It is Friday and many people relax with an entertaining program on TV to unwind after the week. I have a few picks from Netflix for you -- not movies, actually, but TV series this time. The subject tonight is:
Hotels
Ever since the 1932 movie, Grand Hotel, in which Greta Garbo "vanted" to be alone, hotels have been used as settings for ensemble dramas. And it is easy to see why. A lot of story lines can be brought together as guests come and go from these places that are both public and private. So here are some picks for you, two period costume dramas and two comedies.
The Grand
"The Grand" is a British drama set in a luxury hotel in Manchester just after World War I. The story lines follow the power struggles of the family that owns the hotel, the plight of the workers, below stairs, and certain of the guests, in particular a retired Madam who is hiding incognito but who is occasionally visited by some former clients (played by the wonderful Susan Hampshire). There are moments of levity but a lot of serious drama in this costume piece.
I don't have a trailer for this one but you can find some episodes online...
Monarch of the Glen
"Monarch of the Glen" is a comedy with dramatic highlights that follows the fortunes of a mouldering estate in the Highlands of Scotland. Young Archie MacDonald is called from London where he has just opened a restaurant to go home and become the Laird of Glen Bogle, his family's ancestral seat for over 500 years. Needless to say, Glen Bogle house, in spite of its history and beauty, is a money pit -- so Archie's solution to solving its financial problems is to turn it into a hotel. But he has to balance his efforts in saving the house with managing the affairs of the village, as well -- for the responsibilities of a Laird are many. Being the Laird is certainly no picnic, especially not for Archie who had other plans for his life. Fans of Downton Abbey may be interested to see its author, Julian Fellowes, as Archie's father's friend and rival, Kilwillie. Fans of Scotland will be interested in the gorgeous scenery...
I cannot find a trailer for this, sadly. Trust me, it is a wonderful show.
Grand Hotel
This is my latest guilty indulgence, a soap opera with murder mysteries set in a luxury hotel in Spain in 1905. There is a power struggle for the ownership and control of this hotel which is currently dominated by a dragon lady of a widow and her wicked lieutenant, Diego. Everybody lies, either to spare someone's feelings or to manipulate a situation -- and the result is predictably dramatic. Can Julio (disguised as a waiter) and Alicia (the dragon lady's daughter) solve the mysteries? And will they ever get together? In a way, this program is kind of like a game of Clue writ large with lots more rooms and players than the board game. In Spanish with subtitles, watch this for gorgeous scenery and settings, wonderful costumes, and convoluted, soapy pleasure. Here is a trailer from a UK channel:
Fawlty Towers
How could I omit "Fawlty Towers" from a list of hotel shows? This iconic slapstick comedy is about a small inn in the seaside town of Torquay in England. Its owner, Basil Fawlty, handles his numerous insecurities by acting out with arrogance and overreach -- and the results are painfully funny. This may be the role for which John Cleese will be best remembered by future generations. Enjoy!
Got any favorite movies or shows about hotels? Hotel stories of your own? Please be comfortable, share your day with us and tell us your weekend plans.
Prior Streaming Movies on a Friday Night subjects:
At the Table
Ghosts
Resilient People
Love
Food and Our Health
Cozy Mysteries
Playing Shakespeare
For Children
Romantic Comedy
Pirates and Thieves
Fantasy Adventures
Spies
Funny with a touch of religion/spirit
Cheaters Never Prosper
|
|
|
|
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
|
|