Best of the Week - 4/21/12

Quote of the Week: You’re a grimy little pimp. (Lane, Mad Men)

Song of the Week: Hello – Lionel Richie (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Dick Clark: American Bandstand was a bit before my time but like anyone born in the past fifty years, New Years Eve was not New Years Eve without Dick Clarke counting down the ball. Even after his stroke I still had to check in with him because there was no one better to ring in the New Year with. This year would have been Dick’s fortieth anniversary of Rocking Eve special and it will not be the same without him.

Preview Picture of the Week:

Susan Sarandon on The Big C Tomorrow  

Free Download of the Week: Live to Rise – Soundgarden (iTunes): The grunge gods have recorded their first new song in over fifteen years and you can get it for the low, low price of free.

Deal of the Week: R&B Classics for $3.99: Amazon MP3 has some R&B classics for only $3.99 including The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Lionel Richie.




New Album Release of the Week: Blunderbuss - Jack White

New DVD Release of the Week: The Innkeepers

Video of the Week: A documentary on the history of rap directed by Ice-T? Yes please. Hopefully this is just part one of a hundred. Actually, was is this not a series on VH1 Classic like the recent great Metal Evolution?


Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap Official Trailer


Next Week Pick of the Week: NFL Draft, Thursday at 8:00, Friday at 7:00, and Saturday at Noon on ESPN: For fans of preferential bottom feeders like myself, the NFL Draft is our Super Bowl, three days where hope springs eternal where hopefully our horrible players are replaced by better ones. And with the Browns having thirteen picks and three in the top thirty-seven and with plenty of holes needing to be filled, there will plenty for me to pay attention to this year.

Best of the Week - 3/3/12

Quote of the Week: We want to really punch America in the face with rock n roll because America needs to be punched in the face with rock n roll. (The Shields Brothers!, The Voice)

Song of the Week: To Make You Feel My Love – Billy Joel (Parenthood)

Scene of the Week: What did the five fingers say to the face:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Tails to Davy Jones: Even though it stopped airing new episodes longer a decade before I was even born, The Monkees remained must see television for kids of all ages for years after the group tried to get serious. The show was slapstick gold and even though the fictional musical group were just hired as actors, the songs were surprisingly great most notably the show’s theme song, I’m a Believer (written by a pre-fame Neil Diamond) and their biggest hit Daydream Believer sung by Davy Jones and those songs will live on.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Most Worthless Character on The Walking Dead This Week: Andrea
When Andrea and Lori had their post suicide attempt confrontation I just sat there debating with myself which character was most worthless and realized there are a lot of worthless characters on the show that should be eaten by zombies sooner than later and so I thought I would make it a weekly event. Please note that the award will only be eligible to characters that appear on screen that week.

Free Download of the Week: Well They’re Gone – The Dandy Warhol (Rolling Stone)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 Each: This month you can get for only $5 albums by Dia Frampton, Guru, Kathleen Edwards, and Roxette.



New Album Release of the Week: Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen

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

Video of the Week: This really was not what I was expecting for a Veronica Mars reunion. Yep that is Ronnie, Dick, Piz, and Mercer (the rapist). But this is still marginally more entertaining than House of Lies.



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Lying Game, Monday at 9:00 on ABC Family: A show that started as a search for the twins mother seemed to sputter out in the second half of the season as they spent more time realizing just how evil Alec is. Although ever since she walked on screen it was apparent to everyone (except apparently the characters on the show) that AnnieRebecca was the twins birth mother. So I guess the big question as the first season comes to an end, will anyone on screen realize this (or that Ted is actually the biological father too) as she marries Alec.

Best of the Week - 11/12/11

Quote of the Week: Trust me, if I had a death ray I wouldn’t be living here. I’d be in my lair enjoying the money the people of Earth gave me for not using my death ray. (Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: Kiss from a Rose – Seal (as sung by the cast of Community)

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Tails to Heavy D: I lived in the right time for rap music with the Golden Age of the genre spanning my middle and high school years. And if I were ever to get around to writing a book on the Golden Age of Hip Hop, Heavy D and the Boyz would definitely get a couple pages. The Overweight Lover MC showed that people of girth were not just resigned to being a novelty act and could actually flow and dance (seriously, check out the Now That We Found Love video; though rewatching it, we may have him to thank for the super-shiny suits that dominated videos in the genre from the nineties; and the see-through suit that one of the dancers wore remains disturbingly funny). Heavy would be one of the few rappers who collaborated with Janet and Michael Jackson (on his underrated Jam) and his Nuttin’ But Love video featured a pre-Friday Chris Tucker and Rebecca Gayheart back when she was still referred only as the Noxzema Girl. Heavy would later focus on acting playing the guidance counselor on Boston Public and stared in the recent Tower Heist film. But his greatest contribution to television remains as providing the theme song to In Living Color. Heavy D was 44 and gone way too soon.



