Black Narcissus, BBC One, December
Diana Rigg appears in one of her final screen roles in this lush, three-part adaptation of Rumer Godden’s tale of repression and desire set in the 1930s in the Nepalese Himalayas. Producer Andrew Macdonald is the grandson of Emeric Pressburger, who, with Michael Powell, made the famous 1947 film of the novel. That should allay the fears of those who consider remakes sacrilegious, but the series has a lot to live up to. Gemma Arterton fills the habit worn by Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh.
Bridgerton, Netflix, Christmas Day
The streaming giant has made a big move into period dramas recently, with an eye perhaps on the success of Downton Abbey. Based on a series of bestselling novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton shifts place and era but, of course, not echelon. It’s set in British high society in Regency London, where the eight siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family must navigate the intricate social rules of the time to find love—and wealth. Julie Andrews turns up as the aristocratic Lady Whistledown.
Siempre, Luis, Sky Documentaries, December 23
Lin-Manuel Miranda has called his hit musical Hamilton a “proto-immigrant story” and stated that he based his portrayal of America’s forgotten founding father on the subject of this HBO documentary—Luis A Miranda Jr, the composer’s father. Luis Miranda arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico in the 1970s, and swiftly built a career in politics, becoming an influential adviser to prominent Democrats including Hillary Clinton. The film leaves no doubt that the elder Miranda, as his son says, “is relentless.”
Diana Rigg appears in one of her final screen roles in this lush, three-part adaptation of Rumer Godden’s tale of repression and desire set in the 1930s in the Nepalese Himalayas. Producer Andrew Macdonald is the grandson of Emeric Pressburger, who, with Michael Powell, made the famous 1947 film of the novel. That should allay the fears of those who consider remakes sacrilegious, but the series has a lot to live up to. Gemma Arterton fills the habit worn by Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh.
Bridgerton, Netflix, Christmas Day
The streaming giant has made a big move into period dramas recently, with an eye perhaps on the success of Downton Abbey. Based on a series of bestselling novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton shifts place and era but, of course, not echelon. It’s set in British high society in Regency London, where the eight siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family must navigate the intricate social rules of the time to find love—and wealth. Julie Andrews turns up as the aristocratic Lady Whistledown.
Siempre, Luis, Sky Documentaries, December 23
Lin-Manuel Miranda has called his hit musical Hamilton a “proto-immigrant story” and stated that he based his portrayal of America’s forgotten founding father on the subject of this HBO documentary—Luis A Miranda Jr, the composer’s father. Luis Miranda arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico in the 1970s, and swiftly built a career in politics, becoming an influential adviser to prominent Democrats including Hillary Clinton. The film leaves no doubt that the elder Miranda, as his son says, “is relentless.”
