Showing posts with label Press Release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Press Release. Show all posts

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Around the Tubes: 11/12/16



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 The Affair, The Breakthrough Prize, Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC. Tont Vaccaro, and Vice News Tonight.

Showtime is giving viewers nationwide the opportunity to sample the season three premiere of the network’s Golden Globe-winning drama series The Affair for free, ahead of its linear debut on Sunday, November 20 at 10:00. In addition, immediately following the third season premiere on-air, Showtime will make the second episode available early only to subscribers starting at 11 p.m. ET on SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and to subscribers of its stand-alone streaming service Showtime, and at midnight on Showtime On Demand®. With the premiere episode being told from the perspective of Noah (Golden Globe nominee Dominic West), the second episode will offer viewers a more comprehensive picture of the season ahead, providing additional perspectives from Alison (Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson) and Helen (Emmy Award® nominee Maura Tierney). This season, BAFTA and César Award-nominated Irène Jacob joins the cast, providing the series’ new fifth perspective. THE AFFAIR also stars Screen Actors Guild® nominee Joshua Jackson. Consumers who do not subscribe to Showtime can watch the TV-14 rated version of the season three premiere for free now on YouTube and SHO.com. The episode is also available for download as a free video podcast on iTunes. Consumers can also sample the premiere of THE AFFAIR for free across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and free On Demand channels.

- The Breakthrough Prize will mark its fifth anniversary celebrating top achievements in the fields of physics, life sciences and mathematics, with a star-studded ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4, at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The ceremony, to be broadcast live on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, will be hosted by Academy Award®-winning actor Morgan Freeman and will feature a special performance by 15-time Grammy®-winning singer, songwriter and producer Alicia Keys. The ceremony will be directed and produced, for the fourth time, by Don Mischer, alongside executive producers Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare of Don Mischer Productions.

- In World War II, Tony Vaccaro played two risky roles, serving as a combat infantryman on the front lines, as well as a photographer who shot 8,000 photographs. Though he began as a young GI eager to record the war, he vowed never to take another war photo on the day the conflict ended, horrified by what he had seen. Directed by Max Lewkowicz (the New York Emmy®-winning “Morgenthau”), Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC. Tont Vaccaro chronicles the life and vision of this remarkable man, exploring how photography defines the way the public perceives armed conflict, and revealing the sheer difficulty of survival while taking photos in a war zone. The poignant documentary debuts MONDAY, NOV. 14 (8:00-9:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

- For some Americans, abstaining from voting this year was a statement. Vice News Tonight's Dexter Thomas spent election day with 22-year-old Ohio resident Danielle Anderson, who made a point of staying home instead of heading to the polls. Thomas' full interview with Danielle is available on HBO Go and HBO Now. Watch VICE News Tonight weeknights on HBO at 7:30pm.

Saturday, November 05, 2016

Around the Tubes: 11/5/16



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 Homeland, Kid Cudi, The Human League, Bob Marley & the Wailers, UB40, Assignment Explorer, Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC. Tony Vaccaro, The Lost Tapes: Pearl Harbor, and The Circus.

- Showtime has released the first teaser for season six of its Emmy and Golden Globe-winning hit drama series Homeland, which will premiere on Sunday, January 15 at 9:00. Season six is currently in production in New York, after spending the last two seasons shooting abroad in South Africa and Berlin. Homeland stars Emmy, Screen Actors Guild® and Golden Globe Award winner Claire Danes, Emmy nominee Rupert Friend, acclaimed stage and screen actress Elizabeth Marvel, Oscar® winner and Emmy nominee F. Murray Abraham, and Emmy and Tony® Award winner Mandy Patinkin.


- Grammy Award®-winning multiplatinum artist and trendsetter KID CUDI premieres the music video for his new single “Surfin’” [feat. Pharrell Williams]. The song is available at all digital retailers via Republic Records/Wicked Awesome Records.


- A Very British Synthesizer Group is a sound and vision anthology featuring all the hits of The Human League. The 2CD Deluxe Edition and the Deluxe 3LP box set versions cover the entire history of the group in 30 songs including 7 previously unreleased DJ edits from the earliest incarnation to the phenomenon that was Dare and all that happened in its wake. The incredibly successful left turn of working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the return to being a glorious live act and the glamorous robotic pop of 2011’s Credo album. Both packages include a 20-page booklet featuring a new essay by David Buckley plus rare memorabilia and photographs. The 3LP box set includes special vinyl discs that were mastered at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios.

Bob Marley & the Wailers were at the peak of their artistic powers when they arrived at the Lyceum London for two shows on July 17 and 18, 1975, having just released Natty Dread the year before and about to unleash Rastaman Vibration on the world. The Rolling Stones mobile studio was on hand to record both shows, with seven songs from the second released as Live!, in December of that same year. The recording was subsequently broadcast as part of the syndicated radio program King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1976. The Marley Family will now release for the first time the complete sets from both shows, Bob Marley & the Wailers - Live!, as a three-LP set in 180-gram black vinyl and as a digital package on December 16 in a tri-gatefold package that also includes a reproduction of the tour program from the band’s historic ’75 U.K. tour. In addition, on the same day, a seven-inch live vinyl disc will also be made available as an exclusive at UDiscover and the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, JA.

- Released December 2nd by UMe, Unplugged + Greatest Hits is a 2CD package containing a brand new Unplugged album plus UB40’s Greatest Hits. As founding members of Britain’s biggest reggae band UB40, singer Ali Campbell, second vocalist Astro and keyboardist Mickey Virtue topped the UK singles chart on three occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe. But, in all their years of stellar success, the trio never transferred the spirit of UB40 into an acoustic setting. Now with ‘Unplugged’ they breathe new life into an intoxicating mix of timeless covers and classic UB40 originals.

- For anyone who has ever been inspired by the great storytellers of National Geographic, the opportunity to join their ranks has arrived. National Geographic today launches Assignment Explorer, its first-ever nationwide casting call for a digital correspondent to serve National Geographic’s online audience. The role will complement the team of on-air reporters on the network’s long-running, critically acclaimed series Explorer, which relaunches Monday, Nov. 14, at 10:00 as a one-hour weekly magazine-talk hybrid, hosted in studio by broadcaster, journalist and author Richard Bacon (@richardpbacon).

- In World War II, Tony Vaccaro played two risky roles, serving as a combat infantryman on the front lines, as well as a photographer who shot 8,000 photographs. Though he began as a young GI eager to record the war, he vowed never to take another war photo on the day the conflict ended, horrified by what he had seen. Directed by Max Lewkowicz (the New York Emmy®-winning “Morgenthau”), Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC. Tony Vaccaro chronicles the life and vision of this remarkable man, exploring how photography defines the way the public perceives armed conflict, and revealing the sheer difficulty of survival while taking photos in a war zone. The poignant documentary debuts Monday, November 14 (8:00-9:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

- They were all major events that would leave a lasting imprint on America, and their narratives were shaped by the news coverage they received. With no narration or interviews, relying entirely on radio reports, television footage, rarely seen photographs, and other media, a new Smithsonian Channel series, THE LOST TAPES, will dive deeper into these gripping events, recapturing moments as they happened, raw and unfiltered. The first installment, The Lost Tapes: Pearl Harbor, will premiere Sunday, December 4 at 9:00. ET/PT, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the attacks that brought the U.S. into World War II.

- In the final week of the campaign, more breaking bad news for Hillary Clinton and tightening of the polls creates confusion and uncertainty about the outcome of the election. In a race where lots of people say they know what’s happening, nobody really f***ing knows. This Sunday at 8:00 on Showtime, The Circus team fans out across the country, going to battleground states – including Utah, Iowa, Arizona, New Hampshire and Wisconsin – in an effort to understand what’s going on in this volatile race.

- A petition calling on CNN and MSNBC to host a presidential debate among independent candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and Evan McMullin, and signed by over 1,500 individuals representing 50 states who stated they were “gravely concerned about the shortcomings of our political process” was submitted to the news organizations today. The petition was circulated by IndependentVoting.org, the country’s largest association of independent voters.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Around the Tubes: 10/28/16



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 Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Your Brain on Video Games, The Race Card, Zero Days, Conan, The 50th Annual CMA Awards, the National Geographic Channel, and Major League Baseball.

- Showtime has released a new “presidential” teaser for its live election special, Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going To Clean Up This Sh*t? The special is a partnership between The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and SHOWTIME, featuring Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning late night host Stephen Colbert. Colbert will bring his unique comedic perspective, political satire and social commentary to Showtime live on Tuesday, November 8 at 11:00 on air, on demand and over the internet.


- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will commemorate the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album by releasing two companion vinyl box sets featuring their entire studio album repertoire via UMe and Reprise/Warner Bros. Records. Several of these albums have been out of print on vinyl for years and all albums have been remastered for this release except where noted. All LPs in each of the limited-edition box sets will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl with replica artwork.

