May the Force Be With You (to kill time via streaming)

If there ever was a time we all needed the Force, it is now.  Obi-Wan, where are you?

It is Monday.  Another horrid Monday.  If you know it's Monday; if you don't, you're probably in even worse shape.

And it's May the 4th.  Which has become a thing.

I'm not sure why.  Someone was clever with the Star Wars chant -- may the force be with -- and connected it today.  A pun that has almost killed us.  😭

But tomorrow is May the 5th.  Cinco De Mayo.  Which is a real thing. 😁 I'll save that for tomorrow.

But let me use the Star Wars theme to take us elsewhere: TV viewing.

First, with Disney +, which is ubiquitous these days, we can watch all 11 Star Wars movies (yes, counting Rogue One and Solo -- Rogue One is my 2nd favorite Star Wars movie: my family groans when it comes on somewhere and I trip across it because I want to watch it).  And, given the time we've been quarantined this last two months, I don't doubt many of us have watched and rewatched some, if not all, of the series.  And you know, of course, Disney + has the latest one, where Kylo and Rae beat on each other off-and-on for most of the movie, for you to show.  (ICYMI, I'm getting a kickback from Disney + for this blog 😃)

Which leads me to TV viewing (hint: I've not rewatched any Star Wars, in fact, I haven't opened the Disney + app [whoops, there goes that kickback!] and I need to figure out how to not pay for it) --

What have you been watching?

One thing I have found is that Sunday's have become THE night for television (maybe because the others are so lame).  I have become a modest fan of PBS's new World on Fire, purportedly a WW2 saga about the people in the streets (it's not, really, but what the hey), and I have caught portions of *the Last Dance* because I'm a Bulls fan, or was (at some point I switched my NBA allegiance over to the Pacers, but when I was kid there was no Pacers, then they were in the ABA, then...).  Our PBS channel shows the Great British Baking Show at 7, which we've seen, but I don't remember which thing I can't pronounce from one season to another.  And last night CBS starting running Sunday night movies with *Raiders of the Lost Ark,* one of my all-time favorites.  Like the first Star Wars movie, IMHO, the best of the series.

 And then there is Monday viewing.  CBS tried to tell me in advertisements that what they are showing Monday night is interesting enough to make Monday stand out, but failed.  I have watched *The Neighborhood* off and on since its debut two years ago -- my wife is something of a fan (she's rarely dedicated enough to a show to make anything appointment viewing) -- and it's not that good.  Tonight's episode of *She The Judge* (that's not it's name) looks contrived, as it is doing a Zoom-look episode.  Who needs that?!?!!? I thought we wanted escapism.

Anyway, my point is, there's not much on broadcast TV to keep us interested these days.  So, just in case you want to know, here are my highlights from SAH in terms of streaming:

• Deadwater Fell (or was it Fellwater Dead?).  From Acorn (lots of good British-type stuff here, especially older material).  Starring David Tennant, aka Broadchurch and Dr. Who, it opens with a fire in his house and his wife and 3 daughters are dead.  Turns out all 5 have needle marks in their arms.  4-parts.  Kind of a disappointment in the who and the ending, but better than most this 8 weeks.
• Belgravia.  From Epix TV (free trials, right?) By Julian Fellowes, from his own novel, you know, the guy famous for Downtown Abbey, and joined by a couple of the managers of that series, it is set in 1840s London, with the same upperclass are backstabbing assholes and the people downstairs aren't necessarily wonderful, either (there's not yet a Mr Bates or Anna or Tom), but the Mrs likes this kind of costume drama with the cheesy manipulations.  
• High Fidelity.  On Hulu.  Based on the Nick Hornby book (he is listed as like an exec producer) but this time Rob is a woman, played by Zoe Kravitz.  Who has fans.  I hear.  Is it as good as the book or the John Cusack film?  Probably not.  But it's interesting and fun and different.  And I'm not giving out spoilers. :) 

That's not all we've watched, but it's all I would recommend.  We loved *Dead to Me* (I think it's Christina Applegate that's the funnier of the two) and a new season comes out Friday.  Something to look forward to.  

But it's Monday.  Blahs are big.  Chin up, Tuesday is sooooooooo much better.  😂😃