Blog Post
TV Spotlight: The Fall
by manz
Another great police drama on BBC and Netflix, The Fall stars Gillian Anderson (Scully!) as cool DSI Stella Gibson, who is called in to help investigate a murder in Belfast. The murder is linked to possible political corruption, and she ends up sticking around to track down the killer of an inevitable string of serial murders of women. It was creepily entertaining to watch her investigation take place as the killer walked around a free man plotting his next kill after tucking his kids into bed at night.
Two seasons of The Fall have aired, and while the creator hasn’t formally announced a third season, they’re pretty confident it’s going to happen. And I hope so, because season two ended with such a cliff hanger. Check out The Fall if you’re into cop shows or well produced British television.
Blog Post
TV Shows! One Case, All Discs.
by manz
Many of the television shows that are popping up the in catalog may be series or seasons you’ve seen or heard of before, but the good news is that the complete season of the series is in one case and there’s an extended check out period! So there’s no juggling your holds list making sure you get disc 2 before disc 3 of that show you’re dying to see what happens next on. Some are Blu-ray, some are DVD.
This is a great opportunity to binge on some shows you may have missed out on, not had time to watch yet, or just need to see again. Shows like Seinfeld, Six Feet Under, Doctor Who, Northern Exposure, The Good Wife, Battlestar Gallactica, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls, Freaks and Geeks, and many more. So many shows! Check out the list for more shows featuring complete season sets. Something in the collection is sure to help you get through February.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #508
by muffy
January brings a number of terrific debut novels. The one I am most excited to share is Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm (MFA, Helen Zell Writers Program at the University of Michigan). Follow her on Facebook, and plan to attend her signing @ Literati, 7pm on January 27.
She calls herself Julie now, from California. For the past 2 years, Grace restores bric-a-brac, repairs antiques and jewelry in a Paris chop shop, and lives alone in a shabby room. Regularly, she checks the Garland (TN) newspaper online for news of a case involving robbery of The Wynne House, a local heritage estate and museum, and the two young men caught for the crime, a heist that Grace meticulously engineered. Now, Grace's past and carefully constructed lies are about to catch up with her half way around the world, as the two men are being paroled.
In a series of flashbacks, from small-town USA to the Manhattan art scene, and the backstreets of Europe, we follow the "unbecoming-of-age" of a young woman with a special gift for restoration and for reinventing herself with equal deftness.
"Mesmerizing, nail-biting, atmospheric, and sensual... Unbecoming is an intricately plotted and psychologically nuanced heist novel that turns on suspense and slippery identity."
"Scherm mixes a character study with a caper novel full of double-crosses, lies, and betrayals... She is at her best when describing precious objects: a Dutch master's still life, a James Mont cigar box with hidden compartment, an ornate centerpiece with fanciful fruit and figurines, and silver spoons ignored by their owners but appreciated by the professional hired to evaluate them."
Readers looking for an elegantly well-played cat-and-mouse game should delight in Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1954); The Thomas Crown Affair (1968, and the 1999 remake); and White Collar, the just concluded (sadly) tv series.
Fans of Gillian Flynn who appreciate "(a) bleak tone, deeply flawed protagonist, and dysfunctional relationships" wouldn't want to miss this one. And let's not forget Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels as read-alikes.
Blog Post
New TV Shows @ AADL
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. For these new ones you can now get the entire season in one check-out. Hello, binge watching! All the discs are in one case with an extended check-out period. Here are some new series on their way to AADL for the first time:
The Fall, Series 1
DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is a steely detective on the trail of a serial killer stalking the streets of Belfast.
Misfits, Seasons 1-3
Kelly, Nathan, Curtis, Alisha and Simon are five unruly teenagers forced to do community service as payback for their crimes. But when a freak electrical storm hits their town, strange things begin to happen to them that are way out of their control. In fact, they have no idea that they've actually turned into superheroes, each with a power they didn't choose or want. They must save their town from the evil that has descended upon it.
Popular, Seasons 1 & 2
Inside the walls of Kennedy High, there's a war being waged for the most elusive prize of all ... popularity. Samantha MacPherson is an unpopular brainiac. Brooke McQueen is the popular head cheerleader. The two are sworn enemies until Brooke's dad proposes to Sam's mom and the two families begin living together. Sam and Brooke then join forces to break their parents up.
