fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Amazon Top 3 Best Selling Laptops Review of 2019
By: Best Deals Of The Internet
Tags: Chromebook, Gaming, Review, Laptop, Deal

Lenovo Chromebook C330, a convertible Chromebook, is the best selling laptop on Amazon right now. Then we have Acer Aspire E 15 and Acer Predator Helios 300.

Lenovo Chromebook C330 | $258*

Buy Now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Xxh1EQ

Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop, 11.6-Inch HD (1366 x 768) IPS Display, MediaTek MT8173C Processor, 4GB LPDDR3, 64 GB eMMC, Chrome OS, 81HY0000US, Blizzard White.

Lightweight, cheap, and powerful enough to get your online tasks done.

NoteBookCheck Review: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Chromebook-C330-Laptop-Review.385986.0.html

Digital Trens Review: https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/lenovo-chromebook-c330-review/

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLhiYEN-zD8

Acer Aspire E 15 | $349.99*

Buy Now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SAjzOQ

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i3–8130U, 6GB RAM Memory, 1TB HDD, 8X DVD, E5–576–392H

Budget laptop and powerful enough to get your office’s task done. Great for browsing online or home usage.

Review: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/acer-aspire-e15-e5-576-392h

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEM0rn2oXSY

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop | $999*

Buy Now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T8vZTh

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh Rate, Intel 6-Core i7–8750H, Overclockable GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315–51–78NP

If you want to get the best gaming performance within $1K, this is the one.

Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlznZd1FiQs

Review: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3346259/acers-powerful-kitted-out-predator-helios-300-gaming-laptop-just-dropped-under-1-000.html

Techradar: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/acer-predator-helios-300

Comment what you like or not.
Coisa De Nerd offers NordVPN discount to stay safe online
By: Silvano Bennet
Tags: Coupon, Discount, Deal, Privacy, VPN

Leon Oliveira Martins is a YouTube content maker. He’s best known for ‘Coisa De Nerd’, a channel for gamers. He’s not the only face of the channel, many videos are made with his wife Nilce together. The channel is mostly about gaming, comedy and reviewing weird stuff. The duo’s videos about Minecraft, Pokemon GO, Rocket League, and Poly Bridge went viral and gained a lot of followers. At the moment ‘Coisa De Nerd’ has about 9.2 million subscribers and the number is rapidly growing. Gaming is not the only subject that matters to Leon, he also mentions how important security online is, and recommends using NordVPN for protection.

How to get the Coisa De Nerd NordVPN deal?

All you need to do is click the link below, and enjoy the deal it gives:

Coisa De Nerd coupon code for NordVPN offers 65% OFF the 2-year NordVPN deal. The price per month is only $4.13 (final price —$99). You don’t have to type in the code manually, everything will be done automatically for you!

Coisa de Nerd offers 65% OFF NordVPN’s 2-year plan

Who is Leon Oliveira Martins?

Leon created his channel on 2009 and uploaded his first video (which was about Castlevania game for PSP) in 2010. A few next videos were about different PSP models, and then he discovered the game Minecraft. He made a bunch of videos on it and now is known for being one of the introducers of Minecraft in Brazil. The content creators of the ‘Coisa De Nerd’ channel are considered as one of the five most influential people in Brazil among young people. It’s no wonder why as they were one of the first Brazilian YouTube channels to reach 1 billion views and have that huge following.

Coisa De Nerd channel recommends NordVPN as their security choice, but they aren’t the only one. Unbox Therapy, Alec Steele and Domics also know how important anonymity online is.

Why get NordVPN?

NordVPN has a strict no logs policy, so you can be sure that neither ISP or the Government is monitoring your activities. Other than that, it’s based in Panama, a privacy-friendly country.

It has more than 5000 servers all around the globe. And still counting!

NordVPN allows up to 6 simultaneous devices.

The SmartPlay feature helps to access streaming sites, like Netflix, Hulu and many more.

NordVPN has many additional features, for example, Double VPN for extra security allows P2P activities and has a CyberSec feature which blocks malicious ads.
Andrei Terbea provides with NordVPN discount coupon — grab the special deal now
By: Jay Humphy
Tags: Coupon, Discount, Deal, Privacy, VPN

Andrei Terbea is a Romanian YouTuber-animator who mostly makes his animated style videos about various YouTube and YouTuber related topics. Andrei does not shy away from controversial themes or criticism, and his animated videos make it easier to understand what is going on and so on. Andrei has published videos about famous YouTubers like Pewdiepie and Logan Paul, sharing his opinions about the two. Amidst all the drama, Andrei does not forget to highlight how important personal data and security is, thus recommends getting a cybersecurity tool — NordVPN.

How to get Andrei Terbea’s discount coupon?

You can get the discount with only one click on the link:

Andrei Terbea’s NordVPN discount coupon will be automatically applied once you click on the link. At the checkout, you will see that a 70% discount is applied, all you need to do is choose how you want to pay and that is it. You don’t need to do anything else to get the discount, all the hard work is already done, you just need to enjoy the peace of mind you’ll have.

What does the discount coupon code offer?

Andrei Terbea’s coupon code will give you a 70% discount to NordVPN’s 3-year subscription plan. Andrei encourages his viewers to get a VPN for online security, especially at this day and age. A VPN protects your personal information and lets you bypass any geo-restrictions by connecting to servers all around the globe.

