fleurfairy

Really who can differentiate between all these shows that Food Network stars have? They are all exactly the same. This is yet another version of Giada with an "entertaining" angle. As opposed to her previous shows which had her....entertaining for friends and family. Frankly, it becomes less and less about the actual cooking and more about how toothy her smile is and how low her necklines are. Giada initially marketed herself as the American authority on Italian cooking and when she first started out, her show was informative and professional. I guess one too many execs at FN told her that she was attractive because her show became a veritable 30-minute selfie. I've never seen someone so obsessed with showing their cleavage. I can't imagine she has any desire to be taken seriously as a chef. Where is Julia Child when you need her?

I knew the story of the Donner Party: a group of pioneers in hope of a "better" life in California set out on a fool's errand using the unreliable advice of a scam artist and their own fortitude to survive in the most unbearable conditions a human could imagine.

If you want a comprehensive and much more historical documentary of this story, I would suggest PBS's American Experience: The Donner Party which was made maybe 20 years ago but is excellent. American Experience captured the moral and religious parts, the hopelessness, and the heartache, that The Weather Channel omitted.

This being a Weather Channel production, it is focused mainly on the weather and environmental conditions that drove these people to the absolute brink. And because of the scientific info contained in this documentary (temperatures, day count, and snowfall amounts), I think it's a very worthy and educational film.

We complain when the walk from the front door to our car is too cold. Or when our houses don't have central air. I don't know if anyone living on this earth today truly knows what cold or hot is, after seeing what these people faced, first in the desert then in the hellish mountains. These pioneers went through something the likes of which very few of us can ever imagine. And half of them survived which is an absolute miracle. It is a testament to the strength and sheer will our forefathers possessed. And how weak we modern folk seem in comparison. Riveting viewing.

Dracula is a new take on an old tale. I don't remember enough of Bram Stoker's novel to be bothered by any deviations this show makes from the source material. I love it. The actors are beautiful, the costuming is colorful and over-the-top, the sets are gorgeous and the story is absorbing. JRM is one of my favorite actors working today. He captures these historical figures so well and it's hard to tear your eyes away from him when he's on screen. JRM has the It Factor that so many actors strive for. I think the backstory of Dracula as a faux-American entrepreneur and doctor Van Helsing one of his confidantes is a great spin. It's fresh enough to hold my attention and leave me wanting more.