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Top Picks: The Pilgrims on TV, the podcast 'Imaginary Worlds,' and more

Singer Lianne La Havas exudes a beguiling mix of soul and jazz, the films 'Mr. Holmes' and 'The End of the Tour' would both make good post-Thanksgiving home viewing, and more top picks.

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Nonesuch
  • By Staff

Soulful pop

Lianne La Havas is everywhere lately – singing with Prince and Alicia Keys, performing on late-night TV, plus making a major concert tour. Her second – and stellar – album is Blood, with songs inspired by her mixed heritage. Live and on record, this daughter of a Greek father and Jamaican mother exudes a beguiling mix of soul and jazz with a wink and gentle spirit. To catch a glimpse of her exciting talent, go to http://bit.ly/SingerLaHavas.

Pilgrim double feature

There’s more to the Pilgrims than Plymouth Rock and a Thanksgiving feast. Two networks examine the story of America’s earliest days in Saints & Strangers (National Geographic Channel) and The Pilgrims (“American Experience” on PBS). “Saints & Strangers” is a drama starring Vincent Kartheiser of “Mad Men.” One unique feature: Actors portray native Americans speaking Abenaki. It debuts Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. and airs for two nights. “The Pilgrims,” which airs Nov. 24 at 8 p.m., is an educational documentary bolstered by such experts as “Mayflower” author Nathaniel Philbrick.

David Burdeny

Stylish underground

It’s hard to imagine a subway station that is as ornate as a palace. But that’s how it is in Moscow, where photographer David Burdeny has captured images of metro stations with chandeliers and gilded columns. You can hardly tell the difference between the metro station photos and the photos of Russian palaces and other historical buildings. Check it out at www.davidburdeny.com.

Miramax

Post-feast Lit fest

Looking to watch something other than football? Two films of a literary bent are now on DVD and Blu-ray, with Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellan (at right) as an elderly Sherlock Holmes, and The End of the Tour, starring Jason Segel as writer David Foster Wallace. McKellan is splendid as the famous fictional sleuth, while Segel exposes the tension between writing and celebrity.

Sci-fi podcast

The podcast Imaginary Worlds explores fantasy, science fiction, and pop culture in an insightful (but not too academic) way. Host Eric Molinsky, a radio reporter for WNYC, brings in experts to muse about how characters on “Game of Thrones” compare with real-life politicians and why science fiction borrows so much from classic cowboys-and-Indians tales. The show, now in its second season, is available on iTunes and at ImaginaryWorldsPodcast.org. 

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