James Mason? Yep, sure do.

I love old films and detest remakes because only a few come close to the original. "The Thomas Crown Affair" re-make was a good one though.

Oh, yeees. Alfred Hitchcock. Trying to spot him in a cameo role in his films can be very distracting though. LOL!

I remember when James Mason and Sue Lyon did "Lolita." There was soooooooooo much controversy surrounding that film, yet today people would barely yawn. lol

And there were a few remakes of that film too. As you say, nothing comes close to the original.

My favorite "dramatic" couple from your neck of the woods was Hampstead-London England born Elizabeth Taylor (to American parents) and Wales-born Richard Burton. As I was growing up, they kept the tabloid press spinning with their individual and couple escapades. lol I have not seen anything like them since.

I miss Burton. His voice was so very memorable.....

Last night was a double-header...Dial M for Murder was one, followed by Rear Window (Jimmy Stewart), two of my favs. I recorded them on this new whatever-it-is-called thang that came with Directv...

I love the old movies on Turner Classic Movies and watch them a LOT! I also love food shows but I cannot stand Gordon Ramsey. He is a hot-head and foul-mouthed which to me, ruins the show. Nope, I channel it whenever I see him on. But honestly? That is probably the ONLY show on BBC that I don't like.

Oh geesh...what is the name of the one where all of her neighbors and even the clergy run when they see her coming? Oh yeah, Keeping Up Appearances. I was hooked on that and I've learned so much from You Are What You Eat. Kind of gross sometimes but educational.

The best of the cooking show which really shows the Chefs talents is called CHOPPED. I recommend it for many reasons, education, amusement and it never ceases to amaze me.

The other good one for food shows is TOP CHEF where a dozen newbie cooks are trying to win the competition of being named TOP CHEF and win all the amazing prizes. I never miss either show.

I LOVE "Keeping Up Appearances" starring Patricia Routledge as "Hyacinth Bucket." Each character makes me laugh til my sides split!

"Rear Window" is one of my favorites too, as well as "To Kill a Mockingbird." Our local theatre showed Mockingbird on the big screen a few years ago and my young adult son took me. He had studied the film in college, but for me it was two generations coming together to appreciate a classic film with excellent storytelling and acting. I'll never forget that experience.

I wish there were more cable stations like TCM.

I'm not familiar with "Chopped." But whenever Paula Deen is on the Food Network, I end up smiling from ear to ear as she flies from one recipe to another, making everything look so easy. She is quite the ebullient spirit!

Saturday January 2, 2010

I notice some fine British drama/acting on the tube tonight:

6:45pm ET BBC America Doctor Who: The End of Time Part One It's the Tenth Doctor's final journey - but his nemesis, The Master, has been reborn. With both determined to cheat death, they battle from London to the mysterious Immortality Gate. A terrible shadow falls across the Universe as great danger approaches. 75 min.

8:30pm ET BBC America Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 2 The Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times." 90 min.

8pm ET TCM Lolita (1962) A classic Stanley Kubrick film. Humbert Humbert (James Mason), a divorced British professor of French literature, travels to small-town America for a teaching position. He allows himself to be swept into a relationship with Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters), his widowed and sexually famished landlady, whom he marries in order that he might pursue the woman's 14-year-old flirtatious daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon), with whom he has fallen hopelessly in love. (Peter Sellers has a small role)

10pm ET BBC America Demons: They Bite The series opens as an ordinary teen (Christian Cooke) learns a shocking family secret: His great-great-grandfather was legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing. Luke Rutherford's world is thrown upside down when he learns this startling revelation about himself. With the help of his godfather and best friend, Luke must now fight the coldest of cold wars: against the undead.

Saturday January 9, 2010

On BBC America tonight: 9pm ET Demons: The Whole Enchilada Luke embarks on his first mission as a demon hunter: rescuing young children from the grips of a 2000-year-old monster named Gilgamel, who masquerades as an angel.

Sounds scary but hopefully the outcome will be good!