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 The Last O.G., Sublime, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the World Cup™, The Mountain Lion and Me, and Showtime news.
- Comedy superstar and multiple Emmy® nominee Tracy Morgan returns to television with TBS starring in The Last O.G., a new comedy series that he executive produces alongside creator and executive producer Jordan Peele. Beginning April 3, episodes will air Tuesdays at 10:30.
- Southern California’s reggae-punk pioneers Sublime are celebrating the 50th birthday of their dear friend Bradley Nowell with a special animated video of “Boss D.J.,” the acoustic fan favorite off of the Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends album. The band commissioned renowned animator and artist Andrew William Ralph to create and direct a “looped” animation video that will debut on their official website on what would have been Nowell’s 50th birthday, February 22. In addition to the new video, Sublime will launch a birthday fan-wall on their official website and will have a space where fans can write birthday notes and post memories using the hashtag #BradleyNowell50th as well as exclusive merchandise sold through Sublime’s webstore. For more information please visit www.sublimelbc.com. Furthermore, the classic 1996 self-titled album Sublime is being released as a limited edition double LP on color vinyl this week exclusively from The Sound of Vinyl beginning Thursday February 22. Presented on 180-gram vinyl and limited to 500 copies worldwide, the one-of-a-kind pressing features LP1 on opaque yellow and LP2 on opaque blue. Members of the The Sound of Vinyl Text Message service will receive early access to purchase the limited edition Sublime color vinyl album, one day before it is available for purchase on The Sound of Vinyl website.
- To commemorate the 21st anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fox Consumer Products is launching the first-ever Buffy Slay Day on March 10, 2018 for fans who would like to pay homage to one of the original badass chicks – who paved the way for women and girls everywhere -- Buffy! As part of the 21-hour celebration on Buffy Slay Day, fans will have a chance to reward the most important slayers in their lives with cool merchandise. Additionally, Fox Consumer Products plans to uniquely highlight the strong, empowered and celebrated program alongside a wide group of Buffy partners through the following activities: Celebrate this pivotal show and its female heroine by harnessing your inner slayer, of courage, pride, and empowerment. On Slay Day 2018, Buffy fans can reward those who help them slay in their own lives with kickass loot. A wide-range of Buffy themed prizes is up for grabs, including apparel, toy figures, books and more! Details on how to reward the slayers in your lives can be found on BuffySlays.com.
- The road to Russia will go through Austin, Texas as the FOX Sports House opens March 9-12 at the 2018 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals. With its sights on the World Cup™, FOX Sports kicks off a celebration of soccer at one of the world’s biggest interactive showcases for sports, innovation and the arts.
- Montana filmmaker Casey Anderson has formed a remarkable relationship with one of America’s most powerful predators, a mountain lion named Mama Mo. Casey first discovers Mama Mo one winter night when tracks in the snow appear outside of his home in Paradise Valley, Montana. It sparks Casey’s year-long obsession with the adult mountain lion and her cubs who are hunting in his backyard. Astonishingly, Mama Mo lets him into her world, and Casey uses the latest high-tech tools to capture an unprecedented view into the intimate lives of mountain lions in the wild. Casey not only painstakingly tracks Mama Mo’s every move, even as she crosses into the legal hunting zone, but he even ventures deep inside the lion’s den. The Mountain Lion and Me premieres Wednesday, March 14 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.
- Showtime will celebrate SMILF, The Chi andShameless at the South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals from Thursday, March 15 through Saturday, March 17 with art, food and music at The Showtime House at Clive Bar on Rainey Street in Austin, Texas. On Thursday, March 15, Showtime will feature a diverse lineup of female-fronted bands across multiple genres including rising teenage indie rocker Snail Mail and experimental violinist and vocalist Sudan Archives, in honor of the Golden Globe® nominated comedy SMILF. Golden Globe nominee Frankie Shaw will make a special appearance introducing headliner Princess Nokia, whose music was also featured on the show. Friday, March 16 will be dedicated to the hit drama The Chi, with food from Harold’s Chicken Shack in Chicago, a custom sneaker gallery, Chicago graffiti art and featuring live hip hop artists. Chicago-based artist Joey Purp will perform, along with Lee Fields & the Expressions, whose music is featured on The Chi. The night will culminate with a DJ set from RUN-DMC’s Darryl DMC McDaniels, introduced by THE CHI star Jacob Latimore. And finally, on St. Patrick’s Day, The SHOWTIME House will transform into an “Alibi Bar” pop up, where SXSW badge holders can party like a Gallagher with drinks served by Shameless stars Shanola Hampton and Steve Howey. Musical acts include Low Cut Connie, Tank and The Bangas and headliners WAVVES.
- Showtime Sports continues to expand its position at the intersection of combat sports and culture with a first-of-its-kind, sports talk show, Below the Belt hosted by Brendan Schaub. The twice-monthly, 30-minute show debuts on Wednesday, February 28 on SHOWTIME Sports digital platforms, days before American heavyweight Deontay Wilder defends his WBC title against Luis Ortiz. The announcement was made today by Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
