Knit to This
The Young Victoria
Dear Ann,
You know, and share, my devotion to the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, now in its second season. The episodes are not coming out quite fast enough for me. Daughter and I sigh together at all the same parts. It’s escapism with a dash of political history, a soap opera with class (in at least two senses of the word). And several actors whom I would gladly watch read the phone book, if phone books were not now relegated to historical fiction themselves. (Young people! There used to be a large floppy book with everybody’s address and phone number in it! Couples used to fight over when it was ok to throw out old ones! Our house was a yearly contest between Team Immediately and Team Never.)
Since I’ve got a full-on case of Victoriamania, I’m so grateful for your recommendation of The Young Victoria. This 2009 movie tells the same story as the first season of Victoria. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend play the royal couple, and Paul Bettany the divine Lord M.
The differences in casting and interpretation are striking. It’s quieter than the Masterpiece version, and it made me think about how nice it would be if the love stories of ordinary people were told with such close observation and sympathy. (The New York Times did not like it as much as I did, but they are spoilsports over there sometimes.)
Well worth a portion of lazy Sunday.
Love,
Kay
Which was your team Kay, “Immediately” or “Never”?
Pro-tip: Get PBS Passport. I have it and was able to watch season 2 of Victoria in a few weekends. SO. GOOD! I think I love Passport more than Netflix.
Good to know. Although since I don’t love a ton of Masterpiece shows, it’s a little steep for me. I’ve lesrned to judge cost of living in a city by how much a PBS amd/or NPR membership is. I find it very telling.
Sometimes I try to convince myself that I am still a young person. But alas, I grew up using phone books. I used to get a kick out of looking up my parents in the phone book. I don’t know why – I clearly knew our home phone number! (or “landline” as it’s now called!)
My last name begins with Zo, whixh meant as a kid I was always last in class never having the luck of a Zuckerman with me. So when I learned bubble writing I decided to make up a name that was easier than Marilyn, and would make me FIRST. The giant Manhattan phone book (it really was giant) was my guide — AAABABLEE — easy in bubble letters and no Aaron was gonna jump me in line.
This one’s also available on Netflix.
One of my favorite movies!
I don’t know “frivolously entertaining” is good enough for me. I do lament the loss of phone books for their usefulness – two of them raised my early days computer monitor to a perfect height. And old ones were used as impromptu booster seats for kids. Can’t do that with google. Yet.
I’d forgotten I learned the piano on a phone book. Thanks for the memory!
We still have phone books. My husband is on team never!
I Love Victoria!
Judi Dench is in two Q Victoria movies: Mrs. Brown, and Victoria and Abdul. They are both excellent.
Those of us in the Rupert Friend Fan Club love seeing the Homeland star in a role where he isn’t regularly shot up, beat down, duct taped, and generally left in the dust by Carrie Mathison. He’s a wonderful actor, so much more expressive as Albert than the one in the Masterpiece series.
I liked this Albert so much better. He was believably romantic. So sad to learn that he died at 40 years.
OK, I’m a dummy! Who is he in Homeland??? It premieres tonight!
Agreed! I watched this recently at the rec of the NYTimes Watching newsletter. The presence of Mr. Friend definitely pushed me to convince the tween we should watch.
Oh, swoony! Putting that on my saved list right now (Netflix).
We just gave up our landline. What is the world coming to? No phone books, no landines. I still remember the phone number from my grandmother’s house. I don’t remember what I had for breakfast…
I”ve watched Young Victoria several times….I enjoyed it..and it started me on my desire to see more Victoria and Albert….now my dream is to one day make it to the museum, just because…
I loved Young Victoria — I even read a biography of the Queen after and thoroughly enjoyed it. The PBS series is wonderful as well, but they are playing fast and loose with some of the facts. It isn’t stopping me from watching, though!
Ah, phone books! I know that my husband has one hidden from me in his office. Team Never, obviously.
I love that movie too! Paul Bettany! Rupert Friend! Sigh.
My Husband is on team nearly Never. If he needed something he always pulled a five year old phone book out. No Fly-by-night businesses for him. He still has a few books stored at his office.
Loving the PBS Victoria series. I didn’t know about Young Victoria, thanks for the tip.
Until I was in my mid-20s, I didn’t know how much really useful info was at the beginning of the phone books. It was amazing seating charts for many venues, museum floor plans, amd lots if other great info I’m too old and forgetful to recall.
For my dear Durwood, everything he’s ever had is on Team Never. I have to creep things he hasn’t used or seen in at least 15 years, wrapped in black plastic, out of the basement every so often. I am grateful for the Salvation Army and that our garbage bin is big and opaque.
We have dueling TVs a mere archway apart. I concede due to his volume which makes it impossible for me to hear much dialogue on my TV. Right now–the Olympics! Maybe someday I’ll get to watch all that PBS fun stuff without boxing in the background.
Headsets might solve your problem. They did for a friend!
Install a VPN extension in your browser and watch the series as it comes out in real time in the UK, I saw the whole season several months ago 😉