I love this post because it’s so true! Mad Men and Downton Abbey are my current favorites. 🙂

Since the inception of TV, television networks and studios have been commissioning pieces set in varying points of history. Just mentioning this may spring to mind some favourites such as “Blackadder” in which each series was set during a different time period. We will now have a brief look over some of the modern shows on television today that hark back to days gone by.

Downton Abbey

This period English drama has just recently finished showing its second series. It has become a sensational hit, both in the UK and perhaps more surprisingly in the US. The plot revolves around a fictional stately home in Yorkshire and its inhabitants. The time period for the series is the early part of the 20th century, and addresses such events within its screenplay as the sinking of ‘Titanic’ and the Great War of 1914-1918. The appeal of ‘Downton Abbey’ may come from the social insights it investigates through the relationships of the staff, and the owners, of the stately home and the archaic class system it embodies.

Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire is a series made by the excellent American drama network ‘Home Box Office’ or ‘HBO’, and starring Steve Buscemi. HBO productions are often lavish and detailed, and many have been huge successes the world over, for example ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘Pacific’. Boardwalk Empire is set during the 1920’s and 30’s in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The series follows ‘Enoch “Nucky” Thompson’, a real-life political figure, through this period of prohibition. The pilot of the series was directed by award winning director Martin Scorsese, and the following series was a huge television success with the season finale gaining 3.29 million viewers in the US.

Mad Men

Mad Men is a long running American drama focusing on a fictional advertising agency in New York during the 1960’s. The series is notably famous for its attention to detail when depicting the 1960’s, and a lot of effort has been made to maintain the historical accuracy and visual aesthetics of the period. The drama is currently in its 5th season and has addressed some of the social issues of the 60’s throughout. Some of these controversial issues include racism and sexism.

Life on Mars

This TV show is a British BBC production which follows a policeman, ‘Sam Tyler’, in 2006. Tyler has an accident and is hit by a car; the character then awakes in 1973. Tyler is still on the payroll of Manchester Police, only that now he is a lower rank than he was at the time of his accident, being a Detective Inspector. The two series that were made follow the character through his line of work and the 1970’s in general. Throughout the series the viewers do not know what happened to Sam Tyler in real life, whether he has in fact travelled in time, if he was killed by the accident, or if he was actually in a coma back in 2006. Life on Mars features many historical accuracies such as the fashion, including high heeled platforms, and the music, including ‘David Bowie’ and ‘Thin Lizzy’.

That ’70s Show

This is the only comedy TV show mentioned so far. As you can see most period productions tend to be serious dramas. ‘That’70s Show’ focuses on the lives of a group of teenagers living in Wisconsin. It enjoyed a long and successful running period, with 8 seasons, comprising of 200 episodes, created in total.

That ’70s Show of course contained many aspects of the decade and addressed some of the relevant social issues where possible. Some of the social issues that featured in the show’s storylines were feminism and the hardship associated with the 1970’s recession. The production of the show maintained the ’70s feel, replicating the fashion styles worn throughout the decade. Style-markers included items such as high heeled platforms, lots of denim, and floral print shirts.

Citations:

• Photograph of ‘Downton Abbey’ by Richard Munckton

Peppermint have a wonderful selection of high heeled platforms that are at the height of current high-street fashion.

Great television series aren’t only found in the United States. Other countries have great storylines and great acting that keep us entertained. In fact, some of the most beloved shows we have in the US were actually spawned from television series in other countries.
Aside from the ever popular Downtown Abbey, the following are five foreign television series that you will absolutely love.

The Office

If you enjoy the US version of The Office, you’ll also enjoy the UK version of The Office, which is the original. The Office was created, written and directed by actor Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The characters on the show work at Wernham Hogg Paper Company, and the show follows each character around their work day. Plots on this show involve the strange yet interesting characters and how they go about their day. From love triangles to strange behavior, this comedy will have you laughing hysterically while falling in love with the characters.
Along with becoming a US series, The Office has also spawned other national versions, including Le Bureau (France), Stromberg (Germany), Os Aspones (Brazil) and La Job (Canada).
Neighbours

Neighbours is an Australian soap opera that was started in 1985 and still continues today. The show follows characters who work and live in a fictional suburb known as Erinsborough. Most of the characters on the show live on Ramsey Street. Like most soap operas, the stories tend to deal with family issues, social problems, romance and domestic issues. And again like most soap operas, it has had its fair share of kidnappings, murders, teenage pregnancies, adultery, abortions, drugs and sexuality. If you have a love for the drama of soap operas, Neighbours is your cup of tea.
The Inbetweeners

Though this show went off the air in 2010, reruns of this British sitcom are still available. This show followed the main character, Will, a suburban teenager, and his three friends, Simon, Neil and Jay. Like most teenagers, these boys are mostly interested in sex and beer, and the show focuses on their attempts at getting these things. Along with their adventures and teenage mishaps, the series also focuses on family life and touches on a few major issues, such as divorce and homosexuality.
This group of boys are also slightly nerdy and are usually the target of the school bully, Mark Donovan. The Inbetweeners was turned into a movie in 2011.
The IT Crowd

