There’s nothing real about reality television as a couple of my recent program choices reminded me. I recommend sparing viewing and mix with some good drama.
Where do I start with this unusual program. According to the blurb it’s all about, “sprinkling a bit of joy into the everyday” but I struggled to see anything other than very clever marketing and a conscious attempt to further build a brand across a range of products. “As Ever is Meghan’s lifestyle brand, developed in partnership with Netflix, which is dedicated to beautifully crafted essentials and features rotating collections of products”. You can recreate the magic of With Love, Meghan at home by purchasing a range of products including raspberry spread, honey, tea and flower sprinkles all which feature in the series or at least if you live in the US you can. I couldn’t figure out what the show was actually about until I found the link, but then the importance of tea and flowers sprinkles through the first two episodes made sense as it is basically an advertisement of how to live a fabulous life by sprinkling flower sprinkles, baking cakes and harvesting berries.
Mrs Sussex is upfront that the house they film in is not her own home, I guess they have security and privacy issues but her famous, and sort of famous friends pop by and Meghan (I use my husband’s name so my name is the same as my kids) Sussex helps them learn skills including candle making, cake decorating and preparing for a kid’s party in her “not real house”. Mrs Sussex lives a fortunate life filled with nice things and good for her, she has also endured more than many under the public gaze.
This series is a reasonably harmless infomercial. Yes, it is self-indulgent but it won’t particularly hurt anyone beyond perhaps raising a few unrealistic expectations so if you’re a fan enjoy. I’m off to make a balloon arch for my dog’s birthday party because, “As Ever: it’s more than a brand it’s a love language”.
Kate Hudson stars in this easy to watch series as Isla an overlooked woman and former party girl who finds herself heading her family business, a professional basketball team. Created by Mindy Kailing, Elaine Ko and Ike Barinholtz, Running Point follows the Waves season with not much basketball but a whole lot of the lives and relationships of those involved in the sport. Season 1 is 10 episodes and season 2 has just been announced. It’s funny, easy to watch and while sport is the setting family and relationships are the story. Very bingeable and easy to watch. Trigger warning there are some drug issues in the show with a star player needing some rehab and Isla’s older brother being sent to rehab for his addictions which is how Isla finds herself in the big chair. Running Point is on Netflix.
Over the space of a week at least 10 people asked me if I had watched this and that is reflected in its views with it being the most watched Netflix series in the first week it launched. It’s a four-part British series and as a parent or grandparent you will be uncomfortable or even scared about what our children and grandchildren have been exposed to so be warned it is not fun viewing. A 13 year old boy is arrested and charged with stabbing a girl in a carpark at night. How can this happen and how do his family, police and psychologists respond? Describing the series for the Nightly, Wein Le Ma says, “The spectre of toxic masculinity, entitlement and bullying come into play as it becomes clear, whatever of Jamie’s guilt or non guilt, the kids are absolutely not alright”. Technically it’s remarkable as it’s shot in one continuous take, following a week of rehearsals and setting even to a point in episode two when an already running camera is attached to a drone for arial shots of the school. It’s compelling and powerful viewing that will challenge and confront.
