Around the Tubes: 8/4/2017

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 Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, X Ambassadors, and Sublime.

- Showtime Networks has announced that the concert special from Grammy® Award-winning superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul will premiere on Friday, November 17 at 9:00 on Showtime, on-air, on demand and over the internet. The special was shot over the summer in the U.S. on this year’s Soul2Soul The World Tour. Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul is directed and executive produced by the award-winning Magical Elves production team of Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Katy Perry: Part of Me). The tour documentary includes live performances from their Soul2Soul tour, as well as unprecedented access to Tim and Faith, with never before seen interviews and behind the scenes footage capturing their unmatched chemistry on and off the stage.

- Showtime® continues to expand its powerful documentary portfolio with the world premiere of two riveting films at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Oscar®-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy), is an unflinching and deeply personal journal into the life of legendary 18-time Grammy® winner Eric Clapton. Also debuting at TIFF is LOVE MEANS ZERO, the story of the celebrated yet controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, directed and produced by Jason Kohn (Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)). Following their debuts at TIFF, both documentaries will premiere on SHOWTIME in 2018.

- Tune in to the AT&T* AUDIENCE Network concert special "X Ambassadors" airing Friday, August 4, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. In this episode, X AMBASSADORS perform fan favorites and sit down with series host Ted Stryker for an in depth interview.

- Southern California's reggae-punk pioneers Sublime have tapped two-time Academy Award-winning director Bill Guttentag (You Don't Have to Die, Twin Towers) to write and direct a full-length documentary on the iconic band.

Previewing The Guest Book

Greg Garcia’s My Name Is Earl was the single funniest Pilot I have ever seen. I came away from watching first episode of Greg Garcia’s The Guest Book thinking, well that certainly was not the funniest thing I have ever seen. Actually I am not sure it was funny at all. But the thing is, The Guest Book is sort of an anthology with different people staying at a cottage. Sure the townspeople stay the same, but if you do not like one episode, the main characters will be gone by the next episode. Of course if you hate the townspeople, you are out of luck. The end of each episode even teases the next tenant involving a musical montage performed by a duo house band at the local strip bar. So when Rizzo talks about doing something to the chick from 24 that could land herself in jail, I figured, fine, I will give it another try.

The second episode opened with maybe the most creative “previous on” package that I can remember (except for Braindead’s musical recaps) which anyone who watches too much television and wants someone to talk about it with can relate to. Then what Rizzo ended up doing to the chick from 24 is something you will never guess. Then the episode end with, oh, hello Kellie Martin, where have you been? Becca Thatcher was a seminal figure of my youth, she then did ER. But where has she been since? (According to IMDB, she has basically been in made for television movie hell for almost two decades). Since she is the town’s cop, she is one of the few people who sticks around for the season. She sets a speed trap for the next group to stay at the cabin including the dude from Dexter, the chick from Casual, and the guy from You’re the Worst.

As you can guess so far, the weekly guests are a who’s who of actors you probably know but have no clue what their real names are: Abed from Community! Pam from The Office!! Mags Bennett from Justified!!! But it was not until the chick from My Name Is Earl shows up as a former porn star who is going on vacation for the first time with her new boyfriend and his kid that I realized I was really enjoying the show. That episode kicks off a string of great and weird episodes including an Alzheimer’s patient who new treatment goes to well and a guy who throws a surprise first date.

And maybe that is what I did not like about the first episode is that it was not as weird as the later episode in that it features the very worn out plot of guy and his overbearing wife. The final episode of the episode does not actually feature any new guests but the townspeople become front and center because of something big and shocking in the penultimate episode. But the ending left me hoping the Guest Book gets to get opened again for a second season. Hopefully Jason Lee can grow a bushy mustache by then for a cameo.

The Guest Book airs Thursdays at 10:00 on TBS.

I Want My Music Television: 8/1/2017

Talking to Myself - Linkin Park


I still remember vividly the first time I ever heard Linkin Park. I had an office job back in college crammed into a small room with two other departments. One of my office mates asked if she could turn on internet radio, which was in its very early stages back ten. I said fine, and when she turned it on, the first thing blaring over the speakers was some dude screaming, “Shut up! Shut up when you’re talking to me!” My first response was, well that was not very nice. She was embarrassed to admit to liking the song but said she forgot about that part of the song. I overcame this horrible first impression and actually ended up owning two of their album and Bleed it Out is one of the greatest workout songs ever recorded.


Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato


There was one song off of Demi Lovato’s first album I actually kind of liked (the title track) but since then she has been a mainstay on my Worst Songs of the Year lists, usually very high. So I was not expecting much when she released a new single. Except, I actually kind of liked it. I has a English pop retro vibe to it (the good kind as much English pop is as bad an American pop) instead of her usual trashy pop she has done recent. And she weirdly looks like Olivia Munn in the hot tube scene.


Fetish - Selena Gomez feat. Gucci Mane


At the end of the Bad Liar video, Selena Gomez teased a continuation. Except Fetish turned out to be a nonsensical weird video that had nothing to do with the previous one. And the song is not very good, maybe my least favorite of her singles. At least video will not be continued.


Loyalty. - Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna


I kind of wish Kendrick Lamar spent the whole video on the asphalt quicksand set, that was a cool trick.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 7/30/2017

Claws: Of course Dean and Roller ended up at the same art exhibit. But c’mon Virginia, take a photo to show Desna. But who exactly was looking for Roller if everyone thought he was dead? Did Uncle Daddy investigate the hung up he had from last episode. So what is going to happen next week that will keep Uncle Daddy from killing Desna for trying to kill Roller? Cannot imaging that will come with a huge price.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

The Strain: Oh, hey, Gus has hair? The reverse Ephraim. We also get our first glimpse of Dutch and Setrakian who were still together. So how did they split from Fett?
You can download The Strain on iTunes.

I’m Dying Up Here: Maybe not the best sign on a show about comedy is that the hardest I laughed so far was at the Hispanic guy running from the cop. And he got caught.

Midnight, Texas: Well that was boring for a show about the supernatural.
You can download Midnight, Texas on iTunes.

Casual: Awe, the nineties, when bands like Local H could actually have a hit and people could waste money just to see a movie trailer. Alex and Valerie were still living together. I am not entirely sure we need to learn just where Alex’s obsession with waffles started.
You can stream Casual on Hulu.

The Challenge: Dirty 30: I understand not having a cameraman at the Redemption House full time, but how do they not have a security camera? From the description that is one of the most epic fails in reality production history.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes