57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/8/12

Quote of the Week: You phone sex in Latin? (Jared, Franklin & Bash)

Song of the Week: Rainy Day Janie – Peter Bash (Franklin and Bash)

Big News of the Week: It’s Hot: Seriously, it was 90 degrees by noon almost every day this week. On the bright side my lawn is officially dead and I may not have to mow it again until next year. Unless of course weeds start sprouting up in lieu of grass. Is it fall yet?

Preview Picture of the Week:



Falling Skies: Wow, that harness factory was extremely creepy and was only made creepier by the reveal of that the harnesses are actually living entities. I wonder if that knowledge will make removing them easier or lead them to being able to remove them completely. But my favorite part was when the Hispanic leader, then told Lourdes that Northern Mexico was destroyed. He just told her he was from Pennsylvania. How does someone from Philly know what happened to Mexico anymore than someone who living in Boston? The only thing that will make me laugh harder if her family shows up in Virginia.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Dallas: I do not understand why Rebecca fessed up to the e-mail. Why not just say JR Jr. was setting you up and blackmailing you? I am sure Christopher would have believed her over him and it is very plausible explanation. Now I just do not k now what that can do with the Rebecca character after this. Oh wait, this is a soap opera, she will just hook up with JR Jr.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Medicine Spoon – Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics (Spinner)

Deal of the Week: $2.99 Soundtracks: Sure the art of soundtracks died in the internet age because you could just cherry pick some of the best songs anyway. But there are still some oldies worth picking up like Footloose (the original, not the crappy reboot), Reality Bites, Dirty Dancing, and Romeo + Juliet.



New Album Release of the Week: Uncaged - Zac Brown Band

New DVD Release of the Week: American Reunion

Video of the Week: It has been a while since I have seen anything that involves Nickelodeon on account that I am old. But back when I did, the most salacious it got was kids getting green slime dumped on them for saying “I don’t know.” Fast-forward a decade (or two… or three) and Nickelodeon Films is about to release a movie featuring Chelsea Handler, Jonny Knoxville, an animatronic humping chicken and some dude shouting “trick or treat (expletive deleted)”. But Fun Size also features Suburgatory’s Jane Levy in full Snarky Emma Stone mode which I fully approve of.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Perception, Monday at 10:00 on TNT: New show Perception starring Rachael Leigh Cook premieres Monday which begs the question, where has Rachael Leigh Cook been the past decade? She was poised to be the next best thing after She's All That (the gold standard of Ugly Chicks Who Are Secretly Hot movies) and the greatest anti-drug commercial ever. Unfortunately she followed that up with three high profile clunkers: Josie and the Pussycats, Antitrust, and Texas Rangers (where James Van Deer Beek once again botched the Texas accent). After that her IMDB page is filled with movies I doubt anyone has even heard of (Blonde Ambition with Jessica Simpson anyone?). Twenty-four movies since 2002 and I saw one of them. Hopefully Perception can get her career back on track because the world could use more Rachael Leigh Cook in stuff worth watching. If not, there are still people taking drugs she can knock around with a frying pan. Look for a full review (minus Cook’s career overview) tomorrow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/30/12

Quote of the Week: How times can you hear Copacabana without totally siding with Rico? (Michelle, Bunheads)

Song of the Week: She's Gone – Hall and Oates (as tried to be sung by Peter, Franklin & Bash)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: Health Care for All, or Else: Who would have guessed it would have been the George Bush appointed Chief Justice John Roberts who would become the swing vote on the Affordable Health Care Act (known to its opponents as Obamacare nee Romneycare)? Of course he was able to get a little partisan jab in his decision saying the law was Constitutional because it was a tax and Congress is allowed to tax Americans even though one of president Obama’s biggest selling points was that it was not a tax. Oops. So if you do not buy health care in the next couple years you will be taxed for it (unless you are near the poverty line, then it is Medicare for you). Of course any so called heath care plan that does not treat carbonated soda and other sugary treats like tobacco is pretty worthless.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Falling Skies: This show and The Walking Dead both seem to suffer from the same problems, the characters are aimless. And whenever they get a destination to get to, another character comes in and says that place has been destroyed or overrun by non-humans. So I am very intrigued with the group heading down to the Continental Congress. Who know what will happen when they get there or if they get there (which may not end up being until the end of the season) but for first time in this series, I am interesting in where they are going with the story.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: You would think after Mona blackedmailed herself as A, you would think the Liars would be highly suspicious of anyone else who is being blackmailed. Last week Jena said she continued to pretend to be blind because someone was after her. And this week Spencer’s sister claims she pretended not to be pregnant because someone was blackmailing her. I am guessing in the next episode we will learn that Hermy is being blackmailed too and that is why he is cranky. That and he was totally nailing Mona before she went into the nuthouse and is not getting any since then.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: What a cruel way to end the episode in mid confession. Thankfully TNT is airing a new episode on 4th of July because on their screeners they had no new episodes airing on the holiday. Granted since I had them at my disposal, I went ahead and watched the opening scene of next week’s episode which ended up playing out exactly how I expected.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Brushfire Records Sampler (Noise Trade, e-mail required)

