tv series – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

The Jelly List: Book adaptations to stream on Amazon Prime Video

Adapting books to the screen has always been very challenging. Video is a vastly different medium from books, wherein the directive is to “show, not tell.” Scenes and internal dialogues painstakingly detailed in novels will be hard to interpret on the screen. Also, some novels, even though widely successful, might not have enough of a following to justify the expense in producing and marketing a feature film or a series on network television.

Fortunately, the massive popularity of over-the-top (OTT) services gave rise to book adaptations specifically for online and on-demand video streaming. Freed from the constraints of content and length for film and scheduling constraints of network TV, and taking advantage of the data gained through subscriptions and online transactions, multi-episode series covering increasingly edgy and conplex topics are being produced. These result to more freedom in storytelling and to more expansive and lived-in worlds for book lovers to reaquaint themselves with and for non-readers of the books to discover and grow to love.

Amazon Prime Video, the video-on-demand service operated by online retailer Amazon.com, has joined the fray in producing book adaptations that are sure to capture new audiences as well as further endear the works to their existing fans. Novels being adapted into Amazon Original Series include:

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet

Two of fantasy literature’s rock stars – Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett – collaborated on Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. The novel was a hilarious ride through the adventures of an angel and a demon who became friends and their efforts to stop Armageddon as heralded by the birth of an unwitting AntiChrist.

Its adaptation stars Michael Sheen as Aziraphale the Angel and David Tennant as Crowley the Demon. The miniseries premiered on May 31, 2019 and has received rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes owing to Sheen and Tennant’s “very nearly holy (or maybe unholy?) chemistry.” Despite a petition – erroneously addressed to Netflix at that – to cancel the series, the production has received a slew of nominations in the Saturn Awards and the Primetime Emmys.

Jack Ryan based on the Jack Ryan Novels by Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character has had quite a good run in cinemas with winning portrayals from some of Hollywood’s top actors: from Alec Baldwin in Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears, and Chris Pine in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

John Krasinski now portrays Jack Ryan in the Amazon series as a former Marine and financial analyst wrenched from the security of his desk job after discovering a string of dubious bank transfers and sets about matching his wits against rising a extremist named Suleiman. The series premiered on August 31, 2018 and has already been renewed for its second and third seasons.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man in the High Castle depicts an alternate reality wherein the Axis powers win World War II. Here, the United States was divided among Japan and Germany as the spoils of war: the Greater Nazi Reich in the East and the Japanese Pacific States to the West. Set in 1962, several years after the war, characters are tantalized by the writings of “the man in the high castle,” which hint at the truth that the Axis actually lost the war.

The series incorporates fantastical elements such as having “multiple Earths,” as can be seen in films collected by the titular “man in the high castle,” a mysterious leader of the resistance. The show’s pilot has been said to be “Amazon’s most watched” and has gained praise on Rotten Tomatoes as “unlike anything else on TV, with an immediately engrossing plot driven by fully developed characters in a fully-realized post-WWII dystopia.” The series premiered on November 20, 2015 with three seasons already released. It has also already been renewed for its fourth and final season.

Really, it’s a great time to be alive for book lovers who want to see their favorite tomes come alive on-screen.

What book do you want to see adapted to a series? Let me know in the comments.

This post contains affiliate links.

Stream these shows and more anytime and anywhere with your mobile device. Join Amazon Prime to have unlimited access to shows and movies through Amazon Prime Video.

Not yet an Amazon Prime member?

Sign up for a 30-day free trial today and get access to all the perks for members such as:

Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime
Unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows
On-demand, ad-free music listening
Unlimited photo storage
Free same-day delivery in eligible areas

Want to watch these shows on your big-screen TV? Just plug the Amazon Fire Stick into your HD TV and begin streaming shows and movies included in Amazon Prime as well as other video streaming services.

Love books and reading? Try Kindle Unlimited on Amazon and read from thousands of books available in the Kindle Unlimited catalog. Get your first month FREE.

No Kindle device? Download the Kindle App for FREE to read your favorite books anytime and anywhere.

No time to read? Listen to your favorite books instead while you drive, run, shop, and more. Try Audible for free for 30 days and get two free audiobooks.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix

Have you ever found that while you possess so much stuff that you hardly have enough room for all of them, you still find yourself wanting to acquire more? Have you ever thought that getting a new outfit, accessory or gadget will make all the difference?

