The Bold Type

 

I don’t usually write about TV shows but here goes.

 

Having noticed the show pop up on Amazon years ago (no exaggeration) I watched the trailer and just felt that it was just another show about women navigating love, life and work in New York at a women’s magazine. This would have appealed to me back when I was teenager but now in my thirties, I really don’t have time for this, what with all the murder mystery documentaries, Schitts Creek rewatches and weird sci-fi in between. I had been craving a show about friendship, particular female friendship for ages and sorry but Sex and the City is no longer for me either. I tried Firefly Lane and hated the format and got very bored with the characters. So, one night, I accidentally pressed play on The Bold Type which is now on Netflix. This was accidental as I’m still getting to grips with my new TV (generously donated to me by a friend). Admittedly I was hooked by the first episode and ended up watching 3 episodes before crawling into bed. And then I came back for more. A short time later, I am now mid-season 3, so the show must have something that keeps me coming back right? Yes and no is the complicated answer.

 

Just to give context to what the show is about, it follows three best friends, Sutton, Kat and Jane who are all in their mid-twenties and met as assistants at Scarlet magazine (a stand in name for Cosmopolitan). The show begins with Kat, now the director of social media, Sutton, assistant to the executive editor and Jane starting her first day as one of the writers. They all have particular quirks and distinctive personalities that unfold as the seasons go on. Jacqueline Carlyle, is editor-in-chief of Scarlet magazine, a woman all the main characters look up to. Carlyle is actually based on Joanna Coles who was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan. The show is also inspired by her and she has an executive producer credit, so guessing there was a little influence there with how this character is represented.

 

The show focuses a lot on ‘hot topic’ issues of the moment and of our current times. Many things that are brought up each episode, not always the main focus, are relevant now, despite premiering in 2017. Some shows suffer as times goes on, topics become old and irrelevant. Global pandemic aside, nearly every single episode could have been made yesterday. Subjects about discovering your sexuality, body positivity, breast cancer awareness, sexual harassment, bullying in the workplace, whether having children in your twenties is right for you, putting your career before your love life, journalistic integrity, these are just a few covered.

 

The show makes a huge emphasis on the characters being millennials which, may put some people off BUT this is actually more accurate representation than I’ve seen in a long while and although I don’t work in fashion or publishing, there are many situations that I can relate to, topics I wish came up far more often in shows (especially in the UK). With my age, I am of the millennial generation, no way to avoid it and you can either embrace this fact or brush it off with little regard or appreciation with how much extra work our generation has had to endure. As much as the Gen-Zers like to think they run the world, millennials paved the way for them. Without going on a generation rant, The Bold Type was surprising, to me, at how much it covered in just the first season. Of course, there are scenarios that would never happen in real day to day life, but this is a TV show so you have to expect that.

 

There are quite a few moments during an episode where I roll my eyes a dozen times but in between all that I get the essence of what the show is trying to do. In all honesty I really don’t think the main characters are relatable, although the show tries to cover all bases with the three of them. I also don’t feel wholly invested in them personally. I much prefer the discussions of the topics of the episode. They are in fact, quite bland, which the expectation of Sutton in various episodes who seems to go through the ringer when it comes to her career (I can definitely relate there). The friendship between the main characters is fun to watch but I really don’t relate to this part either. They seem to have a go through each other for permission or debate on absolutely everything, to the point of co-dependency. The supporting characters in the show are however more interesting, such as Jacqueline Carlyle and her input always makes a great scene. Alex, the only male writer at the magazine, again, has great insight and offers sound advice to the main three. The various other characters that pop up from time to time too, they make the show worth watching.

 

I’ll continue watching the show as I’d like to see what is discussed next. I recommend this show for the same reasons I watch it, but also if you’re missing your friendship fix. Despite it being set at a magazine, don’t be expecting anything like Ugly Betty or Sex & the City as this is not that show.

Revisiting Girls in Love

 

As it's World Book Day, I wanted to revisit a series of books that I used to love when I was in school by everyone’s favourite author when they were 10 years old, Jacqueline Wilson. I was quite a prolific reader when I was a child, I could get through books very quick, as well as the audiobook right after. Some of my favourite presents when I was really young was getting those combo packs with the book and cassette tape. I collected and read as many of Wilson’s books as I could, even had a few in hardback, which annoyed me as they were heavy to carry around in my drawstring bag. Why have hardback children’s book anyway? As well as the books, I also had some on-cassette tape but in the years since I stopped reading Wilson’s books, probably age 14, the collection has depleted. I wish I had kept all the tapes and not got rid of them, a rare commodity now. But I was feeling nostalgic after another old tape played its last and I had an urge to revisit Wilson’s books. 

 

About 5 years ago there was an exhibition of her work at the Childhood museum, which brought back all the memories and actually spurred me on to keep the remaining books I had held on to. I was particularly wanting to read the Girls series; Girls in Love, Girls Under Pressure, Girls Out Late and Girls in Tears. I actually didn’t own the first three, they belonged to my sister and I had the last one in hardback but its stuck in a box at my parents. So, I did what anyone else would do, I bought Girls in Tears on cassette tape and spent a week listening to it each night. Listening to it with older ears, I can see/hear why it appealed to me when I was a pre-teen/teenager and also how problematic a lot of the characters are. BUT I still enjoyed it.

 

 

After the book on tape finished, I went on a deep dive into Wilson’s latest books just to see what had happened since I was 14. I also looked into adaptations of her books and how most had been for TV for movies for TV which is shame as I think some of her stories would be great with a bigger budget.

 

Girls inLove was made into a TV show in 2003 and a second series in 2005 and when it first aired, I was very excited as I loved the characters and though that the series would definitely work in TV format. However, it wasn’t what I’d hoped as so much of the story and characters were changed. There so much criticism from fans at the time, but mostly about the main characters appearance as they were VERY different from the book. I totally understand casting to be inclusive, no problem there as long as the essence of the character remains, so I had no problem with Zaraah Abrahams as Magda, she was the best out the main characters. But Nadine wasn’t a goth and Ellie was NOTHING like the original character. As you can see from the pictures, straight hair, tall, slim and no glasses. Ellie is a short, chubby, curly wild hair and although she is clumsy and sweet, she can be quite mean. This is not the Ellie I remember. I think the show got away with it claiming it’s an interpretation of the book but that s**t would not fly now. Also, all three did not look in the slightest 14 years old. They were at least in their 20s. But the show still maintained they were all in Year 9.

 

That’s another main issue I had, apart from awful casting, as this also filtered through the guys in the show, but it was the fact that not once did they wear school uniforms despite being in school in the UK. This also didn’t help with convincing the audience the girls were 14 years old. The clothes the girls wore too were all out of whack. Always colour coordinated, Ellie in red, Magda in yellow and Nadine in purple, even though the latter was mean to be a goth yet she never wore goth like clothes. Overall, it was severely irritating.

 

The first series cover the first book and some of the third book, skipping Girls Under Pressure because no one was a teenager girl worrying about their weight. Go figure. The second series touched upon a couple of things in book four then just went its own dull way. I actually stopped watching the show after the first couple episodes in series 2 as I had just had enough. I’m surprised the show even reached past series 1! Never the less, the show was released on DVD which I’m sure you can purchase somewhere or you can watch it in terrible quality on Youtube if you want to relive this terrible experience or wonder what I’m moaning about.

 

Book adaptation can be good but when they are bad, they are the complete worst thing imaginable especially if you really love the source material. I’d say, read the books, they are far better but I know they won’t be everyone’s next read.

 

I really hope that the series is revisited and maybe handled in a better way as with right casting and correct setting, you might have a hit. But I also fear that the time of Ellie, Magda and Nadine had passed. Unless Wilson wants to revisit the girls and bring them back to life?

 

 

@FansofJWilson

#WorldBookDay

 

" I just wanted to write real characters that felt authentic"

 Last week I got to interview one of my all time heroes, Jessica Hynes.

She is known for her comedic roles and writing but for her directing feature film debut, 'The Fight' is very different to what you'd expect, but still masterful.

My review of 'The Fight' from LFF last year can be read HERE - the film is out to own in the UK this week.

My interview with Jessica Hynes can be read over at Vulturehound HERE.

Try and watch her film whether its rented online or bough in a shop, just go and watch it.

#thefight

Birds of a Feather

 No, this is not about that British sitcom from the 90s.

At first glance, Netflix's latest animated comedy 'Tuca & Bertie' looks and feels like its from the same world as 'Bojack Horseman', but as creator and animator Lisa Hanawalt has said that the shows are not in the same universe, we might have to imagine these characters are from two different worlds (although, I like to think they are linked).

As well as sharing the same animation and anthropomorphic animals, the world also includes anthropomorphic plants, less humans, gigantic snake and snail underground trains and more pets. Added into the sureeal mix are added animated quirks, such as including animator's human hands invading the frame, similiar to Monty Python's animated segments. There are more visual jokes and a different flow altogether throughout the show. But just like Bojack's hard hitting realism and Hollywood satire, Tuca & Bertie also goes into serious territory and not everything is resolved or happy at the end of each episode. But that's why we love the immensely flawed Bojack right? The comedy is so dark you need a torch to find your way out the other side. But we love Tuca & Bertie because there's something else about the show and its the friendship. Shows about friendship will always feel sunnier and in some ways more relatable.

The beating heart of the show is Tuca and Bertie's long lasting friendship. We meet them at the start of a new-ish era for both of them. Bertie is moving in with her boyfriend, Speckle and wants to be promoted at work. Tuca, we learn has been sober for 6 months and although she's still the carefree crazy antics prone bird woman, she is slowly learning how to survive on her own. Exploring subjects including mental health, sexual harassment, office politics and sexual abuse, you would think the show would tilt towards a more serious angle BUT with episodes including giant sex bugs, cults, Yeast Week, a love of architecture and comparing porn prefrences, the show gets the balance just right. Watching Tuca and Bertie feels like any other friendship, which sometimes is needed in a comedy and sadly isn't seen enough in my opinion. It took two bird women to remind me what's missing.

The show has two amazing and perfectly cast leads in Tiffany Haddish as Tuca and Ali Wong as Bertie and these are two secret weapons to the show's success. I say success as its brilliantly scripted and amazingly animated, the show has got it all. Now it just needs a second season. So, if you're not watching 'Tuca & Bertie' get on Netflix and get absorbed into Bird Town.