Latest news with #:RiseofaGenius
Spectator
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
We still need Jane Austen's icy wisdom
I managed to sit through most of Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius the other night. I endured luvvies and minor academics and even Cherie Blair, all wide-eyed at the brilliance of their heroine. She was inevitably presented as edgy and funny and brave and ground-breaking and mould-breaking and ball-breaking and oozing girl power. Equally predictably, no one mentioned the key to her writing's power, to her authorial authority: her moral intensity. It's the truth about her that's universally unacknowledged. It is hard to talk about – we don't like moralists nowadays, do we? We don't like the idea that the creation of literature might have a moral or even a religious dimension – yuk! But it must be talked about. For her comedy and acuity of observation is not random, scattergun, unfocused. It has a logic.
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: The Handmaid's Tale, Emma and The Tylenol Murders
Jamie Oliver Cooks: Georgia Channel 4, 7pm The chef explores the fascinating food and drink culture of the nation, from the markets of Tbilisi to the vineyards of Kakheti. Among his discoveries are Khinkali dumplings and lamb stew. Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius BBC Two, 9pm Juliet Stevenson narrates this new series telling the story of how a self-taught young woman from a small village rose to become one of literature's greatest figures. It begins with a look at how she immersed herself in her father's extensive library. The Handmaid's Tale RTÉ2, 9.30pm Nick, having betrayed Mayday about their attack on Jezebel's, is no longer a trusted ally. And as Serena plans a grand wedding, June looks to exploit it. Emma TG4, 9.30pm Anya Taylor-Joy plays the titular meddling romantic causing havoc in Georgian England in this lavish adaptation of Jane Austen's tale. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Netflix, streaming now Chicago, 1982. Several cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules randomly resulted in at least seven deaths. Understandably, it ignited a countrywide panic in the United States, leading to one of the biggest criminal investigations in the nation's history. This striking documentary, from executive producer Joe Berlinger (Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes) and directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines (Shadow of Truth, Buried), revisits the terrifying crime that destroyed the country's faith in the safety of commonplace brands. Were these horrifying fatalities the work of a single psychopath, or was it just a convenient scapegoat in a larger conspiracy and possible cover-up? The case that transformed the bestselling medication in the world into a terrible symbol and permanently altered public perception of the items in people's medicine cabinets is revisited through this three-part series. Surviving The Tunisia Beach Attack Prime Video, streaming now In 2015, a single shooter killed 38 people in less than 40 minutes. Ten years later, survivors talk about their struggle for survival and the tragedy's lingering effects. Clarkson's Farm Prime Video, streaming now Be it for inheritance tax purposes or just a pure latent love of land, Clarkson is back. After wrapping up series three, the Diddly Squat crew return to find Kaleb touring the country and Lisa launching a new product line. This means Clarkson is left to 'manage it all'. Poor lamb. Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds Netflix, streaming now Experience the thrill (albeit second-hand) of flying with the US Air Force's Thunderbirds, witnessing the intense training, risks and dedication required to be part of this elite American institution who, essentially, do doughnuts in the sky and make Mother Nature cry. That's my two cents, anyway. Fountain of Youth AppleTV+, streaming now Estranged siblings John Krasinski and Natalie Portman go on a high-stakes global heist to find the legendary fountain, unlocking secrets that could grant immortality. Yep, you read that correctly. It also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Eiza González and Stanley Tucci. Also on Apple, we have Deaf President Now, which explores a pivotal but often overlooked civil rights movement. Fear Street: Prom Queen Netflix, streaming now Bit of an arbitrary time of year for slasher fare, but here we are. The 1988 prom at Shadyside High is a battleground as the dominant It Girls plot to win the title. However, the competition becomes lethal as candidates begin to die. As a stand-up comedian and part-time convenience store employee, Cheng Le-le (Hsieh Ying-xuan) is finding that work/life balance tricky. If you throw her marital woes and her father's memory lapses into the mix, she's a woman on the brink.
