Around the Tubes: May 22, 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 Nine Perfect Strangers, Only Murders in the Building, Hip Hop 50, The End, McCartney 3,2,1., Lord Huron, Almost Famous, Glass Animals, BET Presents The Encore, The Warning, Carpenters, The D’Amelio Show, Immigrant.

- This week, as part of the Disney/Hulu Upfront, Hulu announced premiere dates for upcoming original tentpole series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Only Murders in the Building.” Both Hulu Original series will debut this August.

- SHOWTIME today announced HIP HOP 50, a multiyear, cross-platform programming initiative celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Hip Hop in collaboration with entertainment company Mass Appeal. HIP HOP 50 will encompass unscripted series and features, podcasts and digital shorts by and about some of the foremost names in the genre, driven by Mass Appeal partner Nasir “Nas” Jones and Mass Appeal Chief Creative Officer and partner Sacha Jenkins, writer, director and producer of the Emmy^® and Peabody-nominated SHOWTIME series WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN. HIP HOP 50 programming will begin airing later this year on SHOWTIME, running over the next three years and culminating with the 50^th anniversary of the genre in 2023.

- SHOWTIME announced today that the new half-hour dark comedy series THE END, starring Emmy^® nominee Harriet Walter (Succession, The Crown, Killing Eve) and Frances O’Connor (The Missing, Mansfield Park), will premiere with two episodes airing back-to-back beginning Sunday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Produced by See-Saw Films, the 10-part series is a co-production between Sky UK and Foxtel Australia, and was created and written by Samantha Strauss and directed by Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough.

- Hulu announced the Original documentary series “McCartney 3,2,1.”  The six-episode music series event features intimate and revealing examinations of musical history from two living legends, Paul McCartney and super producer Rick Rubin, and hails from Endeavor Content. The series is executive produced by McCartney, Rubin, Scott Rodger, Peter Berg, Matthew Goldberg, Brandon Carroll, Jeff Pollack, Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern with Leila Mattimore serving as co-executive producer. All six episodes of “McCartney 3,2,1” premiere Friday, July 16, on Hulu.  

- Whispering Pines Studios is finally open for all y’all to visit from far and wide…  Lord Huron proudly present their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, LONG LOST, out now via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records. Get Long Lost HERE.  With the record loose upon the world, the boys hit the television circuit. Tonight, they are set to deliver an unforgettable performance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing “I Lied” with Allison Ponthier and tomorrow morning, they take the stage at CBS This Morning: Saturday for a performance not to be missed.

- "Look under your bed—it'll set you free."  With those enticingly enigmatic words, an empathetic, hip older sister bequeaths to her hyper-smart but nerdy 11-year-old brother her Rosetta Stone to life in the late-'60s: a prized trove of expertly curated rock, pop, and folk albums that set into chaotic motion young William Miller's eye- ear- and mind-opening journey in director Cameron Crowe's quasi-autobiographical 2000 ode to rock 'n' roll fandom, Almost Famous.  Two decades later, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe Award-winning film remains one of the sweetest love letters to the genre, one that deftly captured the look, the sound, the feel, the attitude of what rock 'n' roll meant to its creators, its most fervent adherents, its hangers-on and its worried parents during a golden era of pop music. The movie's legacy is celebrated with the first-ever release of all the music that so powerfully fueled Crowe's story, based on his own power chord-driven odyssey from wide-eyed music-loving kid to respected rock journalist to celebrated filmmaker.

- Glass Animals share a collaboration with fast-rising UK popstar Bree Runway on their huge track “Space Ghost Coast To Coast,” taken from their acclaimed third album Dreamland released last year—listen HERE.  Hot on the heels of their endearingly trippy video for “Space Ghost Coast To Coast” released last week—watch HERE—Glass Animals have also been experiencing a huge global rise in support on their single “Heat Waves,” with the original track now surpassing 530 million streams, and the band recently released a version of “Heat Waves” featuring iann dior—listen HERE.

- BET brings together nine of the most memorable solo artists and girl groups from the 1990s and 2000s to form the ultimate R&B supergroup in the new original series, “BET Presents The Encore.” Shamari DeVoe, Irish Grinstead, LeMisha Grinstead, Nivea Nash, Felisha King, Fallon King, Pamela Long, Aubrey O’ Day, and Kiely Williams have signed on to the one-of-a-kind music experiment to become the next big musical sensation. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, these talented singers turned wives, moms, and entrepreneurs, will move in together, write new music, learn choreography, record an album, and put on a live performance. The catch? The songstresses must achieve this in only 30 days, with none of them knowing who their bandmates will be ahead of time. Faced with fun twists and unforeseen constraints, the ladies will need to stretch beyond their musical and personal comfort zones to succeed as a team. An esteemed roster of music industry experts will drop in each week to prepare them for their big debut and deliver a chart-topping record, including music producer Kosine, choreographer Aliya Janell, songwriter Elijah Blake, and vocal coach Cynnamyn.  Will their artistic differences or egos get in the way of forming a group? Or will these powerhouse women show the world that they still have what it takes to make a major comeback? Only time, and the music, will tell.  “BET Presents The Encore” premieres Wednesday, June 9 at 10 PM ET/PT on BET and BET Her. 

- After amassing 65 million-plus views and over 10 million streams independently, the Monterrey Mexico hard rock trio of sisters The Warning unleash a new single entitled “CHOKE” today via LAVA/Republic Records.  Listen to “CHOKE”—HERE and watch the official music video for the track HERE.  On the single “CHOKE” and working with legendary rock producer David Bendeth (Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin) the band said: “CHOKE is a song about drowning in your feelings and coming to terms with them. Recording it with David Bendeth (while in quarantine!) was an incredible experience and he really worked with us to bring the song to life.”

- The definitive biography of one of the most enduring and endeared recording artists in history—the Carpenters—will be told for the first time from the perspective of Richard Carpenter, through more than 100 hours of exclusive interviews and some 200 photographs from Richard’s personal archive, many never published. CARPENTERS: THE MUSICAL LEGACY is coming to bookstores on October 19th. Pre-order your copy of CARPENTERS: THE MUSICAL LEGACY today, HERE:

- Get ready to get social with “The D’Amelio Show” in our first look teaser!  From relative obscurity and a seemingly normal life, to overnight success and thrust into the Hollywood limelight overnight, the D’Amelios are faced with new challenges and opportunities they could not have imagined. Charli, who at 16 became one of the biggest celebrities with over 150 million followers combined and #1 on the TikTok platform in less than a year, has the world at her fingertips and is working to balance fame and family, life with dancing, running a budding empire, making new friends in LA and battling the naysayers online. Her sister Dixie, is now 19 and experiencing her own overnight rise to fame with over 78 million followers combined, one of the fastest growing YouTube channels and ranked within the Top 10 Most Followed Creators on TikTok. Dixie is now pursuing a music career in LA. For mom Heidi and dad Marc, raising teenagers is hard enough before adding in a cross-country move, supporting their daughters’ dreams and doing the best they can to stay close as a family and protect their girls from the dark side of fame, while also trying to adjust to life in Hollywood. 

- Hulu has picked up “Immigrant” straight-to-series. The 8-episode, limited series hails from “Pam & Tommy” creator Robert Siegel and star/executive producer Kumail Nanjiani.  “Immigrant” is the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (played by Nanjiani), the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. The series will detail the insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.  The series is written by Robert Siegel and executive produced by Siegel, Nanjiani, Dylan Sellers and Emily V. Gordon as well as Rajiv Joseph and Mehar Sethi who will also write on the series. 

Around the Tubes: April 24, 2021

        

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Unbreakable, Homeroom, Cream, The Weeknd, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Def Leppard, and Taylor Swift

- Fuse is premiering its newest series, Unbreakable, on May 4 at 11 PM ET/PT.  The show follows the lives of young adults with disabilities as they overcome extraordinary obstacles to reach their dreams. According to a soon to be released study from Fuse Media, people with disabilities ranked #1in regards to needing the most representation of all under-represented groups in media.  An inspiring cast of people with disabilities set out to achieve ambitious life milestones. Whether it's breaking into modeling, inventing a revolutionary mountain bike, launching a craft beer or starting a family, these individuals with dreams face challenges and overcome extraordinary obstacles. They must find the power within themselves to reach their personal goals.

- Hulu has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Emmy Award–winning director/cinematographer Peter Nicks’ 2021 Sundance Film Festival official selection HOMEROOM.  HOMEROOM is Peter Nicks’ final chapter in a trilogy of films examining the relationship between health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, CA over the past decade. Hulu is thrilled to also have the U.S. streaming rights to THE WAITING ROOM (2012) and THE FORCE (2017) so audiences can experience all three projects of this groundbreaking trilogy together. 

- UMe/Polydor is delighted to release the limited edition, blue, 2LP release of Cream's show Live at the Forum, recorded at the Los Angeles Forum during their Goodbye Tour of 1968. Taken from the 2020 full version of the 4-CD set of the Goodbye Tour 1968 and produced by Bill Levenson, this sumptuous 2LP set is the first authorized release of the full concert on vinyl and is available today, April 23, HERE. It captures Cream at their virtuosic best, at the end, and at the height of their career.

- The Weeknd unveils the much anticipated “Save Your Tears Remix” with Ariana Grande via XO/Republic Records. Listen to “Save Your Tears (Remix)” HERE.  Watch the official animated video with both stars directed by Jack Brown and produced by Blinkink HERE.  The diamond-selling icon paired with Grammy winner Grande, continuing a tradition of epic collaborations together such as “Love Me Harder” and “off the table.”

- Capitol Records/UMe is pleased to announce Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s ‘Live’ Bullet will be reissued in its original 2LP format celebrating the 45^th anniversary of this classic album.  Hailed by critics as one of the best live records of all time, including the June 1976 review from The New York Times,  “This music roars on and on until at the very end of the performance, Seger—still raring to go—bellows: ‘I’m going to rock and roll all night long.’ He means it and ‘Live Bullet’ is proof positive that he’s a living dynamo.”  ‘Live’ Bullet will be offered in two versions: a 2LP album in a standard version 150 gram black vinyl with a lithograph, and 2LP translucent orange and red swirl vinyl only available at independent record stores, Bob Seger’s Official store, and Capitol/UMe store. The lithograph is a reproduction of the Live Bullet cover of Seger onstage from the show taken by well-known Detroit photographer Robert Markliwitz. The album has been remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated mastering engineer Robert Vosgien.

- On June 11, 2021, legendary British rock ‘n’ roll icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame®inductees Def Leppard will release Def Leppard – Volume Three, a new limited edition box set UMe/Virgin.  This set marks the third of four volumes of the band’s complete recorded output in both 180gm vinyl and limited-edition CD box sets. They contain all the recordings from the band in the 2000’s and features the original packaging on both formats. To date, X, Yeah! and Songs from the Sparkle Lounge have never been available on vinyl before.

-  Returning to #1 around the world and breaking numerous records, Taylor Swift has made history yet again with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Notably, she's the first woman with three new No. 1 albums in less than a year. Moving over 1 million units worldwide, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) logged the “biggest first week debut of any album this year,” “the biggest first week debut for a country album since 2015” and “the biggest female country streaming week ever.” Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is the only No. 1 album of its kind: a re-recording of an artist’s (own or another’s) previously released album.  Generating 50 million-plus streams on release day, it also achieved “the biggest first day streaming debut for any album on Spotify this year” and marked her fourth consecutive album to exceed 50 million Spotify streams in 24 hours. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) also becomes the first country album by a female artist to reach #1 on Apple Music’s US Albums chart.

Around the Tubes: April 17, 2021

       

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Shrill, Cinema Toast, The Kings, Lord Huron, Paula Fuga, Lionel Ritchie, NOW That’s What I Call Music!, Cusp, and A Cinderella Story: Starstuck.

- Hulu's Shrill trailer has arrived, ready or not!  The final season premieres Friday, May 7, only on Hulu.  SYNOPSIS: Season three of Shrill finds Annie (Aidy Bryant) energized by her breakup with dud boyfriend Ryan and her newfound momentum at work. Annie feels like everything is finally falling into place for her, but does she actually know how to get what she wants?

-  SHOWTIME has announced that the new anthology series CINEMA TOAST will premiere all 10 episodes on the SHOWTIME on-demand streaming and partner platforms on Tuesday, April 20. Created by Jeff Baena and produced by the Duplass Brothers, CINEMA TOAST is a post-modernist reinvention of older movies that turns pre-existing imagery from the public domain on its head to tell brand new unique stories. Directors include Baena, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Alex Ross Perry, Marta Cunningham, Aubrey Plaza, Numa Perrier, Jordan Firstman, Kris Rey and David Lowery. The episodes are voiced by actors including Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Fred Armisen, John Early, Christina Ricci, Megan Mullally, Chloe Fineman and Chris Meloni.
- In boxing, it is said that styles make fights. From 1980 through 1989, it was the style of four great fighters that not only made legendary fights, it ushered in a boxing renaissance. The fierce rivalry between world champions and future Hall of Famers known as the “Four Kings” – Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard – produced a Golden Age defined by the nine world championship fights between them and solidified their place among the greatest to ever live.  SHOWTIME SPORTS DOCUMENTARY FILMS today announced THE KINGS, a four-part series chronicling the four fighters' dramatic and divergent ascents to greatness and the legendary matches they produced. The weekly series premieres on Sunday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET /PT on SHOWTIME, with all episodes being made available across the network’s on-demand and streaming platforms at premiere.
- Deepening the mystery of their current chapter, Lord Huron unveil a new song entitled “Long Lost” today. It stands out as the title track of their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, LONG LOST, out May 21^st via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records. Listen to "Long Lost" HERE & watch the lyric video HERE.  Pre-order Long Lost HERE.
- Paula Fuga announces new album Rain on Sunday, available June 18^th through all digital services. “If Ever”, the lead track, available today along with a lyric video, is a duet with Jack Johnson featuring musician Ben Harper. Listen to “If Ever” and watch the accompanying lyric video here and to purchase, view here.  Rain on Sunday is Fuga’s much-anticipated second full-length album and also her debut album on Jack Johnson’s own Brushfire Records and Republic Records. In bringing Rain on Sunday to life, Fuga worked with producer Mike Love, recording live with her longtime bandmates and infusing every song with a kinetic and joyful energy. For the album’s creation, everything was tracked live, playing in a room together, which was of most importance to Fuga.
- While Lionel Richie and his American Idol colleagues continue their mission to discover music’s next superstar, today marks the 25^th anniversary of Louder Than Words, the Top-30 Billboard album that ushered in a new chapter for one of the most successful Pop and R&B artists of all time. Island Def Jam Music Group/UMe will celebrate this era in Lionel Richie’s illustrious career with digital deluxe editions of multiple albums throughout 2021, including Just For You (May 7) and Time (June 25). Each of the bonus tracks on the digital deluxe editions of Louder Than Words, Just For You and Time will make their streaming debut.  Kicking off these releases will be the 25^th anniversary expanded digital deluxe edition of Louder Than Words, Richie’s fourth solo studio album and first for Mercury/Island Records, originally available on April 16, 1996. Available here, Louder Than Words, which at the time was Richie’s first full album in 10 years, features “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” co-written by Lionel Richie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Also featured are “I Wanna Take You Down,” “Paradise,” “Climbing,” “Ordinary Girl,” and Lionel Richie’s work with Babyface and David Foster. The bonus tracks include rare Spanish and Italian language versions of “Still In Love,” the radio version of “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” and non-album cuts “What Do They Know” and “Now You’re Gone.” Louder Than Words enhances Richie’s smooth R&B style with traces of funk and hip-hop for an emotional journey through heartbreak, anticipation and romance that speaks volumes.
- NOW That’s What I Call Music!, the world’s bestselling multiple-artist album series, showcases today's biggest hits across chart-topping numbered volumes and themed releases. NOW’s latest numbered volume, NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 78, will be released April 30 on CD and digitally. On the same date, NOW That’s What I Call A Decade! 1990s will also be available on CD and digitally.  Preorder NOW:  NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 78 (CD, Digital): https://now.lnk.to/NOW78  NOW That’s What I Call A Decade! 1990s (CD, Digital): https://now.lnk.to/Decade1990s
- SHOWTIME Documentary Films announced that it has acquired worldwide rights to CUSP, the documentary feature from directors Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt, winners of the Emerging Filmmaker Special Jury Award at the Sundance^® Film Festival, where the film premiered earlier this year. Set in a small military town in Texas, CUSP chases three wild-spirited teenage girls as they live out a fever-dream summer, when the strictures of adolescence clash with the growing desire for personal agency. SHOWTIME is planning a theatrical release ahead of a network premiere later this year.  Shot in vérité style, CUSP captures authentic moments of female friendship while examining what it means to grow up in a culture of toxic masculinity. Though the girls’ experiences are completely unique to their upbringing, CUSP is also a strikingly universal coming-of-age tale — and true-to-life, at turns funny, tragic, complicated and stirring.
- Lights, Camera, Action! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will have you singing and dancing in your seat with the release of A Cinderella Story: Starstuck, on Digital beginning June 29^th, and on DVD on July 13^th. The all-new musical film set in Dreary, Idaho stars Bailee Madison (A Week Away) as our modern-day heroine Finley Tremain and Michael Evans Behling (All American) as her charming romantic interest, Jackson Stone. Other featured actors include April Telek (Chris Watts: Confession of a Killer) as the cruel stepmother, Valerian, and step-siblings Saffron and Kale, played respectively by Lillian Doucet-Roche (A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish) and Richard Harmon (The 100).  A Cinderella Story: Starstruck will be available on Digital for $14.99 SRP ($14.99 in Canada), and on DVD for $19.98 SRP ($24.98 in Canada).

 

Around the Tubes: October 17, 2020

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Dexter, Stevie Wonder, Hanson, Benee, James Blake, Hope Tala, The Circus, Bad Hombres, Saturday Night Live, Shameless, VOTE or DIE!, 

- America’s favorite serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) will return to SHOWTIME in a new 10-episode limited series that will once again bring together series star Michael C. Hall and showrunner Clyde Phillips. The new limited series is set to begin production in early 2021, with a tentative premiere date in the fall of 2021. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.  “DEXTER is such a special series, both for its millions of fans and for SHOWTIME, as this breakthrough show helped put our network on the map many years ago,” said Levine. “We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series.  Well, I am happy to report that Clyde Phillips and Michael C. Hall have found it, and we can’t wait to shoot it and show it to the world!”

- Stevie Wonder used the occasion of the 36^th birthday of his second oldest son, Mumtaz Morris, to announce something he has never done before. With a spirit of celebration, he released two songs at once. “Can’t Put It in The Hands of Fate” feat. Rapsody, Cordae, Chika, and Busta Rhymes and “Where Is Our Love Song” feat. Gary Clark Jr., are songs that provide instruction and inspiration for today’s global challenges.  Released on Wonder’s new label, So What The Fuss Music, marketed and distributed by Republic Records/Universal Music Group, both songs are written and produced by Stevie Wonder and are available now on all digital and streaming platforms.  Listen to “Can’t Put It In The Hands of Fate” feat. Rapsody, Cordae, Chika, and Busta Rhymes: HERE  Listen to “Where Is Our Love Song” feat. Gary Clark Jr.: HERE

- HANSON are inviting fans around the world to join them for the second chapter on November 5 -7, which will also coincide with the November 6 release of their new album Perennial - A Hanson Net Collection. The livestreaming concert series broadcasting live from the historic Cain’s Ballroom, a local music landmark in the band’s hometown of Tulsa, OK, features a new musical theme each month, and offers live streaming tickets along with very limited in-person tickets for members of the band’s Hanson.net fan club. November’s musical theme for the concerts will be inspired by the new album, Perennial, which highlights music recorded for the band’s Hanson.net community over the last 20 years, but never before shared with the public.  WATCH: STREAMING CONCERT SERIES | OFFICIAL TRAILER  BUY TICKETS

- New Zealand’s platinum sensation BENEE announces her highly-anticipated debut album, Hey u x, is set for release on November 13^th. The 13-track genre-bending album, which features collaborations from a slew of artists, including Lily Allen, Grimes, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat, Kenny Beats, Bakar and Muroki, can be pre-ordered now HERE.  Hey u x includes BENEE’s Platinum-Certified smash hit “Supalonley” feat. Gus Dapperton, which has amassed over 2.1 billion global streams to date, as well as her recently released pop bops, “Night Garden” feat. Kenny Beats and Bakar and “Snail.” See the full album tracklist below. The album artwork was designed by Californian artist Terry Hoff.

- GRAMMY® Award-winning UK singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer James Blake has officially released his new EP Before – Listen HERE. Blake joined Annie Mac on Radio 1 for “Hottest Record in the World” to premiere the title track, “Before.” The 4 track EP is an homage to his London club days, as Blake returns to his roots on these deep and immersive dancefloor tracks while showcasing the evolution of his music. Before is available everywhere now, via Republic Records.

- Hot on the heels of well received recent single, “All My Girls Like To Fight,” fast emerging, London-based newcomer Hope Tala today reveals new track “Crazy,” the second offering taken from her upcoming major label debut EP, Girl Eats Sun out October 30^TH. Showcasing Hope Tala’s beautiful vocals atop bossa nova-influenced beats, “Crazy” once again cements Hope Tala as an artist set to take the next months by storm.  LISTEN TO “CRAZY” HERE AND WATCH THE CAPTIVATING LIVE VIDEO HERE!

- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH continues its fifth season Sunday with a deep dive into the ongoing battle over voter access during an election that is already underway.  Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, unpack a critical week in the closing days of the 2020 race, as  President Trump returns to the campaign trail, Judge Amy Coney Barrett begins Supreme Court confirmation hearings and a record number of Americans cast their ballots.  For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/afT3SCp4b2U.

- SHOWTIME has released a first look at its upcoming documentary BAD HOMBRES, premiering on Friday, October 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Filmed over the course of the 2019 Mexican Baseball League season, BAD HOMBRES chronicles the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, the world’s only binational professional baseball team, revealing what life is like in two border cities besieged by divisive rhetoric and policies, all in the shadow of America’s pastime.  The never-before-seen clip illustrates an unexpected concern that members of the Tecolotes staff and roster must address following a controversial statement from the United States government threatening the closure of the U.S.-Mexico border just days before the season begins, potentially restricting travel between the team’s two home ballparks. Scheduled to host home openers in both Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, the Tecolotes’ plans are put at risk. To watch and/or share the first look, visit: https://s.sho.com/3dqNCUZ.

- On October 11, 1975, Saturday Night Live, a topical comedy sketch show, made its debut on NBC. Created by Canadian-born comedy writer Lorne Michaels, it would go on to become a renowned launch pad for generational talent and unforgettable characters and become the longest-running, highest-rated show on late-night television. The first five years of Saturday Night Live featured some of the most beloved cast members of all time, including Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman and they set the stage for some of the most hilarious live television comedy American audiences had ever seen.  Now the best of the original cast is available unlike ever before. To commemorate this landmark show, the TV DVD specialists at Time Life have brought together the very best episodes from the first five seasons with SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: THE EARLY YEARS, a hilarity-packed 12-disc collector's DVD set featuring the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" iconic characters, legendary guest hosts like George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin and Richard Pryor, exclusive bonus features and more! They're still not ready for prime time, but now you can watch them any time!  Available now exclusively at TimeLife.com/SaturdayNightLive

- SHOWTIME has announced the 11^th and final season of its hit comedy series SHAMELESS will premiere Sunday, December 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. SHAMELESS, which originally premiered in the winter of 2011, ranks as the network’s No. 1 comedy and its longest-running series, and has the youngest-skewing audience of any SHOWTIME series. Season 10 of SHAMELESS aired its finale on January 26 and averaged 5.7 million weekly viewers across platforms.  The final season of SHAMELESS finds the Gallagher family and the South Side at a crossroads, with changes caused by the COVID pandemic, gentrification and aging to reconcile. As Frank (William H. Macy) confronts his own mortality and family ties in his alcoholic and drug induced twilight years, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) struggles with the prospect of becoming the family’s new patriarch. Newlyweds Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) are figuring out the rules and responsibilities of being in a committed relationship while Deb (Emma Kenney) embraces her individuality and single motherhood. Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) finds an unlikely new career in law enforcement and Kevin (Steve Howey) and V (Shanola Hampton) struggle to decide whether a hard life on the South Side is worth fighting for.

