Around the Tubes - 4/28/11

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 O Music Awards, the NFL Draft, Snake Underworld, Break it Down: Yankee Stadium, 2Cellos, For Better or Worse, Just for Laughs Chicago, Fitz and the Tantrums, Operation Repo, The Borgias, Californication, Diddy, and British DVD releases.

- MTV Award Shows have been stale for a few years now and that may be the reason why the channel is launching a new one the O Music Awards tonight at 8:00. Andy Grammar and Adam Lambert’s tumblr page are already winners. And if you tune into tonight you will see performances by Matt & Kim, Chiddy Bang, Lil B, Lupe Fiasco, Mumford & Sons with Edward Sharpe and Old Crow Medicine Show, and Foster the People. But MTV will not be preempting Jersey Shore to broadcast the show, you will have to head over to OMusicAwards.com to watch. Oh, and if you need more incentive to click over tonight: Despite airing on a Thursday, it is the day before Friday so, yes, Rebecca Black will be appearing. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.

- The NFL Draft starts today and CBSSports.com will have you covered with grades and analysis of the picks starting at 7:00 over on Livestream.

- Do not blame Henry Rollins for the cancelation of The Paul Riser Show; his cameo was the best part of the two episode season. Rollins will be back on television tomorrow for Snake Underworld on Nat Geo Wild at 10:00. As for tonight on its sister station National Geographic Channel, Break it Down: Yankee Stadium also premieres at 10:00 and will look at the demolition of the House that Ruth Built. Check out a clip below:

Broken Glass


- Heading out to see Elton John live this summer? Opening for the music icon will be 2Cellos and the group is as advertised: two dudes playing cello. Their debut album will be released in July featuring their spin on Guns ‘n’ Roses, U2 Trent Reznor and Kings of Leon. Below is their video for Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal.

2CELLOS – Smooth Criminal


- TBS continues its relationship with Tyler Perry by ordering For Better or Worse based on his Why Did I Get Married? films. Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) and Tasha Smith (Couples Retreat) are set to star. Mo word as when we will be able to see it.

- In other TBS news Steve Martin, Martin Short, Seth Myers, Ron White, Rodney Carrington, and Jo Koy have all been added to TBS Just for Laughs Chicago festival which has now been expanded to Sunday and will now run June 14-19.

- They may look and sound like they are from the eighties, but Fitz and the Tantrums are a new band and below is a special performance of MoneyGrabber from Grooveshark’s SXSW Sessions.

Fitz & the Tantrums Performing MoneyGrabber @ Grooveshark SXSW Sessions from Grooveshark on Vimeo.

- TruTV promised they would create a special bonus episode of Operation Repo if they reached 500,000 Facebook Likes and they did just that. The special bonus episode premiered exclusively online yesterday on their Facebook page.

- Fans of Showtime’s Borgias will be happy to learn the show has been picked up for a second season. The show will continue its first season on Sundays at 10:00 though the May 22nd season finale.

- In other Showtime news, The RZA has signed up for the fifth season of Californication and will guest star in multiple episode. No word yet if the GZA, ODB, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah or Method Man will also be making appearances.

- KarmaloopTV recently sat down with Diddy, head over to their site to watch.

Following the critically-acclaimed release of Upstairs, Downstairs: 40th Anniversary Edition, Acorn Media’s upcoming DVD release calendar features several highly entertaining British series previously unavailable to U.S. audiences, including Identity, a slick identity theft series with Upstairs, Downstairs revival star Keeley Hawes and The Wire’s Aidan Gillen; and the inspiration for the star-studded American remake in development at ABC. Additionally, the U.S. debuts of the third season of Murdoch Mysteries (DVD and Blu-ray) - the critically-acclaimed Sherlock Holmes meets CSI series; The Feathered Serpent Complete Series, the cult classic set in ancient Mexico featuring Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who, The Omen); Circles of Deceit, riveting spy thrillers featuring Dennis Waterman (New Tricks) and guest stars Derek Jacobi, Corin Redgrave, John Hannah, and Leo McKern; and Genius of Britain: The Scientists Who Changed the World a new documentary featuring Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, James Dyson, and David Attenborough discussing the legacies of their heroes.
Also, Robin of Sherwood, Set 1, the definitive retelling of the Robin Hood legend makes its Blu-ray debut with more than eight hours of extras; starring Michael Praed (Dynasty) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Departed); and New Tricks Season 4, the must-see, smash hit crime series seen on public television; featuring a brilliant cast, deft writing, and an irresistible blend of compelling drama and dry humor.