strange and random happenstance

By including Endevour I'm kind of bending the rules as to book adaptations. But seriously, I couldn't leave off a show of such brilliant acting and atmosphere even if it's really a prequel to an adaptation. Endeavour follows the career of a young Inspector Morse, who was created by the wonderful Colin Dexter and brought to life by John Thaw for over twenty years starting in the late eighties. Inspector Morse was so loved and so iconic that a sequel centering on his second in command, Robbie Lewis, soon came about and after nine stellar seasons the only logical solution to fill this Morse sized hole in the viewing schedule was a prequel, until the inevitable Hathaway spinoff that is! What makes Endeavour so wonderful, aside from the casting, the music, the scripts, the locations, the little references for die hard fans, is that it's a period piece! It's almost like someone looked into my head and saw that by combining my love of period drama and my love of Inspector Morse it could result in the perfect show. Set in Oxford during the sixties the golden hues on the screen just call back to a more innocent time that was simultaneously in upheaval. And while many people will rightly point to Roger Allam's portrayal of Fred Thursday, Morse's boss, as the star, I say look to the subtle performance of Shaun Evans as the titular character, he is the glue that keeps it all together.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1960s, 80s, Adaptation, And the Emmy Goes To, Colin Dexter, Endeavour, Fred Thursday, Hathaway, Inspector Morse, John Thaw, Lewis, Oxford, Period Drama, Robbie Lewis, Roger Allam, Shaun Evans

The Wolf in the Attic by Paul Kearney
Published by: Solaris
Publication Date: May 10th, 2016
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A novel that will enchant readers of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. The fantastical appears in the middle of 1920's Oxford as a young refugee looking to escape her grim reality rubs shoulders with two of the founding fathers of modern fantasy, Tolkien and Lewis.

1920s Oxford: home to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien... and Anna Francis, a young Greek refugee looking to escape the grim reality of her new life. The night they cross paths, none suspect the fantastic world at work around them.

Anna Francis lives in a tall old house with her father and her doll Penelope. She is a refugee, a piece of flotsam washed up in England by the tides of the Great War and the chaos that trailed in its wake. Once upon a time, she had a mother and a brother, and they all lived together in the most beautiful city in the world, by the shores of Homer's wine-dark sea.

But that is all gone now, and only to her doll does she ever speak of it, because her father cannot bear to hear. She sits in the shadows of the tall house and watches the rain on the windows, creating worlds for herself to fill out the loneliness. The house becomes her own little kingdom, an island full of dreams and half-forgotten memories. And then one winter day, she finds an interloper in the topmost, dustiest attic of the house. A boy named Luca with yellow eyes, who is as alone in the world as she is.

That day, she’ll lose everything in her life, and find the only real friend she may ever know."

It's like someone read my brain that time I was watching that awesome episode of Lewis about the literary luminaries of Oxford and turned it into a book! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis, Oxford, Paul Kearney, Philip Pullman, The Wolf in the Attic, Tuesday Tomorrow, WWI

Murder Rooms
Inspired by the life and works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Release Date: 2000-2001
Starring: Ian Richardson, Charles Edwards, Simon Chandler, Mossie Smith, Malcolm Sinclair, Dermot Crowley, Sean Wightman, Caroline Carver, Beatie Edney, Ben Macleod, Robin Laing, Claire Harman, Dolly Wells, Alexander Armstrong, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Rik Mayall, Charles Dance, Annette Crosbie, Paul McNeilly, Anton Lesser, John Sessions, Ronald Pickup, Nick Haverson, Roger Lloyd Pack, Ian McNeice, Clare Holman, Warwick Davis, Matthew Macfadyen, David Hayman, Ruth Platt, and Henry Ian Cusick
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Arthur Conan Doyle has gotten his medical degree from Edinburgh and set up practice in Portsmouth. Though the patients aren't exactly beating down the doors; in fact the longevity of his practice is a source of concern to those who care for him. One outlet to fill his time is to write stories, many of which get published. Yet his greatest literary creation is yet to come, and he will be based on his close friend and mentor, Dr. Joesph Bell. Dr. Bell is still working up in Edinburgh, but he finds the time to journey south and visit his most favorite student as often as possible. It doesn't hurt matters that Conan Doyle has started to partake in one of Dr. Bell's favorite pastimes, amateur crime solving. The sleuthing starts innocently enough with Conan Doyle trying to help one of his patients. With the arrival of Dr. Bell they become a detecting duo, much like Sherlock Holmes and Watson will be in the future. And once the duo are known to the police, they are invited to help on other cases, especially in the morgue where they are short staffed and men with medical knowledge are needed. The two insinuate themselves into adventures concerning Spiritualism, Fenians, and even soldier's with PTSD. They connect with their cases on many levels, some of which are personal. But only one thing is certain, the origins of the greatest literary consulting detective of all times was anything but staid. The dark beginnings of Sherlock Holmes are as memorable as the great detective himself.

