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

Friday, March 17, 2017

Around the Tubes: 3/18/2017



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 Impossible Engineering, Drop the Mic, Animal Kingdom, Emogenius, The Looming Tower and Ray Donovan.

-Today’s feats of modern engineering are truly spectacular and keep getting bigger, stronger, and more impressive. These massive have revolutionized how we travel, do business, protect our nations, and see the world. Science Channel explores these incredible achievements in an all-new season of Impossible Engineering, returning Thursday, March 30 at 9:00.

- Music icon Method Man and supermodel Hailey Baldwin are ready to pick up the mic as the hosts of TBS's Drop the Mic, the new comedic music series from executive producers James Corden, Ben Winston and Jensen Karp. The pair have been tapped to emcee the celebrity battle rap competition based on the enormously popular segment from the Emmy®-winning series The Late Late Show with James Corden. Drop the Mic, which is also co-executive-produced by Ed Thomas, will launch on Turner's TBS on Tuesday, May 2, at 10:00. The series is produced for TBS by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73.

- In celebration of Animal Kingdom coming to South by Southwest this Saturday, March 11, TNT is releasing a first-look clip from the Season 2 premiere, with the Cody clan back in action and beginning to fracture. Animal Kingdom Season 2 premieres Tuesday, May 30, at 9:00 on TNT. Check out the first-look clip from the Season 2 premiere of Animal Kingdom


- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today its new programming and other initiatives, as part of the network’s 2017 Upfronts, with a focus on its core “shiny floor” game shows. GSN has greenlit a new game show series, Emogenius, and the network’s other new addition to the lineup, Divided, which launched in January 2017, has been picked up for a second season following its successful debut. Freshman hit, Winsanity, hosted by Donald Faison (“Scrubs”) returns for a second season with a new format, and perennial favorite, Idiotest, hosted by comedian Ben Gleib recently launched its fourth season.

- Hulu announced this week that Emmy Award-winning actor Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, The Martian, Steve Jobs) has been cast to star in Hulu's original new drama series The Looming Tower.

- Showtime Networks announced that Oscar® winner and four-time Emmy®-nominated actress Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking) will appear on the hit drama series RAY DONOVAN in a season-long guest arc. Sarandon will play Samantha Winslow, the strong, focused head of a motion picture studio. Ray Donovan returns for its fifth season this summer.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Around the Tubes: 3/10/17



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 Guerrilla, The Handmaid’s Tale, Our Dream of Water, Brandy Clark, Disgraced, Juliana Hatfield, 50 Cent, Frankly Faraci, Billions, Fire Island, and The Alienist.

- Showtime has released a new behind the scenes video for its highly anticipated six-part limited event series Guerrilla, premiering on Sunday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Created by Academy Award® winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, American Crime), Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. The series stars Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Babou Ceesay (Getting On).


- This week Hulu released a new teaser for The Handmaid’s Tale. The 10-episode first season premieres on Wednesday, April 26th.


- In advance of World Water Day on March 22, Stella Artois and National Geographic are announcing the national premiere of Our Dream of Water, a documentary film spotlighting the effects of the global water crisis by 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner director Crystal Moselle. Our Dream of Wateris Moselle’s first film since her highly acclaimed documentary “The Wolfpack” and was commissioned by Stella Artois as a part of the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign, an ongoing partnership with Water.org to raise awareness about the global water crisis. The film follows the journey of three women and their communities in Haiti, Peru and Kenya – countries that benefit from the campaign. As with Moselle’s previous films, Our Dream of Water is extremely character-driven and focuses on three exceptional women and their unshakeable perseverance, despite hardships they face on a daily basis. Tune-in! Our Dream of Water will debut on National Geographic at 6:00:00 on March 22, on World Water Day, with an encore presentation on March 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST/PST.

- Tune in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special Brandy Clark airing Friday, March 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT via DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114 and DIRECTVNOW. In this episode, Brandy Clark sits down with host Ted Stryker in Los Angeles foran in-depth interview spanning her musical beginnings and influences.

-The official trailer for the upcoming documentary film Disgraced was released today and is available now on SHO.com and the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube page. DISGRACED will make its anticipated world premiere at the SXSW® Film Festival on Sunday, March 12 and its television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

- Boston-based singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield will be releasing a brand-new record titled Pussycat (American Laundromat Records) on April 28th, following the kick-off of a national tour that will start on April 23rd. The first single, "Impossible Song" can be heard here: soundcloud.com/laundromat13/impossible-song/s-MlVz9

- On March 31, 2017, almost fifteen years after his explosive debut, UMe will release Best Of 50 Cent. This is 50 Cent’s first “Best Of� compilation, which will be issued on CD and at all digital retail outlets. The double LP will be released on April 7. It includes classic cuts from the albums Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Massacre, Curtis, Before I Self Destruct, Music From And Inspired By Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ The Motion Picture and the In Too Deep Motion Picture Soundtrack. Best Of 50 Cent also features the non-album tracks “Get Up� and “I Get It In,� plus the bonus cut “How to Rob.� Among his many legendary collaborators included are Mobb Deep, Akon, Ne-Yo, The Madd Rapper, Nate Dogg, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Olivia, the first woman signed to 50 Cent’s G-Unit label.

- Dove Channel, Cinedigm’s (NASDAQ: CIDM) OTT family-friendly streaming service, announced today that episode one of its first original show, Frankly Faraci, is scheduled to go up on the service March 21st, with new episodes premiering weekly thereafter. Hosted by journalist Matthew Faraci, this unprecedented show provides viewers with an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at high-profile figures in entertainment, music, sports, business, and politics who are doing good things in the world.

- Showtime has picked up the hit drama series Billions for a third season. Billions delivered the network’s biggest sophomore debut since Homeland, and had its best telecast of the season this past Sunday night, up 13 percent versus the season two premiere telecast. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff and Malin Akerman, Billions airs Sundays at 10:00.

- Logo this week unveiled the cast and trailer for its new unscripted series, Fire Island, from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions. Fire Island follows a group of young professionals living together in a beachfront share house for the summer as they search for the romance, temptation and thrills that have brought the LGBTQ community to the island for decades. The provocative new show will premiere later this spring.

- Sean Astin (Stranger Things) is set to star as Theodore Roosevelt, the Police Commissioner for New York City, in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Astin joins fellow series regulars Daniel Brühl (Rush) as forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler; Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train) as newspaper illustrator John Moore; and Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) as Sara Howard, a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters, who together investigate a series of brutal m urders i n New York during the Gilded Age.

Friday, March 03, 2017

Around the Tubes: 3/3/17



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 Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Whitney. Can I Be Me, Bob’s Burgers, Search Party, and Melrose.

- Follow world-famous dog behaviorist Cesar Millan (@cesarmillan) and his son Andre as they team up on a road trip across America to help organizations and people that are rescuing and rehabilitating dogs, in the new series Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation, premiering Friday, March 3, at 9:00 on Nat Geo WILD. The series will present new challenges for Cesar as he does more than just help dog owners with their pets’ behavioral problems. We uncover inspirational K-9 stories and connect with those that are working to make our world a better place for us and our pets, such as organizations helping veterans and their service dogs, community-run animal rescue groups training K-9 police dogs and therapy dogs that help children with autism. From canine heroes to issues affecting local dog communities, no pup is off limits as the Millans hit the road to help dogs across the country.

- The genre-busting cult classic from Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer turns 20 years old on March 10, 2017! To celebrate Buffy Summers, the Scoobies and all the monsters that go bump in the night, 20th Century Fox Consumer Products announces exciting product launches – from board games to new books to fashion accessories to apparel -- and multiple fan-focused activities including a “Sunnydale High Yearbook Contest” offering a trip to 2017 San Diego Comic Con. Plus, on the anniversary, fans can tune-in to relive the two-part premiere episode on Pop (to find your channel go to Poptv.com) on March 10th at 9 AM.

- Showtime ordered a new season of the groundbreaking political documentary series The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth. Returning Sunday, March 19 at 8:00 on SHOWTIME, the show will examine the riveting and unprecedented events unfolding – both inside and outside the Beltway – in President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

- Showtime Documentary Films will premiere Whitney. Can I Be Me, a film exploring the incredible career and complicated life of the memorable singer, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 26 at the SVA Theater, with subsequent screenings all weekend. The film will air on Showtime later this year. The powerful documentary is directed by acclaimed BAFTA Award winner Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney, Tales of the Grim Sleeper).

- Game night just got a lot more fun! USAopoly is releasing 3 brand new games based on everyone’s favorite dysfunctional restaurant family, the Belchers from Bob’s Burgers! MONOPOLY®: Bob's Burgers Edition, Bob’s Burgers Puzzle and JENGA®: Bob's Burgers Edition are must-haves for any Bob’s Burgers fanatic – and soon all be available for purchase at USAopoly.com.