- Next week on TBS, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will feature a thought-provoking interview with President Barack Obama. A legal scholar and former junior Senator from Illinois, Mr. Obama has served the past eight years as the President of the United States of America. Samantha Bee's interview of President Obama will air on TBS Monday, Oct. 31, at 10:30.

- Often scrutinized for crude violence, many have accused video games of increasing aggressive behavior, especially among impressionable youths. Violent video games remain a controversial subject and as the demographic for gaming widens, researchers are diving deeper into the mainstream perception that video games have hidden negative effects on otherwise peaceful people. Science Channel explores the effects of video games on the human psyche in Your Brain on Video Games which premieres ‪Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 9:00.

- The first promo spot for TNT's provocative new series The Race Card, starring Charles Barkley, can be seen below.


- With global attention on cyber warfare intensifying in recent weeks thanks to the latest WikiLeaks email releases, Russian hack attacks, and with less than two weeks until the U.S. presidential election, SHOWTIME today announced it has accelerated the world television premiere date of Zero Days to Saturday, Nov. 5 at 9:00. As the subject continues to make headlines across the U.S and world, this film becomes more relevant and powerful documentary as viewers are being confronted by these issues in their daily lives.

- TBS's late-night show Conan will be heading back to New York City for the first time since 2011 for a week of shows airing Oct. 31 – Nov. 3. Joining host Conan O'Brien during the week will be special guests Louis C.K., Ryan Reynolds and Tracy Morgan, along with comedian Rory Scovel, the band The Sugar Hill Gang and more. Taped at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater, the week of episodes will kick off the beginning of CONAN's eighth year on TBS, a division of Turner. It will also continue O'Brien's string of innovative road show broadcasts from cities across the United States and around the globe. The preliminary schedule for Conan in NYC is included below, with additional guests and musical performances to be announced soon:

CONAN in NYC
Monday, Oct. 31: Musical guest The Sugar Hill Gang
Tuesday, Nov. 1: Louis C.K.
Wednesday, Nov. 2: Ryan Reynolds and comedian Rory Scovel
Thursday, Nov. 3: Tracy Morgan

- AT&T* is giving Country Music fans a front row seat at The 50th Annual CMA Awards red carpet. AUDIENCE® Network presents an exclusive look at the "AT&T CMA Awards Red Carpet" show hosted by Bobby Bones, host of iHeartRadio's nationally syndicated radio program "The Bobby Bones Show," and a performance by Country Music star Chris Janson. Janson's "Buy Me A Boat" was named Country Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in May.

- From the top of One World Trade Center, National Geographic announced today an extensive global rebrand across the company’s world-class media platforms, experiences and nonprofit organization. This evolution further builds on last year’s expanded joint venture with 21st Century Fox and cements National Geographic’s position as a leader in premium content with an unparalleled global reach. The rebrand will touch every aspect of National Geographic (at both the for-profit National Geographic Partners and the nonprofit National Geographic Society), including the visual presentation of the global channels in 171 countries, the iconic magazine, nationalgeographic.com, all of the company’s social and digital platforms and the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

- Major League Baseball and Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company, announced a new entertainment distribution alliance for the annual World Series film and World Series Collector’s Edition box set. The announcement was made today by Chris Tully, Executive Vice President, Media for Major League Baseball and Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos.

- Today Main Street Alliance (MSA) released its first political web ad, featuring MSA Executive Committee member and small business owner Kelly Conklin. A poll conducted in September found nearly 60 percent of small business owners siding with Donald Trump. With less than two weeks until Election Day, Conklin, owner of Foley-Waite LLC, a woodworking company in Kenilworth, New Jersey, makes his case against a Trump presidency. “Donald Trump is a recession waiting to happen,” Kelly says. “And on November 8th you have a choice, whether we are going to go ahead on a steady course or whether we are going to plunge the country into one of its darkest eras ever. The master of disaster or a proven entity who can do the job."

Friday, October 21, 2016

Around the Tubes: 10/21/16



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 Twin Peaks, POV (Point of View), Years of Living Dangerously, Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going To Clean Up This Shi*t?, Green Day iHeartRadio Album Release Party on AT&T, Wheel of Fortune, Bob Hope: Home for the Holidays, Trolls: Crazy Party Forest, and Don the Con.

- Showtime has released the first behind-the-scenes look at the new Twin Peaks, which will premiere in 2017 on Showtime, on-air, on demand and over the internet. This first glimpse on set features original cast members Kyle MacLachlan, Miguel Ferrer, Kimmy Robertson, Harry Goaz, Dana Ashbrook and James Marshall sharing their thoughts on returning to the television phenomenon, as well as insight from new cast members Jim Belushi, Amy Shiels, Robert Knepper and Chrysta Bell into what fans can expect from the new Twin Peaks.


- Ryan and Amy Green faced every parent’s worst nightmare when their infant son Joel was diagnosed with brain cancer. But Ryan, an independent video game developer, imagined that something larger and brighter could come out of his family’s struggle: a poetic video game that would help him share an experience so rarely discussed—raising a child with cancer. Their heroic and life-affirming story is documented in Thank You for Playing, an Official Selection of the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, which will premiere during the 29th season of the PBS series POV (Point of View) on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 at 10:00 (check local listings). American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, POV is the recipient of a 2013 MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

- National Geographic Channel (NGC) will premiere the second season of the Emmy award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously— Sunday, Oct. 30, at 8:00. Years of Living Dangerously will move to its regularly scheduled time, Wednesdays at 10:00, beginning Nov. 2. The full list of season two correspondents includes Jack Black, Gisele Bündchen, Ty Burrell, Don Cheadle, America Ferrera, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson, David Letterman, Aasif Mandvi, Nikki Reed, executive producer Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder, Cecily Strong, Sigourney Weaver and Bradley Whitford. They give first-person accounts from locations — some shockingly close to home, others in far-flung corners of the globe — where the effects of climate change are most prevalent. They cover crucial issues, like severe hurricanes, deforestation, the solar energy crisis, climate migrants, historic droughts and the rapidly increasing extinction rate of our planet’s wildlife. The result is a gritty and raw look at not only how our species has impacted our planet but also how we can save it for future generations.

- In an unprecedented partnership between The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Showtime, the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning late night host Stephen Colbert will bring his special brand of political satire and social commentary to a live Showtime election special. Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale: Who’s Going To Clean Up This Shi*t? will air on Tuesday, November 8 at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.

- Tune in to watch Green Day iHeartRadio Album Release Party on AT&T, airing exclusively via nationwide broadcast Friday, October 21 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on the AUDIENCE Network, DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114. Green Day's new album Revolution Radio is out now on Reprise Records.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today that it has secured the telecast rights to season 31 of the iconic game show Wheel of Fortune, debuting Monday, October 24 and airing weekdays at 11:00 and 11:30am.

- There's no place like home for the holidays. And there really was no place like Bob Hope's home for the holidays with Bob, Dolores and the Hope family. Bob Hope's TV Christmas connection began on December 24, 1950 with The Comedy Hour and from then on, each and every holiday season, Bob invited friends from the world of entertainment and sports to celebrate the season in hilarious and heartwarming fashion. America's greatest entertainer hands out laughs galore in Bob Hope: Home for the Holidays! Street date, November 1.

- Ubisoft, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that the extraordinary world of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls is coming to life in an all new mobile game, Trolls: Crazy Party Forest! Based on DreamWorks’ Trolls, the upcoming animated feature film transporting audiences into a fresh and irreverent broad comedy filled with music, heart and hair-raising adventures, Trolls: Crazy Party Forest! is a free-to-play game where players can build their own Troll village and interact with their favorite characters including Poppy, Branch and their friends from the movie. The new game, developed by Ubisoft’s mobile team, is now available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices worldwide.

- DontheCons.com, the world’s leading website dedicated to the honoring the legacy of the world-leading con jobs promulgated by Donald Trump (a/k/a Don the Con), today announced the winner of greatest Don the Con Con Job contest. With over 20 million votes recorded in multiple rounds, The “Make Trump Rich Again” Con narrowly defeated Trump U as the greatest con of all time.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Around the Tubes: 10/14/16



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 Great Performances, The Affair, Kid Cudi, The Circus, Years of Living Dangerously, Mighty Planes, Punkin Chunkin, Untamed With Filipe DeAndrade, Garth Brooks/Yankee Stadium/Live, and #ChooseKindness.

- PBS announced today the broadcast premiere dates for the diverse slate of performing arts specials that will air as part of the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival. Compelling specials from Great Performances and Live from Lincoln Center, as well as Bill Murray: The Mark Twain Prize and Alan Cumming Sings Happy Songs, will join Hamilton’S America as a part of this year’s festival. “PBS is thrilled to unveil the full lineup and airdates for the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival,” says Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming for PBS. “The quality and variety of programs that compose this year’s festival, from Broadway performances to comedic tributes and cabaret acts, will keep viewers coming back to PBS every Friday night this fall.” As previously announced, Hamilton’S America, from Great Performances, launches the PBS Arts Fall Festival on Friday, October 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings).