Murder Rooms had it's origins in the TV movie Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle, an uneven production that scandalously underused Matthew Macfadyen, had ludicrous wigs, a Doyle that could be outwitted by even the dumbest of Watsons, the requisite doomed love affair, and a tendency to stop and laboriously draw the connection between the real Dr. Bell and his fictional counterpart Sherlock Holmes. But for all that it was a clever conceit, to take truth and spin it into the most famous of fictions. Because that's where the genius lies. This show, at it's core, is based on truth. Not many people realize that Sherlock Holmes didn't spring fully formed from the mind of Arthur Conan Doyle. He in fact had a very real counterpart in Doctor Joseph Bell. The future author was a medical student when he met Bell in 1877 when Conan Doyle served as a clerk in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Bell was known for his keen observational eye and often helped the police with their investigations. Bell inspired Conan Doyle with his unique methods and the man himself was in fact flattered to know that he was, however loosely, the impetus for the detective that seized the imagination of the reading public; unlike Holmes himself who rather frowned at Watson's endeavors. Bell even got some notoriety outside the realm of fiction as an an expert witness in the sensational Ardlamont Murder. And right there is the key to why this series worked, like the Ardlamont Murder, this series embellishing of reality gives the show real world stakes; it makes Murder Rooms feel more alive than the staid Victorian adventures of Holmes. By having the author and his inspiration with Conan Doyle playing Watson to Dr. Bell's Holmes, there's this feeling of truth, an immediacy that was never present in the stories despite how well they were written. The "truth" in the beginning matters for what came after.

Yet for how fun the series is it would never have worked if they hadn't been willing to see the mistakes in that initial TV movie and fix them. I wouldn't say it was precisely a reboot, more like how when Being Human went from pilot to series, they ditched what wasn't working, aka original Mitchell and Annie, but kept the plot as a through line. So we still have Doyle dealing with the death of Elspeth, only it's a Doyle who can actually act and an Elspeth you don't long to see dead. We still have Ian Richardson magnificently cast as Bell, he did play Holmes once dontcha know, only he no longer has that very disturbing Tom Jones wig. Seriously, the TV movie has some of the worst wig work I've ever seen, but Ian Richardson as Tom Jones is the most surreal. The revitalized show also brought in many great British actors, as in a rounded cast of awesomeness, not just, oh here's Charles Dance cause he'll appear in anything, he's totally not the villain just our red herring, oh look, he has red hair, haha. Instead we get the likes of Clare Holman from Lewis and David Hayman from The Paradise, Roger Lloyd Pack from The Vicar of Dibley, Dermot Crowley from Luther, and Ian McNeice from Doc Martin and Doctor Who, and Anton Lesser from everything British you've ever seen. But most surprising of all, Rik Mayall from The Young Ones and Bottom. And not surprising because he's in it, but surprising because of the depth of his acting. You will not believe the acting he is capable of if you've only seen the slapstick and surreal humor of his work with Adrian Edmondson. He is a talent who we lost too soon. It's actors like these that make Murder Rooms memorable. Despite it's unevenness, which is still there in spite of the rejiggering, it will stick with you.

