I don’t know about you but there is so much coming my way on Instagram, from friends and other outlets about Spring shows and films that it is giving me anxiety. Since I am a list person I thought I would organize it all into one post so that you (and I) can refer to it and don’t miss out on any of the good shows and films this Spring!
This is also the season that I purge and replenish my closet so I’ve included a few fun things I’m eyeing for the spring and summer.
What To Watch
Palm Royale: Apple + is promoting the heck out of this show staring Kristen Wiig and it is either going to be great or horrible (similar to Capote and his Swans – such a disappointment; I didn’t even finish it. Read the book instead). The premise is about Maxine, “an ambitious woman [who] aspires to cross the line between the haves and the have-nots to secure her seat at America’s more exclusive, fashionable, and treacherous table: Palm Beach high society.” The cast is incredible so I hope it is in the great category rather than the junk one – Allison Janney, Laura Dern, Leslie Bibb, Carol Burnett (!!) and even Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber are in the cast of this show. Premieres March 20 on Apple +.
The Taste of Things: Lots of buzz around this film set in 1889 staring Juliette Binoche about “the life of Dodin Bouffant as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.” Francophiles and foodies – this one is for you. In independent theatres now but most of us will likely have to wait for it to be available to rent.
The New Look: This show is actually streaming now although I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. It looks right up my alley and I can’t wait to check it out although I think they dropped the ball on the ads – the promo photo above doesn’t exactly scream fashion and glamour. I am hoping the show is a little sexier and exciting than the promos but we will see.
The show explores “the story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga, navigate the horrors of World War II and launch modern fashion.” Airing now on Apple +.
I am in a Chanel phase at the moment having had the pleasure of visiting the Gabrielle Chanel Fashion Manifesto in London over Thanksgiving. It was such a beautiful exhibit and I highly recommend visiting the Victoria and Albert museum on your next trip to London.
A Gentleman in Moscow: I don’t know if you remember this book from several years ago but there was a time when you couldn’t go to a beach or an airport without seeing it in every other person’s hands. I read it and loved it but not immediately – it took me a while to get into it, but once I did – I feel in love with the character and the story about the Russian Revolution and one man’s fictional account of his experience. Ewan McGregor is starring as the aristocrat main character Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. I really hope they do the book justice. Premieres March 29 on Paramount.
A Gentleman in Moscow – in case you never read it, I highly recommend.
Mr. Bates vs The Post Office: Truth be told, this is the series I am most looking forward to this Spring. It has already been released in the UK and has won every award there and PBS Masterpiece finally picked it up to air on Sunday, April 7. I don’t want to give it away but it is a true story told in four episodes of “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.” It stars Toby Jones, who in my view gave the best portrayal of all the actors who have played Truman Capote so far.
*Link to my Truman Capote newsletter is here and you can buy the great book about Truman and his swans here (it’s a great one to pick up for Spring Break).
Nolly: Hard to tell what this is about exactly but it doesn’t really matter because they had me at Helena Bonham Carter. Based on the ads it looks like a fun, entertaining show and I will be watching. Here’s the description from PBS, “Nolly reveals the story of Noele “Nolly” Gordon, one of the most famous faces on British TV in the 1960s and 70s, whose unceremonious firing from her hit show at the height of her career was front-page news. A bold exploration of how the establishment turns on women who refuse to play by the rules, Nolly is an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Gordon’s most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate, and heart-breaking portrait of a forgotten icon.” Premieres Sunday, March 17 on PBS.
Real life Nolly on the right hand side; Helena Bonham Carter on the left.
Steve: Is there anyone who doesn’t love Steve Martin?? I can’t wait to watch this two part documentary on his life and career. Fun fact: my parents saw him in 1976 in Las Vegas when nobody knew who he was. My dad said it was one of the funniest things he’s ever seen. If you want more – here’s an interesting article about the making of the film. Premiers on March 29 on Apple +.
The Regime: Kate Winslet is also in that category of it doesn’t matter what it is about, I am likely watching because she’s in it (hopefully you saw Mare of Easttown – amazing.) This show is getting a lot of buzz (“Kate Winslet Pushes Herself, Her Characters, to the Edge”) – “The darkly comedic, six-episode series The Regime…tells the story of life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it unravels.
After not leaving the palace for quite some time, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) becomes increasingly paranoid and unstable and turns to a volatile soldier, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), as an unlikely confidant. As Zubak’s influence over the chancellor grows, Elena’s attempts to expand her power eventually result in the palace and the country fracturing around her.” Premiered March 3 on HBO.
Wicked Little Letters: “A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, Wicked Little Letters follows two neighbors: deeply conservative local Edith Swan and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding. When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town’s women — led by Police Officer Gladys Moss — begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.” In theatres now staring the one and only Olivia Colman.
Alice & Jack: This is another one that will likely be interesting or terrible. The previews remind me a lot of the show Normal People (based on Sally Rooney’s best selling novel) which was very good but also really deep and sad. The description makes me think that there won’t be a tidy little ending like what I am used to on PBS : “When Alice and Jack first meet, they’re bound by a connection so powerful it seems nothing can break it, but will their path lead them to a place of happiness and togetherness?” Nevertheless, I will check it out.
Presumed Innocent: This show isn’t coming out until the summer but it looks promising – it is an “upcoming limited series from David E. Kelley, and J.J. Abrams’…inspired by the courtroom thriller novel of the same name by Scott Turow. Presumed Innocent was published in 1987 and was turned into a 1990 feature starring Harrison Ford. It tells the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. Premieres June 14 on Apple +.
Sugar: New show starring and produced by Colin Farrell — “Sugar is a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture and television history: the private detective story. Academy Award-nominee Farrell stars as John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.” Premieres April 5 on Apple +.
What To Wear and Buy
And now for the clothes…Spring can be challenging with all the stops and starts in the weather. Here are a few things to put in your Spring Break suitcase as well as a few to get you through the cooler mornings and evenings until summer actually begins. I also included a few things that are getting me in the Spring mood to have around the house.
By the don’t forget that you can check out my collection of Coastal Grandmother sweaters HERE. I have been wearing this one on repeat.
Green Stripe Maxi Dress
Meri Meri – I love this collection of whimsical party accessories – they have Easter decorations and candles and plates and banners and all kinds of thing you never knew you had to have.
And finally, a recipe for tomato soup that I cannot wait to try from Tastemaker Alex Hitz. He is a frequent guest at the Antiques at the Gardens event at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and is such a hoot. He also has a great cookbook that includes this recipe for tomato soup — note the second to last surprising ingredient.
Mary’s Tomato Soup
Recipe
yield: 8 cups, or 6 to 8 servings
– 3 (14- ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
– 1 1⁄2 large onions, diced
– 1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic
– 1 1⁄2 bay leaves
– 1 3⁄4 cups beef stock
– 1 3⁄4 cups chicken stock
– 2 parsley sprigs
– 3⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
– 4 1⁄2 tablespoons double- strength
– tomato paste
– 3 tablespoons very strong brewed
– coffee
– 1 cup heavy cream
