Book Board Chat

Greetings,

DH and I are already done with watching the 'current season' of Foyle’s War. We are usually one step ahead with the BBC shows.

I think that we only get the cream of crop of British TV and that is the cream of BBC. If we had only British TV to watch I am sure that there would be people who would say that it 'stinks.'

Much of American TV is geared to certain demographics and usually people our age are not part of that demographic. We are not the "spenders" that younger viewers are. I never watched Friends or Seinfield except for a couple of times. Not only wasn't it my cup of tea but I was smart enough to know that the I wasn't part of the demographics they were aiming for.

It is interesting that the BBC now has a Law & Order but set in London.

I recently read that the demographic for the Big Bang Theory was up to 65, yet one of the actors said that he met an 80 year old who just loved the show. The man had been a rocket scientist and could identify with the characters who reminded him of not only himself but friends and people he had worked with.

Couple of American shows that I enjoy watching are The Newsroom (HBO). The finale of the second season was just on but we haven't watched it. We usually watch the little TV we watch by "on demand." I also like The Good Wife and Mad Men.

I remember how much mainelady enjoyed The Survivor, but it wasn't something I ever watched beyond a few minutes. I would never tell her that I thought all American TV stinks, just like I would have never told her that watching the sports that she so loved was "crap." It may not be something that I like but to denigrate all American TV because I don't watch much of it or because I fit the demographics it not worth saying. I still watch 60 Minutes and some of the other news shows like Dateline - depends on the subject matter if I stick with the entire show.

I also enjoy Criminal Minds and while I did at one time I have grown a bit tired of Law and Order and NCIS (the original), but I'll still watch them if I happen to tune in at the right time.

That said we have been enjoying the new season of Cooper (BBC America) and The White Queen [British television drama series in ten parts, based on Philippa Gregory's bestselling historical novel series The Cousins' War, (The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter). The first episode was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2013. It was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 9 August 2013.]

Another one that we have been enjoying is Broadchurch (BBC). Of all the British shows the dialect is the hardest to understand. Another BBC one that we had watched and are waiting for the next season is Top of the Lake which is set in New Zealand. Interestingly the female lead character who plays a detective is "Peggy" from Mad Men!

When you read some lousy books you usually don't use a broad tar brush and say that every book "stinks" or if you end up reading books aimed at a younger audience, you are smart enough to figure out that the books are not aimed at your age group. Some people like romance novels, some like mystery novels, some like this or that. Via la difference!

And boy that Betty White is still a hoot even at her age. She was funny when she was young and still remains that way. That is growing old gracefully in my book.