Dear Ann,
It’s not really that lazy of a lazy Sunday, seeing as we’re still in San Diego running around the convention center for the TNNA Winter Show, but here goes.
Do you think these Lazy Sunday posts make people think we watch a lot of TV? In my case, it’s accurate; I do watch a lot of TV. I blame it on the knitting, and on the fact that I have never gotten into a good groove listening to audiobooks and podcasts. Just as watching TV without knitting seems like a wasted opportunity, knitting without consuming some form of information or media, preferably featuring British actors, seems halfassed. It may be multitasking, but it’s a very satisfying form of multitasking. And it has a long tradition in needlework. Think of all those Jane Austen characters catching up on the goss while working their embroidery.
Today’s suggestions for knitting TV are at opposite points on the tension versus comfort spectrum.
Luther. You will want to pick an autopilot garter stitch project for this one: no looking, and no counting. Luther is one of the scariest, most suspenseful police procedural shows ever. I’ve watched Luther on Netflix and Hulu in the past, and you can get a recent 2-episode series (Series 4) on iTunes, but now my local PBS station is carrying the first series.
Do not expect to come out of Luther uplifted, feeling that deep down, people mean well. It’s dark. The main character, a detective named John Luther, is played by Idris Elba. He’s intense, troubled, volatile and brilliant. The crimes are horrible; the plot connectors and clues are obscure. It’s not everyone’s thing, for sure. But it’s riveting. Also, sad Idris Elba is very compelling to watch. As are tender Idris Elba, angry Idris Elba, swaggering Idris Elba, and Wait How Did He Figure That Out Idris Elba.
For something completely–and I mean com.plete.ly — different, there’s Stella. I discovered Stella accidentally when an episode popped up on the Hulu while I was watching Miranda. (Miranda’s praises are sung here.) I’m not sure I would have started watching Stella on purpose. It’s a sappy soap opera at heart. The hero is a 42 year old single mother who takes in ironing in a small town in Wales. The drama revolves around her life and personal relationships. Improbable things happen. But Ruth Jones, the series’ creator and the actor who plays Stella, is disarming and completely convincing. I’d watch it for the scenery and Welsh accents alone. In that regard, and others, it has a lot in common with Doc Martin, which is better known here in the states. It’s similar to Doc Martin in that everybody in the town is part of the story, there are multiple plot lines, and plenty of humor mixed in with the pathos. I don’t say that Stella is literature for the ages, but I do keep letting the next episode play while I crank on my current sweater project.
TNNA is just as fun as ever. The tamales are delicious here, and we’ve eaten at the same Greek restaurant twice. I’m calling the weekend a success.
Love,
Kay
P.S. The tamales are excellent in San Diego.
I have the same feeling about TV and knitting Kay. And have learned to my cost that some shows just aren’t knitting shows. I love The Walking Dead but if I knit during it I just know I will be unravelling later. Love how you are watching all these British shows and here in Britain I enjoy knitting to US TV shows. Such fun!
Yes indeed, Kay and Sara W. I wish I could get the hang of listening to audiobooks but somehow it doesn’t work for me. Even though sometimes I’m not even watching the TV, just listening. Strange, but so it goes. I’m going to be looking for Luther.
Spring semester begins for me next week so this past Friday I spent a very lazy day streaming The Last Detective from Amazon/Acorn and finishing a Strathcona scarf knit in fiddly linen. While I occasionally listen to audio books while doing housework I usually reserve them for commuting or long car trips. I am now feeling New Year virtuous because a project is off the needles and I can move onto something less fiddly. Also excited about the new season of Doc Martin and watching Luther.
London Spy with Ben Whishaw is excellent, may need garter stitch squares! Endeavour has just started a new series here in the UK, and Shetland, starts a new series on Jan 15th, good detective stories, lovely Shetland location and good sweater/hat etc… spotting amongst the cast. But London Spy is not to be missed!!
Heather
“London Spy” is set to appear really soon on BBC America! Mark Gatiss and Ben Whishaw. Looks good, though dark.
Re Idris Elba: The Wire is hands down the best television I have ever seen. It’s beautifully filmed, so it may be better for less fiddly knitting.
Some of us knit while we read knitting blogs. In fact, some of us caught up on the whole MasonDixon Knitting saga when it was rereleased that summer. It was very productive.
I am so grateful I can knit and read at the same time. The Kindle made it even easier. And I also just finished catching up on the whole saga of MDK, from the beginning. I loved watching your voices develop as time went on. I also favorited rather a lot of patterns on Ravelry 🙂 thanks for the blog…and everything else that springs from it.
Greek restaurant? Reminds me of the BEST Greek salad that I have ever had, available in restaurant in Tarrytown, “Lefteris Gyro”. It’s just a few doors up the street from a yarn shop with character, “Flying Fingers”. Nothing like a trip to the yarn shop followed by a gyro platter (or calamari platter) that comes with a Greek salad, and the most delicious fries evahh! I have been debating since I woke up if I should go. Hmm…it IS Sunday…..
Oh, El Indio, yes! As a San Diego native (now living in upstate NY) I remember it so well. My mother was a polio victim in the ’51 epidemic and was in and out of the hospital many, many times when I was young. When she was able to eat it my father would often stop at El Indio to bring her the wonderful tamales. Incidentally though she was left with no use of her legs or left arm and limited use of her right the woman could knit! Even knitting suits for friends, as was the fashion then. No doubt knitting gave her refuge and a feeling of productivity. Enjoy the place I miss so much!
Forget Netflix and Chill, I’m all about Netflix and Knit! I’ve never been able to get into podcasts either, and I’d rather physically read a book than listen to it. But give me some British TV and my knitting and I’m a happy camper!
