In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed actress Amanda Seyfried for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Amanda is currently in a police drama series, Long Bright River. [Photo above of Amanda Seyfried in Long Bright River by Matt Infante/Peacock]
Here's the trailer...
And here's a terrific clip of Amanda with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show recently...
What I'm watching...
Enlightened (2011-2013). In this spectacular, multi-season series, Laura Dern plays an anxious, narcissistic and hyper-empathetic woman who lacks a filter or the ability to think through the consequences of her actions. As a result, she says and does whatever she wishes at her corporate job and in her social life, routinely landing her in trouble and back at square one—living at home with her mother, played by Dern's real-life mother, Diane Ladd. How Dern, Ladd and Luke Wilson failed to win an Emmy for this series is beyond me. All three roles were fascinating and difficult to pull off. The scripts by Mike White and the performances are stunning. Despite all of Dern's cringe-y behavior in character, you wind up loving her and wish her luck would change for the better. A must-watch. (Max)
Here's the trailer...
My favorite streaming series, ranked...
- Babylon Berlin
- My Brilliant Friend
- The Promised Life
- Killing Eve
- The Crown
- Mad Men
- The Americans
- Younger
- Fleabag
- Band of Brothers
- The Sopranos
- Enlightened
- Friday Night Lights
- Justified
- Feud: Bette and Joan
- The Old Man
- Downton Abbey
- The Blacklist
- Goliath
- The Gentlemen
- Turn: Washington's Spies
- Unbelievable
- Landman
- Voiceless (Bella da morire (2020/MHz)
- Black Doves
- Web Therapy
Worthwhile future stuff that has started or will start soon...
- Dark Winds S3 (now/AMC)
- Long Bright River (now/Peacock)
- Good American Family (March 19/Hulu)
- Alto Knights (March 21/film)
- The Better Sister (May 22/Prime)
Recommended series, films and documentaries...
TV series
- The Affair—(2014-2019/Hulu)
- Alaska Daily—(2022/Prime)
- The Americans—(2013-2018)/Prime)
- Anatomy of a Scandal—(2022/Netflix)
- Apples Never Fall—2024/Peacock)
- Babylon Berlin (2017-2024/MHz via Prime Video)
- Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix)
- The Bay (2019-current/BritBox)
- Black Doves (2024/Netflix)
- The Blacklist (2013-2023/Netflix)
- Belgravia—(2020/Prime Video)
- Blue Lights—(2023/BritBox)
- Bosch—(2014-2021/Prime)
- Bosch: Legacy—(2022-current/Prime)
- The Crown—(2016-2023/Netflix)
- Cherif—(2013-2019/Prime)
- Dark Winds—(2022/AMC)
- The Diplomat—(2023/Netflix)
- Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
- The Dropout (2022/Hulu)
- Elizabeth 1 (2005/Max)
- Emily in Paris—(2020-present/Netflix)
- Feud (S1): Bette and Joan—(2017/Hulu)
- Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
- Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
- Friday Night Lights (2006-2011/Netflix)
- The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
- Godless—(2017/Netflix)
- Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
- The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
- High Water—(2022/Netflix)
- Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
- Il Commissario Manara (Inspector Manara) (2009-2011/MHz)
- Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
- Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
- Killing Eve—(2018-2022/Netflix)
- Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
- Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
- Lioness—(2023-current/Paramount+)
- Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
- MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
- Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
- Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
- My Brilliant Friend—(2018-current/Max)
- The Night Agent—(2023-present/Netflix)
- 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
- 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
- The Old Man—(2022/Hulu)
- On Call—2025/Amazon Prime)
- Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
- The Perfect Couple—(2024/Netflix)
- Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
- The Promised Life—(2018/MHz via Prime Video)
- Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
- Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
- Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
- The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
- Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
- Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
- Under the Banner of Heave—(2022/Hulu)
- Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
- Voiceless (Bella da morire—(2020/MHz)
- The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
- The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
- Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
- The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
- The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
- Web Therapy—(2011-2015/Fandango)
- Wilder—(2017-current)
- WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
- Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
- Younger—(2015-2021K/Netflix)
Films
- The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
- American Gangster—(2007/Max)
- Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
- Blackout (2022/Netflix)
- The Bricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
- The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
- The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
- Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
- Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
- Enrico Piaggio - Un Sogno Italiano (An Italian Dream) (2019/MHz)
- The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
- The Great Lillian Hall—(2024/Max)
- The Family Man—(2000/Netflix)
- Fury—(2014/Netflix)
- God's Country—(2022/Hulu
- Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
- I Used to Be Funny (2023/Netflix)
- Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
- Just My Luck (2006/Paramount+)
- Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
- Killers of the Flower Moon—(2023/Apple+)
- La Palma (2024/Netflix)
- Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
- Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
- Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
- The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
- Lonely Planet—(2024)/Netflix)
- Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
- Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
- MI-5—(2015/Max)
- The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
- The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
- Nobody—(2021/Prime)
- Nobody Wants This—(2024/Netflix)
- Ordinary Angels—(2024/assorted platforms)
- The Pledge—(2011/Peacock)
- Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
- The Queen—(2006/Paramount+)
- The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
- Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
- Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
- Ruthless—(2023/Hulu)
- The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix).
