Review: Christmas At Emmerdale by Pamela Bell (2018)

For as long as I can remember, I have loved soap operas. The crazier the better. The iconic British soap "Emmerdale" first started airing in 1972 and is still going strong. I first started watching it in the 2010s and got hooked right away. Who would have guessed that so much drama and action could go down in such a small village?

"Christmas At Emmerdale" (2018), written by Pamela Bell, takes place between 1914 and 1915, when the village of Emmerdale was still called Beckindale. We follow Maggie Sugden who has been forced to marry the violent farmer Joe. She dreams of being with her true love Ralph, but his parents have forbidden him to marry someone of Maggie's class.

We also meet Rose Haywood, the daughter of the village priest. She too is in love with Ralph and therefor dislikes Maggie. However, after getting to know her rival, she starts to change her mind and they become friends. Rose also meets Mick Dingle – an Irish soldier who is in Beckindale with his two brothers Nat and Levi – and sparks start to fly.

Levi Dingle is the third and final main character. He has followed his older brothers to England to join the army. He is only seventeen so his brothers try to keep him from having to fight in the war against Germany. Levi falls in love with Rose but when he finds out that his brother is pursuing her too, he vows to come between them.

I really enjoyed "Christmas At Emmerdale" with it's cosy settings, innocent romance and tear-inducing tragedy. It's well-written and you don't have to know anything about the TV series to enjoy it, since it takes place so many years ago. But it's a nice treat for fans of the show to recognise certain names and locations.

The only negative I can think of is that the ending feels a little rushed and it's clear that they wanted to leave some storylines open in order to tease the sequel. But other than that, this is a great read for anyone who loves period dramas. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

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Review: Amanda: The Untold Story by C. E. Moore (1995)

I'm a massive fan of "Melrose Place", the over-the-top nighttime soap opera that defined the nineties. So when I found out that there was a book about my favourite character Amanda Woodward – played by Heather Locklear – I had to track it down.

As the title suggests, "Amanda: The Untold Story" (1995) – written by C. E. Moore – tells us about the character's life before the show started. Amanda has just started a job at her father's finance company and in order to avoid being treated differently for being the boss's daughter, she has taken an alias. She quickly starts crushing on her handsome co-worker Geoff. But is he really a good match for her? And how far is Amanda willing to go to get ahead in business?

"Melrose Place" was a spinoff to teen soap "Beverly Hills, 90210", and started out quite tame. But as Amanda appeared at the end of season one, the show started changing and its over-the-top drama and crazy storylines made it even better than the original series. Sadly, this book doesn't get as crazy as the series, and it felt a bit slow in the beginning. However, towards the end, more drama ensue.

I'm not a big fan of books that just retread the same story as an episode of a TV series, so the fact that this one is a prequel makes it a lot better. This is a young adult novel so it's an easy read. A bit too easy at times as I kept wishing the author would have added a few more descriptions of the different characters and locations.

"Amanda: The Untold Story" isn't amazing, but it's definitely entertaining if you're a fan of the show and want to know more about Amanda's past. I enjoyed my time with the book and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

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Desiree Coleman, Dina Carroll, Ms. Adventures and California Dreams

New CDs in my record collection: "Desire" (Japanese Edition) (1989) by Desiree Coleman, "So Close" (1993) by Dina Carroll, "Ms. Adventures" (1990) by Ms. Adventures and finally the music from nineties teen sitcom "California Dreams" (1992). Fabulous pop music!

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Angela Lansbury is dead

I'm devastated to hear that iconic Irish-British actress Angela Lansbury has died, ninety-six years old. Such sad news.

She meant so much to me personally, since I grew up watching her charming mystery drama "Murder, She Wrote" (1984-1986) together with my darling grandma Sylvia. We still love the show and try to watch it together as soon as it's on.

Angela had such a long and broad career, loved by so many. Some movie roles of hers that I especially love are Nancy in the Ingrid Bergman masterpiece "Gaslight" (1944) and Salome in Agatha Christie's "Death On The Nile" (1978). But there are so many great roles.

I'm too sad to write any longer. Another legend is gone. Rest in peace, sweet Angela.

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Tanya Roberts has passed away

I was so sad to read the news about amazing actor Tanya Roberts' death. She was only sixty-five years old with so much more to give. She was a big favourite of mine.

