Goodness me, I don’t know how this has happened but it seems as though it’s been a hot minute since I last shared a little bit of TV chatter on here and I’m not quite sure how that’s possible to be honest because I feel like I watch enough of it. I think we’re all incredibly grateful for the marvels of technology especially during lockdown.
So without further ado here’s what’s been occupying my viewing time lately!
Vikings – Amazon Prime, 6 seasons, historical drama
Now it’s QUITE the mystery to me how Vikings passed me by. I do remember seeing trailers for it on its original home of The History Channel but it was only when my Swedish friend sent me a What’s App saying:
“Hey have you watched Vikings? The men in there are completely up your street! I’m watching it now and all I can think about is how you love hairy and dirty men”
That I decided to get on it faster than you can say “skol”. And oh my, I really do think my heart lies in the buckling swashes of days gone by because I have whisked my way through the first 4 seasons in fairly top speed and haven’t even lost interest like I normally do when I watch a show so intently. All the things you’d expect from a programme called Vikings are there, but a special mention for everyone’s favourite shield-maiden, Lagertha. Brave, loyal, beautiful, feisty, she’s the woman I want to be. If you loved The Last Kingdom and Game of Thrones, you’ll love this!
It’s a Sin – Channel 4 and All4, 5 episodes, drama
It’s very rare for me to watch any British TV shows because le sigh, we just don’t make them very well at all so thank goodness for It’s A Sin. Set predominantly in the 80s, it tells the story through 5 friends of the emergence of AIDS in this country and is as devastating as you can imagine. Russell T. Davis is an OUTSTANDING story teller and if you’re an old fogey like me you’ll hopefully remember his excellent Queer as Folk. From the music to the reminiscence, it’s both beautiful and heart-breaking. I’m trying to be a good girl and watching it the old-fashioned way one episode a week, but pretty much everyone I know has watched it all already. If you loved this though, PLEASE watch Pose, on Netflix and iPlayer. It’s A Sin on an even more amazing scale.
Home For Christmas – Netflix, 2 seasons, Norwegian rom-com
IGNORE that this is called Home For Christmas and think you can’t watch it any time of year because literally its one of the best things I’ve seen. Telling the story of Johanne’s hunt for a boyfriend in time for Christmas having told her family she’d bring someone home, it’s just everything! Yes it’s Norwegian so you’ll need to be ok with subtitles (apparently there is a dubbed version but just no, subtitles and enjoy the beauty of another language!). It’s hilariously funny in places (think yarn bikinis, naked encounters with parents in the sauna) and it’s so uplifting and heart-warming but it may just also make you cry with the joy of life unexpected. I love a TV show that challenges my perceptions of the order of the world, and this does just that. Sometimes the person we’re meant to be with isn’t the person society expects. It’s also set in the most adorable Norwegian town which will make you want to flee Britain immediately. 10/10 for me.
Bling Empire – Netflix, 1 season, reality TV
This is like Crazy Rich Asians meets Selling Sunset as the Asians of LA share a (clearly real) behind the scenes look at their extraordinary lives. This is my downtime when I’ve had a bit too much of the intensity of Vikings and just need something silly and frivolous. It’s never going to be great TV but is it fun escapism? Absolutely!
Tiny Pretty Things – Netflix, 1 season, YA drama
This was a show that I didn’t really want to watch and whilst I was watching it kept wondering why I was watching it. It’s sort of Pretty Little Liars x Gossip Girl set in the world of ballet dancing and a “who pushed the bitchy prima ballerina off the roof” whodunnit. Quite a lot of sex/nudity so not one if you’re uncomfortable with that but otherwise something a bit mindless to slip into and forget the world for an hour or two
There have been other things thrown into the mix, season 2 of Virgin River OBVIOUSLY and I turned a chunk of my lovely IG followers in Hearties by making them watch When Calls The Heart on Netflix (still gutted that I can’t work out how to watch any more seasons!) but for now, I’m going to keep on ploughing through Vikings because I bloomin’ well love it.
And then of course, just the small matter of the return of my ride-or-die, The Walking Dead on March 1st. Cannot WAIT!
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