Well, finally! Finally, it looks like Benedict Cumberbatch is copying Tom Hiddleston! This has been a long time coming, because it seems like Tommy is always copying his big brother Cumberbatch. We already know that Benedict is a big PBS guy – Sherlock airs on PBS, and he always seems happy to do a lot of PBS-related press. So now, at long last, Benedict is going to appear on Sesame Street! HUZZAH. PBS posted this wonderful image of Cumby over the weekend with Murray (?) and Count Von Count. One Cumby, Two Cumby, Three Cumby HA HA HA. PBS tweeted: “Surprise! Benedict Cumberbatch sheds the serious Sherlock to share some laughs w/ these 2 – stay tuned! #Counterbatch.” The wonderful nerds at PBS also mocked up an image of Hugh Bonneville and Cumby doing “Omaha!” for the SuperBowl counter-programming too.
Anyway, I just wanted to talk about Cumby. Last night the last episode of Season 3 Sherlock premiered and I’m still not quite ready to discuss it. If you do discuss it, don’t do spoilers! I’m sure some people are waiting to watch it. But I do want to talk about August: Osage County, which I saw this weekend. Benedict only has a small, supporting part and while he looked great – he looked beautiful, if truth be told – I did think he was miscast. His accent was very wonky and I just couldn’t buy him in a role where he was supposed to be weak and vague. That being said, his character was heartbreakingly sweet and that was a nice reprieve from all of the family histrionics. This is the second film I’ve seen him in this Oscar season where his hotness was distracting from the overall film – the first was 12 Years a Slave, and Benedict’s hair looked so good in that film, I couldn’t pay attention to the story for several minutes.
Back to Osage – I understand why Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep got nominated for everything, but I think it’s safe to say they’re both going to lose at the Oscars. I’ve seen all of the big actress contenders so far, and while Meryl’s performance was great, as always, I do think Cate Blanchett is a much stronger contender, and if Blanchett isn’t getting it, Amy Adams will.
Photos courtesy of PBS, Fame/Flynet.
I saw blue jasmine this weekend and Cate killed it. She was amazing.
I think Cate’s chances of an Oscar might’ve affected by the Dylan Farrow open letter
You would think but this is Hollywood, the same machine that honoured him at the Globes only a few weeks ago.
Monday Cumby!
Re: episode three. I hated this episode. I fast forwarded through a lot of Fake Rupert Murdoch’s scenes.
Has anyone seen Third Star? He was amazing in it, and the movie was so good.
One of his best.
Saw it based on a reference here. One of his best, for sure. A great take on friendship among men, illness and death.
Am making it sound like a depressing pity party movie, but it alternates between oddly fun and truly affecting moments.
Whilst Cate was fantastic in BJ, I can’t quite get over Dylan Farrow’s first person account of the abuse she suffered at Woody Allen’s hands, makes me not root for Cate. Yes, I believe Dylan Farrow.
But, Maya, to be fair to Cate, she didn’t have anything to do with it & it would be her work being honored.
Ben is gorgeous as always BTW.
This time you’ll get no contra from me—he is gorgeous.
Episode Three was better than the first two in getting back to the actual detective work, but unfortunately they wasted so much time on rom-com action hero Sherlock in the first two episodes that by the time it made it to the villain, it was underwhelming.
I agree, the villain was underwhelming. He had so much potential and could have been such a creepy, supervillain, a worthy match for Sherlock, but both the buildup and the finale felt rushed. I want them to go back to Sherlock and Watson solving crimes together! Season 3 was entertaining, and Mary was awesome, but it felt too much like fanservice and like they strayed too far from both the source material and the original feel of the series.
I guess I should say, SPOILERS…
Episode 3 was the weakest of the season. Almost everything everyone did was stupid and out of character, and had no real logic behind it. The villain was smart, and didn’t do anything to pose a real threat, and there was no reason for Sherlock to hate him so much. Yes, he peed in his fireplace, but that one d-ckish move isn’t enough of a reason for Sherlock to shoot him in the head. The villain (I forgot his name) was blackmailing people, but he hadn’t killed anyone or anything. Also, there was no reason for Mary to shoot Sherlock, or for her to not shoot the villain once she had him on his knees. Also, she’s ex-CIA, and breaking into his office to murder him is not the best plan for pulling off a murder and getting away with it. Clearly he didn’t travel with a ton of security, even after someone broke into his office and tried to kill him, so she could and should have set up on top of a building on her route to work or something and sniped him. She’s clearly an excellent shot, so she could have pulled that off. Also, there is no reason for Mycroft to turn the plane around. It’s not like it was Moriarty’s actual face on TV, it was a GIF and a computerized voice, any hacker could have done that, there is no reason to think it was actually Moriarty. What they should be concerned with was how someone could have hacked all of Britain’s TVs, but Sherlock couldn’t help with that, they need an IT guy for that. Ugh, this episode was so stupid.
