Day: April 20, 2022

He fell into (sort of) the ultimate role

This is the sort of role actors might dream of.
It’s a guy who knows nothing … then, gradually, knows everything. He’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” in a series (shown here) debuting at 10 p.m. Sunday (April 24) on Showtime. And he’s also a master mimic.
“One of the things that was really exciting … is just the variety of it,” said Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays him. It was a giant challenge, for a guy who could have chosen a different life.
In her comedy act, Gina Yashere (the “Bob Hearts Abishola” co-creator and co-star) used to say: “In a Nigerian family, there are only four choices of jobs – doctor, lawyer, engineer, disgrace to the family.” Read more…

Best-bets for April 22: Savor some earthly delights

1) Earth Day films, Disney+. On most Earth Days, DisneyNature has a gorgeous film in movie theaters. Now, however, “Polar Bear” has gone straight to streaming; it’s one of three documentaries debuting today on Disney+.  “Explorer: The Last Tepui” has climber Alex Honnold (“Free Solo”) take a biologist to an untouched “island in the sky”; “The Biggest Little Farm: The Return” (shown here) follows the city folks who have made an 81-acre mini-farm into an eco-friendly success Read more…

A very short story

While watching the “Nature” season-finale, I learned an important fact: Storks like cork trees.
There are a lot of those trees in Portugal, with the cork bark harvested every eight years. Its branches often hold giant stork nests. I learned this while catching an advance version of the episode that airs at 8 p.m. April 27 on PBS.
Then I considered writing an epic poem. It would have a stork sitting on cork with a friend from York, brandishing a fork and studying a quark. I decided not to; it would make me seem like a dork.
(The end) Read more…