Around the Tubes: 1/29/16

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 Generation X, Stop Hate Dump Trump, Brian Wilson, Hulu, Predator Road Trip, Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS, Billions and VH1.

- America’s neglected middle child: That’s what a 2014 Pew Research study called Generation X, the 65 million people born in 1961-1981. Sandwiched between the baby boomers and millennials, Gen-Xers have always seemed to live in the shadow of those who came before and after them. But these so-called cynics have turned their childhood experiences into some of the biggest achievements the world has ever seen.
National Geographic Channel’s new series Generation X, narrated by Christian Slater, premieres Sunday, Feb. 14, at 10:00 following the new season premiere of Brain Games. Each hour examines one major milestone of Generation X — from the premiere of “Reality Bites” to the remarkable presidential election of 2008 to the legalization of gay marriage — and then breaks it down to explore the political, cultural and economic forces at play. Using original interviews with gen X members and archival footage from the era, the series puts the Generation in the spotlight it has long deserved.

- A diverse coalition cutting across race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and party affiliation has organized to give voice to Americans calling out Donald Trump for his hate speech, misogyny, Islamaphobia, and racism. A new web site, stophatedumptrump.com, will provide a platform for those who do not and will not stand for the continued threats, rhetoric and fear mongering by the Republican Presidential front-runner.

- Music legend Brian Wilson has announced a 2016 world tour to celebrate and perform the iconic album Pet Sounds for a final time, in honor of its 50th anniversary. Originally released on May 16, 1966, Pet Sounds is universally hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. With more than 70 dates being confirmed, and several previously announced dates selling out in record time, Wilson and his band will be joined by former bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin when they kick off the tour this Spring. Concert stops include dates in Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, and Portugal followed by a full U.S. tour later this Summer and Fall. Fans can expect a live performance of Pet Sounds in its entirety, as well as top hits and fan favorites spanning his 54-year career with The Beach Boys and as a solo artist. Ticket presales begin January 27 with the official onsale January 29 in most markets. Additional dates and special events to be announced. For up-to-date information, please visit BrianWilson.com.

- In a groundbreaking agreement, Hulu and IFC Films have closed a landmark output deal that will make Hulu the exclusive streaming home for all future documentary releases from IFC Films, which will include all documentaries from the brands IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. The multi-year agreement marks the first time these documentary films will be available on Hulu within the first window following their initial release in theaters and on-demand. Future IFC Films documentaries will be available to stream through Hulu’s No Commercials and Limited Commercial subscription plans. Beginning this fall, Hulu will be the exclusive streaming video on-demand home to highly anticipated documentary releases from IFC Films, and will be the only destination to stream future documentaries from IFC Films following their run in theaters. The deal also grants Hulu the streaming rights to debut future trailers for all IFC Films documentaries.

- He’s called the “Lion Whisperer” because he shares an extraordinary bond with Africa’s most fearsome predators. Now Kevin Richardson faces his biggest challenge yet – a battle to transport 27 lions, 4 black leopards and 14 hyenas to a new home, a sanctuary on the edge of the Dinokeng Game Reserve in South Africa. Smithsonian Channel follows Richardson and the move in a new special airing in two-parts, Predator Road Trip: Backseat Lion, premiering Wednesday, February 24 at 8:00, and Predator Road Trip: Hyena Breakout on Wednesday, March 2 at 8:00.

- WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman will defend his title against former champ “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a blockbuster matchup of two of the world’s best 147-pound fighters on Saturday, March 12 on Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS.

- On the heels of delivering the biggest premiere week ever for the network, Showtime has picked up its new critically-acclaimed drama Billions for a second season. BILLIONS had the best series debut performance ever for a Showtime original series with 6.5 million viewers, besting the series premiere of Ray Donovan by 7 percent (with 6.1 million viewers in June 2013). Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, Billions airs Sundays at 10:00. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

- Love is in the air at VH1, a network that loves love. Who else has created 30 series with “Love” in the show title? (Think about it.) VH1 will celebrate Valentine’s Day with its first-ever “14 Days of Love” event, a two-week marathon of love-themed programming airing Monday, February 1 through Sunday, February 14. America will fall in love all over again when the “14 Days Of Love” event brings fan favorites Flavor Flav, Tiffany “New York” Pollard, and Bret Michaels back into viewers’ living rooms with encores of the entire first seasons of the biggest shows of love in TV history: Flavor of Love, which debuted on VH1 on January 1, 2006, I Love New York, and Rock of Love With Bret Michaels.