- In celebration of Search Party's presence at SXSW, TBS is making all 10 episodes of the binge-worthy first season available to watch for free on tbs.com & the tbs app from 3/14-3/21. If you're attending the festival, come by Search Party's In Search Of pop-up store for a one-of-a-kind experience! The store is open 3/14-3/16 at 88 1/2 Rainey Street in Austin.

- This week Showtime Networks announced the pickup of the five-part limited series Melrose, starring and executive produced by Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, Sherlock). BAFTA Award nominee David Nicholls (Far From the Madding Crowd, One Day) is writing all five episodes of the television adaptation. Based on the acclaimed Patrick Melrose series of semi-autobiographical novels written by Edward St. Aubyn, MELROSE hilariously skewers the upper class as it tracks the protagonist’s harrowing odyssey from a deeply traumatic childhood through adult substance abuse and, ultimately, toward recovery. A co-production between SHOWTIME and Sky Atlantic, the limited series will begin shooting in New York, London and the South of France in August. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Around the Tubes: 2/24/17



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 Mythbusters: The Search, Castle Rock, Gin Blossoms, Black Sails, Dark Net, Americans Underground: Secret City of WWI, I’m Dying Up Here, and Animal Kingdom.

- In a LIVE broadcast of Science Channel’s Mythbusters: The Search on Saturday, February 25 at 9:00, the next generation of Mythbusters will be revealed. Throughout the season, the final four contenders have all earned the right to be called Mythbusters, displaying killer myth-busting build skills, science smarts and remarkable nerves. Unfortunately, not all of them will walk away as Mythbusters. The finale, featuring Mythbusters: The Search host and Nerdist science editor Kyle Hill, will originate from Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center.

- Hulu is taking viewers into the chilling world of acclaimed, best-selling author Stephen King in the new Hulu Original drama series Castle Rock, from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television and executive producers/writers Sam Shaw & Dustin Thomason. Hulu has ordered a 10 episode first season of the on-going series, with production set to begin this year. A teaser trailer for Castle Rock has been viewed more than one million times since it was released on Friday, Feb. 17, and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/UGHupqE1LCI.

- Gin Blossoms were formed in 1987 in Tempe, AZ, by lead guitarist/songwriter Doug Hopkins, Bill Leen and then-lead vocalist Jesse Valenzuela, (who eventually relinquished the lead vocal position to Robin Wilson before signing to A&M Records) taking their name from a photo of W.C. Fields in Kenneth Anger’s legendary Hollywood Babylon book, which depicted him “with gin blossoms,” referring to his rosacea-ravaged face. A southwest contemporary of bands like the Sidewinders, Meat Puppets, the Refreshments and Dead Hot Workshop. Gin Blossoms’ first full-length studio album, New Miserable Experience, came out on August 4, 1992, on A&M Records, followed four years later by Congratulations, I’m Sorry, on February 13, 1996. UMe will now reissue both albums on black and limited edition colored vinyl on March 24, marking the 25th anniversary of the release of New Miserable Experience.

- In a new deal with Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), Hulu has acquired the subscription streaming rights to the hit, Starz Original series premium cable network drama, Black Sails. All past episodes of the series from previous seasons will become available to stream on Hulu starting now. Hulu has also secured the rights to the fourth and final season when it becomes available.

- The second season of Dark Net, the provocative docu-series produced by Vocativ Films that shines a spotlight on the dark recesses of the deep web, will return to Showtime’s primetime schedule Thursday, April 6th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. DARK NET chronicles the ways in which the Internet has pervaded our communities, relationships and minds, and exposes the dangers of an unregulated, unsupervised digital frontier.

- Texas trauma surgeon Jeff Gusky has revealed an underground city and hidden world beneath a French wheat field. Also an explorer and photographer, Gusky has uncovered extraordinary carvings that bring to light new information about the American soldiers who took refuge there during World War I. The Americans left their names on the ancient limestone walls in hundreds of inscriptions and images: in some cases revealing their identities, where they came from, and ultimately their fate. On the 100th anniversary of WWI, Smithsonian Channel™ exclusively reveals never-before-seen photos and shocking discoveries about these soldiers in the one-hour special Americans Underground: Secret City of WWI, premiering on Monday, March 13, at 8:00.

- Showtime will present the world premiere of its highly anticipated new one-hour drama series I’m Dying Up Here at the South by Southwest® (SXSW) Film Festival on Wednesday, March 15 at 11:30 a.m. in the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. The world premiere will be immediately followed by a Q&A with the series’ cast and producers, including Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Treme), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show) and executive producer Michael Aguilar.

- The Codys are back, and the ties that bind them are about to be stretched to the limit when TNT's hit Animal Kingdom returns for its second season. One of cable's Top 5 new dramas this past summer, the series about a Southern California crime family stars Emmy® and Tony® winner Ellen Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody clan, Scott Speedman as her second in command and Shawn Hatosy as her volatile, mentally unstable eldest son. Also starring are Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. The second season of Animal Kingdom is slated to launch Tuesday, May 30, at 9:00 on TNT.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Around the Tubes: 2/16/17



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 Water & Power: A California Heist, Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, T'Pau, Maggie Rogers, Victorian Rebel – Marianne North, Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth, and In the Heat of the Night.

- Today, more than 500 million people around the world lack access to clean drinking water. Global warming, drought, overconsumption, corporate greed, terrorism and political corruption have all contributed to a stark reality where fresh water is scarce, expensive and not a guaranteed human right. Coinciding with World Water Day (March 22), National Geographic has announced two new projects from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (“Going Clear”, “Taxi to the Dark Side”) that will air throughout the month of March and shed light on critical issues bubbling up around the world and in our own backyards. First, following a successful debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, is the feature documentary Water & Power: A California Heist. Directed by Emmy award winner Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”) and executive produced by Gibney and Jigsaw Productions, the film unfolds like a real-life version of the 1974 film noir “Chinatown,” as it peels back the layers of California’s history of water manipulations.

- Showtime Documentary Films will release the new documentary Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, an unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of the legendary musician. The documentary will screen at domestic and international film festivals later this year, followed by a theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada, before airing nationally on SHOWTIME in 2018. The film will be directed by Oscar®-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy), with John Battsek (One Day In September, Searching for Sugar Man) producing for Passion Pictures. BAFTA winner Chris King (Amy, Senna) will serve as editor.

- Following on from the success of 2015's expanded ‘Bridge of Spies’ set UMG / Virgin now present T’Pau – The Virgin Anthology. This collection is a comprehensive, 4-CD curation of T'Pau's Virgin Records career: all those glorious singles from the mighty, quadruple platinum debut album ‘Bridge Of Spies’ ('87,) the two Top Ten albums which followed, the platinum-selling ‘Rage’ ('88) and Top 10 gold-selling ‘The Promise’ ('91,) plus a glimmering collector's grotto of B-sides, remixes, tantalising rarities and unreleased demo versions of the songs which lit up the late-‘80s skyline like luminous shooting stars. In the era's dominant teen-pop landscape T'Pau were a proper band, their stadium-level ambition powering into realisation via one of the most distinctive vocalists in history, Carol's singular force-of-nature tone somehow merging, stunningly, the youthful euphoria of the ingénue with the depths of a woman's wisdom.

- Maggie Rogers: “Alaska”:


- Smithsonian Channel is celebrating Women’s History Month with new specials that highlight two of the most courageous and independent-spirited women of their time, both leaving a lasting impression for centuries to follow. Victorian Rebel – Marianne North remembers one of the most adventurous female explorers and botanists of all time in a story of obsession, tragedy and ultimately triumph in Victorian England. Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth revisits the life of a legendary woman whose story continues to gain new resonance over time, even now on the 400-year anniversary of her death in March 1617. Victorian Rebel – Marianne North premieres on Wednesday, March 8 at 8:00. It is produced by Dan Chambers for Blink Films and Warner Sisters Productions. Charles Poe, David Royle and Joy Galane serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel. Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth premieres on Monday, March 27 at 8:00. It is produced by Biscuit Factory for Smithsonian Networks. Rob Lyall and Molly Herman are executive producers for Biscuit Factory. John Cavanagh and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

- During his frequent guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show, Tim Conway, who had originally gotten his start on McHale's Navy, was a one-man wrecking crew capable of leveling the audience and cast members alike with the slightest gesture. With an unparalleled gift for improvisation and physical comedy, Conway became a permanent part of the cast in 1975 and would go on to create a gallery of oddball characters that blossomed in their own bumbling ineptitude, from the "Oldest Man" to the irascible boss, Mr. Tudball. The Carol Burnett Show: The Best of Tim Conway celebrates this inimitable and legendary comic with four complete episodes - three not seen in more than 40 years - featuring some of his most unforgettable characters and moments. Street Date: April 4, 2017.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will kick off the 8th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 6th with a 50th anniversary screening of the Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger classic In the Heat of the Night (1967). The iconic actor Sidney Poitier, who will attend the screening, broke stereotypes and new ground when he starred in this five time Academy Award winner about a black detective from the north who finds himself investigating a murder in a small-town in Mississippi. Producer Walter Mirisch and Director Norman Jewison along with actress Lee Grant and composer Quincy Jones will be on hand to discuss the film which is considered to be a landmark.

- A group of governors from both ends of the political spectrum are urging President Donald Trump to support renewable energy, saying the wind and solar industries are crucial economic engines for impoverished rural regions. The Governor’s Wind & Solar Energy Coalition is seeking increased federal funding to modernize local power grids and boost clean energy research, according to a letter submitted to the White House Monday. The group is also calling for legislation to promote offshore wind farms and efforts to streamline the permitting process for wind and solar projects.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Around the Tubes: 2/9/2017



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 Angie Tribeca, Showtime, After Spring, Big Cat Week, Disgraced, Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico, FilmStruck, and Mama's Family.

- The world called, and Angie has answered with the most magnificent, masterful and moving third season of TBS's Angie Tribeca yet. Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, Deon Cole, Andrée Vermeulen and Jagger will be back when the powerful police drama returns Monday, April 10, at 10:30, exclusively on TBS, a division of Turner.

- Showtime will be available to more than 73 million households during a Free Preview Weekend from Friday, February 17 through Monday, February 20. Viewers nationwide will be able to sample the network’s award-winning programming on Showtime, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via select distributors' TV Everywhere portals. The Free Preview Weekend will include the season two premiere of the powerful drama series Billions, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis. Additionally, viewers will be able to sample new episodes of the Emmy-winning drama series HOMELAND, along with a live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event, feature films and compelling documentary programming.

- Starz announced this week the critically-acclaimed documentary After Spring, executive produced by Jon Stewart and Chris McShane and directed/produced by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, will make its national television debut on Friday, February 10 at 9:00 exclusively on STARZ. The documentary will be made available for STARZ subscribers on the STARZ app and STARZ ON DEMAND today, Friday, February 3, one week prior to the television premiere. he outstanding documentary feature film tells the heartbreaking and inspiring personal stories of Syrian refugees and aid workers at the Zaatari Refugee Camp, home to 80,000 people and now considered the fourth largest city in Jordan. More than 50 percent of the camp’s population is under 18 years old and over 5,000 babies have been born in the camp since it opened in July 2012. The Syrian conflict has displaced more than 10 million people, according to the United Nations.

- For millions of years, big cats have stood atop the food chain as treasured icons of the wild. We have a deep, ancient connection with these revered predators. We admire them; we fear them; and now, we need to fight for them. Today, big cats such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and cougars are in decline across the globe. Nat Geo WILD’s seventh annual Big Cat Week has turned its lens on these majestic animals to shine a light on their struggle and to remind viewers of their importance in the world. Big Cat Week premieres Monday, Feb. 20, at 9:00 on Nat Geo WILD

- This week, Showtime Networks Inc. announced the feature-length documentary Disgraced, which recounts the shocking murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy as well as an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations. The film, which will make its world premiere at the 2017 South By Southwest film festival next month, will premiere on Showtime on March 31 at 9:00.

- Star Wars: Rouge One star Diego Luna and former Mexican President Vincente Fox will join Conan O'Brien during the late-night host's newest primetime special, Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico. Shot on location in Mexico City, the hour-long special is set to premiere Wednesday, March 1, at 10:00, exclusively on TBS.

- FilmStruck, the streaming movie service for film aficionados, is now available on Google Chromecast second generation and Chromecast Ultra devices. Continuing its rapid platform expansion, the streaming service will also launch on Roku, Playstation 4 and Xbox One in the coming months. FilmStruck, featuring the largest streaming library of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films and the exclusive streaming home to the Criterion Collection, is available for streaming on Apple TV 4th generation devices, Amazon Fire TV, web, iOS and Android devices.

- Everyone's favorite indelible and smart alecky small-town matriarch is back - and, she's brought her whole crazy family with her! After breaking out from "The Family" sketches on "The Carol Burnett Show," Thelma "Mama" Harper's home-spun humor earned its own well-loved sitcom which ran for six knee-slapping seasons. Set in the fictional city of Raytown, MAMA'S FAMILY revolves around the eye-opening escapades of the Harper clan, headed by Mama Harper, who does not suffer fools gladly. In fact, she makes everybody suffer a little with her patented snappy retorts that truly put the "diss" in dysfunction. Now, for the first time, home audiences can revel in the very best episodes of this outlandish family comedy with Mama's Family: The Mama's Family Favorites Collection. Street Date: March 7, 2017

- Some upcoming Showtime premiere dates:
Original Series
Billions: Sunday, February 19 at 10:00
Guerrilla: Sunday, April 16 at 9:00
Twin Peaks: Sunday May 21 at 9:00
I'm Dying Up Here: Sunday, June 4 at 10:00
Ray Donovan: Summer
Documentaries
American Jihad: Saturday, March 11 at 9:00
Beach Boys: Making of Pet Sounds: Apri
Jackson: May
More Than T: June
Becoming Cary Grant: TBD
Comedy Specials
Nick Cannon: Stand Up. Don't Shoot: Friday, Febuary 10 at 9:00
SXSW Comedy with Natasha Leggero Part Two: Friday, March 17 at 10;00
Steve Byrne: Tell the Damn Joke: April
Al Madrigal: Shrimpin' Ain't Easy: Friday May 5 at 9:00
Andrew Santino: Home Field Advantage: Friday, June 2 at 9:00
Erik Griffin: The Ugly Truth: Friday, July 7 at 9:00
Sports
Shobox: The New Generation: Friday, February 10 at 10:00
Showtime Championship Boxing: Broner vs. Granados: Saturday, Febuary 18 at 9:00
Shobox: The New Generation: Fridy, February 24 at 10:00
Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds to Freedom: Friday, February 24 at 8:30

Friday, February 03, 2017

Around the Tubes: 2/3/17



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 National Women’s Soccer League, TNT, Twin Peaks, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, American Jihad, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

- The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and A+E Networks have entered an historic partnership whereby A+E Networks will become the league’s newest investor with an equity stake in the National Women’s Soccer League, joining the existing team ownership groups. As one of the leading women’s media brands, Lifetime, will become an official sponsor and broadcast partner of the league in a three-­‐year deal, beginning in April. The strategic investment is accompanied by the creation of a new joint venture, NWSL Media, and marks a watershed moment in the league’s history that will bolster the league’s growth and support of the teams, players and fans. Lifetime, the premier entertainment destination for women, is making an unprecedented commitment with a three-­‐year agreement to be the official broadcast partner. For the first time in NWSL’s history, a league game will be broadcast on television every weekend of the season. The NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime will provide fans throughout the country with a live viewing platform every Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to watch the best players in the world. A pre-­‐game show will kick off each weekly event at 3:30 p.m. ET. Showcasing the network’s sponsorship and commitment to the league, Lifetime will be featured on all official jerseys with a patch on the right sleeve.

- This Summer, TNT is debuting some hot new and returning shows with the series premiere of Claws and Will and the season two premiere of Animal Kingdom. Check out and share these four first look promos showcasing the originals coming to TNT in 2017.


- Starting on Wednesday, March 1, Showtime is offering its subscribers the opportunity to catch up on the phenomenon that is Twin Peaks by making the original series’ prequel film FIRE WALK WITH ME available on the Showtime streaming service, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®. Fire Walk with Me will also debut on air on Wednesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Set before the original Twin Peaks, Fire Walk with Me is directed by David Lynch and chronicles the seven days leading up to the brutal murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). With the first two seasons of Twin Peaks already available across all of its platforms, SHOWTIME is offering subscribers the opportunity to binge watch the entirety of the original series ahead of the new Twin Peaks debut on May 21.

- Featuring acclaimed Syrian clarinet player Kinan Azmeh and four-time Grammy nominated Iranian virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor, HBO’s The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, premieres on March 6 at 8:00 on HBO. Sadly, both featured musicians, permanent residents of the United State, are performing abroad right now and affected by the new executive order from the White House, making their return to the United State uncertain. This troubling turn of events is even more acute when you consider that with The Music of Strangers and the Silk Road Ensemble, legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma hopes to bridge geographic and cultural boundaries using the universal power of music.

- Today, Showtime Documentary Films announced a compelling new documentary titled American Jihad (wt), which explores home-grown Jihadism, how young men are radicalized to commit violent acts of terrorism and what can be done to prevent it. Through intimate personal stories, we witness the havoc it creates in the lives of their families and the destruction of their communities. American Jihad will premiere on Showtime on March 11 at 9:00 on-air, online and On Demand, and will serve as the closing night film at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in late February.

