Made in Chelsea made me fall in love with London
Celebrating 10 years of this iconic reality show
Hi All,
What a week! I thought it was going to be a slow week but I was very wrong. It was a busy work week: We had a Star Wars-themed day with lots of special guests, I hosted two shows, and finished my training. In TV land, we had the finales of Big Brother Canada and The Circle, Below Deck: Sailing Yacht’s episode was truly wild, and Karen From Finance made her international debut. Then I also had what felt like a thousand Zoom calls — so I’m VERY ready for the weekend.
I plan on getting takeout tonight and really relaxing but then it’s back up to full speed tomorrow: I’ve got a few virtual birthdays to attend which will be fun, but I’m also taking a first-aid class and have to put in a few hours with my GMAT books. I really like being busy so these are all good things. I don’t know about you — but sometimes I’m my most productive when I’m busy. It forces me to set and stick to a schedule.
All that to say… I actually wrote a blog post this week and I have a lot of fun things to tell you about! Let’s get to it.
This week on the blog:
When I lived in London in 2013/2014 I became obsessed with a British reality show called Made in Chelsea. It truly made me fall in love with my new city so this show will always have a special place in my heart. The show is celebrating 10 years on the air this weekend but honestly, it feels like it could have been on the air for the past 20 years! It’s had over 20 different series and multiple spin-offs over the past decade. It feels like it’s just always been there. If you have no idea what I’m talking about or if you are also obsessed with the show like me, this blog is for you.
In the first half of the blog, I’m laying out what the show is and why you should watch it. I’m making it very clear when to stop reading if you don’t want spoilers but for loyal fans of the show I’m breaking down 10 of my favourite Made in Chelsea moments.
Things to watch this week:
I’ve got a bunch of stuff on Crave for you today.
First, we’ve got the third and final season of Shrill. This was Aidy Bryant’s show on Hulu based on the book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West. Catch up if you haven't seen the first two seasons and savour this third one if you’re already a fan. Check out the trailer here.
You’ve also got the streaming premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. I know some of you got to see this IN THEATRES (🤯) when things were calmer in 2020 — but this is a good time to check it out. Watch the trailer here.
Most importantly you’ve got a new Crave Original from Quebec called Way Over Me (Sortez-moi de moi). This is a six-episode psychological thriller focusing on mental health care. At the core of the show is a doctor-patient affair. It looks very intense. Starting Pascale Bussières, Sophie Lorain, Bruno Marcil, and Vincent Leclerc, this is the first time Crave is making a series from Quebec available for English-language audiences in “two versions: subtitled and dubbed audio.” I’m very interested in this because I think Quebec makes very good content and we in English Canada don’t often have access to it. I really want to watch Quebec TV but I only speak English and the major streamers don’t have a lot of Quebecois content with subtitles. I really want this series to do well so it can prove that there is an audience for Quebec content in the rest of Canada. This is the only trailer I could find, but you better believe I’ll be tuning in tonight at 8 p.m.
Over on Netflix, you’ve got a new movie called Monster. It’s a about a straight-A student who gets charged with murder. It looks well made but heavy. Check out the trailer here.
On CBC Gem there are two projects of note. First — In My Skin. This is Welsh Teen comedy. It’s giving me Derry Girl vibes and I’m really excited about tucking into it this weekend. Watch the trailer here. Second, you’ve got a documentary called Nahanni: River of Forgiveness. It’s been nominated for best doc cinematography at the CSAs this year and from the trailer alone I can tell why. It’s stunning! If you like nature docs, make this your top pick.
Then on Saturday, we’ve got a polarizing episode of Saturday Night Live: Elon Musk is hosting and Miley Cyrus is the musical guest. There has been a storm of controversy around booking Musk and the criticism is valid. I’m not sure if I’ll check this out, but if you do let me know how it goes. My curiosity might get the better of me.
On Sunday, Ziwe starts steaming on Crave. I’ve seen trailers for this show on Crave the last few weeks and it always makes me laugh. Staring internet personality Ziwe and featuring lots of fun special guests, this feels like the perfect way to enjoy a Sunday night.
On Monday, you can fill up with rage as you watch HBO’s The Crime of the Century on Crave. It’s about the pharmaceutical industry’s ties to the opioid crisis. Check out the trailer here.
On Wednesday, I’m really looking forward to watching Netflix’s Dance of the 41. This is a Mexican drama based on a true scandalous story. Watch the trailer here.
Finally, on Thursday we’ve got HBO’s Hacks. This might be my “if you watch one thing make it this” of the week. Starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, this is a show about a partnership between a legendary Las Vegas comedian and her “entitled, outcast” 25-year-old writer. Have we heard this story before? Yes, but I just think this one looks so great. I’m crossing my fingers it lives up to the hype. Check out the trailer here.
Other things to check out:
Off the top — two commercials worth noting. First — from Ryan Reynolds, Don't Aviation and Mint. Just don’t. It’s not worth it. Second — DID YOU SEE THE GUM COMMERCIAL?! Extra really made everyone cry this week. It’s equally hilarious and touching.
We all need more Olivia Coleman in our life. This career retrospective from the National Theatre is great.
I’m on a Julia Michaels bender. Her new song “All Your Exes” has been on repeat.
The Cambridges launched a new YouTube channel. I’m fascinated by this. Is it a smart move or damage control? TBD.
Billie Eilish is on the cover of Vogue. She’s entering a new “era” and it’s a definite departure from her past. Lots of people have smart things to say about the impact of these photos and the need for young women to “transition” into adulthood by doing shoots like this. However, from all the different coverage/promo materials, etc., I really liked the video interview. Vogue had countless celebrities ask her questions and while she looks different her answers prove she’s the same old Billie.
I meet cool people on the internet. I met Liz Duff through TikTok and I’m really impressed with what she’s building. If you are a Marvel fan (stan)/pop culture junkie you need to check out what she’s doing. Watch it here.
Speaking of Marvel — this oral history of Tom Holland’s Umbrella performance on Lip Sync Battleis a must-read.
The folks behind your favourite pop culture fashion moments of the year were recognized by The Hollywood Reporter in their annual Power Stylists list. It’s a really interesting read.
Finally, Variety has six incredible profiles on six powerhouse women in Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sofía Vergara, Mindy Kaling, Michaela Coel, Maya Rudolph, and Kate McKinnon. Read them all!
Have a great weekend,
-Paula
📝📝📝 This newsletter was graciously edited by Emma Sakamoto 📝📝📝
Editor’s Pick:
It’s not exactly new, but probably my favourite anime watch of the past few months isO Maidens in Your Savage Season. It’s about a group of girls in their high school’s literature club. They read classic literature, with maybe a special focus on erotic euphemisms. Hijinks ensue as they navigate crushes, friendships and their budding sexuality. It’s very funny, very true to life and will (probably) make you glad you’re not a teenager anymore. The anime is based on a manga series that is stylish AF.