Ooh, the dismal weather here has given me permission to catch up on my viewing. We have been staying with my son and family in our Thornbury place so I have had my fair share of Hey Bear, Miss Rachel and Sesame Street. I have managed to sneak in some adult programming when time has allowed. Here are some viewing recommendations for you:
ABC
Will Trent (7 episodes) Special Agent Will Trent was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Determined to make sure no one feels as he did, he now has the highet clearance rate. Stars Ramon Rodriguez, Erika Christensen, Sonja Sohn. I love this police series! PS, he’s dyslexic!!
Abbott Elementary (Season 2, 22 episodes) Delightful mockumentary about a Philadelphia elementary school. Love this series!
Jeopardy – is back Mon – Fri, Ken Jennings is the permanent regular host, all is well with the world!!! New champions keep emerging every couple of days!!! Mayim Bialik is still the host of tournaments and specials. Great contestants, but her distractingly frumpy wardrobe, hair and makeup and her slightly delayed approval of responses is very off-putting. Ken Jennings should never be allowed to take vacation days. Thankfully, he has returned and the show is as entertaining and energetically paced as ever.
AMC
Lucky Hank (8 episodes)Depicts life in an English department at an underfunded college, Professor Hank Devereaux toes the line between midlife crisis and full-blown letdown navigating the offbeat chaos in his personal and professional life. Bob Odenkirk stars with a great supporting cast that includes Mireille Enos, Diedrich Bader, Suzanne Cryer and many more. Blackly humorous!
Apple +
The Last Thing He Told Me (7 episodes) a woman forms an unexpected relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared. Stars Jennifer Garner and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. I read this book a while back so I have a pretty good idea of what’s coming. So far after two episodes, it’s pretty close to the source material.
Ted Lasso (Season 3, 12 episodes) The first two episodes of this season (reportedly the last of 3) have aired and they are more fascinating than ever. Despite criticism from the press who predict the team will finish last in their league, a new player is attracted and looks likely to completely stir things up. Delightful and very watchable.
The Big Door Prize (11 episodes) About the residents of a small town called Deerfield, who one day discover a magical destiny-predicting machine in their grocery store. Stars Chris O’Dowd. Damon Gupton. So far, I find it weirdly enchanting.
Drops of God (8 episodes) a woman discovers the world’s greatest wine collection that’s left by her estranged father and competes against a Japanese man to claim her inheritance.
CBCGem
Bloody Mary (from Israel, 9 episodes) Murray, a female film lecturer specializing in romantic comedies, and Dana a female gynaecologist are 30-something roommates. They’re both successful, bright and still single. Their strong friendship is tested when they both fall in love with the same man. After all, this is how many classic romantic comedies go…
HBO
Succession (Season 4, 10 episodes) This is the final season for this show where it will be determined who amongst the contenders to succeed Logan Roy will get the job. Hotly anticipated, the show will be full of the most internecine (look it up) squabbles one could ever hope for. Big twist in last week’s episode, so if you missed it catch up soon before it is ruined for you.
Rain Dogs (from the UK, 8 episodes) An unconventional love story between a working-class single mum, her young daughter and a privileged gay man. Loving it so far.
Real Time with Bill Maher (625 episodes) Comedian and political satirist Bill Maher discusses topical events with guests from various backgrounds. Acerbic to the max!!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (321 episodes) Former Daily Show host and correspondent John Oliver brings his witty persona to this weekly news satire program. Love this Brit! He brings a very fresh and funny perspective to today’s headlines.
Perry Mason (Season 2, 8 episodes) This is not your mother’s Perry Mason. We’re in total noir LA in 1933. Following the trial of last season, an aimless Perry leans on Della his partner to keep the law firm afloat While Paul accepts a job from a unlikely source, corrupt oil scion Brooks McCutcheon recruits Detective Holcomb in his quest to reshape the future of Los Angeles. We’re very Chinatown here.
**Barry (Season 4, 8 episodes) Bill Hader and the gang return for the last season of this very dark comedy!
NBC
Law & Order (484 episodes) I’m watching the latest incarnation of this series for one reason only: Hugh Dancy (Clare Danes’ British husband) who plays the latest DA. I love his soulful looks!
Netflix
Florida Man (7 episodes) When an ex-cop returns to his home state of Florida to find a mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should’ve been a quick gig turn into a wild odyssey. So Florida!!!
Sweet Tooth (Season 2, 8 episodes) A boy who is half human and half deer survives in a post-apocalyptic world with other hybrids. For fantasy lovers!
PBS
Call the Midwife (114 episodes in total, Season 12, 8 episodes) It’s April 1968 and change is coming to Nonnatus House. Racial tensions cast a shadow over Poplar, and the sisters welcome a new recruit. Get out your hankies for this incredibly heartwarming show.
Marie-Antoinette (12 episodes) This series follows the famed queen Marie Antoinette, who was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. Stars Marthe Keller, James Purefoy. Yes, more costume drama on Masterpiece Theatre!!!
**Tom Jones on Masterpiece (4 episodes) Tom Jones is a man in his early life trying to find a place in the world. Debuts tonight!!
Prime
Citadel (6 episodes) Global spy agency Citadel has fallen, and its agents’ memories were wiped clean. Now the powerful syndicate Manticore, is rising to fill the void. Can the Citadel agents recollect their past and summon the strength to fight back? Stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville. So many explosions!!!
Closing Words
Looking forward to catching up with lady friends this week at a Coronation Lunch to celebrate King Charles and Queen Camilla (can’t believe the British have embraced her) next Saturday. Back and forth to town for appointments and our first organized golf morning is scheduled for Friday (weather permitting). Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this wonderful story that I recently received in an email from a friend, even if you’ve seen it before as it is very inspiring (get out your hankies):
What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one… Read it anyway.My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its
Dedicated staff, he offered a question:
‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?’
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..’
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt… I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field.. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the Plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first!
Run to first!’
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third!
Shay, run to third!’
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren’t the ‘appropriate’ ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.
You now have two choices:
1. Delete
2. Forward
May your day, be a Shay Day.
What's Lorraine watching? 