- Sicario (2015/Netflix)
- Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
- Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
- Some Girl(s)—(2013/Amazon Prime)
- Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
- Spy(ies)—(2009/Prime)
- The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
- Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
- The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
- Up in the Air—(2009/Max)
- Woman in Gold—(2015/Max)
- Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
- Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
- The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
- Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
- The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
- Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
- Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
- Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
- Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
- Jane Fonda in Five Acts—(2024/Max)
- Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
- The Only Girl in the Orchestra—(2023/Netflix)
- Suzi Q: Suzi Quatro—(2019/Prime)
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
- 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here)
- Tsunami: Race Against Time—(2024/Hulu)
Rosinha de Valença. Following my post on Rosinha de Valença, I came across a super video of the singer-guitarist. Here's 40 minutes of her performing in front of a live audience on Brazilian television...
Tom Jones and Wilson Pickett teamed up on TV's This Is Tom Jones in October 1969 to sing the Beatles' Hey Jude, the only cover of the song that for me beats the original. Go here..
Gerry and Chet. Looking for something to listen to this weekend? The Complete Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker (1952-1957), studio and live recordings, is up at Spotify, thanks to Argentina's Lantower Records. Roberto and Diego at the label have given the music a cleaner and warmer sound. Go here.
Here's Godchild...
Here's Nights at the Turntable...
Here's Almost Like Being in Love.
Johnny's Theme. The theme song we know from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson began as Toot Sweet (1958), a Paul Anka composition recorded as an instrumental by Tutti Camarata. A year later, Anka added lyrics, renamed the song It's Really Love and recorded it for a French film while Annette Funicello recorded it in 1960 for the U.S. market.
When Carson needed a theme after taking over the Tonight Show in 1962, he asked Anka for something. Anka sent him a jazzed-up instrumental demo of It's Really Love. Tenor saxophonist Tommy Newsom (above) arranged the song with a slam-bang swinging feel for the Tonight Show band. When Carson went on the air in 1962, the theme was used right out of the gate.
Here's Toot Sweet by Tutti Camarata...
Here's Paul Anka's single, released in France as Faibles Femmes (It's Really Love) for a French film...
Here's It's Really Love by Annette Funicello...
Here's the Tommy Newsom arrangement played on the first night The Tonight Starring Johnny Carson went on the air, on October 1, 1962...
Here's the theme on one of the last nights the show was broadcast from New York, in 1972...
And here's the opening theme on May 2, 1972, when the show began broadcasting from Studio One at NBC Studios West Coast in Burbank, Ca (The November date in the previous clip is correct; the show returned to New York for two weeks.)....
Bonus: The Paul Anka version was featured in the French film, Faibles Femmes (Women Are Weak), released in 1959. When you don't have sand, you make beach movies in a Parisian swimming pool. Go here and move the time bar to 36:46...
Count Basie radio. This Sunday, Sid Gribetz will host Count Basie in the 1950s, a five-hour radio broadcast from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET) on Jazz Profiles on New York's WKCR-FM. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, RIP Gwen McCrae (1943-2025), the queen of early Miami disco. Released in May 1975, her Rockin' Chair was a club hit and came a year after husband George McCrae's bigger hit Rock Your Baby. In 1974 and '75, Miami was ground zero for a new style of dance music with a soul groove and strong beat that would play a big role in launching disco months later. This sound was developed mostly by artists and studio musicians affiliated with Henry Stone's TK Records and was a hit at the city's many gay clubs at the time before going mainstream as disco. Here's Gwen McCrae's Rockin' Chair...