Best of the Week: 7/6/13

Quote of the Week: And find out what it is about those four pretty girls that attracts so many corpses. (Lieutenant Tanner, Pretty Little Liars)

Song of the Week: Waiting On the World to Change – John Mayer and the Roots (Philly’s 4th of July Jam)

Big News of the Week: MTV and VH1 Actually Played Music Videos for a Full Day: No seriously, this actually happened when you were too busy being outside eating hot dogs and looking at fireworks, the two former music television networks took time out of airing unwatchable reality shows and laughably bad scripted series to celebrate the nation’s birthday with a little music with new music of today (VH1 aired a bunch of indie artist premieres like The Lone Bellow), and summer jam classics like Born In the U.S.A. (natch) and No Diggity (one of the greatest songs ever put to wax). Though in the age of YouTube, it because clear why television music channel would be irrelevant when they played songs like Pumped Up Kicks and noticeably edited out the word “bullet”, or when they edited out the saxophone bong from Diane Young (although I think the scene missing title was a nod to Closer by Nine Inch Nails) and of course the fully clothed version of Blurred Lines is also not nearly as entertaining. Of course by Friday, VH1 went back to being the all WAG’s network while MTV was back to showing YouTube videos of dudes getting hit in the junk with various objects.

"The Pickett Line" Falling Skies Sunday at 10:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: Funny Heartbeat - Kisses (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5: This month’s cheap albums include Prince, Beastie Boys, John Mayer, and Simon and Garfunkel.


New Album Release of the Week: Don't Look Down - Skylar Grey

New DVD Release of the Week: Spring Breakers

Video of the Week: Kevin Hart was all ready to explode almost a decade ago, and then he was the star of Soul Plane, one of the worst movies ever made and sank back into obscurity. Ever since he has been digging himself up and is set to explode again with his biggest movie yet playing opposite to Ice Cube (who played the straight man that launched the career of Chris Tucker). And though the buddy cop genre has been way overdone, there are plenty of laughs in the trailer for Ride Along.


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Bridge, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: FX regained its title as the next network on television launching The Americans and stellar seasons of its older show. Though it is about to enter a year of uncertainty as it splits in to two separate networks. Granted all its best stuff like its dramas as staying on FX Prime while all their not very funny comedies are being shipped off to FXX. Just before the switch, FX has one more show to launch The Bridge. The show follows two detectives investigating a murder who’s body falls on their border. Hopefully it is better than the last Norwegian murder investigation import: The Killing.

Around the Tubes: 7/5/13

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 Defiance, Gasland Part II, Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro, Heroes of Cosplay, Falling Skies, and Animal Years.

- The season finale of Defiance airs Monday at 9:00 on Syfy and you can check out a sneak peak below:


- Debuting Monday at 9:00 on HBO, Gasland Part II shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides in one of the most important environmental issues facing the nation today. The film argues that the gas industry’s portrayal of natural gas as a clean and safe alternative to oil is a myth, and that fracked wells inevitably leak over time, contaminating water and air, hurting families, and endangering the earth’s climate with the potent greenhouse gas, methane. Check out a preview below:


- Showtime has greenlit a new documentary project from acclaimed comedian Tig Notaro, tentatively titled Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro. This August, Notaro will travel across the country in order to put on a series of private comedy performances in the homes, backyards, driveways, barns, rooftops and cul-de-sacs of her most loyal fans. These performances will be filmed as part of the documentary. As always, Notaro's nationwide performances will feature special guest appearances from some of her famous and funny friends. Earlier this week, Notaro kicked off a nationwide search for fans who are interested in hosting these home performances and participating in the film. The fans with the most creative entries and compelling “venues”" will be selected. Fans can see a video message from Tig herself below and can apply to participate in the film at tigroadtrip.com.


- Cosplayers and cosplay contests are a fixture and highlight at the many comic book and genre fan conventions around the world. These conventions provide an international stage for fans to showcase often spectacular handcrafted costumes and portray their favorite characters from sci-fi movies, video games, anime and more. In Syfy’s new Heroes of Cosplay (formerly Cosworld), nine passionate fans put their imagination and skills to the test to make a name for themselves in the competitive world of cosplay. The six-episode series debuts Tuesday, August 13 at 10:30 following the special 90-minute Season 5 of Syfy’s hit competition series, Face Off. It then moves to its regular time – 10:00 Tuesdays – starting August 20.

- We are only halfway through the third season, but TNT has already announced this week that Falling Skies will be coming back for a fourth season set to debut summer 2014.

- For those on the look out for new music, give a listen to Animal Years who sound like a mix of Augustana and Gavin DeGraw. Take a listen to their new single Meet Me below and look out for their album Sun Will Rise out September 17:

The Best Television Shows of 2012-13

I have been making top ten lists of the best television shows of the year since 2006 and this is the first time ever that all ten spots went to dramas. Comedies really need to step their game up. Of the shows that used to be on this list, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and How I Met Your Mother are just getting long in the tooth, Suburagtory suffered a sophomore slump, and the Dan Harmon-less Community was a disaster while newbies The Neighbors and Go On were solid, they just were not good enough. Here were the shows that were.

1. Justified Season 4 (FX)

2. Homeland Season 2 (Showtime)

3. Hannibal Season 1 (NBC)

4. Parenthood Season 4 (NBC)

5. The Americans Season 1 (FX)

6. Nashville Season 1 (ABC)

7. Mad Men Season 6 (AMC)

8. Bunheads (ABC Family)

9. Dallas Season 1 (TNT)

10. Sons of Anarchy Season 5 (FX)



After playing the bridesmaid for three straight seasons, Justified finally topped this list for the first time ever while FX took up two spots for the first time since I declared it the best network on television back in 2010 (which was also the last time Sons of Anarchy made the list). It also lifted FX over CBS for the third most shows on my best television shows list over the past eight years (12), just short of NBC (18) and ABC (15). CBS (11) is the only other network over five shows over that time. Now here are the shows that amassed the most Quote, Song, and Scene of the Week.

Quote of the Week
Pretty Little Liars – 5
Dallas – 4
Justified – 4
Mad Men – 4
Hannibal – 3
The Big Bang Theory - 2
Homeland – 2
Leverage – 2
The Neighbors – 2
Revenge – 2
2 Broke Girls – 1
Bunheads – 1
The Challenge – 1
Franklin and Bash – 1
Go On – 1
Grimm – 1
Happy Endings – 1
House of Lies – 1
Modern Family – 1
Nashville – 1
Parenthood – 1
Shameless – 1
Suburgatory – 1
Survivor – 1
The Walking Dead – 1
Weeds – 1

Song of the Week
Bunheads – 5
Suburgatory - 4
Go On – 3
The Neighbors – 3
The Americans – 2
Castle – 2
Community – 2
Covert Affairs – 2
Dallas – 2
House of Lies – 2
How I Met Your Mother – 2
Justified – 2
Mad Men – 2
Parenthood – 2
Pretty little Liars – 2
2 Broke Girls – 1
The Big Bang Theory - 1
Franklin and Bash – 1
Last Resort – 1
Nashville – 1
Once Upon a Time – 1
Shameless – 1
Sons of Anarchy – 1
Totally Biased – 1
The Walking Dead – 1
Weeds – 1

Scene of the Week
Bunheads – 8
Suburgatory – 7
The Neighbors – 6
Go On – 3
Hannibal – 3
Community – 2
Modern Family - 2
Parenthood – 2
Pretty Little Liars – 2
Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 – 1
Castle - 1
The Big Bang Theory – 1
Last Resort – 1
Nashville – 1
The Voice – 1

The Ninth Annual Scooter Television Awards

Welcome to the 8th Annual Scooter Television Awards honoring show that aired a majority of their season between June 2012 and June 2013. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2013 STA's:

Best Scripted Show: Justified

Best Sitcom: The Neighbors

Best Reality Show: Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites

Best Animated Show: Young Justice

Best Talk Show: Pardon the Interruption

Best Talk Show Host: Norm Macdonald

Best Talent Competition: The Voice

Best New Show: Hannibal

Best Mini-Series: The 80’s: The Decade that Made Us

Best Web Series: Burning Love: Burning Down the House

Guiltiest Guilty Pleasure: Dallas

Best Awards Show: 2013 Grammy Awards

Best Hour of TV: Decoy - Justified

Biggest Shocker: Langley being bombed (Homeland)

Worst Idea: Keeping Carrie on her meds (Homeland)

Worst Moment: Caroline Glaser getting voted off The Voice

Biggest Disappointment: Revenge's sophomore slump

Best New Title Sequence: Hannibal


Best Song Placement: In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins (The Americans)

Best Karaoke: Ho Hey – Lennon and Maisy (Nashville)

Best Singing Competition Performance: Dream On – Amanda Brown (The Voice)


Best Dance Sequence: Making Whoopie (Bunheads)

Best Fight (Scripted): Tessa vs. Dalia (Suburgatory)

Best Fight (Unscripted): Frank vs. Dustin and Nany (The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons)

Hottest Token Hot Chick:

Best Character: Raylan Givens (Justified)

Best New Character: Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal)

Best Recurring Character: Abigail Hobbs (Hannibal)

Best Guest Appearance: Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory)

Best Duo: Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham (Hannibal)

Most Entertaining Reality “Star”: Andrea Boehlke (Survivor: Caramoan)

Most Annoying Reality “Star”: Brandon Hantz (Survivor: Caramoan)

Best Quote: First thing we are going to do is acknowledge this guy is awesome. He shoots Theo Tonin, fakes his own death in a spectacular fashion, pushes a guy out of an airplane while he’s flying it, parachutes into Harlem County with enough coke and cash to kick start the economy of a small country, and then he has the balls to get a job in law enforcement, not once, but two times. He’s spends a couple days riding around with you while you’re looking for him, and now he’s run off with a hooker that’s half his age. That’s some bad (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted). (Art Mullen, Justified)

Show That Should Be Brought Back: Go On

Most Anticipated New Show of Next Season: Masters of Sex (Showtime)

Biggest Question for 2012-2013: Will The Veronica Mars Movie live up to the television show? And more importantly, will it be successful enough for Netflix (or Amazon, or any other channel or streaming site) to fully resurrect the series?

Adjust the Bass and Let the Alpine Blast

Summer officially started two weeks ago, but let’s be honest, the season does not truly start until you hear Summertime for the first time when the sun is shining in seventy-plus weather. The DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince song has been the official summer anthem for twenty-two years now so when you year the line, “think of the summer’s of the past” Summertime was probably the soundtrack of many of those most memorable moments and why it is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

From the opening drums and based on a long forgotten warm weather song in its own right, the Kool and the Gang song Summer Madness, Summertime becomes the roadmap to the perfect summer day: basketball, car shows, barbecue, and a family reunion where the old folks can break out a Soul Train line. And no need to get there on time just put the cruise control at two miles an hour. And do not forget to adjust the bass and let the alpine blast while playing Summertime on a loop this holiday.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 6/30/31

Falling Skies: An interesting choice, get the harness removed or not. On one hand, you can go back to being a normal human being without worrying that you may sprout four extra legs at some point. But on the other hand you no longer are super human without having to worry about coming down with normal human diseases and ailments. Personally I would much rather go back to being one hundred percent human, but for the good of the show, it was wise that Ben kept his harness on because the guy is already pretty boring with it on and would be a worthless character without it. And we finally got conformation that Anne’s demon seed is alien. Which begs the question, is any of it even Tom’s? Was she actually impregnated by one of the alien’s tiny insect things? Will the baby start sprouting extra legs? If you pull back the baby’s skin, will she turn out to be a lizard baby?
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Mad Men: When a young Dick Whitman up earlier this season it was met with a resounded “huh?” I was under the impression we resolved Dick when the original Mrs.’ Draper died never to be seen again because the audience, and it seemed even Matthew Weiner, did not want to go there again. So that is why Little Dick kept popping up this season, Don just blurted out his back-story in front of Hersey of all people (leading everyone to assume that is the moment that has been depicted in the credits all these years) before taking his children to his childhood house. But my favorite part of the episode was the fight between Don and Ted which was basically a fight between who needs to start over more.  Who would have guessed that Don would be the once who would concede?
You can download Mad Men on iTunes.

Under the Dome: I did not have much expectations of the show going into it, it was a summer show. A summer show on CBS, a network I cannot remember the last time I watched a drama on (Love Monkey, maybe). But the show looked up my alley because it did not look very CBS-like, which would not speak well for its longevity until it ended up the biggest summer premiere in a couple years. The show did quickly set up the claustrophobia of a small town literally trapped in a bubble. Although I was a bit surprise not one person grabbed a shovel to see if they could dig their way out, that would have been my first inclination when encased inside of a giant bubble.
You can stream Under The Dome exclusively on Amazon Instant Video, free for Prime members.

Pretty Little Liars: C’mon, the girls really saw the faces of Allison and Melissa in those masks? That is even less believable than a bird that memorized a phone number from over a year ago. And why is Toby still around, they should have just left him dead in the woods. He cannot act and his character serves no purpose, really all the boyfriends are fairly useless on this show and just seemed to be jammed in because every show has to have a love story attached to I no matter how lame and unnecessary it is.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Hero: This show seems to be changing its rules on the fly more often than The Voice. So now the Hero’s Challenge is worth twice as much, but you can take half that and vote yourself out. But if you lose, you are gone. But if you do not take the cash, you can go back to the penthouse and vote someone out. Alrighty. And does that make anyone voted out ineligible to win the big prize at the end? By my math, if that I the case and they dump one contestant every episode until the end of the season, that will leave five contestants left at the end. I cannot believe after just crushing Shaun and Athena for taking money, everyone was just blasé this week at Darnell taking the money. As for the Hero’s Challenge I was surprised at just how hard it was. I laughed when The Rock said he had forty minutes to swim a mile. I could crawl a forty minute mile. I guess doing it against a current in the ocean is a bit harder.
You can download The Hero on iTunes.