On The Box This Week

Since I have been unwell

I seem to be watching so much TV!

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

We are still watching this show but have took to Sky Plus-ing it
because the BBC seems not to want to show it much love in the scheduling department
(it has been dropped because of football, starting times have changed
 and it's now changed to a different day)
It would fit a 7.30/8pm Saturday and Sunday evening slot but it gets lost
in its mid week slot which is a shame as the plot is really coming together
What an evil man Compeyson is and it's really the making of Miss Havisham back story from Great Expectations, I am really enjoying this storyline as Expectations is my favourite Dickens book. Pauline Collins is really standing out as the gin drinking Mrs Gamp, and I am enjoying seeing the Bill and Nancy relationship develop. As for who killed Marley I still haven't a clue!

Another drama that I seem to be forgetting about due to scheduling
I am used to watching the past three seasons on a Sunday
Friday nights I forget this is on thank goodness for Sky Plus!
Harry is resting after his fall but doesn't seem to want to pass some of
his duties to his son (really wish he would when you know what's coming!)
Lady Mae agrees to stay and help with ladies fashion but Harry thinks he knows best
has has the Dolly sisters help out! 

One of my favourite shows is back Call The Midwife
Although I have to admit I am missing some of the
original cast Jessica Raine and Miranda Hart especially
This episode was mostly about change, work is slowing down at the
docks which was once bustling with people, baby formula is starting
to become all the rage and at the end of the episode Sister Evangelina leaves
Nonnatus House maybe for good?
Barbara the newest midwife is set her biggest case as she
tries to deliver a baby early so that the baby's dying Father can see
him once before he passes away.
This episode had me reaching for the tissues and
when the baby's Father sees his son and says "I want to stay" before he
dies was heartbreaking.
I love this show and although all is changing in the world of
Call The Midwife long may it continue on our screens.

We tuned into episode 4 of Rebellion
Dublin city is in ruins and the rebels are forced to surrender
The scene where Thomas Clarke was stripped naked by army troops
was quite hard to watch, Yet again Brian Gleeson performance was amazing
as he is told by fellow rebel Micheal Collins to keep his eyes down and
give the impression he is nothing but a worthless rebel.
I love how well written this show is and the acting is first class.
We will tune in Sunday for the last episode.
Would love if RTE followed up this series next year following the characters into
The War of Independent 

On The Box This Week

Seems like this time of the year for us is filled

with diet shows and period dramas!!

Here what we watched this week!

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Operation Transformation was back on RTE last week
we met the five new leaders
Was told there stories as to why they are the weight they
are and some of there lifestyle choices
Paul and I like watching this show every year
and this year I have more interest in it as
I am determent with Slimming World's help to lose
a stone this year! It will be interesting to see how the leaders
do in the following weeks of their lifestyle change!

I asked Paul to sit down and watched this with me
he wasn't too keen but I am a huge Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife) fan
and the hunky Hans Matheson (The Tudors) made this show seem like a good watch
Set in the makeshift town of Jericho Yorkshire penniless window Annie (Raine) tries to
make a new life with her two children. While Johnny (Matheson) goes where the work
takes him and he soon finds himself as Annie's lodger
Jericho isn't sure what it is western or industrial costume drama! I spent the two hours
of the first episode trying to figure this out myself! Is this Catherine Cookson or is John Wayne going to turn up soon?! There was alot going on and I thinkit tried a little too hard.
One hour for the first episode would of been long enough
but with three deaths, a massive explosion and trying to get to know all these characters
I kind of lost interested. Hubby said he will not watch it again as he finds the
similarities of the America railway show Hell on Wheels too much
I will give it another few episodes before I make my mind up!

One of our favourites Mr Selfridge was back this week but
moved to Friday nights for some reason!
It's 1928 the hey day of the 20's but if you know your history
you will know what's coming in 1929!! Harry is living it up
partying and gambling back to his old ways. He seems to have a rift with his
one time close son who has been removed from the big store and sent to
work in the small stores around London. The store seems to be doing well
but Harry seems more interested in partying than stock taking!
The cool and elegant Lady Mae is back to sell her shares after the break down
of her second marriage. The real life Dolly sisters arrive in London
for some fun with Harry! Harry unveils a beautiful clock but has
a little mishap doing so! The acting was great and the costumes where stunning
Looking forward to this last series of Mr Selfridge

I tuned in to the second episode of War and Peace

Hubby half watched from behind his phone he wasn't too keen last week!

I was hoping this episode might pick up after the quite dull first episode

This episode was slightly better than the first but again this series doesn't really feel Russian

this could be happening in the English countryside. There is a huge war going on and yet the makers would rather show us parts of the book that could be glossed over. 

However the actors and the acting is the saving grace the casting is spot on

and the I really like Jim Broadbent and Stephen Rea

The second episode of this epic RTE show was amazing

The casting, costumes and sets are brilliant

This was the episode where Dublin is thrown into chaos

It's Easter Monday and the rebellion is back on. I loved how the shows makers really

wanted us to see how it really was, with Dubliners not knowing what was happening

and Citizen Army shooting people in the street.

What I really love about this show is that is shows everyone from the Free State fanatics, to the beautiful May Lacey who is not sure what side she is on, to the young Belfast lady who arrives in the middle of it all, to the tenements of Dublin to the beautiful house in Bachelors walk.

Looking forward to Sunday night's next episode

On The Box This Week

We have been enjoying alot of period drama this week on TV
Here is what we watched!

BBC drama Dickensian has been a hit in our house over the Christmas time
With a who done it murder mystery of Jacob Marley
I am enjoying seeing the different Dickens characters intertwined and the acting has been amazing
but the scheduling for me has been a problem while it's lovely to see the snow covered streets
of Dickens's London at Christmas time I'm not sure it will have the same appeal in the long weeks of January. We are only on episode six of twenty! It started with a bang I hope it doesn't end with a whimper!

We tuned into the new big BBC drama War and Peace on Sunday

I have read the mammoth book and had high hopes for this drama

but for me it fell a little flat. The first episode of course sets the scenes for much of the drama to come but for me this episode dragged. Hubby asked was this meant to be Russia as it all seemed a little Jane Austen England! I will keep watching as I'm a big fan of Stephen Rea and Lily James hopefully it will pick up the pace next week

Another period drama we watched on Sunday night was RTE drama Rebellion
The first of programmes marking the 1916 centenary
It tells of three female friends the involvement in the 1916 rising and how it
effects their family and friends. I was really impressed by this homegrown drama
the acting and actors where very good, especially Charlie Murphy, Brian Glesson and Sarah Greene
Really looking forward to the next episode.