What I've watched: moms, voices and unicorns.

23 April 2019

You all know my long running series Recent Reads? Well, I seem to have made a TV version of that! Original, I know. Anyway, let’s crack on with my latest recs – and non-recs… oh, there's definitely more of the latter in this one... 




'Workin’ Moms'

A Canadian sitcom that follows 4 very different women getting to grips with life after becoming mums (/moms), and suddenly trying to balance their working lives with their kids.

I had to seriously sift through my brain to remember this one. I think that says it all, really. It’s sort of a ‘This Is Us’ kind of vibe… but with far less loveable characters, and a much less wholesome family dynamic. Having said that, it deals with real issues (albeit these issues are simplified somewhat, then painted an inch thick in the glossiest make up) and the series doesn’t necessarily go the way you think it will.

My rating: workin’ mehs. 


('You Don’t Have to Be a Working Mom to Connect with Netflix's 

Newest Canadian Import, Workin' Moms' ; Paste Magazine)




'Unicorn Store'

Brie Larson stars in what is also her directorial debut, a tale of a woman trying to make it as a bright, colourful artist but constantly being rejected, until she has to move back in with her parents and get a boring temp job and soon she’s in real danger of falling right into a dull but ‘normal’ life. And of course, this is when Samuel L. Jackson invites her to his enormous old manor house to offer her the chance to adopt a unicorn. It just gets weirder from there…

I watched the trailer. I got actual chills, and yelled for mama to come in so I could play it again for her. Actually watching it, though? Not the hilarious, happy ride I thought it would be. The quirkiness actually was a bit much for me (shocking, I know) and at times it fell really flat, humour wise. The overarching message of ‘be true to yourself’ and ‘live colourfully’ was not as warm and fuzzy as I thought it would be, either.  

My rating: unicorn bore. (ughh, too easy)


(Unicorn Store review, The Guardian)



'RuPaul’s Drag Race', season 11.

Oh, c’mon. You all know about Drag Race, right!? It’s only the best reality TV show ever invented. But saying that, I am finding the latest series quite tough to get my teeth into. It’s so weird, but I don’t really feel any affinity or love for any of the competing queens, just yet. In previous seasons I’ve always jumped straight in and been on at least 3 queens’ teams. But this time, it’s just not happening. Let’s hope it livens up soon, and at least some of the competitors start to blossom… 

This series is 20+ episodes long (it’s weekly releases this time, god help us all), and every episode is 45-50 mins long. 

My rating: still a yaaasssss! 






'The Voice UK (2019)'

I did it. For maybe the second time in my life, I committed to a talent show beyond the auditions stage. Some may call it foolish, because really, isn’t the audition process the best part of The Voice? Oh, well. 

This series was good, and the right people were in the final. However, there was a little too much hype and a dangerously high level of sob story content. Be careful, Voice. Don’t become X Factor. You’re better than that. Also, while it was so clearly a 'bit' the judges coaches agreed to in their contracts, the 'spontaneous' singing they all did one by one in the audition episodes was quite lovely. 

My rating: will.i.am amused.





A wild re-watch! 
'Community', season 1. 

I was recently messaging my dear friend Rikardo, and dropped in a cracker of a ‘Community’ reference, only to discover the buffoon had never watched a single episode of this incredible American sitcom. Fortunately he obeyed my orders and started watching it immediately (before I had to cut ties completely) and when I visited him and his fiancee recently I was lucky enough to watch at least half of the first series in his company. It really is quite magical to experience the first ever paintball episode with someone who has never seen it before.

If you somehow haven’t seen this brilliant show yet, 1. fix that NOW, but 2. don’t bother continuing beyond season 4. Each series is 20-ish episodes long, and each episode is 20-ish mins.

My rating: coolcoolcool. 




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That’s your lot for now! Let me know if there are any other shows I should be watching – I’m open to any suggestions, as you can see from this v v ‘meh’ post, my bar is very low…

 



In case you missed it, here’s my first instalment in this series!


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