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Movie Review – PBS Masterpiece Little Women

May 10, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About Little Women

“MASTERPIECE: LITTLE WOMEN” will be available on DVD and Blu-ray May 22, 2018. The run time of the program is approximately 180 minutes. The DVD SRP is $24.99 and the Blu-ray SRP is $34.99. The program will also be available for digital download.

“Little Women is one of the most-loved novels in the English language, and with good reason,” says writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas. “Its humanity, humor, and tenderness never date, and as a study of love, grief, and growing up it has no equal. There could be no better time to revisit the story of a family striving for happiness in an uncertain world.”

Heading the cast are Academy Award® nominee Emily Watson (The Theory of Everything, Hilary and Jackie) as Marmee, the devoted mother of the four adolescent March girls; Michael Gambon (Churchill’s Secret, Page Eight) as Mr. Laurence; and Academy Award® winner Angela Lansbury (Murder, She Wrote, The Manchurian Candidate) as the March family matriarch, Aunt March.

The March sisters—the “little women” of the title—feature newcomer Maya Hawke as the willful and adventurous Jo; Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series) as the eldest and most virtuous, Meg; Annes Elwy (King Arthur: Excalibur Rising) as the shy sister, Beth; and Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) as Amy, the youngest of the family.

Also appearing are Jonah Hauer-King (Howards End) as Laurie, the loveable boy next door; Dylan Baker (The Good Wife) as Mr. March, who is serving as a chaplain with the Union Army; Julian Morris (Mark Felt) as John Brooke, Laurie’s cultured and handsome tutor; and Mark Stanley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as the charming Professor Bhaer.

A celebration of family as much as it is a recognition of the challenges of growing up and forging an individual identity, the program remains relevant due to the universal themes at its core. Backed by a nearly all-female creative team, Thomas’ adaptation doesn’t shy away from tackling the darker, more complex emotions the March family experiences. Drawing from a novel that was well ahead of its time the show speaks to current issues as much as it does to the issues women faced at the turn of the 20th century.

Devotees of the original novel will relish the book’s indelible scenes in this MASTERPIECE production: the cruel fate of Jo’s manuscript, Amy’s accident on the ice, Meg’s first ball, Beth and the forbidden piano, the pickled limes affair, and many other cherished episodes in a journey to a bygone time.

Although modern society would be disorienting in the extreme to the March sisters, Thomas notes that even today “girls are still confused about their desires and their desirability, and the passage from innocence to experience is more turbulent than ever.”

“We need hope, and we need empathy,” she adds. “We need laughter, and we need catharsis, we need joy and inspiration. LITTLE WOMEN gives us all of these things.”

“MASTERPIECE: LITTLE WOMEN” has been commissioned by Piers Wenger and Charlotte Moore at the BBC, and is produced by Playground (Wolf Hall, Howards End) for BBC One. The series is a co-production with MASTERPIECE on PBS. The producer is Susie Liggat. Executive producers are Colin Callender and Sophie Gardiner for Playground, Heidi Thomas, Lucy Richer for the BBC and Rebecca Eaton for MASTERPIECE.

My Take on the Movie

As a father of two girls I have wanted my girls to read this book soon and when I saw that the PBS Masterpiece: Little Women series was coming to DVD I was excitedespecially when I asw the cast. I have seen other versions in the past and some have been great and some not so great so I did not know what to expect in this one.

While watching this with my daughters I can honestly say that this series was definitely a great one. The series covers both the Little Women and Good Wives books and follows the four March Sisters through their childhood and adult lives. The series covers so many things in the lives of these women, both the high and low points and even touches on important moments in American history as well.

In my opinion, the series portrays the sisters well and they found perfect actresses to play them too. The series also shares some of the hardships that the family and the women feel throughout their lives and the actresses do a superb job at sharing the emotion of the scene in the perfect fashion.

What was great was that not only do you get some known actresses like Emily Watson as Marmee and Angela Lansbury as Aunt Josephine, but you also get a number of newer actresses that you may not know yet.

I was particularly taken by the acting of Maya Hawke who plays Jo. Maya does a remarkable job at capturing Jo’s tomboy nature without going over the top. She shows a wide array of emotions in her character which draws the viewer even closer into the film and she does all of this without overplaying the mannerisms that you would expect Jo to embody!

There is still love shown in many ways in the relationships that the women have with others and these relationships are also built well and the love that is shown is tangible.

