Television and other things...but mostly just television

[shadowkat]

Decided the continuous switches in weather are making me irritable and causing a kind of brain fog, that's making it difficult to focus on anything.

Tried out some television series on NETFLIX and HBO today. Also discovered a lot of movies had migrated to HBO Max. There's a wealth of content on HBO Max.

1. Is it Cake?

A reality competition series where bakers compete to create cakes that look like something else. It's judged on whether the items can fool the judges. They look at the item in comparison to the real ones, and choose the one that is cake. The bakers also have to play the game - but with other cakes. If they guess which one is cake - they get to bake. And the winner of the baking contest, gets to choose which item is cake to win more money.

Plus side? It's judged objectively - based on whether people can determine an item is cake or not based on the visual representation.

Con? The host is annoying, and so are the contestants. It's too...well, I'm not a fan of game shows, so mileage may vary on this?

2. Trivia Challenge or Trivia Crack

It's a children's cartoon, where you save cartoon characters by answering trivia questions. The characters were taken by Rocky, who has him caged in his lair. If you answer a certain number of trivia questions correctly - you save the character.

Weirdly the questions are slanted towards adults. But the cartoon, voices, and set-up is slanted towards kids 5-12. Which means - I'm not sure it fits any audience? Also, there's a NETFLIX trivia category - which is a bit too obvious an advertising ploy.

I did three episodes, before I got annoyed with the cartoon characters and voices. If you like cartoons - it may work for you. I'm a fan of animation, cartoons tend to annoy me. That said? This is a repetitive cartoon - set up as a game, and its not well down. Carmen Sandiago, it's not.

I was good at everything but the "sports" and "music" categories - which aren't my forte.

3. Sandition

Mother: I think they are doing Cyrano De Bergiac and Pride and Prejudice?
Me: Possibly by way of Jane Eyre..
Mother: Jane Eyre???
Me: The stupid governess trope which I always associate with Jane Eyre. It irritates me for some reason. I think it's the power imbalance.
Mother: Yeah that makes sense - she's his employee and falls for him and becomes a mother to his kids.
Me: Yep, irritates me.
Mother: popular romance trope.

I think Henry Miller's Turn of the Screw is kind of an indictment of the trope - which was popular in 19th Century romantic fiction. Austen's Sanditon had been intended as an indictment of gothic fiction. A lot of Austesn's novels were indictments of romantic tropes of the time.

Anyhow, I'm not enjoying this season much, and to be honest didn't much like Season 1, which I didn't finish.

Theo James who left the role of Sidney Parker (hence the reason they killed off the character), got the lead in Stephen Moffat's Time Traveler's Wife.
(IMBD doesn't list the India show - so he may not have been in that one?)

The problem with the series - is they haven't really replaced him. I like Bridgerton better - it has a sense of humor, Sandition takes itself far too seriously for its own good. It's kind of dull. My attention tends to wander, and Charlotte Heywood - instead of being witty and filled with common sense (as she was in the novel) is earnest, and kind of..simpering.

4. Bridgerton

Turns out that it veers away from the books in S1 and S2. I had started reading Book 1 and tried the first episode of Bridgerton - and discovered it immediately.

5. Julia - this is a biopic series on HBO Max about how Julia Child got her cooking show on Public Television. So it's really about the making of the Julia Child cooking show.

It's actually fairly good. Although I wonder if her husband was really as grating as David Hyde Pierce plays him in the series. (I hope not). It does deal with the fact that she'd entered menopause and was struggling with the next stage in her life. (With night sweats, and hot flashes.)

Her husband had been forced to retire from public service early and was floundering to find something else - and delved into painting.

And since this is in the 1960s, at the beginning of television, women are still treated as second glass citizens. So, Julia has to fight for everything. As does her producer, who is the only woman and African-American producer at an all-male run produced PBS.

Julia buys a television finally - after talking her husband into it. Then tortures him by making him move the huge thing all over the room with no help. (He kind of deserves it and it's hilarious. He had previously stated that he would never buy a television.)

***

Dealing with the Sunday Scaries. Have two things I'm dreading next week - a teams meeting with vendors, etc, regarding a new project I'm procuring, and a site tour to various spots around Long Island by car with a bunch of men. We have five different locals. So lots of driving about with male project managers, most likely not wearing masks. With any luck it won't be raining, and sunny for the Site Tour.

Oh well, one day at a time, right? I need to start meditating again, I've kind of stopped and I've been noticing a difference.

Comments

[svgurl]

I love those videos that pop up on instagram on people making cake look like other things so my sister was just recommending the 'Is it cake' to me. Unfortunate about the annoying host but I will still give a shot and see. It's a fun concept. :D

[mtbc]

I sure see why the host would annoy but I didn't find them intolerable. My deeper issue is probably more one of missing the premise of why we want a cake that looks so much like a hat or whatever but still interesting to see how it's achieved. Don't know if I saw earlier or later episodes or what though.

[svgurl]

I don't think there is a reason. Making cake look like other things has been a pretty popular trend, especially recently, and I think they're just jumping off it to try something new, because there are already so many baking/food competition shows out there.

[shadowkat]

It's partly because it's easier to judge. Taste is subjective and the viewer can't participate nor cares. But presentation - or how the cake looks? That the viewer can participate in and does care about. Even the Great British Bake Off has swung more and more towards presentation in later years.

I mean - the audience can see if the cake really looks like a hamburger. Plus there's the added bonus of not wanting to eat it. For a reality show competition it's more fun.

[petzipellepingo]

I'm enjoying "Julia" quite a bit and am also finding the portrayal of Russ Morash hilarious.

And yes, there are a LOT of things on HBOMax.

[shadowkat]

HBO Max is far more varied than Disney + - I'm thinking of talking my mother into getting it instead. Even though Disney is cheaper.

I had to look up Russ Morash - to see who you were referring to - because I suck at remembering names. But yes, agree - it's hilarious. I love the show - it hits several of my kinks: 1) cooking demonstrations, 2) how to make a television show or about making one, 3) strong female character 4) older female character, and 5) 1960s/70s era.

I find it comforting.

[yourlibrarian]

You're quite right re: Sanditon -- apparently I was confusing James with Tom Bateman, who starred in Beecham House. However Leo Suter, who played Stringer, the aspiring architect interested in Charlotte in S1, was in Beecham House as the younger brother. (And he too is conveniently written off as having headed to London in S2).

[shadowkat]

I wish they had at least the younger brother. Right now? I'd rather watch another season of Beecham House - it was better done.

None of the new love interests are grabbing me.

I can see why you confused James with Tom Bateman, they look a bit alike.

[yourlibrarian]

I rather like Fraser, the Cyrano one. But I agree, I'm wondering if Beecham is going to return.