Category: Is It Bingeworthy?
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Orphan Black
Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction thriller show that ran for five seasons on BBC-America from 2013 to 2017. It was created by writer Graeme Manson (Flashpoint, Being Erica) and director John Fawcett (Ginger Snaps). It stars Tatiana Maslany in multiple roles. Sarah Manning (Maslany) is a con artist and petty criminal who grew…
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Austenmania
Every generation gets their own Jane Austen stories. She’s always been popular but Austenmania began in earnest in the mid-90s with a series of Austen adaptations: Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park. The BBC did a 6-part adaptation of Pride & Prejudice that led the charge, with a swoonworthy Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.…
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Horror From Downunder
I’ve been struggling with the theme for this year’s Halloween binge list. I started just making a list of horror movies that I like that I didn’t mention in last year’s list. I noticed a theme emerging. A lot of these films were made in Australia or New Zealand. So there’s my theme: NZ &…
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The Buffyverse
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the tv series) debuted in 1997. It’s based on the 1992 movie of the same name starring Kristy Swanson but the tv series takes the premise more seriously and expands the mythology of the slayer universe. Buffy lasted 7 seasons and spawned the spinoff series, Angel, which lasted 5 seasons. It’s…
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Halloween 2024
Every year I put together a horror movie binge list for Halloween but I never end up watching more than a couple of movies on the list. I live with someone who doesn’t like horror movies so it’s always a negotiation choosing what to watch. It’s like putting together a playlist. You need the right…
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Movies at the Del
I grew up in a small beach town that has one significant landmark: a 19th century resort hotel. When the Hotel Del Coronado opened in 1888 it was the largest resort hotel in the world. Presidents, kings, and Hollywood royalty have stayed there. Prince Edward allegedly met Wallis Simpson there. The hotel has a ghost:…
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Writer Spotlight: Ben Edlund
I always pay attention to the writers on shows that I like. I look for them on other shows that I watch. The good ones write good scripts wherever they go. The best might even land showrunner gigs, like Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul). My favorite Supernatural writer is Ben Edlund. Edlund came…
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The 7 Lives of Lea
The 7 Lives of Lea (aka Les 7 Vies de Léa) is a 2022 French series on Netflix that ticks a lot of my boxes: time travel, body swapping, interesting location. It’s a limited series (only seven episodes) based on the novel, Les Vies de Léo Belami by Nataël Trapp. By the title of the…
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Anthology series
There are a lot of anthology series on tv these days. Not so much the old style anthology shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits where each episode is a standalone story. The new anthology model is a new story each season with usually 10 or more episodes per season. I like this…
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Psych
Psych was a long-running show on the USA cable network about a fake psychic detective, just like The Mentalist only funnier (Psych came first and they often made jokes comparing the two shows). I wasn’t onboard from the beginning because I’d seen the ads for the show and it looked dumb. But I was wrong. …