlands (season 1 finale) and No Man is an Island (season 2), in which Hamish helps a woman, Belle, who stepped on a landmine (Once Upon a Time fans have such a fondness for this episode!).

Take a look at a scene from West Coast Story in which Robert Carlyle sings Cool- certainly he is! Rumor has it this video was sent to him on Twitter circa 2012 and he replied “Shivers”.

The only thing is the show is 20 episodes and way too quick of a watch! I never watched a strictly Scottish TV show before, so the humor just blew me away. I would hear jokes or outright funny language that in American TV we censor and can’t say. I loved the bluntness and straight forwardness of it all, I was smiling the from ear to ear! My Mom loved it too- I think her slight Scottish side is where she gets her coolness from.

Overall, I am just so glad I discovered this TV show, and as a Robert Carlyle fan- It’s a MUST WATCH. He isn’t restrained or having to fake it with phony material here like he was on Once Upon a Time, and certainly you can tell, he is having so much fun in every episode. My regret is I didn’t jump on sooner, as it took me until 2022; That’s a bit embarrassing for a show that was on air when I was born! I kept hearing about it during the airing of Once on social media and just ignored it. (Maybe I should jump on and watch Cobra now! He’s in it after all!). Lately, Carlyle has been revisiting his early roles from his career with sequels and revivals like Trainspotting 2 and The Fully Monty TV show (This was awesome!). I think Hamish Macbeth should be the next role he should re-visit! I would be 100% on board with it!

This entry is for the It’s in the name of the Title Blogathon hosted by Realweegiemidget and Taking up Room

High School Musical 2006: Ode to My Generation

This entry is for the Mis-Matched Couples Blogathon hosted by Realweegie Midget Reviews and Cinematic Catharsis. It runs from March 29-31 2024.

Music entered my life as early as it possibly could. Adopted at age of 1, my world became rock n’ roll and full of legendary music. I’m talking 70’s hard rock, Disney standards, mixed in with The Wizard of Oz (1939) soundtrack.

My toddler years were Kiss fan made VHS tapes, Def Leppard interviews, AC/DC Stuff Upper Lip tour updates on VH1, and plenty of Disney movie marathons. Full House reruns in my elementary years were watching Nick@Nite with Uncle Jesse playing concerts in the living room. Music like The Beach Boys and more rock standards such as “My Sharona” entered my life at this point. While all of this was good and plenty, getting healthy doses of legendary music, the musical staple of my own generation didn’t come around until 2006 with the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.

Launching Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale to mega teen stardom, HSM was not anything technically, “new“, but it came around at a time when kids of my generation had nothing else that was their own.
Sure Disney had The Cheetah Girls and Lizzie McGuire containing original music, but they were not broad appeals (I wasn’t into either). High School Musical with its relatable Romeo and Juliet/ West Side Story inspired love story appealed to all kids and was insanely relatable, as it took place at school. Even elementary students like 4th grader, 9/ 10 year old me at the time, connected with it over the familiar setting.

(Disney)

Zac Efron stars as Troy Bolton: captain of the basketball team at East High School. He’s basically the typical all American jock, and with his dad as the team coach, there is extra pressure on him to be perfect. HS is his oyster: he has a best friend, co-captain Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), knows the teachers, and is popular with other students like performer twins Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel).

On New Years Eve, Troy goes on vacation out of state to a ski lounge and ends up at a party with karaoke, in which he is randomly paired with Gabriella Montez (Hudgens). Neither wants to sing, and they do so reluctantly, but as “The Start of Something New” goes on, they feel more confident and comfortable with each other. In fact, they feel so comfortable with each other, by the end of the night they almost kiss.

Thinking they never will see each other again, the pair exchange numbers, but this turns out to be wrong when Gabriella walks up in homeroom the first day back to school, as a transfer student to East High. Gabriella soon discovers Troy is a jock, and she is taken in by the science club president Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing their hidden passion, even auditioning for the winter musical (they sing What I’ve Been Looking For). Once this news breaks, Sharpay, Chad, Taylor, and even Troy’s Dad do everything in their power to stop it, as kids should “Stick to the Status Quo“.

But Troy and Gabriella are determined against the odds, and once their friends come around, everyone realizes its all better when they are “All in This Together“

At first, I was not on board with HSM, I believed it to be over hyped. It was a few weeks until I saw it, and my mom actually picked up the DVD at my my younger sister’s insistence. But then something shifted, I kept hearing “Breaking Free”, and was so taken in by that song. The melody, the visuals in which Troy and Gabriella were performing, it just spoke to me. (Of course, the twirl at towards the end and the sweet kiss on cheek once the song is finished were also aspects I admired!)

As far as the chemistry between these two goes, on paper, yes they are mismatched. Yet, I think what bonds them is the power of music, as well as the fact Gabriella isn’t impressed by Troy’s jock status, to her, that’s beside the point. Music I believe is a powerful force, and it can bring you surprising bonds with people you would never think you’d be friends with. With these two, it allows them to be their real selves, and it connects them on a deeper level than just surface level appearances.

Of course, I must mention, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens as actors, were paired together in auditions because the producers and director Kenny Ortega saw something between them that was blatantly obvious. They crushed on each other during filming in 2005 and then dated until 2010, 2 years after the HSM3 wrapped. “Zanessa” were a couple I totally believed was, “true love”, in my elementary/ middle school years. I don’t personally think it was a show-mance, as you look at Zac’s own personal romances since he broke up with Vanessa, and none have been successful or long lasting.