- This week, Showtime released the first look video for season three of its critically-acclaimed series The Affair, premiering on Sunday, November 20 at 10:00. THE AFFAIR stars Golden Globe nominee Dominic West, Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson, Emmy Award® nominee Maura Tierney and Screen Actors Guild® nominee Joshua Jackson.


- Grammy Award®-winning multiplatinum artist and trendsetter KID CUDI debuts the visual for his latest song “Frequency” via Republic Records/Wicked Awesome Records this week.


- The SHowtime campaign documentary series The Circus is making an early return this week to cover the fallout from the dramatic new developments in the presidential race. The Circus is cutting its two-week break in half and will air all new episodes on Sundays at 8:00 on Showtime through the election.

- National Geographic Channel (NGC) will premiere the second season of the Emmy award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously— Sunday, Oct. 30, at 8:00. Years of Living Dangerously will move to its regularly scheduled time, Wednesdays at 10/9c, beginning Nov. 2. Produced in collaboration with The Years Project and from executive producers James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Years of Living Dangerously once again features some of Hollywood’s biggest influencers who are passionate about environmental issues, and it reveals emotional and hard-hitting accounts of the effects of climate change from across the planet. The full list of season two correspondents includes Jack Black, Gisele Bündchen, Ty Burrell, Don Cheadle, America Ferrera, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson, David Letterman, Aasif Mandvi, Nikki Reed, executive producer Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder, Cecily Strong, Sigourney Weaver and Bradley Whitford. They give first-person accounts from locations — some shockingly close to home, others in far-flung corners of the globe — where the effects of climate change are most prevalent. They cover crucial issues, like severe hurricanes, deforestation, the solar energy crisis, climate migrants, historic droughts and the rapidly increasing extinction rate of our planet’s wildlife. The result is a gritty and raw look at not only how our species has impacted our planet but also how we can save it for future generations.

- Season three of the popular Smithsonian Channel series Mighty Planes soars to new heights with some of the world’s most incredible aircraft. From one of the most legendary spy planes to NASA’s cargo-hauling giant, there is no shortage of extraordinary planes carrying out massive undertakings. MIGHTY PLANES tells the stories of the pilots, engineers, avionics specialists, load masters and ground operators behind the machines, and of course, the airplanes that bring it all home. The six-episode season premieres Sunday, November 6 at 8:00.

- Projectile pumpkins take over the sky as Punkin Chunkin returns to Science Channel with a three hour simulcast with Discovery Channel – that’s more primetime gourd-chunkin hours than ever before! Punkin Chunkin is the epic gathering of unconventional engineering teams and builders who compete using a variety of technologies - air cannons, catapults, trebuchets and other homemade contraptions - to see who can propel a pumpkin the farthest. This signature Science Channel television event celebrates the science and engineering skills of all those who compete, as well as their creativity, ingenuity, teamwork, and passion. Punkin Chunkin returns in all its glory after a two-year absence as a simulcast on Science Channel and Discovery Channel Saturday, Nov. 26 at 8:00.

- When filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade won Nat Geo WILD’s Wild to Inspire short film compeititon in 2014, he never dreamed that the opportunity would lead to his own wildlife series. However, his winning short film, “Adapt,” left audiences and judges moved and inspired, proving to Nat Geo WILD just how much experience and unmistakable talent the aspiring filmmaker possessed. Two years later, DeAndrade’s dream of using his passion for filmmaking to showcase his love for wildlife has become a reality — today at Wildscreen, Nat Geo WILD announced its new digital series, Untamed With Filipe DeAndrade, premiering on the network’s YouTube Channel in March 2017.

- AT&T's AUDIENCE® Network will present the exclusive concert event Garth Brooks/Yankee Stadium/Live. Filmed in 4K this past summer, the spectacular concert event will broadcast nationwide on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8:00 across all AT&T platforms.

- Radio Disney Country Artist Jessie Chris announced today she is a proud supporter of Disney's new national #ChooseKindness Anti-Bullying Campaign. Jessie, who was the victim of extreme bullying in school herself, has filmed an Anti-Bullying PSA, and is joining several other artists and celebrities hoping to drive awareness to this growing epidemic.

Friday, October 07, 2016

Around the Tubes: 10/7/16



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 Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner, Temple of the Dog, USO – For the Troops, Polar Bear Town, Polar Bear Town, Window Warriors, Supercar Superbuild, and I Was There!.

- In 1831, Nt Turner, an African-American slave and preacher, led a bloody slave revolt in Southampton County, VA. Turner is most remembered as a killer, rather than a freedom fighter driven by faith, but in Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner, viewers will get a different perspective into his notorious legacy that extends beyond this rebellion. From executive producer Nate Parker, the one-hour documentary premieres on Friday, October 7 at 10:00 on National Geographic Channel, coinciding with the Fox Searchlight Pictures theatrical release of critically acclaimed, Sundance Jury and Audience Awards winner The Birth of a Nation which is directed by Parker and is the dramatic story of this historic liberation movement.

- To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the band’s landmark 1991 self-titled release, Temple of the Dog - the Seattle supergroup featuring Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready, and drummer Matt Cameron (who plays drums with both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam) – today released a special 25th anniversary collection of the band’s first and only album, newly mixed by Brendan O’Brien. The collection is now available in four configurations, including a four disc Super Deluxe, a two CD Deluxe, and a single CD via UMe. A double LP will also be available on November 11. For a detailed list of the co ntents of each configuration, click HERE.

- PBS announced today that USO – For the Troops, an independent documentary film that chronicles the iconic American institution created 75 years ago to bring pieces of home to active duty troops around the world, will air Monday, November 7, 2016, 9:00-10:00 (check local listings) on PBS. The film is narrated by Oscar nominee David Strathairn.

- Every fall, approximately 10,000 tourists from around the world descend on “The Polar Bear Capital of the World,” Churchill, Manitoba. This community of about 800 people on Hudson Bay in Northern Canada is home to the annual migration of more than 1,000 hungry polar bears that pass through town as they wait for the Bay ice to return. The new Smithsonian Channel docu-series Polar Bear Town documents a season in Churchill, following this extraordinary migration of human and four-legged animals as they collide in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways. This six-episode series premieres Wednesday, November 16 at 8:00.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today that many of the biggest names in retail have lined up as promotional partners for the new skill-based competition series Window Warriors, hosted by actress Garcelle Beauvais (“Hollywood Today Live,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”). GSN partnered with General Growth Properties (GGP), the owner and operator of 128 high-quality retail properties throughout the United States, including include Tysons Galleria in Washington D.C., Glendale Galleria in Los Angeles and Water Tower Place in Chicago. Top retail brands, including Macy’s, Anthropologie, Hot Topic, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics and Sprinkles will also serve as partners. Michaels, North America's largest arts and crafts specialty retailer, also provided many of the materials used to create the windows for the show.

- Smithsonian Channel is set to premiere new episodes of Supercar Superbuild, beginning Sunday, October 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The series goes behind the inherent beauty, amazing mechanical prowess, and basic building process of some of the world’s leading luxury automakers as they attempt to produce what they hope is their next iconic car. The new episodes focus on the Pagani, Mustang, Viper and Porsche.

- Take a trip through sports history through the eyes of those covering the biggest events of all-time. In I Was There! sixty-five of the biggest names in sports broadcasting and journalism share their personal experiences at the Top 5 sports moments they each saw in person. From cultural phenomena like the Super Bowl, World Series, and Olympics to less-well-known sports and games, the people who brought you these moments on television and radio or wrote the stories you read in the newspaper or online give you a first-hand look at what made these events so special. Join legends of the business like Marv Albert, Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Jim Nantz, Bob Ryan, and Dick Stockton as they tell their stories from these indelible moments in time and explain why their five moments stand above all of the others they have seen, and find out why each of them are proud to say “I Was There!”

Friday, September 30, 2016

Around the Tubes: 9/30/16



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 The Crooked Man, Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet, Clash of the Corps, Death on a Comet: The Rosetta Mission, Why Would You Do That, Fight Valley, and The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano.

- The Crooked Man, which airs this Saturday, October 1 at 9:00, kicks off Syfy's 31 Days of Halloween. While at a slumber party, twelve year old ‘Olivia’ is blamed for the horrific and mysterious death of her friend after singing a song, created by a reclusive mastermind, ‘Milo’ (Michael Jai White), which summons a demonic figure known as "The Crooked Man". Returning to her hometown six years later, a string of unusual deaths lead Olivia (Angelique Rivera) to believe that she's still being haunted by whatever she saw that fateful night. Once you sing the rhyme, everyone in the house is cursed to die by his hands.


- Dr. Michelle Oakley returns with an all new season of Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet. Follow her as she makes house calls across thousands of square miles in the Yukon Territory in northern Canada - where she's responding to some of the most unique and challenging cases of her career. From moving bears with tractors and horses with helicopters, to castrating angry boars and capturing wild bison, she'll have to use every trick she has to save these animals. Accompanied by her daughters and armed with humor as sharp as a scalpel, Dr. Oakley deftly juggles being a full-time veterinarian, wife and mom while taking us into the isolated regions of the Yukon.

