Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood!
My “What I’m Watching” series, which was formerly published on Instagram, has moved! It’s now on Patreon, where I post weekly entertainment recommendations for movies, television shows, books, podcasts and more! You can join me here! There are both free and paid tiers, so everyone can get in on the fun. I look forward to connecting with my fellow stalkers via this new endeavor! See you there!
I recently launched a new website, Everything Palm Springs, with recommendations for places to stay, shop, dine, drink and play in the Coachella Valley, the place I’ve called home for the past decade. In that time, I’ve accumulated a vast knowledge of all things desert and it’s time I shared that knowledge with the world! I hope you’ll come along with me on this new adventure! You can check out my new site here and follow me on Instagram at @everythingpalmsprings. And I promise to be back to my regularly scheduled programming at IAMNOTASTALKER soon!
“Yes, Virginia, there is!” They are some of the most famous words ever written! Find out where young Virginia O’Hanlon penned the 1897 letter that led to the landmark New York Sun editorial in my latest Reel.
I recently guested on The Fantastic Story Society podcast, where we discussed everything from how I got started with this crazy hobby to my favorite Haunted Hollywood locations. You can give it a listen here!
The La Quinta Resort is where legendary director Frank Capra is said to have penned the screenplay for his Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Watch my latest reel to learn all about it! Fun fact – according to Reality Steve, the Golden Bachelor is set to tie the knot on the premises in January.
Those who find themselves in New York at Christmas will inevitably hear about the exceedingly decorated Rolf’s German Restaurant in Gramercy Park. But is a meal there really worth all the hype? Watch my latest reel to find out!
One Hollywood factoid that always manages to shock me no matter how many times I hear it is that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are fraternal twins! Though the women look – and have always looked – identical, they aren’t! Don’t believe me – you can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, here. I know, I know – it’s almost unbelievable! As Catriona Harvey-Jenner stated in this 2016 Cosmopolitan article, “During one of my daily travels around the great expanse that is the internet, I stumbled across a piece of information so shocking, so life-altering, that it shook me to my very core. Are you ready for this? Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as in the identical-looking twins from our childhood TV movies, AREN’T identical twins. It’s okay if you want to just take a moment to sit down after hearing that. Practice some deep breathing and stuff.” Equally as surprising, at least to those who know me and my MK & A obsession well, is the fact that I never watched The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, the girls’ 1994 mystery/musical video series. Nevertheless, I was thrilled when fellow stalker Chris (who you may remember from this post) let me know the address of the house the twins called home in the pilot episode, titled “The Case of Thorn Mansion.” As it turns out, it’s in Cameron Woods, the quarter-mile stretch of Van Nuys’ Orion Avenue that is one of L.A.’s most oft-filmed spots. So I had to run by while I was in the area a couple of months ago.
[ad]
In real life, the traditional 1-story residence, which was built in 1947, boasts 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,825 square feet, a fireplace, a 0.49-acre lot, and a detached garage with what appears to be an in-law unit. You can check out some interior pictures of the place here.
With its white picket fencing, large setback from the street, green and white color scheme, and dotting of tall trees, the dwelling, like all of the others in Cameron Woods, is extremely idyllic.
Even the mailbox, fashioned to look like a house, is picturesque!
So it is no surprise that the place is a favorite of location scouts! I mean, look at that walkway!
The stately pad pops up twice in “The Case of Thorn Mansion,” first at the beginning of the episode as the twins return home from a day at school.
Though we don’t get a full view of the residence, what is shown looks much the same today as it did when filming took place over 2 and a half decades ago. (And yeah, I did the math – Mary-Kate and Ashley are currently 33! How’s that for making you feel old?!?)
The property also appears in the episode’s “B-U-T-T Out” musical number, which you can watch here. (That’s a very young Elizabeth Olsen wearing overalls in the caps below.)
Coincidentally, the house figured into another production featuring twins! In the Season 1 episode of CHiPS titled “Green Thumb Burglar,” Officers Frank Poncherello (Erik Estrada) and Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox) pull over a set of identical twins in front of the residence, which I learned via IMDB. But thanks to the large tree out front, little of the place can actually be seen. I was thrilled to spot the two white benches that still flank the front pathway (denoted with blue arrows below), though. “Green Thumb Burglar” aired way back in 1977, so those things have been in place virtually forever!
The same property portrays the home of Elaine Spencer (Jessica Walter), said to be at 1227 Lakeview in Cleveland, in the 1993 thriller Ghost in the Machine.
