Hi All,
I started this newsletter just for friends and family - but since I’ve launched the newsletter, I’ve gotten a bit of attention for some of the pieces I’ve written 😲
Notably, Gavin Crawford (Because News), Andrew Phung (Kim’s Connivence) and Tom Power (q) have all liked or shared articles I’ve written over on Twitter and my Because News blog from a few weeks ago got the attention of the producers who then shared it out to their audiences! I was thrilled.
However, as much as I love those guys, it’s you that I’m most grateful for. Every time you email in to say you like this or that, it really inspires my creativity and makes me want to write more. So I wrote more, and this week I’ve got a longer Friday update for you.
As always feel free to share this around, tell your friends to sign up, and keep emailing me back…
This week on the blog:
It’s all about the best Brits this week: Liz and Harry 🇬🇧
Up first - The Crown. Boy, do I have thoughts on this one. For those of you who don’t know this - in 2010, I met The Queen on her last tour of Canada, and let’s just say - I’m a fan. The Crown is one of my favourite shows and I have written up a full review of this season. If you haven’t seen the show you can still read this - IMO ‘spoilers’ don’t exist in history - you know what happens: Charles marries Diana - things don’t work out. The Crown tells this story spectacularly and it is a MUST watch. Read all my thoughts on the show here and then please email me your thoughts. I will discuss this in detail with anyone who wants to :) This is truly the thing I want to talk about this week.
Second - People have been talking a lot about Harry Styles recently. Last week, his Vogue cover last week bothered a lot of conservatives in the US; and this week, he’s staring in a new Gucci short. Let’s put it this way - he’s ‘trending’. So my friend Isobel wanted to know more about him - and I’m sure she’s not alone. So since I can’t talk to you at a bar about it, I wrote a thesis statement/how-to guide on Harry Styles. Basically, if you’ve wanted the full Harry Styles backgrounder - this is it. Or if you know lots about Harry and want to just walk down memory lane with me, this is also for you. Read it here.
Things to keep an eye on this week:
I’m going to start out with a little plug for me - On Tuesday make sure you check out Still Standing. This week the show is in Cap-Pelé, N.B. - a small Acadian fishing village that has a lot of charm. I was the Associate Producer for the entire sixth season, but I was the lead researcher on this episode. You can watch the episode live on CBC at 8pm or anytime after on CBC Gem, plus all our past episodes that you’ve missed are also currently up on Gem.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square Movie premieres on Sunday (Nov 22) on Netflix. We love Dolly Parton and this week is all about her. The big surprise around the Moderna Covid vaccine news, was that Dolly Parton partly funded it. Parton’s relationship to Vanderbilt’s medical community started in 2014 after she was in a fender-bender and she became friends with a doctor there - Dr Naji Abumrad. Dr. Abumrad’s son, Jad Abumrad, produced one of the best podcasts of 2019 - Dolly Parton’s America. If you are her biggest fan or know nothing about her - it doesn’t matter, there is something for you in this pod. Download it and listen to it on your daily walk. It is my must ‘listen’ of the week.
Shawn Mendes is trying to step into the limelight this week. He’s got a new single out called Monster (with Justin Bieber I should add) and on Monday his documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder premiers on Netflix. I have mixed feelings going into this. I want to love it, it’s produced by Fulwell 73 (my ‘I wish I could work for them’ production company), and I have friends who worked on this - so I will watch it, but I also have found myself getting more and more annoyed by Shawn. Check back in with me next week. I’m sure I’ll have thoughts for the blog.
On Tuesday you can watch Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix if you want. As I noted last week, reviews have been... harsh. Maybe skip this one or perhaps hate-watch it. Up to you. If you watch it let me know.
On Wednesday, the new Saved by the Bell reboot is back. If you want to tap into nostalgia this could be for you. Watch the trailer here.
Finally, The Flight Attendant premiers on HBO on Thursday (Nov 26th). I’m very curious about this one. It stars Kaley Cuoco (Penny!) and looks great.
Other things to check out:
We’ve got another Meryl Streep project - She’s got a new movie called Let Them All Talk and I am so excited to watch this. People are already saying she’s going to get another Oscar nom this year. The question will be if it’s for The Prom or Let Them All Talk. Watch the LTAT trailer here.
British Xmas Advert of the Week: John Lewis. It’s worth reading this article first about how this ad came to be - it’s a great story and it will warm your heart when you see the final product.
High School Musical The Musical The Series - is having a holiday special and I’m so excited! The trailer just dropped for the December 11th special and it looks GREAT. If you have no idea what HSMTMTS is all about/why it’s a fantastic show - read my blog post about it here.
The Fresh Prince is back with a reunion. Watch the trailer here. It will make you feel very warm and fuzzy and all the 90s vibes.
If you are looking for a little joy look no further. If you hang out on TikTok, you probably have seen The Basement Boys on your FYP. If you have no idea who I’m talking about, that’s really too bad. Because they are a joy. CBC Toronto has a great did a feature on them - read the article here.
Also on TikTok - Gen Z got bored and created the Ratatouille Musical. It’s AMAZING. It’s been a thing on the app for a while now, but it’s starting to get picked up in Mainstream articles like - read about it in Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and Vulture.
In music, Bleachers (aka Jack Antoff’s band) released a song with Bruce Springstein on Monday called chinatown and it is a JAM. I am obsessed. It is pure musical nostalgia. Specifically - I want to blast it as I drive home on highway 11 into a sunset crying. No idea why it makes me want to cry - but it feels like the song to play at the end of a movie as the credits roll. I had it on repeat for the week. Watch the music video here. They also released a song called 45 that also deserves a listen.
Have a great weekend,
-Paula