Overall, HSM is probably nothing more than a G rated Grease, or a West Side Story set in school, or as my Mom has always seen, just “something goofy on Disney Channel”. But to kids of my generation, this was something connective: the music was new, the stars were teens themselves, you had to wait for the other two movie installments, and you saw Zac Efron’s face plastered on Tiger Beat, Bop, and J-14 (Mags my sister and I got!). I don’t recall there has been something as major on the same vein as HSM since then, or maybe we have to wait a long while before something as major comes around again. Whatever the case, while I do have my own issues with the trilogy, and I have fallen out of love with the actors, and don’t care for some of the acting performances, HSM will always be something my generation can claim for themselves. That doesn’t always happen, and I’m not sure what my opinion will be 10 years from now, but, for me, just like for Troy and Gabriella, the music is what keeps me bonded with this trilogy. It’s a part of the music of my life, and it will forever represent my own childhood.

BONUS: This is my favorite Troy- Gabriella duet of the whole trilogy, HSM3’s Right Here, Right Now. I’ve always believed Zac’s voice possessed a tenderness not present in any other song. It is the hopeless romantic number of the trilogy, I found it tender at age 12, and I still believe that as an adult.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

This review is for Movie Rob’s December 2023 genre grandeur of animated Christmas movies!

In 1974, Rankin and Bass, made one of their final true classic animagic TV specials, The Year Without A Santa Claus.

The premise is actually based on a 1956 children’s storybook of the same name by Phyllis McGinley. Amazingly, a title song did not exist prior to the special, and one was created specifically for it. It does however, incorporate the pre-existing songs of “Blue Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus”.

The plot of this special is all based on Santa (voiced once again by Mickey Rooney after he voiced Santa in 1970’s Santa Claus is Comin to Town) having a cold, and not wanting to take his big trip at Christmas! He doesn’t feel concerned about about missing the trip either, as he feels the world, particularly kids, do not care about him anymore. After Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth in her final role) realizes she can’t take Santa’s place, as she would be recognized, she sends elves Jingle and Jangle out on a quest to a town called Southtown, with Vixen, to see just how much people do or do not care if Santa takes a holiday.

Although Santa, the elves, and the boy they meet on their quest in Southtown, Iggy, are all fun characters, the real highlight are the Miser Brothers: Snow Miser and Heat Miser. They sing the most memorable songs and are just so charming!!! I personally adore their backup dancers and lairs with their thrones.

Growing up this was one of my mom’s favorite Christmas specials she remembers watching on TV as it premiered, as she was 9 when it first aired. (Her all time favorite is Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 1964, but that premiered on TV the year before she was born).

In my life, I was introduced to this special kind of later in my childhood, maybe when I was like 8 or 9, because of the lack of home video and broadcast scarcity. When we finally found it on DVD, my Mom was so excited, as if she was watching it for the first time!!

As far as Rankin/ Bass specials go, one could argue this is the last real classic Christmas special. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year debuted in 1976, however it’s almost rare as it (understandably) wasn’t on heavy TV rotation or as common on VHS like Rudolph 1964 and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. 1979 saw the R/B team reunite with Mickey Rooney in Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. Rooney played Santa for the final time in 2008’s Miser Brother’s Christmas, although R/B was not involved.

NO. Not my Miser Brothers!

I always thought it was cool to see Frosty in the animagic style for Christmas in July, but was very unimpressed with the 2008 special. Even as a 12 year old, I just could not latch onto it they way it did with the original and I’ve dismissed it ever since. The puppets were completely redesigned, which is understandable if they were lost, BUT they were not even made to resemble the originals. The complete redesigns took the real magic away from the the brothers, and the plot was too generic and unoriginal.

For me, and I’m sure many others, The Year Without a Santa Claus is in the same camp as 1964’s Rudolph and 1970’s Comin’ to Town. It has the magic of the puppets, the sentimentality, and the all round cuteness that makes you believe in that legit Christmas magic. Have a very Merry Christmas and remember, “You’re too much!”

Murdoch Mysteries: The On-Going Case

This post is for MovieRob’s November 2023 Genre Grandeur of Detectives!

Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian long running TV show based on the novels by Maureen Jennings.

Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) of the Toronto constabulary and his team solve crime and catch the bad guys lurking on the streets of Toronto (and surrounding areas, as some episodes are set elsewhere) during the Victorian (and later Edwardian) era. But Murdoch is no ordinary detective, as he is a Catholic in a Protestant city, and more so, he uses cutting edge science to work out his cases. Math, physics, chemistry, and early forensic investigation skills come into play when solving cases the Murdoch way.

While his eager constable, George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), is curious to learn and assist with these newfangled and sometimes unorthodox methods, his boss Englishman Inspector Thomas Brakenreid (Thomas Craig) is a bit skeptical preferring things to be done by the book (well, to begin with!). Rounding out the core cast, is the forward thinking coroner Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) who Murdoch’s love interest. The foursome work together, each bringing their own skills to the case, and sometimes, they are even aided by a (future) famous person such young Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, or Nikola Tesla to name a few!

Like many long running TV shows (over 15 years as I write this post), Murdoch Mysteries has it’s really amazing episodes/ seasons/ supporting characters and it’s really poor episodes/ seasons/ supporting characters. I won’t go into too much detail of a list of things I like or dislike, but I will say the show has stalemated since about season 12. With the same 4 core cast members, writers are running out of ideas and are failing to come up with new ones that don’t recycle plots or revisit former long- resolved story lines.