Who is Andrei Terbea?

Andrei Terbea created his YouTube channel back in 2013, which is mainly an animation styled channel, but he rose to fame after releasing his controversial video “How KSI Saved Logan Paul’s Career” gathering over 14 million views and boosted Andrei’s popularity immensely. Andrei’s animated videos about YouTube and YouTuber content have gained him about 1,5 million subscribers. While some of Andrei’s topics might seem controversial, his animation style is fun to watch and he shares his thoughts in a simple and understandable manner.

Andrei Terbea is one of the many YouTubers who recommend getting NordVPN, other animator channels like Meet Arnold, Alan Becker as well as OverSimplified and others also promote this cybersecurity product.

Why NordVPN?

Andrei gives you a few more reasons why you should choose NordVPN:
Pyrocynical NordVPN discount coupon code— learn how to get the special VPN deal
By: Julian Kenmet
Tags: Discount, Deal, Coupon, Privacy, VPN

Niall is the person behind the British Pyrocynical YouTube channel. The YouTube channel is a mix of various topics, most often they are about video games, trends and commentary. Niall has experimented and changed the video format and content quite a lot, but his viewers and subscribers keep coming back for more, therefore he has about 3 million subscribers on YouTube. Whatever the Pyrocynical channel talks about — the audience listens, and there’s no surprise there, as Niall’s sense of humor and sarcasm keeps them coming back for more. In his most recent video, Pyrocynical talks about how advertisers can easily get your personal information. To avoid that, he recommends getting NordVPN as a security product.

How to get Pyrocynical’s discount coupon?

Very easy, just click on the link below:

Pyrocynical NordVPN discount coupon will be automatically applied once you click the link. You will see the 70% discount applied at the checkout and you won’t have to input the code manually. At the checkout, all you’ll have to do is choose the payment method and that’s it — enjoy the premium VPN service!

What does the discount coupon code offer?

Pyrocynical discount coupon code gives a 70% discount to the NordVPN’s 3-year deal. With the applied discount, the whole price comes down to just $3.49 per month. Pyrocynical stretches how important a VPN is, because your information is easily seen and can be sold to advertisers and other 3rd-parties. Your Internet Service Provider sees everything you do online and by getting a VPN, you’re putting an end to that.

What is Pyrocynical?

Like it was mentioned before, Niall is the person responsible for the British Pyrocynical channel. He has amassed a few million of subscribers, especially knowing that the YouTube channel was only created in 2013. While at first he created various montage parodies, he later started shifting towards a commentary video style. Niall mixed up his video topics and styles a lot, settling down for more of a trending topic commentary one. His sarcasm and the ability to not take everything too seriously is what draws the viewers in.

Pyrocynical also collaborated with another YouTube channel that promotes NordVPN — Memeulous. And these aren’t the only YouTubers to encourage using this security product, the likes of Call Me Kevin and Destery Smith as well as others recommend getting this VPN.

Why NordVPN?

Pyrocynical gives you a bunch of reasons as to why you should get NordVPN:
Use Casey Neistat NordVPN discount coupon and secure your online activities
By: Silvano Bennet
Tags: Coupon, Discount, Deal, Privacy, VPN

Casey Owen Neistat is a famous American filmmaker, YouTube personality and a co-founder of the multimedia company named Beme (now acquired by CNN). Casey is best known for his YouTube channel, which has 10 million subscribers already, so it makes him one of the most successful bloggers on YouTube! In his videos, he’s documenting his life, experimenting and trying out new things (like eating real gold chicken or trying the first flying car). Casey likes to discuss various topics, and Internet security is not an exception. He mentions that nowadays, protecting our devices is essential, and for that reason recommends using NordVPN.

How to get the Casey Neistat NordVPN discount?

It’s easy, only one step to get the offer. Click on the link below:

Casey Neistat coupon code for NordVPN gives a 72% discount for the special 2-year deal. Its only $3.30/month and you can get 3 months FREE! All you need to do is just click the link and the discount will appear automatically, no need to type it in.

Click here to get Casey Neistat deal for NordVPN with 72% OFF!

Use Neistat coupon code to get 72% OFF

Who is Casey Neistat?

In one interview Casey said that from a young age, he considered film-making to be the highest form of arts, and dreamed to win an Academy Award one day. This is why he took every opportunity that came his way — he wanted to get as much experience as he could. Casey is the writer, editor and the star of the series “The Neistat Brothers” on HBO. He won the John Cassavetes Award for producing the “Daddy Long Legs” movie and released a bunch of short films on the Internet, which have been viewed over a million times in the last three years. Filmmaking is not the only field Casey works in, last year he founded “368” — a creative space for content creators to collaborate and switch ideas.

Casey Neistat is not the only YouTuber who recommends NordVPN as his security choice. The Young Turks, Internet Comment Etiquette and Boogie also know how important the anonymity online is.

Why NordVPN?

Casey has some good reasons why NordVPN is a good choice:

NordVPN offers a solution for countries with strong censorship, like China.

It has a built-in ad blocker that will get rid of those annoying ads, a kill-switch, P2P servers, etc.