The real success lies outside the casting in the fact that David Pirie was willing to step back from the blunt and ludicrously overt Sherlockian references in the original script and develop a more cunning narrative by drawing on the lives of Conan Doyle and Bell. They reflect and mirror images we have seen in the stories, like "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" referenced in "The Patient's Eyes," but that is not where the mystery begins or ends. By taking this step back, for those who know a little about Conan Doyle's life, you get far more excitement working out the connections and also the foreshadowing of his life to come. The episode that excels the most in this regard is "The Photographer's Chair." By having a story that deals with Spiritualism and photography we get a glimpse into what will define Conan Doyle's later life. While he starts out as a skeptic at the beginning of the episode, you just know that it will soon turn to belief. In real life it was the deaths of many close to him that led him to take solace in Spiritualism. He defended his beliefs in word and deed. He even lost many friends over his unswerving convictions. But his second wife was a strong believer, she even claimed to be a medium. To see these facts as a burgeoning story dramatized on TV was just fascinating to me. Nothing is overt, it's all subtle. He participates in his first seance, he talks to the medium played by Clare Holman, and his convictions against a spirit realm are doubted. Could there be a world beyond? His doomed love affair of the TV movie also is used for the first time logically, giving him a reason to believe, versus creating a reason for a monastic existence like Holmes and a Moriarty like nemesis.

Though Conan Doyle's belief in Spiritualism also extended to other things beyond the ken of man, such as fairies. The Cottingley Fairies are infamous photographs for the fraud they perpetrated, but more so for the vocal support of Conan Doyle who was utterly taken in by the fakes. The reason they were able to stand up to scrutiny is that the girls didn't mess with the photographic process, they just took pictures of themselves with fairies they had made. Ten years ago I was lucky enough to get to see these originals, and you can almost see why Conan Doyle and others were taken in. They look real enough, but it's more because they wanted to believe. That is where the photography element comes into "The Photographer's Chair." Men and woman who have suffered grief are being killed in an attempt to capture their soul leaving their body. The villain is just trying to capture another aspect of the supernatural, such as the two girls did with the fairies, because he believes with the zealotry of a madman. To take that further, the killer expounds on frauds within Spiritualism, making sure that we know there is truth in the supernatural, but it's being corrupted by the scams. If you have an interest in the more odd Spiritualist frauds I suggest reading Mary Roach's Spook. But if you want a good mystery that tackles the possibility that this could be true or false, then please watch this episode. If you ever thought that Conan Doyle and his later beliefs were a little crazy, it makes you connect to him in a way you never thought you could. Oh, and the little photographic evidence at the end of the episode, it casts such possibilities that you're not quite sure what to believe.

And that's what it all comes down to in the end. Evidence. If that glass plate had survived, that might have been something... but evidence is what is needed for unassailable proof. And it's Dr. Bell's way of approaching evidence that is unique. He could literally be considered the beginning of the forensic sciences. He uses his observational skills to examine patients and come to conclusions about their health, or, if he's in the morgue, about their death. It is these observational techniques that Holmes uses in literature to examine all of life, not just the human body. It is just fascinating how forensic evidence can lead to analytical evidence which can lead to enlightenment. To take your doctoring skill set and apply it to crime solving. Of course in this day and age we take it for granted with all the various CSI offshoots that this is how crime solving was always done, but that isn't the case. Just as recent as the Regency period there wasn't even a police force as such, and if you have a desperate need to actually know more about that read P.D. James's Death Comes to Pemberley. So to have Dr. Bell going out and solving crimes in a way that is unheard of is revolutionary. Don't be jaded by all that has come after, or take anything for granted. Just because the popular image of detection comes from Sherlock Holmes shouldn't detract from "the beginning." It should enhance it! The subtitle for Murder Rooms is "The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes" but it really could be "The Dark Beginnings of Modern Detection." This might be nothing more than a TV show, but taken in the greater context of crime solving, it's a revolution.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Arthur Conan Doyle, Being Human, Cottingley Fairies, Dr. Bell, Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle, Ian Richardson, Lewis, Luther, Matthew MacFadyen, Murder Rooms, Sherlocked, Spiritualism, Spook, Tom Jones, Vicar of Dibley

Ah, Jack Reid. The British Harrison Ford. There is one man and one man alone I could ever see playing you, no matter what his age. He IS Jack Reid.