Free Download of the Week: When I Was Young – Nada Surf (Rolling Stone)

Deal of the Week: 100 Holiday Albums for $5 Each: We are still six weeks away from Christmas but for those already to get their holiday cheer on, Amazon MP3 has 100 Christmas albums for $5 each including She and Him, Boyz II Men, Snoop Dogg (seriously), and John Denver teaming up with the Muppets.



New Album Release of the Week: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982 - 2011 - R.E.M.

New DVD Release of the Week: The California Raisins Collection

Video of the Week: The latest episode of Boardwalk Empire hits HBO this Sunday at 9:00 and here is a quick promo:

Ep. 20: Two Boats and a Lifeguard - Preview

Next Week Pick of the Week: Suburgatory, Wednesday at 8:30 on ABC: Being a suburbanite, I was interested in checking out Suburgatory expect it airs opposite Survivor (which I cannot miss because it is basically the only watercooler show I watch. So after it premiered I fired up Hulu to give it a look except it was not there. Same for abc.com and iTunes. I checked back a week later and still not up. I resigned that the show would be a DVD catch up until last week I noticed it was finally on Hulu (sans the Pilot, but since I had some credit for Amazon Instant Video, I checked it out there; you can also download Suburgatory on iTunes). So after a quick marathon I am finally caught up and ready to call it the best new show this fall on terrestrial television which says a lot because as funny as it is, I am a bit offended at its depiction of the suburbs. But there are few things funnier than a black dude in a Medium fan club.

Best of the Week - 10/22/11

Quote of the Week: Oh, they don’t always get to ride to roller coaster. Sometimes they only get to spin the teacups. (Penny, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem (The Lying Game)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Muammar Gaddafi: I am too young to remember the height of the cold war, and by the eighties the Eastern Block was a shell of itself on the verge of collapse. For a short period in elementary school it was Muammar Gaddafi who public enemy number one with every school child wanting to blow Libya off the map. Not only was Muammar evil, dude was completely insane. In recent years other mad men have taken over most evil man in world crown, but Muammar came back with a vengeance during the Arab Spring killing civilians to make sure it would not happen to him. But in the end he was found hiding in a drainage tunnel and killed by rebels. Goodbye Muammar, you will not be missed.

Free Download of the Week: Live It Up Chris Isaak (Amazon MP3)

New Album Release of the Week: Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay

New DVD Release of the Week: Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

Video of the Week: We are coming close to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month, but before we turn the calendar HBO will be airing The Education of Dee Dee Ricks about the self made millionaire who was diagnosed with the disease and learned how difficult the disease can be for those without the insurance she relayed on to win her fight and is now deternmained to do something about it. Look out for the movie this Thursday at 8:30. Check out the trailer below:



Next Week Pick of the Week: Beavis and Butt-Head, Thursday at 10:00 on MTV: Wake up the thirteen year old version of yourself, take off your thinking caps, and lower your standards because Beavis and Butt-Head are back.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/27/11

Quote of the Week: I didn’t kill you, God killed you. I just made sure it took. (Nate, Leverage)

Song of the Week: Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Jerry Leiber and Nick Ashford: We lost two songwriting greats on the same day this week. Nick Ashford wrote some of Motown’s greatest hits including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough which was made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. But Nick may most be famous for the awesomely cheesy song Solid which he recorded with his wife as Ashford and Simpson. Jerry Leiber was also famous as part of a duo, he and Mike Stoller wrote some of the biggest songs of early rock and roll including Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog and Ben E. King’s Stand by Me, one of the few songs I can play on piano.


The Lying Game: My biggest problem with the Pilot is that there seemed to have all the elements of an underlying conspiracy theory, but there were no clues or hints that there was any. Like I doubt it is a coincidence that the Mercers would adopt just one of the twins but the writers did not throw anything in to back up my suspicions. We finally got some of that this week in spades when the dude from Heroes showed up and mentioned something ambiguously shady with papa Mercer then turned out to be the one that was behind Sutton’s missing laptop. I also like how “The Lying Game” plays into the story. I was so bored after the first episode I did not bother to come up with any theories, but this episode gave me hope that the show may be salvaged. I even came up with a wild conspiracy theory: we learned that that mama Mercer and Char’s mom went to high school together and I bet all the parents go all the way back to school together and they somehow tie into Sutton and Emma’s parents. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Lying Game on iTunes.

