57 Channels and Only This Is On: 9/19/15

Masters of Sex: Last week I pondered if Lizzie way actually leave Bill first and possibly turn into Betty Draper, and this week she gets engaged sort of (I am slightly vague on the timeline but I think Betty also got engaged before actually divorcing Don). Although Libby, do you really want to be the rebound for someone whose wife just died? Then there was the bigger plot twist of annoying Christian dude getting into Beth Greene's car. So is she just a spy that got too caught up in the surrogate program or is she really rebelling against the church as well as her parents?

Ray Donovan: So the whole Armenian gangster plot line was resolved by an Armenian pop star? Alrighty. I wonder if Bunchy did not get involved if Ray would have just let Micky get killed. Even worse is Abby not calling the cops on creepy math teacher. I never understand why television parents keep letting their children hook up with their teachers (even though the teacher's story in this case is mostly the truth). But at least former FBI guy was around this week to make things interesting. Oh, and Avi, that may be the dumbest blackmail ploy ever, but at least it is entertaining.

The Strain: So the show starts airing a title sequence randomly in the middle of the second season only to pull it the next week. Huh? But anyway. I never though Eph would actually kill the old dude but was deeply disappointed that he did get the hot French assistant. Shockingly the Master placated the old dude's temper tantrum and revived her. But judging from her reaction, she may not thank old dude for it. I do hope she ends up joining the good guys who may need a new hot blond in their ranks now that Dutch is is the Nazi Vampire's weird sex dungeon.
You can download The Strain on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 9/18/15

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 Blindspot, The Muppets, Unity - The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, Baskets, EastSiders, Epix, Years of Living Dangerously, The Weapon Hunter, Dove Channel, Turner Classic Movies, Nature Cat, and Dating Naked.

- Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton star in NBC's new action thriller Blindspot, premiering Monday, September 21 at 10:00 after The Voice.


- Television’s biggest night is a few days away and just in time for the 67th Emmy Awards, the Television Academy has released this funny celebrity-studded video featuring TV’s favorite ex-couple – Kermit and Miss Piggy – and Julie Bowen, Viola Davis, and Joel McHale! Watch as Kermit the Frog and the confident Miss Piggy meet up for the first time since their very-public breakup to discuss how they are going work together on their new show. The rendezvous quickly goes awry when insults start flying and the meeting turns into the ultimate Hollywood power lunch. Featuring cameos by some of this year’s most popular female Emmy nominees including Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”), Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder”), and a hilarious appearance by Emmy-nominated Joel McHale (“The Soup”). The Muppets premieres on ABC Sept. 22.


- Iconic songs will be heard like never before – with inventive, energetic and distinctively Latin twists – when PBS premieres Unity – The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 9:00 (check local listings). Hosted by the legendary percussionist Sheila E., the concert special features 10 of Jackson’s greatest hits interpreted by award-winning Latin artists with a 37-piece orchestra, and kicks off the fifth annual PBS Arts Fall Festival.

- Baskets, FX’s new comedy created by Zach Galifianakis and Louis C.K., premieres in 2016.


- EastSiders, the critically-acclaimed dark comedy starring series creator Kit Williamson (Mad Men) and three time Emmy Nominee Van Hansis(As the World Turns) as a gay couple trying to stay together in the aftermath of infidelity, returns today for its second season exclusively on Vimeo On Demand.

- Premium entertainment network EPIX announced that it will offer subscribers the ability to download hit movies directly to their mobile devices, allowing them to watch where they want, when they want - even without access to an internet connection. A leader in multiplatform entertainment, EPIX will be the first network to deliver offline viewing directly from its mobile apps, available across Kindle Fire and all Apple and Android mobile devices and tablets including iPads®, iPhones®, and Samsung and Nexus devices. The new offering will be available this month to all EPIX subscribers, launching with a marketing campaign in partnership with affiliated distributors.

