Around the Tubes vol. XLV

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 The Real Face of Jesus, Explorer: Solitary Confinement, Dr. Who, The Roots, NBC Renewals, Parenthood, and Shameless.

- What Jesus looked like has been hotly debated for years and now a team of scientists are trying to find out what he may have really looked like on Time Machine: The Real Face of Jesus? (click the link to pre-order from Amazon). “The Real Face of Jesus is a documentary that follows a team of graphic experts as they use cutting-edge 3D software to bring a holy relic known as the Shroud of Turin to life. Many believe Jesus Christ was buried in this ancient linen cloth, which bears traces of blood and the faint, ghostly image of a man. With the help of modern technology, can HISTORY finally unlock the secrets of one of the world’s most scrutinized and controversial artifacts?”

- Coming up Sunday is the new National Geographic Channel special Explorer: Solitary Confinement to look at the controversial prison practice at 9:00. To mark the program, three people volunteers to put themselves into solitary confinement and you can watch their experience live at explorersolitary.com.

- Looking for a sneak peak of the new season of Doctor Who? Well iTunes has a nine minute video available to download for free.

- Next on The Roots awesome collaboration list: Tom’s Diner with Suzanne Vega:



- Fans of unscripted television rejoice as NBC has renewed Minute to Win It, The Marriage Ref and Who Do You Think You Are for another season. Fans of scripted television, though, will apparently have to sweat it out another month to learn the fates of Chuck, Parenthood, Mercy and Trauma (though I wouldn’t hold my breath for the last two).

- Speaking of Parenthood, according to the promo below, the next episode will feature Lyla Garrity Gone Wild. Yes please.



- New show alert: Showtime has just picked up Shameless, about a patriarch of ten children who is “making ends meet is always difficult especially with a mother who is AWOL (guest star Allison Janney) and an alcoholic patriarch -- played by William H. Macy -- who usually ends up passed out on the living room floor. Oldest daughter Fiona (the highly likeable Emmy Rossum) is left to the task of keeping her five younger brothers and sisters on track, a task that usually proves impossible.” No word on a premiere date yet.