Military-grade encryption will let you be 100% anonymous and secure online.

Is recommended by big tech players in the market, like PCMag, Techadvisor and more.

NordVPN is based in Panama, a place where no mandatory data retention laws exist, so it’s a perfect place for a privacy product. Also, it has a strict no logs policy, so you can be sure that no one is monitoring your activities.

If you would like to receive an exlusive Casey Neistat deal for $3.30/month, just click here.
Use Luzu’s exclusive NordVPN deal and start surfing online securely
By: Yuri Palmonson
Tags: VPN, Coupon, Discount, Deal

Luzu or Borja Luzuriaga Vazquez is a popular Twitch streamer and YouTuber. His content on both platforms is quite the same, and it’s all related to gaming. On his Twitch platform, he has around 778k followers and uploads videos of him playing and commenting on such games as Fortnite, Minecraft, and PUBG. While on the Youtube channel, LuzuGames, he has over 10 million subscribers and mainly has live streams of him playing Minecraft. Luzu is from Spain, and even though he lives in LA, he speaks Spanish during his videos. Since he spends so much time on the internet, he understands and tries to educate his viewers about the importance of security online. For that reason, he recommends using NordVPN and surfing online securely.

Take the best possible deal!

Use Luzu’s advice and take care of your online security. Use his special deal and get NordVPN with a 70% discount, secure yourself online for only $3.49/month with a 3-year plan.

Follow this link to apply the discount code automatically

To secure all your devices, click here and download the software for iOS, or if you want to download it from Google store, you can do it by clicking here.

Why get NordVPN?

This premium VPN provider offers a strict no-logs policy and doesn’t store connection and usage logs, which is very important when choosing a VPN. Another worth mentioning detail is that it’s based in Panama, meaning it doesn’t have to stick to mandatory data retention laws or other legal obligations that require logging users’ data. Not only can it be used for security purposes, but also with features like kill-switch and P2P servers, you’ll be able to torrent securely. Furthermore, NordVPN helps to unblock geo-restricted content for such popular streaming websites as Netflix, Hulu, BBC, etc. Moreover, it has one of the largest networks with over 5000 servers in 60 countries, so those users who are into gaming can get great pings and high speeds.

What is a Virtual Private Network?

Virtual Private Network is a widely known online security tool that helps the users to surf online anonymously and securely. It encrypts the users’ internet traffic, so that way, information coming from users’ devices to the internet is protected. This tool also helps to avoid such intruders as hackers, internet service providers, or even the government. Although VPN’s primary purpose is security, it is also widely used for torrenting, gaming, streaming, and using a wireless network in public places like coffee shops, airports, etc.
Destiny YouTube streamer is giving away a discount for NordVPN
By: Robert Welsh
Tags: Cybersecurity, Discount, Deal, Privacy, VPN

Life is complicated. You’ve probably heard this before and witnessed it for yourself when you’re in a situation that requires a complex solution. It’s no shame to look for help, actually, it’s advisable, and more and more people are turning to informative videos to help them understand the surrounding reality. Destiny is one of those channels that will cover various topics regarding contemporary life, it talks about politics and philosophy, does debates and reactions, frequently you will find a high-quality video game footage in there. This time you can find a piece of advice to use NordVPN for privacy protection, and a generous discount too.

How to get Destiny NordVPN discount?

Destiny is well aware of the complexity of social life, and he is well aware that online dangers are becoming more and more destructive. That’s why he’s suggesting a privacy protection software NordVPN, which will save you a lot of trouble. With his exclusive coupon code, you can get the service with a 70% discount for just $3.49/month for a three-year plan. Download the software from Google store via this link, or click here to download it for iOS.

Click here to get the special 70% NordVPN discount from Destiny

How can you benefit from NordVPN?

One of the main reasons people are turning to VPNs is online privacy protection. These days your data is being gathered by popular social networks, various data-mining companies, or even cybercriminals. NordVPN secures your Internet connection and applies military-grade encryption, which assures that your data-flow is indecipherable for outside spectators and remains private.

Another useful thing is bypassing geographical restrictions. You’ve probably seen those nasty announcements that “this video is not available in your country.” Or maybe you have wondered why you don’t have some TV shows on Netflix that your friends in the USA enjoy? It’s all because of geo-blocks, and by using NordVPN, you can change your IP address and “pretend to be in another country”, which will unlock you full streaming libraries and grant access to previously blocked videos.

Who exactly is Destiny YouTube streamer?

His full name is Steven Kenneth Bonnell II, and he’s an American Twitch streamer and YouTube personality. An interesting fact — he’s one of the first people that committed to streaming full-time and is considered a pioneer of the emerging industry. He began as a professional Starcraft 2 player who live-streamed his matches, but over time the channel became much more than that, and now has 229k subscribers on YouTube alone.

However, he’s a pretty controversial personality, and maybe you’ve missed his insights because you’re not a gamer. Luckily, YouTube is a place of many channels, and you will definitely find some to your liking. I would recommend Daniel Schiffer for those who are interested in film-making, or The Damage Report for latest world news and political trends. Both of them are recommending NordVPN for cyber-protection.

