T's Autumn TV Treats....

So it definitely feels like summer is over and autumn has arrived and that's even more evident with the TV scheduling over the past couple of weeks. My planner has gone into overdrive and I am now stockpiling series for the weeks ahead, when the nights draw in and I find comfort on the safe with a throw, hot chocolate and cashmere socks!

So here's whats on my watch list for the fall:

• Tennison - no release date yet for this, but cant wait to see the adaption of Lynda La Plante's Tennison come to the screen; the story of DI Jane Tennison (Prime Suspect) when she joined the police in the 70's.
• DCI Banks - loving the return on this series. Along with the great investigations I am also loving the under story's of the characters. My friends wife is one of the lead characters which adds to the enjoyment of this series.
• Inside Scotland Yard - completely hooked on this documentary presented by Sir Trevor McDonald. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to see some of Scotland Yards infamous Black Museum and loved it. Opening the doors to this fascinating building is a thrill.
• Starting this week is National Treasure on channel 4 and a welcome return to the TV of Robbie Coltrane and the fabulous Julie Walters - an iconic TV star is accused of rape and then suddenly several girls come forward with similar allegations.
• Another fabulous documentary currently being aired is Inside British Vogue. Fascinating insight into the world of the most powerful fashion house and magazine.

Cold Feet has seen a welcome return to TV after 13 years, its great to see all the old characters after so long and it feels like they've never been away. Enjoying the series and the complexities of the lives, divorces, marriages of the 5 friends.

Thrilled that series 3 of The Fall returns to BBC2 this week - without a doubt Jamie Dornan is the most sexiest serial killer ever and can't wait to see where this series goes.

Sunday nights at (pm my planner goes into overdrive with Victoria and Poldark - perfect Sunday night period drama. Loving both series, but Victoria is currently my favourite.

Another series that starts this week is Paranoid ; trailer looks great and the cast is fantastic, perfect autumnal evening viewing. Finally Our Girl returns with series 2 and Michelle Keegan in the main role filling the very big shoes of Lacey Turner. Episode 1 was a little slow but episode 2 was a thrill from start to finish and enjoying the new characters alongside the old ones.

So that's my autumn viewing list, would love to hear whats on yours .... have a great week.

Goodbye March...

Farewell March.... wow a quarter of the way through 2016, where did that go? March was a mixed bag for me.
My month was busy with work, having a little fun and catching up with loved ones.
With Mothers day falling early in the month and Easter falling late it gave me plenty of opportunity to spend time with family and friends.

• March saw the nights begin to get lighter which lent for some spectacular sunsets captured as I left work and on the train. 
• March also say me say Hello to Adele and Goodbye to James Martin when I sent 2 evenings in both their company at their stage tours in the Uk.
• Easter and Mothers day were filled with flowers and treats.
• In between the spring storms and cold mornings, London did shine with some beautiful sunshine which showcased it off gorgeously. From my trip to the Sky Garden, walks through Manchester square to work and of course the home of Mr Selfridge himself.

March also saw me starting to move more, stepping up my walking and changing my route to work to for a longer walk and enjoy the outdoors when the weather was good.

March saw another 8 books ticked off my 75 reads from my 2016 list. I also binge watched The Night Manager on Tv which was just fabulous and I got a little excited also when I saw the new Bridget Jones trailer.... overall a good month and I hoping for even more fun in April.

Sunday Night Thrills...

its been sometime since the media both social and print has been gripped by a TV series on a Sunday Night... Homeland was probably the last drama that got everybody talking at 9pm instead of thinking of retiring for the evening.

A few weeks ago I called out my TV treats of recent weeks, which included The Night Manager, this concluded last night and deserves a post of its own!

This 6 part drama adapted from John Le Carre's  book (the genius who bought us "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy") has kept me glued to my sofa over the last few weeks.

Mr Le Carre even made a little guest cameo himself as a guest in a restaurant.
The Night Manager is beautifully styled and shot in some gorgeous locations including Majorcca, Cairo, Istanbul and London. Cast include Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Coleman, Hugh Lawrie, Tom Hollander to name but a few.
Wardrobes both female and male have been lusted after with Tom H showcasing his gorgeousness both in & out of clothes. Signature tailored blue shirts and Navy suits will see sales rise on the back of this show along with diaphanous floaty dresses, gorgeous underwear and nightwear as outerwear favoured by the leading lady & love interest Jed.
The Night Manager finds Johnathon Pine (the night manager) seeking retribution for the death of a female in his hotel. He crosses paths with Richard Roper (Laurie) who is linked to the man who killed his girl. With nothing to loose he finds himself doing a deal with a splinter off grid group of the secret service and going undercover within Ropers businesses.

Much has been written about this drama and I do hope that another is commissioned, alternatively Tom Hiddleston needs to be at the front of the Q for the next Bond along with Olivia Coleman for M.

A great pairing that just worked so fabulously on set. Hugh Laurie was dastardly evil as Roper (although couldn't quite get the HL from blackadder from my mind). 

Bravo BBC for commissioning such a great thriller and Hats off to Mr Le Carre for writing such a fabulous thriller... loved it from start to finish. Sunday nights wont be the same.

Plates, Mates & Automobiles ....

Monday saw me (and 2,300 others) spend the evening in the company of James Martin at the iconic Hammersmith Apollo.
James has been on the road for the last few weeks touring the UK with his Plates, Mates & Auto-mobiles tour.
He seemed to be completely in awe of being on stage at a venue that he cycled past daily when he was starting out as an 18 year old chef.

It seems that the Apollo has had a bit of a lighting make-over both inside and outside within its Art Deco listed building.
The tour stage was very stylish with some great props, 2 kitchen workspaces, ovens and a huge video screen.
James's show was filled with what he loves,cooking, chat, laughter and cars.Sharing top billing in the mate stakes was his right hand man and sous chef Chris Start. Between them it was a great double act. James spoke warmly of their friendship and as mates go it was clear that it was a good mate. As cooking demos it was well orchestrated between the two chefs and the pair maintained an upbeat routine with plenty of rousing cheers from the audience, which had some of James colleagues from Saturday kitchen, Laverstocke dairy and chef friends. Nine recipes cooked up in 2 hours with humour, tales oh his childhood on a pig farm and life as a young chef. Favourite recipes from many of his back catalogue including; rhubarb soufflé, fish & chips, the best bacon sandwich ever (3,000+ calories!) finished off with a glorious cream filled swiss roll. Banter and rants were directed at the food and hygiene police, bane of his life from the frequent complaints on Saturday Kitchen for hand washing etc, and the healthy eating brigade who lament his over use of butter and cream! 

A witty, unhygenic on stage rebellion got the thumbs up from the audience along with a butter mountain that was dug into frequently for cooking! As the show drew to an end, James who had been learning to play the guitar during the tour was joined on stage by Brian Turner (triangle) and F1's Mark Webber (percussion) along with others to sing and play us out of what was a fabulously funny and entertaining evening.
It was during this tour that James announced that he was leaving Saturday Kitchen, a show that he has been at the helm of for the last 10 years. One of the things that has made James so popular is his genuine love of food and the ability to cook, chat and present all together, something even more remarkable considering he is severely dyslexic. James talked about this during his show and is extremely proud of it and hats off to him for holding down an autocue, ear mic and present a live show. James's last show aired Saturday morning and it was emotional! the outpouring on twitter was huge and both he and the programme trended for much of the day. James did a fab job of holding it all together until the last few moments...

Saturday mornings will no longer be the same for me and James Martin will be a much missed fixture in my weekend....

Tv Treats ....

Its been some time since I shared some TV  treats that have kept me entertained during the last few weeks and one that I am really looking forward to for spring.

The Good Wife .... this programme has had me hooked since episode 1 of season 1 and now 7 seasons in I am halfway through the last season.
A fantastic legal, political series full of glamour, intrigue, seriously strong women and gorgeously suited men. Alicia; wife to politician Peter, returns to her legal profession shortly after her husband is outed for sleeping with call-girls. There marriage along with political aspirations is soon thrown into the public limelight.
Alicia hasn't played the victim wife and has had her own share of gorgeous men as well as her husband Mr Big!

John Le Carre's  The Night Manager on BBC has brightened many dull Sunday nights over the past 4 weeks; the gorgeous Tom Higgleston is proving to be a glorious hit on twitter!. A fabulous thriller with a fantastic cast.. catch it now on iplayer.

Something a little more tranquil for mid week is the delightful Grantchester.. never has a man in a dog collar got so many women swooning since Richard Chamberlain stalked across the plains of Australia in The Thorn Birds. This season opening with the vicar in his swimming trunks!... 

and finally one that I am really looking forward to returning is the Police internal investigations drama 'In the Line of Duty' a series that has had me hooked previously.

What have you been loving lately?..... Here's some of my previous TV treats.

Friday Night In....

With a trip to New York pending I have a fairly quiet November planned. The Cats and I are spent a chilled Friday night in as there were several Fireworks parties being held around by me and I wanted to keep the Kits safe.
With a new bed and the promise of the fire on, the Kits and I were soon snuggled up and enjoying a night in.

It also gave me some time to catch-up on some TV and box-sets that I have started.
It has been some time sometime since a TV series has captured my attention, however ITV's Unforgotten has done just that. A thrilling murder investigation 30 years old with several suspects whose lives are set to be destroyed as the investigation and secrets unfold. A fabulous cast and a thrilling "who done it" from start to finish, with final episode next week I cant wait for the conclusion.
Late to the Party I know but I have also discovered Sons of Anarchy and Chicago Fire!... perfect viewing for cold evenings suggling on the sofa.

My bestie is a huge fan of SOA, season 1 has been languishing in my "To Watch" pile I thought I would give it a go!.... well all I can so is thankyou Netflix for having season 2-7! I am really enjoying it - who knew a group of biking outlaws, trying to keep their local town free from drugs, & violence would so much fun!
Chicago Fire is another series that I discovered this year and I am now eagerly awaiting season 4 to be released. Lead character Taylor Kinney is a huge hottie ( still amazed that this is Lady Ga Ga's finance!) and anything that involves american fireman is a win for me!
I am sure that there will be more TV treats as we head into winter and I hibernate until spring!

T's TV Treats ....

Work & life has been a little busy of late which means that any TV that I have watched has been on either replay or iplayer, however this doesn't mean that it wasn't worth watching...

1. The C Word - a heartbreaking and amazing tribute to Lisa Lynch portrayed fabulously by the current nations acting sweetheart Sheridan Smith. The story of a magazine journalist who rose to fame writing a blog of her battles with breast cancer.. filled with love, laughter and cancer with humour and tears.This was a heart-aching and humbling watch and I hope that Lisa's family were proud of the story told and Sheridans and Paul Nichols stunning performances.
2. DCI Banks -a police series that I've dipped in and out of over the previous years, became a must watch for me this season. With as good back stories into the characters as investigations an easy watch... my friends partner is one of the lead actresses, so its always great to catch up on the inside gossip!
3. Vera  - love Brenda Blethyn and her portrayal of this northern police officer is just fabulous, in her scruffy mac and wellie boots and the odd glass of scotch she is just superb. This is a gritty bleak drama, tinged with some fabulous one liners from Blethyn, with a great supporting cast, tackling some difficult subjects in a great Sunday night drama. 
4. Code of a Killer - this 2 parter was on over the Easter break and I have only just caught up with it. Follows the extraordinary true story of Alec Jeffreys who discovered DNA fingerprinting and how it was used to catch a killer of 2 girls in Leicestershire in the 1980's A fascinating incite into the determination and belief by both the scientists and police officer that what they were doing was both the right think for the girls and ground breaking for police and science going forward. .. loved this, great acting by John Simms and David Threlfall.
5. The Detectives (Manhunt) - a 3 part series following the sexual crimes unit of the Greater Manchester police. This was a tough watch from the start but utterly compelling, a specialised detective team changing the way that rape & sexual offences are investigated. This unit over 3 nights showed how they are changing the way these crimes are dealt with, and spanned 2 years of investigations.The main investigation being that of Ray Teret long term friend of Jimmy Saville. This is a tv programme that stays with you and I applaud all of the officers working within this unit, but more than that the victims that went on camera to share their stories... brave ladies.

As you can see not much light hearted entertainment, but 5 programmes and series that I have enjoyed over the last few weeks. Here are some previous TV treats that I have enjoyed.

T's TV Treats... are you a Gladiator?

For fans of the TV series, Scandal you will instantly recognise the title of this blog post.
 Last month I shared one of my favourite movie moments, this month I'm sharing a TV treat.
Scandal crept up on me late last year and I am hooked, it is now one of my all time favourite TV shows and I love it. Its full of intrigue, politics, sex & scandal!

My team liken me to Olivia Pope frequently; affectionately call me T and they have nicknamed the office TG & associates, they are my gladiators!... I am a fixer! I spend a big part of my working week investigating, we have rules and I always go by my gut!
here's 5 reasons why!;

1. She rocks a fabulous handbag collection, totes and lots of Prada.
2. Her desk resembles mine on a daily basis.
3. Accessories are her 'thing' coats & bags are a favourite - I have  as many coats as I do bags! and she sports some gorgeous hats...
4. Her day doesn't start without a large coffee, usually  "To Go".
5. "its handled" is a tag line I have used for a long time.... so funny when I heard it for the first time when Olivia fixes an issue for The President

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has one of the most gorgeous wardrobes on the TV and I covert most outfits weekly. Trousers are her staple work wardrobe, in nudes, neautrals, and greys,lots of armani, max mara, ferragamo and prada.




Alongside this Liv is embroiled with the politics within the White House having been President Fitzgerald Grant's fixer/ campaign manager during his election.
The chemistry between these two is explosive and this is the thread that ties each episode together.

Here are 5 clips to why Fitz & Olivia are so addictive:
1. I Belong to You...

2.Look at me...

3. Stop talking for the next 20 minutes...

4.You're Calling me...

5.One Minute ...

Everyone of these clips struck a chord with me, for so many reasons that I am not sharing on this blog!!!...... Along with a scandalous love affair, there is also a fabulous love triangle!... gotta love a hot powerful man.

If you love politics, scandal, mystery, & fabulous fashion, then this is the series for you!... I introduced a friend to this show last month and she sofa surfed through all 3 series,... anxiously waiting for season 4 now!

What's your TV treats and guilty pleasure?.......

T's Tv treats...

It's been sometime since I shared some treats that have been keeping me entertained on the TV. With January & February's work schedule being hectic, it doesn't leave me much time to do a great deal, however I have relaxed a little by catching up on some TV favourites and a few movie moments.
TV treats

• Broadchurch - a slow burn for me, and one of the few things I watch 'live' to avoid all the spoilers on social media. Series 1 was one of my favourites in 2014, but this didn't excite me as much... great cast, and superb acting but story-line slow & weak in places.... not sure series 3 can go with this.
•  Gogglebox  - a much welcome return to this 'fly on the wall' have loved both episodes and have laughed out loud lots!... too many good moments to mention, but Wolf Hall, & Basic Instinct proving much fun with viewers.
•  The Good Wife - fallen back in love with this US show. Back for series 6, its full of legalities, intrigue & politics... perfect for me, along with some gorgeous eye candy in the shape of Steven Pasquale as Johnny Elfmann, Alica's campaign manager for her run as State Attorney.
• Silent Witness - thoroughly enjoyed the return of this series, all double episodes were gripping and dramatic. Definitely felt like this series was back on top after a couple of weak series. I'm completely hooked on anything forensic, a throw-back to my youth and desire to be a pathologist.
• Eastenders - its hard to believe that Eastenders is 30 years old, and enjoyed the 'live' week leading to the big reveal of Lucy Beales killer.  Danny Dyer is definitely turning into one of my favourite characters. Good to see EE back and delivering some great storylines.
• Cucumber - is the 'Queer as Folk' of this generation. It is as shocking as queer as folk was 20 years ago, but often fun, moving and naughty!... I wouldn't expect anything else from Russel T Davies.

Movie Moments:  february saw me catch-up on some oldies that have been languishing in my 'to watch' pile, and re-visiting a favourite.

• The Arrow - season 2 - very late to The Arrow party but completely hooked on this series. Sheer escapism from start to finish with some very delicious eye candy in Oliver Queen aka Steven Amall.
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - a delightful little film filled with some of the nations favourite and much loved actors / actresses. I really enjoyed this heartwarming movie, featuring 3 of my favourites Judi Dench, Bill Nighy & Maggie Smith...  a joy from start to finish... will be going to cinema to see the sequel.
• The Sweeney ~ when it was announced that The Sweeney would be re-made with Ray Winstone as Reagan I was intrigued. The Sweeney is an old skool classic, however I enjoyed the remake, it was rough, ready and full of the classic Sweeney moments, with a twist of humour. With supporting cast of Damian Lewis & Plan B... its full of car chases, cops & villains and Ray Winstone at his East End best.
• The Thomas Crown Affair -  this movie got a dusting off the DVD shelf as not only is it one of my favourites, but in my opinion is the original "Fifty Shades".... this movie is as slick, sexy, cinematic and stylish... featuring a bored billionaire who pulls off a heist from the Metropolitan museum of Art in new York.  Pierce Brosnan  plays Mr Crown who seduces the Insurance investigator (played by the stunning Renee Russo) by flying her off to a Caribbean island where clothes are an option, soaring above the skys in a glider and shagging her senseless across his stunning upper east side townhouse!... can you see the similarities!... this movie without a doubt influenced EL James ... check out the trailer here

What has been keeping your attention on the TV... or what are you looking forward to this Spring?... would love to hear?... 

T's TV treats....

It's been some time since I shared a TV post of what has been keeping me entertained on the Googlebox!.... happy to say that that's back next week which will bring much fun to a Friday night.
Not much has kept my attention on the TV in recent months. With the weather being nice during the summer it has meant that I have gone out more or taken the opportunity just to spend some down time in the park.
I have however in September, devoured Season 1 and Season 2 of Scandal. Very late to the party with this, but absolutely loving it. Kerry Washington who plays Oliver Pope the lead character I have complete wardrobe envy with.... (it seems so do many other looking at the Pinterest posts)
Having been to Washington and completely fell in love with the whole political vibe, especially the White House, this is a win win for me. If you loved The West Wing and State of Play this is for you... from the creator of Greys Anatomy it has it all, power, thrills, excitement & sexy romance!..

As those of you that read this blog know, I abhor reality TV so Xfactor, Britains got talent and programmes similar are a natural switch off for me.... I am this year, however looking forward to Strictly now that Brucie has hung up his tap shoes!... The Eye-candy line up for us ladies is also an added bonus!
With Autumn TV just beginning to start, I am looking forward to the following.
Downton Abbey - returns for series 5, looking forward to more of Dame Maggie Smith's put me downs, sumptuous setting and hopefully a cameo from the gorgeous George Clooney at Christmas.

Our Girl - a one off drama last year that has now been turned into a series. I really enjoyed this last year Lacey Turner as a young girl from a run-down council estate tries to better her life by joining the army as a medic. This series sees her head to Afghanistan...

The Fall - starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan ( Mr 50 shades himself) back for a 2nd series of this Thriller that spooked the whole of my spring last year.  Jamie Dornan is so easy on the eye, you cannot believe that he is committing such terrible crimes. I hope that it lives up to the 1st series.

Grantchester - Set in 1953 in the Cambridge hamlet of Grantchester  the drama focuses upon the life of Sidney Chambers, a charismatic, charming clergyman who turns investigative vicar when one of his parishioners dies in suspicious circumstances. Starring James Norton and Robson Green.

What has been keeping your attention on the TV... or what are you looking forward to this Autumn?... would love to hear?... 

   



 

Teresa's Tv Treats

Due to trying to have a life I haven't spent too much time in front of the television in March... however I have caught up with some series that I had got behind of and started to enjoy some box-sets either on DVD or Netflix.
So what has been keeping me entertained during the madness of March.

• An hour to Save a Life - a fabulous docu-drama which followed a number of trauma teams across the UK either on road or air doing their utmost to save a life in the Golden Hour (the 1st hour post incident). I admire any one who works in the medical profession especially the NHS... this programme highlighted what an amazing service they provide and the life and death situations they deal with daily. Remarkable TV and a fantastic showcase of how valuable our NHS service is.. 
• Line of Duty - series 2 - I missed this completely first time round, but was hooked from the off from the 1st episode. We all predicted the outcome at work from the 1st episode and i'm pleased to say that my 3 detective moments were true on completion!.... this was thrilling from the start, internal police investigations, witness protection, murder and bent police officers, made for gripping viewing. Keely Hawes was fabulous and story & acting kept you on a pendulum of guessing wether she was involved in the deaths of police officers and a protected witness... 
• The Arrow - series 1  - very behind with this, but now get what the fuss is about, sheer escapism from the start, filled with intrigue, glamour and very sexy men!...Perfect way to de-stress and unwind.
• Good Wife & Nashville - Thursday night TV treats for T... loving that they are back to back and completely hooked on both.... 
• and finally my guilty pleasure of Gogglebox. This programme is wrong on so many levels but sheer genius. The premise of filming people in their home watching TV with them discussing what they think, its what every critic, reviewer and presenter wishes they could say but can't. The families are diverse and incredibly entertaining.

