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Younger Mid-Season Review | Interview With Actor Jesse James Keitel

I am back with a new series of podcasts. This one available here is a recap and review of the first half of season five of TV Land’s Younger.

I also mention some recent news such as:

- A possible Hamilton Musical production in France - The unfortunately-confirmed Buffy Remake  - The finally-confirmed Downton Abbey movie 

I had the opportunity to interview Jesse James Keitel, a New York-based actor recently discovered in Younger as Tam, the first non-binary character of the show. They talk about their previous, current and upcoming projects such as Like Glass and Miller & Son where they play the lead roles as well as their experience playing Tam, and if we might see them again.

To conclude, I share two recommendations related to a recent weekend spent in London: 

- Kinky Boots the Musical, still on at the Adelphi Theatre until January 19, 2019.http://www.kinkybootsthemusical.co.uk/

- Florence Welch’s book Useless Magic, released on July 5. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/308250/useless-magic/

[britishlyso]

Shows To Watch This Summer

Summer is here and so are my favourite summer shows.

The first one I'm excited about is The Bold Type. It was recommended to me and I binge-watched it shortly after it aired on Freeform, I even did a podcast about it (which you can listen to here). 

The first season ended on cliffhangers leaving the door open for a new one (or would have put our imagination to work hadn't it been renewed for a season 2). The show has returned on June 12th but I have chosen to wait a little bit so that I can binge-watch it.

Our three bold ladies were left about to start a new chapter in their professional and personal lives - Jane left Scarlet Magazine for a new opportunity at Incite, Sutton officially became Fashion Assistant to Oliver, leaving the front desk behind, and Kat decided to join Adena on her trip, leaving her job of Social Media Director.

So many questions arose from this brutal change of setting - how will our three best friends continue to be each other's daily support system? How will Kat's parents react to not only her coming out but introducing her girlfriend? Will Jane and Sutton thrive in their new jobs?

The show has also touched upon sensitive subjects such as cancer, rape and religion - will they get inspired by the #MeToo movement and introduce storylines that echo the recent headlines?

The second season is currently airing on Freeform.

The second summer show I am excited about is Younger.

The show is airing its fifth season on TV Land, with Liza's secret still being the centre of the story. 

The last season ended with Josh getting married to his Irish girlfriend Claire so that she could stay in the US, with Liza as an important guest to attest the veracity of their marriage to the authorities. This new union could have brought its lot of problems with Josh kissing Liza the night before his wedding, but we escaped the disaster with Claire dumping Josh.

My Team Charles heart almost exploded with the bomb dropped at the end of the first episode - Empirical’s biggest author LL Moore was publicly laid off after being accused of sexual misconducts by several women, including Liza, and as a response, called for a late-night meeting with Charles, revealing him Liza’s real identity - a “bankcrupt divorced forty year-old single mother”, just when she finally poured out her heart to him. Ouch.

There are new parameters that come into play, besides the fact that Liza is Charles’s employee, and that his ex-wife Pauline is back in the city and getting published by Millenial Print whilst being determined to win her ex husband back. It was guaranteed that the drama will certainly reach new heights with Charles knowing Liza’s new identity, and it has - he confronted her right in front of his ex-wife-to-be who clearly picked up on something. 

We saw the hurt, the betrayal and the anger on his face. Even though he chose not to fire Liza to avoid a scandal, something tells us Pauline might cause one by revealing to the press her ex-husband has been involved with an employee of his company, because clearly she cared more about getting her husband back than earning lots of money with “Marriage Vacation”, even when an adaptation with Reese Witherspoon could be scored.

Another plot that will have an important place this season is Kelsey being torn between Zane (played by Charles Michael Davis) who is now her colleague, and her soon-to-be-published author. #LoveTriangleAlert

The other supporting characters are back with even more new prominent storylines to balance the “secret debacle” that has been centre since season 1.

The third show I want to talk about has just returned with its fifth season - STARZ’s Power. 

If you are not watching it, do yourself a favour and please do. You will not regret it. It was recommended to me and first I thought “Why would I be into a show about drug dealing and violence?” But then I started watching it and was done with the three seasons within a week. 

It follows James St Patrick, the most successful nightclub owner in New York City, happily married (so we think) and father of 3. He apparently has it all, but he also happens to be the city’s drug lord alongside his best friend Tommy Eagan, co-running the two businesses.

