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First off, we want to wish a very happy Veterans' Day (or Remembrance Day) to all our readers who served their countries, and to all our readers who are thinking of a special veteran today.
If the occasion has you thinking of shows and movies about WWI and WW2, we recommend checking out these great posts by contributor Liberty White:
Yesterday marked 30 years since the premiere of Vicar of Dibley - easily one of the best British TV comedies of all time. For those not familiar with the series, it stars Dawn French as Geraldine Granger, the new female vicar in a village that's somewhat reluctant about the prospect. Sadly, much of the cast is no longer with us - but despite the age of the series, the humour remains timeless.
What we're...
- Watching: Once Upon a Time in the Midlands - Robert Carlyle and Shirley Henderson (Hamish Macbeth) come together again in this film about a small-time crook who sees his girlfriend turn down a televised marriage proposal...then decides to head back to his hometown to win her back.
- Reading: The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse - At just 288 pages, this is a relatively short read, but it's a lovely story about a man haunted by the loss of his brother in WWI. Looking for resolution, he heads to France and gets stranded in a French Pyrenees village during a snowstorm. There, he meets the mysterious Fabrissa, leading him to uncover a tragic, centuries-old mystery.
New & Upcoming
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On BritBox, the new Shaun Evans true crime drama Until I Kill You was added on the 7th. On the 14th, season 2 of Sherwood premieres with two episodes, followed by pairs of episodes on Thursdays through the 28th. On the 18th, look for the docuseries Women on the Force.
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On Acorn TV, new episodes of Whitstable Pearl continue on Mondays through the 25th. New episodes of The Midwich Cuckoos: Village of the Damned premiere on Thursdays through the 28th, and new episodes of The Graham Norton Show air on Fridays through the 29th. On the 11th, they added the Gabriel Byrne-led political drama Secret State, along with Men Up, a film about the first clinical trials for Viagra. On the 18th, look for Maternal, a 2023 series about female NHS doctors heading back to work after maternity leave. They'll also be adding the film Mysterious Creatures that day.
- On ViaPlay, the new Rebus adaptation premiered on November 7th with a binge premiere.
- On PBS Masterpiece, The Marlow Murder Club continues with new episodes weekly on Sundays.
- On AMC+ and Shudder, the horror film Black Cab premiered on November 8th. It follows two people who head home after a night out, only to realise they're trapped in the cab and being driven to a remote location.
- On Apple TV+, look for season 2 of Bad Sisters beginning on November 13th (two episode premiere + 1 weekly through December 25th). The dark comedy-thriller picks up two years after the "accidental death" of sister Grace's abusive husband.
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On Peacock, The Day of the Jackal premieres on Thursday the 14th. Eddie Redmayne stars as the Jackal, an assassin who meets his match in British intelligence officer Bianca.
- On Max (formerly HBO Max), look for The Dog House: UK's season 5 Christmas special on the 14th, along with Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.
View all the brand-new British TV premieres in the US for November 2024 HERE
More to Read...
Women in British Comedy
In honour of Vicar of Dibley's 30th anniversary, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the other retro Brit-coms (pre-2000) where a woman takes centre stage. There aren't many available to stream, but there are some gems.
- To the Manor Born - Dame Penelope Keith stars in this timeless late 70s, early 80s sitcom about a widow who loses her grand country home and finds herself living in the lodge at the edge of the grounds, taunted by the man who now owns the place.
- Absolutely Fabulous - Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star as Edina and Patsy, two self-absorbed women stumbling through life in a haze of fashion and excess, while Edina's grounded daughter looks on.
- Keeping Up Appearances - Patricia Routledge shines as Hyacinth Bucket, a snob whose desperate social-climbing efforts are hilariously undone by her chaotic family and neighbors.
These next shows are only available on DVD, and because they're rare and a bit older, the DVDs are UK-encoded - meaning you'll need a "region-free" DVD player to watch them.
- Solo - Felicity Kendal (Rosemary & Thyme, The Good Life) stars in this early 80s series about a young woman who begins life on her own after discovering her live-in boyfriend had an affair.
- Dinnerladies - This late 90s sitcom follows a group of mostly-female canteen workers at a factory in Manchester. Victoria Wood leads the cast, which also includes Julie Walters, Anne Reid, Thelma Barlow, Maxine Peake, and Celia Imrie.
- Butterflies - Though it's a family comedy, this Carla Lane-penned sitcom has surprising depth. Wendy Craig (The Royal) stars as Ria, a woman with a comfortable but boring middle-class life and an unconsummated relationship with a man called Leonard (who is not her husband). Geoffrey Palmer (As Time Goes By) plays her husband.
- Agony - Maureen Lipman plays Jane Lucas, an agony aunt who works for a radio call-in show. Though it feels a little dated today, it was groundbreaking at the time. In addition to having a female as the main character (fairly unusual at the time), storylines included topics like racism and homosexuality.
- The Liver Birds - This late 60s, early 70s sitcom follows two single women, Beryl and Sandra, who live together in Liverpool.
Everyone is welcome here in the bosom of my bosoms.
Geraldine, Vicar of Dibley
Stream it (US): BritBox
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