Don’t wait any longer and start protecting yourself with NordVPN
History with Hilbert YT channel is recommending NordVPN with a discount
By: Michael Mcconnel
Tags: Cybersecurity, Discount, Deal, Privacy, VPN

History is a fascinating subject, so much has happened in the world since the dawn of men, that it’s hard to run out of topics when talking about history. History with Hilbert is one of those YouTube channels that will charm you with informative videos on different historical subjects. Maybe you’re interested in the Viking Age and how it went in the Netherlands? Or have you asked yourself a question why is French spoken in Canada? You’ll find the answers in this channel. You’ll also find another interesting thing is there — a recommendation to protect your privacy with NordVPN.

How to get History with Hilbert NordVPN deal?

Hilbert knows a lot about history, and he knows there’s frequently dangers in particular epochs. One of the risks unique to our life is cybercrime, and he recommends using NordVPN, a privacy protection software for security. Furthermore, he offers a 70% discount for it, which will lower its cost to just $3.49/month for a three-year plan. You can get the service from Google Store here, or click this link to download it from Apple store.

Click here to get the 70% NordVPN discount immediately

Why should you use NordVPN?

The VPN industry is expanding, and with a good reason — cybercrime is on the rise and protecting yourself online is of utmost importance. NordVPN is a privacy protection service that secures your Internet connection and protects it from malicious hackers. First of all, it creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and one of its service, and the encryption ensures that no third party can take a look at your browsing activities and steal confidential data.

But there’s more than that. NordVPN is a no-logs service — it will not store any browsing data on its servers, so there’s no chance of retrieving data from there also. Additionally, you can turn on CyberSec feature to enable protection against malware, phishing, disable trackers, and block annoying Ads. All this wrapped in one easy-to-use software. It’s a huge boost to your online safety, and 14 million NordVPN users can confirm that.

Who exactly is History with Hilbert?

This YouTube channel was created in February 2016, and since then has gathered 219k subscribers that generated 24 million views. It’s full of entertaining content, and you will find it neatly separated into different playlists. It’s not focused on one particular historical epoch but produces content on simply exciting events that happened over many thousands of years.

However, maybe you’re not that much into history or just missed this channel. YouTube is a big place, and there are many more channels to watch, and I can recommend two, which I hope you’d like. If you’re more into technology news, check Ivan on Tech YT channel. Or if you’re interested in politics, then VisualPolitik EN will not leave you disappointed.

Both of these channels are also recommending NordVPN for privacy protection.

So don’t wait any longer and get this premium VPN service 70% OFF
[Freebie] 18 Logo Templates & 40+ Elements (Ribbons, Badges, Ornaments)
By: Jacob Cass
Tags: Freebie, Deals, Logo Design

Logo template packs are a great way to deconstruct logos and learn from the experience, especially for beginners.

This elegant pack of logo assets from Vexels can be used to create your own logos, in a modern hipster style. Simply update the type and graphics.

Please note, I don’t recommend using these exact logos for actual client work (every logo should be unique!). These are provided so you can get inspiration from the style and layout and then make it your own. The ornaments and badges are also handy time-savers.

This logo asset pack features curled rounded lines and a beautiful color palette which can easily be edited. This free logo asset pack contains 18 finished logos with text and symbols and 40+ elements such as ribbons, badges, ornaments and many more that will make your designing as easy as it can get.

Download Free Logo Asset Pack (7mb)

Fonts Used in the Logo Template Pack

We can’t bundle the fonts used in the pack due to licensing, but the fonts are all available for free download here:

Download Free Logo Asset Pack (7mb)
How to Calm Your Nerves for a TV Interview
By: Bora Communications
Tags: Interview, Nervousness, Tv Interview, TV, Media Relations

Chat with the Interviewer

Speak to the interviewer before the interview, discuss the type of questions you should be expecting and get to know the interviewer a little to help you feel comfortable talking to him or her during the interview. Knowing what to expect really helps to calm your nerves.

Appearance

To prevent being self-conscious about your appearance, wear whatever makes you look good, feel comfortable, and confident.

Arrival

On the day of the interview, make sure you avoid rushing. The worry about being late, not preparing well enough, all this can trigger anxiety. Before the interview begins, take as much time as you can to gather your thoughts.

You are the EXPERT

No matter how scared you are, remember you are an expert in that field. So whenever questions are thrown at you, feel confident to come up with an answer because you are very familiar with the topic being discussed.

Posture

The way you position yourself is very important, sitting comfortably but attentively is necessary to make sure you can complete the interview without having to fret. Make a conscious effort to breathe evenly and try to focus on what the interviewer is saying, no matter how nervous you are. If you feel your hands shaking, do not fold your arms or clasp your hands in your lap instead try to calm the shakes and use them to make gestures as you speak.

Smile

Remember to smile often, not only does this project a relaxed and confident image to your interviewers but it will help you feel more relaxed and positive.
My 10 Favourite TV Series of the 2010s
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Features, TV, 2010, Culture, Television

Hannibal (2013–15)

The idea of doing Hannibal Lecter for television sounded terrible. The character had worked on the page and at the movies, but could it work on a weekly basis for mainstream primetime television? Anthony Hopkins was also synonymous with the role thanks to Silence of the Lambs, so what chance did someone younger and more “foreign” have compared to Sir Tony? And it’s from the creator of bright and breezy fantasy drama Pushing Daisies?

