What I'm Watching

We don't have cable, but we have Netflix, and the words "watch instantly" are in all of our vocabularies (even Leo, although not verbally--he has often fallen asleep on Mike's shoulder during something or another playing on the computer). So what have I been watching lately?

Well, I devoured Doc Martin. Completely. The story of a rude gruff antisocial surgeon (but am I being redundant?) who develops an extreme case of hemophobia (fear of blood), forcing him to resign and take a position as the GP for a small village in Cornwall. Sort of a Northern Exposure set up, with the quirky villagers and mysteries to solve (in that way, it's a bit like Murder She Wrote, with far too many odd ailments for one tiny village), but as opposed to the doctor on Northern Exposure, who is young, personable, and naive, Martin is none of those things. Mid-forties, hates people, excellent doctor, and never settles. It's wonderful. A drama, but comic in its situations.

And of course there's Leverage, although we're watching that week by week on TNT instead of Netflix. Every Sunday, last Sunday's episode appears online. What is Leverage? A modern day Robin Hood story, with a group of criminals who have come together (in the first episode, and then stay) to get something back for a "little guy" (by breaking the law and conning the real bad guys). The first season got a little distracted by the Timothy Sutton's character's personal problems, but the great majority of the shows have been engaging and fun (and I'm always surprised by something).

Last week at coffee, Ann suggested Hotel Babylon, another British show, and I hesitated at first because Ann likes shows like Dexter and Californication, which are things I don't think I could look directly at (although I watch Law and Order...I don't know...). But I was up late and sewing and, of course, Doc Martin is in hiatus until the spring (and then it will be new episodes so who knows when I'll get to see it on Netflix), Leverage is all caught up, and I was tired of watching old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I do love MST3K, but the ones on Netflix are not their best, in my opinion. Netflix tracks what you watch (duh) and you can grade the things you watch, creating suggestions for similar kinds of shows/movies. Netflix has never recommended Dexter or Californication to me....but there was Hotel Babylon. Ok. Ann and Netflix recommend it...

And I watched the first episode. Loved it. Ann's description of Love Boat that doesn't go places, or Upstairs Downstairs in a hotel is perfect. Lives of the staff of a high end hotel in London as guests filter in and out. I'm hooked. Luckily I have plenty of handwork to get done on these quilts...