Weeds: Apparently Silas is as dumb as he looks. I had Dawn Summers as a double agent right when she talked about how unhappy she was. What I did not see coming was her being the big bad or that she would clean him out that quickly.

Pretty Little Liars: I knew I should have put money on head shrinker dieing before she could tell anyone who “A” is. Why is it in every television show or movie whenever somebody calls someone to tell them a deep dark secret, they do not just tell them there so there is time for whoever is hiding the secret to do something to them? The head shrinker could have easily told Emily, “Hey, I know who “A” is, it is Bob the Bus Driver, tell your friends to meet me in my office to discuss. Oh and call the police just in case Bob the Bus Driver kills me before you get here.” You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: Pumped Up Kicks (Chrome Canyon Remix) - Foster the People (Rcrd Lbl): Ever wonder what the summer jam Pumped Up Kicks would sound like if it were reimaged as a early nineties slow jam? Wonder no long, just download this remix.

New Album Release of the Week: I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers

New DVD Release of the Week: Parenthood: Season 2

Video of the Week: When you have George Harrison and Martin Scorcese in the same sentence, you know you are in for something. The former is the subject and the latter is the director of the documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World which will air in two parts October 5 and 6 on HBO. Check out the trailer below:



Next Week Pick of the Week: George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, Sunday at 10:00 on the National Geographic Channel: With 9/11 tributes I full gear, National Geographic Channel has the biggest get, an exclusive interview with former president George W. Bush taking about the day for the first time since he left office. Look for my full preview tomorrow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/13/11

Quote of the Week: You know what's sad: him being gay is the least of our public relations problems. (Needles – Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: Sometime it Takes Balls to be a Woman – Elizabeth Cook (Weeds)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Jani Lane: I missed the original Warrant run because at their height I was going through my hardcore gangsta rap phase, but I have to admit whenever Cherry Pie would come on MTV I would not change the channel for obvious reasons (or the vastly underrated Uncle Tom’s Cabin which featured banjo two decades before it became en vogue). Of course by the time I got back into rock music, grunge had come and swept hair metal bands off the charts, but I can still look back and call Heaven one of the top five greatest power ballads ever in the history of the world. Sadly the world last saw Jani Lane, a guy who at one post landed one of the hottest token hot chicks ever to appear in a music video, an overweight drunken mess on the second season of Celebrity Fit Club on VH1.




Pretty Little Liars: Aria kissing a dude who takes pictures of her while she is sleeping unbeknownst to her is still not as creepy as the writers trying to make us think that her affair with her teacher is some grand love story. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: So was the date that turned over the pictures a My turncoat or is dude going to show up dead soon because he made out with one? Seems weird for a My to give up the Uniter to someone with plans to kill her. But I was a little surprised that mom’s boyfriend did not turn out to be evil. They always turn out to be evil. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Rescue Me: They could have devoted a whole episode explaining all the dirt they could have dug up on the firehouse. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Also check out my season reviews of Falling Skies and Switched at Birth.


Free Download of the Week: Invisible - Skylar Grey

Deal of the Week: Blu-Rays for Under $10 (The Dark Knight, Watchmen, Office Space)

New Album Release of the Week: Jeff Bridges - Jeff Bridges

New DVD Release of the Week: Dexter: The Fifth Season

Video of the Week: Next up on HBO’s summer documentary series id Gloria: In Her Own Words. The Gloria in question is feminist icon Gloria Steinem who in interviewed (natch) from her Manhattan apartment as well as archival footage of her being interviewed by Barbara Walters, Helen Gurley Brown, Phil Donahue, and Larry King. Check out a trailer below:



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Lying Game, Monday at 9:00 on ABC Family: Based on the books written by the same author of Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game also looks to offer up some of its own teen intrigue of its own. Hopefully it does not follow its predecessor by taking a promising plot and make it cumbersome to watch at times. Two things The Lying Game has going for it is the highly likeable lead actress Alexandra Chando as twin sisters separated at birth (not by a hospital mistake, but by foster care) and the best use of music in a promo in recent memory when it used Adele’s Rumour Has It for its ad campaign. Take a look at an extended promo below.

The Lying Game: 60 Second Preview

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Battleship Trailer

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

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/25/11

Quote of the Week: You got all of that from a crate of oranges? (President Levi, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Our Hearts Are Wrong – Jessica Lea Mayfield (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Clarence Clemons: The music community lost a great one this week when Clarence Clemons passed away earlier this week due to complications from a stroke earlier this month. Clemons was most famous as the saxophonist for the E Street Band that backed Bruce Springsteen for three decades. But he truly shined at live shows where he was always a crowd favorite whenever he stepped to the mic. He also added his talents to artists as wide ranging from The Temptations to Gloria Estefan to Twisted Sister and most recently appeared on the latest Lady Gaga album and even popped up in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He will be missed.


