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Christmas specials 2016
Jan. 1st, 2017 11:10 pmHappy New Year, dear friends!
As has become a bit of a tradition for me, here are my thoughts on the Christmas specials of 'my' shows.
This was the first time since 5 years that there was no Downton Abbey Christmas special, which felt a bit sad, to be honest. Especially as this was what I would always watch with my sister and we haven't really found anything to replace it.
Doctor Who: The return of Doctor Mysterio
( Beware of spoilers! )
Call the Midwife:
( Beware of spoilers )
As has become a bit of a tradition for me, here are my thoughts on the Christmas specials of 'my' shows.
This was the first time since 5 years that there was no Downton Abbey Christmas special, which felt a bit sad, to be honest. Especially as this was what I would always watch with my sister and we haven't really found anything to replace it.
Doctor Who: The return of Doctor Mysterio
( Beware of spoilers! )
Call the Midwife:
( Beware of spoilers )
Christmas Specials 2015
Jan. 1st, 2016 10:22 pm
A bit late maybe, but I've been busy 'holidaying'! Still, here are my thoughts on the Christmas specials this year!
Doctor Who: The husbands of River Song
( Read more... )
Call the Midwife
( Read more... )
Downton Abbey: The finale
( Read more... )
Christmas Specials 2014
Dec. 27th, 2014 11:25 pm
My thoughts on the Christmas Specials from our beloved British shows from this year:
Beware, there are spoilers here!
Downton Abbey: A Moorland Holiday:
( Read more... )
Call the Midwife:
( Read more... )
Doctor Who: Last Christmas:
( Read more... )
Christmas Specials 2013
Dec. 27th, 2013 10:53 pm
My thoughts on the Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Doctor Who Christmas Specials for this year!
Beware, there are spoilers here!
Call the Midwife series 2
Apr. 1st, 2013 10:59 pm
The first series of Call the Midwife was an unexpected success in the Spring of 2012. The second series, with 8 in stead of 6 episodes and its very own Christmas Special, brings us again to Poplar, London's challenged area in the 1950s and deeper into the life of its inhabitant and ofcourse its midwifes.
( I found a purpose and a path, and I worked with a passion for the best reason of all - I did it for love. )
This review was written for the Period Drama Challenge at Old-Fashioned Charm
Call the Midwife icons
Feb. 10th, 2013 10:14 pm- 1-20: Call the Midwife icons fo ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
adapted20in20
adapted20in20 
End of the year - TV meme
Dec. 29th, 2012 12:16 amWhich TV shows did you start watching in 2012?
Next to a lot of 'one-of' miniseries I started watching Call the Midwife and The Paradise, both of which will have a second series in 2013 and these I will certainly be watching.
source fircyca @ tumblr
Which TV shows did you let go of in 2012?
I watched the first 1,5 season of the Australian 90's show Snowy River in 2011, but I didn't follow up on the next seasons in 2012. There were just so many other (newer and shinier *grin*) things to watch!
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2012? Why?
To first answer the 'Why?': so many shows, so little time... I wanted to watch The Hour before the second series started, but I've still not done this and also Wartime Farm, The Bletchley Circle and World Without End have already been broadcasted and are on my 'to-watch' list. I also thought about adding a comedy series to my 'tv-diet', but I haven't done that yet....
source tornamiadir @ tumblr
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2013?
Whatever period drama the British make! No, just kidding... partly. I'm quite intrigued by the trailers for both Ripley Street and Mr. Selfridge and I still have an opening for a comedy series!
Which TV show impressed you least in 2012?
For miniseries, I was least impressed with Birdsong, which was 3 hours of sheer sadness and mediocre acting (not all the actors though, but enough to annoy me). For recurring series... I don't know. Downton Abbey series 3 was not perfect, but much better than the second series. Grey's Anatomy, already in it's 9th season, continues to surprise me with character development and interesting plots (though sometimes they make the mistake of killing of beloved characters). Maybe I'd have to say The Good Wife, which, still a very strong series, disappointed me with the slow-moving storylines of the main characters.
Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2013 unless things significantly improve? And which TV shows do you think you'll never let go of no matter how crappy they get? Why?
Well, after the Christmas special I'm sorely tempted to give up Downton Abbey next series. Though I think I'll change my mind after a few months and when the promotional material of the fourth series becomes available. I'll never leave Grey's Anatomy! After the end of season 8 I wanted to for a while, but then upon viewing the first season 9 episodes, I realized it's still a series with great potential and characters I care about.
Which TV show did you enjoy the most in 2012?
Pfft, such a difficult question! I was very invested from the start in Once Upon a Time and loved it more and more as the season went on. But, to use the motto 'It's the small things that count', I was highly impressed by the little-known mini-series The Young James Herriot, about the student years in the '30s of the later famous vet James Herriot, and Nick Nickleby, a modern adaptation of the novel Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.
source mbthecool @ tumblr
Next to a lot of 'one-of' miniseries I started watching Call the Midwife and The Paradise, both of which will have a second series in 2013 and these I will certainly be watching.
source fircyca @ tumblr
Which TV shows did you let go of in 2012?
