Christmas TV watching

I watched lots and lots of TV over the Xmas hols. Problem is, being a writer, I tend to pick holes in the plots these days!

For instance, I finally got around to seeing ‘The Lion King’. Beautifully made and I loved the start (and ABSOLUTELY adored the evil King Scar. British actors DO make good baddies! LOL) but it got boring when Simba was banished. I wanted him to have more of a journey back to being King instead of ‘I can’t do this’ whinging! *sigh*

Call The Midwife was, apparently, the most popular show on Christmas Day. This is one of the best TV shows on British TV at the moment. But this one was set in South African instead of the East End of London – I enjoyed it, but prefer it in London. I can relate better to the conditions of young mothers and the midwives with it being in England.

Pride and Prejudice was another show I picked holes in. I sat through all 7 hours of the entire 1990s show (with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth). Why did I pick holes in it? Well, I think Austen’s females are more rounded than her men. Darcy just comes over as plonker – he might be handsome but he had no interpersonal skills and doesn’t really gain any either! Mr Bingley is too smiley and boyish. Mr Collins just repulsive (but had more character than the other two). And why did the women always seem to have such flimsy gowns even in the heart of winter – or were the women more used to it then? Are we too used to central heating? Having said all that I did enjoy it as a period piece. J

Dances with Wolves, on the other hand, is a fav that I never grow tired of and love love love the music. It makes me think that what Heaven will be like – vast, open, peaceful, majestic.

West Side Story is, in my opinion, the best musical ever made. Plot, characterisation, setting, and above all music and dancing all come together splendidly. Although, it did occur to me I had no idea which part of New York the ‘west side’ was. I tried asking a friend who lives in Cincinnati and she had no idea! Shame on her. I know which parts of London the East End are! LOL. Thankfully there was a documentary on which told me they originally conceived it as East Side Story but had to discard the idea for a few years and when they picked it up it changed location. (The West Side is to the left side of Central Park, in case you also wondered).