The Good Doctor (TV Series, ABC 2017)

The Good Doctor as you guessed it is a medical drama. The twist on this one is it's about a young doctor, Sean Murphy (Freddie Highmore) just out of medical school who is high functioning autistic with Savant Syndrome. His champion that he should be allowed to practice at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital is Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) who is president of the board there. Dr. Glassman has known Sean Murphy since he was a child and believes greatly in his ability. He of course is getting resistance from the members of the board and other doctors. For me, I loved the irony of one of their main arguments basically being about what his bedside manner would be with patients and his ability to communicate effectively. Then we watch how they really aren't the most thoughtful with their patients or with each other. And Dr. Murphy hits one of them with a much needed verbal mirror on his arrogance and asks him if it makes him a better doctor to be that way. Zing! The characters seem to be well drawn out right at the get go. I felt drawn in and think the continuing story will be interesting. The cast is excellent with Highmore coming off the hit Bates Motel. Nice to see Richard Schiff back. Loved him back on The West Wing. Also, Tamlyn Tomita and Hill Harper star.

Brian Wilson, The Orpheum Theater Boston, MA 09/22/2017

Tonight I got to see for the first time in concert the musical genius behind The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson is the master behind the California surfing sound of the 60s as well as those beautiful harmonies. But as with many creative geniuses he has been a tortured soul through out his life. He has suffered mental breakdowns and there was a time when he would not leave his house. So, it was truly amazing to see him at the age of 75 center stage, facing the audience behind a white baby grand piano. He had a large band backing him that included a founding member of The Beach Boys, Al Jardine. A nice addition is Al's son Matt who can do the falsetto in the same light as Brian and the late Carl Wilson for The Beach Boy hits. Right out of the gate you knew you were in for a treat with California Girls. The catalog is extensive for this man. We heard Little Deuce Coup, Don't Worry Baby, and Wouldn't It Be Nice. Everyone was singing along with Sloop John B. The melancholy In My Room was performed as well as God Only Knows, the classic Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Surfin' USA, and Fun, Fun, Fun. Which is what this night was-fun. This music is truly an American sound. And I think it brings to mind not only summer but a time when the world at least seemed a little more innocent. The Good Vibrations Brian Wilson has given will always stay with us.

The Third Man (Movie 1949)

Some times you just have to delve back into the classics. I can think of no better movie to give you an appreciation for black and white films than The Third Man. It had even won Best Cinematography- Black and White from the Academy Awards. And now is your chance to see it on Netflix. The images are just gorgeous of wet streets at night lighted by street lamps and shadowy figures in door ways. It is set in post WWII Vienna where some of the city is still in heaps of rubble. It stars the great Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) is a writer who comes to Vienna after getting a letter from an old childhood friend about a job opportunity. When he arrives he finds out this his friend was killed after being run over by a truck. But as Holly Martins begins to learn there is much more to the story. There is definitely a mystery here and danger. This is film noir at it's best. One of my favorite scenes in movie history happens here with the Swiss cuckoo clock speech. Pure genius! The theme music which is played solely by a zither is haunting and will stay with you. Give this one a shot and witness when movie making was an art form.

Hidden Figures (Movie 2016)

Hidden Figures was released back in 2016 and has now premiered on HBO this weekend. If like myself you didn't see it in the theaters check this one out now. The story is based on the the true events of 3 black women who played major roles in NASA's burgeoning space program back in the 60s. Katherine Johnson (Taraji Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson's (Janelle Monae) names are not widely known in America even though they are pioneers not only for their race but their gender as well. We see in the movie the difficulty of trying to make what seemed impossible possible by putting a man in space but doing so in the midst of racism and a patriarchal system. When Katherine is put into head engineer Paul Stafford's ( Kevin Costner) Space Task Group she has to run half a mile on the property of the research facility just to use a "Colored Women" bathroom. What this movie brought to mind is that recent commercial by GE that speculated what if our heroes and superstars were scientists and geniuses instead of movies stars and sports figures. We need to hear more stories like these Hidden Figures.