The early seasons of Murdoch are the strongest. They add in so much innovation as there is Murdoch with his science methods, his flashbacks sequences that place himself at the crime scene (which are super cool), and inventions of future objects/ ideas (like headphones, computers, text messages, post it notes, etc). They also incorporate George’s, “theories“, which add charm to the show. George believes in almost anything: Mummy’s curses, werewolves, vampires, mole people, aliens, voodoo, zombies, you name it (except Lake Monsters, he doesn’t believe in Lake Monsters!). It’s also fun to watch Brakenreid and Murdoch see cases with a different perspective, with differing ideas on how to solve them, but still have the same goal of catching the guilty. It adds a fun dynamic between the two. And of course Dr. Ogden, being a female doctor in the Victorian age, she’s progressive and forward thinking, championing women’s rights, and maybe even Detective Murdoch’s heart!

(From the Murdoch Facebook page) This episode (and recurring character) was bottom of the barrel.

The cause of the later seasons (I’d say again, from about 12 on, although some say the show got boring in season 9) to just be boring varies on perspective, but I’d say it’s a handful of things that came together. Jonny Harris has reduced episode counts starting in season 10 onwards, and you just miss George when he’s not around. Brakenreid sort of reverts to being a jerk, and this time a total jerk, not just being tough because he cares. Julia goes from fighting for the underdog and women to just being a snob about women being superior. Sadly, the later and most recent seasons don’t see Murdoch inventing or using science, and for many including myself, to see the show lose that cleverness and edge of what makes it fun, takes the enjoyment out of watching. The final nail, however, is annoyingly the element of PC being incorporated into the plots. It doesn’t matter what or who you support, I think it’s just irritating when a tv show that is a form of escapism must be PC, it takes the show out of its element and it gets tiring to deal with. 

All that being said, at the end of it all, the characters are what keep me watching. I care about George, and Murdoch, and how they will solve these cases. It’s cool to see a famous person from that era popup (and sometimes it’s a famous actor playing that role!).  The show is still solidly good, and it has potential to be awesome again, and I believe it can be. I have been watching the show since 2015 (I binged seasons 1-9 to catch up) and I don’t plan to stop watching until the last case is closed.

Childhood movies you just can’t quit

Hi all! Its been a little while since I’ve just written a post not connected to any blogathon or any writing theme. Lately, I’ve just been thinking about movies from my teen years (or even tween years). Movies that I just cannot quit no matter how much they are dragged or made fun of on social media, they mean something to me. Now hear me out, I’ve ditched a boatload of junky, crappy tween/ teen movies I saw when I was younger and today can not stomach to watch (Step up (2006), Just my Luck (2006), Easy A (2010) are the tip of the iceberg) as well as a list of ones I just flat out refused to watch because they looked dumb (I Love you Beth Cooper, John Tucker Must Die being two examples). Yet there are a select list that I feel have become intertwined with who I am as a person.

I know we all have them in life, and while I could go on and on about my all time favorite childhood movies (like Disney classics and stuff!) I decided to keep this post to a list of movies that were aimed at tweens/teens. So Disney classics like Lady and the Tramp (1955) do not qualify, as that is a family film (that no matter what your age, dog lovers everywhere just LOVE!) rather than a teen film.

So without further ado, let’s be transported to the world of lockers, homework, school crushes and unrealistic expectations:

17 Again (2009): I literally cannot let go of this movie, and I know how badly it can be seen through an adult’s eyes. It all goes back to the root of it all: I went OPENING weekend, to see it on the Ultra-Screen at Marcus Theaters, before it was moved to the regular sized theater screen. The movie came out April 17, 2009, and I went to see it on April 18 2009. THE scene Zac Efron gets out of the Audi R8 and struts into school with those aviators and leather jacket: It was the hottest scene my 12 year old self had ever seen on screen, ever (up to that point). Now, my mother eventually watched this whole movie with me, and she grimaced though the whole thing. She said not even Zac Efron could save it from being stupid and goofy. Now through the eyes of my adult self, I have to agree with her a little. The health class scene, the cafeteria scene and that almost incest scene are EMBARRASSINGLY bad. Who wrote that into the script and thought it would be funny? It’s not charming, it’s not cute, it’s just plain awful. That being said, this movie was the start of my teen years, 2009, and it defines a moment in time for me. It defines my crush on Zac Efron (which, yes, part of me will always carry the torch for him), for this, I think is the most adorable he’s looked on screen, before he got to muscle-man-ish and everything. I will always just have a sentimentality towards it.

Bring it On (2000): Bring it On is a movie that came out way before I was a teen. I was 4 when it came out. But September 2001, aged 5, when I was in kindergarten, a friend’s older sister loaned me the VHS tape; why, don’t ask me, I forgot all reason why. Anyways, I watched the full movie on the weekend or something. I remember thinking, “My Dad can never know this, he would make me turn off the tape!“

Now, I know the movie was edited for family viewing when it was released on home video, but I can’t be sure that I was watching the family friendly version, in fact I’m going to lean towards no because I didn’t want my dad to know. Back on topic, I haven’t a clue as to why I love Bring it On as an adult (this OG movie, not the throwaway sequels, that I have seen but never really enjoyed). I wasn’t a cheerleader, I’m not into sports, I don’t care about winning this round or the next level or whatever, and that’s basically what this movie is about. I think it’s just because I was introduced to the movie so young, it’s become a part of me and my story of loving movies. It’s just something so connected with me, I can’t let it go. That being said, it’s really cool this movie has aged really well, and its got more a a social awareness to it that holds up. It makes me happy to admit I’m into it.