- TBS's late-night hit Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is pleased to announce its first annual "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner," which will take place on Saturday, April 29, at The Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. (the Old Post Office being regrettably unavailable due to a Bahraini Press Freedom Consortium). Samantha Bee, noted purveyor of FAKE NEWS™, will host the gala affair, welcoming journalists and non-irritating celebrities from around the world. We suspect some members of the press may find themselves unexpectedly free that night, and we want to feed them and give them hugs.-

- In response to President Trump's disturbing statement this morning that he would work to repeal the Johnson Amendment, the provision in the US tax code that prevents charitable organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates, the Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair released the following official statement:

“President Trump's vow to 'totally destroy' the Johnson Amendment would further damage the foundations of our already fragile democracy. The Johnson Amendment keeps charities and churches nonpartisan, and its repeal would allow dark money and secret donors to manipulate charities for partisan political purposes, tax free. Citizens United - allowing the wealthy to spend whatever they want on politics - is no longer enough for Republicans. Now they want unlimited funds for politics to be tax deductible, making American taxpayers subsidize the politics of the rich while they drag charities and churches down into the political fray,” said Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair Morris Pearl, former Managing Director BlackRock, Inc.

- Leaked recordings of last weekend’s Republican retreat in Philadelphia confirmed what we’ve known all along: the Trump team and Congressional Republicans simply don’t have a plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even as they rush to dismantle it. After yesterday’s bold delay by Senate Democrats, today the Senate Finance Committee Republicans suspended committee rules and unilaterally advanced Representative Tom Price’s candidacy for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to a full Senate vote. “If Representative Price and GOP leadership in Congress have their way and repeal the ACA they will leave most of my employees and myself without coverage,” said Sri Kumarasingam, the owner of Pastorante Restaurant in Harrisburg, PA and a member of the Main Street Alliance. "Representative Price’s shortsighted plans to repeal the ACA could cause my employees to leave for a larger competitor that can provide insurance--leaving the future of my business in the balance.”

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Around the Tubes: 1/28/17



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 CONAN Without Borders: Made in Mexico, Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration, Hacking the Wild, Legacy: Bob Hurley, and The Librarians,

- TBS's CONAN will go international for the sixth time in two years as host Conan O'Brien travels to Mexico City for the brand new primetime special CONAN Without Borders: Made in Mexico. The hour-long special is set to premiere Wednesday, March 1, at 10:00, exclusively on TBS. With all of the negative news about the current state of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, O'Brien has decided to strike a positive note by heading to Mexico City, where he'll outsource his show by shooting his latest CONAN Without Borders special with the help of an all-Mexican staff, crew, guests and studio audience. "Although I'm eager to make a show in Mexico, if the U.S. government meets my demand for $100 million in tax incentives, I will consider relocating production to Akron." said O'Brien.

- To honor the late Mary Tyler Moore, PBS stations will rebroadcast Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration. Please check local listings. The documentary, which first aired in 2015, commemorates the influential TV icon and her 50-plus-year career that spanned award-winning films and Broadway shows, as well as two beloved television series that broke ground and continue to entertain viewers. Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration features interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Valerie Harper and many others who recall Moore’s career highlights and underscore the importance of her television characters in shaping today’s society.

- In Science Channel’s all-new series Hacking the Wild, “Digital Survivalist” Andy Quitmeyer goes deep into some of the most remote parts of the world armed with nothing but everyday technology and science to survive the wilderness. Each of the six, hour-long episodes follow Quitmeyer as he hacks his way back to civilization using a hybrid of time-tested outdoor survival skills and a backpack’s worth of wires, laptops and tracking devices. HACKING THE WILD premieres Wednesday, February 15 at 10:00.

- The potential final season for a Hall of Fame coach and a national basketball institution will be chronicled in a Showtime Sports digital documentary titled Legacy: Bob Hurley. Showtime will debut Legacy: Bob Hurley in six weekly installments exclusively on SHO.com and the Showtime Sports YouTube channel (@shosports) beginning Monday, Feb. 20.

- Turner’s TNT has renewed its hit fantasy-adventure series The Librarians for a fourth season. The show’s third season recently aired its finale on January 22, 2017 and is currently available on TNT On Demand and TNT's digital and mobile platforms. The fourth season is slated to begin later this year.

- In the wake of last weekend’s Women’s Marches, activists have announced a major “People’s Climate March” on April 29th in Washington, D.C. and across the country. The effort is being organized by the coalition formed out of 2014’s People’s Climate March, which brought over 400,000 people to the streets of New York City and many more around the world.

- In response to the horrifying news that Republicans in the South Dakota legislature voted yesterday to use a contrived state of emergency to repeal the South Dakota Government Accountability and Anti-Corruption Act, a ballot initiative that was approved by a majority of voters in the 2016 election, the Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair released the following official statement:

“The American people have said time and time again that they want ethical and responsible leaders in government. The South Dakota GOP’s refusal to be accept accountability oversight is deeply troubling, and their willingness to take extraordinary measures to overturn a democratically approved law is appalling. South Dakota lawmakers should not be afraid of higher ethical standards, they should embrace them.

The state government has been wracked by scandals, it consistently ranks as one of the worst in the nation for accountability, and yet the state GOP somehow thinks anti-corruption laws are so bad they require a state of emergency to repeal them. Voters in South Dakota have finally said “enough,” it’s time for lawmakers to accept the will of the people and clean up their act,” said Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair Morris Pearl, former Managing Director BlackRock, Inc.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Around the Tubes: 1/20/2017



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 Atlantis Eising, Uncensored with Michael Ware, The Weapon Hunter, TNT and TBS news, The Great British Baking Show, All Eyez On Me, and The Mindy Project.

- The legend of Atlantis has sparked controversy and debate for thousands of years — is the story fact or fiction? And if Atlantis was a real place, can its ruins be found today?
Atlantis Eising, which premieres on National Geographic on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 9:00, follows executive producer and Oscar-winning legend James Cameron; three-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Simcha] Jacobovici; and a group of archeologists, scientists and historians as they set out to search for the true “Atlantean” civilization and for a possible location for the mother city, the lost city itself. The team draws clues from “Timaeus” and “Critias,” the source of the story of Atlantis, penned by fourth century B.C. Greek philosopher Plato.

- Audacious journalist Michael Ware is best known for his coverage as a war correspondent, spending nearly a decade of his life in some of the most brutal and hostile combat zones on the planet. Famous for his coverage of the Iraq War, Ware was given access that he deemed to be frightening, witnessing the horrors of war and the birth of ISIS. Now, in National Geographic’s new eight-episode series Uncensored with Michael Ware, Ware is leaving the trenches to embark on a new adventure as he investigates some of the most fascinating people, places and cultures on the planet. Ware brings his style of gritty, unapologetic journalism to some of the world’s buzziest areas, ranging from the rough and savage highlands of Papua New Guinea — where women who are thought to be witches are hunted and killed — to the glamorous streets of Los Angeles where celebrities are sought out and snapped by paparazzi. Uncensored with Michael Ware WARE premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 10:00 on National Geographic and globally in 171 countries and in 45 languages on Sunday, March 19.

- Season two of the Smithsonian Channel original series The Weapon Hunter shines a light on true American heroes as series host, history buff and restoration expert Paul Shull partners with veterans to spotlight iconic moments and artefacts in military history. This is history that leaves a mark. From a Vietnam era gun truck and a World War II B-25 bomber, to a giant 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon and more, The Weapon Hunter is history up-close and personal. Season two of the six-episode series premieres Sunday, February 12 at 9:00.

- Turner's TNT has picked up a sixth season of the hugely popular crime-drama Major Crimes, from Warner Bros. Television, which has consistently ranked as one of cable's most-watched drama series since its chart-topping debut in 2012. The show's stellar ensemble cast – including two-time Oscar® nominee Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, Kearran Giovanni, Jonathan Del Arco and Graham Patrick Martin – will return for the 13-episode sixth season. Major Crimes will close out its fifth season with an eight-episode run that begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 9:00.

- TBS's The Guest Book is filling up quickly with notable entries. The new comedy series from Emmy® winner Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl) has locked its first-season cast and guest cast. The Guest Book is slated to premiere on TBS in August. Among the regular and recurring cast members joining The Guest Book are Kellie Martin (Army Wives) as Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Charlie Robinson (Hart of Dixie) is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Aloma Wright (Suits), Carly Jibson (Broadway's Hairspray) is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank, played by Lou Wilson (Tween Fest). Rounding out the first season cast in recurring roles will be Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), Laura Bell Bundy (Scream Queens) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl). The Guest Book has also lined up an impressive list of guest stars, reserving the talents of Danny Pudi (Community), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the new Black), Michaela Watkins (Casual), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Michael Rapaport (Sully), Kate Micucci (Raising Hope), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Stockard Channing (The Good Wife), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead) John Ortiz (Togetherness), David Zayas (Gotham), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Margo Martindale (The Good Wife) and Stephnie Weir ( The Comedians) for the anthology-style series.

- Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) is set to star in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Playing Sara Howard, a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters, Fanning joins recently cast Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglorious Bastards, Captain America: Civil War), who stars as forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, and Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train, The Hobbit trilogy), who will play reporter John Moore. The series will follow the three of them as they investigate a series of brutal murders in New York during the Gilded Age.

- Turner's TBS has greenlit ten episodes of the animated series The Cops (working title), starring and co-created by Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks. The two also serve as executive producers on the series with Greg Daniels, Dino Stamatopoulos, Dave Becky and Howard Klein. The Cops is produced by FX Productions, Louis C.K.'s Pig Newton and Turner's Studio T, and is slated to premiere in 2018. The Cops follows Al (Brooks) and Lou (C.K.), two Los Angeles patrolmen trying their best to protect and serve, sometimes failing at both. Ride with them as they patrol one of the biggest cities in the world, then go home with them and be glad you're not married to either.

- Turner's TNT has ordered a second season of its hit drama series Good Behavior, starring award-winning actress Michelle Dockery. Juan Diego Botto, Terry Kinney and Lusia Strus also star in the seductive thriller, which is executive-produced by Chad Hodge and Blake Crouch and based on a series of books by Crouch. The entire first season of Good Behavior is currently available on TNT On Demand and TNT's digital and mobile platforms. The second season is slated to launch in the fall.

- PBS announced this week at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour that The Great British Baking Show will return for a fourth season on June 16, 2017, airing Friday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). This upcoming season is the BBC’s most recent season, which received the highest-ever viewership for the series. PBS also announced it has committed to a fifth season of the series that has previously aired on the BBC.

- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF.A, LGF.B) and Morgan Creek Entertainment announced today that Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment label will distribute All Eyez On Me, the biopic on Tupac Shakur, in the U.S. The film is scheduled to be released in theatres nationwide on June 16, 2017, on what would have been Tupac’s 46th birthday.

- Get a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing costumes and design on The Mindy Project. Season five of The Mindy Project returns Tuesday, Feb. 14.


- This week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report finding that if the key provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are repealed 32 million Americans will become uninsured over the course of 10 years, and more than half of those people—18 million Americans—will lose their insurance within the first year. A report by Policy Matters Ohio found that 964,000 Ohioans would lose health coverage in 2019 if the ACA were repealed.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Around the Tubes: 1/13/17



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 New Edition Story, Seven Songs for a Long Life, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, The Obama Years: The Power of Words, and news from Showtime.

- BET Network’s upcoming biopic The New Edition Story is a 6 hour, 3 night star studded mini-series that will air on January 24, 25, and 26, 2017. Check out the trailer below.


- Hospice care is rarely associated with song and dance, unless the songs happen to be dirges or solemn hymns. But a new hospice-centered documentary, Seven Songs for a Long Life, sings a very different tune. Filmmaker Amy Hardie goes inside Strathcarron Hospice in Scotland, where six patients, some stricken with terminal illness, face pain and uncertainty with song and bravery. Three years in the making, Seven Songs for a Long Life captures the often quirky patients’ reflections on life and their own mortality, as well as their heart-tugging renditions of pop music classics by everyone from Sinatra to R.E.M. The film debuts on the PBS POV series on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017.

- This February, home audiences will be whisked deep into the vortex of a culebra underworld on the verge exploding in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series - Season Three. Across 10 new horror-packed episodes, MIRAMAX and El Rey's fan-favorite, supernatural crime saga returns on loaded blu-ray and DVD, available only from Entertainment One. Both sets include hours of specially-produced extras including audio commentary with the cast & crew, featurettes including "Season 3 Catch Up," "Inside the Episodes," "Season 3 Best Kills," "Evolution of a Fight Scenes" and much more!

- From global independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), Sienna Films, Wildcats Productions and Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz's Big Light Productions comes the suspense drama series Ransom, which follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Ransom airs Saturdays at 8:00 on CBS. eOne will release new episodes for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and all other leading digital platforms weekly.

- Over eight years, President Obama delivered more than 3,500 speeches and statements – officially ending his era with a farewell address on Tuesday in Chicago. His speeches ranged from redefining patriotism, candidly addressing race relations, inspiring hope and healing, and turning divisive moments into an opportunity for national unification. But which are the moments that history will remember? A new hour-long Smithsonian Channel special tells the story of Barack Obama, “writer in chief,” and takes viewers inside the defining moments of his political career through the prism of his most memorable speeches. The Obama Years: The Power of Words, narrated by actor and producer Jesse Williams, premieres on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 8:00.

Showtime Sports® announced a powerful new documentary, Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds To Freedom, which examines a controversial practice in Thailand’s criminal justice system whereby inmates can earn their freedom by winning a series of Muay Thai fights. A Showtime Sports original production, the 90-minute film will premiere on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 on Showtime.

- Showtime has announced the airdates for its two highly-anticipated new series GUERRILLA and I’M DYING UP HERE. The new six-part limited event series GUERRILLA will premiere on Sunday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. The drama will premiere in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky in the same week. The new one-hour drama series I’M DYING UP HERE will premiere on SHOWTIME on Sunday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, kicking off the network’s summer line-up which will include new seasons of RAY DONOVAN, DICE and EPISODES. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

- Showtime has announced the premiere date for the highly anticipated, new TWIN PEAKS. The 18-hour limited event series will debut with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, May 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following the premiere, Showtime subscribers will have access to the third and fourth hours, exclusively across the Showtime streaming service, Showtime Showtime® and Showtime ON DEMAND®. In its second week, TWIN PEAKS will air the third and fourth hours back-to-back on the linear network, starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by one-hour episodes in subsequent weeks. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

- Days after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, Showtime Documentary Films presents TRUMPED: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL UPSET OF ALL TIME at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. This world premiere screening at the prestigious festival will be followed by the Showtime premiere of the film on Friday, February 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on-air, On Demand and the Showtime streaming service. The film was produced by the team behind The Circus on Showtime. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc., at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

Friday, January 06, 2017

Around the Tubes: 1/6/17



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 Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures, OBAMA: The Price of Hope, Independent Lens, The Detour, Rock'N’Roll Inventions, Let It Fall: LA 1982-1992, Titanic: The New Evidence, Debbie Reynolds, The Handmaid's Tale, and Shameless.

- As the country prepares for Donald Trump to be sworn in as the 45th U.S. president, both critics and supporters believe they’re saying farewell to one of the most memorable presidencies in the nation’s history. On Sunday, Jan. 15, just days before the inauguration, National Geographic commemorates President Obama’s legacy with a night of programming, beginning at 8:00 with the one-hour documentary Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures, followed by the two-hour special OBAMA: The Price of Hope, premiering at 9:00.

- BS uncovers the awesome and terrifying power of the atom in a three-night marathon of nuclear-themed programming from January 9-11, 2017 (check local listings). Exploring nuclear power and global nuclear arsenal, the programming block will explore the many sides of the nuclear issue by looking to history, examining the present and imagining the future. The following programs will air January 9-11, 2017: Independent Lens’ “Containment”, a disturbing documentary that explores attempts to plan for a radioactive future and the failures in managing millions of gallons of waste left over from the Cold War, premieres Monday, January 9 from 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET.

- Hospice care is rarely associated with song and dance, unless the songs happen to be dirges or solemn hymns. But a new hospice-centered documentary, Seven Songs for a Long Life, sings a very different tune. Filmmaker Amy Hardie goes inside Strathcarron Hospice in Scotland, where six patients, some stricken with terminal illness, face pain and uncertainty with song and bravery. Three years in the making, Seven Songs for a Long Life captures the often quirky patients’ reflections on life and their own mortality, as well as their heart-tugging renditions of pop music classics by everyone from Sinatra to R.E.M. The film debuts on the PBS POV series on Monday, Jan. 30.

- TBS's hit comedy series The Detour is making its way back for its second season, slated to launch with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10:00. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour stars Jones, along with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda.

- A new Smithsonian Channel series is about to make some noise as some of the biggest names from the recording industry break out their drumsticks, synthesizers, and everything in between to explain the technology and innovations that have provided the soundtrack to our lives. The new six-episode series, Rock'N’Roll Inventions premieres Monday, January 16 at 8:00.

- Academy Award-winner John Ridley has teamed up with ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions to produce a feature-length documentary titled Let It Fall: LA 1982-1992 about the Los Angeles uprising of April 1992. The two-hour documentary is scheduled to air on the ABC television network in the spring of 2017 pegged to the 25th Anniversary of the rioting, looting and gun violence that unfolded after the verdict in the Rodney King case.