What have you been watching lately....would love to hear...

Thursday TV Treats

It seems that February and the beginning of March has been busier at work for me than January... so very little time for TV watching, however what time I have had I've caught up on some favourites.
This month I've caught up on Revenge and looking forward to the season finale next week. March has seen the start of a couple of programmes that have gone straight to my favourites. Silk is much welcome return with series 3. Rupert Penry Jones and Maxine Peake are fabulous in this courtroom drama, alongside a great supporting cast. Mary Berry also has a new cookery programme on BBC2, its so lovely to see this grand dame of the kitchen back on TV in a series of her own. she is the epitome of every ones granny in the kitchen... here lemon drizzle cake in episode 1 just looked delicious.

 The rest of my viewing has been taken up with Nashville and White Collar.... completely in love with the Rayner & Deacon story line.... and White Collar is just cool, New York mixed with old school rat pack glamour... perfect.

I have 3 box sets that are languishing in my To View pile, which I am hoping to watch soon.

1. Breaking Bad - I have tried twice with this and I'm struggling with getting past the 1st episode. Everyone keeps telling me to hang with it as its one of the most talked about TV show in recent years... and I will love it... maybe I need to watch when I'm a little more relaxed and can concentrate!

2. Suits - dipped in and out of this when I've caught it on TV so picked up the box set for £4 and hope to watch from the beginning.

3. The Arrow - this is eye-candy heaven for me and looking forward to watching this as its pure escapism.

would love to hear what's been on your watch list of late... and should I persevere with Breaking Bad?

Tuesday TV Treats

This weekend saw me finally get some 'down' time and chill and catch-up on a little TV. Thankfully it seems that most of my favourites have been saved for February's scheduling so perfect time to curl up on the sofa.

There isn't a great deal of UK TV that grabs my attention, however I did get home a couple of Fridays ago just in time to watch the lovely Martin Kemp on Piers Morgans life stories.... from his Spandau Ballet heartthrob years, through his courageous battle with 2 life threatening brain tumours, actor, director he has had an interesting life. I was gripped from the start, he came across as a really lovely guy, loves his wife, kids  and led this fascinating life without the hint of scandal, so rare in today's society. Thoroughly enjoyed it. 

My other guilty pleasure is the gorgeous bad boy Danny Dyer into Eastenders. Fell out of favour with EE many years ago, but love this character so bucking the trend of his usual casting,  easy watching to dip in & out of!... especially Danny Dyer walking round in his boxers!

Sunday night TV is my treat, its probably the only time I sit and watch 'live' Tv, loving Mr Selfridge being back.... some great additions to the cast. (look out for a Mr Selfridge post all to itself soon!)

Across the pond 3 of my favourite US shows have aired in the last couple of weeks. Great to see Revenge back for Season 3, I'm intrigued to see where Emily goes in this season, especially as so many people know her secret now. The Good Wife is back for season 5. Anything with Chris North in ticks my box, so this is fab viewing for me, followed by Nashville this is perfect Thursday night viewing for me....

< Finally, very late to the party I have finally watched season 1 of White Collar.... Oh MY!!!!!! Matt Bomer is just beautiful, effortlessly styled, slick, I've loved it.... set in my favourite city NY, its just perfect for me!

What has been grabbing your TV attention of late?.... would love to hear what you have been watching x

Reading & Watching.... Part 1

It's been a while since I blogged day to day stuff, so today I thought I would share with you some of the things that I've been reading and watching in May!.....
Here's what has been grabbing my attention on screen:

• Nashville - completely hooked on this series, who would have thought country music would be so gripping.... completely torn between Teddy & Deacon ... Think Deacon may just have the winning vote for me!.... Here is the season trailer.
• Case Histories - one of the best book adaptations to the screen... Jason Isaacs is a fantastic Jackson Brodie... Brooding, disheveled and little bit sexy, Here is a great interview with Jason and Kate the author.
• The Americans - think this is going to be a slow burn, set in America at the height of the Cold War, two KGB agents are seconded into suburbia spying against the Americans. Great to see Matthew Rhys (previously seen in Brothers & Sisters) playing quite a sinister character. Here is the promo trailer.
• The Fall - OMG this is fabulous, crept up on me last week and I've been catching up on Iplayer . Have a complete girl crush on Gillian Anderson who is fantastic, wears a wardrobe to salivate ver and she oozes so much confidence in one particular scene, I was green with envy! The murderer is incredibly easy on the eye, which makes his heinous crimes even more sickening... Beg, borrow and Download this as soon as you can, although I would recommend not watching it on your own! Here is a trailer of this fantastic show... already commissioned for series 2.

Four shows that have my attention each week.... What's been grabbing your?....

On the East side...

This time when I visited the New York I stayed on the East Side of the city.... It was a great location and allowed me to explore lots on foot. A couple of blocks walk east from the hotel down a beautiful brownstone lined street and I was facing the Hudson river. Across the river to the right, and  sited at the Gantry Entry plaza in Queens is the iconic Pepsi Cola sign. This sign features in one of my favourite movies Julie & Julia.  Behind and into the distance is a much more urban and industrial New York, this area has a real retro feel about it.

The sun was setting as I walked through the park area and showcased the bridges and buildings beautifully against the blue sky and river.

To the left is the majestic Queensboro bridge, a double stacked bridge both with 4 lane traffic each way. This is the bridge that you cross on the way in from JFK airport. The bridge spans the Hudson and above Roosevelt island, which is accessible by cable car. One of the best sights as you walk around this area is the famous red cable cars crossing above you and along the bridge to the island. Movie fans will recognise this from the Spiderman movie, when he rescues Mary Jane from the Green Goblin and more recently from the Batman franchise, Dark knight rises. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll along the river I felt very much the New Yorker!

Tv treats for autumn....

Schools are back, nights are drawing in, mornings are darker.... yes summer is on its way out and autumn is approaching... Autumn is my favourite season, I love the leaves crisp underfoot and the golden hues of orange and brown on the trees.

It also means that the TV channels compete for peak viewing, as a reality Tv avoider this can proove a little challenging especially over a weekend, but I do look forward to a good drama.... here is what i'm looking forward to this autumn:

• Hunted ~ BBC; from the makers of Spooks I hope that this fills my spy gap!

• Homeland season 2 ~ C4; so many questions hanging over from season 1 this is one of the best things on TV and I'm already hooked just from the trailer!... Damien Lewis is fantastic.

• Downton Abbey season 3 ~ ITV (starting tonight)... cant wait to see Dame Maggie Smith go head to head with Shirlie McClaine

• Nigellissima ~ BBC2; Nigella, Italy and food the perfect combination... food p**n at its finest!

• Mr Selfridge ~ ITV the life of shopping, seduction & Gordon Selfridge... can't wait!

Weekend round up

This weekend was my catch-up weekend... for many reasons I just needed a down-time weekend. This week I had some extensive dental surgery which resulted in me representing a chipmunk for the later part of the week and Florence went in for its MOT & service, both prooving more costly than anticipated. Washing machine has packed up and even though I've took it apart today, cleaned it etc its still not happy so I think it's gone to the washing machine world in the sky!
What this weekend has allowed me to do is indulge and catch-up on some series linked recordings and read a book!

This weekends read has been Veronica Henry's The Long Weekend, which I loved. This follows on from one of Veronica's early books Love on the Rocks, but can easily be read as a stand alone. Claire and Luca  have an idyllic beautiful boutique hotel in a Cornish village, however life isn't as idyllic as they think. Guests arrive for a long weekend with last consequence...... its a great read and will make you want to weekend away!... sheer escapism and great to catch up with two characters that you felt you knew within minutes of the first chapter.
My second indulgence was The Last Weekend starring Rupert Penry Jones.... billed as a psychological thriller it did have you guessing throughout. With a twist half hour from the end it did keep you guessing as to which of the 2 male lead characters would die.... Although set in a different environment this 3 parter did have the feel of a play I saw a couple of years ago starring RPJ called the Priory which also involved a group of friends meeting up after a longtime, again with disastrous consequences.... RPJ was great, and the gratuitous naked shot always works a treat!

TV Treats.....