I just cannot root for Cate anymore. I am disappointed in her to even work with a creep like Woody. I l am happy Dylan called out all these celebs on their hypocrisy and I hope Benedict never ever works with Woody cz the moment he does….I’ll stop liking him.
I seriously don’t want Cate to win….anyone else will do BUT not her more so after reading what Dylan’s open letter. My prayers and good wishes are with her.
I vow to never watch any of Woody’s movie…hence I haven’t seen Blue Jasmine either especially hearing that her role is based of Mia Farrow who gets jealous of her 16 year old adopted child *puke.
But I am glad that Cumby’s lovely smile with Murray and Count has made me feel a bit better this Monday morning 🙂
Also I don’t agree with you that it was hard to imagine him as a weak fragile child….I totally believed in him the moment he cried and Chris Cooper hugged him. He should do more roles like these to show his range….enough of playing intellectuals cz we all know he nails them damn well.
I haven’t watch Woody Allen’s movies in ages. I think I saw that one with ScarJo some years back — purely by accident. I think I was at a friend’s or something and it was just one of those movies that was on the TV while we were couch-potato-ing. Whether he molested Dylan or not, he still repulses me because of his actions with Soon-Yi.
I found Cate’s “statement” about Dylan’s letter disappointing. While I don’t expect her to want to get deeply involved in addressing this situation, I think it would have been better for her to have kept silent rather than issue the condescending, lack-of-genuine-feeling, formulaic, one-line nonsense she issued. I tend to try very hard to “read” people carefully and fairly and not interpret them with my own emotions. But that statement from Cate strongly smacked of “oh, you’re obviously a messed up little person with problems — good luck getting some help with that” … to me.
As an aside, Mia Farrow sure knows how to pick ’em, doesn’t she?
Thank you….that statement from Cate was pathetic to say the least. I had such high regards for her but now zilch. Actually I am glad she replied back and I want all the others whom Dylan called out to reply back as well especially Diane Keaton.
I really wanna see what shit they will say…be diplomatic like Cate, ignore or give a genuine response that yes they fked up.
Mia has a debatable history of her own…where she supported a rapist like Polanski BUT no mother would use this kinda tragedy for her own benefit. Here the person in question is her daughter and no mother would lie regarding something like this to make a mockery of her daughter in public, hence I trust her motives in genuinely helping her daughter fight this society in their hypocrisy.
** sorry if I sound pissed off….this issue has startled me so much like ughhhh
The only Woody Allen I’ve seen (and this is only the last half, on tv) was Vicky Christina Barcelona–which I have a feeling I saw the best parts i.e. Penelope’s part. I’ve heard good things about Midnight in Paris–but I probably won’t ever watch it. I don’t get all these celebs that defend him or Polanski–we may ever know for sure what happened between him and Dylan (not discounting her letter–I’m glad that she wrote it), but I still think Allen is a creep of the highest order.
I saw BJ and felt a bit skeeved because it did seem to be a vicious jab if not at Mia, at women in general.
But the character doesn’t have a 16 year old daughter, she has a son from whom she is estranged. In the film he is angry with his father for being a criminal, but even more so with his mother for blowing the whistle. In the film it is very clear that she only reported her husband because he was dumping her for a “teenaged girlfriend.” It is also very clear that whatever his weaknesses might be, she and only she is the pathetic messed up piece of work. Her character is permitted no transcendence, no insights, no growth. It ends with her sitting in a park bench talking to herself.
Cate and the rest of the ensemble really made this film; I thought the script was cardboard. Much as I credit her acting, yeah, I found her statement to be mealy mouthed and empty, and I hope the film nets no oscars at all. I want those who work with and support Allen to think twice and feel a bit uncomfortable for once.
oh it’s the son….thanks for telling me…I just heard that it’s based on Mia and his marriage so presumed it would be a daughter.
Completely agreed with the last part, I don’t wan it to win an awards and others should think thrice to even consider working with him. I am already done liking Emma Stone cz she is working with him next.
