Top Picks: Cat Stevens' 'The Laughing Apple,' 'The Simple Faith of Franklin Delano Roosevelt,' and more top picks
A Broadway musical comes to TV with PBS’s broadcast of 'She Loves Me,' the Pocket Casts app gives you a new way to keep track of all the podcasts you love, and more top picks.
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Cat comes back
In 1978, singer/songwriter Cat Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam; he retired from a lucrative career as a multiplatinum-selling pop star to devote his life to Islamic philanthropy. In 2006, he reemerged with a new album of pop songs, some with theological themes. Now, Cat is back with his brand-new album, The Laughing Apple. He sounds just like the same singer who brought us “Morning Has Broken” and “Father and Son,” with appealing and only slightly less catchy songs this time around. Welcome back, Cat. We’ve missed you.
You’ll love it
A Broadway musical comes to TV with PBS’s broadcast of She Loves Me Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. The latest adaptation of the play “Parfumerie” (familiar to fans of the movie “You’ve Got Mail”) netted actors Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti, and Jane Krakowski Tony nominations for their roles as co-workers at Budapest’s Maraczek’s Parfumerie in the 1930s.
Religion and F.D.R.
F.D.R.: Man of faith? Religion journalist Christine Wicker makes a convincing and inspiring case in her examination of his deeply held and deeply influential beliefs in The Simple Faith of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Religion’s Role in the FDR Presidency. As she puts it, “all the ways he failed to be a good Christian didn’t keep him from being an effective Christian” – a lesson for all of us about how we can be far from perfect yet still change the world.
Podcast binging
Looking for a new way to keep track of all the podcasts you love? The Pocket Casts app lets you bypass episode introductions, cut out silence, and listen to podcast episodes in the car using CarPlay. Pocket Casts is $3.99 for iOS and Android.
Cox as Churchill
Another actor takes on the role of British statesman Winston Churchill in Churchill, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray. This time, Brian Cox portrays the former prime minister, with the film focusing on Churchill’s personal struggles.