I fell out of love with the TV for a while, there was little that I watched in 'real' time thanks to my BT box... however over the past few weeks I have become a little hooked on a few programmes. I'm not a huge reality fan and avoid most of them like the plague.. so weekend viewing is often a struggle!... this has changed with the discovery of a fabulous box set just been released to my vision box and a couple of dramas grabbing my attention...
The box set in question is the fabulous Blue Bloods... bought to the small screen by the writers of The Sopranos its not only a great crime drama set in New York but a story of an Irish catholic family and their sibling squabbles... all culminating around a dinner table at some point during each episode... great cast featuring Tom Selleck and Donnie Whalburg, I'm hooked.... can't wait for season 2

The TV programme keeping me completely hooked on a Sunday night is the fabulous Homeland, I know that I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but it just gets better and better each week. Its a roller coaster of a drama, has an American operative in Afghanistan been turned?... you swing from yes to no each week, cant wait for the finale and surprisingly I haven't googled and spoilers because I don't want to know until its aired!



Two episodes in and Im warming to Once Upon a Time.... where all the characters in fairy tales have been frozen in time in the town of Storybrook... very clever twist on the fairy tale... from the makers of Lost I am sure it will be filled with hidden clues and sub plots.... and easy watch...

Fourth treat in is the fabulous Good Wife... now onto season 3, its a real cat and mouse within the legal and political world of America... Its the LA Law of this decade... I love it, especially now Alicia is now caught between Peter and Will....(anything with My Big in it is always a winner for me!)

and my final treat is not a TV show but and advert... its the fabulous dancing flame from EDF energy... its been called many things which are not printable on this blog! as it doesn't resemble a flame and it gets very excited with the appliances, BUT it really makes me smile and the song takes me back to the 80's in an instance!

Hope that you enjoyed my TV treats, what have been yours this week?...

TV Dinner Treats

for those of you that have followed me over the last couple of years know that I loose my life in January! This is due to Financial Year end pressures at work, the only time of the year (& again at the half year!) when I regret having 'Audit' as part of my job title!..
Invariably I live on TV dinners and bless the fact that I have I-player!.
Fortunately this is one of my favourite TV times, as  the Christmas decorations come down new TV starts.
So as we say goodbye to the old and welcome the new here are my tv treats from 2010 and what my tv dinners are going to be in 2011.

In 2010 I loved:

• Luther - looking forward to new series
• Ashes to Ashes - said goodbye to Gene & Bolly..and it all finally made sense!
• Spooks - another goodbye to the gorgeous Lucas North
• Glee - so excited that this is back on Monday E4 9pm.. check out trailer here
• Sherlock - fantastic twist on a classic.
• Upstairs Downstairs - lovely to be back in Eton Place again.
• Downton Abbey - one of my absolute favs from last year.. watched again over new year Dame Maggie Smith at her finest!
• Mad Men - cannot fail to be on my fav list yearly, without a doubt the classiest, most glamorous TV series ever! This programme ooooozes everything, class, glamour, sex, New York!
• and then finally the complete opposite of Mad Men is The only way is Essex.. car crash TV at its finest!... I never do reality, but for an essex girl this had to be seen to be believed!..addictable.

So what am I looking forward to in 2011

• the return of Brothers & Sisters (coming soon to more4)
• Larkrise to Candleford - Sunday 9th Jan BBC.. easy sunday evening viewing.. can Dorcas find true love?
• Mary Portas - Secret Shopper... for a girl in retail I can't wait to see this, if only for Mary in disguise!
• Under Suspicion - 3rd serialisation of the books by Lynda La Plante.. enjoyed first episode have 2 & 3 to catch up on
• CSI NY - forensics, NY & Gary Senise, my dream job! back saturday 8th Jan C5.
• Zen - BBC1 Sun 9pm - the stylish Rufus Sewell in the equally stylish & stunning Rome, whats not to enjoy?
•  The Good Wife, fantastic first season last year and have obviously missed this off 2010 favs!.. Juliana Margulies has all the luck Chris Noth & George Clooney, thats a tough job!
• and Silk - a Uk legal drama, with the incredibly yummy Rupert Penry Jones, suited and in barrister regalia... i'm going to be in 7th heaven!

all I need to do now is go to M&S to stock the freezer, make sure that the microwave is working and I'm ready for January... let the silly season & stress begin!