Based in truth trial shows. I would say it probably beats watching the Casey Anthony trial live all day. I watched for a little while yesterday. I recorded and skipped all the side bars and commercial breaks and recesses and the weird twiddle-lings of defense and prosecution on their electronic devices. Really at this point I haven't seen any thing to make me believe beyond a shadow of a doubt Casey killed her daughter. It was boring beyond belief. If I were a juror I would be tossed off for falling asleep! Good gracious even the judge was yawning. The many videos of Casey shopping, each one had to have a stipulations statement read by the judge that the objections were noted and about them being a true and accurate record of the business. Judge Blevins said bidness (yes bidness, not business) so many times I wanted to put duct tape across his mouth. LIL

I watched both episodes of Small Island and feel that without having read the book the story-line/plot might confuse a viewer coming to it 'fresh', as it jumped about from pre to post War very confusingly. The Jamaicans were shown to be full of old-fashioned courtesy and charm and nearly all the English as racist, ignorant pigs. The part of the story in which Queenie, Michael and the elderly f-in-law attempt to go to the 'pictures' where Michael is set on by US GI's and beaten up and the old man is shot, was SO confusing that it would make little sense to someone unfamiliar with the story. The characters of Hortense and Bernard were nicely played as they appeared in the book and came over as proudly superior and quietly wimpish. Another confusion was that Belfast had to stand-in for war-torn London during location shots and it just doesn't look 'right'. Here is a link that might be useful: Small Island review from Telegraph

It's true! It's true! From the Masterpiece Theater Website: A new Masterpiece Classic host is not the only change coming to the series in January. Viewers can look forward to a schedule that breaks the year into three "seasons," each with its own host, stunning graphics, and fresh take on the series' famous theme music. In winter and spring, Masterpiece Classic will feature signature period dramas. In summer, Masterpiece Mystery! will present the best British mysteries, and in fall, Masterpiece Contemporary will show dramas set in modern times. Anderson will present the ten programs in the first Masterpiece Classic season, including adaptations of all six of Austen's novels plus a new biopic; Cranford, a three-part miniseries starring Judi Dench; My Boy Jack, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Kim Cattrall; and a new adaptation of A Room with a View by Andrew Davies. Hosts for Masterpiece Mystery! and Masterpiece Contemporary will be announced in 2008.

Sounds interesting. My library is a little weak in DVDs, but I will check Netflix.