Deal of the Week: More $2.99 Albums: This week Amazon super-discounted some of my favorite albums (that I paid much more from) including The Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, The Civil Wars as well as the 24-song Led Zeppelin greatest hits package.



New Album Release of the Week: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Soundtrack

New DVD Release of the Week: The Hunter

Video of the Week: In Looper Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a young Bruce Willis who is supposed to kill his future self. Alrighty. I am all up for a weird science-fiction except when I checked out the trailer, Levitt looked nothing like a young Bruce Willis but looked exactly like a young Ed Norton to the point I had to wonder if Norton was originally cast as the older version. It was as if Willis replaced Norton at the last minute and JGL decided that he spent months perfecting his Ed Norton show he just went ahead and did it anyway.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Weeds, Sunday at 10:00 on Showtime: I have already previewed the final season of Weeds, so click the link to read that and be sure to check out the second season Episodes directly following.

Previewing Falling Skies 2.x

Falling Skies followed the same script that other recent sci-fi shows have followed: interesting concept but it is full of character nobody cares about. Aside from Pope, the renegade who reluctantly joins the group, there really was no one worth rooting for during the first season of Falling Skies. Unfortunately the second season is not preceded by a recap episode so here is a quick recap. Incest like alien came to Earth to whip off the population with the help of Mechs and kidnapped children which they turned into slaves by placing a harness on their backs (it is hinted at that the harness slowly is turning the kids into skidders). It turned out the skidders were actually foot soldiers for Overlords (leading credence to the theory of harnesses turns those attached into skidders) who took Tom voluntarily onto their ship to end the first season.

The second season flash forwards three months in a battle between the 2nd Mass and a group of skidders. Don’t worry, about half of the first episode features flashbacks. Unfortunately about half of the flashbacks feature Tom, who is still sporting an epic beard, getting back home. But there is a conversation between Tom and the Overlords (though Karen, remember Hal’s girlfriend who was taken but tends to be forgotten most of the time) where Tom surprisingly does not ask the most important question, “Why are you here?”

The second of back to back episodes tonight features Tom having a hard time assimilating himself back into camp as some people are fearful of what could the aliens done to Tom, no one more worried than Tom himself. New to the series is a mechanical wiz played by the teacher from The Killing who will be cozying up with a female member of the 2nd Mass this season. Tonight we are also introduced to two new alien beings, one of which is creepier than any zombie I have seen on The Walking Dead. Speaking of The Walking Dead, I kept thinking back to the first season of that show and their aimless travels and cannot help but think of how the character of Falling Skies have been wondering around with no good plan in the first season which carries into the first two episodes of the new season.

It is a shame that the season did not open up with the third episode because not only is it the best of the early second season but it is probably the best of the entire series (although it would have hard to have done so and explain Tom’s time on the spaceship concurrently, but the second episode tonight was a bit of filler). The episode features human on skidder violence, human on human violence, a funeral, a stolen kiss, a mysterious glowing object, and a mysterious stranger who could put the 2nd Mass on the right path. If you can make it to the third episode it could make watching the second season worthwhile and hints at a better season than the first.