So sue me. If I used my sense of propriety as my guide to what is artistic, there wouldn’t be much out there to read, view, listen to—it would be a wasteland of Goody-two-shoes-ville. For how many actors/-tresses or other artists come anywhere near my middle-class morality? I assure you, it isn’t very many. That’s why my role is consumer & not performer,
I never watched a WA movie since Annie Hall… To be honest, he creeped me out when he got together with SoonYi, she was a teen and he was taking erotic pictures of her…
So, regardless of the recent letter written by Dylan, he already was a creep of the highest order.
I don’t think much of Mia Farrow, she always seemed a drama queen to me. But not at the point of creating a conspiracy against her daughter.
Team Farrow on this one.
And Cate Blanchett has already an academy award, she can pass this one on, can’t she? 😉
About Cumby, looking forward to watching him on sesame street!
Agreed, Woody is a creep. Still it seems more than a bit coincidental that he would be attacked recently in the press first by the son (which didn’t find much resonance), now by the daughter with a repeat of allegations of child abuse (much greater resonance & only weeks prior to the Oscars).
In the course of a bitter divorce feud, the court found the accusation open to question, stated the truth could never be known, though went on record that the girl seemed to confuse fact & fantasy. Woody was never tried for child abuse & has been married to Soon Yi now for 20 years, whereas Mia Farrow has always come across as a drama queen imho.
His hair is off the freakin’ CHAIN in Osage!! I haven’t seen the movie yet — I very likely will, but I’m not hurry to see it in the theatre since his part is so small — but I’ve seen all the still shots. I just adore his hair like that. I’m still holding out hope that one of these days he’ll let his hair grow out a few inches to his natural curls/waves and natural color for a while. That’ll either have to happen if he takes a break and “let’s himself go” or has a role that calls for it. I’m waiting!
I actually read an interview/article that stated that was his natural color in Osage and 12 Years A Slave.
Crumby coverage here makes my day every time. Thanks Kaiser!
I’m with you on Cate winning. I understand completely why Meryl Streep is….well Meryl Streep but I don’t think Julia Roberts acting is all that. Shall I just give my Oscar picks?
Best Actor/Actress- Matthew M/ Cate B
Best Supporting- Jared L/ Lupita N
Best Director- Director of American Hustle
Best Picture- 12 Years A Slave
Yea, I hated the ending of the 3rd episode with the episodes bad guy. All those promises about ‘how the third episode ties it all together’ and it fell completely flat. Once again, no mystery, the bad guy was lame and has been all season-not a challenge at all, and not even the plot twist could save it.
Way to meta of a season, extremely disappointing.
No I didn’t like this series at all, well some of it I might have to re-watch. The bad guy wasn’t even shown until the last episode they made such a big deal of him being in it. On the other hand I am saddened that The Bridge is over… (:
My thoughts, exactly! There were a few times during this season where I felt like turning off the TV and doing something else. I don’t know if I just had way-high expectations after the second season, but I was disappointed in the third season.
I don’t want to discuss spoilers, but I was disappointed with the so-called bad guy this season. Didn’t they promote him as being the worst of them all?!? I still think Moriarty (and Andrew Scott, whose name I keep typing as “Adam Scott” – now picture THAT version of Moriarty!) was a better villain.
@ Green Girl
I don’t think he was the villain…
If they are doing an Xmas special this year, that would be the actual conclusion to Series 3 and not the third episode (based on how other BBC series have used Xmas specials in the past).
Worst villain ever. If they had really developed him over all three episodes they might have had something to work with, but by the time the third episode rolled around I was like, so he’s a weirdo with a photographic memory? Hardly the WORST person Sherlock has ever dealt with like he describes him in the beginning of the episode.
Spoiler spoiler spoiler sorry sorry spoiler
Now with that out of the way… We spent the first two episodes seeing how much people actually mean to Sherlock and how he kind of deep down does want to relate and fit in even if it bores and perplexes him, and then this villain comes in and threatens the one of the fee things in life he actually does love. I think that’s what makes him the worst- he’s not an academic exercise but a serious threat to something he values more than his own life.
