A wealth of babes tonight, yo...

[serai]

.
Eagerly awaiting tonight's Penny Dreadful. Looks like we'll get an Ethan-centric tale this time. *licks chops*

(WHEN is he gonna peel down again? I miss seeing that fine, fine hotness going about its business. *makes grabby hands*)

Also, DID YOU KNOW THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE NEW ROOTS IS ON TONIGHT??

I didn't even know they'd done a new version until a few days ago. Seriously, take a look at this:

Does that not look awesome? The guy they got to play Kinte is thirty-eight kinds of dreamy, and the production values are excellent. Am loving the fact that it looks like they're emphasizing Kinte's Muslimness, which was played down in the original series. THAT should get the wingnuts in a froth! And how perfect is casting Rhys Meyers as a slave owner? I GIVE IT A TEN THAT'S HOW PERFECT. That guy always comes off as a nasty little weasel to me. This just looks fucking great.

Did I mention that Kinte is fucking gorgeous? BECAUSE HE IS.

Comments

[addie71.livejournal.com]

I've got my DVR set to record it. It's interesting that it's playing on more than one network, too. History, A&E and Lifetime are all showing it. I'm looking forward to it!

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is GOOD to hear. The original was watched by something like 90 million people, a huge chunk of the viewing public. Incredible to imagine so much of the populace of this country doing exactly the same thing at the same time. Airing it on three different channels will be good to get as many eyes on it as possible.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

He is very beautiful. That incredible bone structure, and gorgeous, velvety skin.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

How hot is he in his blue mufti? DAMN.

[yeuxdebleu.livejournal.com]

I read Alex Haley's book and saw the original TV adaptation that aired over eight nights straight. It is estimated that 170 million people watched it. This new version looks awesome and I'm recording it. In all the things I've read about it, they say this version is much more truthful than the original.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

I remember being glued to the TV when it first aired. I was a teenager and almost completely ignorant of the historical particulars of American chattel slavery, so it was a hell of a punch in the brain. Everyone was talking about it in school that week. (Shogun was the same, remember? Cultural area that too many people didn't know anything about, huge audience, etc.)

[yeuxdebleu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I loved James Clavell's "Shogun" and ALL of his other books. I've read them all. I have "Shogun" on DVDs and just watched the entire series again a couple of months ago. Loved it. Brilliant adaptation and Richard Chamberlain was awesome in it. He was wonderful, too, in the TV adaptation of Colleen McCullough's book "The Thorn Birds." Did you see that?

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell yes. Chamberlain was the King of the Miniseries at the time. The guy could do no wrong.

When my best friend and I read Shogun, we discussed who would be good if it was ever made into a movie. We both agreed that no one else could play Blackthorne but Chamberlain. It was just so obviously HIM. So when the series was announced, we were over the moon! What an amazing series. You know that series was the reason for the explosive popularity of sushi? Japan was at the time still a rather closed culture, and not very well known around the world. Shogun came out and suddenly Japan was IT. Japanese restaurants in the US and elsewhere surged in popularity. In the weeks following the broadcast, they were swamped with customers, and a worldwide food fad was born. That show really changed things for Japan in the world.

A note on Chamberlain: I was (of course) dismayed when I found out he was gay. I asked my mom if she'd known, and she looked at me like I was crazy. "Of course I knew that," she said, laughing. "Everybody knows he's gay. It's not a secret." She was amazed I couldn't tell; she said it'd always been obvious to her. "Watch Doctor Kildare if you ever get the chance," she chuckled. Haven't yet had the chance to see any of that show, but I hope to someday.

[yeuxdebleu.livejournal.com]

I watched Doctor Kildare and had no idea Richard was gay. Even after I found out, it made no difference to me when watching Shogun and Thorn Birds. I was a music and drama major and there were many gay guys with the same major. I didn't know they were gay until we had all graduated and were living in NYC. That was my first real awareness of what being gay was about, but I learned in a hurry. I had many gay friends during my NYC years.

I never thought about Shogun having so much influence here in the US, but I can see that you're right.

The Thorn Birds is available on DVDs. You should definitely watch it sometime.