I love how the actual love story is between two best friends/brothers who remain faithful to one another despite all the lies, blood, the deaths and betrayals.

One of the core relationships portrayed in the show is also the one between James and Angela, his teenage love who becomes his mistress. Despite it being my least favourite storyline, it has gotten juicier when Angela, as an FBI agent, found out that Ghost the drug lord, is actually James’s alter ego, which created an inner conflict between her professionnal and personal lives.

I had high hopes of seeing James/Ghost back with his wife Tasha 100% after the big reveal to Angela, but unfortunately, it could not be this easy. 

The “couple” has been faced with several challenges and even if Tasha has suffered from the several infidelities, she remains with Tommy the most trustworthy people in Ghost’s environment.

The last season ended on a big tragedy and marked the return of Kanan played by 50 cent, former “frenemy” alongside Ghost and Tommy to undertake some severe punishment. 

Just like The Bold Type, I am waiting a little bit to be able to binge-watch it and enjoy the creative genius of the writers of these shows who never fail to surprise us with never-ending cliffhangers.

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The Great Harry

They say music has an undeniable power. It is surprising for me to say that Harry Styles’s music has been like a loyal companion these last few months.

I was not the biggest fan of One Direction, but I enjoyed some of their songs such as “Story Of My Life”, and of course could not escape the “What Makes You Beautiful” madness.

Since the group parted ways, the members embarked on individual musical journeys.

I discovered Harry’s breakout song “Sign Of The Times” on TV as the video aired practically everyday.

I thought it sounded super nice and decided to give the full album a shot. What a nice surprise it was! Listening to his personal songs really felt like an intimate experience and makes you realise how much he matured as an artist and found his touch.

When I knew Harry Styles was coming to Paris in March (thank you Spotify!), it took me a little while to decide whether to book tickets or not, I enjoyed the songs but was not sure if I would like them as much live, because lots of artists are enjoyable to listen on your iPod but not so much at a concert. What helped me decide was a BBC concert broadcast on a French channel -- I was won over and my sister and I booked tickets a few days later.

I was definitely not disappointed — After a long queue waiting for one hour outside the venue of Accor Hotel Arena, one of the largest venues in France, we were finally seated. A little far from the stage but still a pretty view.

Harry appeared in a stunning sparkling suit and immediately set the tone of the concert — joyful, melancholic with funny moments (I never thought hearing “85 pamplemousses” could sound so funny!) and proximity with the audience.

My favourite moments included “Sweet Creature”, “Two Ghosts”, “Meet Me In The Hallway” and of course the awaited “Sign Of The Times” - my favourites from the album. He also previewed some new songs such as “Medicine” and “Oh Anna”, and others from his time with One Direction like “Stockholm Syndrome”, “If I Could Fly” and “What Makes You Beautiful”.

The concert was very enjoyable overall despite the poor organisation at the venue due to the huge amount of people attending.

The audience was mainly composed of young girls, but it was pleasant to see people of a more ‘advanced’ age because it shows that Harry Styles touches all kinds of audiences, which comforts the numerous comparisons with David Bowie and Mick Jagger.

We can tell he is having the time of his life, he is grateful for the fans who have been supporting him, have come to see him and for all the opportunities that have arisen since his debuts.

If Harry Styles comes to a city near you during his worldwide tour (and if there are some tickets left), I highly recommend to go, even if you do not know about his music -- it will be a nice musical discovery. I personally rediscovered and happened to love some of his songs featured on his album that I did not particularly liked, which is a testament to his talent as a performer and makes you look forward to seeing what he has in store for the upcoming years. One thing is sure - he is not done surprising us! 

Harry Styles performing at Accor Hotel Arena in a Saint Laurent suit - Paris, March 13th (photo: @YSL Twitter)

[britishlyso]

Here We Are by Burberry

I was beyond excited when I found out that Burberry was going to hold a short exhibition in Paris, showcasing British photographers and its most iconic fashion pieces.

The photographs illustrate various life situations - home life, weddings, parties and sexual freedom, and among the classic pieces of the brand we can of course mention the trench coat and checked patterns.

To me Burberry represents the quintessential British style -- the attitude, the designs and the effortless elegance. 

The exhibition is currently being held in the former building of Libération, a daily newspaper, until February 4th.