- The sinking of the RMS Titanic has been the subject of countless investigations, and the true cause of the tragedy is hotly debated. Now, explosive new photographs have surfaced containing shocking revelations about a series of shortcomings which contributed to the legendary ship’s tragic sinking. The images are unveiled in a new one-hour Smithsonian Channel documentary that tells the story of the unluckiest ship in maritime history. Titanic: The New Evidence (WT) premieres Saturday, January 21 at 8:00.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of legendary actress Debbie Reynolds, the vivacious actress, singer and dancer who entertained audiences in musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) with a 24-hour film tribute on Friday, January, 27. Reynolds, who passed away Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the age of 84, became a sensation after starring with legendary hoofers Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in the immortal MGM musical Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and received her only Oscar® nomination for pla ying the title role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Reynolds recording of “Tammy” spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1957 and was nominated for an Academy Award for best Original Song.

- Last week, Hulu announced Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale will premiere on Wednesday, April 26th, 2017. The drama series, based on the award-winning, best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world. In this terrifying society where one wrong word could end her life, Offred navigates between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.

- On the heels of its seventh season finale last night, Showtime has ordered an eighth season of Shameless. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. One of the network’s longest-running and most successful series ever, Showtime season seven ranks as its highest-rated season to date. The series stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum. Production on twelve new episodes will begin in 2017.

- ast week, Main Street Alliance member businesses joined a national day of action–urging their Senators and Representatives in Congress to oppose efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The GOP leadership's health plan, to be voted on in early January, would take health coverage away from 30 million people nationwide and collapse the insurance market–leaving small business owners scrambling to find health insurance.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Around the Tubes: 12/16/16



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 The Path, Cream, The Killers, Secret of the Six Wives, Street Light Harmonies, The Real Mad Men of Advertising, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, Claws, National Treasure, People of Earth, and Search Party.

- This week Hulu released the season two trailer of The Path as well as first look photos. The first two episodes of the 13-episode season will launch on Wednesday, January 25th.


- Showtime has released the teaser for the highly-anticipated second season of its hit drama series Billion. The series, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, will premiere its second season on Sunday, February 19 at 10:00.


- Late January 2017 sees the deluxe edition release of Fresh Cream, the debut album by British, blues boom, power trio, Cream. The 3-CD + 1 Blu-Ray Audio disc come housed in a gatefold sleeve within a rigid slipcase and includes a 64-page hardback book, featuring new sleeve notes by respected Rolling Stone writer, David Fricke. The set comprises various alternate and new stereo mixes plus several, previously unreleased BBC sessions. A special 6LP 180g Vinyl edition of Fresh Cream will also be released in April 2017.

- The Killers – vocalist/keyboardist Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci -- emerged from Las Vegas, their name a tribute to the logo on the bass drum of the fictitious band seen in their favorite band New Order’s music video for “Crystal.” They released their major label debut album, Hot Fuss, on Island Records, June 15, 2004 in the U.S., peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200, a week after it came out in the U.K., where it quickly went to #1 and went on to spend an astounding 247 weeks, more than four-and-a-half years on the album chart. Hot Fuss has gone on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, including three million in the U.S., and has also been certified platinum or multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom and Germany as well as many other International territories. A dozen years after it first catapulted the band to international stardom, The Killers’ Hot Fuss is being reissued on standard weight vinyl as a single LP by UMe on January 13. A limited edition, white vinyl LP will also be available exclusively on uDiscover.

- The 16th century legend of King Henry VIII is turned on its crowned head as the dramatic stories of his six tumultuous marriages are told from the wives’ perspectives in Secret of the Six Wives. The three-part dramatic and historical series, co-produced by the BBC, premieres Sunday, January 22, 2017, at 10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). It joins a full night of head-turning drama that evening that also includes the second season premiere of PBS’ original American drama Mercy Street at 8:00 p.m., followed by the second episode of “Victoria” on Masterpiece at 9:00 p.m.

- An entertaining journey through bands, songs and harmonies that evoke both days gone by as well as current hits, Street Light Harmonies is a new documentary that uncovers the definitive period of doo-wop music and the artists that defined it. Millions know the music but few know the artists and their history that laid the foundation for rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and built a bridge to the civil rights movement. Featuring commentary from Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Lance Bass (NSYNC), Brian McKnight, Jimmy Merchant (The Teenagers), La La Brooks (The Crystals), Charlie Thomas (Drifters), Al Jardine (Beach Boys) and more, Street Light Harmonies will be a combination of present-day interviews and archival footage. View the extended trailer now online.

- A new Smithsonian Channel four-part series provides an inside look into the men and women who re-invented the advertising industry from post-WWII America through the 1980s. Driven by memorable, classic ad campaigns, many of which are in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the series also features clips and interviews with the creators of the groundbreaking series Mad Men. The Real Mad Men of Advertising premieres Sunday, January 8th at 9:00.

- Prophets, spiritual enlightenment and the afterlife — they are mysteries as old as time. National Geographic and Revelations Entertainment seek clarity on some of humanity’s biggest questions in season two of the Emmy-nominated hit series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, premiering on Monday, Jan. 16, at 9:00. As host of the network’s most-watched series of all time, Freeman will again take viewers around the world on a quest for interfaith understanding and connectivity through the lens of the world’s major religions, science, anthropology and archaeology. The series, hailed as “fascinating” by the Wall Street Journal and “eye-opening” by MediaPost, will also air globally later this spring on National Geographic channels in 171 countries and in 45 languages, and in Spanish on Nat Geo MUNDO.

- It used to appear so simple for many of us: you were a boy or you were a girl. Girls wore pink, and boys wore blue; girls played with dolls, and boys played with trucks. Yet around the globe, these traditional notions of gender are changing rapidly, and labels are no longer so clear cut. National Geographic sets out to explore this evolving concept of gender through the lens of science, society and culture in the groundbreaking new two-hour documentary Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, premiering Monday, Feb. 6, at 9:00. Produced by Katie Couric Media with National Geographic Studios and World of Wonder Productions, the special will also air on National Geographic around the globe in 171 countries and in 45 languages.

- Turner's TNT has given a series greenlight to Claws, a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a South Florida nail salon. Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, OZ), Jenn Lyon (Justified), Judy Reyes (Scrubs), Jack Kesy (The Strain), Karrueche Tran (The Nice Guys), Kevin Rankin (Dallas Buyers Club, Friday Night Lights) and Jason Antoon (Famous in Love) star in the hour-long dramedy from executive producers Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca, Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z,), Will McCormack (Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z) and < strong>J anine Sherman Barrois (ER, Criminal Minds), who also serves as showrunner. The pilot was written by series co-executive producer Eliot Laurence (Welcome to Me) and directed by Nicole Kassell (The Americans, The Leftovers). Claws is produced by Jones and McCormack's Le Train Train, in association with Warner Horizon Television and Turner's Studio T.

- In a deal with All3Media International, Hulu has acquired the U.S. rights to all episodes of hit series National Treasure, the ratings-winning drama produced by The Forge Entertainment for Channel 4. The first season of the series from Jack Thorne will debut in the U.S. as a Hulu Original on March 1, 2017.

After debuting on UK’s Channel 4 to strong ratings, National Treasure quickly became a must-see television event. Hulu’s audience will soon be able to experience the series in its entirety when all episodes land on the service under the Hulu Original slate.

- Turner's TBS ends an impressive and transformative year with renewals of all six of its 2016 scripted comedies. The network today announced 10-episode season 2 renewals of its two most recent critically acclaimed comedies, People of Earth and Search Party, which join the network’s previous 2016 renewals of Angie Tribeca, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Detour and Wrecked, in addition to comedy mainstays Conan and American Dad!

- An online petition at https://www.change.org/p/hillary-ms-clinton-release-your-electors-in-favor-of-mr-romney is calling for Ms. Clinton to release her electors in favor of Mr. Romney. “The only way Democrats stand any chance of persuading Republican electors to abandon Trump is with a dramatic gesture of true bipartisanship. If all 232 Democratic electors pledge to reach across the aisle and vote for a Republican alternative to Trump, it would take just 38 GOP electors to make that person the next president” wrote Michael F. Cannon of the CATO Institute in the Washington post.

Friday, December 09, 2016

Around the Tubes: 12/9/16



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 SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol, MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, Final Space, Bringing Up Bates, Growing Up McGhee, and Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour.

- This holiday season, Turner's TBS & TNT are going to turn the Christmas spirit on full blast with SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol, an all-new music special that puts a unique twist on the caroling tradition. The one-hour special – featuring such celebrity carolers as Conan O'Brien, Rashida Jones, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Jane Lynch, Ludacris, Kenny G, Tony Sirico, Vincent Curatola, Joseph Gannascoli, A$AP Ferg, Three Loco, Samantha Ronson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Fred Willard, T-Pain and many surprise appearances – is set to premiere on TBS on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 10:00. And the night before Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT), TBS & TNT will join forces for a simulcast of SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol. It will be followed by TBS & TNT's simulcast of the annual 24 Hours of A Christmas Story marathon, celebrating its 20th year as one of television's most enduring holiday traditions.