A digital version of the pad is even shown in the movie!
And it pops up as the supposed Wisconsin-area childhood home of Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith) in the Season 2 episode of Melrose Place titled “The Two Mrs. Mancinis,” which aired in 1994.
The actual interior of the home was utilized in the episode, as well.
Thanks to fellow stalker Mimi, I learned that Meghan Trainor’s 2015 “Dear Future Husband” music video was also shot at the pad.
The dwellilng’s interior appeared in the video, as well.
Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Chris for telling me about this location! 
For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.
Until next time, Happy Stalking!
Stalk It: Mary-Kate and Ashley’s house from “The Case of Thorn Mansion” episode of The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley is located at 6332 Orion Avenue in the Cameron Woods neighborhood of Van Nuys. Pete’s (Brian Petsos) residence from Bridesmaids can be found across the street at 6309 Orion, as can Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) and Love Quinn’s (Victoria Pedretti) new pad from the Season 2 finale of You at 6301 Orion.
Oh, to be able to visit a coffee shop, order a steaming latte and sit in a secluded corner sipping away! Hard to believe that is something unattainable right now. These certainly are strange days we are living in. When things do get back to normal, one spot I am itching to re-patronize is Insomnia Cafe, the Fairfax District eatery that served as the impetus for Friends. I first learned about the place way back in 1995 via an interview with show co-creator Marta Kauffman that appeared in Friends: The Official Companion Book. In it, she talked about driving by the Beverly Boulevard cafe, taking note of its unusual name and thinking it would make for an interesting setting for a series. She and writing partner Kevin Crane penned the treatment for Friends (initially titled – you guessed it! – “Insomnia Cafe”) just a few days later. When I moved to Los Angeles about five years after first reading that interview, I found myself sitting at a stoplight on Beverly directly in front of the locale and just about fell over! I couldn’t believe I was in the same spot Kauffman was when she conceived of one of the most seminal shows in television history! In the years that followed, I passed by the site numerous times and doing so always brought a huge smile to my face. Somehow though, I never ventured inside. It wasn’t until last September when my friend Owen emailed me this USA Today article, which stated that Friends set decorator Greg Grande also used Insomnia Cafe as the inspiration for the design of the series’ iconic Central Perk set, that the locale went straight to the top of my To-Stalk List! And I headed right over there just a few days later.
[ad]
Insomnia Cafe was originally established in March 1992 at a small storefront located at 13718 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Founded by former nightclub promoter John Dunn, the late-night coffee shop, open until 3 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends (hence the name), served up strongly caffeinated brew, but no cocktails. Per a 1995 Los Angeles Times article, Dunn stopped using drugs and alcohol in 1989 and “wanted to create a place that conformed to his own lifestyle.” The bohemian-style coffee bar, which the Times described as being “decorated with cast-off sofas” (sound familiar?), became an immediate hit. It also drew quite a bit of ire from nearby homeowners who claimed the leagues of patrons frequenting the eatery made constant noise and wreaked havoc in their neighborhoods in the early morning hours. Regardless, the cafe remained insanely popular and Dunn soon opened a sister site at 7286 Beverly Boulevard.
The Sherman Oaks location, which you can see photos of here, was where it was really at, though! Artists, screenwriters, and teens would pack the place, venturing in for espresso, open mic nights, and live music. The cafe also boasted legions of celebrity devotees. Just a few of the well-knowns seen hanging out at the coffee bar include Robin Williams, Mel Gibson, Sharon Stone, O.J. Simpson, A.C. Cowlings, Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Seinfeld, Daryl Hannah, Bobcat Goldthwait, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Leonardo DiCaprio, members of the Smashing Pumpkins, and Beck (who performed on the open mic nights before he was famous).
Sadly, area homeowners eventually succeeded in their fight to close the place. The Sherman Oaks Insomnia Cafe shut its doors in 1996. The Beverly Boulevard site remained open, though, and is still going strong today!
It, too, has a very bohemian vibe – and serves up some great coffee!
Per the Original Insomnia Cafe Facebook page, the Sherman Oaks location was the spot that actually served as inspiration for both Kauffman and Grande. A recent post on it states, “What is so funny and sad is the newer Insomnia Cafe we built in L.A., not the original one in Sherman Oaks, keeps claiming to be the inspiration for the TV show Friends. But the truth will always be known – Sherman Oaks Insomnia Cafe was it! The characters were based on the customers of the Sherman Oaks, California store.” I had the pleasure of speaking with Dunn recently and he confirmed the info. He also informed me that Kauffman and Crane actually wrote the seven-page treatment for the series at the Sherman Oaks site!