Satisfaction, Season 1
A provocative drama that explores modern marriage at its midpoint. Through the lens of one couple, investment advisor, Neil Truman and his wife, Grace, this series answers the question, 'What do you do when having it all is not enough?' by delving into their shocking and unconventional choices.
Family Tree, Season 1
The story of the 30-year-old Tom Chadwick, an Englishman who has few roots, little family, and an unsure sense of his purpose in life. Tom inherits a mysterious box of belongings from a great-aunt he never met, triggering a passion to investigate his family lineage. As Tom's interest in genealogy grows, his life evolves in unexpected directions, as he uncovers a world of unusual stories and characters in the U.K. and the U.S., as well as a growing sense of who he is and who his real family is.
Republic of Doyle, Seasons 1 & 2
The Canadian mystery features a father and son sleuthing team based in the province of Newfoundland.
Tyrant, Season 1
Al-Fayeed "Barry", the son of a war-torn country's controversial dictator, returns to his homeland after a self-imposed exile in the U.S. But the lives of Barry and his American family are suddenly upended when Barry's volatile brother, Jamal, ascends to the throne. Barry's western views are pitted against Jamal's wife, Leila, who wants her husband to rule with an iron fist. Barry finds himself torn between the seductive lure of power and the sympathy for his country's freedom fighters.
Silicon Valley, Season 1
Partially inspired by co-creator Mike Judge's experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this comedy series follows the misadventures of introverted computer programmer Richard and his brainy friends as they attempt to strike it rich in a high-tech gold rush.
The Thick of It, Seasons 1-4
Chronicles the blunders of the fictitious Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, a government department barely registering on the national radar. In this Ministry, every announcement is followed by a whirlwind of u-turns, every policy is a scramble and every mishap is met with abuse from the Prime Minister's policy enforcer.
For more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.
Blog Post
Golden Globe Award Winners
by manz
Last night the 72nd Golden Globes announced winners in top categories for motion pictures and television for the year. There is a lot of good stuff to get caught up on!
Best Motion Picture - Drama went to Boyhood (also winning Best Director for Richard Linklater and Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette), Best Motion Picture - Comedy went to The Grand Budapest Hotel, Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture for Television went to Fargo (also wining Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for Television for Billy Bob Thornton), Best Animated Film went to How to Train Your Dragon 2, Best Foreign Film went to Russia’s Leviathan, Best Television Series - Comedy went to Amazon’s Transparent (also winning Best Actor, Comedy Series for Jeffrey Tambor), and Best Television Series - Drama went to The Affair (also winning Best Actress, Television Series - Drama for Ruth Wilson).
See here for a full list of all winners.
Next up in screen awards is the Academy Awards which will be held on February 22nd, with nominees being announced on January 15th.
Blog Post
Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Comes to TV
by Sara W
Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy has been a historical fiction powerhouse - with both entries, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies becoming bestsellers and Booker Prize winners. The final book in the trilogy is underway, with no official release date at this time, although Mantel has shared details readers can expect to encounter inThe Mirror and the Light.
Now Mantel’s epic is coming to TV. After assisting with the stage adaptation of her work by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mantel signed off on a BBC adaptation, with the caveat that the show avoid historical errors and any ”nonsense” added for drama.
The six-part series will air on BBC2 in Britain later this year, with an PBS Masterpiece American release to follow. Fans of the Showtime series will be interested to see Damian Lewis (Nicholas Brody) in the meaty role of Henry VIII as part of the star-studded cast. An official trailer was just released, so fans can enjoy a quick peek to tide them over.
Blog Post
New Hilarious TV Show: "Vicious"!
by krayla
Fans of The Office, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Arrested Development will love the new TV show Vicious! Featuring star actors Sir Ian McKellan (The Lord of the Rings), Sir Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), and Frances de la Tour (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), this show is a sure-fire hit.
From the first minute of the show, viewers are thrown into the intimate lives of Freddie and Stuart, two brutally honest elderly gentlemen living in London. Freddie is an arrogant washed-up actor who sees himself as the epitome of beauty. His partner Stuart acts as a homemaker, hosting dinner parties and rushing through never-ending phone calls with his mother. Freddie and Stuart's close friends frequently visit the apartment, much to the displeasure of their hosts. They certainly make up a motley crew: Violet brags of her love interests, Ash shines with youthful optimism, Mason constantly complains, and Penelope can't remember what she had for breakfast. Viewers will even enjoy Balthazar, Freddie and Stuart's decrepit dog, who is often mentioned but stays out of sight.