The High School Musical trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008): I admit, I’ve ragged on HSM since my teen years ended. Since then, I’ve tried to let this series go, but I can’t, and I know why, one word: music. The music really is the most powerful part of the movies and it just is something I always will sing along with, and love. Of course there is young Zac Efron, (he was my teen idol, no joke, though I was never super vocal about it, I’m making up for it now) and how sweet he looked in that basketball uniform (#14!). Yes, I know, the whole thing is like Grease for tweens, or a West Side Story re-hash, but whatever, I literally don’t care. I was raised in a world of rock music, real rock music of the 70s and 80s, and music has always been a part of my life, and to watch something cool like this, in color, all modern, on screen, and have it be aimed at kids my age, in 2006, it was just cool. I’d loved music or music-related things before, like John Stamos putting music onto Full House, and Disney music from their classics and stuff, but all those were before I was born; HSM was something new for kids and it was exciting. I’ll forever be a Wildcat fan!

The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004): These movies are just special. I wrote to Dame Julie Andrews in Spring 2006, in Fourth grade, a fan letter, and she sent me a picture back (a studio picture of her, not a P.D. promo picture). I don’t recall seeing the first one in theaters (we did watch the dvd all the time) but I certainly went to see the second one in theaters, with mine and my sister’s childhood friends. We all even tried blanket surfing down the stairs, which was not as successful as mattress surfing! My parents don’t always love what I love, but my Mom loves these movies, my Dad even loves these movies, and it’s just something really magical. I’m really holding out for a third movie because I think it can be done.

Aquamarine (2006): Aquamarine like 17 Again has moments that poorly aged. The humor isn’t exactly what it used to be for me. Claire and Hailey being 14 year old 8th graders crushing on college bound 17/18 year old Raymond is understandable, but puts it all in a different light as an adult. However, this movie had powerful friendship scenes that are genuinely cute and sincere. Who can forget the mall montage or the Island in the Sun dance at the Last Splash? It’s basically now an escapist movie for me as an adult, and its comforting. I won’t quit it. I can’t.

Overall, I think in life there always be the defining movies of our childhood we hang onto, and because I grew up in a world of VHS and DVDs (streaming didn’t become normal until maybe my senior year of high school in 2013/2014 and even then, we didn’t have Netflix yet) it’s easier to hold onto them than ever before. They can take us to a moment in time, and for a moment, we are back to when life had no worries. Some childhood elements were meant to be held onto, and for me, these are the movies I choose to hold onto.

The Flaming Hot… 5 Reasons Why Tag

Thanks to Realweegiemidget Reviews for tagging me on this tag on Twitter! I absolutely ADORE talking Screen Crushes so I’m Totally doing this Tag! I can’t think of anyone to tag at the moment, so I’m gonna say anyone who reads this and wants to participate in it themselves is welcome to participate. Below are the Rules:

1. You must add the name of the blog that tagged you AND those of the Thoughts All Sorts and Realweegiemidget Reviews with links to ALL these sites.. and use the natty cat themed picture promoting this post. This picture is found later in this post… 
2. List 5 of your all-time swoon-worthy characters from TV or Film ie crushes/objects of your affection. And also do mention the actor or actress who plays them, as you might like James Bond as played by Timothy Dalton and no one else.. etc etc
3. Link to 10 other bloggers.
4. Add lovely pictures, gifs or videos of those you selected.
5. If you don’t have a blog (or don’t have time to write a post) join in with your choices on Twitter with this #5TheFlamingHot5ReasonsWhy Tag and tag @realweegiemidge and @Thoughtsallsort  and the person who tagged you in your tweet.
6. Oh…and post these rules.

Five of my Fictional 5 with the 5 reasons why:

1: George Bligh (Brett Climo) on the Australian TV show A Place to Call Home (2013-2018)

George Bligh is a country gentleman and owner of the Ash Park Estate, who just so happens to be a widower. His wife Elaine died as a civilian casualty of war when he was stationed in Darwin (It’s explained he was across the street from her when he saw her fall victim to Japanese bombing). George is the partirarch of his family with his mother, Elizabeth (Noni Hazlehurst), sister Carolyn (Sara Wiseman) and his two young adult children, James (David Berry) and Anna (Abby Earl). According to Anna, he’s been alone for too long. George has no interest in remarrying, until he meets nurse Sarah Adams (Marta Dusseldorp) on a ship coming home back to Australia from England.

FIVE REASONS:

1: George is an impeccable dresser! Suits, cardigans, robes, fedoras, you name it, George Bligh is a stylish man!

2: George is a total gentleman! George will drive anyone where they need to go, open doors for a lady, many of times will pay for neighbors’ medical expenses (often anonymously), invites guests to stay for dinner, and is open to change in both society and his own family dynamic, all while being true to his values and morals.

3: George is not-so-secretly a secret romantic at heart! On the onset, George may not seem to be a total romantic, due to his sense of duty and family, but underneath, his heart really rules his life. He wants to marry Sarah more than anything in the world, even if that means losing his family inheritance and being gossiped about for marrying a Jewish woman with a storied past. He really does wear his heart on his sleeve!

4: George is willing to see the best of people, even if this trait can be used against him. He always can see the good in someone, no matter what someone has went though in their past, he is supportive . This can get him into hot water when it comes to people who want to use him for personal, and /or financial gain, but if you’re a genuine person with legit intention, this trait works out for the best.

5: Brett Climo himself, I sense is just a total gentlemen in real life, and I know he was the perfect choice to play this character. From the looks of this article here, I instantly had total respect for him as a man… and I already had it for him as an actor!