The Killing: The show got killed this week (bad pun intended) for its cliffhanger ending and rightfully so. The producers say that no one with the show ever said that the first season would be self contained, but my big problem was that everyone assumed it was because it was based on a Danish show that did wrap up the murder mystery in a single season then moved onto a new case in the second. Obviously they knew at the beginning at the season it would end the way it would so all they had to do when people talked about how they assumed that we would learn Rosie’s killer by the end of the season all you had to do is tease that that may not necessarily be the case and that would have temped the firestorm they ended up having with the ending. Then the show had its second presidential moment of the season with Belko about to go Jack Ruby on the councilman after his earlier Monica Lewinski moment with Rosie Larsen. But I am not sure if I will be around next season when Holder stands in front of a Mission Accomplished sign. You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: That slow motion musical montage of Aria searching for Mr. Fitz may be the creepiest thing I have ever seen on television. Am I the only one bothered that the show is turning statutory rape into some grand love story? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Another classic Buddy Garrity episode, so great as he hounded the principle and Coach about the potential of him leaving for Florida adding great comic relief, then turning on a dime and giving a heartfelt plea at Tim’s parole hearing. But it was painful to watch Tim this week; dude has a lot of pain in his heart from his time in prison. Hopefully everything works out in the end.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.




Free Download of the Week: DMB Caravan Sampler (iTunes): The first of Dave Matthews Band’s four festivals they are having this summer got under way this weekend in Atlantic City and for those that could not make it, head over to DMBCaravan.com where you can get an iTunes code for a seven song sampler including a track from Dave and the boys.

New Album Release of the Week: When The Sun Goes Down - Selena Gomez and the Scene

New DVD Release of the Week: The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition + Digital Copy)

Video of the Week: Remember that story everyone joked about years ago when a woman sued McDonalds for millions of dollars because she spilled their hot coffee on her laugh? Well that is actually the jump off point for the latest HBO documentary in their Summer Series. Hot Coffee premieres Monday at 9:00 and takes a look at “frivolous” lawsuits and looks at the effectiveness of a civil justice system heavily influenced by bottom-line corporate interests. Here is a trailer:



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Voice, Tuesday at 9:00 and Wednesday at 8:00 on NBC: Had you told me three months ago I would be anticipating the outcome of the first season of The Voice I would have laughed in your face and that I would be “Team Blake” I would have been insulted. Sure the idea of the Blind Audition was an interesting concept, but I figure it would in end be the same as American Karaoke: mediocre singers singing crappy song. But there is one reason for my change in heart: Dia Frampton. After the novelty of the Blind Auditions and Battle Rounds came to a close, Frampton put up not just the greatest performance on any singing competition, her rendition of Kanye West’s Heartless was a Grammy worthy performance (for more on Heartless see: You a New Friend I Got Homies). Unfortunately my two other early favorites, one named wonders Xenia and Nakia, exited this week. But after seeing what do was able to do with Heartless and R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion (see: That's Me in the Corner, That's Me in the Spotlight), I cannot wait to see what she has in store for the finale where she will perform an original song (hopefully she gets to write the song herself and is not forced to sing song sappy crap that usually comes from the American Karaoke winners) and a duet with coach Blake Shelton (when I heard this I was sending mental notes to the two suggesting they do a song by The Civil Wars which would fit both of their styles and they can knock it out of the park). It has also been announced that she will also duet with Shelton’s wife Miranda Lambert for the result show on Wednesday. No word who (or if) the other finalist Beverly McClellan, Javier Colon or Vicci Martinez will perform with. I guess Blake was able to get a answer quicker than whatever name Cee Lo pulled out of his extensive rolodex of artists he likes to name drop.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 5/28/11

Quote of the Week: Real men don't lift weights. Real men fender bench. (Billy Riggins, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Sort of Revolution – Fink (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Jeff Conaway: It is a shame that the lasting image we will ever have of Jeff Conaway is him in the wheelchair stammering around Celebrity Rehab and not as the immortal Kenickie. As the late great Rick James would say, “Cocaine is a hell of a drug” and Conaway joins James on the list of why you should not abuse it.