Amazingly, Hannibal accomplished everything it wanted to. This was seriously dark and frightening TV, broadcast on NBC (a major network, not cable or streaming), who kept it alive for three seasons — thanks partly to how it was co-financed and didn’t present a massive financial burden for them. Mads Mikkelson made for an excellent Dr Lecter, of course, but the beauty of the show was in the dynamic between his character and fragile FBI analyst Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Theirs was a compelling and twisted relationship that was intellectual, emotional, and sexual. Lecter loved Will so much he wanted to eat him up — literally — and Will was strangely obsessed with the apex predator of a type he’s trained to outsmart.

And, oh man, the baroque and grotesque imagery! There’s indelible nightmare fuel here, from gruesome crime scenes to horrifying torture sequences and unsettling dreams. Every episode has something to make you gasp or giddy, but also giggle as you start to become strangely attached to Hannibal and his unique approach to life and death, art and food, good and evil. There’s a reason this show inspired an obsessive fandom (the Fannibals) who made amazing artwork celebrating the “gay love story” at the heart of the show. We’ve been teased with the idea of a revival, to remake the only missing piece of the Hannibal canon (The Silence of the Lambs), and let’s hope it happens before everyone ages too much!
PBS Announces Programming on YouTube
By: Seton Melvin
Tags: Media, Broadcasting, TV, Pbs, YouTube

Youtube Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

Based in New York, Seton Melvin serves as the director of Mount Sinai Hospital’s brain donor program, the first center in America dedicated to studying brains that have been affected by clinically documented injuries. Away from her work, Seton Melvin is a financial supporter of programs on TV’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

PBS recently announced that over 100 of its local member stations are now sharing live content via YouTube TV. This live-streamed programming will reach over 75 percent of American households. Additional features include of on-demand offerings, PBS Kids channels, and other programming. More stations are expected to launch such service this year.

To find out what is available from PBS via YouTube, viewers can visit the PBS schedule or the YouTube TV line guide. Some of the most popular PBS shows currently being carried include Antiques Roadshow, Nature, American Experience, and Frontline. Children’s PBS shows available on YouTube include Sesame Street, Odd Squad, Wild Kratts, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, to name a few.
Masters of Horror episode review — 1.6 — Homecoming
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Masters Of Horror, Zombies, Satire, TV, Horror

Original air date: December 2, 2005

Director: Joe Dante

Writer: Sam Hamm (short story by Dale Bailey)

Rating: 7/10

This episode is a bit sloppy, but it’s effective political satire nonetheless. It’s thinly veiled, and it’s incredibly obvious in what it has to say, but it also communicates its message quite effectively.

Seeing Bush-era political commentary is a little weird, because it feels like the world — and the country, in particular — has changed so much since then.

We follow two political figures — one a campaign insider, and one who’s basically just Ann Coulter.

When on a talk show, the President’s campaign advisor (Jon Tenney), asserts that he wishes that the dead soldiers from Iraq could come back, because then they’d explain that they died for a good cause and are proud of what they fought for. He gets his wish, but only with the soldiers who aren’t pleased with why they died…which is a lot of them.

It’s an interesting twist on the zombie genre, because they’re not out there trying to kill people. Instead, they just want to vote President Bush out of office so that no more soldiers will die.

There are a couple effective scenes, and a few that are quite funny. Robert Picardo’s kind of hilarious as one of the President’s top advisors — a man who is desperate to find a zombie soldier to endorse the President.

There’s kind of an odd twist with the Jon Tenney character later in the episode that I didn’t much care for. So the episode kind of goes off the rails a bit, but with such a strong premise, it’s still well worth your time.
TV Picks: 25–31 May 2020
By: Dan Owen
Tags: UK, TV, Listings, Tv Picks, Television

— LATE SPRING BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY —

★ GROW YOUR OWN AT HOME WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH — ITV, 8.30PM.

New horticultural series with tips and advice for growing fruit and vegetables. (1/3)

Also watch:

Jay Blades’ Home Fix — BBC1, 10am. New series with advice for saving money around the home and garden. (1/10)

— TUESDAY 26th —

★ BAKE OFF: THE PROFESSIONALS — CHANNEL 4, 8PM.

Series 3 of the Bake Off spin-off with professional bakers producing various delights. Hosted by Tom Allen & Liam Charles with judges Benoit Blin & Cherish Finden.

Also watch:

Little Ships: The Miracle of Dunkirk — BBC2, 7pm . Documentary about Dunkirk and the 700 boats that helped evacuate thousands of Allied troops in 140.

. Documentary about Dunkirk and the 700 boats that helped evacuate thousands of Allied troops in 140. A House Through Time — BBC2, 8pm. Series 3 of the show tracing the history of buildings, starting with an 18th-century sea captain’s house near Bristol’s docks. (1/4)

— WEDNESDAY 27th —

★ BRITAIN’S UNSUNG HEROES — CHANNEL 4, 9PM.

New series celebrating key works during the COVID-19 pandemic, who continues to work while putting their own health and lives at risk.

— THURSDAY 28th —

★ THE FIRST TEAM — BBC2, 9.30PM.

