Around the Tubes: November 14, 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 The Happiest Season, I am Greta, Desus and Mero, Benee, Paris Jackson, Isabela Merced, Billie Holiday, Ariana Grande, El Sicario, and the Hulu Winter Schedule.

- Ready for some holiday cheer? The HAPPIEST SEASON official trailer is finally here!  The Hulu Original romantic comedy film premieres November 25 on Hulu. Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner — until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay — is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. HAPPIEST SEASON is a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.

- Hulu’s I AM GRETA premiered Friday, November 13th. The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta—a shy student with Asperger’s—in her rise to prominence and her galvanizing global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her extraordinary wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City.

 

- SHOWTIME announced a one-hour original DESUS & MERO special will air on Sunday, November 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The special titled “DMFM: The Home of Boom Bap” will transform the DESUS & MERO studio into an old-school radio station and focus on the history of hip hop, featuring special guests including Busta Rhymes, Sheila E, City Girls, Juicy J and Cam’ron, along with calls from listeners and more with the hosts Desus Nice (Daniel Baker) and The Kid Mero (Joel Martinez). DESUS & MERO just wrapped its second season and, as previously announced, will return for season three in 2021. Each episode features the co-hosts giving their take on the day’s hot topics and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more.  To watch and share a promo, go to: https://youtu.be/8ud45j8J_ZE.

- New Zealand’s platinum sensation BENEE unveils her eagerly awaited full-length debut album, Hey u x, today—get it HERE via Republic Records.  Fueled by one off-kilter bop after another, Hey u x sounds like the perfect lost Gen X classic made for Gen Z. Blending, bending and breaking genres like only BENEE can, the album boasts an all-star cast of collaborators, including Lily Allen, Grimes, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat, Kenny Beats, Bakar and Muroki, and has already been praised by the likes of Billboard, E! Online, Los Angeles Times, NME, NYLON, PAPER Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, Stereogum, Teen Vogue, The Boston Globe, The FADER, The Guardian, UPROXX, V Magazine, Variety and many more. See the full tracklist below. The album was produced by BENEE’s longtime collaborator Josh Fountain, and its artwork was designed by Californian artist Terry Hoff.

- Today, 22-year-old singer, songwriter, actress, model and activist Paris Jackson releases her first full-length album, wilted [Republic Records].  Get wilted HERE.  Co-written and produced by Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull with engineering and instrumentation by Manchester Orchestra’s Robert McDowell, these eleven tracks stitch together a multi-dimensional pastiche of hurt, healing, loss, and love carried by hazy vocalizations and a patchwork of earthy alternative folk.

- Gearing up for a red hot holiday season, singer, songwriter, and acclaimed actress Isabela Merced release her first-ever Christmas single entitled “Caliente Navidad.” Listen HERE via Republic Records.  Watch the official lyric video HERE.  

“Last year, I was able to spend Christmas with my family in Peru, and it was by far the warmest feeling ever. It was a lot of dancing, eating, and the fun didn’t stop until the next day.”  Isabela comments, “On Christmas my family makes chocolate caliente, and cuts Paneton. Then the celebrations start with lots of dancing. One of our traditions is the alcatraz, a Peruvian dance.  My hope is everyone gets to have a Caliente Navidad, whether it’s in a warm place or just a warm Christmas surrounded by those you love.”

- The official companion soundtrack for the anticipated documentary, Billie, about legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday, is now available on CD, LP and digitally for streaming and download via Verve/UMe. Billie: The Original Soundtrack collects some of Holiday’s most popular songs featured throughout the transfixing film including “God Bless The Child,” “I Only Have Eyes For You,” “I Loves You, Porgy” and “Strange Fruit,” along with instrumental cues.  Stream or purchase Billie: The Original Soundtrack here: https://UMe.lnk.to/BillieOriginalSoundtrack

- Noticias Telemundo has launched a new podcast series produced by its award-winning investigative unit, Noticias Telemundo Investiga. The five-part series, titled “El Sicario” or “The Hitman” and available now for streaming, takes listeners inside one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels.  Hosted by Noticias Telemundo anchor Julio Vaqueiro and narrated by Noticias Telemundo Investiga correspondent Aldo Meza, the series details the experiences of a man who was recruited and spent months training to become a hitman for the Jalisco Cartel New Generation before he escaped. The man’s testimony is believed to be the first by someone who has spent months in the cartel’s training camp. 

- Ariana Grande returns to the top of the charts with new album Positions debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Billboard Top Album Sales, Billboard Pop Album, and Billboard Streaming Album charts.

- Hulu Winter Schedule: 

                                                                           SERIES

EATER'S GUIDE TO THE WORLD - Premiere Date: November 11 (binge)

NO MAN'S LAND - Premiere Date: November 18 (binge)

ANIMANIACS - Premiere Date: November 20 (binge)

THE SISTER - Premiere Date: January 22 (binge)

DOCUMENTARIES AND FILMS

 

I AM GRETA - Premiere Date: November 13

RUN - Premiere Date: November 20

HAPPIEST SEASON - Premiere Date: November 25

THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF NOISE - Premiere Date: January 15

DEREK DELGAUDIO'S IN & OF ITSELF - Premiere Date: January 22

FAMILY

 

THE MIGHTY ONES - Premiere Date: November 9 (binge)

TROLLS: TROLLSTOPIA - Premiere Date: November 19 (binge)

THE HARDY BOYS - Premiere Date: December 4 (binge)

MADAGASCAR: A LITTLE WILD - Premiere Date: December 11 (binge)

ENDLINGS - Premiere Date: January 15 (binge)

57 Channels and Only This Is On: November 8, 2020

 
The Good Lord Bird:  Well, I was wrong that we were getting a heist episode this week; it has got to be next week I guess.  But where everybody seems to recognize John Brown, but it took a very long time for anyone notice that Onion is really a dude.  And then he finally came out as a dude by the end.

Fear the Walking Dead:  So how tong until John takes that chick’s bike that she said she has stashed?  With June now back, could be soon.  But did they really kill off the people who were spray painting everywhere already?  So I guess they do not matter, it is the mysterious key that matters?

The Walking Dead: Worlds Beyond:  So the chick who murdered the dude’s mother realized that he was her son this week.  She just finally revealed to her sister that she was the one that “killed” their mother.  When does she let the dude she killed her mother?  But for a second there, I thought the gut at the end with the staff might turn out to be Morgan but the “next time on” spoiled who it really was… no one interesting.

Fargo:  So where did the kid and the Irishman run off to? 
You can download Fargo on iTunes.

The Mandalorian:  Ugg, ice spiders, I really hate spiders.  But Baby Yoda eating those eggs was really creepy considering their mother was right there.  And playing it for laughs made it much worse.