“Mr. Selfridge” Returns!

By Annmarie Dean


It’s almost time! “Time for what,” you might be asking. Time for the second season of “Masterpiece Classic: Mr. Selfridge.” This show is one of my absolute favorites! The plot is so good, the characters are brilliant and the costumes are beautiful. The show centers around one of the finest department stores in the world: Selfridges & Co. American retail tycoon, Harry Gordon Selfridge and his family find themselves in London in 1909. Jeremy Piven stars as the flamboyant entrepreneur and showman seeking to provide London's shoppers with the ultimate merchandise and the ultimate thrill. 


Warning: season one spoilers ahead!
 

Downton Abbey Recap: Did He or Didn't He?

By Misty Harris

Spoiler alert! If you have not seen the entire season or season finale do not read!

It's that time of the year us Downton lovers hate. The season finale. I'm bummed. It went so fast! I'm ready for the new season (Has production started yet? Hurry up already!).

If there's anything that stood out the most was the storyline between Mr. Bates and Anna. The season hit us with a ton of bricks when Anna endured the horrible attack. The aftermath lasted all season and we were left with the burning question of did Bates retaliate or was it indeed an accident that killed Mr. Green? I think it's safe to say we are all "Team Bates" and this issue has been discarded of hopefully not to return in the next season.

Downton for Downton

By Misty Harris

I grew up watching soap operas. Loved them to death and no matter how much time passed in between watching an episode, the minute I turned back to them it was always easy to pick up on the story line. Who’s dating who, who went missing, etc. So now with the invention of the internet, Tivo, DVR, I can catch them whenever I want. That is…those that are still airing. This past year when a couple of my favorite soap operas went off the air, I was devastated.  I never thought soaps could end! What will the world do now? All hope was lost! Like the soaps I watched, that last line was a tad bit over the top. I looked to new favorites like Sherlock Holmes and Downton Abbey to fill the void but when their seasons ended, I felt lost yet again.

Everything Old is New Again: Downton Abbey’s All the Rage!

By Suzanne Kashuba

Unlike First Lady Michelle Obama (who already received her season 3 DVDs), most of us will have to wait until Jan. 6 to find out what awaits the Crawleys and their hired help during the Roaring Twenties.

No worries, though. Seems like reminders of “Downton Abbey” are everywhere. Who would have thought that a Victorian-era drama originating with the BBC and airing on WNED could so quickly find a place in 21st century culture?

The Other British Invasion: Television’s Best from the BBC

By Suzanne Kashuba

Don’t you just love “Downton Abbey?” I sure do. As far as TV dramas go, it’s the “British Idol” — the whole package — plot twists, sumptuous costumes, luxurious settings, romance and war.

No wonder two stars from “Downton Abbey:” Hugh Bonneville (Earl of Grantham) and Elizabeth McGovern (Countess Cora, his American wife) were on the guest list at a recent White House dinner honoring British Prime Minister David Cameron. The World War I-era British period drama was a smash hit, earned critical acclaim (including six Primetime Emmy® Awards) and even influenced fashion trends around the world.

At War With Change

By Misty L. Harris

I have a friend who cleans out her closet every time the season changes. It’s a daunting task for her but devotes an entire weekend to this process. For example, in August, in preparation for the fall and winter months, she removes the summer garments that are hanging in the front, lays them all out, decides what to keep or what to give to Goodwill, then moves the fall items from the back, hangs the summer/spring keepers to the back and then hangs the winter clothes (that she has also given a once over) in the front. It takes her forever. I know because of the advancements in technology, I have become a part of this process, even though I am miles away in another city. After that, she’s ready for the changes that the next six months or so will bring. Me?  I’m not so organized. I keep the warm weather clothes mixed in with the cold weather clothes. It’s a daily struggle trying to discern where that favorite sweater or pair of pants are but I just don’t have the patience for that type of structure. So when the weather changes, I kind of just roll with the punches.

The Year That Was

By Misty L. Harris

If you are anything like me, as the holidays wind down, you reflect on how quickly the year has past and has anything of great significance happened that you would like to celebrate as the clock ticks forward to the new year.

Some questions that usually pop into my head include, “What was I thinking?,” “Why did I buy that dress?” and “Who said it was ok to eat more than one?” But then I get serious and reflect on the accomplishments (personal and career) or “mistakes” I’ve made. I think of poor decisions or occasions where I used bad judgment and vow to not repeat them in the new year (fingers crossed). I don’t see these as resolutions - more like homework. And if I were to grade myself for the year 2011, I would give myself an incomplete. Why? Because there’s always room for improvement!

In the spirit of resolution and reflection on the year that has past I went to three co-workers who are responsible for programming here and WNED and asked them about the year that was 2011.

Great drama. Period.

By Suzanne Kashuba

Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., I related to the endearing characters on “The Waltons.” I shared John-Boy’s dream to be a writer; I pined along with Mary Ellen to see the big-city lights. But mostly, I learned more than any history book could convey about the human challenges facing families during the Great Depression and World War II.