Best of the Week: 3/15/14

Quote of the Week: Miller, would you call this a herd, a gaggle, or a flock of (expletive deleted)? (Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, Justified)

Song of the Week: Chapel of Love – Dixie Cups (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Not So Melancholy Happy Trails to Brandon Weeden: Our long national nightmare is finally over, Brandon Weeden has finally got cut. Two years ago, not only did they waste a first round draft pick on the pushing thirty year old quarterback, they moved up to get him so they used multiple draft picks to get him. And since this is the Browns, of course he sucked, but Weeden somehow managed to not even meet extremely low expectations. The guy got tackled by the United States flag and on multiple occasions tried to throw an underhanded pass under pressure multiple times. So good riddance Brandon Weeden, you will not be missed (well except by people who like to make fun of the Browns). I feel sorry for the fans of which ever Canadian Football League team that picks him up. Now we have a month to see what quaterback bust the Browns will draft next.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“A Is For Answers” Pretty Little Liars season finale, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Lift Your Spirit – Aloe Blacc (iTunes)

New Album Release of the Week: Symphonica - George Michael

New DVD Release of the Week: Frozen

Video of the Week: Yesterday, TNT announced its full summer schedule which will be big as in ten original series, the most scripted dramas than any basic cable channel ever (and will probably be more than most, if not all the networks this summer). Below is the complete list of return days for those that want to mark your calendars now.

Major Crimes: Monday, June 9 at 9:00
Murder in the First (New Series): Monday, June 9 at 10:00
Rizzoli and Isles: Tuesday, June 17 at 9:00
Perception: Tuesday, June 17 at 10:00
Cold Justice: Friday, June 20 at 8:00
The Last Ship (New Series): Sunday, June 22 at 9:00
Falling Skies: Sunday, June 22 at 10:00
Dallas: Monday, August 18 at 9:00
Legends (New Series): Wednesday, August 20 at 9:00
Franklin and Bash: Wednesday, August 20 at 10:00

The first of those new series, Murder in the First just released its first trailer. The show, from Steven Bochco, will follow a single murder investigation across an entire season stars Taye Diggs (Private Practice) and Kathleen Robertson (Boss). Here is hoping that it is better than The Killing (or at the very least actually solve the investigation by the end of the first season). Check out the trailer below:




Next Week Pick of the Week: Pretty Little Liars, Tuesday at 8:00: The show has been hyping for weeks now that the season finale will be where “Ali Tells All.” The title of the episode is even entitled A Is for Answers. Hopefully it lives up it because the show has gotten convoluted lately with all the theoriews floating aroumd on the show and the different A’s and A Team members. Hopefully Allison sets everything straight and we can move forward next season. Although things will get more convoluted in Hanna’s love life next season thanks to the Ravenswood cancelation as her current love triangle will get expanded to a quadrangle because it was announced Caleb will be back to a series regular. I wonder if they will bother to wrap up the Ravenswood storyline or Caleb will just show up and say something like, “My father sold the house so I decided to move back to Rosewood. Oh yeah, and that chick I told you I was going to protect and made you think I was dating: she actually died the day after you left town so you do not have to worry about her.”

Best of the Week: 3/8/14

Quote of the Week: Spare us the wiener act. Bullying is a vital part of every ecosystem, it teaches kids resilience. The world is a rough place. Bullying is like getting inoculated: it’s a vaccine. And you little (expletive deleted), you got to learn to stay away from people like my son. That is what you learn when you get punched in the face by a bully. How do you think Steve Jobs turned out so great? Bullies. And I guentee Junior here will be getting the hottest chicks when he’s thirty because he got bullied today. Do you want to peak now? My kid will be picking up roadside garbage in an orange jumpsuit in ten years and you’re kid will be in med school curing cancer and getting laid. You’re welcome. (Frank Gallahger, Shameless)

Song of the Week: Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen (Growing Up Fisher)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Something Is Happening in the Ukraine: The Olympics are all about watching sports unite the world. Apparently Vladimir Putin was not paying close attention because just after the Closing Ceremonies, he was turning his eyes to invading former territory Ukraine. Despite spending the last week and a half of news on the subject, I am still not entirely sure what is going on because half of the talking heads are finding ways to blame this all on Obama while the other half are pointing out how crazy the other half is. Le sigh.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Wrong Roads" Justified, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: Headfirst – Jillian Edwards (Noisetrade)

New Album Release of the Week: Veronica Mars: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

