On Sundays, I like to share three things I have enjoyed in the past week. They could be anything; just stuff that has, as Marie Kondo might say, sparked joy. They also don’t have to be new or recent, so long as I’ve enjoyed them this week.

Thing 1: Patrick Stewart’s Paramount+ 2024 Super Bowl Spot

The death of Patrick Stewart has brought about a huge number of heartfelt tributes. It’s led to the unearthing of a bunch of clips, both common and obscure. This is one that was not obscure, per se, but was new to me:

It really highlights the fact that Stewart realised late in his career that he could be funny. People like Ricky Gervais and Seth MacFarlane were a big part of that, and Stewart just seemed to spend the last 10 years or so having fun with a bunch of genuinely funny roles and projects.

He’ll be missed, definitely.

Thing 2: Wil Wheaton’s Grammy Musings

Let me start by saying that I’m not the biggest fan of Wil Wheaton as an actor. I loved Stand By Me. I quite liked him in Star Trek. Since then, though… I dunno.

Tabletop was fun. Otherwise, I find that whatever role he takes on as an actor, he’s just Wil Wheaton. He doesn’t seem to have a big range on screen. Similarly, I find his persona as a host quite forced.

What I do love, and will defend to my dying day, is his talent as an audiobook narrator. His work with John Scalzi has been fantastic. As much as I say I don’t see a lot of range on screen, his voice work is nuanced, sensitive, and always spot-on for the tone of the book.

It’s nice, then, to see some of his work submitted for professional recognition:

I’d have put him forward for any of the books he’s narrated, particularly his work on Scalzi’s Interdependency series, which was impeccable. That he’s been put forward for The Body, though? That it’s the novel that inspired his breakout movie, Stand By Me?

Well, that’s just perfect, isn’t it?

I agree with his opinion in his blog post that he is unlikely, ultimately, to win, but I’d love to see him win something for his narrations at some point.

Thing 3: A Texas School has been Named After Long-Serving Janitor

This is lovely. An American school board has decided to name their school not after a long-dead slave owner, but after a genuine local treasure. Marilyn Hampton served the district as custodian for 39 years and it’s great to see that contribution recognised:

Fantastic.

The community of a school is wide, and it covers a range of people and roles. It’s rare that some of the less prominent roles are recognised. It’s great to see.