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Best Surprises Of 2017 + What To Look Forward To In 2018

Hello 2018! They say we have the whole month of January to wish a happy new year - so Happy New Year 2018! 

I am back with a new podcast sharing my best surprises of the end of 2017 -- two movies that brought tears to my eyes, an artist I never thought I’d listen to on my iPod, a super-girly and feminist show, and of course a royal wedding to look forward to.

Have a listen here

[britishlyso]

FIVE SHOWS TO BINGE-WATCH ON NETFLIX

Wintertime is coming, meaning we are obviously going to be spending quality time snuggling in bed with tea or hot chocolate - depending on your liking, and watch tons of shows. But apart from the traditional Christmas programs, here are FIVE shows that I think are perfect to binge-watch and will make your Winter days, evenings, weekends and holidays warmer.

I also talk about the Sex And The City third movie which will not happen and Demi Lovato’s “Simply Complicated” documentary.

Link to the podcast HERE - Let me know what you think!

[britishlyso]

10 Fictional Female Characters

Sybil Branson

Demelza Poldark

Elizabeth Bennet

Kala Dandekar

Chloe Sullivan

Katherine Pierce

Mercedes Jones

Haley James Scott

Caroline Forbes

Laurel Castillo

Thanks for tagging me @mmmuses ! XX

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ITV’s Victoria Back Starting August 27

[britishlyso]

A Global Case

It has almost been a month since Sense8 was announced cancelled by Netflix.

I did a podcast on the second season and the overall series, which I invite all the Sensies to listen and share. 

Podcast can be found on iTunes here

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Truth Is A Beautiful Thing

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Pride 2017 Across The World

Photos: David Sorcher, Denis Meyer, Mindy Schauer

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Cillian Murphy x Stella McCartney - FW 2017

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WHAT’S UP, NETFLIX ?

Sometimes you and other thousands of people believe in a project, but corporations do not, at least not anymore, which leads me to the question - Should a Sense8 finale be crowdfunded by its fans?

Had the series ended after the first season, a cancellation would have been more acceptable, but with the second season ending the way it did, it is much harder to swallow.

The petition in favour of a renewal has now reached +500,000 signatures, but the efforts appear fruitless as Netflix confirmed Sense8 would definitely not be back, even when the location issue has been raised several times, stating that with all the characters now in London, the production could be reduced to Europe. Which leads us to the question — What exactly happened for them to remain on their position?

Netflix is talking about numbers and yes, we know it, Sense8 is an expensive global machine. However, not only is Netflix a multi-billion dollar company, meaning that Sense8 represents a small percent of their budget, but it is also important to highlight that no Marketing/PR campaign has been carried out to promote the show whatsoever. None. What is the point of investing in a project if you are not going to follow through?

Orange Is The New Black on the other hand, well :

The OITNB Cast On A Widely-Watched French Show Two Weeks Ago 

The OITNB Cast On The Number One French Radio Station

Netflix deployed an international promotion campaign for OITNB, having the main actresses on major French media outlets — They also used a popular French reality-tv personality to make a short appearance as a way of promoting the show’s return in France -- knowing this personality who has become a businesswoman, I can assure she negotiated this short appearance very well.

Let me tell you that as a French, unless you have Netflix or you are often on social media keeping up with new shows, there is no other way you can know about Sense8. I personally started watching it in the Summer of 2015 because lots of people tweeted about it.

The biggest shame is that Sense8 has an actual international cast and that Netflix never seemed to take advantage of this big asset — Most of the actors (main and supporting) are well-known in their respective home countries, so they could have expanded their promotion globally by having them on local shows in order to increase the global interest and remind people, who might have forgotten after almost two years, that it would be back on May 5th.

Executives at Netflix refuse to renew the show and at the same time to cede the rights.

If they were to revisit their decision and would at least be decent enough to let the creators of the show conclude their story, without their financial support, there is a way a finale could come to life, and that is through Crowdfunding.

This form of funding has become quite popular over the past few years, especially among filmmakers who wish to tell a story whilst remaining completely independent from big corporations who will turn their story into something totally different from what they envisioned.

For instance, when Veronica Mars ended after three seasons, leaving the audience wanting more with the feeling that the story was not done, the creator launched a Kickstarter campaign to produce a movie - Over 2 million dollars were raised within 24 hours and nearly 6 million at the end of the month after it was launched. 