As a kid, I first saw her in the original "Charlie's Angels" series (one of my all-time favourites) and the James Bond movie "A View To A Kill" (1985), and I became a big fan straight away. Later, I fell in love with her all over again on "That '70s Show" and when discovering the cult classics "Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle" (1984) and "Tourist Trap (1979)".

Rest in peace, angel. You'll be terribly missed.



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Hollywood - Netflix period drama about old Hollywood

It's been quite some time since I recommended a TV series on my blog. I usually post things like this on my Facebook and Twitter pages, but this show is too special, so here we go: Today, Netflix is premiering the brand new series "Hollywood" and it's just what I love: a behind-the-scenes drama of old Hollywood.

"Hollywood" is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan and stars David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Joe Mantello, Dylan McDermott, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Jim Parsons and Patti LuPone.

The show tackles subjects like racism, sexism and homophobia, which were even worse back then. Also included are characters based on real life Hollywood legends such as Rock Hudson, Hattie McDaniel, Vivien Leigh and Anna May Wong. So don't miss out on "Hollywood". Out now on Netflix.

Check out the trailer right here:



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Margot Kidder has died

Photo: United Artists, 1969

I was so sad to hear that Canadian-born actress Margot Kidder has passed away, sixty-nine years old. I was a big fan of her work. I first started following her career as a kid, watching the "Superman" movies. Lois Lane was my favourite character and made me interested in journalism.

As a teen, I started watching horror movies and fell madly in love with the classics "Black Christmas" (1974) and "The Amityville Horror" (1976) which both starred Margot. Her character in the former, the loud-mouthed Barb, is still one of my favourite movie characters of all time.

It was also great to see her in a small but memorable role on the amazing TV series "Brothers & Sisters", playing a dear friend of Sally Field's character Nora. As an adult, I also learned that Margot voiced the character of Gaia in the animated series "Captain Planet And The Planeteers" which I had loved as a kid.

To me, Margot always came off as being strong and independent, never afraid to speak up against injustices. I was glad to read that she was a supporter of LGBT rights and an anti-war advocate. Rest in peace, Margot. You will be greatly missed.

I would like to end with a funny 2008 quote by Margot, taken from the LGBT publication The Advocate.

"I'm not choosy at all! I'll do practically anything. I'm the biggest whore on the block. I live in a little town in Montana, and you have to drag me out of here to get to L.A., so I'm not readily available. But unless it's something sexist or cruel, I just love to work. I've done all sorts of things, but you just haven't seen them because they're often very bad and shown at 4 in the morning."

Nicollette Sheridan as Dynasty's Alexis

I'm really enjoying the reboot of eighties soap opera "Dynasty", but as a fan of the original, I've been looking forward to the arrival of my favourite character: Alexis. Now, the wait is finally over. The CW just announced that the new Alexis will be played by the one and only Nicollette Sheridan, known to soap fans as Edie in "Desperate Housewives", Paige in "Knots Landing" and Taryn in the short-lived "Paper Dolls".

Sure, no one will ever beat the fabulous Joan Collins, but I'm sure Nicollette will do a great job and I can't wait to see her. If you haven't seen the reboot already, the first seven episodes of "Dynasty" can be watched on Netflix and The CW's app.

Dynasty: My Al Corley CD collection

As you probably know, I'm a huge fan och eighties soap opera "Dynasty", where the cute Al Corley played gay character Stephen Carrington. But Al wasn't just an actor, he was also a singer. This is my CD collection of Al's music: "Square Rooms" (1984), "Riot Of Color" (1986), "The Big Picture" (1988) and the remix single "Land Of The Giants" (1988).

My favourite songs of his are the italo disco sounding "Square Rooms", "Give It Up" and "Cold Dresses".

Grace And Frankie - A truly amazing show

The comedy-drama series "Grace And Frankie" follows two very different women who become friends after their husbands announce that they are in love with each other. I'm a fan of Jane Fonda so she was the main reason I decided to watch the show. But I got hooked right from the start and the show also made me a fan of Lily Tomlin, whose character is such a joy. I kind of wish I was her friend.

Watching the unlikely friendship evolve is what makes this show so great. It's also refreshing to finally see a good TV series about people over forty. It didn't take me long to watch all three seasons on Netflix. But now what? The fourth season is set to premiere in 2018. I can't wait that long to share the lives of these amazing characters. Maybe I'll just re-watch the show in the meantime.

I really recommend this series to anyone who needs some cheering up. It's truly amazing.

"Hit that perfect beat, boy"

New CD's in my record collection: "Paintings In My Mind", "Tommy Page (Japanese Edition)", "A Friend To Rely On (Japanese Edition)" and "Turn On The Radio (Promo)" by gay icon Tommy Page who sadly passed away earlier this year. "Overdrive" by Katerine Avgoustakis, "Truthdare Doubledare" by Bronski Beat, "Madness" by Australian Eurovision star Guy Sebastian, "Kings Of Suburbia (Deluxe Edition)" by Tokio Hotel and the collection "Génération TV" packed with classic TV themes.

Trailer: The Time Of Their Lives (2017)

I'm so excited to finally be able to see the trailer to the upcoming movie "The Time Of Their Lives". Starring soap icons Joan Collins and Pauline Collins, known from "Dynasty" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" respectively, and Italian actor Franco Nero. Let's hope it will be released on Blu-ray too.

"Determined to gatecrash her ex-lover's funeral on glamorous French hideaway Ile-de-Re, former Hollywood siren Helen escapes her London retirement home with the help of Priscilla, a repressed English housewife stuck in a bad marriage. Pooling their limited resources, they hit the road together by coach, ferry, car and foot in a race to get to the funeral on time, becoming entangled in a love triangle with a reclusive Italian millionaire along the way. On this unforgettable journey, they find true friendship in one another - and have the time of their lives."



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Miss Fisher And The Deathly Maze - Digital gamebook

I adore the mystery TV series "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" starring the brilliant Essie Davis as the title role. I just watched the final episode on TV. Sadly, it seems like there won't be any more seasons. Instead they are planning to make a couple of movies about a younger Miss Fisher.

While waiting for the movies, we can enjoy the newly released gamebook "Miss Fisher And The Deathly Maze" where you can take part in solving the mystery. The first episode is available to buy for iOS. More episodes will follow soon and the gamebook will also be released for more platforms.



Photo: Tin Man Games

Feud: Bette Davis And Joan Crawford

Wow! I just saw the trailer to the FX Network's new TV series "Feud: Bette And Joan", about the famous feud between classic Hollywood movie icons Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I'm a massive fan of both stars and classic movies in general so I need to see this.

But the actresses in the series are great as well. Jessica Lange plays Joan, Susan Sarandon plays Bette, Judy Davis – who was amazing as Judy Garland in "Life With Judy Garland: Me And My Shadows" – plays Hedda Hopper, Kathy Bates plays Joan Blondell and the fabulous Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Olivia de Havilland.

I hope this show will air on a channel I have or be released on Blu-ray.

Dynasty - Reboots, remakes and racism

Every time a movie or TV show is rebooted or remade, many of you – the fans – get angry. It's inevitable. "Ghostbusters" and "Annie" are two examples, and next in line is eighties primetime soap opera "Dynasty", one of my personal favourites. But what seems to anger you the most is that some characters are being cast by black and latino actors. I think you should ask yourself why that bothers you so much.

Don't get me wrong, it's totally fine to dislike the "Dynasty" reboot – even though you haven't seen one single episode yet – and the casting choices, but please leave race out of it. And before you start shouting: "I'm not racist, you PC troll", stop, take a deep breath and think about how the things you write online might come across.

I'm not saying that you are racist just because you criticise the reboot or the casting choice. But ask yourself: Would you have complained as much if the character was recast by a white actor? Probably not. Many of you have even written things like: "The PC catering has gone too far", "They are turning everyone black" and "Sammy Jo will be a man", which suggests to me that there is something more than just change bothering you.

I would like to think that "Dynasty" fans are open-minded, especially since many of us are LGBT, so we know what it feels like to be targeted simply for existing. But some of the online comments made by fans scare me. Have you forgotten how groundbreaking the original show was for having a gay main character?

I get that change can be tough, that you prefer things to stay exactly the same as they always have. But as much as we love the original show, this is a reboot, targeted at a younger audience – like most shows on The CW – who probably never heard of the original. Back when "Dynasty" originally aired, shows had at most one or two "token characters" of colour. But nowadays shows try to be more diverse, because that's what the world really looks like, it's not "all white". How is that a bad thing?