Falling Skies airs Sundays at 9:00. You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/16/12

Quote of the Week: Bobby may not be stupid but I’m a hellva lot smarter. (J.R. – Dallas)

Song of the Week: You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra (Mad Men)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: George Bush’s Head on a Stake: I was not a big fan of George W. Bush as president to the point that I even deregistered from the Republican party because he was such a bad president (or at least I tried, leaving a political party turns out to be as hard as trying to leave the mafia). But I always respect the office of the presidency no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office or how bad of a job they are doing. So I was a bit offended when I learned that Game of Thrones featured a scene featuring the disembodied head of the former president sitting on a stake in one of their scenes. The producers said it was not a political statement; it was just a head they had lying around that they needed to fill a sea of heads on stakes (not to be confused with Pardon the Interruption’s less offensive Heads on Sticks). This begs the question why did they have the head of George W. Bush just lying around? Ironically this came to light the same week that HBO was airing a feature on George H.W. Bush.

Of course my outrage died down after I saw the picture of George’s head with looked about as much like the former president as of the bust of Lionel Richie looked like the singer in his Hello music video. There is probably a reason this did not come out until someone mentioned it on the DVD commentary.



Preview Picture of the Week:

Falling Skies, Sunday at 9:00 on TNT

Mad Men: Now that the season is over, I have come to the realization that I really did not like the year’s theme of getting old sucks then you die. Don felt threatened by the youth of his wife and Ginsburg. Pete was exiled to the suburbs. Peggy leaned she had to leave her father figure behind to get any further. Betty got fat. Sally literally became a woman. Joan’s marriage crumbled and became a prostitute. Megan followed her dream and failed. Harry set away his friend to follow his dream while Harry stayed stuck in his column filled cubicle. And of course there was Lane the most tragic of them all. Roger was the only one that came out unscaved but he stopped worrying about life after his heart scare early in the series. And it is off that with the getting old motif of the season that it did not end with a very picturesque Don walking off a bright set into a dark, lifeless studio but instead it ended with Don all but winking into the camera when asked at a bar if her were alone. Even the scene in the expanded office with the five partners would have made for a better ending. But at least more people beat the crap out of Pete.
You can download Mad Men on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: My favorite part of the episode was when one of the Liars asks, “Did Jenna become more blinder?” But a fairly uneventful episode. We already knew Janna was overcompensating from not actually being blind. Mona talked for the first time for month, but did not have anything interesting to say. Garrett literally kept his mouth shut. (and that begs the question why did Spencer go ahead and talk to Garrett after hearing her mother was going to come back the next day for a complete visitor list after just forbidding her from going to see Garrett again?) There was some weird storyline with earrings that Aria put in Allison’s casket, but that begs the question, why did she choose to put what she thought were her dad’s mistress’s earrings as a keepsake for Allison for all eternity? Did she not have something better to symbolize their friendship?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: ATO Records Spring Sampler 2012: Get songs from Alabama Shakes, Dawes, Primus and more

Deal of the Week: Singers Who Act for $2.99: Amazon deeply discounted another set of albums including one of the greatest records ever made: Purple Rain. Other albums you can get for the low price include ones from Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore and Jennifer Love Hewitt (yes, she recorded an album).



New Album Release of the Week: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do - Fiona Apple

New DVD Release of the Week: Wilfred

Video of the Week: I think we can all agree that Call Me Maybe is a horrible song that we cannot stop listening and singing along to and hating ourselves for it after it is over. But if there is any group that could make any song sound credible, it would be The Roots. And they did just that. With children’s instruments. So congratulations Call Me Maybe chick, for one shining moment you horribly cheesy song was credible. Now say hi to Skee-Lo on your way to one hit wonder obscurity.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Falling Skies, Sunday at 9:00 on TNT: TNT continues it slow summer roll out with the return of their sci-fi show Falling Skies. It had its moments but I was not that impress with the first season so hopefully that gets turned around with the second season which returns with back to back episodes. Look for a full review tomorrow.

Being the Leader of a Post-Apocalyptic Gang of Outlaws Has Been Exhausting

Spielberg! Aliens! The Dude from ER! It was hard not to get excited for the Falling Skies (well maybe not the Noah Wiley part) as producer Steven Spielberg made the most beloved alien movie of all time. Of course the aliens in Falling Skies did not come in peace or for Reese’s Pieces. But the problem with the television is that unlike the eighties movies, he was unable to create any likeable characters. Ten episodes later and the only one I can name off the top of my head is Pope (even worse, I do not even care enough to look the other ones up), yet almost thirty years later I can still recall Elliot and Gertie.

Where Falling Skies lacked in character development, it almost made up for with its sci-fi parts of the storytelling. The skidder upped the creep factor whenever crawled across the screen with their menacing four legs and only became creepier when we saw them cuddling with the children they kidnapped (which it looks like the harnesses that are put on the kids are turning them into skidders, which begs the question, will they grow two more legs or are the skidders a different entity). Then you had the nearly indestructible mechs with their sonic boomsticks. Although the aerodynamic aliens shown to be controlling the skidders like pets: not so scary looking.

Watching the final two episodes of the inaugural season of Falling Skies, I could not help but think about the first season finale of Lost where we spent two hour trouncing around the island looking for dynamite and kidnapped Aaron only for the episode to end with us not being able to see what was down the hatch. The first hour of Falling Skies seemed like a stall tactic while we are forced to watch a power struggle between Noah Wiley and the commanding officer while we are left screaming at the television, just bomb the alien structure already. And much like Lost, we leave the season with the biggest question unanswered, in this case why are the aliens here? I was expecting the chick from Veronica Mars to interpret their masterplan James Bond villain style in that last scene but it never came.

But it was that last scene which will be the reason to tune in next season (well that and much like this year, it’s not like there is anything much better on in the summer). What do the aliens want with Noah? How long do they plan to keep him? Will the resistance try to rescue him? Will they tell him their masterplan Dr. Evil style? Will we care about them more any anyone else in the cast? I am almost excited for next season. Almost.

Falling Skies 1.x gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/6/11

Quote of the Week: How accurate was The Wire? (Student – Weeds)

Song of the Week: Alien – Carey Brothers (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: The Debt Ceiling Raised: Since Republicans do not want to do anything to help the economy in hopes of taking back the White House next year and Democrats do not have the marbles to push legislation without compromise through like Bush did last decade, we were stuck hearing about the debt ceiling while our congressmen played political chicken with the word’s economy. Considering it would be a lose-lose-lose type situation if the debt ceiling limit was not raised, it was done at the last minute. All this led to an all time 14% approval rating of Congress which puts them somewhere between LeBron James and Casey Anderson.


Leverage: Oh you silly promo monkeys making us think that Eliot gets shot during the episode, but never actually gets caught in the cross hairs at all. But I did like the ingenious way of getting the daughter’s breath to open the panic room. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv.

Falling Skies: I swear those creatures controlling the Skidders are those long necked creatures from Star Wars on the planet where the clones are being made. We also get some interesting exposition that if you have a harness on for so long, you may turn into a skidder. But I still do not particularly care much about any of the characters. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv.

Switched at Birth: I wonder if Deafenstien is an actual movie because I think I may want to add it to my queue. You can stream the show on Hulu.

Pretty Little Liars: I have long questioned Big Head Barry’s assertion that he did not knowingly take steroids, but after seeing Emily was tricked by “A,” maybe Barry Bonds too was stalked by an omnipresent person that tricked him into using The Cream, The Clear and Beef Roids. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: I am beginning to think that empathy thing that Chloe does may be the most worthless superpower ever. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Rescue Me: It is a shame that Mike and White Shawn are not featured in more scenes because even seven years later they are still comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.


Free Download of the Week: Dawes / Blitzen Trapper Tour Sampler (dawestheband.com): Dawes and Blitzen Trapper are hitting the road starting tomorrow in Petaluma, California and going through November. Head over to Dawes website to get the full list and while you are there you can download a sampler from both bands which includes Blitzen Trapper’s Furr which it worth the download by itself.

New Album Release of the Week: Watch the Throne - Jay-Z and Kanye West

New DVD Release of the Week: Paul

Next Week Pick of the Week: Falling Skies, Sunday at 9:00 on TNT: Stop me if you have heard this one before: a sci-fi show that sounds great on paper but ends up being mediocre in practice. And that was the same for Falling Skies. Things did start to build up in the last episode so hopefully the season can go out with a bang with their two hour finale. Also, star Noah Wiley will be live tweeting during the episode @fallingskiesTNT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/30/11

Quote of the Week: Getting laid mode? I didn't realize there was a “not getting laid” mode. (White Sean, Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: I've Got You Under My Skin – Louis Prima and Keely Smith (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Trails to Amy Winehouse: Amy Winehouse was a breath of fresh air back in 2007, ushering in the retro revival with the help of producer Mark Ronson. Like many of the greats before her, she put personal turmoil into song, but it is those demons that finally caught up with her becoming another cautionary tale of drug abuse and how hard it is to kick an addition.


Falling Skies: I was reading the description for this episode talking about Hal and Tom and I realized I still have no clue what the names of any of the characters on the show yet. And that is what is missing from the show, the emotional connection to the characters. So it is hard to care much when the black dude died (I do not know why they just did not take him captive instead) because like the rest of the cast, I do not really care that much about him. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes. Here is a quick tease for tomorrow’s episode: except three major reveals to happen and something that looks like it came from Star Wars.

Switched at Birth: One of the reasons I watched this show was I was interested in seeing how they explained away how the parents did not realize they were raising kids of different races for sixteen years. The whites stupidly explained away the difference by an Italian grandparent. And this week we learned that the Hispanic, at the very least is not as dumb as the whites because she knew as early as four years old, but mostly because the baby daddy thought she did it with the redheaded mailman. You can stream the show on Hulu. You can also download Switched At Birth on iTunes.

Weeds: It is good to see Heylia again. The show just has not been the same since her and Conrad got cut from the cast. Should lead to a very interesting next episode. Speaking of which, a little spoiler alert for tomorrow, Heylia is not the only familiar face you will see in the next episode).

Pretty Little Liars: If I am not mistaken, the “A” segments at the end (assuming they are actually “A”) in the past have always had to do with something that happened in that episode, and judging from the previews, the spiking of the container has to do with next week’s episode. I wonder if the parents finally realizing something funny is going on is going to shape the series going into the future or if they will ed up dropping it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: Chloe befriending her moral enemy; drink up if you are playing the Chloe King / Buffy Summers Drinking Game. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Growin' up in California – Night Ranger (Amazon MP3): Apparently the boys in Night Ranger are still motoring after all these years.

New Album Release of the Week: Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns - John Hiatt

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

Video of the Week: I was the Battleship king as a kid (want to confuse you opponent: set up the ships diagonally). Of course while playing I always found myself thinking, “You know what this games needs, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model.” And just two decades later, Peter Berg helped this come to fruition. Although I do not recall Transformers ever being involved with the game. But I will still see the movie if only in the hopes that a Chutes and Ladders movie gets greenly because of it. That and Brooklyn Decker doing what she does best, wearing a bikini.

Battleship Trailer

Next Week Pick of the Week: 120 Minutes, Tonight at 1:00 AM on MTV2: MTV turns 30 on Monday and it is apparently feeling a little nostalgic. Beavis and Butt-Head returns to the network this October, but tonight sees the return of another classic 90’s MTV show 120 Minutes. Of course in the decade the show has been off the air, we have seen the rise in broadband internet and indie leaning websites like Pitchfork. But one thing 120 Minutes has going for it is the return of the great ball of musical wisdom Matt Pinfield as host for the first time since 1999. The first episode will feature interviews with Dave Grohl, Lupe Fiasco, Das Racist, Sleigh Bells, Zach Braff, PJ Harvey, the Black Angels and Kings of Leon and will also feature the uncut version of the Pearl Jam music video Jeremy. Hopefully a Remote Control is the next reboot in the pipeline.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/24/11

Quote of the Week: And you’re still seeing the titbull? (Kelly, Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: I I've Got the World On a String – Frank Sinatra (Rescue Me)

Big News of the Week: MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Announced: It seems like a yearly rite of passage for most of the past decade when MTV unveils its nominations and I complain like an old dude yelling at kids to get off his lawn. But wait a second, this year Adele and Beastie Boys are up for Best Video. The Best Rock Video field is filled with acts that actually rock (Mumford and Sons! The Black Keys!) and no whiny emo rock crap in sight. The Song Otherwise Known as Forget You up for an award. And there is very little Lady GaGa or Britney Spears in sight. If MTV invites those acts former to perform and get a host that is actually funny, the VMA’s may be watchable this year. Seriously MTV, get Chris Rock on the phone.


Leverage: C’mon Leverage team, how did it take you almost an entire hour to figure out where the painting was? I realized where it was once Danny Glover started his story in the roller rink. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: So we have a Benedict Arnold in out mitts. I am a bit surprised that the aliens would be willing to grant amnesty to a human just for providing them more slaves, they seem to be able to take whatever they want when they want it. But I wonder whatever happened to the one dude’s girlfriend that was take a couple episodes back. After rescuing his brother he seems to forget all about her, not even doing anymore recon in the hospital for her and now is ready to up and move without rescuing her. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: So the evil dude hired an assassin to kill Chloe but he does not know what she looks like? Seriously? When the assassin found her, how about asking him to take a picture for future reference? You know, just in case you run into her while at an art gallery? Of course if I am not mistake, Buffy ran into Glory without knowing who the other was. Or was it Dawn? Either way, drink up if you are playing my Chloe King drinking game. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Rescue Me: I wonder what is going to get someone killed first (you do not think the series would end without one more major death right, I have money on Tommy and Black Shawn) Lou’s physical health or the Chief’s mental health. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Swell Window – Zee Avi (Rcrd Lbl)

Deal of the Week: Save up to 58% on Hit Movies & TV Deals (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Dark Knight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

New Album Release of the Week: LP1 - Joss Stone

New DVD Release of the Week: The Blues Brothers [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: When MTV announced they were resurrecting Beavis and Butt-Head my first thought was “Awesome.” My second thought was, “but am I still going to find it funny now that I am fourteen years older?” After seeing the first four minutes of footage, the answer is a resounding yes even if it features one hundred percent Jersey Shore which the duo obliterates to the point I wonder how the MTV executives did not step in and edit it. That’s how she answers the phone. Ha ha, ha ha.

Get More: Beavis and Butt-Head, MTV Shows

Next Week Pick of the Week: The Challenge: Rivals, Wednesdays at 10:00 on MTV: Might as well go for the MTV trifecta even thou I probably have not mentioned MTV three times in the last year. I got back logged on the latest incarnation of The Challenge because I thought I would just watch it On Demand. But the premiere did not show up the day after. A week later and it was not there and I just forgot about it. Now I am almost completely caught up as they reach the midpoint of the season and Rivals is turning out to be one of the best with a dude getting kicked out the first night, Wes and Kenny having to work together and CT actually being entertaining and not just scary. But my favorite part of the season is when the new chick punched the mirror and starting to spout how she was from Houston and other nonsense. Someone really needs to sit that girl down and force her to watch the Chappelle’s Show segment, When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong. But if I have one complaint it is the same one that I have had with the past couple season, the unbreakable Kenny / Evan / Johnny alliance just makes things less fun.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/16/11

Quote of the Week: Texas forever. (Tim and Billy Riggins, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Heaven – Brandi Carlile (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: America Comes Up Short: Augments could have been made after the USA beat Brazil that it was the best game ever of any sport, right up there with the Miracle on Ice. Now that they came up short in the World Cup final, the Brazil match sits squarely in the second tier with all the other “Yeah, but” games. And the Japan win was eerily reminiscent of the US beating Brazil (sans any controversial referee moments) with a late goal in extra time and pulling out the win in penalty kick. They even got a red card, but only had to be down one player for seconds (and America was just about a foot away from possibly getting a penalty kick win in regulation). And if Alex Morgan is reading this, you are more than welcome to cry on my shoulder as long as you like.




Leverage: I would not have been opposed had they done an entire segment devoted to the team trying to get the douchebag to do something heroic. That was comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: The creepiest moment of the short series has to be when the skitter led the children into the room and nested on them like a mama bird. It creeps me out just writing that. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Rescue Me: with just two months worst of episodes left, I am ready to say goodbye to this show. The part where Tommy took a drink so he could hear the dead people, just to spit it out was a little too much for me. Considering the show will end with the anniversary of 9/11, I am sure there will be a touching sendoff, but I fear the lead up will be too cumbersome. Granted the firehouse discussion of offensive stereotypes on reality television was entertaining. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: The finale is still a little fresh and am still formulating my thoughts (which will be too long for this space) so until I get the digital version of pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) check out Grantland’s Oral History of Friday Night Lights, which hopefully is a precursor of a 250-page book. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Alphas, Season 1

Deal of the Week: Favorite HBO Shows for Up to 65% Off (Deadwood, Eastbound and Down, Six Feet Under)

New Album Release of the Week: Universal Pulse - 311

New DVD Release of the Week: Young Justice: Season One V.1

Video of the Week: Earlier this week I reviewed her band’s Cocoon album (see I Gave Up on Giving Up on Me) and for those that that want to relive her time on the Voice, here is the Best of Dia Frampton (though you should go to Hulu and search her name for her full performances, or just go to iTunes and buy her songs).



Next Week Pick of the Week: Rescue Me, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: With everthing going on last week, I almost forgot that Rescue Me was returning for its final season. First episode back was a little rocky (if I am not mistaken, the last two seasons were originally supposed to be one, but the network broke them up so the show could end just prior to the tenth anniversary of 9/11), but hopefully it ramps up for its series finale just days before we memorialize that tragic day.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/9/11

Quote of the Week: Let me tell you something, you’re gonna be the quarterback of the Dillon Panthers next season. And you’re gonna shine. (Coach Taylor, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Devil Town – Tony Lucca (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: Casey Anthony Trial: So I have no clue who Casey Anthony was before this week, and honestly still not entirely sure why she is national news, but for some reason white woman have not been this mad at a verdict since O.J. Simpson was deemed not guilty. I do not know why someone that no one knew before this trail could get everyone up in a frenzy (seriously, America how about caring more about our fallen soldiers dying for our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan than some random chick in Florida) but now I am going to Vegas to see what the Over / Under on the number of seasons until Casey Anderson makes it onto Celebrity Rehab.


Leverage: It is a shame that the killer was clearly recognizable to me from the second flashback because other than that it was a fun silly little episode. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: After last week’s creepy ending I kept waiting for a twist ending and it was a little weird ending the episode on a normal dinner scene. I guess sci-fi shows has engrained in me that something shocking would close out every episode. Andb I do not care if they are just kids, if someone is shooting at me, I am firing right back. I’m also killing the sleeping skidders. If the skidders control the mechs and the skidders are dead, the mechs are useless. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: For those taking part in my Chloe King Drinking Game (take a shot whenever you thing of Buffy) probably got really tipsy this week when Chloe got super hearing just like Buffy in the episode when Jonathan was going to go on a killing spree. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: I feel a little cheated that they have spent the last couple episodes playing up is Ian really dead or not storyline just to find out that he was a live, but wait he “shot” himself (though probably did not). Plot twists upon plot twists are a little tedious. And I wonder when everyone is going to realize the reason “A” is always one step ahead is because “A” is tapping their phones. It is the only logical answer assuming the show does not go supernatural (or “A” turns out to Aria which is my second guess as who is “A” after Allison is still alive). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Grandma Saracen and Tyra Collette. Sigh. It is good to see them one last time (and it is a shame we will not be seeing Tyra in a Wonder Woman costume every week next fall, I would have tuned in no matter how bad it was). But it is weird that they are playing Tim and Tyra up as some grand love when they did they same thing with Lyla last season. I would gladly go to jail if I had those two fighting over me when I got out. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.




Free Download of the Week: Dangerbird Summer Sampler 2011 (Amazon MP3): This sampler includes songs by Fritz and the Tantrums, Minus the Bear, and Beady Eye (which is just Oasis without Noel Gallagher).

Deal of the Week: $5 Indie MP3 Albums: Amazon currently has almost 500 indie albums for only $5 including ones from The Civil Wars, Broken Bells, Lissie, and Band of Horses.



New Album Release of the Week: Red River Blue - Blake Shelton

New DVD Release of the Week: The Lincoln Lawyer

Video of the Week: For the latest installment of HBO’s documentary series, Love Crimes of Kabul goes inside the Bagh Woman’s Prison where half of the prisoners are there for “moral crimes” like running away from home, adultery, and premarital sex. Check out a trailer below and tune into Love Crimes of Kabul Monday at 9:00.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights, Friday at 8:00 on NBC: Earlier this week, Friday Night Lights racked up its fourth straight Scooter Television Award for Best Scripted Show (it was keep from a clean sweep from the final season of Veronica Mars) which sadly be the last time it wins that award as the series run comes to an end next week. And while you are waiting for the last episode to air (or want to relive the series for you lucky DirecTV viewers), head over to NBC.com to flip through the Friday Night Lights Yearbook.