30 Days of TV -- Day 15
Day 15 -- Favorite Female Character
AUDREY fFORBES-HAMILTON (TO THE MANOR BORN)
Yes, I went old school on this one.
So, you might be wondering, WTF? WHERE IS...Dana Scully, Juliet Burke, Lisa Cuddy, Peggy Olson, Deb Morgan...where is every single female character I'd ever mentioned in conversation...WHERE IS SARA TANCREDI? Yeah, I know. I know! I gave this a lot of thought, ran through lots of possibilities, and although the final decision surprised even ME, I know it's the right one.
To The Manor Born, was, depending on where you live, very well known as one of the most popular sitcoms in BBC history, or, if like me you're at the mercy of the US networks, one of those "Best of British Comedy" series your local PBS station cycled through, along with shows like Blackadder and Are You Being Served (and many lesser series, to be sure. But I digress.)
Like so many truly wonderful characters, the difference between "great" and "awful" depends on just the right actor. Audrey is portrayed by the legendary Penelope Keith, and she embodies Audrey to perfection. She plays a woman, a recent widow, who discovers her late husband has bankrupted their estate, and must leave behind her old lifestyle. Every single event in the series springs from this event, but the show is not "about" tragedy or pain, it is only about Audrey. Audrey is vain and pampered, yet kind hearted and loyal. She neither asks for nor wants an ounce of pity, and carries herself with the kind of strength and self determination I would like to see every female character display. She is strong, and refined, and brilliant and witty. She is the single character I would most like to be like, and so she is my choice.
Oh, and the show is a comedy, so it's funny! The humor derives mainly from character, although there are flat out jokes as well. It is set in a charming English village, and the supporting cast is superb as well. It's a program not to be missed.
The run of this show was 21 episodes, from 1979-1981. In 2007 they actually did a reunion show, with the original cast and writers. It wasn't the greatest script, but it was heartwarming to catch up; see what Audrey had been up to for that 25 years that she was off camera. All our favorite fictional people should be treated with such care and respect.
-->GUYS<-- On a personal note. I am now half way through this meme, and I'm tired! I'm going to take the weekend off. I know this matters more to ME than anyone else, but the original challenge I set for myself was to go in 30 days without a break. There's part of me that just wants to keep going, but sometimes you just have to be practical. I think my future posts will be better with a rested brain. Also Mad Men is back on Sunday, and I must set aside enough time for proper flailing!
So on MONDAY...Day 16 -- Guilty Pleasure Show
AUDREY fFORBES-HAMILTON (TO THE MANOR BORN)
Yes, I went old school on this one.
So, you might be wondering, WTF? WHERE IS...Dana Scully, Juliet Burke, Lisa Cuddy, Peggy Olson, Deb Morgan...where is every single female character I'd ever mentioned in conversation...WHERE IS SARA TANCREDI? Yeah, I know. I know! I gave this a lot of thought, ran through lots of possibilities, and although the final decision surprised even ME, I know it's the right one.
To The Manor Born, was, depending on where you live, very well known as one of the most popular sitcoms in BBC history, or, if like me you're at the mercy of the US networks, one of those "Best of British Comedy" series your local PBS station cycled through, along with shows like Blackadder and Are You Being Served (and many lesser series, to be sure. But I digress.)
Like so many truly wonderful characters, the difference between "great" and "awful" depends on just the right actor. Audrey is portrayed by the legendary Penelope Keith, and she embodies Audrey to perfection. She plays a woman, a recent widow, who discovers her late husband has bankrupted their estate, and must leave behind her old lifestyle. Every single event in the series springs from this event, but the show is not "about" tragedy or pain, it is only about Audrey. Audrey is vain and pampered, yet kind hearted and loyal. She neither asks for nor wants an ounce of pity, and carries herself with the kind of strength and self determination I would like to see every female character display. She is strong, and refined, and brilliant and witty. She is the single character I would most like to be like, and so she is my choice.
Oh, and the show is a comedy, so it's funny! The humor derives mainly from character, although there are flat out jokes as well. It is set in a charming English village, and the supporting cast is superb as well. It's a program not to be missed.
The run of this show was 21 episodes, from 1979-1981. In 2007 they actually did a reunion show, with the original cast and writers. It wasn't the greatest script, but it was heartwarming to catch up; see what Audrey had been up to for that 25 years that she was off camera. All our favorite fictional people should be treated with such care and respect.
-->GUYS<-- On a personal note. I am now half way through this meme, and I'm tired! I'm going to take the weekend off. I know this matters more to ME than anyone else, but the original challenge I set for myself was to go in 30 days without a break. There's part of me that just wants to keep going, but sometimes you just have to be practical. I think my future posts will be better with a rested brain. Also Mad Men is back on Sunday, and I must set aside enough time for proper flailing!
So on MONDAY...Day 16 -- Guilty Pleasure Show