New DVD Release of the Week: Inside Llewyn Davis

Video of the Week: Last week at the end of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we were introduced to Lorelei, an Asgardian temptress who finds her way to Death Valley and gets a newlywed to ditch his wife to drive her somewhere. Since Thor is too important to slum it on television and Marvel needs some extra promotion for his movie which landed on DVD two weeks ago (watch Thor: The Dark World now just in case their are spoilers even though the episode right after the movie hit theaters was fairly vague), the promos show that it will be Lady Sif that will come to battle the villain. Now I have had my issues with the show, but if they somehow manage to get Lady Sif and Skye is a wrestling match, it will likely turn out to be the greatest television episode ever in the history of television.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Once Upon a Time, Sunday at 8:00 on ABC: The show has left Neverland about ten episode two late and now, um, I cannot remember what happened last. (Heads to Wikipedia.) Oh yeah, Peter Pan’s unleashed a new curse that Regina negated by Regina when she un did her original curse. So Storybrooke is no more, all the fairy tale characters back in their respective world with Emma and Henry living together without any memory of what happened. Until Captain Hook started to bang on their door. Hopefully this new direction is a better course because Nederland was a massive drag. There will be a new antagonist in the form of the Wicked Witch of the West. No word yet if Dorothy, the Wizard, or the three other witches will make an appearance. But there better be bad CGI flying monkeys.

Best of the Week: 3/1/14

Quote of the Week: Guy threw his leg out the window, jumped out, slid down the light pole and then gave me the bird! C’mon, I love this guy, let me catch him. (Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, Justified)

Song of the Week: Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet – Juliet Barnes (Nashville)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Reboot No One Asked For Coming to NBC: When Veronica Mars got itself kickstarted back into existence, it started the inevitable discussion of what should follow it, of course Firefly, Terriers, and every Bryan Fuller show got mentioned. One show that has never gotten mentioned by anyone in the reboot discussion was Heroes. Yet NBC announced very late last Saturday night (if people dump bad news on Friday afternoon hoping that it will get forgotten in the weekend rush, what does it mean to drop a press release on Saturday night) that Heroes Reborn will be returning for a 13 episode mini-series event.

Not else was released about it other than creator Tim Kring will be back as executive producer. No cast has been mention, but not surprisingly most of the former cast is available other than the cheerleader (who may become available in May as Nashville is currently floundering, but then again, everything on ABC currently so it is really a tossup; a Lost reboot announcement may soon follow).

People who watched Heroes typically fall into one of two camps; there are those that think that the show fell off a cliff creatively after the first season, and people like me who never thought the show was very good in the first place aside from the occasional episode written by Bryan Fuller (who is currently the creator of Hannibal another rating adversed show so he may or may not be available by the Heroes gets started). But Heroes is coming back because superheroes are big again, Marvel launched an empire that came into the televised terrain this season (and will expand onto Netflix with five other shows soon) while DC is playing catch up with multiple shows (most of them not linked) in the works. But why NBC would choose to reboot a universally disliked show is still a head scratcher. If they were going to reboot a sci-fi show, why not the much superior Quantum Leap? I would even take a Misfits of Science reboot over Heroes.


Preview Picture of the Week:

"Brotherhood" Perception, Tuesday at 10:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: Live From Austin City Limits – Needtobreathe (Noise Trade)

New Album Release of the Week: G I R L - Pharrell Williams

New DVD Release of the Week: Garden State [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: Orphan Black was easily the biggest surprise of 2013. It was BBC America’s first original scripted series, co-produced by a Canadian network (whose sci-fi shows range from watchable to laughably bad) starring an unknown in almost ten different roles, and airing on Saturday nights. How anyone found it in the first place is a mystery, but I caught up last summer thanks to On Demand (as far as I know the whole fitrst season is still there if you want to catch up). The show ended up being one of the best shows on television. Orphan Black returns April 19 and below is the first trailer for season two:


Next Week Pick of the Week: Shear Madness, Tonight at 10:00 on Nat Geo Wild: Just when yuou thought reality television had exhausted every occupation on the planet, tonight sees the premiere of Shear Madness. The show follows Natalie Redding, a former model turned shepherdess with a master’s degree in animal sciences who runs a successful sheep, goat, and fiber business. Her husband is Sean who is dubbed “son of hair care icon Jheri Redding” who I am under the assumption was the inventor of the Jheri Curl.

Best of the Week: 2/22/14

Quote of the Week: Set phasers to fun. (Xander Jeanneret, King of the Nerds)

Song of the Week: Nothin' but Trouble - Lily Lane (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: Blame Canada: Vladimar Putin said before the Olympics that if the Russians won gold in ice hockey, none of the other gold medals would matter. If the Russians did not win the gold, none of the other gold medals would matter. Of all the American disappointments this Winter Olympics, Shawn White, no figure skating medals since the thirties, three combined Curling wins, a short track shutout in medals, all would have been forgiven if we grabbed the gold in hockey. Unfortunately for the second straight Olympics, the Americans were eliminated by one goal by those darn dirty Canadians. Making things worse in the women’s gold medal game, Canada tied the game in the final minute (with the US hitting the post of an empty goal) and went on to win in overtime. It is enough that the banished Justin Bieber to our country, but could we at least get one hockey gold, something the men have never done on foreign soil, please.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Raw Deal” Justified, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: A Nightmare Before Summer – Nicole Atkins (Noise Trade)

New Album Release of the Week: Morning Phase - Beck

New DVD Release of the Week: Thor: The Dark World

Video of the Week: After The Avengers collected almost all the money, Marvel got cocky enough that it started greenlighting movies and television shows for even some of their most obscure properties. First up is Guardians of the Galaxies which features a talking tree and a gun toting raccoon. The movie finally hits screens in August but we finally got to see our first official trailer this week in an effort for Jimmy Kimmel Live to pull some eyeballs away from the latest iteration of The Tonight Show (bad news for Jimmy Fallon, he pulled in around the same numbers as Conan did when he took over for Leno). The trailer makes it looks like the reject version of The Avengers, and I mean that in an entertaining way. Now if only Marvel can get characters as interesting as a gun toting raccoon or a talking tree on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. they will managed to collect all the money.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Hannibal, Friday at 10:00 on NBC: With the Olympics ending this weekend, there are a glut of new and returning shows premiering next week (not to mention most that took the last two weeks off) but one of them stand above them all, the second season premiere of the best new show of last year, Hannibal. When we left off, Hannibal Lecter so toyed with Will Graham, everyone thought Will was the one that was doing all of the killing, but in a moment of clarity, Will finally realized that his physiatrist was setting him up, just as he was committed to a facility for the criminally insane. Hopefully the show does not have a sophomore slump and can prosper now that it is paired with Grimm on Friday nights. Here is a list of other premieres next week worth mentioning:

The Voice, Monday and Tuesday at 8:00
Dallas, Monday at 9:00 on TNT
About a Boy, Tuesday at 9:00 on NBC (sneak peak tonight after the Olympics)
Growing up Fisher, Tuesday at 9:30 on NBC (sneak peak tomorrow after the Closing Ceremonies)
Perception, Tuesday at 10:00 on TNT
Survivor: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty, Wednesday at 8:00 on CBS
The Americans, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX
Vikings, Thursday at 10:00 on History

Best of the Week:2/15/14

Quote of the Week: You’re Indian? The feather not the dot? (Frank Gallagher, Shameless)

Song of the Week: She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5 (House of Lies)

Big News of the Week: Let the Games Begin: Amidst threats of terrorism, gay propaganda, and shorts weather in Sochi, the Winter Olympics somehow kicked off without a hitch this week. Well unless you are Bob Costas’ eyeball. Or the dude who had to kick himself out of his bathroom. But still it is hard to get excited for this year’s games. Maybe it is the tape delay or many US disappointments, no Lindsey Vonn, Shawn White does not medal, Bode Miller chocks again. Sure the new slopestyle competitions were entertaining (the new team ice skating event, not so much). But things hopefully pick up today when the United States have their second hockey game against Russia (the last time we played theb home nation, it was one of the most competitive hockey game ever) and yet another one tomorrow. Then the tournament portion starts on Tuesday.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Free Fall” Pretty Little Liars, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Bridges – Broods (iTunes)

New Album Release of the Week: Lions - William Fitzsimmons

New DVD Release of the Week: Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season

Video of the Week: I have long called Parenthood the blue state version of Friday Night Lights. Jason Katims is the guy behind both and has even recruited a few Dillon alums to hang with the Bravermans (Lyla, Vince, Luke, and Jess). Except they all played new characters. Now for the first time, a former Coach Taylor player has found their way to California when Landry and his band Crucifictorious are recording at the Lunchenette with Amber after hours. Below is the first of four webisobes which has a few FNL references: “Lance,” Becky referred them (though it is not known how Amber knows her aside from her ex-fiancé’s doppelganger knocked Becky up), and even am East Dillon t-shirt makes an appearance. The next three episodes will hit the internets sometime next week and will feature another familiar face from Dillon.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Woman’s Gold Medal Curling Match, Thursday at 5:00 on CNBC: I was a bit disappointed with the curling coverage this year, maybe I am remembering it wrong, but I thought there was a dedicated curling channel last time. This time around there is a match at 3:00 AM, another one around mid day, and a final match at 5:00 PM (with bonus curling if time permits). Even more disappointing was the American play. The woman’s team gave up the first ever seven point end in Olympics history; I do not even remember any team scoring more than four in an end. Scoring seven can sometimes win you a match. The men have not fared much better (my theory is their uniforms are not cool enough). So I have switched my allegiance to Great Britain, at least on the sheet, for now mostly because of skip Eve Muirhead.

Best of the Week: 2/8/13

Quote of the Week: (Expletive deleted) Obamacare, what kind of a system do we live in that you have to cripple yourself to keep you alive? (Frank Gallagher, Shameless)

Song of the Week: Kyrie – Mr. Mister (The Goldbergs)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Philip Seymour Hoffman: Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the guys who you tend to forget because someones he may be fifth or lower on the marquee of the movies he is in but when you look back he is usually first or second in memorable performances from the film. But it is a shame that he will be mostly known for how he went out. So it has to be said to the kids out there do not do drugs.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Kill the Messanger" Justified, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: Bloodshot Records Sampler 2014 (NoiseTrade)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5: This month’s $5 albums include U2, The Avett Brothers, The Steve Miller Band, and Beck.


New Album Release of the Week: Acoustic at the Ryman - Band of Horses

New DVD Release of the Week: The Americans: Season One

Video of the Week: Super Bowl advertising has always seemed silly to me, there has to be better ways to spend four million dollars in advertising even if this is the one time of year that people actually sit through the ads. Movie trailers seemed even sillier, spending that many dimes in January / February for a movie that does not even debut until sometime between May and July. A lot of studios wisely have pulled out of the Super Bowl recently and the few that did air this year come on during the cheaper pre-game show. One trailer we got to see was The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Quickly after the trailer aired, an extended version hit the internets which pretty much spoils Jamie Foxx’s Electro origin story in its entirety. You have been warned.


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Walking Dead, Sunday at 9:00 on AMC: Where all the other channels cower in fear of the Olympics, the most watched show on cable is actually returning on second day of competition. Of course now that the prison has fallen, now what? It is interesting that Carol show up at the cast interview on Conan earlier this week. Ever since Rick drove away from her, I never thought that was the end of her and I thought she would run into The Governor. Now that he is (presumably) dead, I think she is the leading candidate to have rescued the baby from the prison attack, either that or the sister who then run into Carol first.

Best of the Week: 1/31/14

Quote of the Week: Are you a midget because that’s a midget shovel. (Dewey Crowe, Justified)

Song of the Week: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) - The Tokens (as sung by Sheldon Cooper and James Earl Jones, The Big Bang Theory)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: #DeportBieber: When Barack Obama was elected president he promised a new era of transparency (six years later and an NSA scandal, that is debatable). One initiative he unveiled was a petition site where if you collected 25,000 signatures, the White House would respond to the petition. This led to a bunch of Star Wars geeks to petition the government to make their own Death Star. The White House humorously responded by saying it would not be fiscally responsible to spend on trillions of dollars that "can be exploited by a one-man starship." Everyone got a good laugh and the White House soon raised the signature threshold to 100,000 and had to reach that number within a month of its launch.

Well twice that number this week signed a petition to deport Justin Bieber after his (alleged) drug filled drag race in Miami last week because, "(Bieber) is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth." For comparison, the inevitable do not deport Bieber petition, of which there are already three of as of Friday, the most of which topped out at 3,000 signatures. Of course even though the deport Bieber petition has hit the signature threshold, do not expect much of a response from the White House other than something along the lines of not being able to comment on an ongoing investigation. It certainly will not be as entertaining as their Death Star response.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Along Came a Spider” Ravenswood Winter Finale, Tuesday at 9:00 on ABC Family

Free Download and Deal of the Week: Halftime All-Stars (Google Play): In honor of the big game, Google Play has free songs and discounted album from halftime performers past and present including Bruno Mars and his guests Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as U2, Prince., and many more.

New Album Release of the Week: After the Disco - Broken Bells

New DVD Release of the Week: About Time

Video of the Week: Super Bowl tomorrow which means Super Bowl commercials. Some have already hit the internet (although I refuse to acknowledge any Full House reunion that does not involve Kimmie Gibler) as well as a few that you will not (sorry Scarlett Johansson, you cannot throw other soda brands under the bus). Unfortunately we will not see Anna Kedrick in a beer commercial this year, but we can her Anna Kendrick talk about not being in a Super Bowl beer commercial.


Next Week Pick of the Week: 2014 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies, Friday at 7:30 on NBC: Forget the football game tomorrow (although the cold weather does make it more intriguing even though it does not look like it will snow tomorrow; but I do have a prediction: Seahawks by 10), the better sporting event will start Friday with the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Okay, the actually Olympics start with Figure Skating (Team Male and Team Pairs short programs) Ladies’ Moguls qualifications, Snowboard Slopestle qualifications. As for the marquee event, hockey starts up Saturday while the United States opens up its Olympic Hockey tournament February 13 against Slovakia (not to be confused with Slovenia which they take on 2/16). Host country Russia is the other team in their pool which will go down 2/15. Unfortunately Curling does not start up until Monday, but be on the lookout for the Norwegian team who will be hard to miss with their zigzag uniforms.

There will more than just sports to watch out for this year, and I am not talking about Figure Skating which not a real sport. Terrorism has hung its head over every Olympics since 9/11 but this is the first Olympics where there is a specific threat and recent attacks in Sochi. And after Vladimir Putin gay propaganda ban, it will be interesting if anyone will have a Tommie Smith / John Carlos type moment.

Best of the Week: 1/25/14

Quote of the Week: That was my fault. I shoulda been clearer. Standing up ain’t the only way to get me to take this bat to you. Calling her a (expletive deleted) will get us there too. (Raylan Givens, Justified)

Song of the Week: Satellite Call – Sara Bareilles (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Peter Pan Coming Back to the Small Screen: Haters be damned, After The Sound of Music Live! put up monster numbers, the question was not if they would put on another live musical but what would it be. I had my money on West Side Story but NBC instead went with what I thought would be the second most likely: Peter Pan. Of course as soon as the news broke, casting wish lists came flooding in (the NBC president jokingly said he wanted Miley Cyrus as the titular character; at least I hope he was joking).

Ever since The Sound of Music, I have been posting fake musical casts and a couple weeks ago I even did one for Peter Pan that was a little Scott Pilgrim vs. The World heavy. For Peter Pan I had Brie Larson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Tigerlily. Unlike Carrie Underwood, who has a great voice but limited acting experience, both of my choices are good actresses with singing experience, Larson sang in Scott Pilgrim and actually released a Avril Lavigne type album as a teenage (yes there is a video on YouTube and yes it is awesomely bad and I cannot confirm nor denied I downloaded the song), while MEW supposedly has an album with Dan the Automator coming out sometime this year. Then for Captain Hook, I suggested another actor who dabbles in music, Jack Black.

Of course NBC wants to screw Peter Pan up because after the Miley Cyrus joke, the president said they are actually looking into casting a young male as Peter Pan. Yeah the character is a young male except the role was written for a young woman. That is what the music is written for, a woman’s voice. And more importantly having a grown women pretending to be a teenage boy pretending to be a woman who seduces Captain Hook like in the screenplay is creepy enough, but having an actual teenage boy seduce a grown man may mean Chris Hansen will get involved. Plus what young boy is famous to put on a marquee? The only one that comes to mind is Justin Bieber, but he may be detained for the foreseeable future and may not even be allowed in the country by the time the special is supposed to air in December.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Fountain" Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Hangout Festival Sampler (Noisetrade): The Hangout Festival is hitting the Gulf Shore of Alabama starting May with headliners The Black Keys, The Killers, and like every other festival in 2014, Outkast. Okay, those three artists are absent from the sampler, but you can still get free tracks from Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, Los Lobos, and twenty other acts playing the festival.

New Album Release of the Week: B-Sides - The Gaslight Anthem

New DVD Release of the Week: Bonnie & Clyde

Video of the Week: As previously mentioned, before going on to be a critical darling, teenaged Brie Larson was an aspiring pop singer. And there is even video evidence (what would we do before YouTube). At least her participation in Scott Pilgrim redeemed her musically.




Next Week Pick of the Week: The 56th Grammy Awards, Sunday at 8:00 on CBS: I came to the realization while making my list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013 that it was a horrible year for music. Case in point: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are nominated in the Grammy’s Big Four. How Lorde did not get that honor is a bit befuddling especially her omission from Best New Artist especially over James Blake, who garnered no other nominations, and Ed Sheeran, who was nominated for Song of the Year last year (and also nabbed no other nominations this year). Of course that could mean Lorde can grab Best New Artist at the 2015 show. But this year those two will be performing along with Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Madonna, and a bunch of duets: Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Niles Rodgers, and Stevie Wonder, Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar, P!nk and Nate Ruess, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Blake Shelton, John Legend and Keith Urban, Metallica and Lang Lang, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Robin Thicke and Chicago, Sara Bareilles and Carol King, Billy Joe Armstrong and Miranda Lambert will pay tribute to Phil Everly, and the grouping of Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham, Nine Inch Nails, and Queens of the Stone Age closing out the show. So all those, some weird, pairing it may be worth checking out the show despite what may have been the worst year in music since 1999. Well that and to see if Grohl will pick up what will only be Nirvana’s second Grammy ever (Best Alternative Music Album for MTV Unplugged is currently their only gramophone) for Best Rap Song. Seriously. They are listed as songwriters because Jay-Z sang a line from Smells Like Teen Spirit in Holy Grail.

Best of the Week: 1/18/14

Quote of the Week: Unless Hitler has risen from the grave, and is in my whorehouse, go away right now, Messer! (Dewie Crowe, Justified)

Song of the Week: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (The Blacklist)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Veronica Mars Coming Back to the Small Screen: Shortly after the success of Kickstarter, creator Rob Thomas talked about he was looking ways to reboot the television series. This seemed plausible because unlike when the show went off the air, there are more cable channels getting into the scripted game not to mention nontraditional channels like Netflix. Except there was one huge obstacle: Kristen Bell is already under contract with House of Lies and cannot star in two shows simultaneously. You really cannot have a Veronica Mars reboot when the titular character only shows up about as often as Alison Brie on Mad Man.

So if you want to bring back the show to the small screen without the main character there is really only one way to do it. And The CW, the network that canceled the show seven years ago so they could put Farmer Takes a Wife on the air, announced earlier this week that they were going to make a Veronica Mars spin-off for their internet division CW Seed (whatever that is). It did not take very long to theorize who would star in the spin-off (I was hoping would take his web series success of Burning Love and bring it to a Vinnie Van Lowe show; maybe in a case that forces him to team up with Keith Mars again) when Rob Thomas announced that the show would star Ryan Hansen as himself as he tries to put together a Dick Casablancas series. Awesome. So basically it will just be a longer version of the hilarious Kickstarter video with probably even more cameos. No word on whether this will hit the internets before or after the movie on March 15 but I hope that The CW actually picks up the Dick Casablancas show. It cannot possibly be worse that what it currently on their network. Seriously, my sources telling me coming later this month is a show starring Julie Taylor as Juliet to an alien Romeo.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Your Body Is a Battleground” Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Country Greats (Google Play): Even if you are not a fan of the genre, you should at least give a listen to Will Hoge and Ashley Monroe. There is also a free Sheryl Crow song from her recent country turn. And also Kenny Fracking Rogers.

Deal of the Week: Cash Albums for $5: Earlier this week Amazon ran an advertisement of, “If you give us $5 we'll give you Cash back.” When I clicked on the link, it ended up being a bunch of Johnnty Cash albums. It only took me a couple seconds to get the joke.

New Album Release of the Week: The U.S. Albums - The Beatles

New DVD Release of the Week: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray/DVD)

Video of the Week: I am a little late to this, but if you are like me and have not watched wrestling in years, I have a treat for you: the return of Jake “The Snake” Roberts. And of course wherever Jake goes, Damien is there too. The best part is the other guy was so excited that he could not help but smiled while getting accosted with a snake. Sadly it looks like this was a one night only affair. Even sadder was the news that Mae Young passed away this week. She continued to pop up on screen even in her nineties, wrestling in nine straight decades, a feat that will doubtfully ever be matched let alone beaten. The sight of Mae “giving birth” to Mark Henry’s “baby” will forever be etched on my mind.


Next Week Pick of the Week: King of the Nerds, Thursdays at 10:00 on TBS: The first season of King of the Nerds was just plain fun and now the show is back with ten more geeks fighting to sit upon the Throne of Games. Look for a full preview of the premiere on Thursday.

Best of the Week: 1/11/13

Quote of the Week: Hey Raylan, can I get you a (expletive deleted) or something? (Wade Messer, Justified)

Song of the Week: Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band (Community)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Polar Vortex: At the beginning of the year there was Winter Storm Hercules and I sat there watching the Weather Channel thinking, come on, you just making stuff up now because people like naming hurricanes. If you really want to scare me, give it some weird scientific name. Then came the Polar Vortex. Like El Nino before it, ish got real. And by real, I mean real cold. And if -15, the lowest I saw here, was not bad enough, the wind chill at the time was -32. And of by tomorrow it is supposed to be 50 and raining. Mmm, I am beginning to think these climate change people are on to something.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Drowning Girl" Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Reflections – MisterWives (iTunes): For years, record labels have been holding the vast majority of their marquee albums until the fourth quarter to get those Christmas dollars so the first half of the year is usually left over hits from the previous year’s releases, new artists (Lorde dropped her Love Club EP in early March last year), or older acts who finally breakthrough with little competition (like Robin Thicke and Daft Punk). This week new band MisterWives released a very eighties inspired dance EP. Will they be the 2014 version of Lorde? But maybe Reflections could be a less annoying 2014 alternative to I Love It.

New Album Release of the Week: High Hopes - Bruce Springsteen

New DVD Release of the Week: Fruitvale Station

Video of the Week: Last weekend was the first weekend where I could just sit back, relax, and not worry that it would be ruined by a Brandon Weeden sighting. It looks like I will not have to worry about actually learning how to spell the Browns coach’s name because he got fired last week. But cheer up Browns fans, it looks like our next couch will come straight out of New England. No, Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniel has already pulled out of the running; nope the next coach of the Cleveland Browns is Denis Leary! Or at least he is the coach of the Browns in the upcoming Draft Day movie. Yep, twenty-five years after Major League, yet another Cleveland sports team is so bad, they need to be saved by Hollywood. As Bill Simmons would say: God hates Cleveland.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Suburgatory, Wednesday at 8:30 on ABC: Two seasons ago, Suburgatory was not just my favorite new comedy of the season, it was my favorite comedy period. It went through some rough patches during its sophomore outing because they started focusing more on the adults when the children are the main attraction on the show. The season ended with Tess moving in with her mother, but I am guessing that will not last long because her mom got cast on another show this season. And do not ask me why the show did not return with ABC’s Wednesday comedy lineup last week. Instead there was a double dose of Super Fun Night which is inexplicably still on the air (though I understand why the network would want to burn that show of as soon as possible but its replacement is not scheduled to debut until late February).

Best of the Week: 12/14/13

Quote of the Week: Nick, I don’t even begin to defrock until its 98 degrees. (Ben Folds, The Sing-Off)

Song of the Week: Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar (as sung by Haley Goldberg, The Goldbergs)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Golden Globe Nominations Announced: Do not care. The Golden Globes are a sham. Moving on.

Preview Picture of the Week:


Free Download of the Week: 25 Days of Free - It is that time of year again when Amazon MP3 gives away a new free holiday song every day in December until Christmas day. Right now you can get one from Ronnie James Dio. Seriously.

New Album Release of the Week: The Voice concludes is second lackluster season in a row on Tuesday. But on the bright side the two most entertaining singers from those two season are releasing new music this week. Holly Henry from the most recent season has a five song EP hitting iTunes Tuesday which has a Bon Iver feel to it. On the same day, season four’s Caroline Glaser has a three sing EP which will be available on Bandcamp which you can bundle with a t-shirt or signed picture. Caroline’s EP features Money Tree which is super catchy while the more melancholy Rosalee was co-written by one of the Pistol Annies that is not married to her former coach Blake Shelton. There is also a cover of I Will Follow You into the Dark originally by Death Cab for Cutie. Both are available for pre-order now by clicking their names.

New DVD Release of the Week: Justified: The Complete Fourth Season

Video of the Week: The first two trailers for The Amazing Spiderman 2 were released in consecutive week. Both could have used more Emma Stone (granted everything could use more Emma Stone). The domestic trailer featured blink and you will miss them cameos from Doc Octopus and The Vulture (Sony announced yesterday they are moving forward with a Sinister 6 movie) while the international trailer, below, focuses more on Spidy’s witty dialogue.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Too Much TV Tomorrow: Fall television pretty much comes to a close tomorrow (there are still CBS comedies Monday a well as the conclusion of Mob City, and even more The Sing-Off with its finale next Monday) but is not going out with a whimper. Tomorrow sees the season finales of Masters of Sex, Homeland as well as the two hour finale of Survivor and its reunion special. Tomorrow also sees the fall finale of what may be the greatest night of hate watching of all time on ABC with the back to back to back episodes of Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Betrayal. But can you really call something a “finale” when there will be new episodes in less than a month?

Best of the Week: 12/7/13

Quote of the Week: They were Kurdish , not to split hairs. But this is not something the president needs to know. (Dar Adal, Homeland)

Song of the Week: Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm – Crash Test Dummies (as sung by Alan Thicke and Wayne Brady, How I Met Your Mother)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Veronica Mars Hitting Theaters: Forget Wonder Woman (she is moderately attractive, what more is there to say) because Veronica Mars finally has a release date. And it is not just getting your typical low budge limited theater run before being resigned to digital release, the movie will likely be coming to a theater near you. So mark your calendars for March 14, 2014 (for those that like counting down, that is only 96 days away). There is even a new clip featuring Ronnie’s first run in with Madison Sinclair for the first time in a decade over there. It also has an official name too, just simply Veronica Mars.


Preview Picture of the Week:

Sons of Anarchy Season Finale, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: This Christmas – Mary J. Blige (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Greatest Hits as Low as $2.99: Get the best at a discounted price including Sarah McLaughlin, The Bangles, Harry Connick Jr., and Electric Light Orchestra.


New Album Release of the Week: Black Panties - R.Kelly

New DVD Release of the Week: Despicable Me 2

Video of the Week: Every year since 2007 DJ Earworm has taking the Top 40 from Billboards End Year list to create one huge mash-up of the year’s biggest song. He did it a little different this year, not waiting for Billboard and just going with his gut. This led to some omissions (Cups is the first to come to mind) and it is a bit surprising that the two biggest songs from the first half of the year, Blurred Lines and Get Lucky barely get any play yet the backing track is based on Don’t You Worry Child, one song I would never have associated with 2013 in either a good or bad way. The song does have a heavy dose Royals which give its this year's subtitle "Livin' the Fantasy".


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Sing-Off, starting Monday at 9:00 on NBC: The Sing-Off was a great winter break program for two seasons on NBC. It was on almost every day for two weeks and done. Then The Voice happened and NBC certainly wanted to have the show on fall of 2011 after its breakout season in the spring but since it would have been too much of a turnaround they instead expanded The Sing-Off into a weekly fall series and unfortunately it floundered. Then next spring, NBC announced The Voice would expand to two times a year while The Sing-Off was canceled outright and was not even put back to its previous pre-Christmas spot last year. Thankfully NBC had a change of heart (the surprise success of Pitch Perfect and its soundtrack last winter may have something to do with it) and The Sing-Off is getting rebooted starting Monday with the producer of The Voice, Mark Burnett taking the reins (which means the judges will take more of a m mentoring role like his other show, but no swiveling chairs… yet) and new judge Jewel (on her third reality show stint after Nashville Star and the little seen Platinum Hit) taking the spot of Sara Bareilles. Ten groups will be competing this season (same as season two) and unlike the last two season, it does not look like there will be any supergroups made up of past contestants. Here is the full schedule over the next three week and the themes:

Monday (12/9) at 9:00: Signature Songs
Wednesday (12/11) at 8:00: Party Anthems
Thursday (12/12) at 8:00: #1 Hits
Monday (12/16) at 10:00: My Generation
Wednesday (12/18) at 8:00: Movie Night
Thursday (12/19) at 8:00: Judge’s Choice
Monday (12/23) at 9:00: Finale

Best of the Week: 11/23/13

Quote of the Week: I had people yell “Show me your boobs” so much you’d have thought it was hit song. (Rayna James, Nashville)

Song of the Week: Sabotage - Beastie Boys (How I Met Your Mother)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: The CW May Have Started Trying: I like to ding The CW because it is so easy. In successive years after its creation they canceled they only quality programs they inherited Veronica Mars and Everybody Hates Chris yet continued to renew crap like One Tree Hill and Supernatural past their decade mark. Now that the network is closing in on a decade itself, it routinely gets out rated by basic cable programs mostly because it continues to green light trashy teen focused dramas. Then news broke this week they were developing not one, but two Homeland type-show. Hopefully whichever one makes it to air stars Lyla Garrity as it could easily be one of the greatest hate watching shows of all time. Add this to the Rob Thomas / zombie show, and The CW may actually become watchable for the first time in eight seasons. But then again, these three shows will probably not make it to air but the proposed Fred Durst bio-series will instead.

Preview Picture of the Week:

Christmas Bounty, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download and Deal of the Week: 90’s Discount (Google Play): Last week Google had a rock fire sale and this week they go back into the nineties with free tracks and albums as low as $3.99 from artists like Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, 2 Pac, and Alanis Morrissette.

New Album Release of the Week: Foreverly - Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones

New DVD Release of the Week: Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

Video of the Week: R. Kelly has a new album coming out next week and there really is only two things Kells is known for: Trapped in the Closet and weird sex songs. Unfortunately Black Panties does not have any new chapters of Trapped in the Closet but it does have songs entitled Crazy Sex and Marry That (Expletive Deleted) (the Deluxe Edition also has Show Ya (Expletive Deleted) and Every Position). So Rolling Stone tested the theory that Robert could write sex songs about anything and gave him three challenges. And they were awesome.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday at 9:00 A.M. on NBC: Thanksgiving just is not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce from a can and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year will feature apprences and performances from Big Apple Circus, Kristin Chenoweth, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Chica and the gang from Sprout, Cirque du Soleil, Gavin DeGraw, Brett Eldredge, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with the cast of "Sesame Street," Fifth Harmony, Florida Georgia Line, Goo Goo Dolls, Ariana Grande, Jack Hannah, Megan Hilty, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Sandra Lee, Cher Lloyd, Austin Mahone, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, NFL legends Bart Oates, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward, NHL legends Cam Neely and Mike Richter, as well as Kellie Pickler, The Robertson family from A&E's hit series "Duck Dynasty," Debby Ryan, Richard Simmons, and The Summer Set.