Around the Tubes: October, 16, 2021

   

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting.  This post includes blurbs on Animaniacs, Desus & Mero, Taste the Nation, Chelsea Cutler, Foxes, Of Monsters and Men, Cusp, The Honeymooners.

- Season Two of ANIMANIACS premieres on Hulu Friday, November 5th!  Yakko, Wakko and Dot return for an all-new season of this iconic, family-friendly series with something for everyone: pop culture parodies, musical showstoppers, takedowns of historical baddies...and even some important safety tips. Join the Warners and Pinky and the Brain as they wreak havoc everywhere they go, from the Warner Bros. lot to an international beauty pageant and all the way into outer space. And keep an eye out for season one favorites Starbox & Cindy, as well as some rejected Animaniacs characters that were left on the cutting room floor.

- SHOWTIME announced that DESUS & MERO returns to air with new episodes starting Sunday, October 17 at 11 p.m. ET/PT with guest Nas. Currently in its third season, the WGA Award-winning late-night series will continue to air weekly on Sunday and Thursday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Shot in a revamped New York City studio, each episode features 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 Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Barack Obama, Zendaya, Glenn Close, Lil Nas X, Barry Jenkins, Issa Rae and Matt Damon. DESUS & MERO has been renewed for season four, which will premiere early next year.

- Get a taste of the upcoming 4-part "Taste The Nation: Holiday Edition" with the new trailer and key art! All episodes premiere Thursday, November 4th, only on Hulu. In “Taste the Nation,” award-winning host, executive producer and cookbook author Padma Lakshmi, who recently received her 3rd Emmy nomination, takes audiences on a journey across America, exploring the rich and diverse food culture of various immigrant groups, seeking out the people who have so heavily shaped what American food is today. From indigenous communities to recent immigrant arrivals, Padma breaks bread with Americans across the nation to uncover the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history - ultimately revealing stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.  "Taste the Nation” returns this Fall for a special 4-part “Holiday Edition” where each episode will highlight unique traditions through the lens of a different immigrant culture and city, like Korean New Year in Los Angeles and Cuban Christmas in Miami.  Trailer: HERE

- Platinum-Certified singer, songwriter, and producer Chelsea Cutler unveils her sophomore album, When I Close My Eyes, out now—listen HERE. The 13-track album—written, recorded, and produced by Chelsea with several artists and collaborators—features her newest single, “Forever.”  On the album, she says, “I’m so excited to give you my sophomore album When I Close My Eyes. I felt so much joy being able to work on music collaboratively again, so I can only hope all of that joy is woven into this album for everyone to hear.”

- Foxes releases the energetic new bop "Dance Magic"– the second single to be taken from her recently announced third studio album, The Kick, due for release on February 11 2022 via [PIAS] Recordings.  "Dance Magic" follows the latest release "Sister Ray," produced by Ghost Culture (Daniel Avery, Kelly Lee Owens) and released last month alongside the long-awaited announcement of The Kick and the official music video. Inspired by the Velvet Underground song of the same name, the single takes a more anthemic and electronic approach akin to Robyn.

- Marking an important milestone, multiplatinum Icelandic collective Of Monsters and Men announce My Head Is An Animal (10^th Anniversary Edition) to be released on October 29^th.  To celebrate a decade since the arrival of their platinum-certified debut My Head Is An Animal, the group is releasing a version of the album as it was when it was released in Iceland in 2011. This version has a total of four tracks that were not on the 2012 US release, including two never-before-released songs: “Phantom” and “Sugar In A Bowl.” The anniversary album will also be accompanied by commemorative merchandise and a limited-edition vinyl as a special thank you for fans.  Pre-order/Pre-save My Head Is An Animal (10^th Anniversary Edition) album and view exclusive merchandise—HERE.  Watch the trailer for new single “Phantom” HERE.

- The SHOWTIME award-winning feature documentary CUSP, from first-time feature-film directors Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt, will premiere Friday, November 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Winners of the 2021 Emerging Filmmaker Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival^®, the filmmakers present an intimate and authentic glimpse into American girlhood when the constraints of adolescence clash with the growing desire for personal agency. The film will begin an awards qualifying run in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, November 12 ahead of the SHOWTIME premiere.  To watch and share the trailer, visit https://youtu.be/QNjk85n_9g4

- The Honeymooners Specials: A Christmas Carol comes to DVD on November 2, 2021.  SYNOPSIS:  In 1977, Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney and Jane Kean reunited for the second of four hour-long specials representing the final performances of their classic Honeymooners characters. Ralph enlists Alice, Ed and Trixie to perform with him on stage after he agrees to supervise and star in the annual office holiday fund-raiser for a charity chosen by his boss’ wife. Ralph ends up rewriting and reimagining Charles Dickens’ dramatic classic A Christmas Carol with comedic results when Ed serves as the inexperienced director.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 10, 2021

 

 Billions:  Like Damian Lewis’s last Showtime show, he extended his usefulness to the show one to three seasons too long.  But if you are going to write him off the show, you are really going to write him off like that?  So basically the two main characters in their death feud somehow both seem to come out as losers?  Chuck was unable to get his white whale and Bobby was exiled, unable to do what he loves either.  I always thought the only way for the show to end after they spent so much time going after each other was for them both to lose, but I thought that should be they they end up in a cell next to each other this seems so hollow.

 

Making things worse is it looks like they are plugging in Mike Prince into the Bobby roll with very little change.  Prince literally is now sitting in Bobby’s office owning everything that Bobby once own.  The only difference is that Dollar Bill and McFee are gone and the logo on the wall will change.  I guess the only thing of interest going forward is which side exactly in the new Chuck vs. Prince feud will Wendy fall.  Who does she hate more?

 

The Walking Dead:  Watching the spin-off got me wondering, is the group that Eugene and company have gone to going to turn into the evil group in the spin-off?  Timeline is fuzzy and they do not have the three circle symbol (not that I was looking for it).  But the governor’s son was just an over the top douchebag.  No one is going to be that angry that someone saved their life. 

 

American Rust:  So we actually get to see what went down in episode four.  It is good they did not wait much longer because it played out exactly how I assumed it did.  But are just bringing in Billy for questioning or id this an arrest?  Bruised knuckles and an anonymous tip from someone fleeing the state seems pretty flimsy for an arrest

 

The Walking Dead: World Beyond:  I did not remember much going on last season, just the two girls looking for their dad, one of their companions turned out to be evil, but maybe I should have done some catching up because I was lost for most of the episode.  It did not help that some of it was dream sequences (or maybe not, that helped with the lostness).  I am not sure who that one sister killed.  Was that one of the evil people?  Is so, why were they there?  If not, was it someone guarding their community?

 

Y: The Last Man:  Oh wow, I was not expecting that bath scene on something that was supposed to be on FX.  But what I did expect was Y going off on his own only for Agent 355 to track him down, tell him not to do it again, only for him to do the exact same thing next episode.  But back to the bathing ladies, are they going to start cutting off breasts?  I felt like that was coming during that weird ceremony after the creepy leader talked about Amazonians doing that, but it never came.  Maybe that is coming later.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Last week was a nice change of pace, but I am glad the new three amigos are back together and talking again.  It was funny how Amy Ryan quickly became the Yoko Ono of the group and once Oscar showed up, Martin Short felt so left out, he went down to get the superfans to keep him from being the fifth wheel. 

But poor Yoko, gets stabbed after one podcast session.  I guess it is time take her off my suspect list.  I am also taking Sting off because the note said “I’m watching you” not “I’ll be watching you.”  But that is Steve Martin’s girlfriend, Martin Short’s dog, is Oscar next?  We do see Selena Gomez covered in blood hovering over someone in a tye-dye sweatshirt in the first episode.  Granted the superfans were wearing the same thing.

 

La Brea:  Wait, did they really CGI the daughter’s leg?  And not very well since she walked with a limp?  If that flashback happened before she lost her leg, why not put her in pants?  Or do some creative editing like when the flashed back to Barbra before her accident on Titans?  The show is about a group of people who fell in a sink hole and were transported 10,000 year in the past where people try to outrun a sabretooth tiger instead of getting into an ambulance there are standing right next to, yet this was the most confusing thing. 

 

Stargirl:  They really retconned some things this week.  So the original JSA broke up after killing a dude, but got back together years later just to get defeated by the Injustice Society?   I am really over Eclipso at this point.  Can we get Shiv back?

 

Wu-Tang: An American Saga:  Another good episode, this week we get to see Ghostface and Raekwon John Wu themselves through a radio station just to get their song played.  Awesome.  But I also like the ODB and the gang going to college.  That could have been the whole episode right there.

 

Survivor:  Oh joy, another week, another way to lose your vote.  But I have no idea what the rules of the boat ride were.  When they show up for the stuff, I was just like, okay, that happened.  But Shan made a second mistake at Tribal Council in two trips.  She should have gotten out Brad the first week, but this week, she should have gotten out JD who lied to her.  If he goes, she has her Steal a Vote in her pocket.

 

The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies: Good riddance Bamber.  Only two more annoying Big Brother players to go.  I was hoping with Josh teamed up with house pariah Pricilla he would follow shortly, but it seems like we are done with pairs.  The winners did not get to pick new partners and the promo make it looks like everyone is working by themselves next week.  But are they still going to boot two people at a time?  Alternate genders?

 

In the Dark:  Well that was a horrible ending to one of the worst seasons of television ever.  Really, the cop was able to see the dude with a gun but somehow did not spot Jess and her new hideous bangs?  So now the blind chick is in prison with the person she helped bury’s girlfriend.  That should be a fun fourth season.

 

Doom Patrol:  The show regained some of that season magic after the Chief’s daughter storyline wrapped up but I found this episode to be pretty meh.  I kind of which the Brotherhood of Evil was the big bad of the season because after one episode I am out on the Sisterhood of Dada.  But with Rita heading back in time, maybe the Brotherhood will come back in place.  Mmm, I wonder if the Brotherhood of Evil and Sisterhood of Evil working together… or maybe they are enemies of each other.

 

Titans:  Not one, but two Titans got shot this week.  And yet Starfire somehow got powers after getting shot in the chest while I doubt Nightwing will die despite being shot in the neck and we last see him getting ganged up on by an angry mob.  Maybe Wonder Girl will show up and save him.

 

Big Sky:  Okay, the show is still trash, Drew Carey’s brother having a twin brother is one of the dumbest twists in the history of television, but I kind of like the new psychopath in town.