And I get that, but I still feel like they tried to rush to cram too much in, so you never feel the impact of why he suddenly was able to care and trust Mary so much (we already know that John is important to him and the others) so quickly that he would put himself in harms way to protect her other than she was married to John-I just don’t feel like that was quite enough. I felt like it was a convenient plot line rather than one that was well written. I’m not explaining it as well as I’d like, but I feel like if they’d stretched it out more so that the wedding happened in the third episode and they’d devoted more time to Magnusson in the first two, then the first episode of the next season would have been better developed and set up for what we saw last night.
The problem is the villain wasn’t really a villain. All he was doing was gaining information and blackmailing people, but he wasn’t that big of a threat. There really was no reason for Sherlock to hate him so much. Moffat forced the issue, that’s why it fell so flat.
I didn’t like that film and I should have know better going in. He did have on a fancy pastel coloured shirt with design though. Can you tell me why people take photos and point all the f…g time it is so irritating. Also mouth agape reminds me of my 13 y/o I say please don’t do that you look like an idiot. I guess it’s just not 13 y/o idiots.
@AG-UK
I know what you mean about the mouth being open but I think he’s matching the puppets? Another one where they’ve all got more closed smiles:
https://twitter.com/PBS/status/430362582168252416
Ben will perform for the Queen this month.
http://cumberbatchcoffeeklatch.tumblr.com/post/75403864929/benedict-cumberbatch-to-perform-for-the-queen
That event is honour of the Queen’s Patron support of RADA and most of the acts, including Benedict didn’t go to RADA. Strange. Anyway…
I feel sorry for the Queen, she get’s to spend another evening with Helen Mirren. I bet she is way bored of Helen being shoved under her nose all the time.
I hope Benedict makes up the interest factor, I am sure the Queen is into Sherlock S3 and desperate for the news on S4. Perhaps she can convince him to drop the boring Hollywood stuff and film this!
‘p’enny, where did he do that lovely scene from Rosencrantz?
@Late-to-the-Party
think that may have something to do with National Theatre Live 50th celebrations.
He’ll be great. Most actors who appear on SS say that has been the best gig they’ve ever had, b/c they grew up on all those Muppets!
As for Ben following that other guy…well, Ben has been *working *his curls off these past three years- role after role. Glad he finally had time to get to Sesame Street.
That other guy had, um, quite a lot of free time this past year (ahem).
@ Chris says “That other guy had, um, quite a lot of free time this past year (ahem).”
swings and roundabouts in any actor’s life.
Not that I want to over-defend Tom’s working schedule, 2013 was choppy and unlucky losing Capa [pretty gutted about that, it looked really good]. Coriolanus has made up for it though and recommend everyone go see an encore. He has put a lot of hard work in there.
And, I am hoping he gets a full work schedule for 2014. Crimson Peak films till May.
And then Tom’s schedule looks half full for 2015. Marvel wipe out 6 months of an actor’s diary, [apparently read it somewhere]. Esp if Thor 3 get’s the expected Spring 2016 release date.
for an actor who isn’t the most commercial of faces to plant in any film, I don’t think he’s doing to badly.
Both actors seemed to be pretty busy in 2013. Obviously, Batch a bit more. But Hiddleston stated that he did that purposely. Maybe, he has a big project on the side, he’s waiting to hear about.
I don’t think he starts filming Blood Mountain until April, so does anyone know what he’s doing until then?
Learning lines, and auditioning would be my assumption. He has some events coming up related to Sherlock, and something about performing for the Queen.
Anyone who performs with Sesame Street kicks butt!
Can’t wait for him to be on Sesame Street! Love him!
I knew I was getting old when celebrities I actually cared about started making appearances on Sesame Street. That being said, I’m totally going to watch this on YouTube.
I kept waiting for the third episode to tie this whole Sherlock season together, and I was a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the plot twist and the teaser for next season, but everyone has gotten so terribly mushy. Most of the regular people I know don’t spend this much time declaring their loyalty and affection for each other, and someone who goes around calling himself a sociopath certainly shouldn’t.
He’s going to have to work extremely hard to outcute Tom and Cookie Monster! (although teaching kids about “delayed gratification” was a reeeeeeeeal stretch for me. Just call it “waiting” and be done with it!). That said, part of me is disappointed in how Sesame Street seems to have become a “who’s who” of celebrity guests. What age appropriate Sesame Street watching kids would know who Ben is?? I think some of these guest stars are for the mommies!!
I love Hugh Bonneville!! Those cheeks are just too cute!!