In the end this adaptation of the text did a wonderful job at maintaining the overall feel of the text and also adding in some of the new nuances that make the viewer connect to the story as well. I have to commend the BBC and the cast for a wonderful job and I highly encourage all to enjoy this great film with your own!
Finally, what makes this version of “Little Women” special is that it’s not afraid to occasionally expand on the material – and unlike “Anne with an E”, it does so in a way that’s faithful to the spirit of the original story. For instance, there’s a beautiful moment on Meg’s wedding day in which Marmee goes into the room where all her daughters are preparing, and for a moment she’s struck dumb as they turn and smile at her. She wishes them well, leaves the room, and then stops to let herself have a little cry in the hallway, knowing it’s the last time she’ll have them all under her own roof. It’s just lovely in its poignancy.

So well done, BBC. With high production values, excellent casting, deft directing, and a full understanding of the classic story and its characters, you’ve made a worthy adaptation of “Little Women”.

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Martha Speaks Returns 10/11 to PBS KIDS!

September 23, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

America’s chattiest canine is back, and boy, does she have a lot to say. Martha Speaks, the vocabularyich children’s series from WGBH and DHX Media, returns for a third season of adventures this fall, beginning with a special two-part episode showcasing children’s (and dogs’) creativity, Monday October 11th on PBS KIDS® (check local listings).

In “The Martha Show,” Martha and her friends are offered the chance to create their very own children’s TV show. They put their heads (and tails) together to come up with ideas ranging from a super-sized Martha, to educational superheroes and a fluffy-puppy merchandising program. Tune-in for a dog’s eye view on how a TV show is made and learn new vocabulary words such as brainstorm, genre, drama, pilot, educational, and suspense.

Building off of the season premiere, media literacy and creativity themes continue throughout premiere week. In “Martha: Deadline Doggie/It’s the Giant Pumpkin, Martha,” Martha sniffs out hot leads when she becomes a reporter for Carolina’s newspaper. The fun continues in “The Dog Did It/Martha Out West,” as the gang borrows a video camera to film their version of a Western, and Martha shares the Great Oral History of Dogs, which proves that dogs are the source of civilization — providing fire, philosophy, physics, even Shakespeare’s plays!

According to WGBH Senior Executive Producer Carol Greenwald, this season will continue to explore what would happen if your pet could speak. “Children around the country have embraced Martha and her friends,” says Greenwald. “We are excited to share Martha’s new adventures with them, while exposing them to media literacy, the arts, and animal adoption themes and vocabulary.”

The underlying goal of Martha Speaks is to help increase children’s oral vocabulary — and how better to get kids excited about learning new words than with a dog who just can’t stop talking? Throughout the season, Martha will teach kids words like imaginative, splurge, experiment and more. Martha’s antics also continue online at PBSKIDS.org/martha, a comprehensive website that builds on the series’ curriculum to bolster the oral vocabulary of four- to seven-year-olds, and on critically acclaimed iPhone app, “Martha’s Dog Party,” which has been shown to raise a child’s vocabulary by as much as 31 percent.

Scaredy Cat: Celebrate a Spook-tacular Halloween with Ghost Stories!
Premiering Monday, October 25, and re-airing Friday, October 29, Martha Speaks will debut a new Halloween episode, “Scaredy Cat.” In the episode, Martha and her friends wait out a storm by telling spooky stories to pass the time. But as spooky things start happening in the house, they wonder if their stories might be a little too real. This episode helps kids learn words like phantom, ominous, and nightmare. Also for Halloween, Martha Speaks will be releasing a new TV tie-in book, Haunted House, available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in September.

Martha Speaks Online
In addition to fun new episodes, join Martha and pals online at PBSKIDS.org/martha for new games, printables, and videos beginning September 29. New this season is a feature called Dog Tags that lets kids upload a picture of their pet, decorate and tag it with vocabulary words from the show like miniature, peculiar and nimble, and submit their creations to Martha’s featured pet gallery. In addition, kids can play with their words in the new game Truman’s Talent Show, while learning vocabulary like mimic, examine, vanish and more. The ever-popular Pup Pals feature is expanding to include Martha and Cisco. And as always, Martha will highlight some of her favorite words in the videos section, and the printables section will feature new offline activities that support vocabulary learning. Additional new content will roll out online throughout the season, including expanded resources for parents and teachers.