It's actually quite easy: If you don't like the reboot, don't watch it. I'm pretty sure they're not rebooting it for you anyway. Complain as much as you want about it being rebooted, but make sure you're not complaining because some of characters look different from the original, because that's shallow. If you want the original, watch the DVD's of that show. No one is taking that away from you, I promise.

I'm gay and I watch shows featuring straight characters all the time, so it's not obligatory to have a gay character to please me. But whenever one of the characters turn out to be gay, it makes me feel included, since I can easily relate to him or her. How can wanting to include others be a bad thing?

Reboots usually don't go down well with the original fans and I totally understand if you are fed up with remakes in general. I'm not saying the reboot will be good, because it hasn't even aired yet. I just wish you would stop using personal attacks and racist remarks when criticising entertainment. Because yes, that actually does make you sound racist, no matter how much you say you're not.

Riverdale - Archie Comics goes soap opera

I grew up reading the "Archie" comics and used to buy old copies in a local vintage shop. My sister loved them too and we even used to play Betty and Veronica. Now, The CW have created an exciting new TV series based on the comics, called "Riverdale".

I love discovering new drama series so I had to watch it. I must admit, I was a bit worried about the "darker" tone of the series, but after watching the pilot, I was hooked. I love the mystery and the fact that they have included so many of the characters from the comics, even smaller ones such as Josie And The Pussycats, Ethel, Cheryl Blossom, Dilton, Moose and the openly gay Kevin Keller.

The first three episodes are already on Netflix and a new one will be uploaded each Friday. So if you like teen soap operas such as "Pretty Little Liars", "Gossip Girl" and "90210", you will love "Riverdale". Fun fact is that Archie's dad is played by "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Luke Perry.

Other brilliant TV series I've recently started following: "The Crown", "The Halcyon" and "This Is Us". I highly recommend them!



Photo: The CW

The Collection - New TV period drama

I'm a huge fan of period drama series – or period soaps as I like to call them – such as "Downton Abbey", "Mr Selfridge" and "Upstairs, Downstairs". I recently started watching "The Collection" – a TV series set in a Paris fashion house during the nineteen-forties – and I'm already hooked. The series is a must for fans of period dramas or soaps in general.

My favourite character so far is the gay designer Claude, played by the charming Tom Riley. The producers of "Pretty Little Liars" and "Desperate Housewives" are involved, so you can expect a first class drama. I really hope that this amazing series will get a second season.

Season one is available on Amazon Prime, so check it out!

New Dynasty reboot coming soon

Wow! I almost died a little. There have been rumours of a reboot of the fabulous eighties soap "Dynasty" for ages, but it has been quiet lately, so imagine my surprise when I read that it's seems like it's finally happening. According to E! and the Hollywood Reporter, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage – the people behind teen soaps "Gossip Girl" and "The O.C." – are teaming up with the original creators Esther and Richard Shapiro to bring back one of the best soaps ever to The CW.

I am all for reboots, as long as some of the old actors get to make cameo roles. I would especially love to see soap queens Joan Collins, Linda Evans and Heather Locklear show up somehow, even if they won't play their old characters. Maybe the reboot format will make it impossible for them to return as Alexis, Krystle and Sammy Jo.

The only thing that worries me is that the "Melrose Place" and "Dallas" reboots got cancelled so soon. But let's hope this one does better. I mean, it's "Dynasty" for God's sake.

Melrose Place marathon

If I only get to pick one favourite soap opera, it's definitely "Melrose Place" that originally aired between 1992 and 1999. I first saw it as a kid and I recently started rewatching the whole series on DVD for the fourth time. I never get tired of it. What I love about the show is that it's not afraid to go over the top with crazy storylines and plot twists. Check out my "Melrose Place" DVD collection down below.

All seasons have been released on DVD and you can order them all from Amazon. However, the final two seasons are only available for region one, so you might need a region free player if you live in Europe. But whatever you do, don't miss out on this classic.

Hunk of the day: Rami Malek

Hunk of the day is the American actor Rami Malek, born May 12 1981 in Los Angeles. The first role I saw Rami play was Josh in the brilliant horror video game "Until Dawn". But seeing him as the troubled yet lovable hacker Elliot in the TV series "Mr. Robot" made me a fan. I also enjoyed seeing clips of him playing the gay character Kenny on "The War At Home".

Rami is incredibly charming and I really like his unique voice and his gorgeous eyes. He is also very talented and I think it's just a matter of time before we see him win an Academy Award.



Photo: Sleepindaroof