- SHOWTIME has made a straight-to-series order for 10 episodes of the new half-hour comedy FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS, created and written by Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman, who will both star. The series is a co-production by SHOWTIME and Avalon (Breeders, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), which will act as lead studio in adapting Iso and Perlman’s digital series of the same name. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.  FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS is a raw comedy of city life following Dan and Kevin, who play characters struggling to thrive in their new surroundings in the brash environment of Flatbush, Brooklyn. Bold, smart and grounded in authenticity, the show explores two longtime friends seeking to climb out of their heads and connect with others. For their work writing, directing and starring in the shorts that form the foundation of the series, Iso and Perlman won Best North American Short Film at the London Film Festival, with the first installment becoming Oscar^® qualified following a Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the Florida Film Festival.

- SHOWTIME is picking up a third season of its comedy series BLACK MONDAY, starring Emmy^® nominee and Golden Globe^® winner Don Cheadle, who also executive produces. The comedy about a motley crew of underdogs causing the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street also stars two-time Tony Award nominee and Grammy^® winner Andrew Rannells (Girls) and Regina Hall (Little, Girls Trip), who serve as producers, and Paul Scheer (Veep). BLACK MONDAY is created by showrunners and executive producers David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (My Best Friend’s Girl). Emmy nominees Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Good Boys, The Boys) executive produce. BLACK MONDAY, a co-production between SHOWTIME and Sony Pictures Television, will resume production on 10 episodes next year for a 2021 debut on the network.

- Approaching this year’s General Election on November 3^rd, REVOLT has relaunched Sean “Diddy” Combs’ widely popular VOTE or DIE! initiative, to rally the next generation of leaders to exercise their right to vote in this critical election.  As we face a pivotal turning point in our nation’s history, being politically active means more than selecting a President; it symbolizes your right to take action now. REVOLT recognizes “Vote or Die” is relevant now, more than ever.  To jumpstart the campaign, REVOLT hosted a State of Emergency: Election Day and Black America town hall, presented by Cash App and moderated by American television host, Eboni K. Williams, to alert citizens about the current happenings in Black America as we prepare to engage in the general election. Guests included Kerry Washington, Cordae, Tamika Mallory, Vic Mensa, Dr. Cornell West, Jeff Johnson, Kimberly Jones, Mysonne, Tezlyn Figaro and more. In addition to the town hall, REVOLT Black News (RBN) provided a recap of the Presidential and Vice Presidential debate and has conducted interviews with politicians, political commentators and notable voices in the Black community.

- VP Pence held a rally in Columbus, Ohio.  A group of Our Revolution protestors led by Chuckie Denison a former Lordstown worker who recently retired from GM were kicked out as they were attempting to call out Pence and his lies about the administration saving manufacturing jobs.  The Trump-Pence ticket has always had a problem with the truth, and their comments on the Ohio economy are no exception. In factcheck after factcheck they have repeatedly lied about auto manufacturing in Ohio and more plants have closed than jobs created. Chuckie has extensively called out Trump and his lies on the economy in Ohio: “In 2016, Trump won big in the Mahoning Valley, the traditionally blue stronghold in northeast Ohio where I live, helping Trump carry the state after it twice voted for Obama. Blue-collar voters believed Trump when he said he would be the “greatest jobs president that God ever created.” Four years later, it’s obvious we were duped. Under Trump, we’ve lost 5 million of the 11.6 million net jobs created under Obama.That’s the worst jobs record of any modern president.”

- A group of American ethnic leaders from central and eastern Europe (CEE), together with former US ambassadors to NATO and 14 CEE nations, General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Ambassador Mark Brzezinski (retired) today announced a campaign warning voters in battleground states of the danger that reelection of President Donald Trump poses to freedom in so many countries of their heritage.  As part of the launch, they have released a joint statement and video aimed at highlighting President Trump’s ongoing threats to NATO and former Vice President Joe Biden’s commitment to championing the military alliance as a bulwark for the people of central and eastern Europe against Russian authoritarianism and aggression. The campaign is targeted to ethnic and social media of Americans whose families hale from central and eastern Europe.  “The ethnic community leaders and former diplomats who come together today know central and eastern Europe. They know America. And they know Vladimir Putin,” said General Clark. “That’s why I join them to warn voters, particularly in battleground states, that, because he threatens NATO, Donald Trump is dangerous to their families’ homelands and to our country. Vice President Joe Biden, on the other hand, is a proven champion of NATO and of democracy in Europe and around the world.