Name: Toby Stephens

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Jack Reid, aka The Moonflower

First Impression: The Great Gatsby. OK, it wasn't so much the ill-advised 2000 adaptation with Paul Rudd of all people that was my first impression, it was an article in People Magazine about the adaptation that got my attention. The article was about Toby and his breaking into America with The Great Gatsby. The real reason I found this so fascinating is that Toby is Maggie Smith's son! Even if you aren't a British dilettante you know who Maggie Smith is! Toby Stephens was quite literally born to be a great actor, though not in The Great Gatsby.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Um, because he just is Jack? OK, you probably need more convincing as I'm casting a forty-six year old in the role of a man twenty years his junior. He has the gruffness down pat. Between playing Mr. Rochester and Captain Flint he's got gruff covered. With Flint he's got that ruggedness that is necessary to survive in the wilds of Portugal. But more then that, think of how Jack creates these characters and lives their lives, there's a survival attitude, but also a mischievous imp in there too... one who might dress up as a gypsy woman to mess with people perhaps? Also, really, I often say how all British actors have an American counterpart and vice versa, he really is the British Harrison Ford. He can call me Princess any day.

Lasting Impression: OK, this is a really close call between Cambridge Spies and Jane Eyre, it's a dead heat tie in fact. In Cambridge Spies I really got a sense of the range of his acting skills, I mean he's such a wicked good actor that you are actually rooting for him to outwit the British. But it was in Jane Eyre that I fell in love with him. He IS my Rochester. Before I had read Jane Eyre and in all the adaptations I have watched I just couldn't get why anyone thought Rochester was so broody and wonderful. Orson Welles, nope. George C. Scott, Timothy Dalton, William Hurt, and even Michael Fassbender didn't work for me. As for Ciarán Hinds? Spare me. No no and no. It's Toby Stephens and only Toby!

What else you've seen them in: Toby is everywhere, never wanting to be typecast or pigeonholed. From several Bronte adaptations, to Shakespeare, great period pieces like Cousin Bette to actually being the villain in a Bond movie, his range and where he will show up next will surprise you. Yes, that's him on Law and Order: UK and Inspector Lewis. That new star-studded production of Agatha Christie's And Then There Where None, yes please! And if you want some comedy with your mystery, check out Vexed, but ONLY the first season. Why yes, why not star in the revival of Noël Coward's Private Lives with his wife! But one of my all time favorite random appearances is Toby's three episodes on Robin Hood as Prince John. He is the ONLY one who understood the camp nature of this show and made you realize how awesome it could have been all along if only he had been there. He was a light in a dark and depressing show, which I did completely watch for Richard Armitage, who now owes me one.

Can't believe it's them: Space Cowboys! Really!?! He played a young Clint Eastwood!?! This is too hilarious to have not known. This is now forever in my mind as the funniest fact about Toby. Might actually have to watch the movie now...

Wish they hadn't: The Chamomile "Cousin Fucking" Lawn. And yes, that is my version of the title, though most people just call Toby's first acting role as The Chamomile Lawn. I remember it so well, the one and only time I watched this miniseries. It wasn't available in the US and I was visiting my friend Sara in Canada and we went to the video store and there it was. I was so excited. But this is such a weird miniseries. All about Tara Fitzgerald having a love affair with twins. Jennifer Ehle has a great line about DANCING! But overall I remember that it was about two cousins who were in love, hence, "cousin fucking." Avoid this, it's not worth your time. Though I do wish my friend Sara had kept a running log of all the random exclamations I made while watching this, it would be quite entertaining, especially as she was in the other room and I would literally yell out random things.

Bio: Toby Stephens was literally born into acting royalty, his mother being Maggie Smith, his father was no less a great actor, being Robert Stephens. After his parents divorced he followed his mother around the world for her various acting jobs. Therefore it is not at all surprising that both him and his brother became actors. While offered so many television and film roles he has almost always shunned Hollywood, turning instead to his first love, theater. When he first started out he quickly garnered many awards, winning the Sir John Gielgud Prize for Best Actor and the Ian Charleson Award for his performance in the title role of Coriolanus at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1994 when he was only twenty-five! He is also a prolific narrator of books, which I didn't know and must now hunt up, oh, looks like he does Flashman, makes total sense for Jack Reid, as well as performing in broadcast radio dramas, yadda yadda, Flashman! He is married to the actress Anna-Louise Plowman, whom he has stared with several times and with whom he has three children. He is also totally and completely awesome. He can be good or evil and whatever he is you will root for him. Doubt me? Watch Black Sails STAT, especially if you want to see him get "reacquainted" with his Cambridge Spies co-star Rupert Penry-Jones.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Cambridge Spires, Dream Casting, Jack Reid, Jane Eyre, Lauren Willig, Lewis, Pink Carnation, Robin Hood, Rupert Penry-Jones, The Great Gatsby, The Lure of the Moonflower, Toby Stephens