- Devoted sports fans can readily recall their favorite athlete’s bio and stats. They know that Serena Williams is a 22-time Grand Slam Champion and Olympic Gold medalist, and that Tim Tebow was the first college football sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy. But fewer people know about a MVP in their favorite athletes’ lives – their pets. In the fur-st ever MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, viewers will get to know the canine companions that brighten the lives of sports biggest stars, hear athletes discuss how their relationship with their dogs keep them in the game, and learn how these pups got their creative names. CBS Sports NFL Today Analyst Boomer Esiason hosts MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, CBS Special Airing Christmas Day at 4:00.

- Turner's TBS has greenlit the new animated series Final Space, an interstellar comedy created by independent filmmaker, actor, comedian and entrepreneur Olan Rogers. Slated to launch in 2018, Final Space is being produced by Conan O'Brien's Conaco and New Form, in association with Turner's Studio T. Rogers and creative partner David Sacks will write the episodes, executive-producing them along with O'Brien, David Kissinger, Larry Sullivan and Jeff Ross of Conaco and Kathleen Grace, Melissa Schneider and Matt Hoklotubbe of New Form. Part of TBS's continued push into animation, Final Space is a serialized intergalactic space saga about an astronaut named Gary and his adorable, planet-destroying friend, Mooncake. The series will follow their adventures as they embark on a quest to unlock the mystery of "Final Space," the place where the entire universe ends.


- UP TV, the entertainment destination that showcases stories about modern American families and the relationships that define them, announced this week that Bringing Up Bates season five will premiere Thursday, January 5 at 9:00 Joining the Thursday night lineup on UP will be the second season of Growing Up McGhee, premiering Thursday, January 12 at 9:30, following an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates. UP has ordered 15 original episodes of Bringing Up Bates and ten original episodes of Growing Up McGhee.

- Madonna’s highly-anticipated concert film, Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour will premiere this Friday, December 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, on-air, on demand and over the internet. For the official trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/9bNbvu0A8WI. MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR was shot around the world and features a collection of live and behind these scenes footage culminating in performances at the Sydney Olympic Park in March of this year. The film is co-directed by Danny B. Tull and Nathan Rissman, both of whom have worked extensively with Madonna on her feature films and tour movies.

- President-Elect Trump announced his nomination of Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration (SBA), immediately raising eyebrows in the small business community. With a personal net worth of more than $500 million, Ms. McMahon is out of touch with the real small business owners she is tasked with assisting at the SBA. Having contributed at least $6.5 million to the President-Elect’s campaign and associated super PACS, and $5 million to the Trump Foundation, the selection of Ms. McMahon raises conflict of interest concerns that have become synonymous with Mr. Trump and his Cabinet nominations. It begs the question, how much does a Trump Cabinet position cost? For Linda McMahon, the position carries a $11.5 million price tag.

- You’ve probably heard: President-elect Donald Trump has a strong opinion about Boeing’s contract with the US government for an upgraded Air Force One. Here’s Boeing’s official statement regarding Air Force One.

Friday, December 02, 2016

Around the Tubes:12/2/16



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 Nashville, Fitz and The Tantrums, Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba, Gutxi Bibang, L.E.J., Risky Drinking, A-Bombs over Nevada, Running for His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story, FilmStruck, and The Alienist.

- Hulu is excited to announce that Nashville fans will get an early glimpse into the new season just in time for the holidays! The highly-anticipated season five of Nashville may officially launch on Hulu January 6th, but the first hour of the two-hour premiere will now be available to stream early on December 16th. Need a refresh? Hulu is also the exclusive destination for fans to catch up on all episodes of Nashville and relive their favorite moments of the series anytime, anywhere. Simply head to Hulu to stream seasons 1 - 4 of Nashville now.

- une in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special Fitz and The Tantrums airing Friday, December 2 at 9:00 (DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114). On this episode, Fitz and The Tantrums' Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs sit down withhost Ted Stryker in Los Angeles foran in-depth interview spanning their musical history as well as the inspiration for group's latest self-titled studio album, out now via Elektra Records.

- The PBS ARTS Fall Festival continues with Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba, an event featuring renowned musicians from America and Cuba connecting cultures and artistry with beautiful music. The national air date for Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba​ is Friday, December 16 at 9:00, but we encourage you to check local listings as stations may be airing other special programming over the next several weeks.

- Gutxi Bibang is an unlikely candidate to carry the rock n’ roll torch, a second-generation African from the Basque region of northern Spain. He begins that journey today sharing the single "System Of A Gun" via French indie label OSKAR Recordings. His family emigrated to the tiny coast town of Algorta outside of Bilbao, but native son Gutxi Bibang has more in common with larger-than-life musical icons than he does his Basque countrymen. Even his unique moniker speaks of his cultural clash heritage – Gutxi, a common nickname in his Basque homeland, and Bibang, from his roots in Africa. With his distinctive manner and impeccable style, Gutxi Bibang exudes charisma - not just a reminder of when rock was a socio-cultural force for change in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but a glimpse into the music’s global future. System of a Gun has an attitude straight out of Gutxi’s primal influences, with lyrics wrenched from watching the evening news. “We deal with violence, poverty, unrest, racism and sexism in our music. We believe in the spirit of the ‘peace and love revolution.’”



- Today, classically-driven French pop trio L.E.J. [Elijay] release their very first holiday EP, Christmas Hors D’oeuvre [Republic Records], at all digital retailers. Get it HERE.

- Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. engage in problem drinking at some point in their lives. Health professionals assess drinkers at risk on a spectrum ranging from low-risk to an alcohol use disorder that can range from mild to severe. This holiday season, HBO and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism present Risky Drinking, which challenges viewers to recognize when their drinking may be putting them at risk and offers information that could help millions of Americans lead healthier lives. The cautionary documentary debuts Monday, DEC. 19 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

- In post-WWII America, the nuclear bomb was a national obsession. But in one corner of Nevada, it was a cottage industry, a daily entertainment and cultural phenomenon like no other. A new Smithsonian Channel hour-long special, A-Bombs over Nevada, uses remarkable contemporary footage to capture the extraordinary period in the 1950s and 60s when hundreds of atomic bombs were dropped over the Nevada Test Site. The race to create bigger and better bombs led scientists to push the limits and turned a sleepy desert town into a theater of the absurd. A-Bombs over Nevada premieres Monday, December 5th at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Running for His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story, a powerful documentary examining the cycle of domestic violence that plagued two-time NCAA Division I college football champion Lawrence Phillips and the personal demons that led to his death in January, will premiere on Friday, Dec. 16 at 9:00 on Showtime.

- Iggy Pop, in collaboration with Brian Burton (Danger Mouse), GOLD director Stephen Gaghan, and GOLD composer Daniel Pemberton, created an original song for the film GOLD — the adventure drama starring Matthew McConaughey. The song, also titled “Gold,” is director Stephen Gaghan’s songwriting debut. GOLD, inspired by actual events, is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream and everything he’ll do to keep it from falling apart. Oscar© winner Matthew McConaughey stars as Kenny Wells, a man raised in the mining business and desperate for a lucky break. He teams up with a mythic geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. When they make the largest gold find in history, Kenny realizes his dream was only the beginning of the adventure, battling corrupt politicians, Wall Street tycoons and law enforcement, all of whom want to take it from him. Directed by Oscar© winner Stephen Gaghan, the film stars Oscar© winner Matthew McConaughey and Golden Globe© nominees Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard.

- FilmStruck, a new streaming movie service for film aficionados, is now available on Apple TV. FilmStruck offers the largest streaming library of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films and is the exclusive streaming home to the Criterion Collection. Film fans can now stream on Apple TV 4th generation devices as well as Amazon Fire TV, web, iOS and Android devices. FilmStruck can be accessed in the Apple App store, as well as online at FilmStruck.com and via Google Play for Android users.

- Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglorious Bastards, Captain America: Civil War) and Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train, The Hobbit trilogy, Dracula Untold) have been cast in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Brühl will play forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, while Evans will play reporter John Moore, who are both called upon to investigate a series of brutal murders in New York during the Gilded Age.

- Main Street business owners brace for the impact of President-Elect Trump’s latest cabinet nominee Steven Mnuchin, a Wall Street insider whose success has been built at the expense of small business owners and their communities. As one of the architects of the financial crisis, Mnuchin engaged in extractive business tactics that crippled the economy and forced countless small businesses to close their doors. After amassing a small fortune during his tenure with Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin led OneWest Financial, a predatory financial institution that had no significant branch presence in communities of color, rarely lent to small businesses, and has been accused of discriminatory lending practices. Given the very real challenges small business owners of color face in accessing and securing loans, it is profoundly disheartening that someone with Mnuchin’s track record would be offered this appointment. Mnuchin even managed to pocket more than $3 million from the Madoff-led Ponzi scheme that cost investors more than $65 billion.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Around the Tubes: 11/25/16



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 Snowpiercer, Lang Lang’s New York Rhapsody, Wild New Zealand, Twin Peaks, How the Universe Works, Anna of the North, Stephen Kijak's We Are X.

