Category Archives: Smallpox

Outlander (2014)

From Wikipedia:

Outlander is a drama television series based upon author Diana Gabaldon‘s historical time travel book series of the same name.  It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married former World War II nurse who in 1946 finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743. There she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

There exist or will exist at this writing 5 seasons of this very successful series. From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons. Starz is offering  at least 4 seasons. Season 1 has 15 episodes. Seasons 2,3,and 4 have 13 episodes. Season 5 is promised by Starz but not yet available today (Jan11,2020).

Summarizing a plot that goes on forever is pointless. If this type of adventure soap opera appeals to you, then you just emerse yourself and plow through.  Personally I could not stop watching probably because like all good potboilers our hero and heroine repeatedly get caught in some dilemma only to eventually extricate themselves.

Some of the subplots are a bit over the top. When the couple escape to Paris from somewhat bleak and primitive Scotland, they suddenly are dressing to the hilt and acting like socialites.  In fact you have to suspend disbelief in the details. Just enjoy the superstitions and magic.

Expect to see much violence, wounds, blood, and lashings. Some of the scenes are cringe-worthy.  Especially BEWARE season 1 episode 15 “Wentworth Prison” in which the evil Black Jack (played to sadistic perfection by Tobias Menzies ) tortures and rapes Jamie.

As a further reward, this series has some of the best sex scenes I have ever seen.  These scenes are successful because they hinge on real emotions and are truly not pornographic.

Bets are on that once you start watching, you will not be able to stop.

DO NOT MISS

 

 

The Indian Doctor (2010)

From Acorn TV:

This uplifting and charming period drama from the BBC follows an Indian doctor (Sanjeev Bhaskar, Mumbai Calling) who moves to a small Welsh village in the early 1960s. As he and his upper class wife (Ayesha Dharker, Indian Summers) adjust to life in the mining town, they start to change the community–and the community changes them.

From Acorn TV you can stream three seasons of this series which is in the same genre as “Doc Martin”.  Each season has 5 episodes and each episode lasts about 43 minutes.

Eventually Dr. Prem Sharma and his wife Kamini Sharma with difficulty  fit into the small Welsh mining community.

Season 1 centers on Dr. Sharma fighting to get chest X-rays for the miners in order to detect black lung disease.

Season 2 is about a church minister whose belief that prayer can cure smallpox endangers the community.

Season 3 has Dr. Sharma working to defeat a hoax that will impoverish the town inhabitants.

If you have ever watched the wonderful British series “Unforgotten” then you will recognize Sanjeev Bhaskar (who plays Dr. Sharma) as DS ‘Sunny’ Khan who is the sidekick to DCI Cassie Stuart (played by Nicola Walker).

If you need a family-friendly series then you cannot go wrong with these 15 episodes.