Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Shakespearean/PBS Public Service Announcement

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN6IOK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=13FN3BN7BMGJJKYT06D5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
image source: Amazon.com
Just learned that American iTunes is selling episodes of "The Hollow Crown" NOW, before the program has been shown on "Great Performances" on PBS. You can also pre-order the DVD from Amazon with a release date of September 17th. (Oddly, you can rent or buy the series from iTunes in either standard definition or in HD, but no word on a BluRay version yet from Amazon. I am holding out for Tom Hiddleston in high-def, because that's how I roll...)  ♥ ♥

The premiere date for the first play in the set,"Richard II", starring Ben Whishaw ("Name That Brit" installment 549: he plays the new "Q" in Skyfall ) is on Friday, September 20th... set your DVR early so that you don't forget! (Although you should check your local listings just to be on the safe side.)

If you don't know these history plays, I highly recommend reading the synopses on the "Great Performances" website. (You can also check out the trailer.) The synopses are really helpful if you are unfamiliar with the plays or with the historical figures/activities they represent. (I read both parts of Henry IV and Henry V in college, as well as studying medieval and Renaissance English history.) NB. It is not a good thing to treat Shakespeare's history plays as fact. True story: My Renaissance history professor asked the class why Henry V declared war on France, and a classmate answered that it was because the Dauphin had sent him tennis balls, which is a plot point in Henry V. I will never forget the lecture the whole class got after that... (It does make for really good drama though.)
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6 comments:

  1. jenAugust 28, 2013 at 11:00 PM

    Eeee! Excited for this!

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    Replies
    1. MelanieAugust 29, 2013 at 10:53 AM

      Me too! I keep holding my breath each time I watch the trailer.

      Delete
  2. Leslie Loftis (AHLondon)August 31, 2013 at 11:54 PM

    I had no idea. You rock. Thanks for the heads up.
    And do tell about the lecture.

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    Replies
    1. MelanieSeptember 1, 2013 at 8:33 PM

      You are very welcome!
      The professor pretty much yelled at the class for relying on Shakespeare as an accurate teller of history. (But to be fair to my classmate, I had done the reading and I wasn't able to answer the question based on what we'ed read. I had thought of the tennis balls too.)

      Delete
  3. Chrissy BrandSeptember 6, 2013 at 11:47 AM

    I like how the USA appreciates the best of British culture- I guess it's a 2 way street across the pond (a bridge across the pond I suppose) A lot of rubbish sadly flows both ways too ;-)

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    Replies
    1. MelanieSeptember 6, 2013 at 12:02 PM

      "A bridge across the pond" - I like that. :-) Yes, there is definitely a lot more appreciation in the US of British culture than I realized until I took to the internet. (And of British chocolate, my youngest sister has put a significant dent in the Cadbury Whole Nut stash that I have been hording since the spring.)

      A lot of rubbish sadly flows both ways too Sad, but true, isn't it?

      Delete

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