Around the Tubes: December 19, 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 Ultimate Playlist of Noise, Shameless, Woman in Blues, Desus and Mero, Bob Marley, Noah Kahan, Kid Cudi, The Virtual Night We Stole Christmas, Nova Miller, Yellowjackets, and The D’Amelio Show.

- While 2020 may have us cooped up at home, Hulu’s THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF NOISE trailer will bring you some much-needed adventure and appreciation for all things in life as Marcus and Wendy set out to record a bucket list of favorite sounds before Marcus faces losing his hearing. The Hulu Original film premieres on January 15 on Hulu.

- As the acclaimed series SHAMELESS kicks off its 11^th and final season, SHOWTIME will give fans the chance to say a long goodbye to the beloved comedy with an all-new SHAMELESS HALL OF SHAME series. Beginning on Sunday, December 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the six-episode series will feature new, original SHAMELESS scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character’s journey over the prior 10 seasons. The first episode will feature Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher), showcasing their unique relationship and its evolution from a teen fling into a loving, complicated marriage. New episodes of SHAMELESS HALL OF SHAME will be interspersed throughout the 11^th and final season of SHAMELESS, which premiered on Sunday, December 6. 

- Filmed from 2017-2020, WOMEN IN BLUE follows Minneapolis’ first female police chief Janeé Harteau, as she works to reform the Minneapolis Police Department by getting rid of bad cops, retraining the rest, diversifying the ranks and promoting women—who statistically use less force than their male counterparts—into every rank of leadership. The film focuses on four women in Harteau’s department, each trying to redefine what it means to protect and serve. After a high-profile, officer-involved shooting forces Chief Harteau to resign, the new, male chief selects only men as his top brass. The women left behind continue to fight to police differently and to rebuild community trust.  WOMEN IN BLUE offers an unprecedented view into the inner workings of the MPD, chronicling a department—and a community—grappling with racism and a troubled history of police misconduct long before an MPD officer killed George Floyd in May of 2020. The film reveals the limitations of police reform through incremental change and asks questions that apply well beyond the city of Minneapolis. Could increased gender equity and more women —especially Black women — contribute to greater public safety?  WOMEN IN BLUE will broadcast on PBS television series Independent Lens series on Monday, February 8, 2021.

- SHOWTIME has announced that DESUS & MERO, the network’s first-ever late-night talk show, will return for season three on Sunday, January 31 and will continue to air weekly on Sunday and Thursday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT from New York City. Each episode of DESUS & MERO features co-hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero giving their take on the day’s hot topics and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more, with past guests including President Barack Obama, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Missy Elliott, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Beastie Boys, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and David Letterman.

- As the year's celebrations commemorating the legendary Bob Marley's 75^th birthday continue, yet more incredible collector edition items and activations have been announced and released for December and January 2021.  On January 29, 2021, the highly acclaimed Songs of Freedom: The Island Years, an extraordinary 6LP set, as well as a 3CD set, will be re-released worldwide. A limited-edition color 6LP set featuring two red, two green, and two gold vinyl LPs will also be available.  Streamlined to the period of Bob Marley's emergence and stardom, with rare tracks on vinyl for the first time outside Jamaica, Songs of Freedom: The Island Years is available to listen to or pre-order HERE  In addition to Songs Of Freedom, twelve limited-edition Bob Marley vinyl LP's pressed exclusively at the legendary Tuff Gong International headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, will be available on January 22, 2021. The Jamaican pressings will include nine original studio albums, two original live albums, plus the world's best-selling reggae album, Legend, all individually numbered along with a highly-desirable Tuff Gong stamp. Catch A Fire, The Wailers' debut album, will be available in its original Jamaica-recorded version, with two extra tracks from the sessions and some tracks with longer fades. Originally recorded in Jamaica, Catch A Fire was eventually released with overdubs and a mix overseen by Island founder Chris Blackwell at the label's London headquarters. Produced entirely by Bob Marley & the Wailers and mixed by longtime Marley associate Errol Brown, this Jamaican version will be on vinyl for the first time. The limited-edition albums were pressed at Tuff Gong's newly refurbished vinyl pressing plant, which re-opened in summer 2020 and will have an annual capacity of 250,000 units. Dave Cooley mastered each album at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.  To view the full list of the limited-edition Jamaican LPs, click HERE.  Pre-order HERE.

