Banter

In my new Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, there was not only the one Sherlock Holmes story I told you about in a previous post, but a second one, too, which was equally good. The second tale was a humorous tribute not exactly about Sherlock Holmes, but ultimately it kind of was. I've since learned, via a sidebar piece in the current issue, that every February issue of EQMM is a Sherlock Holmes tribute issue. Fun, huh? The February 2010 issue should still be downloadable on Kindle, but you better hurry.

We're currently enjoying season one of the old TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents on DVD. Produced in 1955/56, the shows are a lot of fun, and often surprisingly dark and/or adult. This first season features close to 40 short dramas, each (with commericals removed) a shade under a half hour in length. Mr. Hitchcock's introductions and closings are often as good as the stories themselves. Great stuff.

Weeds, season 4 ended on a powerful note after a generally strong season, so we're now watching season 5 of the show. Though Weeds often shocks viewers simply to shock them (which is fine in moderation), it always seems to settle back into solid, character-based drama and comedy. Seasons 4 and 5 each sport 13 half-hour episodes.