WHAT I'M WATCHING THESE DAYS

There’s good stuff to be watching. If you don’t catch these on first run, they’re available on streaming.

FEUD: CAPOTE VS THE SWANS (HBO)

This is not an absolutely-accurate history of the famous feud between author Truman Capote and The Swans - several famous and powerful women in New York Society that resulted from the publication in Esquire of the first chapter of his long-awaited “Answered Prayers,” which changed names, but didn’t change facts about events the Swans - who were all his close friends and over the years had revealed their closest secrets to him - each believing he was their best friend. (His defense, “A writer is always listening,” does not come close to making his betrayal something honorable.)

If you ever watched Truman Capote during his many appearances on TV back at this time, you’ll agree that Tom Hollander inhabits his spirit and brings him back from the dead. The rest of the cast: Naomi Watts as Babe Paley; Diane Lane as Slim Keith; Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest; Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill; Demi Moore as Ann Woodward; Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson; Treat Williams as Bill Paley (his last role before that fatal accident last summer); Joe Mantello as Jack Dunphy; and Russell Tovey as John O'Shea - are all excellent. Callista Flockhart and Molly Ringwald, who haven’t been on-screen in anything major in many years, show talent is always there, even when it’s been dormant.

I particularly liked Episode 4, which is a recreation of the 1966 black and white documentary by the Maysles Brothers (their “break” into documentary stardom) about Capote’s Black and White Ball, in which each Swan believes she is the unannounced Guest of Honor (Katharine Graham of the Washington Post won the “prize”) is some solid acting as well as a lot of effort to accurately reproduce the documentary, particularly the never-before-seen “outtakes,” which are absolutely “in character” for the episode. Episode 5 is an imaginary meeting of Capote and James Baldwin (Baldwin was long in Paris by this point), which is based on publicly-expressed opinions by both of each other.

Gus Van Sandt is the director, and he brings that “vibe” that makes his work remarkable - too bad it hasn’t been seen recently, but this makes up for it.

Blog sez: watch it, you’ll like it.

BELGRAVIA: THE NEXT CHAPTER (MGM+)

The “second season” of Julian Fellowes 19th century social history takes place 30 years after “season one” and was created by writer Helen Edmundsen who wrote most of her take on Fellowes story before taking it to him to ask for his involvement in making it happen. Fellowes (Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age, Belgravia among many others) liked her idea and championed it, and is one of the Executive Producers on the new show.

It’s a “Ninteenth Century Romance,” an updating and combination of Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens and Janue Austen, set in 1870. It’s way too complicated to explain here, but if you like Julian Fellowes shows, and the authors mentioned above, you will enjoy this. Well-produced with a superb cast.

SHOGUN (F/X)

I’ve only seen the first two episodes that were released this week, but this is a really formidable production. It’s been compared with “Game of Thrones” and that is an accurate comparison.

Unlike the 1980 Richard Chamberlain miniseries, in which what the Japanese characters were saying was only revealed with Lady Mariko translated them for him (the producers claimed they were doing the story from Blackthorne’s perspective), all the Japanese dialogue is sub-titled here, which makes the Japanese characers three-dimensional. Also, the character of Blackthorne is not presented as a “white savior.” So far, the episodes are following the Clavell novel closer than the earlier series did, and the coming civil war that will see Lord Toronaga become Shogun, is explained without anyone having to “explain” anything to the audience. Production value is really superb.

For anyone familiar with Japanese history of this period, Toronaga is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Edo Shogunate that ruled Japan from 1603-1868. Blackthorne is loosely based on William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan, who played a considerable role in the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate, introduced western shipbuilding to Japan and trained the Samurai to effectively use muskets in combat. He became a Samurai himself.

Again, this has first rate acting, directing, writing and top end production value. I can’t wait for Episode 3 this Tuesday, an effective antidote to watching the returns from “Super Tuesday.”

I also highly recommend “True Detective: Night Country,” (HBO) and Season 5 of “Fargo” (F/X), which gives Jon Hamm his best role since “Mad Men” as a looney “constitutional” Sheriff.

I’m looking forward to seeing “The Regime” tonight, with Cate Winslett playing an “illiberal leader” of an Eastern European country, with a lot of influence from contemporary political events the past ten years in Europe with the rise of Authoritarianism.

The series is directed by Stephen Frears (3 episodes) and Jessica Hobbs (3 episodes), two directors whose work I have long liked. Creator Will Tracy comes from “Succession,” so say no more.

I notice that “A Spy Among Friends,” (MGM+) the story of British traitor Kim Philby, who gave the KGB everything from 1940-49 and then duped MI6 throughout the 50s, is back for a re-broadcast. If you didn’t catch it last year, it is really good.

There you have it from your picky, picky, picky old Hollywood friend. Watch. In. Confidence.

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