Sue Chef

In the 1990s, I viewed many long, romantic, family-oriented Latin American telenovellas with convoluted plots and I never minded the time I spent viewing them so I was prepared to like "Baciati dall'Amore" (also referred to as "Solo Tua" or "Only You"), a 6-segment Italian-language sit-com set in Naples about a florist Dad who falls for an attractive marine biologist. True love never runs smoothly, especially on TV, but too many unfunny scenes and negative characters spoiled "Baciati dall'Amore" for me. Carlo and Valentina are two kind, intelligent and likable leading characters but their budding love story is cruelly set adrift in a churning abyss of mayhem. Youngsters forever cause trouble, some of it life-threatening, but their weak-kneed elders fail to provide discipline or guidance. There are many teen soccer practice scenes and girls' locker room antics without any educational, classroom or school activities to balance the picture. Kids are driven to school and return from school but we never once see the school, inside or out. Instead of teachers, study, homework and classrooms, there is endless soccer practice led by a male coach with an inappropriate idea of night time extracurricular activities with underage students, causing me to wonder who the intended viewing audience of "Baciati dall'Amore" was. Adding to the stress, a tasteless family member with an atrocious voice never stops singing; an undertaker's arrival on scene always causes delicate objects to crash; a woman in uniform misuses her authority. I might have overlooked all this misery if it reached a satisfying ending but the conclusion fails to tie up important lose ends. I was disappointed by the charming old mansion that, from the start, needed renovations but, by the end, was still needing repairs. Although Carlo claims to be a college-educated architect and landscape gardener, he neglects his own property. Is he worthy of the lovely Valentina? Many opportunities were missed in writing and producing this script. The final segment of "Baciati dall'Amore" was okay, I guess, but too rushed, as if everyone concerned was ordered to stop before finishing. I think this wanna-be comedy of errors could have been truly wonderful if given the proper care, time and thought.

French actor Bruno Debrandt (as Frederick Cain) is SO great to watch in this exciting cop show set in the gorgeous South of France (Marseilles, one of my favorite cities in France) with his intrepid sidekick Lucie (a fearless fiery redhead). I enjoy the fast-moving, witty mystery plots that include sharp observations of crime scenes and modern forensics. Mr Debrandt expresses the world with a mere lift of one eyebrow and/or the subtle lilt of his voice. I'll watch this series as long as it is available - at the moment, on MhZ. I only wish Cain would regain the use of his legs after a motorcycle crash. What a guy!