The San Diego rain this last week ( 20% of their yearly rainfall in 3 days), has not phased you two whatsoever. AND a tornado warning I was told by my son who lives there. Sounds like you took San Diego by storm!
I love your knitting TV suggestions, and am finding out about shows I would like and will look for. Today in southern Ontario it is POURING rain, (tonight, blustery snow as the temperatures plummet). All condusive to more knitting. I am finishing a mitten, and it looks like I have figured out the pattern enough to have a matching pair now (and an odd, huge extra, maybe for clearing snow from my windshield).
Loved Luther. Highly recommend Broadchurch on Netfix. Great BBC TV show…2 series and they on working on a third. Also highly recommend Grace and Frankie on Netflix. Stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlinson. It is a hoot!
What a wonderful blog. I’m returning to it after a long hiatus and it is just the thing for winter days. RE: Sunday TV – I recently discovered Nurse Jackie. Not only does it come in bite sized half hour nuggets, it has given me many aha moments on addiction, and made me laugh as well. How in heaven’s name do they do that? Genius. The supporting characters – Anna Deavere Smith et al – could have their own shows and I’d watch them too.
I love listening to audiobooks but everything rides on the reader. Anything by Jim Dale is amazing. A mediocre reader can destroy a great book.
For those of you who have the movie channels, I was happy to discover Far from the Madding Crowd set in Victorian England and The Hundred-Foot Journey starring Helen Mirren this weekend. I enjoyed both of them. One on HBO and the other on Showtime. Thanks to Ann and Kay for the other suggestions!
I am yet another TV-and-knitting person. I used to read A LOT, but now I knit and watch TV. I do it all without Netflix, and so have watched a lot of cooking shows and Law and Order (various franchises) reruns. And of course I am a huge fan of PBS. I have also really enjoyed the Vikings series on History. It’s sometimes violent, but it’s historical violence. When I do read these days, I still prefer actual books.
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Not sure I can muster the courage for a show as dark as “Luther” in spite of the hypnotically great Idris Elba, but “Stella” sounds like a very strong contender for my TV-knitting pleasure. You had me at “takes in ironing”.
Last winter, I did some of my most productive knitting while catching up on Seasons 1 and 2 of “The Americans” on Amazon Prime and watching Season 3 on FX. Good plot lines, great re-creation of the 1980’s down to the music and the fashions — especially the office-wear. Also not to be missed if you like actors in wigs. I recommend it heartily while I pine for Season 4 to start later this year.
Brit TV and knitting–I have no idea what you’re talking about–(please ignore the fact that I’m knitting Susan Ashcroft’s Highland Fling while watching Monarch of the Glen)
Thanks for the British TV tips!
Yes! I saw Luther on Channel 21, and watched. Again. If you want to see a different Ruth Wilson, watch the Jane Eyre she did with Toby Stephens … it was good; and when I saw her in Luther, I could not believe it was the same actress. Meaning, good acting.
and isn’t Ruth Jones in “Gavin and Stacey” – another good Britcom, also set in Wales; in a league with “Coupling”* and “Miranda.” The Friday night Britcoms are my “dinner is all cleaned up” routine – and I doubt I will ever tire of Judi Dench in “As Time Goes By.”
TV = Knitting. Simple truth.
*if you know Coupling, and know the character of Jeff, and remember the scene with the Israeli woman in the bar, you’ll understand that my then teenage son said “oh, so that’s how you say that in Hebrew.” Coupling is hysterical, but not appropriate for a young crowd.
Am I the only one who calls it Knitflix?
Not any more! 🙂
I have watched hundreds of hours of great TV whilst knitting. Midsomer Murders, The Wire, Arrested Development, Poldark, that totally creepy one with Gillian Anderson and the guy from 50 Shades of Grey that I forget the name of.
Invariably, I end the episode/series with NO IDEA what has happened. But forever after, I will associate that pair of socks with the Star Trek Into Darkness, or that shawl with yet another artfully unbelievable Cotswold murder and that pair of mittens with The Fall (ugh, give them away immediately).
Idris. And it’s my 55th birthday. And I knit today. All is well.
happy birthday ??❤️??????
Well….I’ll be the minority opinion here. There is nothing more soothing than to be read to while knitting, for me. I gravitate to books by or about kick- ass women. Go figure. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor, Notorious RBG, Bossy Pants by Tina Fey, Yes, Please by Amy Poehler. You get the idea.
I almost cannot knit without the telly on, though choosing appropriate the programme for style of knitting is very important it’s true!
I reckon if you like Luther you might like Hinterland (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03sgfbz) which features a troubled detective (DCI Tom Mathias, played by Stephen Harrington, recently Capt Blamey in the new Poldark). It’s pretty dark, it’s set in Wales (Aberystwyth and around, very bleak but beautiful), partially subtitled (for the bits where they speak Welsh) and brilliantly plotted – definitely a garter stitch cowl type programme, doing colourwork almost impossible without a lot of rewinding.
Yes, yes! Hinterland is so good. Much like Wallander, the setting is a character in the story.
Thanks for the awesome recommendation! Stayed up way too late watching the first three episodes of Luther last night.
Luther: yes yes yes! In my experience, it’s a completely polarizing show. You either hate it or absolutely love it. I second (third? fifth?) the Broadchurch recommendation. I’d also recommend The Hours, again with the sublime Mr. Whishaw (with added Romola Garrai, of BBC Emma fame).
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OK, Kay you have to do ‘Gavin and Stacey’. Written by ‘Stella’ (aka Ruth Jones) and James Corden (who seems to have a new lease of life in the US. It’s one of my favourite feel-good series of all time.
PS big ‘Luther’ fan.