Bob Birch: You want the convention to be a circus.
Francis Underwood: Oh, Bob, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but politics is no longer just theatre, it’s show business. So let’s put on the best show in town.
Larry Pine and Kevin Spacey in the political TV drama House of Cards (2013 – ). Set in the White House, it centres around the ruthlessly ambitious power couple of Francis and Claire Underwood. I’m currently on series 4 so no spoilers please if you’re ahead of me.
You can’t play God without being acquainted with the devil.
Dr Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) in the multi-genre hit show Westworld (2016 -). With elements of sci-fi, western, drama and psychological thriller, it tells of a Wild West style theme park filled with droids but controlled by humans.
With the European news being dominated by the UK’s decision to leave the EU, I thought it was only fitting to do a politically-themed quiz. So with the shockwaves of Brexit still being felt, here are 15 past and present TV shows that capture different moods, mavericks and mindsets within the political landscape. It is one of the tougher ones I will do, so no worries if you struggle. While my picture quizzes are usually film-based, for those interested I have also done TV ones before, with American drama and cartoons.
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I’ve been reading a bit of Shakespeare recently and as I haven’t done a film quiz for a while thought I should combine the two for a bumper post. His impact on literature, English theatre and popular culture has been extraordinary, so this film quiz was never going to be conventional. I’ve decided to break it into into two parts, faithful adaptations and those that were loosely based. Which half will you do better on? Do you have a favourite Shakespeare play?
Film 1 (1940s)
Film 2 (1990s)
Film 3 (1990s)
Film 4 (1990s)
Film 5 (2000s)
Film 6 (2010+)
And the loosely adapted
Film 7 (1950s)
Film 8 (1990s)
Film 9 (1990s)
Film 10 (2000s)
Film 11 (2000s)
Film 12 (2010+)
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I think a soulmate is a person who makes you be the most you you can possibly be. Maybe your soulmate is the person who forces your soul to grow the most. Not all growth feels good.
Rabbi Ari (Molly Parker) in the highly acclaimed drama Six Feet Under (2001 – 2005). The HBO show told the story of the troubled Fisher family and their interactions with bereaving families through their funeral home.
Excuse me, let me tell you something… When America opened up the floodgates and let all us Italians in, what do you think they were doing it for? ‘Cause they were trying to save us from poverty? No, they did it because they needed us. They needed us to build their cities and dig their subways, and to make them richer. The Carnegies and The Rockerfellers: they needed worker bees and there we were. But some of us didn’t want to swarm around their hive and lose who we were. We wanted to stay Italian and preserve the things that meant something to us: honor and family and loyalty… and some of us wanted a piece of the action. Now we weren’t educated like the Americans, but we had the BALLS to take what we wanted!
Alex Raphael 