- National Geographic Channel (NGC) (@NatGeoChannel) and The Years Project announced today the return of the Emmy® award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously, a thought-provoking and ambitious cinematic television event that will delve even deeper into the highly debated issue of climate change. The new season of the critically acclaimed series will air exclusively on NGC in 2016 in 171 countries and 45 languages. Years of Living Dangerously will once again feature some of Hollywood’s biggest influencers who are passionate about environmental issues, and will reveal emotional and hard-hitting accounts of the effects of climate change from across the planet. Correspondents will include Jack Black, Ty Burrell, James Cameron, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson, David Letterman, Aasif Mandvi, Olivia Munn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder and Cecily Strong — with more names to be announced soon — all giving first-person accounts from locations, shockingly close to home, where the effects of climate change are most prevalent. They will cover crucial issues like severe hurricanes, historic droughts and the rapidly increasing extinction rate of our planet’s wildlife. The result will be a gritty and raw look at not only how our species has impacted our planet, but also how we can save it for future generations.

- History buff and restoration expert Paul Shull goes on a quest to get his hands on some of the world’s rarest and most remarkable pieces of military history in the new Smithsonian Channel original series, The Weapon Hunter. The six episode series chronicles Shull’s adventures as he finds, fixes, and fires the antique weapons that have been used throughout history. The Weapon Hunter premieres Monday, October 5 at 8:00.

- Family viewing just got a whole lot safer with today’s debut of Dove Channel, the new direct-to-consumer over-the-top (OTT) digital streaming subscription service.

- This fall, PBS KIDS will premiere Nature Cat, a new animated series that encourages children to explore nature. Through Nature Cat, co-creators and brothers David Rudman (SESAME STREET, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE) have teamed up to inspire viewers to get outdoors and develop connections with the natural world. Designed for kids ages 3-8, the multiplatform media property premieres this fall on PBS KIDS, along with integrated digital content and hands-on activities. Inspired by research on the health and educational benefits of spending time outside, Nature Cat will encourage families to get active and go on their own outdoor adventures. The series will air daily following its premiere (check local listings).

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is expanding its footprint with the launch on Amazon Fire TV this fall, making it the first network in the Turner Broadcasting portfolio to be available via the streaming service. TCM is also ramping up its digital efforts with enhancements to the Watch TCM App, the launch of a new emoji keyboard app, and hosting a dedicated “download week” on Sept. 14-19 leading into the networks dedicated “Let’s Movie” holiday on Sept. 19.

- VH1 has picked up a third season of the much buzzed-about reality dating series Dating Naked. The show aims to explore the art of romance, free of preconceived notions, stereotypes – and clothes. Fans who are ready to bare it all to find true love can apply for season three here.

Previewing Live Free or Die

It was not long into the first season of Live Free or Die before I said, "Nope." For the past decade and a half I have watched Survivor thinking I could do that. But on that show, I would be with a tribe that could help build a living quarter, catch fish, and gather firewood. Not to mention all the various rewards as well as a medical staff within walking distance if something goes horribly wrong. Naked and Afraid is another show I have said, "Nope" to as I doubt I would make it a day, but even they get to put clothes on after a month and get to go back to civilization. The people on Live Free or Die are living on their own (aside from one married couple) before the camera arrived and will continue to do so after they leave.

If any of the people from last season would give up and go back to society it would be Colbert whose homemade house burnt down last season. Nope, he is back this season building a new place to live in. And where many people might complain about their local swamp flooding, Colbert sees it as an opportunity to transport large logs to his build sight. Also returning is husband and wife Tony and Amelia, Thorn who has wisely built a shelter to live in instead of the tent he spent last season in.

New this season is Derik Stevens a blacksmith living high in the Colorado Rockies. At the start of the season, snow forced him to house his three mules fifteen miles away in a friends covered barn and now has the task to bring the three wild beasts back home. Showing up next week is another newcomer Tobias Corwin, a desert nomad living in the Arizona wilderness who also teaches primitive skills at an outdoor survival school.

Live Free or Die airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel.