Letters
‘Victoria’ Premieres
Dear Kay,
For those of you living in a cave, where you don’t know it’s 2017: lucky you! We wish we were living in a cave these days.
But we’re not, so at least we have discovered the good news that once again, public television is delivering unto us a divine wallow in a distant age when the queens were tiny, the costumes extravagant, and the period distant.
The period in question: Victorian. Literally! As in: Victoria, the queen who ruled for 63 years, seven months, and two days.
Just when we’ve all run out of episodes of The Crown, when Downton Abbey is but a distant memory, PBS’s Masterpiece is delivering salvation in the form of Victoria—a binge-proof, old-school, once-a-week series.
Hallelujah! We need to stretch this thing out, people. It will be shown on Sundays for the next seven weeks, and I for one will aim hard to watch this in real time. At this point I am craving escape so much that I will happily tell Siri to remind me to go turn on the teevee and watch a show.
Love,
Ann
Living in England , I love how you devour our tv! I must warn you all that you are about to fall in love with Rufus Sewell as Prime Minister Lord Melbourne!
Love him! Check him out on Amazon’ Man In The High Castle! I binged the first series yesterday, well worth the time!
Absolutely, watch the High Castle series. Sewell as Obergruppenfuhrer Smith and Joel de la Fuente as Chief Inspector Kido are not to be missed, while the entire production is excellent.
On the other hand, this series is a no-knitting zone for me. Much too intense – can’t take my eyes from the screen!
He was also excellent in Pillars of the Earth.
I fell in love with Paul Bettany’s Melbourne…I cannot possibly find room in my heart for another.
HA HA HA HA HA!! Yes, I can…
That was accomplished long ago with Cold Comfort Farm! 😉
Rufus Sewell is not hard to fall in love with
Oh Wow! You have such a treat in store. This is one that just grows and grows on you.
So much wisdom to be gained by reading MDK — I never thought to tell Siri to remind me to do anything and now I will start by telling her (actually an Aussie-voiced him) to remind me to watch Victoria tonight.
Have loved following you and Kay and your happy meet ups at Vogue Knitting on Instagram.
I have to get cracking. I haven’t finished The Crown yet. Does anyone remember the Jewel in the Crown. I watched it every week in law school. We didn’t have all the viewing options back then. And yes, I walked 7 miles to law school in the snow. 🙂
A lot of local PBS stations replayed The Jewel in the Crown last year; if you dig around you might find it. I have read all of the books, twice, and they held up well; sadly the TV series did not hold me as closely the 2nd time around. Best to hang onto your memories.
I have so much catching up to do with what’s out there now that I suspect my memories will have to suffice. Thanks
It will be a great escape! No commercials!!!!!!!
I had no idea when and where this was to be shown so thank you for this info. I’ll be watching tonight.
I am already on the hold list at my library where it is on order so if I miss anything I’m covered. The same goes for Sherlock season 4. I missed the first episode and watched most of the second last Sunday but will be able to watch it all again, including extras, when the DVD is released.
You can watch all of Season 4 online at PBS.
Ooh! I’ve been waiting for this one! Can’t wait to plop down in front of it with my Stopover in progress!
Rufus Sewell is the main reason I can’t wait to watch! Dishy man
Rose, If you think Rufus Sewell is dishy, you must watch “Zen”. Only 3 episodes, so obviously the powers that be didn’t think it was as great as I did, but I loved it. I think that you can catch it on Amazon.Rufus Sewell and Roma, how can that be bad??
I can watch Victoria and crank out another chunky Pussy Hat for next weekend!
Siri can do that?? I had no idea. Here I’ve been doing things all 20th-century, writing myself reminders to do things. On paper. With a pen! Talk about living in a cave.
I can think of nothing better than an evening (or seven) spent with the Fair Isle Field Guide and Victorian-era costuming, both accompanied by the click of knitting needles and British accents.
I am such a binge-watcher, I may have to wait til this is available in at least 3 episodes at a go. Even old stuff. Recently I’ve been watching every episode of Poirot, in sequence; all of which I have seen, some more than once, back in the day of VHS. Much of the dialogue I recall word for word. It’s almost as if I can’t handle any drama that I don’t already know by heart. Don’t know what I’ll do when I run out of Poirot. Maybe a return to “I, Claudius.” I watched that whole series (also on VHS) while recovering from surgery a hundred years ago.
Just finished watching I Claudius. It’s as terrific now as when I watched it when it originally aired. I highly recommend.
Good to know! Sometimes those semi-theatrical/semi-film productions don’t seem to age as well as hoped.
I have been looking forward to Victoria and so happy to finally have something on TV I really want to watch. Have been biding my time knitting the pink pussy hats (starting #8 today) and watching all the seasons of China Beach, which was a Christmas present. Having been an Army nurse during that time period the music of this series is a sound track to my life and from the opening notes of the Supremes to the closing titles I laugh and cry, nod in agreement or cringe with sad memories. Not for everyone, I am sure, but for me a reminder of another time when I was making a difference. The fact that I am knitting hats for the March while watching seems just right.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ll tape a note to the tv. I’ve been waiting for this for months!
And more costumey goodness follows starting Jan. 22-Secrets of the Six Wives- with the-traveling historian Lucy Worsley. Three episodes titled Divorced; Beheaded, Died; and Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.
That last sounds a bit unlikely, doesn’t it? Yikes!
I believe each adjective applies to a different queen…
Cannot.Stop.Laughing. Thanks! 🙂
Just finished episode 2 of Sherlock and am looking forward to an evening of the finale and Victoria. Should be able to crank out some serious knitting. I do love PBS.
You ladies enjoy! We’re potty training today, so I’m watching Daniel Tiger and the Elmo Potty video. Grateful that they appear to be working.
Watched series 4 finale of Sherlock last night; if you can knit during that then I take my hat off to you. I tried and failed and was only stocking stitch in the round
Late to the party, but I’m happy to have a regular Sunday night commitment again. I fell for Rufus Sewell as Will Ladislaw in Middlemarch in 1994.