COUCH POTATO !!! ..........

I'm becoming a couch potato ... scratch that ... I AM a couch potato !!!

BUT, if you can't be one in the depths of winter, when can you be one ?!!

Watched the last in the series of Sherlock last night ... absolutely LOVE it even though I don't understand all of it !!! It needs to be watched a few times for it all to sink in but, I amazed myself by understanding it last night ... but, I don't care if I don't get it all ... I just adore it , from the casting to the filming ... I am entranced !! Please, please, please let there be another series next year.

I followed that with The Dressmaker ... Kate Winslet, Judy Davis and Liam Hemsworth ... revenge, love, forgiveness, murder and everything in between, set in Australia ... really enjoyed it ...

When The Dressmaker finished around 2.30 a.m, I turned over to Eurosport to watch The Australian Open live from Melbourne ... had to wait until 4.30 a.m for Andy Murray to start his campaign but there were other matches to see ... went to bed around 6.00 a.m and got up around 10.00 a.m !!! 

There is some good tele on at the moment ... my joint favourite with Sherlock is Taboo ... directed by Ridley Scott, it's written and produced by and stars Tom Hardy who plays James Delaney, who returns to England from Africa with fourteen stolen diamonds. Set in the early 1800's, he returns to avenge the death of his father. It is encircled by conspiracy, murder and betrayal and his struggle with The East India Company. Period setting ? ... check ... lots of frock coats ? ... check ... atmospheric London ? ... check !!! ... all set in houses just like Dennis Sever's ... check !!!
 If you are missing Sherlock, Mark Gatiss who plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft, plays the Prince Regent in Taboo along with Edward Fox, Tom Hollander, Johnathan Pryce and many other faces you will recognise.

Another good one is The Halcyon ... The Halcyon tells the story of a bustling and glamorous five star hotel at the centre of London society and a world at war. The drama, set in 1940, shows London life through the prism of war and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata, all set to a soundtrack of the music of the era.

OK, so it has all been done before but the format is tried and tested and works. It is rather similar to Stephen Poliakoff's ' Dancing on the Edge ' but, that's ok ... we really are rather good at drama !!!

For the next fortnight you can think of me watching tennis through the night, drinking lots of coffee to stay awake !!

XXXX

image 1: via wasbella102, image 2: via metro, image 3: via daily motion, image 4: via australian open, image 5: via little white lies, image 6: via radio times

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RESPECT, RIO !!!! ..........

I stayed up last night to watch the Rio Olympics 2016 Opening Ceremony ..... I do things like that !!

I have to say that I wasn't expecting much and, there were some unfortunate reminders of the troubled backdrop to these Games. Boo's greeted acting Brazilian president Michel Temer and the Russian Team received a few jeers. The organisers have had to deal with a lot ...... pollution, the Zikka virus, safety concerns, the ability to afford it and will it benefit or burden the poorer communities in Brazil ?

It was obvious that it was much smaller than Beijing and London but, the ceremony's creative director, Fernando Meirelles, used digital projection to suggest water, buildings  and the potentially devastating effects of climate change, the latter having a very sobering effect..... and, the only team to receive as loud a cheer as the home team was the Refugee Team ...... a team without nation's to call home.

It was quite disorganised, untidy and disjointed in places but, in a way, somewhat refreshing .... we are so used to each country trying to outdo each other and spend more than the last host but, by the end, when the purposely small cauldron was lit which is, as you can see above, quite striking, I thought, Rio might just carry this off.     

London 2012 was AMAZING in all respects and Rio, with all it's problems would never top it, nor should they { London never tried to top Beijing and didn't spend nearly as much } Maybe, in the next 16 days, Rio will have some difficulties to overcome but, I really hope that Brazil will make these games work.... hopefully, the organisers can now uncross those fingers that they have had behind their back !!

Bring on the GREAT  !!!

image 1: via telegraph, image 2: via independent

HIP HIP MURRaaaaaaaaY !!!!!!!!!! ............

WIMBLEDON GENTLEMAN'S SINGLES CHAMPION 2013

image via daily mail

HE'S ONLY GONE AND DONE IT !!!! ..........

BRILLIANT !!

Olympic gold and now the U S Open title. Andy Murray is the first man to win the Olympic singles title and the U S Open in the same year .... and, what a year to do it in. The Diamond Jubilee, victory in the Tour de France, Olympic glory, Paralympic success, even Murray's Wimbledon final and now, the 76 year old Grand Slam drought is over for Great Britain ..........

.......... now, breathe !!

image via sports news now