Around the Tubes: 6/8/2018

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 Challenge: Final Reckoning, Minding the Gap, QUEST, Ballet Now, Shameless, Kidding, BIG3, Roger Daltrey, Meg Myers, Alicia Witt, Mallrat, and The Fourth Estate.

- MTV today announced that The Challenge: Final Reckoning will premiere on Tuesday, July 10 at 9:00. Final Reckoning marks the conclusion of the series trilogy, which kicked off with XXX: Dirty 30 followed by Vendettas. The Challenge franchise is the #1 unscripted cable series on Tuesdays and is a top 10 unscripted property on all of cable (L3). The newest installation travels players to South Africa to face the consequences of their actions from the past two seasons. All of the recent betrayals, regrets and wrongdoings will rise to the surface as the competitors pair-off for their fiercest vendetta yet. Will they be able to put aside their issues, settle the score and work together to take home the $1 million prize?

- Hulu announced that the company has acquired the rights to Minding the Gap, a moving documentary from director Bing Liu about three young men who bond across racial lines to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. Ten years later, while facing adult responsibilities, unsettling revelations force them to reckon with their fathers, their mothers, and each other. The film will be released as a Hulu Documentary both theatrically across key markets in the US and on Hulu on August 17th.

- For his debut documentary, QUEST, director Jonathan Olshefski spent nearly a decade chronicling the daily triumphs and tragedies of the Raineys, a working class African-American family in North Philadelphia. The vérité film opens with a shot inside the family’s modest North Philly row home. PJ, who wants to follow in the musical footsteps of her Dad, is drumming on the windowsill. It’s election season in 2009 and while frying bacon for breakfast Mom Christine’a is telling the story of how someone in the neighborhood yelled out, “Vote for McCain!” “You know he didn’t say that around the polls,” she adds. Chris, on the phone with a friend, asks, “You vote for Obama? We know where you live at.” In the next scene, Chris is returning from the polls, and in another phone conversation he happily reports, “There was a line for the first time in umpteen years down here.” The acclaimed documentary feature film QUEST will have its national television debut on PBS series POV on June 18 at 10 PM opening the historic 31st Season of the longest-running independent documentary series on American television.

- Ballet Now will launch Friday, July 20, only on Hulu. Ballet Now provides a rarely seen, unfiltered glimpse into the world of ballet and what it takes to create a one-of-kind dance extravaganza. Featuring New York City Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck - the first ever woman to be asked to curate The Music Center’s famed BalletNOW program - and a diverse cast of world-class dancers from around the globe, the film follows Tiler as she tries to execute her groundbreaking vision of mashing together the worlds of tap, hip-hop, ballet and even clown artistry. With less than a week to pull it all off, Tiler faces the mounting pressures of not only dancing in multiple pieces, but also producing and directing this high profile event. The success of the performances rests squarely on her shoulders. Will she pull it off? Directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Steven Cantor, featuring New York City Principal Ballerina, Tiler Peck. Emmy Award-winning actress Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Men) serves as Executive Producer.

- Showtime has announced its new fall comedy line-up with the ninth season of its hit series Shameless, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award® winner William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum, premiering on Sunday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the series premiere of the new half-hour comedy series Kidding, starring Golden Globe® winner Jim Carrey in his first series regular role in more than two decades and reuniting him with Oscar winner Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), at 10 p.m. ET/PT. To watch and share the official trailer for Kidding, visit: https://youtu.be/OzwU7dbmAyY. For a special video announcement from the cast of Shameless, go to: https://youtu.be/lB1tAqfiht4.

- FOX Sports exclusively presents BIG3, the highly anticipated professional 3-on-3, half-court basketball league founded by Ice Cube. The league's eight teams travel to 10 different cities including new stops at Houston, Oakland, Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Boston, and Atlanta. All stops will feature four back-to-back games on Friday evenings with star players including Amar’e Stoudemire, Baron Davis, Kenyon Martin, Stephen Jackson, Chauncey Billups, Metta World Peace, and Nate Robinson and legendary Hall of Fame coaches including Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman and George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin. Season two returns to FOX Sports on Friday, June 22 at 7:30 ET/4:30 PT.

- As Long As I Have You the critically acclaimed new album from legendary Who frontman Roger Daltrey is released today. During his career spanning five decade Daltrey has sold over 100 million records including 9 US & 10 UK top ten albums and 14 UK top ten singles. He’s played over well over 2000 gigs in a career spanning over 50 years including venues such as Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Glastonbury (twice), Hyde Park (four times), The Isle Of Wight (three times), Desert Trip, Shea Stadium, The Superbowl half time show and Live Aid to name but a very few.

- Meg Myers has released Take Me To The Disco, the haunting title track from her forthcoming album of the same name, out 7/20 on 300 Entertainment. The album opener is subtly arresting - a sweeping, ethereal song about feeling untethered and wanting to escape. Listen here.

- Accomplished Singer/Actress Alicia Witt announces 15,000 DAYS, her EP set for release on August 24. Billboard recently premiered Younger, the first single off the album. Witt reflects on the track, “When we are younger, when we are 17 or 18, we kind of know exactly who we are. I think I’m a much more similar person to that version of me now than I was a few years ago. So I wrote the song, thinking of how to appeal to that side in somebody else and to have that little child version of you connecting, and letting that be your authentic self, as you go out into the world as an adult.” Listen and purchase “Younger” here.

Having garnered attention from The New York Times and NPR, it’s quickly becoming apparent that 2018 is the Year of the Mallrat, with the release of her highly anticipated sophomore EP, "In The Sky" via Nettwerk Records. Her refreshingly honest observations of day-to-day life, her relatable and confessional lyrics, and her penchant for writing sticky melodies that you just can’t shake have all shaped 19 year old Grace Shaw into the kind of artist that is perfectly positioned to be Australia’s next big name in pop music.

- Turning to Charlottesville and its tragic aftermath, the next episode of the Showtime documentary series The Fourth Estate airs this Sunday, June 10 at 8:00 on Showtime.

Previewing Claws: Season Two

Claws was a pleasant surprise last summer with a decent mix of humor, action, and about one huge plot twist per episode. Seriously, do not ask me how Roller was able to survive being drowned, shot, set a fire, and being some weird od lady’s sex slave. But those elements did a good job at hiding some of its flaws like how Uncle Daddy goes way over the top every time he opens his mouth and maybe there was one too many plot twists. Sure, the funeral he arranged for Roller was great mostly because it was over the top but he could have toned it down in pretty much every other scene.

So the gist of the first season was Desna trying to get out from underneath the Dixie Mafia but ended the season under the thumb of the Russian mob. And if you thought the lady who was running the Russian mob last season was scary and ruthless, wait until you meet her family, notably Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) who wants to expand Desna’s opiate money laundering business and start a Magic Mike type review in South Florida. Oh yeah, and the season ended with Uncle Daddy buddying up to the Haitian mafia to battle the Russian mafia and the Haitian mafia just so happened to be run by Desna’s boyfriend.

And Desna is not the only one with problems, Desna’s autistic brother knocked up Virginia, Jennifer got caught hooking up with a rabbi, and it has not yet, but you know Polly banging the guy who runs the clinic will end badly. And things are set for a just as wild, or wilder in the seconds season. I am not sure what will make Desna go into a rage more, Virginia’s pregnancy or her boyfriend’s secret life (we do learn the answer to one of those pretty quickly and an annoyingly close call to the other). Then Potente just set everything aflame (literally in one scene) which just adds to the craziness. We even get a surprise marriage in the premiere (hint, it is not Virginia and Dean). The second season of Claws just may be wilder than the first.

Claws airs Sundays at 9:00 on TNT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 6/3/2018

Patrick Melrose: Oh wow, Patrick has of his own now? He looks like he is trying very hard not to be his father but turns out he is damaging the kid in different ways than his father did. And I am surprised he did not get injured going to the liquor store.

Billions: I thought Axe finally (and probably wisely) upgraded from Lara, until I realized that he was playing Maria Sharapova. That would have been a massive upgrade. And I still am not entirely sure why Ben Kim did a strip tease in the elevator, I am just glad he did.

I’m Dying Up Here: Gee, Cassie really is trying for that second kid. Is she going to go back to Bill next episode? And just when is Ron going to get a comeuppance? Once you start burning money, it has to come pretty soon.