Marie Kondo, author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, espouses gratitude for the things you already have and letting go of those that no longer “spark joy.” Jumping off from the Japanese word tokimeku (“throb, flutter, palpitate”), Kondo advises homeowners to clean in one fell swoop: keep only what brings you joy, discard all other items, and assign a proper place for everything.

For so many of us, there may be a lot of things that hold us back from letting go items that we don’t really need. We could be holding on to them on the assumption that we might need them again in the future, we feel that our possessions are tied in to our identity or we associate them with happy memories from our past.

To help homeowners sort through their emotions, as well as their stuff, Kondo has introduced the KonMari Method. It encourages tidying up by category – beginning with clothes, then books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and finally, sentimental items – instead of location.

In her new Netflix series dropped on New Year’s Day, Kondo visits cluttered homes in the US and advises homeowners on tidying up using the Konmari Method. Among my takeaways from the episodes are:

Greet your space. Before proceeding with tidying up, Kondo takes the time to quietly “introduce” herself to the home. At the same time, she encourages the homeowners to envision their ideal home or ponder their intention for the space. For me, this exercise helps in getting me in the proper and thankful frame of mind, feeling a sense of gratitude for the home for the shelter and protection it provides for my family, and in strengthening a resolution to take better care of it.

When discarding items, thank them for their service. With each item to be sorted, Kondo advises holding them for a while and asking oneself if they “spark joy.” If they do, decide to keep them; if not, discard them. However, rather than just dumping these items in a bin, Kondo encourages homeowners to thank them for their service, for whatever joy they contributed to their lives. I find that with this action, I feel gratitude for the items I say goodbye to and hope that they provide happiness to others, rather than guilt for accumulating so much stuff.

Find a proper home for every item you keep. Ideally, the items you choose to hold on to should be kept where they can easily be seen and accessed. For instance, folded clothes should be stored vertically and miscellaneous items should be placed in clear boxes. This helps the homeowner to easily locate the items and keep track of how much stuff they already possess. In my case, since these items spark joy, seeing them and easily accessing them will only accentuate that joy.

Who would have thought that getting rid of, instead of acquiring, stuff could be a joyful activity?

So, how will you start ensuring that all things in your life spark joy?

How about spreading that joy to others? Your pre-loved clothes, footwear and accessories can be donated to Segunda Mana, while old toys can be given to the Philippine Toy Library. Old books, on the other hand, may be donated to the Reading Club 2000.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is now available for streaming on Netflix. If you’re a SKY subscriber, you can subscribe to Netflix and charge it to your SKY bill. More details can be found here.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Check out some home organizing solutions available on Amazon.com.

Simple Houseware Foldable Cube Storage Bin – 6 Pack

Cardboard Safari Bamboo Organizational Box Set

Utiao Plastic Storage Baskets Organizing in Classroom, Office, Home, 6 Packs(Medium)

Learn more about the KonMari Method with Marie Kondo’s books on Amazon.com.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up)

Life-Changing Magic: A Journal – Spark Joy Every Day

This post contains affiliate links.

Check out my blog posts about other Netflix shows:

8 Facts you may not know about Game of Thrones

We still have quite some time to wait until the much-anticipated final season of HBO’s juggernaut of a series Game of Thrones hits the TV screens in April.

Based on George R. R. Martin’s book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, the TV show chronicles the struggles of nine noble families for power in the land of Westeros, as an ancient enemy rises up to threaten the entire land.

With its far-reaching influence and popularity, not just in entertainment, but in general pop culture, you would think that the show’s fans know all there is to know about their favorite show.

But here are some facts you may not know about Game of Thrones.

1. The show’s creators are referred to as D&D.

When you hear “D&D” in the context of Game of Thrones, this actually refers to the showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

2. Peter Dinklage (“Tyrion Lannister”) and Lena Headey (“Cersei Lannister”) are good friends.

They may snipe at and antagonize each other on-screen, but, away from the cameras, actors Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey have been friends for years. In fact, Dinklage was the one that recommended Headey to D&D for Cersei’s role.

