Around the Tubes: October 24, 2020

 

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 Ariana Grande, Your Honor, Run, Stephan Colbert, Eater’s Guide to the World, The Reagans, The Circus, Doom Patrol, Snowpiercer, Beastie Boys, Nelly Furtado, The Offspring, Noah Kahan, Kristin Chenoweth, Ziwe, Regina Hall, and Supervillian.

- ARIANA GRANDE NEW SINGLE “positions” OUT NOWLISTEN HERE: https://arianagrande.lnk.to/positionsWATCH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO HERE: https://arianagrande.lnk.to/positionsvideo
- SHOWTIME announced that the new limited series YOUR HONOR, starring Oscar^® nominee and Emmy^® winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), will premiere on Sunday, December 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. BAFTA^® winner Peter Moffat (The Night Of, Undercover) serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer of multiple episodes. The series is executive produced by Emmy nominees Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Evil) and Liz Glotzer (Evil, The Good Fight). Emmy-nominated and BAFTA-winning director Edward Berger (PATRICK MELROSE) executive produces and directs the first three episodes.  

- Check out the official Hulu trailer for RUN. The Original Film will premiere on Friday, November 20, only on Hulu. 

- Emmy and Peabody Award-winning late night host Stephen Colbert will return to SHOWTIME to host another live election night special. STEPHEN COLBERT’S ELECTION NIGHT 2020: DEMOCRACY’S LAST STAND: BUILDING BACK AMERICA GREAT AGAIN BETTER 2020. Airing Tuesday, November 3 at 11 p.m. ET, the one-hour special will feature the celebrated host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert reacting in real-time to election results as the state-by-state returns come in.  Guests will include Charlamagne Tha God and hosts Alex Wagner, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon of THE CIRCUS.

Check out the official trailer and for upcoming original series Eater’s Guide to the World, narrated by Maya Rudolph.  All 7 episodes premiere Wednesday, November 11^th, only on Hulu!

- SHOWTIME has released the trailer and poster art for the upcoming docu-series THE REAGANS. Directed by Matt Tyrnauer (Where’s My Roy Cohn?, Studio 54), the four-part series contextualizes the legacy of Ronald and Nancy a generation later while exploring the palace intrigue of the Reagan White House years. THE REAGANS will premiere on Sunday, November 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. To watch and share the trailer, visit: https://youtu.be/8dI1OIkiEaM.
- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH continues its fifth season this Sunday as the presidential candidates brace for the final dramatic weeks before Election Day. Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, dive into a dizzying week of news that includes rising Covid cases across the country, Senate battles over the Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, and the final debate between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/BWMEvL2uBuU.
- Get ready to embrace the strange. DC’s favorite misfit heroes are back to save the world once again with the release of Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray and DVD on January 26, 2021 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Strap yourself in for an exhilarating ride with all 9 episodes from the second season of the original DC series, plus enjoy the captivating extra features including two behind-the-scenes featurettes. Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season is priced to own at $29.98 SRP for the DVD ($39.99 in Canada) and $39.99 SRP for the Blu-ray ($44.98 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). Both sets have an order due date of December 22, 2020.
- Attention all passengers - the revolution is coming! Get ready for more secrets, plot twists, and reveals as Warner Bros Home Entertainment takes you on an epic journey with the release of “Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season” on Blu-ray and DVD on January 26, 2021. Strap yourself in for an exhilarating ride with all 10 episodes from the first season, plus enjoy the captivating extra features, behind-the-scenes interviews, featurettes, and more! “Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season” is priced to own at $24.98 SRP for the DVD and $29.98 SRP for the Blu-ray, which includes a Digital Copy. Both sets have an order due date of December 22, 2020. “Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season” is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.
- Beastie Boys Music, a 20-song collection covering the GRAMMY® Award winning and multi-platinum selling Beastie Boys’ recording career is available now. The collection is a companion piece to the critically acclaimed, Emmy® nominated documentary Beastie Boys Story, and the group’s best seller Beastie Boys Book, which ascended to #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List—topping both the Nonfiction Print Hardcover and Nonfiction Combined Print & E-Book Best Sellers charts.  Beastie Boys Music is available digitally, on CD and as a 180gram 2LP vinyl set and can be ordered here.
- Grammy® winning singer/songwriter Nelly Furtado first spread her artistic wings and soared into America by taking a bold approach to pop music with her debut release of Whoa, Nelly! on October 24, 2000. At the time, she signalled a new era by coupling her multicultural musical heritage with an unabashed willingness to write songs about her strengths and vulnerabilities. On October 23, Dreamworks/UMe celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the RIAA-certified double-platinum album with a new digital-only Expanded Edition, available for pre-save here: https://nellyfurtado.lnk.to/WoahNellyDlx.
- To commemorate its 20^th anniversary, Conspiracy of One, the sixth album by punk rock trailblazers the Offspring, will once again be available on vinyl — the first time since its release in 2000. On December 11, Round Hill Records/UMe will release a deluxe version of Conspiracy of One pressed to yellow and red splatter vinyl, which includes spot gloss on the cover and a custom turntable slipmat featuring the Offspring's flaming skull silhouette logo. A non-deluxe, limited-edition canary yellow vinyl variant will be available on uDiscover & The Sound of Vinyl. A standard black vinyl version will be released in early 2021. Listen or pre-order Conspiracy of One HERE.
- Singer and songwriter Noah Kahan teams up with mxmtoon for his new single “Pride” out now.  LISTEN TO “PRIDE” FEAT. mxmtoon HERE!  “Pride,” which was produced by chart-topping artist and producer Alexander23, illuminates another side of Kahan’s sound, as it explores the regrets and broken promises of a failed relationship through the lens of social media. Highlighting the strength of the renowned songwriter’s craft, Noah is joined by songstress and internet sensation mxmtoon, as the two turn out a duet of hummable harmonies with a lyrical dialogue examining this aspect of modern-day relationships.
- GRAMMY® nominated and Dove Award-winning recording artist Ty Herndon has released a duet with Emmy and Tony award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth, titled, “Orphans of God.” The single, which also features award-winning pianist and composer Paul Cardall on piano will be featured on Herndon’s upcoming Christmas album, Regifted, set for release on Friday, November 27. Both the single and album are released via BFD/The Orchard. “Orphans of God” can be heard here, and Regifted can be heard here.
- SHOWTIME has placed a straight-to-series order for an untitled variety series starring and executive produced by rising star Ziwe. The series will feature interviews, sketches and more – including unscripted and unpredictable real-world rendezvous between everyday people and Ziwe, a writer, comedian and performer. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. In addition to writing for DESUS & MERO^® and OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT on SHOWTIME and Dickinson, Ziwe hosts an online show, in which she invites friends and celebrities alike as guests and, armed with a smiling and biting wit, overtly baits them into comically uncomfortable conversations about race. The show is seen by rapidly rising audiences on YouTube and Instagram. She has also been a voice performer as Kamala Harris among other roles for OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT, as well as Tooning Out the News, and she appears in her own Pop Show, which she created and performs at Brooklyn's Union Hall with original pop songs off her album Generation Ziwe. Ziwe’s comedy career began as an intern for Comedy Central, and a year later she wrote for The Onion and The Rundown with Robin Thede.

 

- Regina Hall (BLACK MONDAY, Girls Trip) has signed a first-look deal with SHOWTIME, where she will develop and produce television projects under her production company, Rh Negative. Already in development is a one-hour comedy special featuring Hall as star and executive producer. The announcement was made today by Amy Israel, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.  “Regina is an undeniable and brilliant force in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera,” said Israel. "She is one of the most dynamic and fearless actors of our generation and in her work on BLACK MONDAY, she hilariously destroys every scene she’s in. We are thrilled at SHOWTIME to continue and expand our relationship with Regina as a producer and eager to get to work on what promises to be an ambitious slate.”
- SHOWTIME today released a first look from the provocative SUPERVILLAIN, profiling hip-hop artist Tekashi 6ix9ine’s epic rise to notoriety. Through an exclusive interview with the incendiary rapper after his release from prison earlier this spring, director Karam Gill (Ice Cold, G-Funk) examines the culture of manufactured celebrity through 6ix9ine’s mastery of social media. SUPERVILLAIN is produced by Imagine Documentaries, Rolling Stone and Lightbox.  Brian Grazer will executive produce with Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein of Imagine Documentaries, Gus Wenner of Rolling Stone, Jonathan Chinn and Simon Chinn of Lightbox, journalist Stephen Witt, and Peter J. Scalettar. The three-part docu-series is set to premiere early 2021.  To watch and share the teaser, visit: https://youtu.be/Tg3KX2Dk8gM.  
- Following the final debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, People For the American Way (PFAW) President Ben Jealous released the following statement:  "If there was any doubt left about Donald Trump’s unfitness for office, he removed it with his whining and dishonest performance tonight -- including his deeply offensive remark suggesting migrants have 'low IQs.'  Kudos to Joe Biden and to moderator Kristen Welker for showing respect for the American people in the way they addressed the issues that really matter in this election, like health care, the pandemic, and our national reckoning with racial inequity.  Biden was the clear winner tonight on the issues and demonstrated his integrity, honesty and commitment to our democracy. The only thing that remains is for us to get out and vote for Biden and Kamala Harris, and take the first step toward healing our country after four disastrous years of the Trump administration.”  What transpired during the debate showed the American people that it’s more important than ever to vote to ensure that our country has a path to health care, pandemic relief and racial equality. But voter suppression is a real issue, and to combat it, PFAW created Defend the Black Vote to galvanize Black voter turnout especially among young Black men by providing resources to battle misinformation targeting this community. 
- A unique evangelical grassroots campaign is providing strategic support for Joe Biden in swing states to help propel him to victory.  The Evangelicals For Biden Campaign, launched a month ago, has achieved impressive results thus far:

• 175,000+ faith voters across the country have taken our Evangelicals For Biden Pledge.
• 7.6 million opens on our emails.
• 18 million+ impressions of our ads.
• Over 350,000 clicks throughs to our content.
• 100,000+ views and 20,000+ engagements of our Facebook content.
• 20,000+ diversions away from QAnon & pro-Trump opposition pages to our content.

With 12 days before the election, Evangelicals For Biden (EFB) is already the biggest independent evangelical grassroots campaign ever to support a Democratic presidential candidate. 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 18, 2020

 
Lovecraft Country:  This episode would have hit much harder had HBO now already aired a show less than a year ago that featured the Black Wall Street Massacre.  But I missed what happened to the aunt and when did she become a computer?  That is the downside to having the episode seem like an anthology, nothing seems like it matters when it is happening until something later happens that makes you realize that it did matter.
 
Fear the Walking Dead:  So who saved Morgan?  I am predicting the burn faced dudes wife.  But I feel we missed a lot.  How did Morgan survive this long with a bullet in his shoulder and some evil chick looking for him. 
 
The Walking Dead: Worlds Beyond:  Can wimpy dude just learn that the Hispanic sister killed his mom (and sibling) because the longer they string it along, the more annoying it gets.  And if none of them learn how to kill an “Empty” soon, this is going to be a very short trip.  But I wonder what is going to happen when the adults catch up to them.  Will they head home to learn everyone is dead or keep going toward New York?
 
Fargo:  Deafy is getting the short straw this time around.  Previous seasons the law seemed almost as important as the criminals but Deafy just seems like an afterthought.  It did not help that he did not even show up until the third season.  Chris Rock, who seemed like he was positioned as the lead, also does not seem as important as the marketing would have me believe.  And what exactly did he smell?  Weren’t all the bill washed first before given to the mortician?  Can you not wash puke out of money?
You can download Fargo on iTunes.