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.
The Murders at White House Farm
Don’t expect sensationalism in this ITV dramatization of one of Britain’s most notorious homicide cases, the brutal murder of three generations of a family in 1985 in a remote, locked farmhouse. The case that HBO Max series The Murders at White House Farm is based on remains controversial
Movies
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and a chain upon the gate. I called in
PBS
The trouble with this final episode of COBRA is that we know a second season is in the works, so we expect a finale that both wraps up issues and raises new questions. But this is COBRA, so... not so much. As usual, the tension and stakes in this particular
PBS
As COBRA continues, the net seems to be closing around the Sutherlands. This episode opens with Rachel calmly lying through her teeth to the police; as she tells Robert after, it’s family first, possibly the only sentiment they have in common with People’s Justice leader Scott Minett. Worse,
PBS
Things just aren’t going well for Robert Sutherland in COBRA. In the Red Zone, things are falling apart, with inadequate services, looting, and an ominous consolidation of local powers under the name of People’s Justice, led by the charismatic Scott Minett (Charlie Carrick). Even the reporter covering the
PBS
In this episode of COBRA, the focus turns on Britain’s Red Zone: Northumberland, which is currently without power and awaiting the arrival of a new transformer. Major cities (Newcastle, Sunderland) are uninhabitable. At the university, which was invaded by escapees from the Immigrant Holding facility, a shocked young woman
PBS
As the second episode of COBRA opens, it's evening, three hours after impact, and Prime Minister Robert Sutherland and his team are prepared to work around the clock. Under the Emergency Powers Act, travel is restricted and enforced by the army, and tribunals will deal with civil disorder.
PBS
The first words of COBRA's opening episode are “Mayday, mayday” from the cockpit of a passenger plane in desperate trouble. Systems are failing, the fuel tank is empty, and air traffic controllers work frantically with the crew to find a landing place. As we’ll see, it’s
Actors and Actresses
Josh O’Connor has been described as a transformative actor, a shapeshifter. His career has grown slowly but with every role, he wins critical and audience acclaim. He has tremendous range, from comedy to the classics. Let’s take a look at his career so far. O’Connor grew up
Books
The Chronicles of St Mary’s is a riotous, funny, heart-breaking series by British writer Jodi Taylor, who has written eleven books with more to come, plus linked short stories, and a spin-off series. The Chronicles is about time travel—but please, that term is never used: St.
Movies
Ever since its publication in 1911, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) has never been out of print. The popular novel has inspired multiple feature film and television adaptations, including the most recent 2020 version, a lavish retelling with an all-star cast that includes Colin Firth,
All Creatures Great and Small
James Herriot’s short stories about his life as a veterinarian in rural Yorkshire are beloved worldwide and still remain immensely popular years after the death of the author, Alf Wight (1916-1995). His humor, deftly drawn characters of both the two- and four-legged variety, and thoughtful portrayal of