My Must-See COVID-19 TV

Since lock-down anytime you log into social media, the question everyone is asking — “What are you watching?” At this point, we’ve all binged everything on Netflix, Hulu, and (gasp) basic cable has to offer.

Or have we???

Here in Chicago, it’s 15 below, and there’s nowhere to go, so I’m busy watching and making recommendations. Yes, of course, I’ve watched “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Crown,” and “Bridgerton.” And, yes, five stars all around. Today, I’m going to do a deep dive into my COVID-19 must-see list.

TELEVISION SHOWS

“Game Face” - HULU - Comedian Roisin Conaty created and stars in this British comedy about a 30-something actress trying to recover from a bad break up. This show is RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY, even after multiple views. I could write an entire post about this show, come to think of it, I will.

My fav COVID-19, lock-down show "Game Face" created by superstar funny woman Roisin Conaty.

“After Life” - NETFLIX - Comedian Ricky Gervais created and stars in this dramedy about a man trying to live after his beloved wife dies from cancer. I have to admit I resisted this show, and hubs watched it without me because he has amazing taste in television. I was side watching a few episodes until, finally, I was like can we start this over from the beginning? Conaty also has a supporting role in this show, which is just a big additional bonus. Not that I’m a massive fan of hers or anything.

“All Creatures Great and Small” - PBS - This show is based on a book series about James Herriot's adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire. This show is pure comfort viewing for the soul, providing a much-needed respite from the current state of the world. Who doesn’t want to disappear into the bucolic English country-side where the only concern is whether or not the sick animal of the week will survive?

“The Flight Attendant” - HBO MAX - Staring The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco in a TV adaptation of the book with the same name. Cucco really flexes her acting chops playing an alcoholic flight attendant in this twisty turny thriller that kept me on the edge of reality, wondering what was “real” and what wasn’t.

“The Good Lord Bird” - HULU - This series is based on the award-winning novel by author James McBride, starring Ethan Hawke, who, of course, delivers a stunning performance. Joshua Caleb Johnson, who plays Onion, the narrator, steals the show in this series about the failed 1859 raid on the US Army’s depot located at Harpers Fest, West Virginia, instigating the Civil War.

“High Fidelity” - HULU - Zoë Kravitz is the lead. Do I need to say more?

This remake of Nicky Hornby's novel "High Fidelity" which was made into a feature film, remade into TV series is a can't miss.

“Schitt'$ Creek” - NETFLIX- If you haven’t watched this yet, put it on your must-see list. Wait, why haven’t you watched this hilarious show yet? Do you really have something better to do? I don’t think you do.

“Peaky Blinders” - NETFLIX - Written by one of my all-time fav writers, Steven Knight, this is a period drama about a gang led by Cillian Murphy and loosely based on stories told to Knight by his uncles. The writing is the very top of the top-notch.

REALITY TV SHOWS

“Amy Schumer Learns to Cook” - FOOD Network/Discover TV- Amy + Hubby Chef Chris + Cutie Pic Baby Gene + Nanny Jane on camera = delightful television viewing.

“House Hunters: Comedians on Couches” - HGTV - Because for me, watching hosts Dan Levy and Natasha Leggero and an assortment of their comedian friends yelling at the homeowners because they’re complaining that bathrooms are too small makes lock-down almost bearable.

House Hunters: Comedian on Couches hosted by Dan Levy and Natasha Leggero.

“Worth It” - HULU - Getting the color commentary on $1000 burgers from BuzzFeed hosts Steven Lim, and Andrew Ilnyckyj is adorable and fun to watch. But watching the mostly silent cameraman, who speaks volumes with his eyes, Adam Bianchi, eat after they film their segments is life-giving.

FEATURE FILMS

“Wild Mountain Thyme” - AMAZON PRIME - This movie starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan with a heart-stopping performance by legend Christopher Walken has a 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (OUCH), and yet I’m still recommending it. Why is that? It was marketed as a Romcom, and it’s so not that. It’s steeped in Irish folklore with a splash of magical realism, and if you come at it from that POV, it’s time well spent.

“Rebecca” - NETFLIX - I know I’m stepping in it BIG TIME with this one. This movie remake was controversial BEFORE the scandal. Of course, you should watch the Hitchock masterpiece, and you should read Daphne du Maurier’s novel. There’s no question about that. I say give this updated version a chance because it centers on the protagonist, Girl/Mrs. de Winter and Lily James delivers a stunning performance. Side note: I wish Mr. de Winter was cast instead with a Brit like Sam Claflin, Richard Armitage, or Tom Hiddleston.

“One Night in Miami” - AMAZON PRIME - I’m a sucker for a good historical piece and center it around one event — like the night of Feb. 25, 1964, Cassius Clay defeated world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston and afterward “celebrates” with Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X, in a Miami hotel room — I’m so in. And bonus, it’s directed by Regina King, who inspires some five-star performances from her lead actors.

Fun fact actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who plays Malcolm X in "One Night in Miami" also stars in "High Fidelity" and "Peaky Blinders."

This is my list, and it’s in no way is it a complete list, because as I’m writing it, I have more I could add because it’s the golden age of television!

I have a question for you ...

Is Writer's Block Taking You Down?

Learn how to fight it & Win!

If you would like to learn more about the three types of creative blocks, along with pro tips on how to manage them, check out a talk I did on the very subject for the Chicago Screenwriters Network. Here is a link to my presentation, “Is Writer’s Block Taking You Down? Learn How to Fight it and Win.”

Writer’s Block - My Story

Writer’s block is so sneaky. One day out of the blue, it can hit you on the head like a ton of bricks. That’s how it happened for me. Proper prolonged writer’s block was something I had never experienced before. The minute my fingers touched the keyboard, the words would pour out of me like water out of a garden hose. Until the day, all the words dried up.

I tried in vain to wring them out of me. Finally, I set my pen down. My characters were all left hanging in the wind, with no tidy resolutions to complete their stories. They were mid- hero’s journey. Together, we were all lost in the dark night of the soul.

Writer’s block is different from procrastination or resistance. Yes, of course, I’ve experienced those. What creative person hasn’t? I’d block out time to write and find myself cleaning a closet instead.

This was an entirely different thing. This was writer’s block. And it lasted for over two years. Leaving the writing behind, I landed a nine to five and moved on with my life. It was time to let the dream go. Friends would ask—How’s the book coming? Short answer—it’s not. What’s new with the movie? Even shorter answer—nothing. At the time, I couldn’t articulate why I left it all behind because I, myself, didn’t understand it.

Instead, I would reassure myself that I gave it the “ol’ college try,” with two produced movies and two completed books. I had accolades under my belt, too. My documentary was selected for the International Women’s Film Fest, another project was a Sundance International Writer’s Lab finalist, and my novel won a Watty on the platform Wattpad.

For me, this decision came after I assumed responsibility for the care of a terminally ill parent. At one point, I found myself at the drugstore buying pads for my teenager and adult diapers for my mother. I was squeezed, sandwiched between caring for two different generations of women who needed me.

It was a deep and profound loss for me because writing, the one thing that always got me through tough times, had vanished. The writing was the one thing I could always count on. It moored me through the storms that life rained down upon me. It gave me hope. It was my one-and-only dream. In the third grade, I wrote my first novel, The Wild Adventures of Mustang, about a horse named, you guessed it, Mustang. He ran away from the horse farm and plot twist —had some wild adventures. The funny part of this story is I grew up on the Northside of Chicago and had never been to the zoo, let alone a farm, and had never even seen a horse. I hadn’t learned the “write what you know” rule yet.

So, you see, becoming a writer was my plan A, B, and C. Until it wasn’t. And the ease in which I released it into the ether of lost and forgotten dreams didn’t even phase me.

Then came COVID-19, and the world shut down. Corporate America gave me the old heave-ho. Since I no longer had deadlines and Zoom meetings to fill my days. I signed up for an on-line writing class through Gotham Writers Workshop. Workshops are a mixed bag. Writers are one-of-a-kind creatures, and you never know what kind of feedback you’ll receive. Or moreover, how you’ll receive it. You never know if the critiques will lead to a breakthrough or break you.

I took Pen on Fire with the promise “to help push past internal roadblocks.” At the time, I had a barricade surrounding my creative self. The class chipped away at the barrier by giving me the chance to write for fun. Yes, writing can and should be fun. Shocking, I know! In the class, we would free-write. A free-write is when the teacher gives you a prompt, and you write for anywhere from five to ten minutes. Then read it out loud. Each week we’d have bite-sized assignments designed to shake off all the mental dust covering my creativity. One day, I found myself writing and smiling again. And like that, I was off ready to re-write my novel, pull it apart, and put it back together again—a daunting task for any writer.

Once I focused on the writing and not the result, the words came back. Over the years, the rejection had worn me down. Yes, rejection is a big part of the game. For me, the struggle and strife overtook the joy. Writing became one more thing I had to manage and overcome. It was a battle. Once I realized I was defining success by landing an agent, I spent my time banging away at the keyboard in service to that one soul-sucking goal.

I had to get my mind right and redefine what was important to me as a writer. When I focused on the work, on the creative process, and on the craft, it unlocked a door inside me. I also find support in a weekly writers group that I was lucky enough to find.

Since I completed the class, I can report, I finished my novel. A short story I wrote, “Psychopomp,” was published in Writing in Place: Stories from the Pandemic, which debuted on Amazon at number four in Essays and number nineteen in Short Stories. These days I find myself running weekly writing groups on Zoom and mentoring writers through the creative process. I’ve since realized that even though writer’s block is real, you can work through it and find your way back.