Recent Headlines: Another School Shooting, Deadly Tornadoes, Trump Indictment, Five-nation Bloc New Currency, Medicaid Terminations April 1st…
2023 is apocalypse-lite. America’s democracy, economy, culture and environment is on a swift decline. Watching just an hour of local, cable or streaming news can send you over the edge. Sure we all want to remain informed and active citizens, but we also need a respite from the onslaught of darkness. Here are ten shows to cleanse our overtaxed minds and souls. They’ll transport us to old, new and fantastical worlds. From historical fiction to science fiction and fantasy, these stories are peak escapism. So choose one to binge today!
Vikings (History, 2013-20, Period Drama) Follows farmer Ragnar Lothbrok on his journey from farmer to Viking warrior who searches new lands to conquer. Medieval violence, romance and adventure galore. This series is Game of Thrones lite with a heaping dose of the supernatural.
Serpent Queen (Starz, 2022+, Period Drama) In 1544 Catherine de’ Medici, marries into the French Valois court as a fourteen year-old teenager. Despite many challenges, a lifetime of clever political maneuvering allows her to rule France as queen for 30 years. The story is told largely by Catherine to her young black servant servant, Rahima. The direction and performances are captivating and compelling. Rahima;s story is as intriguing as Catherine’s.
Outlander (Starz, 2014+, Fantasy) In 1945 Claire Randall, a married English combat nurse, is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser. A passionate relationship ensues, and Claire is caught between two vastly different men in two different times. This Romcom meets history lesson plot is a feminist soap opera unafraid to broach gender politics. It is as much about weighty issues (sexism, rape, consent…) as it is the evolving dynamics of romantic relationships (courtship and marriage). The theme song, Skye Boat, has become as iconic as the show’s sex scenes.
Marie Antoinette (PBS, 2023+, Historical Drama) Pushes past the often told stories of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution. This portrait illustrates the vulnerability, quirkiness and daring of a teenager who is forced to leave Austria in 1755 to marry the Dauphin of France. Unwelcomed and thwarted by many at Versailles, Marie is forced to outwit all and secure the Franco-Austrian alliance.
Gentleman Jack ( HBO, 2019-22, Period Biography) In dress, love and comportment, Ann Lister is an anomaly in 1832 Yorkshire, England. Independent, intelligent and uniquely herself, she sets out to restore the estate she inherited from her uncle. Of course as a lady landowner of the family’s ancestral home, Shibden Hall, she is doubted, ridiculed and even expected to be swindled out of her coal. With seemingly endless hurdles, her determination is unbridled in business and love. This show is a slice of the past with a much needed critical lens on a woman who has become a LGBTQIA+ trailblazer.
Underground (WGN, 2016-7, Period Drama) Plantation slaves in 1850s Georgia band together to attempt a daring escape via the Underground Railroad. This American story is accompanied by an award winning soundtrack, a unique sonic kaleidoscope of traditional and contemporary music. Unfortunately this masterpiece was abruptly canceled by Tribune Media/Sinclair under a cloud of far right racism.
The Gilded Age (HBO, 2022+, Historical Drama) Examines the clash between old and new money in 1882 NYC. The catty war between neighbors Agnes van Rhijn and Bertha Russell is tempered by newly orphaned Marian Brook (Arnes’ niece) and Peggy Scott, a black aspiring writing seeking independence from a controlling father.
The Alienist (TNT, 2018-20, Period Drama) Newspaper illustrator John Moore, criminal psychologist (alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and police department secretary Sara Howard team-up to investigate gruesome serial killers in New York during the late 19th century. This dark and gripping psychological thriller has it all: complicated love, triggering, if not nauseating visuals, atypical characters instead of caricatures and painstaking world building, from the sleazy underworld to the languor of the obscenely rich.
Frankie Drake Mysteries (Ovation, 2017-21, Crime Drama) Set in 1920s Toronto, the female-only detective agency is led by Frankie Drake and her partner Trudy Clarke. They team with Mary, a morality officer with the Toronto Police, and Flo, a pathologist at the city’s morgue. Together they investigate mysteries and crimes that either the police refuse to take on, or that their clients cannot take to the police. With inclusive casting and storytelling they tackle a bevy of political and social issues (civil rights, LGBTIA+, police corruption…) along with the genres’ usual low-key crime capers (stolen jewelry or a botched break-in). This is a fun feminist crime drama the whole family can enjoy.
Call the Midwife (PBS, 2012-Present, Period Drama) A wholesome story about a group of midwives in 1950s to late 1960s East London. The nuns and newly qualified nurse practioners work at Nonnatus House, a convent. The group grows to love and care for each other though they are all very different. Themes of love, hope and forgiveness ground the informative and entertaining series as it delves into medical and social issues. This is not just a story of births, motherhood and fatherhood!
Curated Ramblings 