Anne of Green Gables on PBS

(I received an advanced copy for review, but these opinions are my own.)

Airing on PBS on Thanksgiving night, this version of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic story first published in 1908 is billed as “A new Anne Shirley for a New Generation.” I think looking at it that way is a good approach.

Many are familiar with the tale of a precocious orphan girl coming to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, Canada. A large number of those fans are partial, very partial, to the wonderful production done by Canadian television in the mid-1980s starring Colleen Dewhurst and Megan Follows.

I am one of those fans, but I was still  excited to see this new one. It’s not the same, but it was still a lovely way to spend 90 minutes. One of the reasons I was excited was  that Martin Sheen was playing Matthew. He’s endearing in the role, thought I kept thinking of him as President Bartlet. That’s not a bad thing, and he delights, as always. Marilla tells him to stop his “sentimental drivel” but I enjoyed it a great deal.

There’s a lot to like about this production. The story is endearing, no doubt. It was filmed in Canada and is simply breathtaking. It makes me want to book a trip to visit our neighbors to the North for next summer.

It is a bit darker than the original. Anne’s flashbacks to the torment she endured as an orphan is brief but heartbreaking, but it makes Anne’s outbursts as well as her wonder at the pleasures of her new life easier to understand.

I love some of the lines that Anne has, including “Isn’t it just splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about?” and, when discussing puff sleeves as a fad, “I’d rather look ridiculous like everyone else than look plain and simple all by myself.”

There’s also a lot of conversation starters with children, including appropriate responses to bullying and the line “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

You can see the trailer here:

Gilmore Girls on Netflix

Amy Sherman-Palladino created a wonderful world about a mother and daughter living in Stars Hallow, Connecticut. On the day after Thanksgiving, skip the Black Friday sales and settle in to watch four installments of a Year in the Life, four 90-minute episodes on Netflix, that catch up with Lorelai and Rory.

We are admittedly late to the Gilmore party. The series aired from 2000 through 2007. We started watching on Netflix in the fall and are making our way through the series. Binge watching can be tough to do with a very busy high schooler, but we’re doing the best we can to get through the seven seasons as quickly as we can. I confess that I know what happened in the end of the series and may have to sneak viewings of a Year in the Life.

You can see the official trailer here:

Drunk History with Lin-Manuel Miranda on Comedy Central

Drunk History features “re-enactments of famous events in history as told by inebriated storytellers,” as described Comedy Central. While not for everyone, the show can be quite fun for adults and older teens, especially those who love history. I’m very excited for the episode featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the sensational Broadway show Hamilton, about founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Admittedly, this episode doesn’t air until Tuesday, November 29 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time on Comedy Central, but it’s close to Thanksgiving, so we’re going to count it. (And reallly, with the rapid fire dialogue on Gilmore Girls, you’re going to need some time to really digest those four episodes.)

After a number of drinks, he tells the stories of events in Hamilton’s life, including many moments that didn’t make it into Hamilton. Alia Shawkat portrays Hamilton, Aubrey Plaza is Aaron Burr, and Tony Hale is James Monroe. I’m especially excited for the Monroe parts as he isn’t in the musical at all.

What are you most excited to watch this weekend?

Prior Post: Fun facts about my favorite parts of Moana

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