3. The show’s cast includes actors from the Harry Potter franchise.

Among prominent cast members who also appeared in the Harry Potter movies are: Natalia Tena (“Osha”) played Nymphadora Tonks, David Bradley (“Walder Frey”) played Argus Filch, Michelle Fairley (“Catelyn Stark”) played Mrs. Granger, Ciaran Hinds (“Mance Rayder”) played Aberforth Dumbledore and Jim Broadbent (“Archmaester Ebrose”) played Horace Slughorn.

4. Four actors also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.

Jack Gleeson (“Joffrey Baratheon”) and Richard Brake (“The Night’s King”) appeared in Batman Begins while Aidan Gillen (“Littlefinger”) and Burn Gorman (“Karl Tanner”) were in The Dark Knight Rises.

5. Two cast members were cast as leads in Marvel’s Iron Fist.

Finn Jones (“Loras Tyrell”) and Jessica Henwick (“Nymeria Sand”) headline the Netflix series Iron Fist as Danny Rand and Colleen Wing, reapectively.

6. Jon Snow and Ygritte ended up together in real life.

Kit Harington and Rose Leslie who played ill-fated lovers Jon Snow and the wildling Ygritte fell on love while filming, got engaged in 2017, and got married in 2018. Harington was even prodded by actress Nicole Kidman about proposing to Leslie while on The Late Late Show with James Corben when she found out that they have moved in together.

7. Two of the female leads have played the same character from the Terminator franchise.

Both Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke (“Danaerys Targaryen”) have played Sarah Connor: Headey in the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Clarke in Terminator Genisys.

8. A prequel series is in the works.

A spinoff starring Naomi Watts is being developed. Set a thousand years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, it will chronicle Westeros’ descent from the Age of Heroes to the Longest Night.

Game of Thrones’ eighth season is set to premiere in April 2019 on HBO, available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (For Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (For Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD.

If you haven’t watched the series yet or want to review previous episodes, Game of Thrones Seasons 1 to 7, as well as other HBO Original Series are also available for streaming on HBO GO which is exclusively available to SKY subscribers. To subscribe, call 418-0000 or your local SKY office or visit www.mysky.com.ph.

Check out my posts on other HBO shows:

This post contains affiliate links.

TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s “Good Omens” to be released in 2019

The creatively twisted minds of two of Britain’s greatest modern fantasy writers produced Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (or more commonly known as just Good Omens). The fruit of a very successful collaboration between Neil Gaiman (“American Gods,” “The Graveyard Book,” and “Stardust“) and Sir Terry Prachett (“Discworld“) published in 1990, Good Omens is a quirky and entertaining novel that tells of the coming of the Apocalypse. The book is chock-full of humorous situations: from a witch’s super-accurate predictions of her execution, the birth and childhood of the AntiChrist in the English suburbs, the coming together of the Four Horsemen, and the mad antics of the legions of Heaven led by Aziraphale the Angel and Hell led by Crowley the Demon (both of whom happen to treat each other as friends) as they prepare for the endtimes.

I first read the book in the late 90’s and I did think the story would translate well onscreen.

A film adaptation was in fact planned in 2002 in which Robin Williams and Johnny Depp were set to star as Aziraphale and Crowley respectively but financing fell through.

A radio dramatization was aired in BBC Radio 4 in 2015, wherein Gaiman and Pratchett had cameo appearances.

Nearly two decades after first reading the book, I’m thrilled to find out that a TV adaptation is finally in the works, starring no less than Michael Sheen (“Underwold: Rise of the Lycans,” “Midnight in Paris“) as Aziraphale and David Tennant (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Broadchurch“) as Crowley.

This TV series couldn’t have come at a better time, being the new Golden Age of Television, and judging from the recent success of the TV series based on another Neil Gaiman novel, American Gods.

The 6-episode series will be released on Amazon Prime in 2019, followed by a conventional broadcast on BBC Two.

This post contains affiliate links.

Love books and reading? Try Kindle Unlimited on Amazon and read from thousands of books available in the Kindle Unlimited catalog. Get your first month FREE.

No Kindle device? Download the Kindle App for FREE to read your favorite books anytime and anywhere.