New comedy about three young footballers and their Italian manager and eccentric chairman. Starring Jake Short, Jack McMullen, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah, Chris Geere & Tamla Kari. Created by Iain Morris & Damon Beesley (The Inbetweeners). (1/6)

Also watch:

Football, Prince William, and Our Mental Health — BBC1, 8.05pm . Documentary following the Duke of Cambridge’s work to break the taboo over people’s mental health.

. Documentary following the Duke of Cambridge’s work to break the taboo over people’s mental health. Britain’s Best Parent?— Channel 4, 8.05pm. New series where 12 families with different parenting styles compete against each other. Presented by Anita Rani.

— FRIDAY 29th —

★ SPACE FORCE — NETFLIX.

New US workplace comedy about a group of people in the United States Space Force. Starring Steve Carrell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers & Tawny Newsome. (All 10 episodes released.)

— SATURDAY 30th —

★ ALAN CARR’S EPIC GAMESHOW — ITV, 8.15PM.

New series featuring updated versions of classic TV gameshows, from The Price is Right, Take Your Pick, Strike it Lucky and Bullseye. This episode begins with Play Your Cards Right. Contestants are Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, comedian Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie, presenter Ore Oduba and his wife Portia, and singer-actress Martine McCutcheon and her husband Jack McManus.

— SUNDAY 31st —

Nothing. Order some paint and do the shed?
I’m Alan Partridge episode review — 2.6 — Alan Wide Shut
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Comedy, British, TV, Alan Partridge, Television

Original air date: December 16, 2002

Director: Armando Iannucci

Writers: Armando Iannucci, Steve Coogan, and Peter Baynham

Rating: 7/10

The unsold copies of Alan’s book are due to be pulped, but that’s not how this episode starts out, of course. It starts like all the other episodes of this series, with a bit from Alan’s radio show: my favourite one yet.

Alan receives a call from someone who “fears he may be a gay.” Because he wants him to be anonymous, Alan only uses his Christian name, so he refers to him as Domingo from Little Oakley.

Alan’s house is now complete, so he gives the construction workers a copy of his book as a thank you. He tries to fight off Sonja’s desires to move in with him. His eventual solution is that she move into the caravan, while he lives in the house.

One of the biggest issues with Alan’s book is that he uses the phrase “needless to say, I had the last laugh” 14 times, even though he claims he’s actually had the last laugh 25 times.

This might be my least favourite episode of the season, and of the show overall, but it obviously has its highlights.

I like the radio interview that Alan does, “Prayer Wave,” when Alan tries to compare himself to the other person being interviewed, and his interviewer assumes he meant the title Bouncing Back as an ironic title.

She finds that the book is full of joy, but mostly the joy at other people’s misfortunes.

And the flashback to Alan being addicted to Toblerone will never not be funny.

So it’s an alright end to the series, appropriately depressing, but it could have been a better sendoff.
Friday the 13th: The Series episode review — 1.19 — The Quilt of Hathor
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Friday The 13th, Horror, TV, 1980s, Television

Original air date: May 7, 1988

Director: Timothy Bond

Writer: Janet MacLean

Rating: 6/10

The first two-parter in the series (no idea if it’s also the last, as I haven’t looked ahead) starts off with what I thought was a period setting. Turns out it’s just some weird fictional religious group, clearly based off the Amish.

And the object in question is some kind of quilt, and how it kills people isn’t really clear, but it gets a bit clearer in the second part.

So an old lady from this village comes to the Curious Goods store because she knows a bit about the quilt. For some reason, Jack doesn’t go to the village, but Ryan and Micki will have to do their part, and they’re told to dress plainly. Micki’s even slut shamed.

So the people of this religion are basically Amish with a good mix of Footloose in there, as music is apparently forbidden. Ryan meets a beautiful young woman, Laura (Carolyn Dunn) who’s singing, and he dances with her a bit, before it’s all interrupted and his life is threatened.

Ryan’s basically put on trial before the Reverend Josiah Grange (Scott Paulin), the father of the woman he danced with, whom he soon falls in love.

While the issue is clearly taken seriously, both Laura and Micki come to Ryan’s defense. But when another person or two die, Ryan continues to be a suspect. The fact that he and Micki are sneaking around the village looking for shit doesn’t help, as well.

Eventually Ryan has to fight a guy above burning coals. Sort of a trial by combat thing. Sort of a Wicker Man thing (we’ll see more of this in the follow-up).

The episode ends very anticlimactically. Micki gets the quilt and is ready to head back home, but Ryan elects to stay with Laura. It’s a very abrupt love story, and you’re fairly certain that Laura’s not going to become a series regular, so it’s probably safe to say this will all wrap up cleanly in the next episode. Still, Louise Robey’s performance is solid here, as she seems genuinely upset that Ryan won’t return with her.

Anyways Micki returns home with the quilt, but Jack discovers that the quilt is actually a fake, and therefore Ryan is still in danger.

This episode has its moments for sure, but it’s sort of an average episode for the series so far. The drama with Ryan isn’t too well handled, and I really liked Micki in this episode, but it’s disappointingly Ryan-centric.
The Sopranos episode review — 4.3 — Christopher
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Drama, Tv Reviews, TV, HBO, The Sopranos

Original air date: September 29, 2002

Director: Tim Van Patten

Writer: Michael Imperioli (story by Michael Imperioli and Maria Laurino)

Rating: 7/10

Given that this episode focuses mostly on the Italian-American obsession with Christopher Columbus, and his increasing controversy, I was pretty disinterested with this episode at the start. Tony and the others are just not having it as local Native American groups protest the holiday, as AJ learns about how Columbus was bad in school.

