Linda

Living in Canada, I have recently been watching episodes of Queens of Mystery on PBS. This is certainly a unique show. I've watched many British crime shows over the years and this one is really different. Campy. Fun. Interesting characters, plotlines, old buildings and the English countryside. Maybe I'm just getting crabbier and more critical in my "golden age" but there are aspects of these episodes that annoy me. Why aren't the men capable of speaking their own feelings and telling the truth? Wimps. Why must we keep hearing the female narrator telling us what we are watching instead of our finding out extra details through dialogue? Why does Matilda favour thick black eyebrows with her platinum blond hair? Her eyebrows look like caterpillars and are unnerving to see. Matilda is really good at staring without blinking. Her aunts are rotten for not telling her the truth about her parents, the abduction, etc. Isn't that perverting the course of justice according to British law? They use cell phones on the show but the police force and forensics don't seem to test for DNA as part of basic crime procedures. Don't British police and detectives carry guns? When confronting criminals, are they only supposed to talk the bad guys into submission? Talk about Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" until the criminals give up? Despite these petty, minor complaints of mine, I will keep on watching the episodes and hope that the mysteries will be revealed thoroughly.

As a Canadian, I have a great appreciation for British culture, arts and history. Fortunately, one of the TV channels here offers the British Landscape Artist of the Year and Portrait Artist of the Year shows which I do watch. I love seeing what all of these amazing artists create, their visions of what to include or exclude in their paintings and the methods of creating their artwork. It's educational, interesting and inspiring. But, I am shocked almost every time by the decision of these three judges! It's been a simmering resentment that has kept growing over the years because of the judges' too-frequent questionable decisions about the winning artists in the various competitions. Tell me, what is wrong with painting in a realistic style that actually looks like what you've been tasked to paint? If Vincent Van Gogh were alive and competing, his beautiful artwork would be dismissed by these three judges as being "twee" or chocolate boxy. Why would any sitter want to see their portrait done in a weird, abstract way with a muddy face that the judges think looks wonderful? I sometimes feel sorry for the sitters after they have patiently waited for four hours in the hope that the portraits will actually look good and worth taking home. Why do the three judges seemingly feel that they are on a mission to promote new, "fresh" artistic styles? In other words, abstract and weird looking. I get so upset when the beautiful, realistic-looking portraits and landscapes are not given the accolades that the painters deserve. Nor are these genuinely talented artists promoted to go to the finals. So frustrating! It upsets me so much that I often think that I'll never watch it again but that's only momentary because I don't want to miss any of the shows. Please, why can't we get different judges who have the best possible credentials and artistic experience to judge? Kudos to all of the artists who bravely decide to participate in this confusing competition. I am grateful that these shows are available for me to see here in Canada so thank you for that blessing. I hope that these shows keep going every year - but with different judges! UPDATE re S11 Ep 8: Kate Bryan candidly commented in this episode: "In so many ways, we are allergic to beauty in art." That explains a lot about their decision not to include one of beautiful Emma Thynn's portraits in the final three selections. The judges also picked as the winner the one portrait that looked "undone", without having caught the full likeness of the sitter, something that the judges always pretend to look for while judging all artists' works in all of these portraits shows. Unbelievable! I am annoyed once again at those judges.