- Fuse (www.fuse.tv), a national television network for the fast-growing, Latino and multicultural 18-34 audience, today announced that Clash of the Corps Executive Producer Dwayne Johnson will host the series’ premiere episode on his official Facebook page, as part of a Facebook Live viewing event for his over 56 million fans on Tuesday, October 4 at 10:00.

- The network announced today that on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7:20AM ET they will break into regularly scheduled programming to air live footage of the Rosetta spacecraft as it crashes into Comet 67P, the celestial body it was sent to study over a decade ago. At 10:00 on the same day, Science Channel will premiere the all-new primetime special, Death on a Comet: The Rosetta Mission, hosted by Dr. Dan Riskin. This one-hour special captures the history of the mission, and the emotional final moments as Rosetta gathers the last bit of science from the comet before its mission-ending crash.

- The outrageously funny stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco asks the questions most people won’t in his upcoming comedy event, Why Would You Do That?, premiering on Saturday, October 1st at 10:00 on Showtime on-air, on demand and over the internet. Directed by Joe Demaio, written by Maniscalco and filmed live at New York City's famed Beacon Theatre during one of the seven sold-out shows on his 2016 tour, the hour-long special is chock-full of skepticism. With his unique brand of sharp observational comedy, high-energy physicality and inimitable facial expressions, Maniscalco invites the audience to take a look at their own habits through the lens of his old-world, Italian-American upbringing where everyone and everything is suspect. From odd nicknames for grandparents and giving “parent prices,” to house parties where they make you take your shoes off, no one is safe from his quick-witted discourse.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today it has obtained telecast rights to 13 episodes of the hidden camera/comedy horror TV show Scare Tactics, hosted by actor/comedian Tracy Morgan. The show will be paired with the network’s new horror-themed game Hellevator in a “Friday Night Frights” programming block on Fridays from 9-11, beginning October 7.

- Fight Valley stars the world’s best female fighters including former UFC Bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey defeater Holly Holm, and UFC newbie Cris "Cyborg." In this action packed thriller a young woman is found dead after getting involved with an underground fighting ring. Her sister begins training under a respected ex-fighter as she searches for the killer. FIGHT VALLEY will be available on DVD October 25, 2016.

- More than three years in the making, award-winning filmmaker Joshua Seftel’s new documentary, The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano, will have its national television debut on public television’s WORLD Channel this Monday, October 3rd. Check local listings.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Around the Tubes: 9/23/16



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 Freakish, Crowded House, Hooligan Sparroww, Jago: A Life Underwater, UNDERFIRE: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro, Meet the Press, and Dice.

- Check out the new official teaser for upcoming Hulu Original Freakish. The teen, horror series premieres all episodes on Hulu on Monday, Oct. 10 and stars digital influencers Liza Koshy, Meghan Rienks, Hayes Grier and Melvin Gregg as well as traditional actors such as Leo Howard (“Kickin’ It”) and Aislinn Paul (“Heroes Reborn”). Also, as part of a special launch week promotion called #FreakWeek, Tumblr will debut two new episodes of the Halloween event series from AwesomenessTV on a custom Freakish Tumblr page every day for a period of five days (October 10th – 14th). #FreakWeek is a first-of-its-kind event that will allow all fans and viewers to preview and discover Freakish for free on Tumblr (for a limited time), or stream the entire series on Hulu anytime.


- Crowded House will be celebrating their 30th anniversary by reissuing their entire catalogue in two disc deluxe CD packages and 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, unlocking a wealth of rare material that has been personally selected by Neil Finn and the band. They will be released on Friday, November 18 through Universal Catalogue, and are available to pre-order at the official Crowded House Store. Digital versions will also be available on November 4.

- The riveting documentary Hooligan Sparroww, which follows the incredible story of a group of activists in China who risk their lives to protest against the sexual abuse of school girls by their principal debuts on the PBS television series POV on Monday, October 17, 2016. (Check local listings.)

- Smithsonian Earth, the subscription video streaming service from Smithsonian Networks™ that delivers spectacular original nature and wildlife content, will feature the award-winning one-hour 4K film Jago: A Life Underwater, starting on September 22. The film tells the life story of Rohani, an 80-year-old seafaring hunter who lives in a Bajau village in the Togean Islands of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

- UNDERFIRE: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro chronicles the life of a man who played two risky roles in World War II: a combat infantryman on the front lines and a photographer who took and developed roughly 8,000 photographs of the war. Director Max Lewkowicz visits European locations where Vaccaro shot some of his most powerful photos, tracing his evolution from a young GI eager to record the war, to an elderly man increasingly horrified at man’s ability to wage it, having vowed never to take another war photo on the day the conflict ended. The HBO Documentary Film UNDERFIRE: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro will debut on HBO on Monday, November 14 at 8:00.

- After meeting with President Obama today in the Oval Office to discuss TPP, Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) sat down with Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd, telling him “the chances are miniscule” that he will be voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. “It’s very, very likely I will not” vote for Trump, said former presidential candidate Gov. Kasich. “It is country first, and I am unlikely to cast that vote.”

- Showtime has picked up a second season of the comedy series Dice with seven new, half-hour episodes to air in 2017. Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, season two of the scripted, semi-autobiographical series will dig deeper into the many facets of Andrew Dice Clay – beyond the character who once sold out Madison Square Garden – as the unemployed comic struggles in the Vegas suburbs to be a loving father, a devoted boyfriend and a professional gambler who is stuck dealing with the effects of his outrageous brand of fame. Production will shoot in Los Angeles and Las Vegas next year.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Around the Tubes: 9/16/16



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 Mission Critical, Global Citizen: The World on Stage, Mars, Star Wars, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Waylon Jennings.

- Thursday, September 22, is World Rhino Day. As a network dedicated to animals and the people who love them, we aim to showcase and celebrate the brave individuals and organizations that are fighting to preserve and protect our world’s amazing wildlife. In honor of this special day, Nat Geo WILD is premiering Operation Sumatran Rhino: Mission Critical on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 9:00 with a special encore on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00. This is the second installment of our new monthly series Mission Critical. In Borneo, Sumatran rhinos’ numbers are down to just single digits. Conservationists are on a desperate mission to save the country’s last individuals. The only way to ensure the safety and survival of these last rhinos is to capture all remaining in the wild — a dangerous and costly operation. Follow Malaysia’s foremost rhino scientists in their incredible quest to save this critically endangered species.

- Tom Morello (Prophets of Rage) and Jon Batiste (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) will curate musical performances for Global Citizen: The World on Stage, an evening bringing renowned artists, world leaders, and influencers together as they address the world’s greatest challenges and make major policy commitments towards ending extreme poverty. The evening of advocacy and impact will take place at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, September 22. The event will feature performances by Tom Morello, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Regina Spektor, Aloe Blacc & Maya Jupiter, Moxie Raia, and The Kenyan Boys Choir. Speakers will include Cecily Strong, Forest Whitaker, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Nigerian Minister of Environment Amina Mohammed, and Yazidi human rights campaigner Nadia Murad.

- Of all the planets in our solar system, none has captured our collective imagination like Mars — a mysterious, indelible part of the zeitgeist. The quest to send humans to Mars has engaged the top minds in science in a modern-day space race, and it has infiltrated pop culture through blockbusters like Andy Weir’s “The Martian” and through out-of-this-world tweets from astronaut Scott Kelly. Now, National Geographic Channel; Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Rosenberg of Imagine Entertainment; and Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Justin Wilkes, Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producer Jon Kamen, and Dave O’Connor of RadicalMedia and visionary Mexican filmmaker Everardo Gout (“Days of Grace”), have joined forces to launch viewers farther into outer space than ever before with the global event series Mars. Premiering on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Mundo in the U.S. on Monday, Nov. 14 at 9:00 and internationally in 170 countries and 45 languages on Sunday, Nov. 13, Mars — which is set both in the future and in the present day — will redefine television storytelling by combining feature film-quality scripted drama and visual effects with best-in-class documentary sequences to drive forward a cohesive, edge-of-your-seat story of mankind’s thrilling quest to colonize Mars.

- Global media company Turner has entered into multi-year licensing agreements for the Star Wars movie collection through unprecedented domestic deals with The Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox that grant TNT & TBS the exclusive linear basic cable and companion ad-supported on-demand rights to Star Wars. The agreement with Disney for 10 films includes the network premiere windows to last year's record-breaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens and this year's highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which opens in theaters on December 16, 2016. The Disney agreement also includes five of the six original classic Star Wars films, as well as the network television premieres of the next three yet-to-be-released movies. The installment that launched the franchise, Star Wars: A New Hope, comes to Turner through a separate arrangement with 20th Century Fox, thus making Turner the only company with basic cable rights to all 11 titles in the collection. The Star Wars movies will come to Turner beginning Tuesday, September 20, when TNT kicks off six consecutive nights of the original classic films (complete schedule below). The movies will also air in December, in conjunction with Disney's theatrical release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. TNT is set to premiere last year's blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens in early 2018, followed in 2019 by this year's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

- On September 24, 2016, the Smithsonian will open the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. The opening will welcome President Barack Obama and some of the biggest influencers in politics and Hollywood. Smithsonian Channel has partnered with the National Museum of African American History and Culture to produce 130 videos for the inaugural exhibits. The videos, comprised of 450 minutes of footage with an estimated 8,000 images, will be displayed on monitors ranging in size from 22 inches to a massive 186-foot overhead screen.

