Tag: TV

The Beatles Anthology 2025 (Disney+)

I’ve been a huge fan of The Beatles ever since I could listen to music. (It comes from having older brothers with good taste as well.) I watched the original broadcast on ABC and still have a VHS tape of the off-the-air broadcast around somewhere. I bought the DVD set a few years ago which has most of the “Threetles reunion” bits on the special features disc. My mom gifted me the book the Christmas it was published.

This new packaging of the Beatles’ official story doesn’t have a lot of new material in it, but the live recordings have all had the Peter Jackson “MAL” magic done to them.  In the process EVERY recording is leveled much higher than any speaking interview, which is jarring and annoying.

I have read that some bits were dropped from the original show and some new things inserted, but I can’t tell you which ones they were.

I enjoyed rewatching this show over several days.  Just like with “Eight Days a Week,” Ron Howard’s 2016 film, the renewed revelation is just how mesmerizing they were as a live band.  Someone like me has read all the minutiae about recordings and squabbles, but hearing and seeing them in their prime is just so darn good!

There’s a lot of grumbling in fan circles about the accompanying “Anthology 4” record–it doesn’t have much “new” in it, but the audio therein and for Anthology 1-3 has also had the “MAL” process on it.  If you listen carefully the new mix of “Real Love” also has gotten rid of a large portion of George’s guitar work, which is a very strange choice to make.

Overall, Anthology 2025 is still a must-watch for anyone new to the Beatles’ story, and it’s compelling for the rest of us, too.

 

The Diplomat S1-S3 (Netflix)

I gave this show a try because many of my friends said how good it was.  They were not wrong!  Surprisingly, this is the first show I’ve ever watched with Keri Russell in it. She’s a very compelling actress, and while she’s beautiful, I love that this show isn’t afraid to show her imperfections as well.

I binged the entire run so far in less than two weeks, and while comparisons are being made to The West Wing, there is a key difference.  West Wing was all about the decency and honor of the main characters.  This show seems to embody “The End justifies the Means.” Usually the End is something that is humanitarian or towards keeping peace, but not always.

I was struck by the frantic pace of much of the first two seasons–it seems to occur in about a week of real time.  In S2 we get a skip of, I think, five months.

Most shows that hook me have a good ensemble cast and this show is no exception.  Until the Penns showed up the only actress I recognized from something else I’d watched was the actress who plays Eidra (CIA chief). She had a good part in Agatha All Along.

In S3 one of the main supporting characters has a crisis of conscience, and it felt very much a parallel commentary on the 47th presidency and the abuse of the civil service. Possibly I am reading my own experience in there, but it’s definitely a reference point. I will be curious to see if that develops any more in S4.

Since much of the show is set in the UK, there are some amazing exterior and interior shots and sets.  Every other scene seems to be some kind of formal dinner or cocktail reception in someplace older than the U.S. Great eye candy for all of the machinations going on.

I’m glad I watched this and now I’m waiting with the rest of you for season four.

Only Murders in the Building (S5, 2025, Hulu)

Note: this is commentary on all of Season 5, so there are Spoilers!

x

x

x

This is my wife’s favorite show on television, and we’ve been watching since we tried Hulu at season one mainly to see the show.  I was unsure how the gimmick was going to hold up, but here we are with a season six announced and no real downgrade in the quality of the show. But do I have things to say? Yes!

They tried to give Steve Martin’s character some kind of “b” story for growth but the testosterone thing was very hit-or-miss.  Martin Short is a loveable cringe to watch but I wonder if things are on the horizon for his marriage to Meryl Streep to be dissolved. There just seemed to be notes of unhappiness there for him. Selena Gomez did a fine job this season but I worried about her health as she really slimmed down. I read she’s recently married so I hope it was from a good place as she is beautiful either way.

Guest stars this year were a mixed bag.  Dianne Wiest seemed out of place even given the character. Tea Leone was given a scattered character and gave a scattered performance. (Her character’s adult sons were one of the bright spots of the season.) The billionaires were funny impressions, most of all Renee Zellweger’s not-Martha.  Keegan-Michael Key was another without a lot to do, but he did prove important to the season.

They seem locked into a ten-episode format which is just long enough to develop a good murder mystery with some twists, but not so long that it needs padded episodes.  The standout of the season for me was episode two, “After You.”  It really gave Lester a showcase episode while moving the plot significantly along.

The main thing that bothered me at the end of the season was showing Dianne Wiest’s character as having achieved the dream of living in the Arconia, but it looked to me like Mabel’s squatter apartment.  Does this mean that Mabel has a new place? I hope this is quickly addressed.  The biggest bright spot was one of the sons dating Howard–I hope there’s a fun way to keep seeing this develop.

It’s always a tricky thing when a hit show travels, so we will see what happens to the gang in London (and how long they are there) for season six.