I watched the first 1,5 season of the Australian 90's show Snowy River in 2011, but I didn't follow up on the next seasons in 2012. There were just so many other (newer and shinier *grin*) things to watch!
Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2012? Why?
To first answer the 'Why?': so many shows, so little time... I wanted to watch The Hour before the second series started, but I've still not done this and also Wartime Farm, The Bletchley Circle and World Without End have already been broadcasted and are on my 'to-watch' list. I also thought about adding a comedy series to my 'tv-diet', but I haven't done that yet....
source tornamiadir @ tumblr
Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2013?
Whatever period drama the British make! No, just kidding... partly. I'm quite intrigued by the trailers for both Ripley Street and Mr. Selfridge and I still have an opening for a comedy series!
Which TV show impressed you least in 2012?
For miniseries, I was least impressed with Birdsong, which was 3 hours of sheer sadness and mediocre acting (not all the actors though, but enough to annoy me). For recurring series... I don't know. Downton Abbey series 3 was not perfect, but much better than the second series. Grey's Anatomy, already in it's 9th season, continues to surprise me with character development and interesting plots (though sometimes they make the mistake of killing of beloved characters). Maybe I'd have to say The Good Wife, which, still a very strong series, disappointed me with the slow-moving storylines of the main characters.
Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2013 unless things significantly improve? And which TV shows do you think you'll never let go of no matter how crappy they get? Why?
Well, after the Christmas special I'm sorely tempted to give up Downton Abbey next series. Though I think I'll change my mind after a few months and when the promotional material of the fourth series becomes available. I'll never leave Grey's Anatomy! After the end of season 8 I wanted to for a while, but then upon viewing the first season 9 episodes, I realized it's still a series with great potential and characters I care about.
Which TV show did you enjoy the most in 2012?
Pfft, such a difficult question! I was very invested from the start in Once Upon a Time and loved it more and more as the season went on. But, to use the motto 'It's the small things that count', I was highly impressed by the little-known mini-series The Young James Herriot, about the student years in the '30s of the later famous vet James Herriot, and Nick Nickleby, a modern adaptation of the novel Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.
source mbthecool @ tumblr
Christmas Specials 2012
Dec. 26th, 2012 11:27 pm
This year I had quite a busy, but exciting schedule of Christmas tv, not one, not two, but three Christmas Specials to watch!
I thought this warranted a small post with my thoughts about them! As you will understand, there are spoilers about under the cut(s)
Doctor Who
I just love the Doctor Who Christmas specials taking place in Victorian England, they are the best! I liked the continuity of seeing the Doctor forlorn after he 'lost' the Ponds and not happy and jumping around. I loved the introduction of the new companion, her interactions with the Doctor and her acting in general. I believe Jenna-Louise Coleman is going to be so great! The monster/mystery part suffered a bit from the introduction of the companion. While it could've been a wonderfully effective idea to make snow scary (really, what simple commonplace things can't Doctor Who make scary?) and while Richard E. Grant was very chilling, I thought the story somewhat confusing and the ending unsatisfactory. Was the snow meant to be an alien lifeform? Or was the monster meant to be a bodyless lifeform which inhabited the snow? Lastly, nice to see Tom Ward sporting a beard, it suits him, he should play in period drama more often!
Downton Abbey
Almost a perfect special, I would have to say, even if it didn't take place at Christmas. If... you don't count the last two minutes obviously. I really loved the episode in general: a nice balance between Downton and Scotland scenes, a storyline for practically all of the characters, lots of fun, happy scenes, but also some more serious character development and pretty visuals of the Highlands and the Thirsk fair. I felt a bit sorry for Dr. Clarkson, I've always thought he and Isobel would be good together. I was glad to see Mrs. Hughes being the star of downstairs as usual, she really is the kindest and the wisest. But, about the ending.... I must admit I was spoiled, at my own accord. I'm sort of glad I knew, that way I could mentally prepare myself. I thought it a horrible way to end a festive special. And a horribly lazy way of storytelling as well. Really, Tom and Sybil's baby is born and Sybil dies and now with this baby Matthew dies?? It reeks of the last season of McLeods Daughters
(when Alex died just before Stevie gave birth)
, which I never forgave the writers for. I think this kind of writing is a sure sign a series is going downhill and I will seriously consider whether to watch series 4 (but probably give in in the end). I have read it around the www a lot of times today, but it would've been better to have ended Downton Abbey with this special, minus the last two minutes.
Call the Midwife
Beautiful, poignant and sad in equal measure, as all the episodes of this wonderful series so far have been. It was great to see Chummy and Peter married and being cute together! There was some really pretty cinematography, especially the scene alternating between the nuns of Nonnatus House singing in the chapel and the baby being born. While the story of Mrs. Jenkins was terribly sad, it was hopeful to see, that while there was still a lot of poverty in this part of London in the 50s, things had changed for the better and there were ways and means to help people like Mrs. Jenkins. The 'cases' of the special seemed to overshadow the stories of the midwifes a bit, none of them got a real development in this episode. Well, we've got series 2 to look forward to for that, I think!
