Top Picks: PBS's 'Victoria,' the film 'Little Men,' and more
Memorable monarch
鈥淒octor Who鈥� actress Jenna Coleman portrays a famous monarch in the new PBS series , which depicts the early days of the rule of one of the most famous queens of all time. Rufus Sewell portrays the prime minister, Lord Melbourne, and Nell Hudson and Peter Firth costar. 鈥淰ictoria鈥� debuts Jan. 15 at 9 p.m.
Impressive cover
The soundtrack to the Broadway smash hit 鈥淗amilton鈥� has already won over legions of music fans, and the recent release 鈥淭he Hamilton Mixtape鈥� features other artists interpreting the songs by 鈥淗amilton鈥� composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda. A highlight: Kelly Clarkson鈥檚 impressive take on the song It鈥檚 Quiet Uptown. See it at .
Sweet movie
Theo Taplitz stars in the film as a young boy who moves with his parents from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Once there, he makes friends with a neighbor boy, but the boys鈥� parents soon become embroiled in a disagreement. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer calls 鈥淟ittle Men,鈥� which is directed and co-written by Ira Sachs, 鈥渁 sweet, deceptively slight movie.... [T]he acting is uniformly powerful (and powerfully understated).鈥� The film is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Real story
AMC鈥檚 鈥淢ad Men鈥� was hailed as one of the best TV series ever made with its story of the ad men and women of the 1960s. What were the real lives of these people like and how did advertising influence the culture of the United States at the time? The Smithsonian Channel series delves into how ads have changed the lives of the American people. It debuts Jan. 8 at 9 p.m.聽
Swinging soundtrack
The acclaimed new movie musical is already topping the award season lists, and its romantic, swinging soundtrack will surely follow suit. Director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz created the all-original score (with lyrics by Broadway wunderkinds Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), and it combines California cool instrumental jazz with timeless new songs handled with verve and charm by lead cutie-pie actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It鈥檚 a warm and welcome pick-me-up as winter sets in.聽
