Postcard For Reader

Thoughts on: Television for the Bibliophile

I love a good story no matter where it is. Of course, as a biblophile, books are my first love. I do love television, though.

Here are some television shows I'd recommend to us book-lovers looking for a new show!

For the contemporary lover...

CASTLE

Quick summary: Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) shadows Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) as research for his mystery novels.

CASTLE is one of my favorite shows. From a pure plot point of view, it's absolutely fantastic - though each episode works as it's own standalone case, the overarching plotlines (which include the big one of Beckett's mother's case and the smaller ones, like Alexis trying to figure out college and Castle working on publishing a new book) are so well put together that it's astounding - as is the continuity of it! The character development is fantabulous, and the writing is hilarious and excellent.

And the acting, the acting! It's bloody brilliant. (Stana Katic needs to win ALL THE AWARDS, though no awards show seems to realize this. Actually, the entire cast does.)

For the mystery/classic lover...

SHERLOCK

Quick summary: In this modern day retelling of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets John Watson (Martin Freeman) and they end up living together and aiding the London police force.

THIS SHOW. This show. I feel all the emotions when I watch this show. The writing is absolutely fantastic; it really sticks true to the original Sherlock tales. (Unlike the Robert Downey Jr. ones: though I love those, they turn Sherlock into an action figure, not, you know, Sherlock.) The acting is absolutely stellar.

The great thing is that every episode is an hour and a half long, so even though there are only three episodes per season, they're like mini feature films!

For the science-fiction lover...

DOCTOR WHO

Quick summary: A nine hundred year old Time Lord travels through time and space in a public police call box with a slew of Companions.

Um. Yeah. It's really hard to explain DOCTOR WHO really quickly, because it's all spacey-wacey timey-wimey. But it's worth watching if you like science-fiction (or even fantasy), because it's just bloody fantastic. It's quotable, it's lovable, it's excellently well put together. The plots are oh-my-god amazing, and the acting is stellar.

Besides, it's British. That makes it awesome.

For the fairy tale lover...

ONCE UPON A TIME

Quick summary: Thanks to a curse, all of the fairy tale characters have been trapped in our world in a town called Storybrooke, and only Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) can save them.

I love this show. It's brand new - the first season isn't even finished yet - but it's quickly become one of my favorite shows. The overarching plotline is tied together so well with all of the little individual episodes about the fairy tale characters that I can't help but flail and squee with love.

And the acting! The symbolism! The adorable cast!

And, you know, Rumplestiltskin. I have no idea what he's planning, but damn, do I want to know.

For the medieval romance lover...

MERLIN

Quick summary: Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a young man whose destiny is to protect the future King Arthur (Bradley James). In a world where magic is prohibited, that isn't easy.

I have all the feels about this show. It's amazingly well done, even if it is silly sometimes and cliche.

But Colin Morgan and Katie McGrath - Merlin and Morgana - make me feel all the feels. They're both brilliant actors and I ship their characters SO MUCH but it'll never happen because all of my favorite ships are doomed to hate each other or die.

ONE DAY I will have a ship I can enjoy peacefully. (Oh. Wait. That's what Castle is for!)

I'd also recommend GAME OF THRONES for fantasy lovers and DOWNTON ABBEY for historical lovers, but I haven't watched either of them... so... hmm. What would you recommend?