Kauffman, though, has repeatedly recounted first noticing the Insomnia Cafe moniker at the Beverly outpost. In a 2010 interview she and Crane did for the Television Academy, she said, “We were driving along – I think it was Beverly Boulevard – and we saw a place called the Insomnia Cafe. And I remember we were talking about how that would be a cool place to have as one of our main sets . . . we liked the idea of something being overcaffeinated.”
Writer Saul Austerlitz also starts off his book Generation Friends by saying, “One day in late 1993, a young television writer named Marta Kauffman was driving down Beverly Boulevard when she passed a funky coffee shop called Insomnia Cafe, located across the street from an orthodox synagogue. Full of lumpy couches and garish chairs, strings of Christmas lights and towering bookshelves piled high with mismatched books, the place was a beacon calling to the artists and slackers of the Fairfax-La Brea area. Something about Insomnia Cafe grabbed her attention, and she began to mull over an intriguing idea. Could a comedy series set in a coffee shop appeal to viewers? Kauffman and Crane had only recently moved to California from New York, and found that they missed their old crew of friends from Manhattan terribly. They had spent all their spare time together, done everything together, served as a kind of surrogate family. What if they put together a show about that?” The rest, as they say, is history.
In an incredible twist, longtime Insomnia Cafe fan Greg Grande was hired as the series’ set decorator. He loved the eatery’s funky, but comfortable vibe. In Generation Friends, Austerlitz says, “He would stop in to grab some coffee at Insomnia Cafe and would be inspired anew each time by the fabulously quirky décor inside. When it came time to dress the set of the new show’s coffee shop, Grande thought again of Insomnia Cafe and wanted to model the set’s look on what he remembered.” As Grande told EW magazine in 2019, “The idea was to have it feel like it was kind of a living room, hang out space. You know, not your typical generic coffee shop with the computers. What did they used to call them back then? Internet cafes? So the vibe that Marta [Kauffman] and Kevin [Bright] and David Crane wanted was, let’s make this feel like it’s truly a comfortable, casual living room. I had mentioned to them that there was a place in West Hollywood, — I still think it’s around — it was one of the first interesting coffee shops in L.A. called The Insomniac [sic] Café and that was kind of, in my world, the inspiration for eclectic, old, classic pieces of furniture. Nothing really matched, but there was collectible artwork on the wall, so I took that and kind of drove that point in. I made what I like to refer to as the seventh character on the show.” (As I mentioned in this post, Central Perk’s design was also partially inspired by Arnold’s Turtle in New York.)
Amazingly, Central Perk is not the only television coffee shop modeled after the locale! The Bold and the Beautiful’s Insomnia Cafe took not only design inspiration, but its name from the site!
And the eatery is also a filming location!
It is there that Kevin (Michael Rady) and Laura (Abby Wathen) first meet in the 2013 romcom Random Encounters, which also starred Meghan Markle.
Insomnia Cafe is also a central location on the series Love Is -.
Kramer (Michael Richards) visited the Sherman Oaks outpost in the Season 4 episode of Seinfeld titled “The Trip: Part 1,” which aired in 1992. Only the exterior of the café appeared in the episode, though.
Interiors were shot on a studio-built set.
In 1995, when MTV started airing My So-Called Life reruns, the network filmed a bunch of promos at the Sherman Oaks site, which resulted in teens popping by in droves in the hopes of seeing Claire Danes in person, as recounted in this article. Unfortunately, I could not find clips of those promos with which to make screen captures anywhere.
For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.
Until next time, Happy Stalking! 
Stalk It: Insomnia Cafe, the inspiration for both the television series Friends and its Central Perk set, can be found at 7286 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Fairfax District. The Sherman Oaks outpost of the coffee shop was formerly located at 13718 Ventura Boulevard.
These definitely are some uncertain, scary times, to say the least. The one silver lining to my dad’s recent hospital stay is that I binged a lot of TV, read quite a few books and listened to a bunch of podcasts, which means I have a slew of new entertainment favorites to share with my fellow stalkers. I hope these recommendations make your self-quarantines a bit more enjoyable and bring some laughs, smiles and distractions in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and stay healthy. Note – I’ll keep adding to this list as I make new discoveries for the duration we are on lockdown, so check back for updates!
