Tuesday, November 24, 2015

What I Learned from TV - November 24 (and part of a poem)

Each time I do a post about What I Learned From TV, I’ll begin with the explanation from the first posting:

Now that my kids are grown, and Tom has retired, I’ve been able to go back to my natural sleep pattern which is to stay up late and get up late. Tom’s natural rhythm is just the opposite. So, he’s the lark and I’m the owl. 


And what this owl does in the late hours is watch television- not in the traditional way but through Hulu, Netflix, TunnelBear, and Acorn TV. Most of the shows are British, though I am a great fan of a few American television shows, and have been watching some from other countries now that we have TunnelBear. Some of these shows Tom will watch in the mornings, but some of them are all mine. So, when I hear a great quote from a show I know he’s not going to watch, I’ll leave him little post-it notes near the computer keyboard. I had a notion this morning to begin a new ‘letter topic’ called What I Learned From TV so I can put up some virtual post-its for you to read and, hopefully, enjoy. Some are funny, some are educational, some are wise.

Several from Lewis

Upon viewing a sign that says - "fresh tomato's"
Lewis: I can hear you tutting even if you're not.
Hathaway: I don't like misplaced apostrophes.

A fellow policeman says to Lewis, Hathaway, and Dr. Hobson - 
Oxford on a summer's evening - is there a lovelier place in the world?
Hobson: Not a one.

Hathaway and an old friend run into one another in a bookstore. She has a book of Housman's poems, and says:
I mislaid my copy. You know how one sometimes has a hankering? I couldn't remember if it was 'happy highways where I walked, or went.'
Hathaway: Went; definitely went.
She says: Silly, I know, but it suddenly seemed the most important thing in the world to me that I knew.


I know that most of us understand exactly what she meant! Here is the part of A Shropshire Lad that they were talking about.

Into my heart an air that kills
  From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
  What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,         
  I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
  And cannot come again.

14 comments:

  1. I remember all of these as Inspector Lewis is one of our most favorite series - more please! The show I loved best, I think, was :When Moonbeams Kiss the Sea"- wonderful acting, scenes. I loved the one you give the poem for also - I recall flying to Google to get the whole poem to re-read.
    Enjoying your posts,
    Mary

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    1. I recently texted a fellow fan of Lewis, and told her that was my favorite episode!!!
      I just checked on the title- it begins with And the ...rather than when. The Shelley poem it comes from is heartbreaking. I plan to post it sometime. Lewis is so rich in literature of all kinds. I love,love, love it. I recently bought all the dvds available, and will buy the latest when I can.

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    2. We have all the dvds and have watched them many times. I think this particular episode had such wonderful characters. Tom Riley as Philip was amazing. And the exchanges between he and Hathaway - such compassion.
      I love that it was your favorite episode too!
      And the Midsomer Murders - not for me, at all. Acting,plots, dialogue, and oh that music,,,I could never see why it was so popular. Just my [and husband's] opinion.

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    3. I feel exactly the same about the episode, and about MM!

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  2. And I remember all of this dialogue that you have here! I love my British TV shows! And like the character, I know exactly what she means.

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    1. I think I may have caused confusion. I am the person saying - I know that most of us know exactly what she meant. I just went into the post and put a bigger space between the quote from the show and my words, hoping that will be clearer. Sorry!

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  3. Replies
    1. I do love Lewis, as I loved Morse. I get smarter just watching these shows!

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  4. I remember all but the one about Oxford on a summer's evening. Like all good series, Lewis lives by its great dialogue. You find similar gems in Midsomer Murders every now and then.
    Unfortunately, Lewis is not shown on any German channel right now.

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    1. Worth buying on dvd. I can watch them over and over again. I so didn't like the music on MM that I just couldn't watch it. Isn't that so strange??

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  5. Housman wrote some lovely poetry didn't he. I have turned into a person who stays up late and gets up early. I don't know how that happened! :)

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    1. Yes, I do love his work. I wouldn't be able to make it through the day if I had to get up early. :<)

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  6. Lovely post Nan, I have not seen any episodes of Lewis but you make it sound very inviting. So I may have a future treat in store.
    As a Shropshire Lass I have a special fondness for Mary Webb's novels ...my favourite being Precious Bane. They make strong use of the old rural Shropshire dialect though so are not to every ones taste....I just checked Gutenberg to see if it had Precious Bane but no..I did accidentally come across a book of "Arts and Crafts Essays" which I'll have to be careful that it does not tempt me away from things I need to get done today....wish me luck

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