Sherlock S3 is only starting in Oz tomorrow night and I really am in two minds as to whether even to bother watching it. I have only seen a couple of episodes prior to this and it didn’t suck me in. Feedback on this site seems to indicate this isn’t a good season if you are not a crashing fan. Love Cumby and his curls (and sweet Martin Freeman), but not enamored with Sherlock.
” I think some of these guest stars are for the mommies!!”
And the dads, too! I don’t mind. If I’m watching it with the kids, I think it’s great if the guest is well-known and the kids are entertained. It’s win-win for everyone. 🙂
From what I remember as a child, Sesame Street ALWAYS had quite a few guest stars that were there because parent-age people found them interesting. That’s why it makes me feel old – most of the time as a kid, I didn’t know who that silly non-Muppet person was!
@Secret Squirrel
They’ve always had celeb guest stars. It reminds the adults with money to donate that Sesame Street still exists 😉
I am so excited about Sesame Street! If only Cumby could host SNL, then appear on The Daily Show or Colbert Report, and I will be very happy.
Just back from my winter holiday. Haven’t seen any of Sherlock 3, but looking forward to it—even if it sucks. Anything BC is better than no BC. Spent an enervating & unnerving weekend reading comments on the Amanda Knox mess, so if I sounded a bit harsh above in reacting to the thumbs-down on Woody (& by extension, Cate Blanchett) forgive me. I just think that all of these people in the arts are wired differently from me & that it’s a zero game to expect them to fit into my staid little world. When I think of BC’s schedule & all the travel, it just makes me dizzy & very happy to sit on my sofa with a Cumberfilm or taking a side trip to Sesame St. on YouTube.
When I first started noticing BC I thought he looked like an alien and did not understand the fascination with him.
Then I saw him interviewed!
Smart, funny, charming … so sexy!
Woooooooo!!!!
On Sherlock: I understand the dislike for Series 3. It’s a huge departure from the last 2 BUT I still loved it. There was more character development in it than any other series. Sometimes shifting gears is important.
I dig what you’re saying, but the series was still a huge disappointment after two years.
I’m all for character development, but I don’t want “action hero who secretly loves to dance” Sherlock-I mean, no one really wants to see him be a jerk ALL the time. But I felt like they really made him too sensitive and trusting-I would have liked to see his interaction with Mary a little more drawn out, for instance. It all just felt a bit rushed.
Having said all that, I’ll still be waiting for any bit of information on the next season. Moffatt may anger me but I can’t quit this show.
I totally agree. The writers and actors took chances with this series and I for one appreciated them. Some of them worked some of them didn’t, but I loved 90% of it.
I think the build up for series three was too much and disappointed some people.
I was split down the middle when it came to the new season of Sherlock. Luckily for me, I just discovered the BBC Sherlock, and was able to watch them over a small time frame. I did enjoy the character development. I did not enjoy the rom-com stuff. I also wish they would tweak the female characters a bit. I love the actress that plays Molly, but her character’s obsession with Sherlock bothers me to no end. If they could shake that up a bit, and make it so, maybe she really does find someone that helps her forget her obsession over Sherlock. Keep Sherlock as an asexual male who couldn’t care less about romantic relationships. I like that Sherlock.
I did enjoy the character of Mary, and the twists they added with her. I would go into deeper detail, but then I would end up writing a book, so, I will spare you that. I’m sure someone will go into greater depth.
Well crap, now I’ll have to watch 12 yrs just to see the hair. I adore his curls, cannot resist them. When he’s all slicked back mafia style I’m not impressed, but damn his natural hair is working for me alright! Damn.
I haven’t been seeing this much SS lately since I was in kindergarten.
Next, an episode with BOTH Tom and Ben teaching Miss Piggy how to make proper tea.
or Tom and Ben teaching “Animal” pro-noun-ci-a-tion and decorum!
http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002656495/2358382890_approved2_answer_1_xlarge.gif
I honestly don’t know who is more adorable: Cumby or the Muppets!
Kaiser – I have to disagree about BCumbs in AOC. I thought he played Little Charles beautifully – like a whipped dog, afraid to raise his head. There was something so pitiful about him that it made it hard to look, like the scene with the casserole.
I’m beyond excited about his turn on Sesame Street. When allowed, he has such a sense of fun and whimsy. I’d love to see him interact with small children sometime. Bet it would be lovely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7jS7X-2ggA
Gotta admit, Hiddles is better at this.
I’ll be honest, I never understood the Cumberbatch madness. And then I started watching Sherlock. Consider me a convert. Smart really IS the new sexy, indeed.