Watched My Brilliant Friend last night, my favorite series since Shtisel. Shtisel was about “love, loss, and the doldrums of everyday life” and My Brilliant Friend is somewhat the same, though with some violence thrown in (thanks to the Mafia and the fascists) plus lessons on Italian political and social movements of the ’60s and ’70s. But the story – of two bright young women who become friends in childhood and then follow very different paths in life – is one that Americans seem unable to do. Even our shows that revel in the everyday (Big Little Lies, Breaking Bad, Killing Eve) usually contain some contrived dramatic element, most often a crime (murder, drug manufacturing), to keep viewers interested. Not always, of course: Succession and Ted Lasso are both free of graphic illicit activity, but both are equally removed from reality.
Toby Young, writing in The Spectator, suggested that after the usual Oscar tribute to people who had died they should run a montage of people who had been cancelled.
After last night, I'm in awe of how the producers managed to ruin the one consistently tasteful segment of the ceremony. Last year the In Memoriam part was rushed through; this year it was accompanied by a gospel troupe. The camera often focused on its dancing members, making the professions of the deceased difficult to read. Instead of solemnity, we got choreography. And no feeling, as we should have, of gravitas.
I’d been looking forward to the new season of My Brilliant Friend ever since the last season ended. Its arrival last night was even more anticipated as a respite from the news coming out of Ukraine. And so it proved to be, up to a point. The show, as excellent as it is, is sorely lacking in sympathetic characters; Ferrante is not a writer with a great generosity of spirit. Even Elena, a kind of gentle soul, is callous and unfeeling toward her mother.
Caskie Stinnett, former editor of Holiday and then Travel + Leisure, once said that it's never a good idea to look at a publication that one was once the editor of.
I ignored his advice Sunday and found, in the Travel section of the Sun-Sentinel, a lead story titled "Welcome to Florida." It included information on where to park for a scenic walk in Boca Raton.
Every tennis fan knows the letdown, the feeling of meaninglessness, that comes the Monday after a major final. Though thanks to the executives at ESPN, who put many of the Australian Open matches on a channel most viewers don’t subscribe to, today it is a little milder.
ESPN has been getting a lot of criticism for its coverage of the Australian Open, all of it deserved. I was thinking of adding ESPN+, as that’s where many of the matches are being shown, but according to people on social media that channel is also doing a miserable job. Apparently, the sports network got exclusive rights to cover live matches, but if they’re not going to show them on ESPN or ESPN2, where the vast majority of viewers can see them, then they should let the Tennis Channel take over. As is, the Tennis Channel is showing only replays. So waking up in the morning, instead of seeing the end of a late-night match on ESPN2, I get Keyshawn, JWill and Zubin.