Writer Janet Mullany is from England, drinks a lot of tea, and likes Jane Austen, reading, and gasping in shock at costumes in historical TV dramas. Her household near Washington DC includes a badly-behaved cat about whom she frequently boasts.
All Creatures Great and Small
The opening sequence of All Creatures Great and Small Season 3 echoes the series premiere as James drives his car through the spectacular green scenery that impressed him when he first arrived. But this time, he pulls over to watch a plane flying low overhead, captivated by the pilot’s
BritBox
Karen Pirie is a new breed of police procedural, and it’s about time. The team responsible for Line of Duty and Bodyguard, joined by writer/actor Emer Kenny (who also takes the role of Karen’s best friend River) and director Gareth Bryn, have created a thoughtful, entertaining, and,
Amazon Studios/Prime Video
My Policeman is a movie you really want to like, although its strange and inconclusive ending may leave you confused. It has a great cast, is directed by Michael Grandage, is based on the book by Bethan Roberts, and with a screenplay by Roy Nyswaner (whose credits include Philadelphia). It’
BritBox
BritBox’s Suspect is not your typical British TV crime series. It’s the latest English language remake from Walter’s Choice head, Walter Iuzzolino’s production company, Eagle Eye Drama, a remake of the Danish series Face to Face (Forhøret), the original which debuted on PBS Passport in December
Movies
Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre has created a miracle in Netflix’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. She and screenwriter David Magee (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) bring a romantic and feminist perspective to D. H. Lawrence’s troublesome 1929 novel. Leads Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Connie Chatterley and
Jane Austen
Since we’re only a few weeks from Jane Austen’s birthday (December 16), let’s start with a BBC documentary, Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball, currently available on Acorn TV. Released in 2013, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, the documentary
Starz
Starz is on a bit of a French history bender following The Serpent Queen, going from the Tudor and Elizabeathan era to its version of pre-revolutionary France in Dangerous Liaisons. Despite sharing a name with the famous 1988 film adaptation, Starz’s new eight-part series is actually a
Starz
The eighth and final episode of Starz’s The Serpent Queen opens with Catherine’s maid Rahima in the forest looking for Ruggieri. She betrayed his location to Mary in exchange for her freedom. No surprise then that he holds a knife to her throat as she examines the wreck
Starz
It’s the penultimate episode of The Serpent Queen, and Catherine’s narration of events has almost caught us up to the present. However, we start with a different point of view in this episode when Rahima, still imprisoned, receives a visit from Mary Stuart de Guise, there to recruit
Starz
Episode 6, “The Last Joust,” of The Serpent Queen opens with an ominous, twisted fantasy. An injured King Henri is carried on a bier by Montmorency and Francois. The processional is followed by Catherine and Diane, walking hand in hand. The two women turn to each other; the series seems
The Serpent Queen
Episode 5 of The Serpent Queen opens as Catherine de Medici and her favored maid Rahima stroll in the forest. In fitting with the series’ fairytale themes, the forest is so often the place where bad things happen, and where supernatural beings roam. Rahima spots a man, or a creature,
Starz
We return to The Serpent Queen as Rahima, the personal maid to Catherine de Medici, is testing her power. The cook, who Rahima punished, has been demoted to scrubbing floors, whereas Rahima’s promotion now includes her own room. As Rahima takes Catherine’s breakfast tray to her chamber, she