Chippings

We thought the addition of the deck deserved the win. In other news, somebody tell me, don't these houses already have laundry rooms elsewhere, and are these added ones adjacent to the "main" suite second laundry rooms? It was interesting that they all added laundries, but I'm certainly surprised if the houses didn't already have them.

Have to admit I was rooting for Justin, partly because he seemed to be an endearing kid, but also because he's just a freshman -- i.e. had only had several months of college -- whereas his competitors were two or three years ahead of him. I suppose many of the questions / answers aren't involving things you'd have specifically learned In College, but even so That was impressive

Although I watch quite a few remodeling shows, I hadn't yet heard of the second kitchen. Really ??! I looked it up, and found one designer in Arizona who does them. They use the word 'scullery' for the second one, which is kind of funny. It implies that the 'staff' are back there laboring over the dishes &c while the Quality Folk are socializing over their port. (?) It seems an incredibly large expense for a thing you'd only employ when you are hosting a dinner party? The solution I had was instead of a whole second kitchen, why not just put up again that wall between the dining room and kitchen that you knocked down to obtain that "open concept", several decades ago. Keeps that unsightly kitchen mess out of sight very nicely.

I also liked Made for Each Other, and especially the actor, Matt Cohen, who played David. I had seen and liked him once before, in a pretend-we're-a-couple movie with Brittany Bristow. Of course it's largely the lines they're given to say, but it was just so pleasant to see him do his thing. Of course we've seen O'Connell a lot before, he did some good work with a sort of unique character, and I enjoyed him too. And, yes, about the lead's eyebrows. Maybe it's a style just now??

Pitifully enough, I check the Dr Phil website every Saturday to see if the shows are the same new format malarkey, and actually this Monday it appears there is a catfish show! Who'd have guessed? Since many had said, months ago, that they only watched those, thought I would mention it here. (Although, so few are here these days.) But, catfish on Monday.

As I write this, they're just finishing re-running A Royal Winter from 2018, which I think was my first "favorite" Hallmark movie. Did it stick in anybody else's mind especially? It was one of Merritt Patterson's first, filmed in an actual European country (maybe Romania?), and it just caught my attention. The settings were beautiful, and I think really filmed in the winter (what a concept!). The Prince was perhaps the most seriously flawed prince they've ever shown, and the actor (Jack Donnelly) doesn't seem to have much of a bio since. But they both got to work with Samantha Bond (former 'Miss Moneypenny' in lots of James Bond movies), so that gave the thing some gravitas. She has done one Hallmark, that I know of, since. Anyway, just wanted to give it a shout out. Has it stuck in anybody else's mind over the years?

Okay, friends, as we say a reluctant goodbye to the three months steady diet of Christmas movies, can I just note the end of Crown for Christmas which has possibly my favorite line in all the movies -- "The fact is, you had me at the sewing kit." That's a rom com for you. And it didn't hurt having Rupert Penry Jones saying it.

San Francisco episode on Wednesday night -- three possible options, to meet completely conflicting requirements: Being in San Francisco and being in Oakland. I yelped when they chose the Victorian in the Haight in SF -- so many things they totally didn't want, including that stupid garage you had to share with the neighbors and negotiate every time you needed to drive in and out. The ridiculous "yard" in the Victorian (also 'shared') was a no-go too. Also when they were looking at the high-rise condo, nobody ever mentioned having to take the dog down 35 stories in the elevator to let him pee or have a run. Poor doggy! San Francisco isn't that great these days anyway -- overpriced and largely not really safe, or so I hear. Finally, it's always annoying to watch the couples with the no-compromise wife (one recently actually said "I always win"). OK, Me. Calm down. It would've been nice to see better options than these three were.

And also, heaven help him, he had to attempt an American accent in Jolly Good Christmas. As we remarked then, it was tough to listen to. I think it was charitable of the director or whoever to find an excuse for him to have the English accent in the Waltz thing.

I had come over regarding the GAC movie Christmas at the Drive-In and Neil Bledsoe's age being 16 years younger than Danica McKellar. Aliconehead corrected me that he was born in 1981, and not 1991. Thank goodness. I figured I had read the figure wrong on the screen. Just am seeing the movie again, and I see that GAC is showing his birthdate as 1991. Now I'm wondering if there's a channel to correct this? Obviously I have so much spare time 3 days before Christmas, and don't have half a dozen presents yet to wrap, that I'm spending time on this non-issue Sorry! It was just a thing. Thanks again, though, Aliconehead!

Anyone else see the CBS Sunday Morning piece on Hallmark Christmas movies? Lacey Chabert was interviewed, and two of the (female) executives. It was all super nice, naturally. I didn't learn much, except how fake snow is generated.

Oh thank goodness. I wondered his career had come this far at his tender age. Thanks for catching it! Next time I see him in one of the movies I'll squint at it again and see if I get it right. Six years off isn't quite so bad

Since nobody has said a peep on the GAC (GAF?) movie page since September, I came slinking over here to comment .. saw Christmas at the Drive-In this morning, two familiar faces -- Neal Bledsoe and Danica McKellar.. The story had them as former high school sweethearts reuniting. (O! write that idea down!) But in checking their facts, I saw to my surprise that he was born in 1991, and she was born in 1975! So, good as she looks, when she was in high school,, he was in a crib, and now he's 31 and she is 47. They looked believable enough, and maybe that's all that counts, but the 'classmates' thing is a stretch. Incidentally, also, I stumbled up something called UPTV on a channel I never saw before. Is that a known thing?