The Real Martha and Her Owner, Author Susan Meddaugh
Susan Meddaugh was a young children’s book illustrator when a neighbor named Martha found a stray and asked Meddaugh if she could give the dog a proper home. The dog was named Martha as a tribute. Shortly after Martha’s arrival, Meddaugh was feeding her young son alphabet soup. He wondered what would happen if Martha ate the soup. Would she speak? A perfectly simple question from a seven-year-old got the author/illustrator thinking: What pet lover doesn’t wonder what his pet would say if it could speak? Fast-forward 15 years, and the six books in the Martha Speaks series have sold nearly one million copies in the US, been widely translated throughout the world, and enjoyed enormous popular and critical acclaim.

New Martha Speaks books based on the PBS KIDS episodes are available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. With a variety of formats geared to a range of reading levels, these TV-inspired books extend the fun beyond the television and computer screen, back to the printed page.

About Martha Speaks
Martha Speaks is a production of WGBH Boston and DHX Media. Martha Speaks is funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready to Learn Grant. Corporate funding provided by Chuck E. Cheese’s® and Kiddie Academy® Child Care Learning Centers. Additional funding provided by public television viewers.

Distributed internationally by Decode Enterprises, Martha Speaks also airs on CBBC, TVO, Knowledge Network, and SCN and has been acquired by broadcasters across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Terms of Use for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Curious George Season Five Hits the Air!

August 17, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Hot on the heels of his 2010 Emmy® Award win for “Outstanding Children’s Animated Program,” everyone’s favorite little monkey is back for a new season, bringing his contagious enthusiasm and curiosity to a new set of adventures centered around social science. Premiering Labor Day, September 6, 2010, (check local listings) the fifth season of CURIOUS GEORGE finds the lovable monkey learning about different cultures, modes of transportation, and even bartering!

In the season premiere episode, “George and Marco Sound it Out,” viewers are introduced to George‘s new friend, eight-year-old Marco, who plays in his family’s pan-Latin band, Lobos de Plata. George loves watching Marco’s band perform in Endless Park, so when the bandstand is taken down suddenly, the pair set out on a whirlwind adventure to find the perfect place for the band to play. Throughout the new season, Marco introduces George to unique elements of Hispanic culture like food, music and celebration.

“Curious George is such a great ambassador to learning for kids,” said Senior Vice President of Animation Production for Universal Studios Family Productions, Ellen Cockrill. “In season five, George brings young viewers into the world of new cultures and the different social systems that tie cultures together.”

George sets off on many new monkey adventures this season including trading and bartering with his friend Allie, finding a chameleon in a big city, and getting lost on the subway with The Man with the Yellow Hat. And viewers can expect more monkey business in winter/spring 2011 when CURIOUS GEORGE returns for new episodes where George learns about sheep herding, Vietnamese foods, and even how to celebrate Mother’s Day in a very special way!

“This season, George again takes his curiosity out into the world and this time learns a lot about the social world around him,” said WGBH Executive Producer, Dorothea Gillim. “The season’s focus on social science introduces viewers to different cultures and social activities along with the series’ underlying mission to foster understanding of science, math and engineering.”

Based on the best-selling Curious George books by Margret and H.A. Rey, CURIOUS GEORGE the television series expands George‘s world to include a host of colorful characters and original locales, while maintaining the charm of the beloved books. This season, get active with George‘s new game “Monkey Moves,” in which kids are invited to get out of their seats and move along with George. Also be on the lookout for an interactive game designed to teach children about Hispanic culture. Visit pbskids.org/curiousgeorge to find both of these upcoming games!

My Take on Season FiveI got a sneak peek at one of the episodes of Season Five and have to say that it was great. I loved the mischief that George always gets into, while always coming out on top of every situation (I wish that all human situations ended up this way). I also liked the inclusion of diversity in the episode that I watched. George and the kids that will watch this will learn so much about cultures different then their own! I have to say that if the rest of the season continues in this way, all fans will be excited. Filled with great artwork as well as storyline, you will not be disappointed!

PBS Unveils 3 New DVD’s

July 15, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the DVDs

CAILLOU: CAILLOU’S FUN OUTSIDE!
July 13, 2010

DVD: The beloved Caillou is back in four new-to-DVD episodes featuring 14 fun-filled outdoor adventures. Delightfully imaginative and intrepid, Caillou is ready to teach kids about nature, patience, creativity and outdoor activities. The CAILLOU: CAILLOU’S FUN OUTSIDE! DVD also includes interactive games, music videos, parents’ information and coloring pages – a perfect break from fun in the sun.

Specifications: Full Screen with Dolby Digital English Stereo
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: Approximately 100 minutes
SRP: $14.99 U.S.

MARTHA SPEAKS: MARTHA GOES TO SCHOOL
July 20, 2010

DVD: The endearing beloved family dog, Martha, has a lot to say in her new release Martha Goes to School. Join Martha and her family as they discover hundreds of new words to teach children. Based on the successful children’s book series by Susan Meddaugh, and now airing on PBS KIDS, the DVD features eight new-to-DVD episodes, printable coloring pages, resources for parents and descriptive video service for the visually impaired.

Specifications: Widescreen with English Stereo 2.0
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: Approximately 110 minutes
SRP: $14.99 U.S.

SUPER WHY! ATTACK OF THE ERASER
July 20, 2010

DVD: Super Why and his super friends go to new and exciting places in the new-to-DVD release ATTACK OF THE ERASER. Join the super friends as they practice spelling, use the power to read and investigate rhyming words in order to change the outcome of the story and save the day. From Out of the Blue Enterprises, PBS KIDS and Paramount Home Entertainment, the SUPER WHY! ATTACK OF THE ERASER DVD includes four exciting and educational adventures, music videos, resources for parents, printable activities and coloring pages. The “Super Why!” television series has received the 2008-2009 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award and was nominated for an Emmy® for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Series.

Specifications: Widescreen with English Stereo 2.0
Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: Approximately 100 minutes
SRP: $14.99 U.S.

My Take on the DVD

My kids like dogs and thus they like to watch Martha as well. PBS continues doing a great job at providing quality educational television that we as parents know that we can trust. In this new DVD, TD thinks it would be fun to places Martha’s name on the list to be a substitute teacher at the school and you can guess, only fun ensues from there. The DVD is packed with great things, not only in episodes (8 of them) but also some additional print off pages and other items that are great for any Martha enthusiast!

With the other DVD’s my kids were similarly impressed. I too have to say that as a parent I was impressed as well.It is nice to know that I can trust in the messages of the shows that I allow my children watch. After watching the episodes within these DVD’s I am confident that you too will find value in these videos and your kids will love them as well!

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PBS’ Trash to Treasure Competition Launches Nationwide on April 5th

March 28, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Design Squad is launching the nationwide 2010 Trash to Treasure competition on April 5th at PBSKIDSGO.org/designsquad/ contest. Following the success of last year’s inaugural Trash to Treasure contest, kids across the country ages 5-19 are once again challenged by PBS’ Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning series to recycle, reuse and re-engineer everyday materials into new inventions. Three young innovators will win a trip to Boston to see their designs built and have the process chronicled for an upcoming episode of the engineering TV series.

According to Design Squad executive producer Marisa Wolsky, “This is an opportunity for kids to give a second life to an object they or their household would have otherwise discarded. We expect that this year’s entries will run the gamut, from trying to fill a pressing societal need to offering something whimsical and fun.”

The rules are simple. The invention should fit within one of the three categories: move things or people (Mobility), protect the environment (Environmental), or be used for indoor or outdoor play (Play). The invention also needs to be made of at least two repurposed materials (such as fabric, paper, plastic, small electronics, wheels, clamps, springs, batteries, hardware, wood, bike parts, string, rubber bands, cardboard, kitchen gadgets, etc.) Kids will be given online tools to sketch out their ideas or upload a photo. (Kids don’t need to actually build their invention in order to enter.)

Last year’s winner, Max Wallack, 13, inventor of the “Home Dome”–a temporary shelter for homeless people and disaster victims —gives this advice to this year’s entrants, “Identify a problem and then try to come up with a solution to it. Be prepared to make several attempts at designing before one design jumps out as the right one.”

Three winners will be selected from this year’s entrants to come to Boston to work side-by-side with the team at the award-winning global innovation design consultancy Continuum and see their idea come to life. At Continuum, their winning designs will be prototyped and the process will be chronicled by the team behind Design Squad. Their stories will be shared with a national audience on an upcoming episode of the Design Squad series and website PBSKIDSGO.org/designsquad. Twenty-five finalists will have their ideas showcased on the series website. The nationwide contest is open for ages 5-19 and will launch online on April 5. Entries will be accepted through September 5, 2010 at PBSKIDSGO.org/designsquad/PBSKIDSGO.org/designsquad/contest.

