The Handmaid's Tale. Alias Grace. "What are hot new TV series?"
Sorry. The answer we were looking for is "What are Margaret Atwood novels being rediscovered by a new generation?"
The Handmaid's Tale has received 13 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Elisabeth Moss as Offred. The Emmy Awards are on Sunday.
TIFF 2017 Canadian films preview
TIFF 2017 preview
CBC announces 2017 fall schedule
Alias Grace premieres this afternoon with the first 2 episodes at 1:45 pm at the Toronto International Film Festival before airing on CBC in Canada starting September 25 and later Netflix in the rest of the world. Another airing at TIFF 2017 is Thursday at 8:30 pm. The TV version stars Sarah Gadon in the title role along with Anna Paquin and Paul Gross.
In casual conversations, Margaret Atwood is the one author people can identify as Canadian. Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 but people knew of Margaret Atwood even before the TV revivals. But after those two names, there are long pauses trying to find a third.
Words is the theme of the inaugural Canadian Dinner Party
"If you asked casual book readers to name their favorite Canadian author, chances are Margaret Atwood would come up first." I selected Atwood to be at my inaugural Canadian Dinner Party. So I haven't done one since, but Atwood needed to be at the first table.
Alice Munro wins Nobel Prize for Literature
The reality is that as much as we do celebrate books, TV and film versions bring out a wider audience. Emma Donoghue wrote a rather amazing book in Room that was turned into an Oscar-nominated film. Munro's short story The Bear Who Came Down a Mountain was adapted by Sarah Polley for her film Away From Her. Polley also adapted Alias Grace for the TV and film screens.
The Handmaid's Tale was written in 1985 about what used to be the United States in 2005. The long-term threats against women's reproductive choices in the United States combined with the current government control has made the tale far less ironic.
The book has been adapted several times, including opera and ballet versions. In 1990, a film version came out with Natasha Richardson as Offred along with Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall.
Atwood also has an animated series Wandering Wenda on Kids CBC based from her children's books.
Alias Grace was released in 1996 and is based from the story of two servants being convicted for the murder of the gentleman of the house and his housekeeper.
Anne with an E makes Netflix debut
We should also mention the latest adaptation of Anne of Green Gables — Anne (and Anne with an E) — will be on for a second season on CBC and Netflix.
photo credit: Alias Grace
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