- Noah Kahan releases a live performance video of his latest single, “Pride” feat. mxmtoon—watch it HERE!  “Pride,” which features vocals from songstress and internet sensation mxmtoon and production by chart-topping artist and producer Alexander23, has amassed nearly 3 million Spotify streams to date. Idolator praised the song as a “relatable, deceptively catchy tune,” while Variance Magazine said, “The track displays Kahan’s renowned relatable songwriting craft by taking his personal experiences and lyricizing them.”

- Kid Cudi released his highly anticipated new video for “HEAVEN ON EARTH” (THE RAGER, THE MENACE PT. 2). Directed by Nabil, the video is part 2 of the narrative short film featuring music from his new album MAN ON THE MOON III: THE CHOSEN. The video premiered exclusively on Cudi’s Official YouTube Channel. Watch video here! “She Knows This,” was the first of the two-part narrative short film from his album, also directed by Nabil [Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Dua Lipa].

- CUMULUS MEDIA has partnered with NoCap and #HAPPENS to keep their annual Christmas concert tradition alive by producing a virtual, multi-artist live recorded concert, THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS, featuring live-streamed performances from Glass Animals, Wallows, Cold War Kids and special surprise guests. THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS, celebrating its 8th year and usually held live in Chicago, will now be streamed globally via NoCap starting December 23^rd at 6PM PST / 9PM EST through Christmas Day. This year’s event benefits PROJECT SHINE and VolunteerMatch, the world’s largest volunteer engagement network, with a dollar from every ticket sold being donated to volunteermatch.org. Tickets are on sale now at: http://thenightwestole.nocapshows.com/.  Headlining THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS will be Glass Animals from London, England, playing songs from their new album Dreamland as well as fan favorites. This theatrical live production is a must-see event. Dave Bayley, Glass Animals lead singer, songwriter and producer said: “This is a memoir in the form of a song cycle, inspired by sonic maestros from Brian Wilson to Timbaland, and it holds nothing back.” Their 2014 hit Gooey is a platinum-certified viral streaming hit with hundreds of millions of streams. Their current single Heat Waves is Top 15 on the Alternative Radio charts.  Sharing the bill are Wallows and Cold War Kids.

- It's the season of giving and today, Nova Miller, the Princess of Christmas, is gifting fans with the glimmering music video for her festive bop, "Only When it Snows," directed by Nikko LaMere - watch here. The ebullient music video for "Only When It Snows" pulls viewers into Nova's winter wonderland, complete with sparkling backdrops, snow-covered scenery, extravagant costumes, and spirited choreography that culminates into a festive visual perfectly suited for spreading the holiday cheer. 

- SHOWTIME has given a series order to the survival drama YELLOWJACKETS. Created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), the one-hour drama series stars Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Oscar^®, Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping), Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable). Jonathan Lisco (Animal Kingdom, Halt and Catch Fire) joins Lyle and Nickerson to serve as executive producer and showrunning partner. Produced for SHOWTIME by studio Entertainment One (eOne), Karyn Kusama (Destroyer, Girlfight) executive produces and directed the pilot. Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer. Production will start early next year in Vancouver, Canada for a 2021 debut on the network. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.  “YELLOWJACKETS is a genre-bending, riveting story told across time periods, exploring the journeys of these women at two of the most formative times in their lives,” said Winograde. “We have an unbelievable cast, led by Juliette, Christina, Melanie and Tawny, in a series that’s going to leave you on the edge of your seat with every episode.”

- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH returns for its sixth season on Sunday, January 10th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME just ahead of the crucial Georgia run-off elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The first half of season six will consist of eight episodes. Prominent political strategist and commentator Jennifer Palmieri will join season six as a co-host along with John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark Mckinnon. Palmieri was a guest contributor for season five which had its finale on Sunday, Nov. 8^th.  Jennifer Palmieri was Communications Director for the Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign and White House Communications Director for President Obama. She is the author of number-one New York Times bestselling book, Dear Madam President as well as her new book She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World.  

- On Saturday, December 26th at 3 PM ET, Live For Live Music, in partnership with HeadCount, presents Georgia Comes Alive, a one-day virtual music festival to promote voter participation in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections by supporting local grassroots organizations like Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda and CivicGeorgia. Starting today, fans are encouraged to visit GeorgiaComesAlive.com and donate to the cause. Those who make a donation of any size in advance will receive an email with a link to the stream on the day of the show.  Today, five new acts were added to the already power-packed line-up. Additions include Nathaniel Rateliff, Phil Lesh & Friends, Grouplove and Houndmouth as well as a performance by R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills featuring Big Something. The virtual event, powered by Nugs.net and Plus1, is the latest from the team behind Democracy Comes Alive, Quarantine Comes Alive and Justice Comes Alive, which collectively raised close to $300,000 for various charitable causes and garnered nearly two million views. Like its predecessors, the event aims to direct this momentum toward the critical Georgia Senate runoff elections in January. 

- Hulu announced today The D’Amelio Show, a new eight-episode docuseries following the reigning family of social media, the D’Amelios. With a combined social media footprint over 250 million followers, The D’Amelio Show will give an authentic look at the reality of this family as Charli, Dixie, dad Marc and mom Heidi as they navigate their sudden rise to fame, all the while still staying true to their family values. The D’Amelio Show is expected to debut on Hulu in 2021.  From relative obscurity and a seemingly normal life, to overnight success and thrust into the Hollywood limelight overnight, the D’Amelios are faced with new challenges and opportunities they could not have imagined. Charli, who at 16 became one of the biggest celebrities with over 150 million followers combined and #1 on the TikTok platform in less than a year, has the world at her fingertips and is working to balance fame and family life with dancing, relationships, making new friends in LA and battling the naysayers online. Her sister Dixie, is now 19 and experiencing her own overnight rise to fame with over 78 million followers combined, one of the fastest growing YouTube channels and ranked within the Top 10 Most Followed Creators on TikTok. Rather than attending college in Alabama, Dixie is now pursuing a music career in LA. For mom Heidi and dad Marc, raising teenagers is hard enough before adding in a cross-country move, supporting their daughters’ dreams and doing the best they can to stay close as a family and protect their girls from the dark side of fame, while also finding their place in the spotlight. 
 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: December 12, 2020

 
 
 
His Dark Materials:  So angels exist, they have been interfering in human existence and the reason is… vengeance?  Although, I whatever is speaking through that computer could be lying about what dust really is.  Another thing I did not quite understand was why Snake Guy was going through the world with the adult attacking specters at night when he could have just waited until it was daytime when there were no specters. And while I am nit-picking, so the witches can avoid machine guns pointed right at them, but the all the other witches could not survive the slow moving fire-bombing?
 
 
Big Sky:  I get a lot of press releases, one group keeps sending me ones that attack this show for featuring two hot blondes when it is a very real problem of indigenous women getting kidnapped and sold into sex trade in western states.  I wonder if the radio at the beginning and the indigenous woman talking about her daughter were added after the attacks to quell these people.  They certainly seemed tacked on.  Though this episode did not stop the negative press releases.
 
 
A Teacher:  So the hot teacher got arrested off screen?  Meh.  Boring.
 
 
The Challenge: Double Agents:  I think TJ needs to look up the phase “double agent” because how they are using it was a stretch.  My first thought at the new twist was, no one is going to switch.  But later I realized, if Natalie does not pouch Fessy she is really stupid.  Although, where would that leave Aneesa?  Does she get to pick between Wes and CT?  And what happens to the odd man out?  Did they become immune for the next challenge because they have no partner?  Do they have to compete by themselves?  Oh, I am thinking too much about the new stupid rule, I should just go watch the GIF of Wes getting hit in the face with a random shoe again.
 
 
The Flight Attendant:  So Miranda has not been trying to kill the flight attendant this whole time?  Instead Miranda is also on the hit list with her and her fork buddy is the actual assassin?  Certainly did not see that coming.  Though seems like there is a better way to get the assassin than what Miranda came up with.  The flight attendant does know where he lives.
 
 
The Mandalorian:  So Bill Burr is not needed in the rescue of Baby Yoda next week?  And they did not even need him to pass the facial recognition at all?  Does that mean Mando was part of the Empire?  Or can anyone that is not on the Empire’s hit list access their computers?  That would seem like a pretty big security flaw.