It’s just not the most interesting stuff, and I’ve honestly never really understood this obsession. But then the episode takes a turn, in like the last scene.

In the car with Silvio and Christopher, Tony really quite beautifully articulates the American dream of working for what you earn, and not blaming others for your failures. You can go ahead and say it’s an incredibly privileged point of view and I wouldn’t disagree, but it’s great writing and acting that captures this character so well. It elevates what is otherwise one of the worst episodes of the series so far.
Musician Documentaries + Docu-Series
By: Nhyira M
Tags: TV, Film, Leisuredback, Music, Musicians

Famous musicians, from all genres, certainly have a firm grip in the film/streaming industry, with producers, directors and composers waiting to show never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of personal life, as well as their work life, over the last 2 decades or so. With Taylor Swift’s ‘Miss Americana’ doc, Justin Bieber’s YT Docs ‘Seasons’ and ‘Justin Bieber: Next Chapter’ + his films ‘Never Say Never’ etc.., Billie Eilish’s doc ‘The World’s A Little Blurry’ and Ariana Grande’s doc ‘excuse me, I love you’, just to name a few, they certainly look to be yet another long, on-going tradition. And there’s really no wondering as to why anyone would find them entertaining; I mean, who doesn’t want to see behind the exterior to see their real personalities? Their thoughts, opinions & views?

Justin Bieber Docs

So, to the public, I’m sure a pretty accurate description of Justin’s life and career would be: YT musician with potential → teen heartthrob → internet sensation → spoilt rich kid, delinquent → teen rebel → negative influence → matured musician, professional & matured human. Well, that’s just what we, as the audience, see. But, what was actually going through his mind as Scooter Braun contacted him after his YT discovery? What were his feeling going from a 13 y/o kid from London, Canada, raised by a single mum, to a popstar with global recognition? What was going through his mind when he was arrested for DUI?

The YouTube Docu-Series, along with the films he did before give a unique and unparalleled view JB. And the YT ones in particular show a matured version of himself; his marriage to Hailey, how he’s still affected from the drugs he took a lifetime ago, how he copes with lyme disease, and shows him looking back on his journey so far, at 26 years of age. They also show him in the studio, and his relationship with God.

‘Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman Diaries’

This documentary is more of a concert film, with BTS footage, and focuses on the extraordinary singer’s tour for her ‘Dangerous Woman’ album.

‘How to be Anne-Marie’

This documentary, focusing on Essex singer Anne-Marie, is styled a bit more like Bieber’s. It also goes back to her childhood town, even interviewing teachers, and shows her chatting to fellow British musicians Little Mix, and is holistically an intriguing series. Check it out on YouTube.

Other Musician Docs Include:

- Billie Eilish : ‘The World’s A Little Blurry’ → Netflix

- Demi Lovato: ‘Dancing with the Devil’ → YouTube

- Shawn Mendes: ‘Shawn Mendes: In Wonder’ → Netflix

- Taylor Swift: ‘Miss Americana’ → Netflix

- Jonas Brothers: ‘Chasing Happiness’ → Amazon Prime Video

******************************************************************

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Monk episode review — 1.6 — Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Monk, Comedy, TV, Mystery, Television

Original air date: August 16, 2002

Director: Stephen Cragg

Writer: Timothy J. Lea

Rating: 9/10

This episode is pretty great, easily one of the best so far. Monk’s hard up for cash, and Sharona threatens to leave if he doesn’t pay her. Her car needs repairs, and Monk is too damn cheap to do anything.

I always enjoy these kinds of details with the Monk character. They’re not tied to his disorder in any way, but they’re an additional quirk that makes him miserable to work for.

Anyways, a famous billionaire, Sidney Teal (J.C. MacKenzie) is murdered while attempting to mug Archie Modine (Peter Onorati).

It’s a strange case, and Monk can’t get his mind off of two things: Teal’s last words of “don’t be a hero,” and the fact that he was wearing elbow and knee pads.

The press is convinced that he was just in a midlife crisis and went crazy, but they’re also more concerned with the eyewitness report that there was a cop who saw the whole thing and ran off. Virtually every question Stottlemeyer gets is about this “Fraidy Cop.”

It’s eventually revealed that Archie actually knew Teal, and was having an affair with his wife, Myra (Jessica Steen), so Stottlemeyer decides that Teal wasn’t trying to rob Archie, but instead to murder him in a crime of passion.

Monk isn’t satisfied, though, so as a result, Sharona quits, since if the case isn’t complete, they don’t get paid. Without her, Monk is directionless, even looking to Randy for advice, and he ends up pursuing his wife’s case, only to find that he’s following up on the same lead that he’s followed up on many times before.

There’s a great gag here where Monk is told about a stuffed dog, so he goes up to a German shepherd that’s standing still, and it nearly bites off his finger, since the stuffed dog was something else.