Ok, ok, so yes, I have used Rachael Stirling before in a Lauren Willig "Dream Casting" but she's such a good actress can you blame me for using her more then once? Also, seriously, I think she'd be the ultimate Miss Gwen!

Name: Rachael Stirling

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Gwendolyn Meadows

First Impression: Tipping the Velvet... kind of hard to forget the scene with all the "John's" or the scene with the leather, you know... I'm not going to type it out, but it lead to her being fired by Caroline Bingley... mainly cause Caroline wasn't on the receiving end... overall a lackluster production despite being written by Andrew Davies... and who knew Caroline Bingley was so into women? Well the writers of Lost in Austen for one.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: I have spent much thought on Miss Gwen because she has such a distinct personality. Rachael works because she has the decorum needed but also has a biting comeback on the tip of her tongue that could easily scare the young rogues of the ton, if they were able to avoid her parasol that is.

Lasting Impression: Marple, "Murder at the Vicarage." The first episode of the new Marple and Rachael was perfect. I also want her wardrobe. No seriously. I NEED her wardrobe.

What else you've seen them in: From mysteries like Poirot, Miss Marple and The Bletchley Circle, to more gender bending roles in Lewis, Tipping the Velvet and the comedy Boy Meets Girl. As well as more big budget movies, like Snow White and the Huntsman and Salmon Fishing in Yemen, and Julian Fellowes' The Young Victoria. Rachael is always wonderful and always willing to walk the line of male and female, with her feminine features and her husky voice, it also shows she has an adeptness to the "breeches" roles Miss Gwen loves to employ... She could take on any role and anyone and be victorious.

Can't believe it's them: She was in the horrid Maybe Baby, which I'm sure everyone involved from Hugh Laurie to Emma Thompson wishes would just disappear off their resumes. Seriously, there's a scene with a moped that won't leave my mind. Literally I saw this movie once, and it won't leave!

Wish they hadn't: I'm actually going to move beyond my hatred of Maybe Baby this time around and go with Women in Love. I still can't believe how much they messed it up. Ugh, the scene with Joseph Mawle and Rory Kinnear wrestling in the sand? Burn out my eyes please!

Bio: Think she looks familiar? Could it be because her mother is none other than Diana Rigg? Why didn't they just get her for The Avengers... Uma Thurman my ass. If her mother as The Queen of Thorns is anything to go by, you can only imagine the wroth and the cracking put-downs that Rachael will be able to channel as Miss Gwen. As for the two of them ever acting together? Check out the Doctor Who episode "The Crimson Horror." It's Victorian campy Whovian fun! Plus, it shows the vulnerability that Rachael is capable of and which is needed for the softer side of Gwen. I know! Who knew there was one?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Diana Rigg, Doctor Who, Dream Casting, Knee Breeches, Lauren Willig, Lewis, Marple, Miss Gwen, Rachael Stirling, The Bletchley Circle, The Passion of the Purple Plumeria, Tipping the Velvet, Women in Love

Augustus might have been the hardest character to ever cast in my dream Lauren Willig Miniseries. Why? Because it's hard to find an actor who is stellar and who can pull off long hair and a flowing shirt. Hence when Tom Mison appeared for the first time as Ichabod Crane all my casting worries were over.