On the same matter, the French film Demain (« Tomorrow ») whose goal was to reach 200,000 euros, ended up being funded with nearly 445,000 euros via KissKissBankBank. It is now seen as one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns in France, thanks to the powerful message the film aimed to leave.

Would crowdfunding be the only way to give Sense8 a proper ending? 

Could other platforms such as HBO, Hulu or Amazon be interested in developing the story further?

What are the actual chances of Netflix giving up the rights if they refuse to produce more episodes or even a final film?

[britishlyso]

Poldark Podcast Season Three

We are mere hours away from the premiere of Poldark series three and are very excited to once again start our recap podcasts! Be sure to subscribe to your podcast service of choice so you don’t miss a single moment. Our goal is to have them published by Thursday each week.

We will have discussion questions as part of our weekly podcasts and would love to get your thoughts on them after you’ve seen the show. They are:

Did you feel like this was a good introduction to series three? Why or why not?

What was your favourite scene? Why?

What was your least favourite scene? Why?

What was your favourite new character? Why?

What was your least favourite new character? Why?

What was your performance of the week?

Send us your response via the inbox (text space limited) or reblog this post, making sure to tag it #poldarkpodcast.

Looking forward to hearing from you! @britishlyso @princessofpoldark & @poldarkmmmuses

[britishlyso]

Let’s Talk About That Sensational Show, Shall We?

It is not without bitterness that I wish to talk about the second season of Sense8 and about the show in general.

As we all know, Netflix announced a few days ago that the show would not be back for a third season, as of now without explanation.

When I watched the first season, it took me until episode three to actually get into the story and wanting to understand it better. And then of course the end of episode four happened, and I fell in love and finished the first season in a couple of sleepless nights.

I was so excited when it was announced that we would get a 2016 Christmas special, to help make the waiting more bearable. I will admit that after watching it for the first time, I felt unsatisfied, I expected more, because even though it was a two-hour special, it did not move the story forward – in fact, it felt like two hours of stagnation without proper development, despite of course a wonderful directing and soundtrack. Nevertheless, I was still happy because we got some new Sense8.

When the second season got released exactly one month ago on Netflix, I dedicated two days to watching the episodes and I was not disappointed at all.

I thought Lana Wachowski did a tremendous job, especially when knowing that her sister Lilly withdrew from the project and she had to manage practically everything on her own. I cannot pick one or even two favourite episodes simply because each one contains significant and epic lines, scenes or shots. I, however picked a few favourite scenes, which are the following: - As the Christmas special is part of the second season, I picked the Birthday Party simply because we were, once again, shown how powerful the bond of the Sensates is, and that even though they are eight individuals, they are also “a we” and “one”. - All of the fighting scenes involving Sun, particularly the ones when she – and subsequently the whole cluster almost died from hanging. It felt so intense I think I stopped breathing with them. I also loved the cemetery scene when she was challenging Detective Mun. They are Ying and Yang, Sun and Moon, and it is beautiful to see Sun finally being challenged and admired by a man for who she is, knowing how badly she suffered from misogynist behaviours in her corporate life.

- The montage of Wolfgang visiting the cluster to “ask for help” his own way before meeting with Lila Facchini, a Sensate from Italy who is somehow obsessed with him and will not leave him be. He is the least talkative of the cluster, and one thing I love is that they know each other so well that one does not need to voice their concerns in order to be understood, especially someone as manly as Wolfgang who would never expressly ask for help. - The Protests montage between India/Kenya/Amanita being car chased in San Francisco. It was probably the second most tense-filled moment of the season when I actually wondered: “Is someone about to get hurt seriously?” I honestly thought something would happen to Amanita, but knowing how important she is and the value she brings to Nomi’s cluster, I knew this could not actually happen. - Nomi’s father standing up in front of the FBI agent saying “Take your hands off my daughter”. Six words that made me tear up and still give me chills when rewatching the scene, simply because there are many transgendered, and more generally, LGBTQ people in the world, struggling to be accepted by those they love. It was empowering and truly a lesson of acceptance.

I could pick many and many others such as the moments involving our unstoppable epic trios Will-Sun-Wolfgang/Lito-Dani-Hernando, but those are the five moments that echoed the most. 