- Country Rewind Records (a division of Hindsight Records, NY), will introduce one of its newest collections of country music’s hidden treasures—The Lost Nashville Sessions (Waylon Jennings). The project will be available October 21, 2016* via all major digital retail outlets.

Friday, September 09, 2016

Around the Tubes: 9/9/16



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 The Contenders: 16 For ’16, Facing Suge Knight, Roots, Window Warriors, Hailee Steinfeld, Puppies Make Me Happy, and The Last Ship.

- The Contenders: 16 For ’16 – an eight-week series that spotlights former presidential candidates and the campaigns that lost them their bids for the White House, premieres on PBS on Tuesday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m. (check local listings) Exactly what does it take to win the most important job in the world? The Contenders: 16 For ’16 attempts to take on this question with insight from Jesse Jackson, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Howard Dean, Gary Hart, Michael Dukakis, among others, who are vocal in discussing what went wrong and what they would do differently if given the chance. The Contenders: 16 For ’16 is part of PBS Election 2016, a multi-platform initiative that brings together PBS news, public affairs, documentary and digital programming to create the country’s most complete and objective coverage of the 2016 election cycle.

- National Geographic Channel docu-series Facing takes an immersive look at the real stories behind some of modern history’s most larger-than-life characters. Each hour long episode will tackle the myths, legends and truths behind powerful headline-makers, including Pablo Escobar, Saddam Hussein, Suge Knight, Vladimir Putin and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Facing Suge Knight premieres Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 9:00. From his shattered dream of playing in the NFL to Tupac and Biggie Smalls, old foes and former friends connect the bullet holes to map the billion-dollar rise and fall of Suge Knight. Interviewees include Vanilla Ice; Virgil Roberts, music industry lawyer and Suge Knight’s mentor; Gary Ballen, former road manager for N.W.A.; Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg Kading, lead investigator of the Death Row Records file; Sharitha Golden, Suge Knight’s former wife; and Death Row Records artists The D.O.C. and Danny Boy.

- The Emmy nominated event series Roots, exclusively streaming on Hulu starting Monday, September 15th.

-GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, will premiere its new skill-based competition series Window Warriors, Tuesday, November 15 at 9:00. The network also revealed today the three judges for the series, including Carson Kressley, the Emmy®-winning television star, style expert, best-selling author and fashion designer known to TV viewers for his appearances on “Dancing With the Stars,” “How To Look Good Naked,” and his breakthrough role as fashion guru on the iconic series “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” – he will also appear in the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice”; Tai Beauchamp, a former magazine editor turned style influencer, content creator, public speaker, media personality, and entrepreneur, who engages women around the world with her genuine approach to celebrating inner and outer beauty; and Douglas Little, a master in the world of visual merchandising whose work includes some of the most beloved store windows on New York’s 5th Avenue, as well as design work for movies, TV and Broadway. His client list includes Van Cleef & Arpels, Barney’s New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and many more. The judges join host, Garcelle Beauvais (“Hollywood Today Live,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”) in determining the country’s top window designer.

- While in NYC to open for Meghan Trainor at Radio City Music Hall as part of The Untouchable Tour, Hailee Steinfeld stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers to perform her new hit single, Starving. The track, released earlier this summer with production duo Grey and featuring GRAMMY award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd, is already climbing the Top 25 at Top 40 radio, has hit #13 on the iTunes US Pop Chart, is Top 10 in Spotify’s US Top 50, currently approaching 60M streams, and hit top 5 on the Shazam future hits chart.


- Puppies Make Me Happy will be at the Surf City Surf Dog event on September 25th. Dog owners from Florida to Australia will be at the event- it's centerpiece… a multi-heat surfing competition with dogs as contestants. Last year our team, Bakio and Brian Downes came in second place and this epic photo was taken! Hawaii natives Brian and Bakio have been surfing for years and make an incredible team. I would love to connect you to Brian to discuss this unique event, working with the Puppies Make Me Happy team and what it's like to surf with your dog!

- TNT, a division of Turner, has extended its recent renewal for The Last Ship, adding a fifth season of the epic drama. Currently in its third season, The Last Ship is reaching an average of 7.1 million viewers per episode across multiple platforms and ranks as one of basic cable's Top 10 summer dramas with adults 18-49. The action-packed series airs Sundays at 9:00, with the season finale slated for this weekend. The entire third season is also available through TNT's digital, mobile and VOD platforms.

Friday, September 02, 2016

Around the Tubes: 9/2/16



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 Masters of Sex, Shameless, POV (Point of View), Frank Zappa, Blue Oyster Cult, Weiner, Smithsonian Channel 9/11 programming, Showtime Tuesday Sports Block, Genius, and Street Fight.

- Viewers can now sample the fourth season premiere of the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME drama series Masters of Sex across multiple platforms, ahead of its linear premiere on Sunday, September 11th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. MASTERS OF SEX stars Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Michael Sheen and Emmy nominee Lizzy Caplan as real-life pioneers of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Season four will begin in 1968 and into the “swinging ‘70s,” during which time the series’ characters will take on new partners both professionally, personally and sexually. Starting now, consumers who do not subscribe to Showtime can watch the season four premiere for free on SHO.com and Facebook. Consumers can also sample the premiere of Masters of Sex for free across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and free On Demand channels.

- Showtime released the new poster art and official trailer for season seven of its No. 1 comedy series Shameless, premiering on Sunday, October 2 at 9:00. SHAMELESS stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum as his daughter, Fiona. The series also stars Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan and Isidora Goreshter.



- Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz takes an unflinching look at the hard choices and destructive consequences of the U.S.-Mexico drug war in the acclaimed documentary Kingdom of Shadows, which will have its national television broadcast premiere on the POV (Point of View) documentary series on PBS on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016 at 10:00.

- In his trailblazing and incredibly prolific career, artist, composer and all-around musical pioneer Frank Zappa released more than 60 albums in his lifetime, as a solo artist and with his bands the Mothers of Invention and the Mothers. Coupled with more than 40 posthumous releases since his death in 1993 at 52, figuring out where to start in Zappa’s vast, genre-leaping catalog can be daunting. ZAPPAtite – Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks, due September 23 on Zappa Records/UMe and available for pre-order now, collects some of Zappa’s best known and beloved compositions, from his early psychedelic rock beginnings to his avant-garde experimentation, jazz-rock explorations, symphonic suites and satirical send-ups, compiling them into one easily digestible collection and offering key entryways into the many musical worlds of the visionary musician. Available on CD and digitally, with vinyl to come at a later date, the album is divided into three courses – Appetizers, Entrees and Desserts – and the food-centric theme oozes throughout the album art, which features Zappa in a diner on the cover, a track list that resembles a menu and some of Zappa’s favorite eats. The 18 compositions that make up ZAPPAtite were compiled by Zappa’s son Ahmet Zappa and encyclopedic Zappa archivist, “Vaultmeister” Joe Travers. “This isn’t a greatest hits album as Frank didn’t really have ‘hits,’ per se, nor is it a ‘best of’ since that would be an impossibility to fit so much awesome onto one disc,” says Ahmet Zappa. “It’s a veritable smorgasbord of musicality for the curious and a buffet of favorites for the fans, ZAPPAtite collects a cross section of my favorite songs composed by my dad, that lean more towards the rock side of his expansive repertoire. I hope you're hungry because this meal for your ears rocks!”

- Tune in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special "Blue Oyster Cult" airing Friday, September 2, at 9:00 (DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114). The classic rock band stopped by Red Studios in Los Angeles to perform their seminal album Agents Of Fortune in it's entirety live. In the episode, the group sits down with Ted Stryker for an in depth interview spanning their history.

- Showtime will debut the world television premiere of the critically-acclaimed documentary Weiner on Saturday, October 22nd at 9:00. Directed and produced by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner, which won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, offers unrestricted access into the life of former congressman Anthony Weiner and his family as they take on the 2013 New York City mayoral race in the face of an on-going high-profile scandal.


- Smithsonian Channel will mark the fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a special day of programming on Sunday, September 11. The marathon will kick off at 2:00 p.m. with an encore presentation of the critically-acclaimed 9/11: Day That Changed the World, which spans from dawn to midnight on September 11, 2001, and goes behind the scenes to show how the events of the day developed.