This British sitcom revolves around the life of three IT coworkers in the fictional Reynholm Industries.  The show features Jen, the department head who really knows nothing about IT; Maurice, who is extremely nerdy but also very, very smart; and Roy, who gives shy a whole new meaning. The IT department at Reynholm Industries is in a dark and dirty basement, and the plot of the show follows these characters as they get into predicaments with bosses, are disliked by others in the company, and take guesses at what it is that Reynholm Industries actually does.
Shameless

Shameless is a British comedy-drama that focuses on the poor working class. Following a family of young adults to little children who have no satisfactory parental supervision, it depicts the lives of siblings with little to no money and the situations they find themselves in. After seeing much success in the UK, an American version of Shameless was created and is available on Showtime.
If foreign television piques your interest, these shows are a must-see. From sitcoms to dramas, they each have everything you love about television series.

Lucy Lau loves watching foreign series available for download on her Kindle Fire.

Photo Credit: thewalter

In hopes of improving essay editing, an Of Mice and Men summary has been provided:

Published in 1937, John Steinbeck’s highly acclaimed novelette/play Of Mice and Men details the tragic and brutally naturalistic story of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they find themselves caught up in the unforgiving and bitter wind of the Depression era. Inspired by his own days as a bindlestiff in the 20’s, Steinbeck sought to capture the hopelessness and the isolation that characterized such migrant workers of the time as they moved from one place to another, always hungry for more work and food.

The story begins with George chastising Lennie for causing the two of them trouble in Weed, California where Lennie, George’s simple-minded and mentally handicapped companion, had touched a woman’s blouse out of curiosity and had inadvertently made him and George the near-victims of a lynch mob. George, however, forgives Lennie and tells him about the farm they will one day share and George is overjoyed by the concept of tending the rabbits. Together, the two form a rare bond in a listless world – a theme rampant throughout the rest of the story. As George tells Lennie, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. . . . With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.”

When they arrive at their next ranch job, George and Lennie meet a handful of characters such as the wise Slim, the old and handicapped Candy, the racially divided and discriminated Crooks, the hot-headed son of the ranch owner Curley, and Curley’s promiscuous wife. George warns Lennie to behave despite his simple-mindedness or else he will not get to tend the rabbits. Together in the bunkhouse, the boys become weary of Candy’s ancient dog and, despite his reluctance, persuade him to allow the boys to put it out of its misery in exchange for one of Slim’s new pups (one of which is also given to Lennie). Candy then relents in misery, feeling that he should have been the one to do it. The conversation turns again to the farm and the dream suddenly becomes palpable when Candy offers to put in his part of the cost. Curley appears, furious over his wife’s debauchery, and takes it out on Lennie. After getting permission from George, Lennie crushes Curley’s hand with little effort. Later, while George and the boys go out on the town one night, Lennie meets Crooks, a negro man who suffers Lennie until he finds that, like himself, Lennie has been segregated against because of forces outside of his control.

After accidentally killing his pup, Lennie finds sympathy in Curley’s wife. In this moment of sympathy, the theme of loneliness and hopeless dreams pervades even her as she tells her own tragic story of her unwanted marriage and failure to become an actress. She does not sense danger in Lennie and in this tragic mistake allows him to satisfy his love of petting soft things by touching her hair. When his strength becomes too much, she tries to scream and, much like the mouse and the pup, he accidentally kills her and then runs from the ranch. A lynch mob is formed by Curley and the gang while George is forced to ponder a final solution for Lennie’s mistake.

The last chapter brings Lennie back to the safe haven George had told him to return to in case of any mishap. Stark imagery of a heron devouring an unsuspecting snake presents an ominous symbol for the fate of the troubled Lennie. Lennie fears he will no longer be able to tend to the rabbits and in his mental anguish is rebuked by hallucinations of his aunt and a large rabbit. When George finally appears, a scene very similar to the beginning is replayed: Lennie under the criticism of George, George forgiving him, and the retelling of the farm to satisfy Lennie’s fantasies. Only this time, George has Carlson’s gun pointed to the back of the head of the unknowing Lennie. George has come to the horrid realization that such an idea of owning a farm in the time he and Lennie are living is utterly hopeless and he knows that he and Lennie must part so that he will no longer find himself attached to such high aspirations. Reminiscent of Candy’s regret over not having put down his own dog, George knows that he must be the one to do it and not Curley. In the bitter end of the story, Slim is the only one to understand George’s pain; his feelings ultimately confuse the others, because in this tragic conclusion to Of Mice and Men, the idealization of friendship and hopes of bettering one’s lot in the time and life of the migrant worker is fruitless and unobtainable, and in the killing of Lennie, George removes himself from an elevated state to that of one like every other migrant worker, where no real bond exists and life is riddled with cheap thrills simply to get by day by day. To end this Of Mice and Men summary and to use an important quote so that it may aid in essay editing, it is crucial to recall Crooks earlier words to Lennie which thus burn bleakly and relentlessly at the end of the story: “Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’… Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.”

John Grant is a professional book reviewer for several websites and UK papers.