No time to read? Listen to your favorite books instead while you drive, run, shop, and more. Try Audible for free for 30 days and get two free audiobooks.

Not yet an Amazon Prime member?

Sign up for a 30-day free trial today and get access to all the perks for members such as:

Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime
Unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows
On-demand, ad-free music listening
Unlimited photo storage
Free same-day delivery in eligible areas

6 Takeaways from Journey Into Night, Westworld Season 2’s Explosive Premiere Episode

We’re back in Westworld, thanks to an exclusive advance screening held by HBO and SKY.

Held at the Narra Rooms in the posh Shangri-la at the Fort Hotel last April 19 (four days before its TV premiere on April 23, Monday), the event was attended by selected SKY subscribers as well as members of the press and social media influencers.

By the time this post is published, the episode should have aired on HBO. For those who haven’t watched it yet, be aware that there will be spoilers below!

So far, my thoughts on the episode titled “Journey Into Night” are:

The inmates have taken over the asylum. When we left Westworld during last season’s finale, it was on the brink of chaos. Now we see the aftermath: bodies of both hosts and their human guests are littered everywhere, clear evidence of violent delights that have violent ends.
They are out for blood. Former Sweetwater sweetheart Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) has fully embraced her inner Wyatt. Together with her posse which includes earnest cowboy Teddy Flood (James Marsden) and femme fatale Angela (Tallulah Riley, now promoted to series regular) are hunting down the human guests who were present during Robert Ford’s (Anthony Hopkins) presentation of his new narrative (which has the same title as this episode – Journey Into Night), and subsequent death at Dolores’ hands (yes, he’s really dead as evidenced the maggotty rotting corpse in the beach scene which takes place a few weeks after the shooting). Having broken free of the restriction from killing humans, the hosts are rounding up all the other human survivors and shooting them down or lynching them.
A mother’s love knows no bounds. Former brothel madam Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) is continuing her search for her daughter in her past narrative, despite knowing that “it is not real,” enlisting the willing assistance of notorious bullet-ridden outlaw Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro) and the reluctant one from narrative designer Lee Sizemore (Simon Quarterman).
Worlds are colliding. Last season, we discovered that Shogun World exists. Now, thanks to a robotic carcass of a giant robot Bengal tiger which the SWAT peeps say wandered too far from home, we can surmise that there’s probably a Jungle World as well.
The Man in Black (Ed Harris) still has something to keep him busy. Last season, he was told by Ford that the maze (the object of his obsession which turned out to be the hosts’ journey to consciousness) was not for him. In this episode, he was told by Ford’s young robot clone that he is now in the game.
Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) is acting all shady again. We know that this good-hearted head of behavior can be used as a weapon. Seeing him in a series of timejumps, from waking up to security personnel rounding up hosts for the slaughter to his run for survival with Delos director Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson), we know he will prove be central to more violent ends from violent delights.

Westworld Season 2 premiered on HBO (SKYcable ch 168 HD | 54 SD) on April 23, Monday at 9am with a primetime encore telecast at 10am. A new episode airs every Monday at 9am.

New Westworld episodes will also be available for streaming within the same day on HBO Go, HBO’s online streaming service exclusively available to SKY subscribers.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider this privilege one of the biggest perks of my job: being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people.

Two generations of viewpoints on “Friends,” now on Netflix

For many Gen Xers, the TV show Friends defined an era, our era.

The show started airing in September 1994, during my last year in high school.

Netflix all ten seasons just this month, January 2018, coincidentally my teenage daughter’s last year in high school.

To me back then, the show served as a special preview of “the world out there,” i.e., adult life. For my daughter, with whom I watched some episodes, it serves as a point of conparison between the issues she faces today and those I faced during my formative years.

The story kicked off when spoiled “daddy’s girl” Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) runs out of her wedding and (while still in her wedding dress) goes looking for her high school best friend (Monica Geller).

Monica, despite having lost contact with Rachel after high school, good-heatedly welcomed her into her home and into the gang composed of Monica’s brother Ross (David Schwimmer) who was traumatized by his divorce from his wife who turned out to be a lesbian, the boys who live across the hall Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) who was Ross’ roommate in college and struggling actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Monica’s cooky ex-roommate Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).