2: Mr. Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) in the Bridget Jones Movies (2001, 2004, 2016)

Referring to the first movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001): Mark Darcy may look like a stuffy, somewhat uptight barrister on the outside, but on the inside, it may be because he is unlucky in love. His Japanese wife and he divorced and now he is being setup at a turkey curry buffet with Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) (who works in publishing). While Bridget and he are mutually not interested (at first), he silently doesn’t approve of who Bridget does end up going out with… none other than his rival from university, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), who is Bridget’s boss.

FIVE REASONS:

1: IT’S COLIN FIRTH! PLAYING A MODERN DAY MR. DARCY! ENOUGH SAID!

2: Mr. Darcy is a barrister, what a posh job! Brains and beauty!!! He takes his job seriously and it’s admirable.

3: Mr. Darcy is the most polite man! Even when he’s challenging Cleaver to a fight, he says it firmly… but politely!

4: Colin Firth just has a fantastic voice, a voice that is listenable to! Very listenable!

5: Mark Darcy loves Bridget Jones, just the way she is!

3: King Francis II (Toby Regbo) on Reign (2013-2017)

Prince Francis may start of by being uninterested in an arranged marriage to Mary (Stuart) Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane), but that soon changes when him and Mary come face to face again since childhood. He wants so badly not to be in love with her, yet his plan of staying professional political allies starts failing right away. However, allies and alliances shift, their parents may marry them off to other people at any moment. Francis and Mary must navigate their destinies of their nations.. and their hearts all while ruling their countries as King and Queen.

FIVE REASONS:

1: Toby Regbo!! I swear he is a young and upcoming British star. Reign was one of the first major projects he did. When I was 17, fall 2013, I wasn’t too thrilled in the promo pics (he was blonde on this project) but then I saw his acting and I totally fell for him! I loved his portrayal of this forgotten king from history!

2: Toby said it himself, Francis loves love! Francis was never one to hate people.. even his enemies at court. And when it comes to the love of his life, Mary, there’s a reason why they are such a beloved and fan favorite couple on the show!

3: Francis is King of France! The French Monarchy, although abolished, is a fascinating topic of history.

4: Francis and his half-brother Sebastian (Bash, played by Torrance Coombs, who is a fictional character for the show) have a great bro-mance on the show! It’s under utilized in season 3.

5: Francis’s character journey on the series!!! From being a Prince who wants to rule logically, to being ruled by his heart as King, its a real arc over the course of the show!!!

4: Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page) on Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012-2015)

Detective Inspector Jack Robinson of the Melbourne constabulary is a veteran of the First World War. He’s returned to civilian life and is separated from his wife, almost divorced. His life is pretty ordinary until The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, Lady Detective (Essie Davis) waltzes into his life and changes everything about it- including his heart!

FIVE REASONS

1: Nathan Page, ladies!!! A rare screen role for him, as he has shifted to theater and voice over work, seeing him on screen is such a delightful treat!

2: Jack Robinson is a sharp dressed man! Hair slicked back, always ready in a grey overcoat and hat- Jack is always got the right look for the occasion!

3: HIS VOICE! Nathan possesses one of the most intriguing voices on screen I have ever heard in my life. If he were acting 100 years ago, he would have no doubt made it successfully in talking movies.

4: His flirting with Miss Fisher! Jack is so guarded about flirting with Phryne that all his unintentional efforts not to flirt with Phryne end up being flirty!

5: An element of mystery! There is so much we still don’t know about Jack, and every bit of info we get as fans is super exciting. It’s only a small part of what keeps us glued to his character (and sadly while the tv show has ended, there is some super imaginative fan-non/ fan-fiction out there!).

5: Nick Charles (William Powell) in the Thin Man Movies (1934-1947)

Nick Charles is a happily married man who loves scotch, his dog, and living off his wonderful wife Nora’s (Myrna Loy) fortune. He has retired from detective work.. or so he thought! It all changes one day when he is hired to fina a man who disappeared, the Thin Man, Clyde Wynant.

FIVE REASONS

1: It’s William Powell, who plays the coolest detective!!! He is so perfectly cast!

2: Nick Charles is a dog lover!!

3: Nick and Nora are the flirtiest married couple ever! Who says courtship stops at marriage!?

4: Nick has a detecting method all his own. He doesn’t copy anyone!

5: Nick has an amazing sense of humor! He jokes around in such an elegant way, there is sometimes a delayed reaction in realizing its a joke!

Well, that was actually more difficult than I thought! It’s one thing to list off some of your screen crushes, it raises it to a whole new level when you’re asked to explain why! It was a fun challenge that really begs the question, why do you like the guy you see on screen? Thanks so much Gil! I had so much fun!!!!!

Gordon Ramsay: King of Food!

Honest to admit: I’m not a foodie. Food is not my life, as I’m on the, “eat to live“, side, (opposed to live to eat), and I certainly am not a dessert person, but for someone who says that, I do watch cooking shows because I love to watch Gordon Ramsay.

I was 8 1/2 years old in early 2005 when I first saw Gordon on the US version of Hell’s Kitchen. My mom thought it looked interesting, so I decided to watch with her. Watching Chef Ramsay, I had never seen anyone so angry in the kitchen, yet at the same time, I had never seen someone so understandably angry. Underneath all that frustration, was someone who was so caring and concerned about the food, the diners, and the chefs. It was also really hilarious to watch him, as he has a really wicked sense of humor.