[ad]
1. Truth Be Told (Apple TV+) – All hail Apple TV+! Not only did the network create The Morning Show, one of my favorite series of 2019, but two of my picks for this list! The first, Truth Be Told, is the story of a journalist who, believing a man has been wrongly convicted, begins investigating a 20-year-old murder and podcasting about it. Word of warning – while the show starts out strong, it does get a little slow in the middle and I almost tapped out. But I’m so glad I stuck with it because after episode 5, it really picks up again and kept me enthralled to the very end. If you enjoyed Serial, you’ll love this series.
2. For All Mankind (Apple TV+) – This one is a departure from my typical picks because, while no doubt uplifting, it is also decidedly depressing and tragic at times. Overall though, the series, about the space race that would have been had Russia made it to the moon first, is so worth it! The storyline is gripping, the set design drool-inducing, the costumes perfection, and the acting bar none.
3. Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC and Hulu) – This network adaptation of the 1999 movie The Bone Collector is fantastic! A little bit Law & Order, a little bit CSI, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector is a gripping character-driven procedural that just seems to get better and better each week.
4. Catch and Kill (Amazon) – Though I’d read excerpts of Ronan Farrow’s groundbreaking 2019 book, which spearheaded the #metoo movement, nothing prepared me for what was covered in its actual pages. Catch and Kill is a riveting account of harrowing abuse, aggressive manipulation, and massive cover-up attempts by many political and Hollywood elite, namely, of course, Harvey Weinstein. The lengths the studio mogul went to silence his victims is mind-boggling, as is the fact that he got away with it for so long. Kudos to Ronan – and the journalists he collaborated with, many of whom had tried to reveal the Harvey allegations years prior – for bringing it all to light. The podcast based on the book is fabulous, as well.
5. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime) – This comedy series kept me sane during the initial portion of my dad’s almost two-month-long hospital stay. My mom and I spent countless hours sitting by his bedside in the ICU watching episode after episode of the hilarious Amazon original on my laptop. The uh-ma-zing costumes, zingy dialogue and heartfelt relationships between characters had me completely distracted and regularly laughing out loud. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is honestly one of the best shows to ever hit the small screen and Rachel Brosnahan in the title role is absolute perfection. You’ll be hard-pressed not to fall immediately in love with her.
6. Schitt’s Creek (Netflix) – This show is, ahem, “simply the best” though it took me a full season to really get into it and I wasn’t truly hooked until the Season 2 finale. The characters are so unique, quirky and well-cast that it’s impossible to pinpoint a favorite, though I love anything involving David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid). My mom and I binged this one at the hospital upon finishing Mrs. Maisel, and Moira (Catherine O’Hara), Alexis (Annie Murphy), John (Eugene Levy) and the gang kept us laughing for the long haul.
7. Your Own Backyard (all podcast platforms) – Before listening to this podcast, I was unfamiliar with the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Journalist Chris Lambert had me hooked from the first word, though. His research skills are unparalleled (there’s literally no stone he leaves unturned and no avenue he won’t venture down on his journey to get to the truth) and he does an incredible job of breaking down the decades-old unsolved case via seven gripping episodes. His thoroughness is so extent that it has resulted in San Luis Obispo PD stepping up its investigation. A search warrant was even recently served on the main suspect’s home. I truly believe this is one cold case that will be solved in the near future and we’ll have Lambert and his podcast to thank for it.
8. Chasing Cosby (all podcast platforms) – I read quite a few articles on the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby back in 2014, but had no idea of the full story until listening to this new podcast. Journalist Nicki Weisensee Egan, who actually began reporting on the Cosby case in 2005 (though her words were largely brushed aside), blows the lid off the countless egregious claims against the once-beloved comedian. Most episodes left me dumbfounded. Cosby’s assaults, manipulations, and retaliation against a plethora of women are as bad as those of Harvey Weinstein, if not worse. Chasing Cosby is an enthralling and oftentimes disturbing listen.
9. Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu) – This new Hulu series, about a mysterious single mom who moves into a small town and befriends a well-connected socialite, has a very Big Little Lies vibe and I am so here for it! Bonus – it was shot in L.A.! I’ve already stalked quite a few of its locations, so expect to see those popping up on the blog soon. So far only three episodes of the thrilling program have aired, but I’ve loved every minute and am eagerly awaiting the final five.
10. Home Before Dark (Apple TV+) – Though I didn’t love the somewhat open ending of this new Apple TV+ series, I ate up pretty much every other minute. Centering around a young girl’s attempts at solving a decades-old cold case that involves her father, the show, partly based on a true story, is definitely worth a binge-watch. It’s like a modern-day Nancy Drew and Brooklynn Prince in the lead role is pure joy.
