Around the Tubes: 10/27/2017

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 SMILF, Marvel’s Runaways, Lionel Richie, The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, Origin of Everything, Conan, Polar Bear Town, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and Ray Donovan.

- Showtime is giving viewers an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the network’s new half-hour comedy SMILF. The series, created, starring and executive produced by Frankie Shaw, is based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name. At the end of the episode, Showtime is offering fans a sneak peek of an exclusive scene from the season eight premiere of the network’s No. 1 comedy Shameless. Showtime is releasing SMILF early, ahead of its on-air debut Sunday, November 5 at 10:00, following the 9 p.m. ET/PT season premiere of the SHAMELESS. Consumers can watch the SMILF series premiere for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. In addition, the episode is available for free on the Showtime stand-alone service’s website showtime.com.

- Hulu has released the trailer for Marvel’s Runaways. The first three episodes of the 10-episode season will premiere on Tuesday, November 21st.


- On December 8, Motown/UMe will release three historic albums on vinyl from one of the most successful solo artists in Pop/R&B crossover history, Lionel Richie. This mega-platinum album triple-play — 1982’s Lionel Richie, 1983’s Can’t Slow Down, and 1985’s Dancing On The Ceiling — sealed the recent Kennedy Center Honoree’s legacy as one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the modern era, in the wake of his 1982 departure from the lineup of one of Motown’s biggest artists of the Seventies, the Commodores.

- On February 4, 1974, 19-year-old Patricia “Patty” Hearst was kidnapped from her Berkeley, California apartment. Because she was the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, Patty’s kidnapping left authorities confounded and the American public glued to its television screens watching the saga of an abducted American heiress unfold. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst tells the inside story, without interviews or narration, utilizing Hearst’s own voice recordings, footage of her first interview following her release and first-hand audio tapes of the kidnappers. In addition, rediscovered news footage allows viewers to experience all of the confusion, fear and absurdity that held a nation in thrall for 19 months. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst premieres Sunday, November 26 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- The newest episode of PBS Digital Studios' Origin of Everything, focuses on an urban legend we've all heard: tainted Halloween candy. How many times did your mom warn you about that razor blade in the apple? Well turns out, there's a pretty interesting backstory to these legends and we're here to share. The episode also dives into the origins of trick or treating for candy. Why do we encourage kids to show up at strangers houses, begging for candy and, more importantly, what does the answer have to do with V for Vendetta? Check out the new episode here.

- TBS's late-night series Conan is heading back to New York City for the second year in a row for a week of shows from Harlem’s Apollo Theater Monday, November 6 – Thursday, November 9. Conan from the Apollo will run in conjunction with The 14th annual New York Comedy Festival which runs November 7 – 12, 2017. During the week in New York City, Conan will feature the following guests:

Monday, November 6: Stephen Colbert
Tuesday, November 7: Keegan-Michael Key and comedian Jon Dore
Wednesday, November 8: Features comedian Jack Whitehall
Thursday, November 9: The cast of Daddy’s Home 2: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow and Linda Cardellini

- Every fall, approximately 10,000 tourists from around the world descend on the tiny, isolated town of Churchill, Manitoba. Known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World,” visitors gather in Churchill to see the annual migration of more than 1,000 polar bears that pass through town. Smithsonian Channel’s docu-series Polar Bear Town follows this extraordinary intersection of humans and the “Lords of the Arctic,” as they collide in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways. This three-episode second season premieres Wednesday, November 22 at 8:00.

- Showtime is developing a television series adaptation of The Kingkiller Chronicle, executive produced by Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Grammy® and Emmy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), with acclaimed producer John Rogers (Leverage, The Player) serving as showrunner. Miranda will also compose music for the series, which is based on Patrick Rothfuss’s global bestselling contemporary fantasy trilogy. Produced by Lionsgate, The Kingkiller Chronicle will be executive produced by Rogers, Miranda, Rothfuss, Robert Lawrence (Clueless, Die Hard with a Vengeance) and Jennifer Court (The Player).

