Around the Tubes: 2/7/14

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 Brain Games, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Glamour, Upload with Shaquille O'Neal, Stagecoach Festival, The Allman Brothers, Elton John, Archer, The Bright Smoke, Ringo Starr, getTV, Funniest Wins, and Sharknado 2: The Second One.

- Next week is Valentine’s Day and after a day with that special one, cuddled up together and watch a special Laws of Attraction episode of Brain Games at 9:30 on National Geographic Channel. Like previous episode, the episode explains why the brain is attracted to who we are attracted to (hint: opposites attract less often than crappy romatic comedies would have you believe). They even hook up brain waves to see which couples are more “in sync” a duo on their first date, newlyweds, and a couple married twenty-five years.

- Acclaimed African-American painter Mickalene Thomas makes her film directing debut with Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, a poignant personal profile of the life and longings of her mother and artistic muse, former runway model Sandra Bush. Premiering on HBO during Black History Month, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman is a tender and intimate look at a lifetime’s worth of hopes, regrets and redemption. In just 23 minutes, Thomas creates a vivid and loving portrait of her mother, whose dream of becoming the first African-American supermodel dissolved into addiction and despair, but who later achieved celebrity as the model for some of Thomas’ best-known and widely admired paintings. Using personal and archival photos, as well as intimate interviews with “Mama Bush,” Thomas’ film chronicles her mother’s personal and professional struggles, including a turbulent marriage, drug abuse and chronic illness, painting a video portrait of a woman who found the adulation she dreamed of through her daughter’s art. Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman premieres on HBO on Monday, February 24, at 9:00.

- Want to be on Ultimate Survival Alaska? download an application at natgeotv.com. Only the toughest and most intrepid adventurers should apply. Applications will be reviewed by the production team for an opportunity to join the extreme expedition through the rugged Alaskan wilderness later this year. The current season of Ultimate Survival Alaska continues Sundays through March 9 at its new time, 10:00.

- Go behind the scenes at Taylor Swift’S MARCH 2014 Glamour cover-shoot where Taylor gives you fashion tips, shares with you who is her style icon and what advice she would give her younger self. This is your opportunity to get an insider’s look at the photo shoot and insight to Taylor’s favorite birthday, which also inspired a memorable song.


- Shaquille O'Neal and friends are ready to ramp up the hilarity this winter in all-new episodes of truTV's outrageously funny series Upload with Shaquille O'Neal. The series, which features Shaq, his buddies and special guests riffing on online videos, is set to air with back-to-back episodes Tuesdays at 10:30 and 11:00 beginning Feb. 26.

- AXS TV further cements its status as TV’s home for live music festivals, announcing today that it will be the official broadcaster of the 2014 Stagecoach Country Music Festival. The network has acquired the rights to air the fan-favorite spectacular for the second consecutive year with StubHub as the Official Broadcast Partner. Stagecoach—now in its eighth year—will take place from Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27, boasting incredible performances from Country music’s biggest stars, and sending viewers on a one-of-a-kind experience that spans decades of classics and modern hits. The complete Stagecoach festival line up is available at Stagecoachfestival.com. AXS TV will be on site at Stagecoach, broadcasting over 12 hours of live coverage over three days. This is the only multi-day live country music broadcast on television.

- Few people know The Allman Brothers Band better than Alan Paul, who’s been covering them for over 25 years. One of America’s most influential and legendary bands, the story of The Allman Brothers has never been told in full—until now. Chronicling the band’s journey from its formation in 1969 to today, One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band (St. Martin’s, 2/18) offers exclusive musical insights, riveting tales of violence and betrayal, drug and alcohol use, murder allegations, tragic early deaths, and outrageous road stories—as told by the members themselves. Written in oral history format with the band’s full participation, One Way Out is based on exclusive interviews with over 60 people intimately related to the band—including all surviving members. It features never-before-seen photos, letters and memorabilia as well as a foreword and afterword by founding members Butch Trucks and Jaimoe.


- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the seminal, 1973 breakthrough album from Goodbye Elton John, has been remastered and will be issued on CD, vinyl, limited-edition yellow vinyl, and in a box set featuring recordings of “Live at Hammersmith 1973”on CD, a DVD of Bryan Forbes’ 1973 film Elton John and Bernie Taupin Say Goodbye to Norma Jean and Other Things, along with a 100-page illustrated hardback book packed with rare photos, memorabilia and a new essay containing interviews with Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Also included in the Deluxe Edition and box set versions is a suite of nine, new cover versions of classic songs from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road performed by Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sandé, Fall Out Boy, Hunter Hayes, Imelda May, John Grant, Miguel featuring Wale, The Band Perry, and Zac Brown Band.


- In one of the most exciting developments in FX history – if not world history – the network’s award-winning animated half-hour comedy smash Archer is spawning a 12-track album, Cherlene, featuring original music, which will be released on all digital platforms on Monday, March 3. The album will be highlighted by a duet with Cherlene and pop music icon Kenny Loggins. Cherlene is the reimagined alter ego of Archer’s Cheryl Tunt, also referred to as Carol Tunt. She and Loggins join forces to put all of their stunning musical talents on display in the previously-released song Danger Zone (also a favorite Sterling Archer catchphrase). A world premiere video of the tune will play in Episode 6 of Archer’s fifth season the night of March 3. Season 5 of the series launched on January 13 at 10:00, marking the show’s move to a new night.

- Check out The Bright Smoke's single Wild Again. This low-key arrangement, filled with full-bodied beats and a harrowing piano tune, is the fifth track off of the band's recently released EP, Virginia Et Al., the follow up release to their first full-length album Late For War.



- Variety magazine revealed Ringo Starr will launch another leg with this current All Starr Band from Casinorama in Rama, Ontario on June 6. They will do two shows at New York’s Beacon Theater June 17 and 18, and finish in Los Angeles at The Greek on July 19. On July 7, Ringo’s birthday, he will be in Los Angeles and invites everyone everywhere to join him at a Peace & Love celebration. Details to be announced closer to the date. This is the same line up Ringo has played with since 2012 and features Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren and Gregg Bissonette. Check local listings for on sale dates and for more information please visit: ringostarr.com,

- getTV, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks’ new U.S. digital broadcast television network, showcasing Hollywood’s most memorable films from the 1930s through the 1960s, is launching today in more than 44 percent of the U.S. television households. Carried as a digital subchannel on Univision Television Group-owned stations and others, getTV is launching in 24 markets, representing 17 of the top 20 DMAs. getTV is available across the country, from Los Angeles to New York on cable and free-to-air. The network will announce additional affiliates shortly. “getTV is bringing the brightest stars and most unforgettable films from classic Hollywood into the living rooms of television viewers across the U.S. Our programming showcases the epic stories, legendary characters and glamour of the golden age of film. We believe that getTV will become a favorite network for movie fans looking for strong stories and rich characters,” said Superna Kalle, senior vice president, U.S. networks, SPT and general manager, Sony Movie Channel, Cine Sony Television and getTV, who manages the network.

- TBS is teaming up with comedy heavyweight and WhatTheFunny.com founder Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, In Living Color, The Wayans Bros.) on a new competition series that's all about the laughs. The network has greenlit Funniest Wins (working title), in which Wayans, along with some of his comedian friends and family members, will set out to find the funniest multi-talented comedian out there today. TBS has ordered eight one-hour episodes of Funniest Wins, with plans to launch the series this summer.

- Sharknado 2: The Second One. Ian Ziering. Tara Reid. July. You have been warned.