11. Some Good News (YouTube) – Proving that good can definitely come out of a bad situation, John Krasinski has spent his time in quarantine creating a show that features only cheerful news! To say the weekly series sparks joy is a massive understatement. I find myself both laughing and crying happy tears throughout each episode. And his A-List guests are pretty incredible, too. Some Good News is a must-watch during these uncertain times!
12. The Holdout (Amazon) – A mix of Serial and 12 Angry Men, this thriller centers around a jury holdout who succeeds in changing the minds of her eleven peers, rendering a not-guilty verdict in a landmark murder trial. Ten years later, as the group reunites for a reality show/podcast, the holdout wonders if she made the right call – and tries to solve the mystery of a dead fellow juror found in her hotel room. I couldn’t put The Holdout down!
13. Hollywood (Netflix) – Ryan Murphy’s latest series, the Netflix original Hollywood, is a delightful re-imaging of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I’m all about feel-good stories, especially during these tough times, and this show definitely fits the bill! As Ryan told Salon, “I wanted to give a happy ending to so many people who didn’t have it.” The result is a fun look at what might have been had the Hollywood brass fought convention from the get-go. As well as a fabulous storyline, the acting is superb, the costumes are divine, and the locations are stunning! There’s nothing better to binge right now.
14. Blue Bloods (CBS and Hulu) – Though this series started airing ten years ago, the GC and I only just discovered it while sheltering at home with my parents. The NYC police procedural has pretty much been on constant loop whenever my dad is awake and it did not take us long to get hooked, not to mention fall in love with the Reagans. Those family dinners, amirite? We’ve started watching it from the beginning and every season is better than the last! Consider us smitten. Bonus – thanks to its long run, there are currently over 200 episodes to binge!
15. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Takeout Edition (Food Network) – I am continually impressed by the creativity that has been exhibited while people shelter at home! The college student who designed face masks for the hearing-impaired, the Massachusetts family that built a “hug curtain” to safely embrace loved ones, and the TV chef who completely revamped his most popular show in order to record it from the safely of his own residence. I’m talking about Guy Fieri with that last one. Instead of rolling out to visit America’s best diners, drive-ins and dives, the frosty-tipped Food Network host enlisted chefs from some of the past restaurants he’s covered to cook with him via Zoom for a special set of Takeout Edition episodes. The chefs send all the ingredients for their chosen dishes to Fieri and he boils, braises and blanches away in his outdoor kitchen while they instruct him virtually. It’s truly a family affair with Guy’s eldest son, Hunter, assisting at the stove and youngest, Ryder, operating the camera. The episodes are incredibly well-done, just as fun to watch as the regular shows (if not more so), and provide much-needed publicity for the restaurant industry, which is suffering terribly right now.
16. Building the Perfect Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder (YouTube)– During quarantine, popular YouTuber/engineer Mark Rober set out to do some bird watching, but instead found himself observing – and attempting to thwart – neighborhood squirrels’ amazingly ingenious attempts at breaking into his backyard bird feeders. Never in a million years did I think a 21-minute video about squirrels would keep me entertained (I was actually slightly annoyed at the GC when he pulled it up for us to watch), but it hooked me from the start! The well-produced, hilarious and informative segment is the squirrel video I never knew I needed! It is honestly one of the best things I’ve watched over the past two months of sheltering-at-home. Who knew squirrels were so smart – and entertaining!
17. Upload (Amazon Prime) – Amazon’s new series about a virtual reality alternative to death may not sound heartwarming, feel-good, or funny, but it truly is! The characters are so perfectly cast (which isn’t surprising being that The Office creator Greg Daniels is at the helm) that I found myself looking forward to my nightly viewings just to spend time with them. At 18 minutes, each episode makes for a quick binge, too. Though I was not at all happy with the season-ending cliffhanger, Upload still definitely makes for a fabulous watch.
18. Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story (USA Network) – True crime fans – the latest season of Dirty John is for you! A dramatization of the murders of prominent San Diego attorney Dan Broderick and his mistress-turned-wife, Linda Kolkena, at the hands of his first wife, Betty Broderick, the anthology series sticks very close to the actual details of the case. Only two episodes have aired so far, but I am all in! It doesn’t hurt that Amanda Peet and Christian Slater are perfection in their roles as Betty and Dan, respectively. Peet even manages to make ‘80s clothing seem chic again! I’m expecting her simple gold necklace to start trending à la Connell’s Normal People chain any day now!