- It’s game on this Tuesday night, September 6, on Showtime as the network offers a two-and-a-half hour sports block including two anticipated season premieres. An all-new edition of the news magazine 60 Minutes Sports debuts at 8:00, followed by the ninth season premiere of Inside the NFL at 9:00. At 10:00 Showtime Sports presents the second installment of its unique all-access college football franchise A Season with Florida State Foosball, just one day after the Florida State Seminoles begin their season and quest for the 2016 National Championship.

- Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress Emily Watson (“Theory of Everything,” “The Book Thief”) is set to join National Geographic Channel’s upcoming global anthology series Genius, from Fox 21 Television Studios (“Homeland,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson”), Imagine Television (“24,” “Empire”), OddLot Entertainment and EUE/Sokolow. She’ll play Elsa Einstein, the second wife — and first cousin — of the enigmatic scientist Albert Einstein, to be played in his elder years by Geoffrey Rush and in his younger years by Johnny Flynn, as was previously announced.

- Just in time for the dirtiest presidential election in memory, Street Fight, which for years has only been available on DVD and in theaters, goes up on Netflix on September 1st and also is available on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video. Street Fight is the thrilling Academy Award® nominated story of bare-knuckle politics in America. When a young unknown challenger named Cory Booker (today U.S. Senator from New Jersey) takes on the head of a powerful political machine, he discovers that sometimes elections are won and lost in the streets.

- Today co-anchor Matt Lauer will moderate the NBC News and MSNBC Commander-in-Chief Forum on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The one-hour event will simulcast live at 8pm ET on the NBC broadcast network and MSNBC, and stream live on NBCNews.com. In the first joint candidate event of the 2016 general election, presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will take questions on national security, military affairs and veterans’ issues from a live audience comprised of service members and veterans.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Around the Tubes: 8/26/16



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 Roadies, 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, Three Days of Terror: The Chariie Hebdo Attacks, 9/11: The Longest War, Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, 29th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, Dexter, Martin Lawrence Doin’ Time: Uncut, From Dusk Till Dawn, Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee, Hellevator, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, WWII’S Mot Dangerous Raids, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

- The death of a rock and roll legend brings together music’s greatest for an all-star memorial at the famed L.A. Forum in the season finale of Roadies, airing this Sunday, August 28 at 10:00 on Showtime. The episode, entitled “The Load Out,” is inspired by guest star Jackson Browne’s classic song of the same name, which he performs in the episode. The eclectic roster of guest star musicians who gather to pay tribute includes Eddie Vedder, Jim James, Nicole Atkins, Robyn Hitchcock, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from Lucius, Joy Williams and Gary Clark Jr. Roadies is created, written and executive produced by Oscar® winner Cameron Crowe, who also personally curates the music for the series.

- The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards will air LIVE from New York’s Madison Square Garden this Sunday, August 28th at 9:00. This iconic awards show has created some of TV’s most memorable moments, from Madonna’s wardrobe malfunctions to Kanye’s presidential bid, you don’t want to miss what happens this year! The VMA’s will be returning to their roots by coming to New York but this is the first time Madison Square Garden has been the home of the VMA’s in the shows’ 33-year history.

- The HBO Documentary Film Three Days of Terror: The Chariie Hebdo Attacks from Emmy®-nominated director Dan Reed will have its national television debut on HBO on September 19th at 8 PM ET/PT. The remarkable film was recently shortlisted for the 2016 Grierson Awards in the UK for Best Documentary on Current Affairs.

- On the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11, the National Geographic Channel will commemorate the tragic events of that fateful day, and the ongoing war that followed, with a daylong television tribute culled from 10 consecutive years of critically acclaimed 9/11 programming and the world premiere of a new compilation special, 9/11: The Longest War. The programming event begins Sunday, Sept. 11, at 12/11c with encores of Giuliani’s 9/11, CIA Confidential: Hunt for Bin Laden, CIA Confidential: 9/11 Mastermind, Witness: D.C. 9/11, 9/11: The Firemen’s Story, the Emmy-nominated miniseries Inside 9/11 and a special encore presentation of George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, followed by the world premiere of a powerful new compilation special, 9/11: The Longest War, airing at 9:00.

- Morgan Freeman returns to host an all-new season of multiple Emmy Award-nominated series Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman beginning Tuesday, August 30 at 10:00. Freeman continues to challenge Science Channel audiences to think about daring questions while taking a deeper look at the science behind some of society’s most controversial and timely topics. This season of Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman features some of the world's top experts plumbing deep and sometimes troubling questions, providing new insights on some of our planet’s most compelling topics. In the season premiere, Freeman explores, “What Makes a Terrorist?” Experts examine terrorism through the lens of science, revealing how a terrorist’s brain is shaped and asks, if we can understand how a terrorist thinks, can we actually win the war on terror?

- The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced today the 29th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will be broadcast nationally Friday, September 30, 2016, 10:00 on PBS during Hispanic Heritage Month. The Awards are among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos and are supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions. The 2016 awardees who have been announced include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (Leadership Award), Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Junot Díaz (Literature Award), Actress/Singer Angelica Maria (Legend Award), and Latin music’s breakout new superstar J Balvin (Vision Award). Announcements of additional honorees will continue over the coming weeks leading up to the event taping, which will take place on September 22nd at the Historic Warner Theatre in Washington D.C.

- Showtime is celebrating the ten year anniversary of the launch of its groundbreaking original series Dexter with a fan-focused campaign surrounding the hit drama. Dexter, which premiered on the network on October 1, 2006, grew its loyal audience year after year in all of its eight seasons, and was the recipient of the prestigious Peabody Award, as well as 25 Emmy® and 10 Golden Globe® Award nominations. In celebration of #Dexter10, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite DEXTER episodes in a bracket-style competition on SHO.com over the course of four weeks. The top ten fan picks will culminate in an on-air #Dexter10 Fan Marathon on Saturday, October 1st, exactly ten years after the series debuted on Showtime.


- On the heels of a sold-out national tour, comedy great Martin Lawrence hits the stage in this long-awaited stand-up special, Martin Lawrence Doin’ Time: Uncut premiering Friday, September 9 at 9:00 on Showtime on-air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed live at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, Doin’ Time: Uncut showcases Lawrence’s impeccable comedic skills, physicality and engaging wit. Delivering an unforgettable night of impressions and insights, he touches on everything from sex and relationships to President Obama, Bill Cosby, Hollywood and more. Lawrence is back in a big way and will leave viewers in hysterics, from start to finish. “I look forward to having my third concert film premiere on SHOWTIME,” said Lawrence. “Fourteen years is a long time between concert specials and I am excited to know that my TV audience will be able to enjoy this show as if they came to see me live."

- Smithsonian Channel will offer fascinating new perspectives on some of the world’s most remarkable and mysterious religious locations in the new five-episode series Sacred Sites, premiering on Monday, September 12 at 8:00. Based on new scientific breakthroughs and compelling archaeological and historical research, the series includes episodes on: the ancient cities of Petra and Hegra; the secrets of the Knights of the Templar; the oracles of Ancient Greece; the magnificent tombs and temples of ancient Egypt; and the ruined great houses of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

- Entertainment One (eOne), Miramax® and El Rey Network today announced that the complete premiere episode of season three of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series will be available for free Digital HD preview two weeks prior to its September 6 broadcast debut on El Rey Network. For fans eagerly anticipating the action-packed, horror-filled new season and newbies interested in sampling the series based on the cult film directed by Robert Rodriguez, the episode "Head Games" will be available at no charge from August 23 to September 6 on iTunes, GooglePlay, Xbox Video, Sony Playstation, Fandango Now and Vudu.

- Showtime continues to expand its slate of bold documentaries under the Showtime Documentary Films banner with Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee, a new feature-length film making its world television premiere on Saturday, September 24th at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Oscar nominee and two-time Sundance Film Festival winner Nanette Burstein (American Teen, The Kid Stays in the Picture) delivers a deep investigation into the mysterious life of visionary anti-virus entrepreneur John McAfee. The film has been selected to make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today its horror-themed game Hellevator returns for season two with a special four-week network event, just in time for the Halloween season, with all-new spine-chilling weekly episodes, beginning Friday, October 7 at 9:00. Hellevator is produced by Matador and Blumhouse Productions, in association with Lionsgate.

- The Republican and Democratic National Conventions provided more material than one special could fill. Emmy®-nominated Triumph the Insult Comic Dog returns to harass delegates, the Westboro Baptist Church, and everyone on Media Row. All this plus an elaborate fake book signing and one more attempt to "help" Chris Christie, streaming Thursday, Aug. 25 only on Hulu. Keep an eye out for more election coverage from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog only on Hulu.

- he new Smithsonian Channel series WWII’S Mot Dangerous Raids explores some of the most dangerous and remarkable commando raids of the war. It goes into the heart of the action with elite Allied soldiers facing deadly odds to pull off missions that can change the course of the war. Through first person testimony, cinematic reconstructions, expert commentary, weapons demonstrations and cutting edge video game style graphics, every aspect of each mission is visualized and analyzed. The six-episode series premieres Sunday, September 18 at 9:00.