- TNT, a division of Turner, has ordered a pilot for Snowpiercer, a futuristic thriller based on the award-winning film by Bong Joon Ho. A co-production of Tomorrow Studios and Turner's Studio T, the hour-long drama pilot is being executive-produced by writer-showrunner Josh Friedman (Avatar 4, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein (Aquarius, Prison Break, Teen Wolf) and Becky Clements (Good Behavior, Aquarius, Last Man Standing), and the original film’s Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi, along with CJ Entertainment. Snowpiercer is set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, and the remnants of humanity inhabit a gigantic, perpetually moving train that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival are questioned in this riveting television adaptation.

- The PBS ARTS Fall Festival continues next Friday, November 25th at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) with Lang Lang’s New York Rhapsody, the internationally acclaimed pianist’s love letter to New York City, which he considers his adoptive home. Embracing a wide range of styles and voices to capture New York’s magic, this episode features music that helped make New York famous from Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Danny Elfman to Lou Reed, Alicia Keys, and Don Henley. Also included is a rare performance of the original 1924 jazz band arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

- Hidden away on the far side of the world is a spectacular wilderness. A place of fabled landscapes, bizarre creatures and unpredictable climates. New Zealand is the land that time forgot. Produced by BBC Earth. Wild New Zealand takes you on an adventure though this breathtaking land of searing mountainscapes, mysterious lakes and rivers, dramatic volcanic plateaus and vast open plains to discover some of the most incredible animals on the planet. See the wilds of New Zealand like you've never seen them before. Wild New Zealand is a three part special event that premieres Sunday, November 27, at 8, 9, and 10:00 as party as Destination Wild.

= Showtime is kicking off the holiday season by offering a new collection of over twenty-five Twin Peaks items, available for purchase online exclusively on SHO.com. The merchandise includes printed sweatshirts, blankets, tees, mugs, scarves, tote bags and more. A portion of the items will feature original artwork by TWIN PEAKS creator David Lynch. The Twin Peaks collection is available for purchase on store.sho.com/twinpeaks, with additional items to be added in the coming weeks. The new Twin Peaks will premiere in 2017 on Showtime.

- Science Channel continues to provide the most wide ranging and in-depth space programming available and announces today the return of the network’s blue-chip series HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS. The all-new season returns to ask all-new questions about how our universe was put together while revealing the inner workings of our planet, the solar system, the galaxies and the universe itself. How the Universe Works premieres Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 10:00.

- Coming December 26th during the holiday season, when many reflect on what they are most grateful for, HBO’s Every Brilliant Thing strikes a delicate balance between sobering loss and cathartic laughter. Adapting the hit off-Broadway one-character show of the same name written by Duncan Macmillan and starring British comedian Jonny Donahoe, this deeply affecting film recounts a life lived in the shadow of suicide. Emmy® winners Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (HBO’s “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” “Wishful Drinking”) produce and direct the heart-wrenching yet humorous presentation.

- Oslo based duo Anna of the North unveil the video for their single "Us" - a delicate and ethereal visual accompaniment to the song, which has been streamed over 3 million times on Spotify.


- Magnolia Home Entertainment announced this week that they have acquired home entertainment rights (physical and digital) to Stephen Kijak's We Are X. From the production team behind the Academy Award© winning Searching for Sugar Man, We Are X is a transcendent and beautifully shot rock 'n' roll story about the Japanese band X JAPAN, one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Celebrated as "a fascinating and assured documentary" (The New York Times) that "tells the greatest rock 'n' roll story America has never heard" (Pitchfork), We Are X is directed by acclaimed documentarian Stephen Kijak (Stones In Exile, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man). The critically acclaimed music documentary premiered theatrically starting October 21 via Drafthouse Films and is continuing to expand in theaters in over 40 markets nationwide. We Are X will arrive on Digital EST February 21, 2017 and on Blu-ray™, DVD and VOD March 7, 2017. Territories include U.S, Bermuda and Bahamas.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Around the Tubes 11/18/16



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 Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, Homeland, Bon Jovi, Every Brilliant Thing, 50 Years With Peter Paul and Mary, Hockney, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Rate My Media.

- This is a reminder that the PBS ARTS Fall Festival continues this Friday, November 18th at 9:00 (check local listings) with Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, the Tony Award-winning star’s critically acclaimed cabaret show dubbed “an emotional firestorm” by The New York Times. In a special that gives PBS audiences a front row seat at “Club Cumming”, the cabaret setting for the star’s personal and intimate performance, Cumming performs songs that mark poignant moments in his life that were originally written or made famous by artists like Annie Lennox (“Why”), Rufus Wainwright (“Dinner at Eight”), Keane (“Somewhere Only We Know”), Billy Joel (“Goodnight Saigon”), a medley of hits by Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry title “Someone like the Edge of Firework” and more.


- Showtime has released the new poster art and a behind the scenes look at 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 returns to U.S. soil after spending the last two seasons shooting abroad in South Africa and Berlin. This season focuses on the aftermath of a U.S. presidential election and the transition between election day and the inauguration for a female president-elect, played by acclaimed stage and screen actress Elizabeth Marvel.  Currently in production in New York, HOMELAND stars Emmy, Screen Actors Guild® and Golden Globe Award winner Claire Danes, Emmy nominee Rupert Friend, Elizabeth Marvel, Oscar® winner and Emmy nominee F. Murray Abraham, and Emmy and Tony® Award winner Mandy Patinkin.


- With over 130 million albums sold, an extensive catalog of hit anthems, and nearly 3000 concerts performed in 50 countries for over 35 million fans, Bon Jovi is simply one of the world’s most successful bands, ever. As their new album, This House Is Not For Sale, debuts at #1 in the US, Australia and Japan and in the Top 5 in 54 other countries, Island/UMe announces that a comprehensive vinyl box set of 25-LPs, entitled Bon Jovi: The Albums, will be released in February 2017. It will include all Bon Jovi albums and additional titles (as outlined below) for premium collectors. The box set release will coincide with the kick-off of the band’s This House Is Not For Sale Tour in North America.

- Coming December 26th during the holiday season, when many reflect on what they are most grateful for, HBO’s Every Brilliant Thing strikes a delicate balance between sobering loss and cathartic laughter. Adapting the hit off-Broadway one-character show of the same name written by Duncan Macmillan and starring British comedian Jonny Donahoe, this deeply affecting film recounts a life lived in the shadow of suicide. Emmy® winners Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (HBO’s “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” “Wishful Drinking”) produce and direct the heart-wrenching yet humorous presentation.

- 50 Years With Peter Paul and Mary is a new documentary by four-time Emmy Award-winning producer/ director Jim Brown that focuses on portions of the trio's career not included in previously aired PBS specials. This program features rare and previously unseen television footage including a BBC program from the early 1960s that embodies many of the trio's best performances and most popular songs. This is Peter Paul and Mary at the peak of their artistry, a time when this popular and influential trio dominated the Billboard music charts. 50 Years With Peter Paul and Mary will be available on DVD and select video on-demand platforms on December 9th.

- Hockney, the definitive two-hour documentary on one of the most significant artists of our time, gets its world television premiere on Smithsonian Channel, Monday, December 12 at 8:00. For the first time David Hockney has given access to his personal archive of photographs and films, and the result is an unparalleled visual diary of an unconventional artist who is now reaching new peaks of popularity worldwide.  

- TBS's Emmy®-nominated, award-winning late-night show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has been renewed for a second season starting in 2017. Hailed by The New Yorker as "America’s new Comedian-in-Chief," Samantha Bee will continue her weekly series for another year following her bare-knuckled coverage of the 2016 Presidential election. The show, which is executive-produced by Bee, Jason Jones, Jo Miller, Miles Kahn and Tony Hernandez, currently airs Mondays at 10:30. In 2017, it will move to a new timeslot, Wednesdays at 10:30, starting Jan. 11.

- Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, president-elect Donald J. Trump utilized fear-inducing rhetoric to forge a platform for his candidacy. While it ultimately led him to victory, these tactics left the nation, especially children, emotionally distressed over fears of terrorism, crime, sexism, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and mass deportations. Now, as thousands of Americans take to the streets in protest of Trump and over 200 reported incidents of related harassment and intimidation occurring since the election concluded, few can argue against the existence of the “Trump Effect.” For disenfranchised Americans seeking a voice and a platform to combat the Trump Effect – as well as fake news, a first-of-its-kind web app, Rate My Media, is providing empowerment.