19. Simon Beckett’s David Hunter Series (Amazon) – I just finished reading The Scent of Death, the latest in Simon Beckett’s series about forensic anthropologist David Hunter, and, if it’s any indication, the popular British author isn’t slowing down anytime soon! Though the titles – Whispers of the Dead, The Restless Dead, Written in Bone – are incredibly dark, as are the subject matters, as my best friend recently said, Beckett’s books are somehow “cozy.” It’s an odd phenomenon, but the author is a master at creating intoxicating settings, ones you want to dive right into. While I don’t necessarily remember all the storylines of his books after the fact, I vividly remember the locations. The mysteries at the center of each novel are incredibly gripping, as well. Note – the series definitely should be read in order, starting with The Chemistry of Death.
19. All Rise Zoom Episode (CBS All Access, Amazon, YouTube) – I’ve been a fan of All Rise since the beginning and the freshman series’ latest episode, “Dancing at Los Angeles,” only served to make me a bigger one. Shot entirely via Zoom at the actors’ homes, at first I didn’t think it could possibly hold my attention. But I was patently wrong. The episode took four weeks to execute – with location scouts of each actor’s residence, costume consultations, and rehearsals all held virtually – and it shows. “Dancing at Los Angeles” is incredibly well done! The chemistry of the cast is still evident in spades, the topical storyline flawlessly fits in with the series’ overall arc, and it is thoroughly engaging from start to finish. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and kudos to the cast and crew of All Rise for, ahem, rising to the occasion so adeptly. Even if you aren’t a regular viewer of the series, the groundbreaking episode is still worth a watch. And you can read a great article about how it was created here.
20. Defending Jacob (Apple TV+) – Thanks to its rather sinister trailer, I almost chalked this one up as far too dark for my tastes, especially during these scary times. But thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I reconsidered and am so glad I did. The limited drama series, about the son of a district attorney accused of killing a classmate, is utterly mesmerizing and beautifully shot! Though (spoiler!) the open ending left me thoroughly frustrated, Defending Jacob makes for an extremely compelling watch. Bonus – shot in and around Newton, Massachusetts, the scenery and locations are stunning.
21. The Healer (Netflix) – A feel-good story is just what the doctor ordered right now! And this film, about a curmudgeonly young man gifted with the ability to heal, certainly delivers! Mid-viewing, I worried The Healer was going to end sadly, but it wound up being a sweet, heartwarming tale. It doesn’t hurt that leading man Oliver Jackson-Cohen is easy on the eyes. 
And the Abigail character, played by Kaitlyn Bernard, is a dead ringer for Marty (Natalie Portman) in fave movie Beautiful Girls.
22. Natalie Wood: The Complete Biography (Amazon) – This newly-updated biography of film star Natalie Wood is explosive, to say the least! It has been keeping me up way past my bedtime! I first heard about the tome thanks to an excerpt published in the June issue of Los Angeles magazine and was immediately hooked. My fingers could hardly type an order to Amazon fast enough! The book itself does not disappoint. At times, it’s hard to believe it’s a true story! If you’re looking for a literary escape to keep your mind occupied during quarantine, this is it!
Honorable Mention – 22 Hours: An American Nightmare (all podcast platforms) – Initially I loved this podcast about a grizzly home-invasion-turned-quadruple-homicide, but listening to it during the long, dreary days my dad spent in the ICU eventually wore on me and I had to stop tuning in. Had I been in a better headspace, though, I am pretty sure 22 Hours would be a top pick. That being said, considering the difficult days we are currently experiencing, this might not be the best podcast to recommend, which is why it is listed as an honorable mention. If you enjoy true crime, though, and your spirits aren’t easily dampened, 22 Hours is an incredibly well-produced glimpse at the investigation into one of Washington D.C.’s most disturbing cases.
Looking for additional recommendations? Be sure to check out My Favorite Entertainment Finds of 2018 and 2019.
I have to apologize for being a bit MIA recently. My dad is having a pretty major surgery in Los Angeles next week and we have been traveling back and forth to consult with his doctors. I will be spending the coming weeks in L.A., as well, for his surgery and recovery and while I will be blogging, I expect it to be sporadically, so please bear with me. I do have quite a few You locations to post, so hopefully I will get to them in the near future. And hopefully I will be back to regularly scheduled blogging soon! In the meantime, I’d appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers you can send my dad’s way.
Until next time, Happy Stalking! 