Sharona pursues the Teal case alone when she finds something interesting in his autobiography: when he was in college, he was trying to impress a date, so he had his friend Archie pose as a mugger so he could look heroic and tough. When Sharona gets back with Monk, he puts it together, even solving the mystery of who is Fraidy Cop.

Fraidy Cop is probably my favourite part of the episode, and is one of my favourite things in the entire show.

This episode is really well written. It has some emotional beats that don’t quite land, but the mystery is compelling as hell, and it’s good for plenty of laughs.
Friday the 13th: The Series episode review — 1.20 — The Quilt of Hathor: The Awakening
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Tv Reviews, Friday The 13th, Horror, TV, Witchcraft

Original air date: May 14, 1988

Director: Timothy Bond

Writer: Janet MacLean

Rating: 6/10

So Ryan’s still over at the weird-ass religious village, in love with Laura, while Micki and Jack rush there to get the quilt. Micki hopes to bring Ryan back, but Jack understands that it’s his decision, and if he really loves Laura, then he should probably stay.

So more people die, and Ryan continues to fall under suspicion.

The village is visited by Inquisitor Holmes (Bernard Behrens), and Ryan tells Reverend Grange about the quilt. He explains that it is quite literally witchcraft, and it kills someone in their dreams if they sleep with it on them.

Reverend Grange seems to even be on his side for a moment, but of course he’s the one with the quilt.

Ryan gets expelled from the community, and he goes to the Inquisitor to tell him about the reverend having the quilt, but the Inquisitor’s already dead, and Ryan gets accused of it. He’s to be crucified in like a half-Jesus-half-Wicker-man-way.

This is when Ryan and Micki arrive, so there really isn’t a whole lot of plot on their end. They just kind of have car trouble. They don’t even end up being that important to the outcome of the episode, either, as Ryan convinces his girlfriend, the reverend’s daughter, about the quilt, and she ends up helping a lot.

I liked this episode just a bit more than the first part. Nothing spectacular, but a few moments of excitement. I like how the dream sequences are shot, especially, and the villain’s death was great, if a bit silly.
Doctor Who — ‘Orphan 55’ [12x3] ★★☆☆☆
By: Dan Owen
Tags: Doctor Who, TV, Review, Culture, Television

I don’t mind Doctor Who using stories to make salient points about issues affecting us in reality, as that’s often been something sci-fi does in general, but there’s a way to do it with grace and subtlety. The worst offending moment was the denouement, where The Doctor all but stared down the camera and delivered a sermon to kids at home about treating the planet better… or else… before cutting to a Dreg roaring before the credits rolled. It was too on-the-nose for my taste.

To be positive, Jodie Whittaker’s still improving as The Doctor. She feels more like the character with each passing episode, although once again she tends to be best whenever she’s separated from her three companions. Maybe because being around them drains her of the spotlight The Doctor needs to flourish and take charge of the story. I just wish the writers would stop giving The Doctor masses of exposition, as she’s practically narrating the episodes and it feels awkward and clunky.

“Orphan 55” would’ve been better had they pared down the number of new characters jostling for attention and streamlined the story, with better pacing and smarter reveals of the big twists. It quickly became too frantic for its own good in the final third and some of the characters had peculiar arcs, like Kane going from security head… to evil property developer… to a gun-toting Ripley analogue from Aliens (1986).

Ultimately, this episode was shambolic and felt like a hybrid of too many previous — a touch of “Voyage of the Damned”, a bit of “Midnight”, a dose of “Smile”— but it wasn’t a total mess because the production design was solid and some of the funny lines worked nicely. It’s just a shame the story lost all sense of subtext and beat viewers over the head with ‘the moral of the story’ towards the end. It was mostly a workmanlike example of a Who adventure where a bunch of thinly-drawn characters grapple with monsters in an isolated environment… so your mileage may vary on how much that thrills you at this point in nu-Who’s 15-year lifespan.
Forgotten Disney Showcase: Jojo’s Circus
By: Cappy Fludd
Tags: Disney Junior, Disney Channel, Cartoon, TV, Disney

Petition to give Forgotten Disney more love

And give us a retweet if you can: https://twitter.com/rocketshark12/status/1207189700290764803

Before we’ve had a forgotten Disney princess showcase, and now we have a general forgotten Disney showcase. I’ve been rewatching a childhood Playhouse Disney (Now Disney Junior) show Jojo’s Circus, which was created by Jim Jinkins who created Nickelodeon’s Doug. (Which was bought by Disney and had a great reboot and an amazing movie, which are both sadly also forgotten Disney.) As well as another Playhouse Disney show, Stanley. He also made other non Disney shows such as Pinky Dinky Doo for Noggin. So here’s a look at Disney’s Jojo’s Circus.

Playhouse Disney release of Disney’s Jojo’s Circus Animal A Go-Go

Disney Junior airing of Jojo’s Circus, featuring, Jojo, her parents, her pet lion Goliath, and her best friend Skeebo

Jojo dressed up as a tiger in the episode “What’s the trick”

An anxious Jojo stimming with a sponge in the first episode of Disney’s Jojo’s Circus

Jojo and Goliath hug

Jojo’s teacher Mrs Kersplatski

An officially licensed Disney plush of Goliath

Clip art of Jojo petting Goliath

Petition to give Forgotten Disney more love