Around the Tubes vol. XLIV

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Showtime free weekend, Nat Geo Wild, The Pacific, Doctor Who, Caprica, Stargate Universe, Merlin, and A Very Funny Festival.

- This weekend (starting yesterday) is a free Showtime weekend which includes Showtime HD and Showtime on Demand for most cable providers. I really didn’t see any movies on their schedules, but I will spend the weekend marathoning the most recent seasons of Weeds and Secret Diary of a Call Girl on Demand and in HD. Their buzzed about shows Nurse Jackie and The United States of Tara, which recently both got renewed for their third seasons are also available. And all three seasons of The Tudors are available On Demand in time for the fourth and final season premiering April 11 at 9:00.

- If you get tired with all the free movies this weekend on Showtime, remember the Nat Geo Wild channel premieres Monday. If you have The Fox Reality Channel, you will more than likely have Nat Geo Wild in that space starting next week. I may have a review of the first series, Rebel Monkeys sometime next week. If not, it premieres Wednesday at 8:00.

- For those keeping up with HBO’s The Pacific will want to head over to hbo.com to check out the online storyboard of John Basilone's famous heroics.

- Doctor Who will be returning to BBC America Saturday April 17 at 9:00. Here is an interview with actor Matt Smith (The Doctor) and lead writer/Executive Producer Steven Moffat explain the wonders of the TARDIS, the Doctor's time machine.



- Tonight is the mid-season finale of Caprica. Here is a preview:



- In other Syfy news, next Friday sees the return of both Stargate Universe and Merlin at 9:00 and 10:00 respectively. For those that missed the first season of Merlin on NBC last summer, Syfy is running a full marathon this Sunday starting at 10:00 AM.

- For those in the Chicago area, tickets go on sale March 29 at 10:00 for A Very Funny Festival which will feature Ellen DeGeneres, Cedric The Entertainer, Denis Leary, Russell Peters, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton, Aziz Ansari and Bob Odenkirk taking place June 15-19, 2010. More talent will be announced soon.