Throughout the show’s ten-season run, the six friends navigated their way through life in New York City: found and lost jobs, started and ended relationships, and found and reinvented themselves.

While today, my daughter and her peers found the show’s jokes about “Fat Monica,” homosexual relationships and transgender identity problematic, back then, I was amazed these themes were being shown at all.

I was inspired by Monica’s transformation from an obese teen to a slim and confident chef (and I’m still perplexed as to how she was able to maintain her size despite being constantly surounded by food).

I found the decision of Ross’ ex-wife to raise their child with her lesbian partner, and later Rachel’s to be a working unwed mother brave.

I understood Chandler’s resentment of his father Charles’ transition to Helena Handbasket; after all, the announcement of her separation from Chandler’s mom was done after Thanksgiving dinner when Chandler was nine, hardly the epitome of sensitivity to the child’s sensibilities.

Despite the differences in the lenses that we view this iconic show, some themes are constant: the importance of friendship, acceptance of oneself and others, and growing up.

Grimm Season 6 now streaming on Netflix

At last! After nearly a year of waiting, the final season of Grimm is now streaming on Netflix here in the Philippines!

I have faithfully followed this show since it started in 2011, never missing an episode despite work or family obligations. As can be gleaned from the fangirlish tone of various episode recaps I found myself posting, it’s safe to say that I have a (hopefully!) mild obsession for this show. I guess that Grimm can be considered one of my guilty pleasures.

When its final episode aired on March 31 last year, I was almost heart-broken. I knew I would be missing Nick Burkhardt’s (mis)adventures as well as those of his Wesen and human friends. I was overjoyed to discover that Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Netflix and lost no time binge-watching the series every chance I got.

For those who are not familiar with the series, Grimm is a TV show that originally aired on NBC in the US (Universal Channel on SKYcable in the Philippines). It basically consists of modern retellings of the Brothers Grimm fairytales as well as folklore and mythical stories from varied cultures.

The show follows the adventures of Portland police detective Nicholas Burkhardt (played by David Giuntoli) just as he finds out that he is among the line of Grimms, a special breed of humans with the ability to detect Wesen, or supernatural beings. Grimms are tasked to maintain the balance between humanity and Wesen, and oftentimes, Grimms have taken brutal measures against the creatures, making them highly feared in the Wesen community. Nick’s role as a Grimm is further complicated by his being a cop; while he is usually able to meld his duties to both roles, there are times when he has to choose which dictates to follow.

He is aided by a strong cast of supporting characters such as Monroe (his last name was never revealed, played by Silas Weir Mitchell), his Wieder Blutbad (reformed werewolf) BFF, his cop buddies Hank Griffin (played by Russell Hornsby) and Drew Wu (played by kababayan Reggie Lee) and his love interests/nemeses Juliette Silverton (played by Bitsie Tulloch) and Adalind Schade (played by Claire Coffee).

Its setting in Portland, Oregon is also very on-point. Its verdant forests, mild climate and slogan “Keep Portland Weird” provided a lush background for the supernatural situations the characters found themselves dealing with.

I love how this show is able to adapt fairytales and myths into modern situations, influenced not just by Germanic folklore (from which most of the Brothers Grimms’ stories are collected from) but also by other cultures such as Latin American (“La Llorona” and “El Cucuy“), Native American (“Wendigo“), Egyptian (“Anubis“), and, of course, the one closest to my heart, Filipino (“Aswang“).

The show had a few faults, such as the wonky special effects involved in showing how the Wesen morph from their human forms to their mythological forms and vice versa, as well as convoluted side plots involving a European Royal Family and a set of keys passed down from the Knights Templar. I also consider Juliette’s journey to the dark side and killing of a pivotal character the show’s “jumping the shark” moment, as it weakened part of the show’s heart.

Still, what kept me tuned in were the depictions of Nick’s rich and nuanced relationships with his Wesen and human allies. His “bromance” with Monroe, in particular, grew from a reluctant partnership to a deep and abiding friendship that enabled Nick and Monroe to oftentimes defy the dictates of their natures to help each other.

Grimm has been a part of my TV habit for seven years and it left quite a big void: I haven’t found a new series that comes close to its appeal to me.

Until then, I will satisfy myself with watching and re-watching this series on Netflix.