For a video about last year’s winner and his Home Dome invention check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAaMQuEFl8

Design Squad Online–PBSKIDSGO.org/designsquad
The Design Squad website gets kids into the action with videos, games, and a space to get creative and offers full-length streams of Design Squad episodes in a full-screen video player. The site also features an online gallery space that allows visitors to brainstorm and sketch their own design ideas, share their designs, and see what others are up to. And the site’s popular “DESIGNit, BUILDit, FIDGit” game continues to challenge players to think fast and solve puzzles.

About Design Squad
Design Squad is a reality competition show aimed at kids and people of all ages who like reality or how-to television. The program was launched in 2007 by the producers behind ZOOM and FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman, with the goal of getting viewers excited about engineering and the design process. And it worked. After researching the impact of the TV series, website, and educator’s guide, an independent evaluator found a significant jump in young people’s learning and a uniformly positive, enthusiastic response from viewers, educators, and kids.

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PBS KIDS® Series Between the Lions® Kicks Off Fourth Annual Roadshow Friday, April 30

March 28, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Lions and stories and music, oh my! For nearly ten years, the Emmy® Award-winning PBS KIDS series Between the Lions has given children the tools they need to master key literacy skills. This spring, Between the Lions sets out on its fourth annual Roadshow, continuing its tradition of making learning fun, and traveling to four cities to educate and entertain fans with live, interactive puppet shows.

In celebration of two Emmy wins in 2009 (including an award for “Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Series”) and the series’ upcoming tenth anniversary, the Lions are especially excited to share their love for reading during the Roadshow. And for the first time ever, Theo and his cub Leona will roar into Macon, Georgia, to participate as a “mane” act at the Georgia State Fair, which has provided safe and wholesome family entertainment since it first began in 1846. Between the Lions will also travel to Atlanta, GA; Columbia, SC; and Charlotte, NC, performing at local family-friendly venues.

Between the Lions’ Roadshow performances are designed to bring the television series to life, encouraging children to read, sing along with the Lions, and recognize words in the world around them. Engaging and animated books such as Is Your Mama a Llama? and Click, Clack, Moo will encourage audience participation, and Aaron Nigel Smith, founder of FUNdamentals of Music and Movement, will be back to join the Roadshow, adding his original award-winning music to the mix.

“We’re looking forward to performing at new venues this year, including the iconic Georgia State Fair,” says Judy Stoia, Executive Producer of Between the Lions at WGBH Boston. “This is the first time we’ve been part of such a large statewide event, and doing so will allow us to reach more kids and families.”

“Theo and Leona can’t wait to take their show on the road and get the opportunity to meet their fans up close, in person. As always, the Lions will offer a roaring good time for kids and parents alike with entertaining sing-alongs, stories, and more,” adds Chris Cerf, Executive Producer for Sirius Thinking, a co-producer of the series.

Tour Dates and Venues
Catch Theo and Leona’s live performances in Atlanta, GA on Friday, April 30 (venue TBA). Next, they spend five days at the Georgia State Fair in Macon, GA from May 1-5. Finally, the lions travel to Columbia, SC on May 6 and Charlotte, NC from May 7-8 (venues TBA).

Tune in to Between the Lions
Between the Lions airs nationally on PBS KIDS (check your local listings). If you live in one of the areas located on the fourth annual Roadshow tour, you can catch the series on:

-Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) weekdays at 1:00 p.m.
-South Carolina ETV (SCETV) weekdays at 1:30 p.m.
-UNC-TV (North Carolina) Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 noon

For more information on the series and to view updates to the schedule of tour dates and venues, please visit: pbskids.org/lions.

Between the Lions Takes Pride in Proven Success Stories
Research has proven the impact of Between the Lions, including a recent University of Pennsylvania study, which demonstrated that preschoolers at risk for reading failure made significant gains in reading skills after using an educational curriculum based on Between the Lions. Another study found that kindergarten students who viewed the series significantly outperformed non-viewing peers and gained skills at a faster rate.*

About Between the Lions
Between the Lions is a multimedia educational initiative created to help children ages three to seven acquire beginning reading skills and a love of reading. Built around a curriculum that incorporates the most recent scientific research in literacy instruction, each episode features an engaging variety of animation, puppetry, live action, and music. The series is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national reading initiative focused on helping children ages two to eight, especially those from low-income families, to build their reading skills.