Nearly the entire series is filmed in Freddie and Stuart's living room, but the show manages to maintain interest through witty dialogue. In fact, Freddie and Stuart seem to have a dialogue entirely their own; they never miss an opportunity to wickedly hurl insults at each other. Never has personal ridicule been so hilarious! This example from the first episode characterizes the show's sarcastic humor well:
"Stuart: Egg and cress sandwich, Mason?
Mason: Is that what that is? I thought it was a crumb surrounded by a toothpick!
Stuart: Well perhaps you'd like some of what you brought. I could always cut you a slice of nothing."
Be sure to check out AADL's other New TV Shows as well as the rest of the Comedy TV collection!
Blog Post
Gravity Falls
by yugure
If you haven’t seen Disney’s animated series Gravity Falls, drop everything you are doing and put a hold on a copy RIGHT NOW!
Inquisitive twelve-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle (“Grunkle”) Stan, who runs a tourist trap attraction called The Mystery Shack. While the curmudgeonly, greedy, but strangely loveable Grunkle Stan hawks his phony-baloney “mysteries” to gullible tourists, Dipper and Mabel discover real mysteries and elements of the supernatural in the surrounding Pacific Northwest woods and the strange little town of Gravity Falls.
Full of adventure and humor and creepiness and silliness and homages to such disparate things as Twin Peaks and Street Fighter, Gravity Falls is sheer genius and a show that both kids and adults will like. If you like cryptography, don’t miss the ciphers included at the end of every episode during the credits!
Adult fans of Adventure Time and Regular Show looking for new animated series should give this a try.
Blog Post
New TV Series @ AADL
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. Good news comes with these particular new DVDs! You can now get the entire season in one check-out! Hello, binge watching! All the discs are in one case with an extended check-out period. Here are some new-to-AADL series on order:
The Strain, Season 1
When a freak virus kills all but four passengers on an airplane at JFK, Ephraim Goodweather, head of the Center for Disease Control's "Canary Team," is immediately called to the scene. With help from a mysterious Holocaust survivor, "Eph" and his colleague uncover the outbreak's ties to vampirism. Now, the only way to stop the terrifying disease from wiping out mankind is to face its source, a sinister supernatural creature known as "The Master."
Intruders, Season 1
A chilling paranormal tale about an evil secret society devoted to chasing immortality by taking refuge in the bodies of the living. Add to this a sinister agent bent on executing the unlucky to cover his crimes and a ten-year-old girl who picks the most dangerous moment to run away from home.
Drunk History, Seasons 1 & 2
Historical reenactments from A-list talent as told by inebriated storytellers. Based on the award-winning and wildly popular web series, this follows the drunken and often incoherent narration of historical moments.
Looking, Season 1
The series revolves around three thirty-something friends living in San Francisco, who explore the exciting, sometimes overwhelming, options available to a new generation of gay men. Patrick is a 29-year-old video game designer, aspiring artist Agust’n, 31, questions the idea of monogamy, and the group’s oldest member, Longtime waiter Dom, 39, is facing middle age with dreams still unfulfilled.
Black Sails, Season 1
1715. New Providence Island is a lawless territory, controlled by notorious pirate captains. The most feared is Captain Flint. As the British Navy returns to exterminate Flint and his crew, another side of him emerges. He allies himself with Eleanor Guthrie, daughter of the local kingpin, to ensure their survival. Many opponents stand in their way: rival captains; Eleanor's father; and John Silver, recently recruited onto Flint's crew, who constantly undermines his captain's agenda.
AADL has also ordered new DVDs of seasons that we already own, but now all in one box ready for binge watching -- For shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, The X-Files, Arrested Development, and more!
For more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.
Blog Post
TV Spotlight: Pee-wee’s Playhouse
by manz
Mekka-lekka-hi, Mekka-hiney-ho! Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Seasons 1 – 5 are now available at AADL! This cult classic stars Paul Reubens and aired from 1986-1990. Created by Reubens, it was designed to be an educational show for children and adults and was influenced by 1950s television shows such as Captain Kangaroo and Howdy Doody. With its quirky characters and colorful playhouse set, the show was a hit and remains a classic. The show features the zany Pee-Wee Herman and his many silly friends, including Cowboy Curtis, Conky the Robot, and Reba the Mail Lady. For more Pee-Wee, check out Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway.