Around the Tubes: November 27, 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 Ray Donovan: The Movie, Candified: Home For The Holidays, Super Pumped, Claire Rosinkranz, Licorice Pizza, Glass Animals, Taylor Swift, and Hulu Originals Winter 2021-22 Programming Slate.

- SHOWTIME has released the trailer and key art for RAY DONOVAN: THE MOVIE, set to premiere on Friday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will replay across all platforms on Saturday, January 15 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday, January 16 at 8:15 p.m. The film follows the hit drama series’ seven-season run on the network and stars Liev Schreiber in his Emmy^® nominated role. Schreiber also co-wrote the script with series showrunner David Hollander, who directed the film. Original cast members reprising their roles include Eddie Marsan as Ray’s brother Terry, Dash Mihok as Ray’s brother Bunchy, Pooch Hall as the Donovan’s half-brother Daryll, Kerris Dorsey as Ray’s daughter Bridget, Katherine Moennig as Lena, along with Kerry Condon as Molly Sullivan and Oscar^® winner Jon Voight as Mickey Donovan. During its 82-episode run from 2013 to 2020, the series earned multiple Emmy, Writers Guild and Critics’ Choice award nominations.

- It's almost here! All episodes of "Candified: Home For The Holidays" premiere this Wednesday, December 1st on Hulu. Get a taste of this sweet series with the new trailer!  The challenge - create a life-size house made of ...CANDY!  Watch as Candy Queen Jackie Sorkin and her team of candy artists design, glue, melt and shape hundreds of thousands of sweet pieces to build a fantasy come to life….just in time for the holidays.

- SHOWTIME has announced that SUPER PUMPED: THE BATTLE FOR UBER, the first installment of a new anthology series, will premiere on Sunday, February 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Emmy^® winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Emmy winner Kyle Chandler (Bloodline, Friday Night Lights) and Oscar^® and Emmy nominee Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction), the first season is based on Mike Isaac’s bestselling book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. Brian Koppelman and David Levien (BILLIONS, Rounders) and Beth Schacter (Soundtrack) executive produce, write and serve as showrunners on the series.  SUPER PUMPED:THE BATTLE FOR UBER tells the story of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns, Uber. The season pivots on Travis Kalanick (Gordon-Levitt), Uber’s hard-charging CEO who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup, and his sometimes tumultuous relationship with his mentor Bill Gurley (Chandler), the plainspoken, brilliant Texan venture capitalist who bets his sterling reputation on Uber’s success – and then has to live with the consequences. Thurman stars as Arianna Huffington, the savvy businesswoman and co-founder of The Huffington Post, who was an Uber board member. The SHOWTIME series will depict the roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley. Even amid the radical upheaval generated within the global tech capital, Uber stands out as both a marvel and a cautionary tale, featuring internal and external battles that ripple with unpredictable consequences. The series also stars Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Kerry Bishé (Halt and Catch Fire, PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS), Jon Bass (Miracle Workers), Bridget Gao Hollitt (Home and Away) and Babak Tafti (Succession).

- Continuing a breakthrough 2021, 17-year-old Southern California singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Claire Rosinkranz unveils a new song entitled “don’t miss me” today via slowplay and Republic Records.  Listen to “don’t miss me”—HERE.  Once again, she gets in her feels over the bounce of an unpredictable and undeniable soundscape. Uplifted by boisterous horns and handclaps, a jazz-y rhythm underscores her energetic delivery as she admits, “I can’t take my feelings, I can’t trust my heart, so I’ll never take my chances, because I know I’ll break apart.”

- Republic Records releases the highly anticipated Licorice Pizza Original Motion Picture Soundtrack out now. The album accompanies the new film from eight-time Academy® Award-nominated writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson which opens today in select New York and Los Angeles Theaters and across the country on Christmas Day December 25^th, 2021 via United Artists Releasing.  The soundtrack will also be available on vinyl via a limited edition first pressing on December 10^th with a special red vinyl available only at indie record stores.  Experience the Licorice Pizza Original Motion Picture Soundtrack—HERE and limited edition first pressing vinyl HERE.

- Critically acclaimed global sensations Glass Animals received a GRAMMY® Award nomination for Best New Artist. This is the first time the band has been nominated at the GRAMMY® Awards.  Frontman Dave Bayley reacted to the nomination on socials (see post here), “can’t believe it!!! when starting this little project a grammy nomination was beyond our wildest dreams. to be on the list feels wonderful after thinking we might have lost it all. this past year it was tough for anyone to look at the news, get out of bed, or do pretty much anything…much less make yourself vulnerable and release music. so to anybody who put something out: you deserve a bloody medal. we survived it because of the support from everyone who listened/shared/believed/encouraged in any way. thank you. this is because of you. and this is for you. you are all as much a part of this record as any of us ass glanimals. love forever. dave and co.”

-  Taylor Swift has made history once again presenting the definitive version of her 2012 classic, Red (Taylor’s Version).  Marking her 10th album to move over 1 Million album equivalents during its release week and arriving to worldwide critical acclaim, Red (Taylor’s Version) adds a brilliant new chapter to her legacy.  Red (Taylor’s Version) boasts a staggering 30 songs, including nine previously unreleased tracks – “Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” [feat. Phoebe Bridgers], “Babe (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Message in a Bottle (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” [feat. Chris Stapleton], “Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Run (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” [feat. Ed Sheeran], “The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” [10 Minute Version].

- Hulu Originals Winter 2021-22 Programming Slate (link to trailer in title name where available)

FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES

THE HOUSEWIFE & THE SHAH SHOCKER - Premiere Date: November 29, 2021

THE NEW YORK TIMES PRESENTS: TO LIVE AND DIE IN ALABAMA - Premiere Date: December 3, 2021

DEAD ASLEEP - Premiere Date: December 16, 2021 - NEW ANNOUNCEMENT

MOTHER/ANDROID - Premiere Date: December 17, 2021

SEX APPEAL - Premiere Date: January 14, 2022 - NEW ANNOUNCEMENT

  

SERIES

TASTE THE NATION: HOLIDAY EDITION - Premiere Date: November 4, 2021 (binge)

SOLAR OPPOSITES HOLIDAY SPECIAL - Premiere Date: November 22, 2021

CITY OF ANGELS | CITY OF DEATH - Premiere Date: November 24, 2021 (binge)

CANDIFIED: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Premiere Date: December 1, 2021 (binge)

PEN15 - Premiere Date: December 3, 2021 (binge)

CROSSING SWORDS - Premiere Date: December 10, 2021 (binge)

LETTERKENNY - Premiere Date: December 26, 2021 (binge)

HOW I MET YOUR FATHER - Premiere Date: January 18, 2022 (weekly)

PAM & TOMMY - Premiere Date: February 2, 2022 (weekly)

DOLLFACE - Premiere Date: February 11, 2022 (binge) - NEW ANNOUNCEMENT

 

KIDS

HOLLY HOBBIE - Premiere Date: November 23, 2021 (binge)

MADAGASCAR: A LITTLE WILD HOLIDAY GOOSE CHASE - Premiere Date: November 26, 2021

TROLLS: TROLLSTOPIA - Premiere Date: December 9, 2021 (binge)

DRAGONS: THE NINE REALMS - Premiere Date: December 23, 2021(binge)

57 Channels and Only This Is On: November 21, 2021

  

Dexter: New Blood:  So Dexter killed the son of the local serial killer?  Considering the previous seasons, I should have seen that one coming.  But does that dude, who seeming got pay off someone to take the wrap for something his son did money from his truck stop, also run the shelter?  He does charitably donate supplies to the fire department.  But running a shelter seems like it take a lot of work especially if you need to hide that you are not letting your guest leave before killing them.  But I guess that explains why so many indigenous women wind up missing in the area.  One more thing I found confusing, didn’t Dexter and Harrison drive over some blood.  It looked like Dexter intentionally drove over it, but it does not seem like that would cover it up.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  The Walking Dead is ten years old, spanning three different show, but I do not remember a zombie death as entertaining as someone giving a tombstone pile driver to smash a skull.  It is a complete absurd and logistically stupid way to kill a zombie but I loved every second of it.  I am struggling to remember anything else that happened this week.

 

Yellowjackets:  I did not want to put any predictions into my review of this show, buy I have a very strong belief that despite there not being an older version of her in the cast, Jackie is not dead.  Not only that, she is number one on my list of suspects of who sent out the postcards to everyone.  If I am right, hopefully they cast one of my nineties teen star suggestions I made in my review.  Keri Russell probably best looks the part.  Too bad Emmy Rossum is too young, as she looks like a dead ringer for older Ella Purnell.  It also look like the naked chick running in the flash… um what do you call something that flashes forward and back to the two main timeline?  But anyways, that really looked like Lottie to me.

 

The Walking Dead: World Beyond:  Hey scientist lady, how about spending less time banging the door to get someone to let you out and spend more time figuring out a way to bash in the zombie’s skull.  How can someone survive that long into a zombie apocalypse and die so easily?  But anyway.  The CRM is just going to kill everyone who is not them for no apparent reason.  Well that is stupid.

 

La Brea:  Well, that is a plot twist; the dad was having visions of the prehistoric era but memories.  That would explain why he was abandoned.   But that just opens a whole can of worms.  How did he get to modern times?  Where did he and his grandfather even come from?  Where, who, are his parents?  Does anyone else get to modern times with him?  It is weird how invested I am in this show after watching it as a joke.

 

Dopesick:  I mostly scrolled by headlines involving opioids because thankfully I and no one I know have been affected by the drug so I was kind of going in blind to the finale.  I know people still refer to it as a crisis so I figured that Oxy never went away.  But it is really infuriating that our government balked at prosecuting anyone even though they were caught red-handed lying to Congress.

 

Survivor:  We have seen a countless amount of times where someone gets targeted early in the episode only to end up winning Immunity, but this was the first time remembering when two people get targeting for split voting and they both ended up getting Immunity. But Xander finally got his bluff called, managed to not play his Idol at the merger after a good bluff, was smart enough to not use his Idol last week when Ricard poorly bluffed telling him he need his Idol.  But without Ricard pouring it on way too heavy, was feeling himself too much by not playing his Idol for Evie.

 

Xander may really regret that (he could have also used his Extra Vote to get out Liane that way and save his Idol).  So now it is Black alliance (and Ricard) with five and Xander on the bottom with Erika and Heather.  What could have been 4v4 is now down two numbers so know you have a one in three chance to properly play your Idol, and the other alliance has two Idols to play with.  So basically Xander really needs than Shan / Deshawn feud to boil over very quickly for you to have a chance.

 

The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies: Good riddance.  And TJ stop saying we will see Josh again.  Please never ask him back ever.  But of course Kyle beat Josh in the Lair, not only because he is uncoordinated and cannot even hit a swinging bell, but we still have not seen that scene from the mid-season promo of Kyle and Devin arguing about the latter possibly sending the former in.  So I guess we will have to wait two more weeks for that scene to happen for the next guys week to roll around.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars: It is time for all the women to be scared of Ayanna.  It looked like she would have dominated both guys in that elimination.  Though, she was the only one smart enough to shorten the chains which makes it resistance less.  You know the old saying, work smarter not harder. She likely will have a free ride to the final because unless she comes in last again, I do not see anyone throwing her name out.  I also do not see anyone mocking the clothes of the winners again either.

 

Guilty Party:  I am with Marco, you just cannot write of naked pictures on someone’s phone as just being a source.  If that is the case, delete them immediately, you just do not keep them around.

 

Big Sky:  So is the marshal going to go back and find Ronald?  Seems like he figured it out.  And it does not seem like T-Loc is long for this world.  I am guessing the cartel will find him sooner than later, but will he turn on the kids and tell them they still have the money?

 

The Blacklist:  Turns I was right agent Park is pregnant, or was.  That was sad.