57 Channels and Only This Is On: 12/23/2017

Shameless: C’mon Ian, not worth it, all you did was piss off your sister and your ex-boy(girl)friend. And why isn’t Carl detoxing any of Lip’s friends if it is working so well? I just assumed that was going to happen eventually.

SMILF: Eww, Larry will not got potty in the bathroom but will on a salvage yard toilet.

Marvel’s Runaways: You know, when a future person tells you not to do something, maybe you should not do that thing. But, oh snap, she shot her husband. Finally something interesting happened on the show. Though I wonder why future Chase did not also try to contact himself and tell him not to tinker with his toy without his father.
You can stream episodes of Marvel's Runaways on Hulu.

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars: I thought for sure when Johnny was talking about how he would have to retire from the show if he lost to Riff Raft that Johnny would lose (granted he was in the promo for next season).
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: Wow, these people are morons. After pulling an Idol out on Lauren and Ashley in the past two week, how can the remaining four not sit on Ben until the next Tribal? They literally have nothing better to do. At least Devon was smart enough to throw a vote to Dr. Mike. Except he then gets screwed by a new twist where the Immunity winner picks someone to take to the finale and the other two go to a fire making challenge.

Speaking of stupid moves and unfair advantages, it seem like that is the theme of next season. I think. The promo was pretty vague. It seems to me they are resurrecting Exile Island (or, God forbid, Redemption Island) where contestants go to be haunted by failed advantages and Idols past and maybe they will hope to get played wisely. I guess that would be interesting if it was a returning players’ season primarily made up of people who made stupid moves (let me against suggest a Morons vs. Masterminds season). But alas it is all new players. Unless Ghost Island is literal and the Ice Cream Scooper and/or Lauren who made the dumbest move this season will be showing up to haunt the inhabitants of Ghost Island.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunes.

Vikings: So is the Bishop going to be the new Applestan? I am actually much more interesting In the trials and tribulations of Bjorn on his Mediterranean journey. The never-ending cycle of English vs Norsemen is getting a bit overdone. Bjorn’s story is fresh.
You can download Vikings on iTunes.

Knightfall: Who creates a mural of the time their brother stabled them through the stomach. But you gotta feel bad for the brother, pretty much ends up dying the same way that the Holy Grail saved him. But how exactly did the Grail go from the bottom of the sea on a wrecked ship to Godfrey’s possession? Was that not the Grail at all?
You can download Knightfall on iTunes.

Blindspot: Wait, we just learned Jane has a kid less than a month ago and Kurt killed her already? That just does not up. Especially considering how Kurt was very adamant that he not a killer earlier. Of course my number one rule of television is that no one is truly dead until you see the dead body (and even then I am still suspicious).
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Um, Fitz, why are you finding a way to the future without a plan to get back to present day? Or is he content living seventy days in the future? And I am not sure why sending SHIELD in the future stops an extinction level event (other than if Daisy is in the future she cannot destroy the past. Though I am not totally convinced Daisy quaked the Earth apart.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 12/22/2017

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 Pitch Perfect 3, The Chi, The Path. The Looming Tower, Our Cartoon President. The Numbers on Great-Grandpa's Arm, Little Steven, The Velvet Underground, Culture Club, POV, Silicon Valley: The Untold Story, and Family Feud.

- Now graduated from college and out in the real world where it takes more than a cappella to get by, the Bellas return in Pitch Perfect 3, the next chapter in the beloved series. Featuring a cappella mash-ups and medleys from the upcoming Universal Pictures' film, the soundtrack from UMe/Republic is available on all formats here on December 15. Pitch Perfect 3 hits theaters nationwide on December 22. Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson headline the returning cast of Pitch Perfect 3, the follow-up to summer 2015's blockbuster hit that took the honor of highest-grossing live-action movie-musical opening of all time and a #1 soundtrack debut. The eagerly awaited next chapter is led by series producers Paul Brooks of Gold Circle Entertainment and Max Handelman & Elizabeth Banks of Brownstone Productions. The film is directed by Trish Sie (Step Up All In).

- Showtime is giving viewers an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the highly anticipated new drama The Chi. The series was created and is executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award®, Emmy and Golden Globe® winner Common (Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O) who also serves as showrunner. The Chi explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago. Showtime is releasing The Chi ahead of its on-air debut Sunday, January 7 at 10:00. Consumers can watch The Chi 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 computers through the SHOWTIME stand-alone service’s website showtime.com.

- Hulu released the season three trailer and key art for The Path. The first two episodes of the 13-episode season will launch on Wednesday, January 17th.


- Check out the behind the scenes featurette and first look photos of Hulu Original Limited Series The Looming Tower. The Looming Tower will premiere Wednesday, February 28 only on Hulu.


- On the heels of the State of the Union address, Showtime will premiere its new animated series Our Cartoon President. Executive produced by multiple Emmy® winner Stephen Colbert and his Late Show executive producer, Chris Licht, this new 10-episode parody will follow the tru-ish misadventures of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and his merry band of advisors and family members. R.J. Fried will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Tim Luecke will serve as lead animator and co-executive producer. Matt Lappin will serve as consulting producer. The half-hour series will debut Sunday, February 11 at 8:00 on Showtime, before the 9:00 season premiere of Homeland.


- When 10-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz, and finding a new life in America. Directed and produced by Emmy® winner Amy Schatz, the short film The Numbers on Great-Grandpa's Arm weaves in haunting historical footage and hand-painted animation to tell a heartbreaking story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before and during the Holocaust. The film, presented with the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, debuts Saturday, JAN. 27 (6:00-6:20 pm ET/PT), International Holocaust Remembrance Day, exclusively on HBO.

- Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul are celebrating the season with a very special holiday single. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight),” is out today, Friday, December 15th, at all digital music retailers and streaming services.

- To celebrate the Velvet Underground’s 50th anniversary, Verve Records/UMe is releasing The Velvet Underground, a limited-edition career-spanning box that collects all four of the pioneering band’s studio albums, Velvets collaborator Nico’s debut LP, Chelsea Girl, and a reconstruction of the fabled “lost” 1969 album, making it available on vinyl for the first time. The six albums housed in a special black slipcase will be pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and feature stereo mixes and meticulously reproduced original cover art. The box will also include an exclusive 48-page booklet, featuring vintage photos, lyrics and a new foreword penned by founding member Maureen “Moe” Tucker. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, the box set, which will be released February 23, is available for pre-order now exclusively at uDiscover.

- Rock Fuel Media is excited to announce the release of Live At Wembley from multi-Platinum and '80s icons CULTURE CLUB. A state-of-the-art DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD package, is out now via Cleopatra Records. The concert will be broadcast on TV in 2018, details of which will be announced soon.


- On February 2, 2018, Zappa Records/UMe will release The Roxy Performances, a definitive seven-CD box set that collects all four public shows from December 9-10, 1973, and the December 8th film shoot/soundcheck, each presented in their entirety for the first time, along with bonus content featuring rarities from a rehearsal, unreleased tracks and highlights from the Bolic Studios recording session. This complete collection, totaling nearly eight hours, documents the Roxy shows as they happened and presents brand new 2016 mixes by Craig Parker Adams from new 96K 24 Bit transfers of the multi-track masters. The set is rounded out with a 48-page booklet that includes photos from the performances, extensive liner notes by Vaultmeister Joe Travers, essays from Zappa family friend, Australian writer Jen Jewel Brown, and American singer/songwriter Dave Alvin, who give their firsthand recollections about the shows, and a selection of archival press reviews. Those who digitally pre-order the box set will receive an instant grat download of “RDNZL.” Culled from the very first show on December 9, the track is a live version of the classic song featuring the never-before-heard 2016 mix that exemplifies the sonics of the new box set. Pre-order The Roxy Performances now.

- Capstoning a year of celebrations for the documentary showcases' 30th anniversary, PBS television series POV is excited to announce its first-ever documentary marathon. Premiering on public television’s WORLD Channel, the binge-worthy marathon will showcase films from POV’s rich and diverse history of character-driven stories over a 24-hour period. Kicking off on New Year's Eve, the marathon will also run 30 films for 30 days on the POV streaming service at pov.org, pbs.org, and the PBS Anywhere app. POV is the longest running independent documentary series on American television. The marathon will also include the television premiere of the film 500 Years by Emmy-nominated and veteran POV filmmaker Pamela Yates, which will broadcast twice on January 1, 2018 at 8/7 p.m. Eastern Time and at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on the WORLD Channel. The film will also begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 1. 500 Years had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

- Just south of San Francisco lies a region that has spawned not just new products but whole new industries, from vacuum tubes to radio, microchips to personal computers, mobile devices, apps and social media. Home to Apple and Facebook, Intel and Google, there is simply no other place on earth that can rival its remarkable record of innovation. A new Science Channel three-part documentary series will provide a comprehensive look at the century-and-a-half history of this fascinating place, and reveal how and why it became such a fertile ground for technological breakthroughs. Silicon Valley: The Untold Story premieres Sunday, January 28 at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. It is produced with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA is serving as the community and education outreach partner on the series.

- Deck the halls with a boughs of jolly with Game Show Network's Fa La La La Feud Marathon! Beginning Saturday December 23rd, gather your friends and loved ones to watch Steve Harvey and the Feud families face off in 4 binge-worthy marathons through New Year's Day. Survey says your family will be filled with holiday cheer!

Saturday, December 23rd:
2:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th:
2:00pm – 1:00am ET
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25th &
Boxing Day, Tuesday, December 26th:
2:00pm – 11:00pm ET
New Year's Day, Monday, January 1st:
2:00pm – 10:00pm ET

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 12/17/2017

Shameless: There is no greater fear I have in life than to die and my dogs would starve to death because no one noticed. Even more horrifying is now I have in my mind that they would not starve before someone notice. But you got to blame Fiona, if your tenant is late on rent and not responding, you got to go in earlier. But at least she did the right thing and saved the dog from execution. But why was it so hard for Kev to find a dude to have sex with? Does he not work as a bartender at a gay bar?

The Walking Dead: I actually felt bad for a couple seconds after Carl revealed the zombie bite. Of course then I realized that, oh yeah, I hate Carl. Although I fear that since the episode did not end with him dying that he will somehow survive. Of course Carl would be the one person who is immune (although I think the Fear the Walking Dead characters ran into someone who claimed they survived). But back to the beginning, I feel like I missed something, like how the Saviors got out. I know someone said how but it would have been nice to see.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Behavior: The last two episodes were duds because it was not very fun watching high Letty except hung over Letty was almost as bad. Then it looked like we were going to get the clichéd Javier sets a trap for Tao except he kidnaps Letty instead plot. Except they completely switch things up with Letty ending up killing Tao without the help of Javier…. And then kills the security guy for no reason. Yeah, it may be time for Letty to g back to prison. Good behavior is just not working out.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

SMILF: Watching Rosie O’Donnell having sex is very high on my list of things I never needed to see.

White Famous: Well, back to the beginning. But what is season two, are they actually going to do Angry Black? Do a time jump to something else? I am guessing it will not just be him raising his kid.

Lucifer: Well, I guess I was right that Superman was the Sinnerman. Though I could never predict he would turn out to be Cain. Superman said the Sinnerman killed his brother which turned out not to be a lie because Cain killed Abel.
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.

The Gifted: I have been in half watching mode of this show for a while, so I was wondering why the new blond was killing all the FBI agents (except the one we knew who somehow looked to only having a non-fatal injury). Then there was three of them. Okay, I am kind of almost interested in the show again.
You can download The Gifted on iTunes.

Marvel’s Runaways: So the old crusty dude who sucks the lifeforce out of people is the one that brought the Pride together? But where has he been the past decade that no one but apparently the alien mom knew? I also have the question the parentage of Karolina’s father. Is it the guy we thought was her father or is it the life sucker. I am starting to get an annoying Lost vibe in that they pose a bunch of questions but are very slow to answering them. And here we are past the half way point and the Runaways have yet to actually runaway.
You can stream episodes of Marvel's Runaways on Hulu.

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars: So after over half the females Champs went home without losing anything, they brought in Tori… another Champ who has never actually won anything. I am hoping next week is the end, I am ready for it.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: I never understood why people are so hesitant to look for the Idol when other people are looking, especially when they know they are on the bottom. Weirder was Ben who did not want to go under the shelter around people and yet pulls it out at Tribal before the vote for everyone to see. But I did like him playing it before people voted to leverage Ashley and Devon to vote with him against Dr. Mike. Except then Ben and Devon voted for Ashley for no reason we, the viewers, were privy to. And this bad editing has gone on for three or so seasons. I get the show likes shocking votes, but the shock loses its luster if we have no clue why it happened.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunes.

Vikings: Well that is some strange bedfellows of Lagatha and one of the kids of the lady she killed. Weird the boys did not go after her when their half-brother left. Speaking of weird, where did the Vikings go at the end. I assumed they were playing possum, but why stop the episode there? Are they hiding underground and that is why the rates are above ground. Did they poison the land?
You can download Vikings on iTunes.

Mr. Robot: So the 5/0 hack never happened? Does this piss off White Rose or is this what (s)he wanted the hole time. I am a bit confused by everyone’s motive, Is this the time travel that is heavily hinted at (there was evn the turn back time scene from the Superman movie in this episode). But in the big letdown was the drug dealer from the first season was the end credit scene as he bizarrely showed up blaring Fiona Apple. Kind of a blah ending to what was an improvement over season two.
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.

Knightfall: Wait, the princess wanted to marry her uncle. Now this is a large cast and I am still trying to figure out who is who, but are they really related? Although the royals of the time were famously inbred.
You can download Knightfall on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: From the start of the season I assumed Fitz was left behind so he could be the one to bring the rest of the team back to present day. But now he is in the future and wanting Quake to fight to the death (of course if she can rip apart the Earth, I think she could win most battles).
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.