Name: Tom Mison

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Augustus Whittlesby

First Impression: Lost in Austen! Usually in any adaptation or Pride and Prejudice inspired movie or miniseries I always fall for Darcy. I mean, it's Darcy, how can you not? But there was something so naively sweet about Tom's portrayal of Bingley that I instantly loved him. If you doubt his awesomeness just watch his face as Amanda sings "Downtown" in a scene sadly cut from the DVD release and hopefully all your fears will be assuaged.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Aside from being totally awesome? Well, as I said before, he can pull of long hair and a flowing shirt. Plus he has an ability to morph into his roles so you might see him in Lost in Austen or Parade's End and think him rather naive, dim, and vacuous, and then you see him in Sleepy Hollow, and wow, depth, intensity. That one scene where he makes the OnStar lady cry? Fabulous.

Lasting Impression: Sleepy Hollow, oh yeah. I had pegged him as the sweet dimwit for so long that to find he had this range, amazing. Almost kept me watching the show when it went into a step downward decline. Almost.

What else you've seen them in: While Tom doesn't have the longest resume in just any one category, he's only been acting for ten years, he has made a name for himself appearing in British mystery staples from Poirot to New Tricks to Lewis. He's been in a few films, such as Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, but it's in miniseries like Parade's End and Lost in Austen where he really shines. And yes, I did actually like him more then Benedict Cumberbatch in Parade's End, if you can believe it! Plus his episode of Lewis, amazing! Like one of the best they ever did, totally memorable! Long live Dorian Crane! Now I kind of want to go watch that episode. Also look at the more modern flowing shirt!

Can't believe it's them: Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Really Tom!?! Yes, yes, I know lots of good actors were on this series, and yes, I can shamefully say that I know this because I watched all four seasons. But still? At least you were in the first episode, before it got really into the tacky.

Wish they hadn't: A Waste of Shame. I mean, yes, it was only his second job, but still... I don't care that it's a who's who of amazing talent from Tom Hiddleston to Nicholas Rowe, it was a boring look into Shakespeare's sonnets. It was really just "a waste."

Bio: Tom was born in England, obviously because of that drool-worthy accent. Instead of what would be his time spent in a typical high school stateside he went to Hurtwood House which specializes in drama and music. He then went on to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Acting where he won a trust award named after Sir John Gielgud! The teachers there advised him that he should go for period pieces, and I can not disagree on their recommendation! When he left school he found steady work in theatre which he still loves and goes back to nearly every year. In fact, when does Tom have a spare minute? He's balancing stage, film, television, and even radio, having 35 credits in only ten years! But it was with Sleepy Hollow that his fame really rocketed into the stratosphere creating a huge fandom. And despite his saying "I can't be described as a sex symbol; I think it's ridiculous." Ridiculous or no, it's now a fact of life you're going to have to adjust to Tom. Also, please come to Wizard World Chicago, I will discreetly fangirl all over you.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Augustus Whittlesby, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dream Casting, Lauren Willig, Lewis, Lost in Austen, Nicholas, Parade's End, Poirot, Pride and Prejudice, Sleepy Hollow, The Garden Intrigue, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Mison

Tuesday is almost upon us! So who should join my little dream miniseries world than the stars of that book... Penelope and Alex (who I forgive for the whole usurping Tommy thing). I can't wait till you all get to read the book this week. In the meantime, I hope to entertain you till that day with a little what-if casting! Here comes Pen now!

Name: Anna Madeley

Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Lady Frederick Staines nee Miss Penelope Deveraux

First Impression: The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton, poor Anna, she was to treated very well by J.J. Feild.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: She has a sweet countenance which belies her ferocity, anyone else see her in Lewis? Perfect for Pen!

Lasting Impression: Lewis... oh, so didn't see that coming! And I'm pretty darn good at figuring out these shows using a combination of general human behaviors and casting...

What else you've seen them in: From the pathetic wretch that is Betsy Quilp in The Old Curiosty Shop, to the badly bewigged David Morrissey version of Sense & Sensibility where she plays the only Lucy Steele who actually gets a beat down, she's a staple of of BBC miniseries from Beeton to Brideshead. But with turns in Crooked House, Law & Order UK and Lewis, she's not going to be pegged as just a miniseries gal.

Can't believe it's them: She was in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman? Why can't I remember her... hmmm, this might have just given me an excuse to watch the whole series again.

Wish they hadn't: Guest House Paradiso, the disastrous attempt to take the tv show Bottom to the big screen by changing all that was funny about it... sadly also stared Simon Pegg and Bill Nighy... of course I don't actually remember any of the other characters, just the awfulness that it was in general. I've thankfully blocked most of the film from my mind.

Bio: From small roles that were almost cameos, Anna has slowly built a reputation over the last decade as a fabulous actress, be it historical or more contemporary fare! I can't wait for the day she finally gets a starring vehicle, the likes of An Education... the BBC's loss would be the cinema's gain.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 6 comments  

Labels: Anna Madeley, Bottom, David Morrissey, Lauren Willig, Lewis, Lucy Steele, Mrs. Beeton, Penelope, Pink Carnation Spotlight, Sense and Sensibility, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, The Old Curiosty Shop

Now we move on from The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, to some of Richard Selwick's nearest and dearest... the stars of The Masque of the Black Tulip (at least in my head)... his sister, Henrietta, and his best friend Miles, who will be along shortly.

Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Henrietta Selwick

First Impression: The entire time I was watching Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking I kept wondering why she looked so much like Sam from Foyle's War... that's her big sister, if you didn't know.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Oh, that mischevious grin she weilds as Lydia Bennet in Lost in Austen. Plus her mop of slightly unruly hair seems a very Henrietta trait.

Lasting Impression: Midsomer Murders... because if you don't get killed by the end of the episode you leave a lasting impression.

What else you've seen them in: From little roles that aren't more than cameos in Spice World and Lewis to more substantial roles in The Tudors as Mary Boleyn, aka the one who didn't loose her head, to the lovable Lydia Bennet in Lost in Austen, Perdita is quickly stepping out of the shadows of her older sibling.

Can't believe it's them: Spice World... really? Actually it's quite shocking the number of famous celebrities in this movie... Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie anyone?

Wish they hadn't: I'm sure she must have been in something bad at one point... I know she's probably kicking herself for having that baby with the king... hey, at least she kept her head!

Bio: Acting definitely runs in her family with her younger brother Rollo being an actor (though I don't think The Little Vampire impresses much on a resume), but more importantly, her sister is none other than Honeysuckle Weeks, Sam on Foyle's War.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:31 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Foyle's War, Henrietta Selwick, Honeysuckle Weeks, Lauren Willig, Lewis, Lost in Austen, Midsomer Murders, Miles, Perdita Weeks, Pink Carnation Spotlight, The Masque of the Black Tulip, The Tudors

Like boys the world over, here comes our Lord Richard Selwick... a little late, but still looking devilishly hansom! Let's here it for this Sunday's boy... our knight in shining armor.

Name: Bradley James

Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Lord Richard Selwick


First Impression: The cute illegal boxer in the second season of Lewis' most confusing case ever. When the characters keep having to repeat plot points so they can sort out who the characters are and what they have to do with the East German Secret Police, you know you have no chance in figuring out what's happening.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Because, I have to face the facts, Cary Elwes is too old and too fat. He is exactly who I picture, but time has not been kind to the Dread Pirate Roberts and I have moved on to Bradley James. He is gorgeous, funny and can really act. So here's to the next generation of hotness! Here's to Bradley as Richard.

Lasting Impression: Arthur on Merlin... just the right level of good acting, humor and camp while never taking himself too seriously. The unicorn episode, priceless and I loved The Princess Bride reference... which helped in choosing him as Cary's replacement.

What else you've seen them in: Lewis. He really has only the two big credits, but as long as Merlin doesn't go on too long and he doesn't get pigeonholed I expect great things of him. Also hopefully he'll age better than Cary Elwes.

Can't believe it's them: Blue Peter... come on, that's just tacky even if it is in your BBC Contract.

Wish they hadn't: Nothing yet, fingers crossed... though he could stop by and try to explain that episode of Lewis to me. It might be hard to concentrate with him there... but I'm willing to invest the time... and take as long as it needs.

Bio: Seeing as Merlin is partly filmed in France I think it would be very easy to just lure him to Paris to be in my Pink Carnation dream miniseries.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:22 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Arthur, Blue Peter, Bradley James, Cary Elwes, Frances, Lewis, Lord Richard Selwick, Merlin, Paris, Pink Carnation Spotlight, The Princess Bride