What Bailey's Watching
With all the different streaming platforms, film sources, and myriad of current television choices, we now have so much to view that it can sometimes be overwhelming to decide what exactly to watch. Every once in a while, Sarah and I would like to check in with you and let you know what’s in our personal “queues” – movies and television that we’re currently watching, or planning to watch, in the near future. We hope that our thoughts and recommendations will provide a bit of guidance as you navigate the crowded and unpredictable waters of entertainment. Without further ado, here are a few things that I’ve been catching up on recently.
Columbo (1971-2003)
A year ago my fiancé and I discovered this classic detective murder series and we instantly fell in love with the coy, pandering, shabby Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk). The show has since become a Wednesday night staple in our home. If you love classic movies and television, the lineup of weekly guest stars will astound and overwhelm you. Sure, the exchanges between Columbo and the murderer of the week are formulaic, think drinking-game-level of paint-by-numbers, but what is really special about every episode is Falk’s performance, bringing so many layers to a character constantly deceiving others through the way he presents himself, particularly by taking advantage of each perpetrator’s classist sense of superiority. If you don’t want to commit to purchasing the box set, as I did, you can watch the first three seasons for free, with ads, on IMDb TV.
Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
In anticipation of the new Downton Abbey movie being released theatrically in September, I am currently rewatching this beloved period drama series. With a large and rich (pun half-intended) ensemble cast and slew of complex and interwoven plotlines, full of intrigue, drama, and wit, it’s easy to see why we weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the Crawleys, or their servants, quite yet. Downton Abbey is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)
I’ve been half-savoring, half-dreading the final season of this hit Netflix series. Orange is the New Black is not only one of my all-time favorite series, but it is also one of the most important, socially relevant shows that has ever been on television. It’s truly impressive how the series is able to integrate real-world matters, such as immigration detention and the Black Lives Matter movement, into the show in a way that is simultaneously provocative and seamless. OITNB is one of the best-written dramedy shows of all time, tackling ideas of racism, gender discrimination, violence, and flaws in the justice system, while also presenting complex, hilarious, and quite often heartbreaking depictions of prison life and the people who make up the prison community. The only reason I haven’t finished this final season by now is that it gets too… well, real. Sometimes we need a break from acknowledging what a truly savage world we live in, but if you’re up for confronting that reality, the series is streaming on Netflix. If I could beg everyone in the world to watch one television series, it would probably be this one.
“The Best of the 2010s”
To expand my current film queue, I am taking the lead from one of my favorite film podcasts, Filmspotting. Every year, the listeners of the podcast vote in a March Madness-style bracket called “Filmspotting Madness” to determine the best director, actor, or movie, from a certain pool of candidates. The theme of this year’s bracket will be the “best films of the 2010s.” Filmspotting has already released a short list of the films that may be included on the bracket (and obviously, 2010s aren’t over quite yet), but this has given me a chance to fill in my viewing gaps from the past decade. Currently, the films I am most eager to watch for the first time, based on their recommendation, include Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan), A Separation (2011, dir. Asghar Farhadi), and The Fits (2015, dir. Anna Rose Holmer). If you’re interested in the short list from the podcast, you can check out their website.
What shows are you most excited to watch? What fantastic films have recently reached the top of your queue? Have you seen anything in my queue? Share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below!
Copyright © 2019 Bailey Lizotte