After that, I believe the US version of Kitchen Nightmares started, and my mom of course was watching that. I was unaware of the show until it premiered on TV. In one episode, Chef sat down to say a quick prayer before he was to eat this terribly disgusting dish. I laughed so hard about it and remember asking my mother, “How does he not get food poisoning if he has to eat the gross meal?”
She laughed and said he doesn’t eat the whole meal, just tastes it to see what it’s like. I was really relieved by that, as I didn’t wanna see Chef Ramsay go to the hospital!

It was shortly after Kitchen Nightmares USA started I actually got a chance to watch the UK version, which at the time was airing in reruns on BBC America. Now it’s been years since I’ve seen this show, but one stand out moment I remember was an episode he confronted his own demons of dancing (as he explained the week was about conquering fear, he decided to also conquer his own). I also started watching his UK show The F-Word, which has a freakin’ cool intro and song. Sort of a food documentary show, I just found it entertaining to watch all these segments with food, diners, and most of all Mr. Ramsay’s personal life! It was such a riot!!!

It wasn’t until Masterchef USA however, that I really saw the complete other side of Chef Ramsay, that actually underneath he’s a real softie. I saw the real mentoring side of Chef Ramsay, and someone who was super encouraging to these home cooks, it made me see him as really down to earth. Masterchef JR was another step in this direction, as on that show it was not only super sweet to see him be silly with these kid home cooks, but also really bizarre to not hear him swearing!!!

Over the years, it’s just been guaranteed that if Chef Gordon Ramsay is hosting a TV show, I’m watching it. He’s had a plethora of them on the Fox network: Hotel Hell (a Kitchen Nightmares setup where he helps struggling hotels), 24 Hours to Hell and Back (a 24 hour condensed version of Kitchen Nightmares), The F-Word USA (a continuation of the style of the UK show), Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape and later his show Uncharted (on both shows, Chef goes to exotic places and learns new cooking skills from locals, making a meal to share with them at the end of the week), and Gordon Gino and Fred (teaming up with fellow chefs Fred Serieix and Gino D’Acampo, these guys are such a crazy bunch! I love it when they go on food adventures together! They filmed an episode in Scotland, and when it aired in America, I finally got to see Gordon in kilt!!! Only took about 17 years!). Chef’s latest show is Next Level Chef, a cooking competition in which cooks rise or fall a kitchen level based on their dishes.

At the time of this writing, the coolest thing is Chef Gordon Ramsay himself follows me on Twitter!  It’s awesome! I have not, yet, been to one of his restaurants, but I plan to change that fact in the near future. My mother has said numerous times over the years, she will try his Hell’s Kitchen Beef Wellington one day! Lucky for us a new Hell’s Kitchen is opening soon in Naperville, IL, and we plan on dining there!!

As for the TV shows, as long as Chef Ramsay continues to host shows, I will be watching them. Some people have a favorite news anchor or favorite home designer they can’t miss, but for me, I can’t miss Chef Ramsay on TV! 18 years of on screen viewing… here’s to another fun 18 years of watching his shows!!! 

THIS post written for the April 2023 Genre Grandeur hosted by Movie Rob!

H2O: Just Add Water

If you would have asked me in middle school what my favorite tv show was, easily hands down the answer would have been the Aussie tv show H2O: Just Add Water.

H2O: Just Add Water is a show about 3 different girls who live on the beaches of the Gold Coast. Emma Gilbert (Claire Holt), Cleo Sertori (Phoebe Tonkin), and Rikki Chadwick (Cariba Heine) (and later Bella Hartley (Indiana Evans)) are our heroines and together they navigate through normal teen life all while hiding their secret: they are mermaids with powers over water. Emma can freeze water, Cleo can shape water, and Rikki can boil water. No one execpt Cleo’s childhood friend (and love interest) science brainiac Lewis McCartney (Angus McLaren) knows about their secret and he helps them navigate everyday problems all while balancing it with mermaid adventures. The show ran from 2006 – 2010 with 3 seasons and 78 episodes.

When H2O premeired in the USA, it was March 2008. I was 11 1/2, and I believe I was the perfect age to get hooked on the show. H2O stood out from all the other teen shows I was watching because the show actually had a serialized storyline that was engaging. I made my own little scrapbook for the show (its gone now!), got the season 2 cd for my 12th birthday, and even had the dolls (they went to goodwill!).

Season 1 is certianly the best, as it had the most stakes and was organic for the story they were telling. With the transformation into mermaids needing to be kept secret, the biggest storyline is the fear of exposure, and the antagonist is a scientist, Dr Denman, who would exploit the girls for fame and money. The season also sees the best character journey of, “bad boy”, Zane Bennett (Burgess Aberthany) from rich snobby jerk, to being more caring and sensitive… especially after he almost drowns in a shipwreck (only to be saved by Emma, but after he catches a glimpse of a “sea monster”) and has a relationship with Rikki (ZIKKI IS MY FAVORITE relationship of the entire show!). Season 1 also has the best mythology backstory building, concerning the dynamics of how the girls powers work. 

Season 2 is pretty good, with the introduction of the infamous Charlotte Watsford (Brittney Byrnes) who becomes a third point in a love triangle with Lewis and Cleo. It’s kind of painful, as their relationship takes up some screentime that was dedicated to the girls friendship in season 1, but its really engaging and keeps you watching and asking when Cleo and Lewis will get back together. Season 2 also continues the myth building with Mako Island and the girls powers, as their powers change to also control weather. The biggest plot of the season is Charlotte becoming a mermaid and the girls having to accept her in their group, while she’s a bully to Cleo and alienating Lewis from having contact with her (and the rest of the girls). Season 2 is still enjoyable and it really strengthens the friendships and ups the ante on everything: the danger, the romance, the fun. I remember bootlegging episodes 14-26 on YouTube because they failed to play on Nickelodeon in America, and I was insanely upset about it. Nothing was going to keep me from this show!

Season 3 is honestly my least favorite. At the time of release, in 2009-2010, in the UK (it aired there first before Australia), I was one of the bootleg viewers. I would get home from 8th grade, and a recording of the new episode would be uploaded. I recall I had to be quick about it because they would be deleted for copyright claims, so that was always a problem. Nonetheless, I made sure exactly right when the videos were uploaded I was at the computer screen.
What I hate about season 3 is the whole friendship dynamic changes. Claire Holt left the cast due to a scheduling conflict being replaced by Bella, a new girl who moves to town with her never seen on screen family (I’m team Emma over Bella!).  Angus McLaren has reduced episodes and left the main cast, and Lewis was “replaced” by Will (Luke Mitchell), who in comparison is a dull character. The friendship of the 3 girls just doesn’t gel properly and it’s basically the case of, “Oh Bella! You’re a mermaid too, we must be friends!”.
The show also starts chasing some trends of other teen shows around this time: Bella has her own band and sings! Will takes of his shirt a ton! Zane now owns the local cafe (no boss to answer to) and calls it Rikki’s!

Add in Zane’s character just completely reverting back to being a total jerk due to lazy writing and it just sucks. Not to mention the overall plot of the water tentacle being the enemy and the payoff completely not following what they set up, this season is a frustrating watch. There are some highlights however: as Cleo and Lewis (Clewis!) are so adorable (until they write him out) this season, and Rikki has some strong emotional  development.

I’m no ordinary girl

Overall, H2O will always be that special show in my heart. It’s the only show from my childhood preteen years I genuinely still care about, and do not regret watching. I may have come to it only because mermaids are my favorite mythological creature, but in the end, this is what got me open to Australian TV. It planted the seeds for me to watch Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, A Place to Call Home, Dance Academy and for that I’m really grateful.

This post was written for the March 2023 Genre Grandeur of beaches hosted by MovieRob.

Full House: Dr. Dare Rides Again

One of my all time favorite TV shows ever made is the sitcom Full House. Considering this year, 2023, is my 20th anniversary of being a fan I thought it would be super fun to honor one of my top 10 favorite episodes from the show for the 2023 TV blogathon hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts. Click here to check out the other entries!

I first started to watch Full House at the end of first grade and into second grade, in 2003. I was roughly about 6 1/2 to 7 years old. I believe one of the first episodes I ever saw was the season 2 season premiere Tanner v. Gibbler at a sleepover at a friend’s house. My friend, Shannon, had an older sister, and she always chose what we watched on TV, and she chose to watch Full House that night on Nick @ Nite.

Over the years, my friendship with Shannon drifted, as we simply grew apart as we were at different schools, but what I kept doing was watching Full House on my own. I wanted to keep watching the show with all these fun characters, and awesome concerts in the living room! This eventually led to me getting all the seasons on DVD as they were being released, for instance, I got season 5 for my good report card!

Over the years, I’ve seen every episode numerous times, as I still rely on Full House to be a comfort show. I did not grow up with the show, per say (as Uncle Jesse would say!), as the show aired from 1987-1995, and I was born in 1996, but I feel that I can still say the show is deeply rooted in my childhood. Watching it on Nick @ Nite every night with commercials and waiting for the show to come on TV, was as if I watching it first run. It would be really difficult to explain what exactly is my all time favorite episode (I know in third grade it was The Wedding episode from season 4, but answers change), but I can tell you I have a favorite character: which is: John Stamos as Uncle Jesse Katsopolis. Jesse has the most growth throughout the show’s run and transforms from an Uncle and Brother in law rock n’ roll bachelor, to a rock n’ roll responsible husband and father. One of the best episodes that helps highlight this transition was in season 3, episode 9 (overall episode 53 of 192) called Dr. Dare Rides Again. Airing for the first time on November 24, 1989, I can positively say it’s on my top 10 list of favorite episodes of the whole show.

Dr. Dare Rides Again is Full House at its best. The show is on the edge of the ’80s, and its not going into 1990 without one old fashioned reminder of what the 1980’s was all about: GOOD TIME FUN!

The episode revolves around the concept of Jesse believing he’s become to soft and has lost some of his edge when his high school buddy Pete Bianco comes for a visit. Guest starring as Pete is Happy Days icon Scott Baio. Personally, I’m unsure if this was a fun choice at the time of airing, but going on the fact I’ve been watching the episode for 20 years (and that the episode itself is almost 35 years old), I always thought John and Scott really sold the part of being old friends.

It only takes about 2 minutes after Pete arrives for him to dare Jesse to keep up with him for 2 days, and bring back the fun times they shared when Jesse was “Dr. Dare“. This dare gets really easy to do when Danny (along with Becky) leaves for a work conference that takes him out of the house and out of town. Enter the Full House classic: Uncle Jesse concert in the living room!

This concert in the living room performed by one of Jesse’s old bands Feedback, on a reunion bill, is probably my all time favorite on the series. It has Jesse on lead guitar, Pete on bass, a key-tarist, and Joey playing the baseball bat! They perform Shout! and even go into Elvis’s Mean Woman Blues. (EDIT: I always thought Mr. Stamos was having the time of his life in this scene, and LOVE the fact he incorporates music into his projects he does! AND: THE HAIR)

Of course this wouldn’t be Full House without some discipline, and YES- Jesse and the girls get reprimanded when Danny walks back into the house. The timeless Danny Tanner, “you know better than this“, look, as only the late Mr. Bob Saget (RIP! 😥 ) could do. It’s at this moment he also addresses the episode’s side plot of Stephanie being too loose with family dog Comet (like letting him sit at the table and sleep in her bed).

As Jesse prepares to quiet down the concert, Pete brings out a tape from their past, from 1983, when Jesse was 20 and he rode his motorcycle on the edge of a 6 story building. The tipping point comes at Pete’s comment of Jesse turning into Dr. Seuss, and soon, the gang finds themselves back at the same 6 story ledge.

As you can guess, once on the ledge Jesse decides NOT to do the dare (perhaps a more dangerous dare is kissing his old girlfriend Donna, in front of his current girlfriend Becky??), rightfully so, but still can’t let go of the youth he one had. Enter the other Full House classic: talking out your feelings. DJ comes down stairs at this moment and tells her Uncle she’s glad he didn’t do the stunt. Jesse confides he has matured and become wiser, but still misses his youth; with DJ adding in she likes her uncle now just the way he is, with him insisting on a compromise: he’s Uncle Dr. Dare.

The final moments of this episode are what makes me just love Jesse overall: once DJ has gone upstairs and is out of sight, he turns on the amp and jams, YEAH, HE’S NEVER LOST IT!!! The same applies to John Stamos himself, he’ll always have it; he had it on General Hospital, and he’s got it now, at nearly 60! Still plays occasionally with the Beach Boys (when his schedule allows) and continues to entertain us on stage and screen.

Dr. Dare Rides Again, overall, is just a special episode to me. In my view, it represents that yes, one does become older, wiser, but in the end, you never have to give up the traits that make you, you. One can hang onto the fun elements of their life and be cool, fun, and edgy, but just in a more mature and responsible way.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019) So Bad, Its Good

Every now and again, I  enjoy watching a Hallmark movie. I admit, I have high standards for these: the lead actors have to be people I know from other works, and the plot has to be decent, or else I won’t tune in. Usually 2-3 a year will look intriguing, and I’ll put them on the DVR. Sometimes I come away from them thinking it was a sweet little movie, and sometimes, I’ll come away believing that was a total waste of time. The ones that are a total waste of time do teach me something, which is: how to spot something that actually is worth watching.

In 2019, one of the network’s Christmas movies premiered called Christmas Scavenger Hunt. Starring Kevin McGarry and Kim Shaw, this one is mainly carried by the leads, as if two other random actors were in it, it would get lost in the never ending shuffle of made for TV Christmas movies.

The plot is not anything new, but the story is sweet and comforting, which is as follows: Belinda, a big city girl, comes home to her small town of Deerfield, to see her Dad. Through participating in the annual town Christmas scavenger hunt, she reunites with her old high school boyfriend, Dustin.

Kevin McGarry as Dustin, who after high school, has become the town’s right hand fix-it man and a staple in preserving the local history. Kim Shaw plays Belinda, who comes back home on a job assignment to close a sale on the Old Mill, and also to see her Dad (who lives alone since her mom died). Conflict arises when Dustin is working to save the Old Mill, while Belinda is trying to buy the mill for a work assignment that could earn her a promotion. Add in a very obvious throw away big city boyfriend on Belinda’s end- and you’ve got a very solid Hallmark-y Christmas movie.

The main component of this TV movie that makes it work is seeing Kevin McGarry be sassy. His character, Nathan on When Calls the Heart is not exactly the funniest character, and Kevin has such a wide acting range, its so awesome to see him play someone who’s daring and bold. Dustin’s quick quip: “Oh, Hey partner!“, when being paired up with Belinda in the scavenger hunt is insanely funny and cheeky. He also has the chance to throw Belinda some smirks any time she mentions something from their high school days, which is really charming. It makes me really enjoy Kevin’s acting, as he is not my favorite Hallmark leading actor (I’m sorry!). The chemistry is also evident between the two leads, a step up from most of these movies, as Kevin and Kim previously played opposite each other on an episode of the Canadian TV show Saving Hope.

There are some elements that make this movie cringe inducing. For instance, Kim sometimes just says her lines in a very baby-ish tone that makes you question why she’s saying the lines that way. Also, it’s super obvious Tom Arnold, who plays the Dad, had a cold while filming, which dates this film waayy back to 2019, in a pre-covid world. Furthermore, don’t forget this is Hallmark Channel after all so there are some weird logistical plot choices: such as calling in favors to the US Army for Christmas homecomings, or the fact the scavenger hunt winners will be determined not on speed, but by performance. That plot point puzzles me because some of the tasks are taking a selfie with Santa, or donating toys for children, how does one perform badly at something of that stature?

At the end of it all, I think what makes me re-watch this movie once a year around Christmastime, is it is comforting in the sense of coming home, and old love re-ignited for a second chance. I think its really sweet when fate gives you a second chance with someone, and its kind of like a dream scenario! Kevin and Kim play off each other impeccably well, and there’s a very familiar sense where you believe these two do know each other and want to get back together. It’s a relaxing watch and I’ll even throw in some bonus points for watching Kevin McGarry sing a few lines of “12 Days of Christmas”. Certainly one of the sweeter, worth watching Hallmark movies, however cliche it actually is!

This post is for the 5th annual So Bad, its Good Blogathon hosted by Taking up Room