- Showtime has ordered a sixth season of its hit drama series Ray Donovan, starring multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight in his Golden Globe winning role. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

I Want My Music Videos: 10/23/2017

Sway - Danielle Bradbery


Danielle Bradbery had a reputation of being a robot while on The Voice. She was perfectly fineand her first album was perfectly fine too but ultimately boring country pop. After that they floated an embarrassingly bad country rap song Friend Zone. So I was not too excited when it was announced she was going to be one of the rare Voice contestant to get a second major label album. Umm, actually is she the first? Really sad that I have to ask that considering the shoe just started its thirteenth season. (After some research she is if you do not count EP’s.) But it turns out her new song is really catchy. Not in a county-pop sort of way, definitely not country-rap. If this was released in the eighties, it would be a pop song. Had it been released last decade it would be adult contemporary. Unfortunately modern pop has been taken over by weird computer EDM sounds and adult contemporary is pretty much just Ed Sheeran so I am not sure how this song reaches a wider audience unless the progressive country fans that made Girl Crush a hit accept this song.


May I Have This Dance – Francis and the Lights featuring Chance the Rapper


When I first heard the non remix version of this song, I actually thought I was listening to a long lost Peter Gabriel song. As for the remix version's video, is Chance the Rapper and Francis and the Lights trying out for a Napoleon Dynamite remake?


It's a Shame - First Aid Kit


I am a sucker for camera tricks and I really like the subtly of the two members of First Aid Kit walking down the same streets and having slightly different experiences.


Tennessee Mountain Top – Kid Rock


Okay, so Kid Rock’s senate run is obvious a joke, I mean, here is a video with a stuffed raccoon. I mean it is not as wacky as Roy Moore, but c’mon, it has to be a joke right? Please be a joke. And isn’t the song kind of ripping off a Nickelback song?

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 10/22/2017

Ray Donovan: Well fork, they actually did kill off Natalie James. And I really did not need to spend half the episode watching Micky inability to, um, calm down is I guess the best way to put that. Then Micky got even more screwed by his son who sold him out to the DA. Of course this is the same son that killed the head of the FBI, West Coast Division. Should be interesting to see how the writers get the Donovan boys out of that one.

Fear the Walking Dead: Wait; is anyone in the cast still alive besides Madison? I would not hate that because I do not particularly care about any of these people. Yet I have a feeling they will all survive. Even Nick despite blowing a dam he was standing on and even if he miraculously survives, there are dudes with guns beside him ready to kill him.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Supergirl: I am morally opposed to spoilers but I still check out casting notices so I know who the new mom is going to be. So why drag this out on a character we never met even the main characters only had a passing glance of until it was unveils as Lena’s successor at LexCorp at the end of the episode? People who do not know who that is have to be even more confused. Just comes off as sloppy writing. And it is becoming clear that the writers mostly care about couples than actual plot as it seems pretty obvious to me that Lena and James are going to bang soon. Ugg, I hate all that crap.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

The Challenge: Dirty 30: That was kind of a lame challenge, walk ten feet on a balance beam, I do not really care how far up you are. But hey, Johnny Bananas went in his rare elimination. It is amazing how lucky that guy is mixed with how he is able to keep his name out of everyone’s mouths. But goodness, Redemption House is stacked. At least for the guys, it seems like Cara Maria may be in a cakewalk.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: We got our second one week only advantage and for the second time it ultimately did not have any bearing on the outcome as Joe pulled out his Idol anyway. But why did Jessica give that advantage to Devon? Did she think the four would gang up on the one and he might have an Idol? Picking one of the Heroes seemed like a much smarter play because what if the Healers pulled him in? But again, none of it really mattered anyway.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunesr.

The Blacklist: Really, we had to see a horse burned alive to start the episode? Could she give the horse poison too at least? But I watched this after the Trolley episode of The Good Place and a good version here with do you kill a bad person to save a child? I am with Lizzie and say yes.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Mr. Robot: I thought we were going to get an eighties musical theme with INXS and Roxette except when the FBI dude was trolling the other one with an audio recording he went with… Barenaked Ladies. Was Rick Astley too obvious? But speaking of listening to Roxette, they killed off Tyrell’s wife. She gets this weird storyline last season only to be murdered in her second scene of this season.
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.

The Good Place: Am I going to the Bad Place for laughing at the real life Trolley Problem?
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.

Gotham: Um, so Ra’s al Ghul is dead dead? That cannot possibly be it. And Solomon Grundy is really bad. Oh my goodness, they messed that up. Butch looks like seventies Incredible Hulk but with grey makeup and a bad wig.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Once Upon a Time: Not remembering where your kid and wife are buried should be a very big red flag. But come on Henry, at least do a blood test to find out if the kid is yours once and for all. And should I know who the weird chick at the end was?
You can download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.