- This Hulu announced Joseph Fiennes will play Commander Fred Waterford in The Handmaid’s Tale. Joseph Fiennes has joined the cast of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale as ‘Commander Fred Waterford.’ A founding father of Gilead and powerful, high-ranking official, Commander Waterford rules the household where Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a handmaid. The Handmaid’s Tale. comes to Hulu from MGM Television and is created, executive produced and written by Bruce Miller, with Warren Littlefield, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, and Ilene Chaiken serving as executive producers. Atwood is a consulting producer for the series. Reed Morano will direct and executive produce the first three episodes. The Handmaid’s Tale. is scheduled to go into production in Toronto this fall. The 10-episode series is slated to premiere in 2017.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Around the Tubes: 8/19/16



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 Neighborhood Sessions featuring Dave Matthews Band, Forces of Nature, All the Difference, The Circus, Wild Things Inside the National Zoo, Michael Chiklis, Victoria Justice, Bubba The Redneck Werewolf, Ouch! A Salute To Slapstick, Billions, Ray Donovan, Drop the Mic, and iHeartRadio Music Awards.

- One of the most influential bands in rock history is coming to Turner's TNT this September, when Dave Matthews Band takes the stage for a special 25th anniversary concert. Filmed earlier this year in the band's hometown of Charlottesville, Va., portions of the performance will be presented as part of Neighborhood Sessions, an ongoing series of music specials created by State Farm. The special, produced by Live Nation and directed by Danny Clinch, will feature powerful stories from the local community profiling some of the people who continue to impact the band members’ lives and music. Neighborhood Sessions featuring Dave Matthews Band marks the third special in the Neighborhood Sessions series, which gives the biggest names in music a chance to thank the neighbors who helped make them who they are today, and who continue to help life go right for members of their communities every day. The special is slated to premiere on TNT Sunday, Sept. 11, at 10:00, following the season finale of the epic drama The Last Ship.

- The forces that have kept the Earth on the move since it was formed billions of years ago are explored in Forces of Nature, a BBC co-production that premieres Wednesday, September 14, 2016, at 8:00 (check local listings). In each of the four episodes, the series illustrates how we experience Earth’s natural forces, including shape, elements, color and motion. Although we can’t immediately feel the motion of Earth’s fundamental forces, we witness the consequences, such as tidal bores surging through the Amazon rainforest or the intense and ruinous power of hurricanes.

- The largely invisible and often crushing struggles of young African-American men come vividly—and heroically—to life in All the Difference, which traces the paths of two teens from the South Side of Chicago who dared to dream a seemingly impossible dream: to graduate from college. As this intimate film shows, Robert Henderson and Krishaun Branch’s determination started them on the road to success, but it was the support from people in their lives—parents, grandparents, teachers and mentors— that brought them to their destination. Emmy®-winning producer/director Tod Lending’s film, inspired by Wes Moore’s bestselling autobiographical book, The Other Wes Moore, will have its national broadcast premiere on the POV (Point of View) documentary series on PBS on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 at 10:00 (check local listings). Now in its 29th season, POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series and the recipient of a 2013 MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

- National Geographic Channel is set to premiere Facing, a docu-series that takes an immersive look at the real stories behind some of modern history’s most larger-than-life characters, on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, at 9:00. From the producers of the award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary “Facing Ali,” each hourlong episode will tackle the myths, legends and truths behind powerful headline-makers, including Pablo Escobar, Saddam Hussein, Suge Knight, Vladimir Putin and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

- After revealing the pivotal behind-the-scenes presidential campaign moments that led to the Democratic and Republican nominations, The Circus returns Sunday, September 11 at 8:00 on Showtime. Following a brief hiatus, The Circus will return in time to track and cover the first presidential debate, continuing its unprecedented access to the players and key events leading up to the general election. Cameras will crisscross the country alongside nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to bring you every dramatic moment – from the intense head-to-head debates through election night – as America picks its next president.

- Following a successful first season that garnered over 10 million video views, Smithsonian Channel’s original digital series - Wild Things Inside the National Zoo returns on August 20. Season two, comprised of six episodes, will focus on the same engaging and surprising stories of animal life at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., from kiwi chicks and maned wolves to swamp monkeys and pandas. Tian Tian, the famous panda who went viral this past winter when his playful blizzard video became the second most shared Facebook video in first quarter of 2016 with 1.9 million shares, makes an appearance in the first episode. The second season can be viewed on all of Smithsonian Channel’s digital platforms including smithsonianchannel.com/wildinside, mobile apps on iOS and Android, apps on Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV, and on Smithsonian Channel's YouTube channel. In addition, both seasons of Wild Things Inside the National Zoo will be available later this year on Smithsonian Earth™ – Smithsonian Networks’ subscription video streaming service that delivers spectacular original nature and wildlife content in 4K.

- Michael Chiklis reinvents himself once again with the release of his first solo album Influence. Best known as an award-winning television and film actor, Chiklis now steps into a new spotlight to showcase his talents as a rock singer and songwriter with a record whose prominent hooks and overdriven energy recall rock's golden age. The album's first single "In Front of Your Eyes” is currently available to stream and features Steve Lukather on guitar. Stream it HERE.

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- MVD has acquired the exclusive US distribution rights for Bubba The Redneck Werewolf. Based on the cult classic comic book series, the feature film marks the second directorial effort of Brendan Jackson Rogers, who also serves as one of the film's producers. Bubba The Redneck Werewolf coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital / VOD on October 11th.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to pratfalls and double-takes with Ouch! A Salute To Slapstick, a month-long programming special featuring more than 50 films exploring the history of slapstick. Hosted by acclaimed stand-up comedian Greg Proops, the special will feature programming from silent masters Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd to modern master Will Ferrell, and will premiere Sep. 6th and air every Tuesday and Wednesday during the month. Additionally, TCM is once again partnering with Ball State University and Canvas Network to offer a free online multimedia course on slapstick comedy. Enrollment begins today and comedy fans can sign up for the course at TCM.com/slapstick.

- Showtime announced its winter lineup with the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning drama series Homeland returning for season six on Sunday, January 15 at 9:00 and season two of the critically-acclaimed hit drama Billions returning on Sunday, February 19 at 10:00. Both series are shooting in New York this Summer with Homeland returning to the U.S. after spending the last two seasons shooting in South Africa and Berlin. New seasons of HOMELAND and Billions will be available on SHOWTIME on-air, on demand and over the internet.

- On the heels of Ray Donovan scoring five Emmy nominations for its third season, Showtime has ordered a fifth season of its hit drama series. Production on season five’s 12, one-hour episodes will begin next year. One of the top-rated drama series on premium television this summer, Ray Donovan returned for its fourth season up double digits year over year and continues to air on Sundays at 9:00. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour.

- TBS, a division of Turner, is injecting a little groove into its original series lineup. The network has greenlit Drop the Mic, a new mixture of comedy and music from executive producers James Corden and Ben Winston. Joining them as executive producer is Jensen Karp, former battle rapper Hot Karl. Drop the Mic is already a huge viral and digital success as an ongoing popular segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73 and is slated to join the TBS lineup in 2017. Drop the Mic will pit four celebrities against each other in a rap battle royale packed with "I can't believe they just said that" moments. Each week's winner will be chosen by the studio audience. TBS has ordered 16 episodes of Drop the Mic, with a host to be announced later. The show is TBS's first new unscripted series since the arrival of Michael Bloom, who joined TBS & TNT in June as senior vice president of unscripted & special event programming.

- iHeartMedia and Turner announced today that the popular, fan-fueled iHeartRadio Music Awards will return on Sunday, March 5, 2017, to the historic, fabulous Forum in Los Angeles. The fourth year of the event will again be televised live on TBS, TNT and truTV at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT) and simulcast on iHeartMedia stations nationwide, as well as on iHeartRadio, the all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Around the Tubes: 8/12/16



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 Triumph’s Summer Election Special 2016, Cypress Hill: Live from Austin, Three Days of Terrorr: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks, Martha & Snoop’s Dinner Party, Sully erna, MTV Video Music Awards, and The Affair.

- In Triumph’s Summer Election Special 2016, Triumph makes his return to the Presidential campaign trail, covering delegates, protesters, and the major players as they descend on Cleveland and Philadelphia for the Republican and Democratic conventions, respectively. Triumph has already made headlines conducting a live show directly behind Wolf Blitzer’s panel and commandeering a Westboro Baptist Church demonstration.


- Tune in to the AUDIENCE Network special Cypress Hill: Live from Austin airing Friday, August 12, at 9:00 PM ET/PT on DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114. The electrifying rooftop performance and interview with the iconic, multi-platinum, hip-hop group was filmed live this past March in Austin, TX. Cypress Hill is currently on a worldwide tour celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album (released August 13, 1991).

- Three Days of Terrorr: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks (debuting Sept. 19 on HBO) is a searing account of the January 2015 terror attacks on Paris which combined the last attack in Europe by Al-Qaeda and the first attack in Europe inspired by ISIS, following the militant group’s self-proclamation in June 2014. The horrific events began on January 7, 2015, when two brothers – members of Al-Qaeda in Yemen – stormed the Paris offices of the satiric weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 11 people and injuring 11 others before also killing a French police officer. As a massive manhunt for the elusive killers was mounted, an additional 5 people were murdered and 11 wounded over the next two days, which included a harrowing stand-off between police and a gunman, pledging allegiance to ISIS, holding hostages at a kosher supermarket. With unprecedented investigative depth, including exclusive access to hostages, survivors, police, paramilitaries, and intelligence findings and evidence, as well as never before seen footage and photographs, Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Dan Reed (HBO’s “Terror at the Mall”) highlights the courage and resilience of Parisian police and citizens in the face of mass murder.

- VH1, in partnership with Sequential Brands Group, MERRY JANE and 495 Productions, this week announced a new weekly series featuring Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg teaming together to throw a dinner party that will be the hottest ticket in town. Each will invite celebrity friends over for a half-baked evening of cocktails, cooking, conversation, and fun where nothing is off limits. Martha & Snoop’s Dinner Party (working title) will premiere this Fall on VH1.

- Sully Erna--founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the multi-platinum rock band Godsmack--will release a new solo album Hometown Life Friday, September 30 via BMG. Composed by SULLY on piano and acoustic guitar and produced in his New Hampshire studio, HOMETOWN LIFE offers a departure from the tribal, world music feel and experimentation on 2010's Avalon; the new album's 10 songs are more accessible, sonically and musically precise.

- The MTV Video Music Awards will bestow Rihanna with its highest honor, the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award,” for her decade-long impact on music, pop culture, fashion, film and philanthropy. Rihanna will perform during the ceremony LIVE from New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Sunday, August 28 at 9:00.

- BAFTA and César Award-nominated Irène Jacob, often called the preeminent French actress of her generation, has joined the season three cast of the Golden Globe®-winning Showtime® drama series The Affair in a major season-long arc. Jacob will play Juliette Le Gall, a new love interest of Noah's (Dominic West), running from her own secrets, who helps him process a trauma from his past and understand himself a little better. Season three is currently in production in New York, and will premiere on Sunday, November 20th at 10:00 on Showtime.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Around the Tubes: 7/29/16



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 Triumph’s Summer Election Special 2016, Great Performances, 2016 Global Citizen Festival, Sting, Tony Lucca, Mission Critical, America's National Parks at 100, Hip Hop Squares, Might Ship at War: The Queen Mary, America’s Next Top Model, and TBS.

- On the heels of its recent Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special, Triumph’s Election Special 2016, Hulu will debut a new, follow-up one-hour special hosted by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog titled Triumph’s Summer Election Special 2016. The new Hulu Original, in association with Funny Or Die, will become available to stream to Hulu subscribers on August 11.

- The PBS Arts Fall Festival returns Friday nights, beginning October 21, 2016, with all new programs, including the highly anticipated look into the making of the Broadway phenomenon Hamilton, a contemporary take on the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Visionary Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s Tony and Grammy Award-winning creator and star, will host this year’s festival. Great Performances “Hamilton’s America” gives viewers a look at Miranda and his colleagues’ creative process during the three years leading up to the Broadway opening of the record-breaking musical winner of 11 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize.

- Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez, Major Lazer, and Metallica will headline the 2016 Global Citizen Festival, the annual free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 24, 2016. The Festival will harness actions from millions of Global Citizens around the world to hold world leaders accountable to the progress made toward achieving the Global Goals set out by the United Nations last year. Special guest performances will be given by Usher, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens. Hosts for this year’s Festival will include Chelsea Handler, Deborra-lee & Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Seth Meyers.

- On September 30, A&M / Interscope Records are proud to release The Studio Collection, a career-spanning vinyl LP box set featuring all of Sting’s seminal solo studio albums brought together for the first time. The Studio Collection includes eight essential A&M Records albums across eleven LPs – The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985), ...Nothing Like The Sun (1987) (double LP), The Soul Cages (1991), Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993), Mercury Falling (1996), Brand New Day (1999) (double LP), Sacred Love (2003) (double LP) and The Last Ship (2013) – with both Brand New Day and Sacred Love available on vinyl for the first time ever.

- Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tony Lucca is set to release a new digital EP on August 5, 2016 via Rock Ridge Music entitled Sessions, Vol. 2: Muscle Shoals. The three tracks on the release came from a day-long session Lucca did in Muscle Shoals, AL 10 years ago when he went to the music town to explore the area and get to know some writers and players in that scene.

- For many of Earth’s species, time is running out. Iconic animals such as black rhinos, mountain gorillas and giant pandas are close to joining dodos and dinosaurs on the unfortunate list of animals gone forever. While working to preserve these threatened and endangered creatures may seem like a daunting mission, Nat Geo WILD believes that it’s a critical one. Today, Nat Geo WILD announced the premiere of Mission Critical, a new monthly programming initiative featuring powerful stories of the most incredible and endangered animals on our planet. The new series hopes to inspire a new generation of animal lovers to preserve and protect our world’s amazing wildlife, and will premiere globally in 131 countries and 38 languages. Every month, Mission Critical highlights species at the forefront of extinction and the brave individuals who are racing against the clock to make a difference. From adorable baby beluga whales to mischievous Tasmanian devils to elusive leopards, the episodes range from heartwarming to tear-jerking in hopes to shine a light on those animals that need our attention most.

- It began as a radical idea to preserve a mysterious land of “boiling sulpher springs.” Now the National Park Service is 100 years old – with more than 400 places we’ve seen fit to save forever. Smithsonian Channel will celebrate the centennial with America's National Parks at 100 premiering Sunday, August 28 at 8:00. The one-hour special tells the story of how this radical idea evolved into an enduring mission shaped by the creativity, resourcefulness and passion of individual Americans.

- VH1 is giving the classic game show Hollywood Sqares a Hip Hop makeover with the help of Ice Cube and his Cube Vision production company in conjunction with Jesse Collins Entertainment and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm. Slated for a Fall 2016 premiere, celebrity contestants will match wits and test their pop culture knowledge with the superstar squares, featuring the biggest names in hip hop, comedy and entertainment. According to Ice Cube: “Hip Hop Squares is going to be fun and spontaneous; unlike typical game shows, viewers should never know what’s going to happen next. When VH1 asked us to join the producing team, we jumped aboard as we have had success with VH1, and we love their team, excitement and commitment to the show.”

- Nat Geo WILD announced today that Emmy-nominated actor Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) will narrate the upcoming global miniseries event Savage Kingdom, a rare look at warring animal clans battling for survival in a remote region of Africa that is drying up after years of flood-soaked abundance. The winners are rewarded with the richest hunting grounds in the kingdom, while the losers are fated to exile … or even death. Savage Kingdom premieres Friday, Nov. 25, at 9:00 on Nat Geo WILD and globally this fall in 134 countries and 37 languages.

- For six seasons, The Wonder Years captured the angst of growing up in suburban middle-class America in the late '60s, as seen through the life and times of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage). Audiences eagerly followed his evolution as a typical awkward teenager who remembered every moment of his transition from childhood with excruciating detail and remarkable hindsight. From his first kiss with Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) to his friendship with Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) and the ups and downs of the Arnold family, fans shared in laughter, love, and loss, but above all, wonder. This 22-DVD set contains all 115 episodes from the six seasons of this landmark series that aired from 1988 to 1993. Included in this specially-priced slipcase set are complete show notes with episode synopses, cast member reflections, "Current Events," and more plus nearly 12 hours of bonus material, as well as an astounding soundtrack of over 300 classic period songs as they were featured in the original broadcasts featuring such artists as: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, and of course, Joe Cocker's unforgettable theme. The Wonder Years: The Complete Series Street Date: August 23, 2016.

- All aboard Smithsonian Channel this August, as the network sets sail on an epic journey to chronicle the spectacular life and times of the singular vessel R.M.S. Queen Mary, as both a luxury passenger liner and a wartime troop ship. Might Ship at War: The Queen Mary, a new one-hour special timed to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the famed ocean liner’s maiden voyage, will premiere Sunday, August 21 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- VH1 today announced the host and judging panel for the network’s upcoming reincarnation of America’s Next Top Model, premiering this fall. Singer, actress and entrepreneur Rita Ora will host the reinvented show with supermodel and body activist Ashley Graham, Paper Magazine Chief Creative Officer Drew Elliott and celebrity stylist and image architect Law Roach serving as judges. Show creator Tyra Banks and Ken Mok continue as executive producers of the iconic modeling competition, with Banks making surprise appearances throughout the season.

- TBS, a division of Turner, has greenlit Storyville, a new digital animated series co-created by OkayPlayer. The top-rated network is also in development on Think B.I.G., a scripted series based loosely on lyrics by the late, great Notorious B.I.G. The two projects are the first to emerge from a new strategic content partnership between TBS & TNT and New York-based content and media organization Mass Appeal.