As a hopeless romantic, I loved the significant development of Kala and Wolfgang’s relationship at the end of the season. I was worried when I saw that they kept them on the backburner with few scenes compared to the other romantic pairings, but then it slowly progressed, even though I got a little bored with Kala’s indecisiveness which, inevitably, would have hurt both of the men, had she not taken a decision (Pretending isn’t a life, right?).

I also loved the scenes between Will and Riley, clearly showing that the romantic bond is heightened when they are together physically. I definitely consider them the ‘parents’ of the cluster.

As Wolfgang and Kala were finally and officially together and ready for the next step, which was hopping on a plane and meeting in Paris (thank you Rajan for buying her an apartment in one of the most romantic cities in the world), Lila had other plans for Wolfie and sold him to Whispers, who had him captured and tortured by the Biologic Preservation Organisation. The season ended with the seven members of the cluster being finally together in the flesh in London, on a mission to save Wolfgang.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room – Netflix officially announced that Sense8 would not be back for a third season. Although there has not been an official explanation, Brian J. Smith aka Will, implied that the show was too expensive to produce and the number of viewers was not enough to support such a big global production.

From a financial perspective, it is justified, from a moral one, not so much, especially knowing the huge impact it had on people globally. Among the eight characters there is at least one you can identify with. Not only that, but cancelling it when it ended on a big cliffhanger, but also while being introduced to other members of clusters around the world calls for at least a big movie to conclude, if not a full season to explore the story of Homo Sensoriums deeper. Besides, now that the members of our favourite cluster are all together in London, the filming location could be reduced to Europe.

I consider Sense8 more than a simple show. Besides being ambitious, diverse and inclusive, it is bold, it touches upon subjects that might be uncomfortable to talk about, but still are important to discuss. It also brings many stereotypes to light, and uses those to twist them and turn them into something we would not have expected but works so well. In the current tense political and societal landscapes, it is important to remind people that diversity is what makes us rich from the inside.

Could Sense8 be the first show saved by Netflix? 

While waiting for an official explanation, there is a widely spread petition which has been signed by +400,000 fans from across the world, and it has been launched less than a week ago so it is not crazy to believe it could reach half a million by the end of the week. In the meantime, you can still stream the 23 episodes of Sense8, and if you are not watching it yet, maybe this will help you decide.

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Beauty and the Beast, A Timeless Story

I finally saw the latest adaptation of Beauty and the Beast on the big screen and it instantly brought me back to my childhood.

The Disney classic (among many others) is undoubtedly one of my absolute favourites ever. Despite knowing it by heart, I could watch it again and again tirelessly.

I saw the French musical version three years ago, and I was not disappointed at all, and people who know me personally know that I have always been skeptical about French adaptations of American classics, particularly lyrics-wise as they tend to drastically change the meanings to serve the melody. So saying that I had high expectations for this movie version is an understatement.

Emma Watson, who is of course worldly known for playing Hermione Granger in the now classic Harry Potter stories, is Belle. The Beast is played by Dan Stevens aka the still-regretted Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey. As a fan of the actor I was kind of "bummed" mostly because I knew we would not see him until the very end, even though his voice was there throughout the film.

The adaptation was fairly good and I would not mind seeing it a second time. However, there were several disturbing elements that I wished to highlight:

Knowing that the Disney classic originally lasts approximately one hour and a half, I was intrigued when I saw that the movie was to last about two hours. Various elements have been added or modified, and unfortunately it did not serve the film. If anything, it made me feel like the story was being dragged out. The only addition I actually enjoyed was the Beast song, simply because this is not a expressive character, so having more of his viewpoint did not feel useless. Nevertheless, from a creative perspective, I can understand the intention of wanting to tell a modern story within the original one incorporating elements relevant to modern storytelling.

The characters that shined the most were of course Lumière, Gaston and LeFou. My favourite scenes included all three of them, and my favourite performance has to be the Gaston song involving all the villagers praising him and his shallowness.

As the movie ended I stayed for the closing credits and I was so surprised to see that there were so many famous names who were part of the production. I was almost disappointed in me for not recognising Ewan McGregor as Lumière.

Despite all the "disturbing" details though, it remains one of the most beautiful love stories ever told, with a breathtaking cinematography and of course music by Alan Menken. I definitely recommend watching it to have a good time and reconnect with your younger self.