Rueben's Ramblings

On August 25, the Masterpiece Mystery 3-part mini-series Silk will debut on PBS at 9 PM.

Silk revolves around a group of barristers in the highly-competitive, high-stakes games of their careers.

For rival barristers Martha Costello (Maxine Peake from Shameless)and Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones from MI-5), that means winning cases in their pursuit of both justice and “taking silk” — being the sole barrister from their chamber to be appointed a Queen’s Counsel (QC) and thereby earning the right to wear the coveted silk robes that QCs wear in Court.

For competing barrister-in training pupils Nick Slade (Tom Hughes from Page Eight)and Niamh Cranitch (Natalie Dormer from The Tudors),it means proving they have what it takes to be both a full-fledged barrister and the lone pupil selected as a member of chambers.

The cast includes Alex Jennings (The State Within) and Neil Stuke (Reggie Perrin).

Here is a teaser trailer for Silk.

NOTE: This mini-series will run straight through until September 8.

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The Masterpiece Mystery movie The Lady Vanishes will debut on PBS on August 18 at 9 PM.

The film packs in the suspense and style when Iris Carr (Tuppence Middleton from Inspector Lewis), a beautiful young socialite traveling alone, who befriends a kindly English middle-aged woman but wakes from a nap to find her missing – and all the strangers surrounding her denying that the woman was ever there at all.

This closed-door mystery classic investigates the question of madness and isolation set among increasingly sinister passengers and a train barreling through Europe toward a dangerous and dizzying final destination: the truth.

The cast includes Tom Hughes (Page Eight), Keeley Hawes (Upstairs Downstairs), Gemma Jones (The Duchess of Duke Street), and Alex Jennings (Cranford).

Here is a trailer for The Lady Vanishes (via its original airing earlier this year on BBC One).

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On August 17, the Hallmark Channel movie This Magic Moment will debt at 8 PM.

When Hollywood star Helena Harris (Diane Neal from Law & Order: SVU) films her newest movie, “This Magic Moment,” in the small town of Stone’s Throw, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with local video store owner Clark Gable (Travis Schuldt from Scrubs). Helena, who recently broke up with her current co-star Roberto Molinez (Vincent Spano), asks her new friend Clark to pretend to be her love interest in order to make Roberto jealous. Clark agrees and in exchange, Helena helps him pursue his screenwriting career. While this agreement benefits both Clark and Helena, it also complicates the relationship between Clark and his newly single, former high school sweetheart, Emily McIntyre (Alaina Huffman from Stargate Universe). As Helena and Clark’s fake romance successfully brings out the green monster in Roberto, the jealous Roberto decides to win Helena back and give Clark a taste of his own medicine by using his own fame to pursue Emily.

The cast includes Charles Shaughnessy (The Nanny) and Molly Burnett (Days of Our Lives).

Here is a trailer for This Magic Moment.

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On August 10, the Hallmark Channel movie Reading, Writing & Romance will debut at 9 PM.

Struggling actor Wayne Wenders (Eric Mabius from Ugly Betty) is comically famous for starring in a low-budget commercial for Irritable Bowel Syndrome medication, a reputation he is hoping to change when he finally lands a starring role in a national root beer ad. But when the paycheck for his big break is delayed, Wayne looks for other options to pay his increasingly late rent and ends up interviewing for a gig teaching Shakespeare at the local high school. Principal Brenda Post (Stefanie Powers from Hart to Hart) hires Wayne for his natural theatrical talent and enthusiasm, but Wayne is soon surprising himself with his love of the job – and for fellow English teacher Amy (Virginia Williams from Fairly Legal), an attractive woman, who is immediately impressed with Wayne’s passion and his idea to teach the students with an exciting film project. The film also stars Martin Mull and Meredith Baxter.

Here is a trailer for Reading, Writing & Romance.

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The 10-episode Starz series The White Queen will debut on August 10 at 9 PM.

This mini-series is the riveting portrayal of one of the most dramatic and turbulent times in English history. A story of love and lust, seduction and deception, betrayal and murder, it is uniquely told through the perspective of three different, yet equally relentless women – Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville. In their quest for power, they will scheme, manipulate and seduce their way onto the English throne.

The year is 1464, before the Tudor dynasty ruled the country, and war has been ravaging throughout England over who is the rightful King. It is a bitter dispute between two sides of the same family, The House of York and The House of Lancaster.

The House of York’s young and handsome Edward IV is crowned King of England with the help of the master manipulator, Lord Warwick “The Kingmaker.” But when Edward falls in love with a beautiful Lancastrian commoner, Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick’s plan to control the throne comes crashing down.

A violent, high-stakes struggle ensues between Elizabeth, her most fierce adversary, Lancastrian Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville, the pawn in her father’s power game – each woman vying for the crown.

The cast includes Max Irons (The Host), Aneurin Barnard, Rebecca Ferguson, Amanda Hale, Fay Marsay, Eleanor Tomlinson and James Frain (True Blood).

Here is a trailer for The White Queen.

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On August 7, the 8-part mini-series Broadchurch will debut on BBC America at 10 PM.

This mini-series explores what happens to a small coastal community when a media frenzy comes to town after a young boy is murdered.

The cast includes David Tennant (Doctor Who), Olivia Colman (The Iron Lady), Vicky McClure and Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who).

Here is a trailer for Broadchurch.

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