What interested me about Must Love Christmas was that it was the first time I've liked Neal Bledsoe -- or, one of his characters I actively disliked him (or, his prince character) in the Christmas Carousel thing (which I saw a little of today). But in this new one he had a really likable character, and gave him a lot of great energy. I will watch this one again. (Actually I started to like him better when he quit the GAC clan with a strong statement, but that was only a small part in my new view. )

Bankerchick, me too. I lasted 25 minutes with that one, and the parade of stupid misfortunes all in a row lost me. The heroine created some of her messes herself (including generally her preparation of the career-making model) - and the others were just out of the writer's head. No sympathy left. Will try the Haul Out the Holly thing in an hour & a half, but I've gotten cynical the last several weeks. We shall see.

Nobody has expressed it yet, but at our house we all thought Final Jeopardy was very oddly worded -- how does a Royal Estate (turned out to be 'gardens') "move" plants from one continent to another? Haven't looked up this history, but I infer somebody carried the plants from South America to Kew Gardens where they were grown for a while, and then transported to India? But the word in the question was "moved" - To us it seemed an impossible concept, phrased as it was. Was anybody else stymied by that? Maybe if worded "at this royal estate xxyy plants were cultivated for transport to India .."

While we've been talking about Beth Leavel in Ghosts of Christmas .. bringing Broadway skills to Hallmark, a couple of related notes .. Shortly she will be the lead (the Meryl Streep role) in the new Broadway musical "Devil Wears Prada." Then just today there's a rave review for Victoria Clark, who played Queen Gabriella in the wonderful One Royal Holiday, which had three other Broadway people in it. Ms. Clark is starring in "Kimberly Akimbo", which just opened on Broadway. The New York Times loves it and her. Keeping on topic the best I can, Hallmark does us a great favor when it occasionally brings us these people -- and we can add Jeremy Jordan, Santino Fontana, Krysta Rodriguez, of course Aaron Tveit and Laura Osnes. There are more ?? They bring such a great, different energy to things. Once we've met them, it's fun to track them on the stage as well. Keep it up, Hallmark!

I just looked it up. Marlo Thomas is turning 85 later this month. The movie hasn't come on here yet, but I'll check her out. That she's working at all is impressive.

Saoirse, thank you for the note that Will Kemp has signed for more movies with Hallmark! I'm glad but a little disappointed too, because I thought he was a likely successor to some Hugh Jackman roles - a very similar type, and he was in 'Van Helsing' with Jackman, evidently. But, whatever pays the rent is a good career move.

Well I saw most of Jolly Good Christmas, and my principal reaction was how marvelous it was to see so much London, outside, inside, and that huge office overlooking the city. So much walking around along the Thames, in a park, city streets at night. Awesome. Mixing our TV shows here, I also admired that kitchen of his friend's, and it struck me that I've never seen a kitchen that grand in London in any episode of House Hunters International! I adore Will Kemp in all his roles so far (chocolatier, dance instructor, and prince) - but this time I was just distracted by his labouring at the "American" accent. Hitting those "R"s so hard every time. He did a pretty good job, but I kept hearing the effort he was making, poor guy. So far as the story goes, it seemed pretty well set up - initially not hitting it off, learning more about each other, each having some personal things to work out, &c. Surprised at the "One Year Later" bit at the end where I'm pretty sure it only concerned the book, not the people? I did tune out in the middle for a while, and will watch it again to get a full sense of the story line, and see all the sights of London .. maybe a few times more.

I felt like mentioning, in this glut of Christmas movies (and my market has three channels -- Hallmark, Hallmark / Mysteries, and Lifetime, all in a row and GAC elsewhere, total of 4) -- running endlessly, the good news is that in the last two days I've re-seen two of my absolute favorites. One today was "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (an early Warren Christie, also with Henry Winkler), and the other was "One Royal Holiday", with four Broadway veterans. Both have really good scripts that were 'different' from the norm. But I guess you can't really enjoy the 'different' ones until the trope-filled ones have floated past a lot. The one new one I have hopes for is the London one with Will kemp, although I think I've seen the story-line before. Looks like a long Christmas season, and didn't they also do 'Christmas in July'? 🤔

Yes yes and yes. Been there also (but only once), and I still have pics of shipboard afternoon tea in my album. It's nostalgic to see people having it in the HHI episodes. (There! Got back on topic.)

Yes, I was surprised when the partner that had initiated the move was whining about the $5000 price, when it was exactly at her stated acceptable price (top of). The work-at-home partner never did seem awfully happy about the whole situation, altho she did like the scones. But we did get the often-heard "Well you gave up a lot to come here with me and I want you to be happy, so ..." Not sure if even that will work this time.

All through reports of the damage the Hurricane did, I kept thinking of all the houses in Florida that David has directed people to -- and indeed David himself, who says he lives in Florida also. Were any of them effected? I wonder if anybody is checking on them.

Sort of responsive to the above but not entirely, I was surprised that Hallmark premiered Girlfriendship on Saturday, entirely with Black actors, and there hasn't been a peep about it here, either about the movie itself or the emphasis on POC I started watching because I'm a big fan of Krystal Joy Brown, but her character was such a super-perfect cliche', and the principal character was so hyper-perky, that I couldn't get into it. It was obviously not the usual Hallmark tropes, but was it an okay movie?