#66 What I've been reading, watching and listening to this week.
Two new comedies and a brilliant podcast about scams.
I’ve always loved stories about people who realise it’s not too late to start living their best life.
The latest entry into this genre is Disney+’s new comedy drama series, How to Die Alone. The eight-episode series follows Melissa (Natasha Rothwell), a broke JFK Airport worker who has never stepped outside the safe confines of her everyday life and has never experienced real love. After a brush with death — an Ikea wardrobe falls on her, leading her to choke on her birthday takeout for one — Melissa decides to start taking some chances.
The series is a lot of fun while also tackling what it feels like to be left behind. It reminded me a bit of Superstore, Drop Dead Diva and Survival of the Thickest.
I thought this piece in The Cut about coming to terms with the changes — inside and outside of the change room — after taking weight loss medication was really interesting. I don’t think we talk enough about what it feels like to be suddenly moving around the world in a different body.
And I loved this piece in Slate about Nicole Kidman’s current penchant for playing the lead role in shows that are just… ok.
Spent is a riches-to-rags story about Mia (Michelle de Swarte) an ageing international model, who returns to her hometown of Brixton after she’s forced to declare bankruptcy in the US. Once she arrives home, Mia discovers that she doesn’t really fit into her old life anymore. The six-part series is inspired by the downfall of Swarte’s own modelling career and it’s streaming on SBS on Demand.
And if you feel like a bit of a reality TV hit this weekend I highly recommend The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Disney+. It follows a group of Mormon influencers in the aftermath of a swinging sex scandal. It’s got all the right ingredients for a good reality TV series — beautiful women, bitter rivalries, bizarre storylines.
I’m really enjoying listening to the new Apple original podcast, Scamtown. Each episode, hosts and documentary filmmakers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte cover a different ‘scam’ and speak directly to the people who were involved. My favourite episode so far is about a middle-aged prison volunteer who falls in love with a convicted murderer and helps him escape.
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, please hit the lil’ love heart below and share it with your mates. What were you obsessed with this week? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.