The Killing: Early in the season I assumed we were going to get a new suspect a week and move on to a new one. But focusing on the teacher as the prime suspect for five straight episodes only to clear him as a do-gooder really hurt the show creatively. If the killer ends up not connected to the Muslim church it will diminish the season on a whole. That is almost half the season on a false lead. You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Modern Family: Though not as good as the Community clip show, Modern Family came up with a clever way to look back at the season. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Friday Night Lights: Holy Jason Street sighting! But where was the JD McCoy sighting? Did he and papa (and the coach) hightail it out of town after the loss last year? But this episode was restraint of lack thereof. I am surpised that Tami did not just start whaling on the TA when she realized who it was. And I do not remember a time in the series when we have seen Coach Taylor as mad as he was when yelling at Vince after the game. I will be shocked if Vince does not get benched for at least a quarter in the next game for the stunt he pulled. And the Luke / Billy sitcom continues to bring the balance to the show with a bunch of laugh out loud moments. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Sad Song – The Cars (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Blu-Rays under $10 (Office Space, Major League, Blazing Saddles)

New Album Release of the Week: Codes And Keys - Death Cab for Cutie

New DVD Release of the Week: Drive Angry

Video of the Week: Despite the holiday weekend, there will still be a new Game of Thrones Sunday at its usual time at 10:00 on HBO. Here is a preview of You Win or You Die.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Franklin and Bash. Wednesday at 9:00 on TNT: The unofficial start of summer is Monday and that means the summer television schedule starts up this week. Network is shoveling its usual unwatchable reality shows (seriously, Love in the Wild?!?) and scripted leftovers. Cable is also getting things started soon with returning favorites and a few newbies including the quirky lawyer show which TNT fleeced from its sister comedy station TBS. Look for my full review of the show next week.

Best of the Week - 5/21/11

Quote of the Week: Wack ‘em if they ever got out of line. That’s smart; Reagan smart. (Casey, Chuck)

Song of the Week: Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice (as sung by Raj, The Big Bang Theory)

Big News of the Week: Networks Unveil their Schedules: I talked about the five shows I most want to see and what I will be watching next fall. Here some other thoughts on the schedules of the big four (and The CW). Click on the title to be taken to a promo of the show.

The Sing-Off (Mondays at 8:00 on NBC): I am glad NBC took my advice and made The Sing-Off a weekly show, but two hours seems a little cumbersome (I know NBC is in trouble, but why are all their reality shows an unnecessarily two hours long?). At least the show should up it’s credibly now that the Pussycat Doll is not available as a judge. Since there are down a judge, may I suggest Sara Bareilles.

Last Man Standing (Tuesdays at 8:00 on ABC): So Loretta McCready goes from the best show on television to this? I put the over / under on the number of episode it takes before she called up Raylan Gibbons looking to be rescued by him at three.

Ringer (Tuesdays at 9:00 on The CW): There is a lot of talk of Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to get WB roots but let’s face it she is a horrible actress and unless her words are written by Joss Whedon, she is unwatchable. And if The CW was taking other network’s leftover’s, why did they not take NBC’s Wonder Woman to replace the departing Smallville?

Revenge (Wednesdays at 10:00 on ABC): There seems to be a lot of new shows that made me go, that would make for a good idea for a movie, but I do not see how they stretch it into a television show. Revenge tops that list. Sure Amy Abbott may get me to tune in, but where exactly does the show go after she exact her revenge.

H8R (Wednesdays at 8:00 on The CW): In this year’s installment of “Seriously, they canceled Veronica Mars for this crap” goes to H8R where “celebrities” confront people who talk smack about them on the internet. No word on when my episode where I get ambushed by The CW executives for hating on H8R airs.

And my prediction of first show canceled goes to I Hate My Teenage Daughter.

Bonus Big News of the Week: The ten year old version of myself would be remised if I didn’t wish a melancholy happy trails to the Macho Man Randy Savage who suffered a heart attack while driving yesterday.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Don't Give Up On Me Now – Ben Harper (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Over 1,500 Albums $5 Each Through May: Only one more week to get these albums for $5. Here are some Greatest Hits selections worth picking up from The Steve Miller Band, John Mellencamp, The Temptations, and David Gray.



New Album Release of the Week: Torches - Foster the People

New DVD Release of the Week: Gettysburg: Director's Cut (Blu-ray Book Packaging)

Video of the Week: Too Big to Fail is not the only HBO debuting next week. How to Die in Oregon will air Thursday (5/26) at 8:00. The documentary looks at the controversial Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes physician aid-in-dying for some terminally ill patients. Below is a promo:



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Event, Monday at 9:00 on NBC: Poor The Event, it was probably doomed from the start. I guess when you name your show The Event, it is probably a good idea to clue the audience in on what The Event is in the first episode. I did not even realize what The Event was until NBC started airing ads for the midseason premiere, granted I am not entirely sure if the potential extermination of the human race actually is The Event named in the title. Oh well. After the series finale, NBC can bring on the Playboy Bunnies.