Supergirl: Mama El is still alive? What? And just what does the High Council chick know? Is she communicating with Reign on Earth or is that just a hologram like Kara’s mom she talks to? But how convenient for Alex that every assassination attempt had a lengthy delay? She was able to pick up a grenade and put it in some bomb resistant receptacle (seriously, what park has those?). Then the dude set her motorcycle explode except she had enough time to flee before that went off too.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Lucifer: So the show filmed a couple episodes for season four after they were done with season three before going on break… except Fox decided to cancel the show anyway. Kind of weird to have a show on the bubble do that. I do wonder if the first episode was meant to be the season premiere because they did not touch on the cliffhanger at all. But if Ella’s imaginary friend was going to be a season plot point, I actually want to see that. It would be better than the Cain plot or Lucifer’s mom. But when they put Able in a quirky chick’s body, that only lasted one episode so maybe we would have not seen ReyRey again after this.

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars II: What a silly way to split a tie. They should have said if you cannot agree, you would be sent into elimination. I would love to see who budged them. But at this point of the game, getting out the strong teams is the right strategy. They should target CT and Tony.
You can download The Challenge: Vendettas on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: There has been a lot of debate of if Hulu should follow the Netflix model and dump every episode at once or continue the television model of weekly episode. Last week is why it is right to do the television model because it is more impactful to have to wait a week to live with what the aftermath of the bombing meant (it has been months for me as that was the last screener I saw). If you could just press play for the next episode, then the explosion had little impact. Sure it was pretty obvious Waterford would survive but the big shocker from the fallout was that Rory Gilmore and One Eyed Offwillie were reinstated as Handmaids. And now we half to wait week to see what that all means which makes it more meaningful.
You can stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

The Americans: When the show started, it was weird watch because the protagonists were trying to bring down America. I figured the only way to have a satisfying ending would them being brought down or at the very least being flipped by the FBI. Neither of those happened because Philip and Elizabeth get to live happily ever after in Russia (or at the very least contently ever after). So I am a bit disappointed on that ending.

I did find it a bit weird Stan knew where Paige lived. Or did he call into the FBI to get that info? But how quick could they come up with that in the eighties? It was wise of him not to take a hard stand against them in the parking garage because he was out numbered. Though I was surprised he did not call it in later and feigned ignorance when his boss confirmed they were the spies. I kind of wished that was the climax with a five or so minute epilogue after that instead of another half an hour (without ads). As surprising as Stan letting them go was Paige staying. When she started talking about who would take care of Henry in her apartment, I thought she would make an argument of how she should, or just wanted to stay in America. So it was weird when she just left the train. But overall I guess it wasa show with watching.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 6/1/2018

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 Governors Ball, Snow Patrol, Guns N’ Roses,John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd, Sutton Foster, and Joe Walsh.

- Founders Entertainment is proud to announce the official Governors Ball live stream via the DIRECTV NOW app and television broadcast presented by AT&T. Dubbed a “Festival with a New York Heart” by the New York Times, the eighth annual edition of New York City’s very own homegrown fest will take place from Friday, June 1st through Sunday, June 3rd on beautiful Randall’s Island Park. U.S. music fans can watch live performances from artists including Jack White, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Post Malone, The Gaslight Anthem, CHVRCHES, Manchester Orchestra, Sylvan Esso, Khalid, the worldwide live debut of Silk City (Diplo + Mark Ronson) and many more.nnBeginning Friday, June 1, tune in daily from 4:45 p.m.-11:00 p.m. ET live on Twitter at live.twitter.com/GovBallNYC and at ATT.com/GovBallNYC all weekend long.

- Snow Patrol debut the music video for their song “Soon,” from their album Wildness. Directed by Brett Simon, who has helmed videos for every track on the album, ‘Soon’ is a poignant snapshot of Gary Lightbody and his father, who is suffering from dementia. Lightbody revealed: “Soon’ is about my dad. Three years ago he was diagnosed with dementia. I wanted to write a song that connected us both and let him know I was with him and would be always. The video we made for this (directed by Brett Simon) is me and my dad sitting together watching old home movies. Filming it with him was one of the best days I ever spent with my dad and I’m so grateful he got to share in the day and spend some time in my world. It meant everything to me.” Watch the video for “Soon” here. For more information about how music and technology can improve the lives of the elderly suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, visit Music & Memory here.

- Geffen/UMe continues its celebration for the release of Guns N’ Roses’ forthcoming Appetite For Destruction reissues with the debut of the original, newly discovered video for “IT’S SO EASY.” Filmed live in 1989 at the infamous Cathouse, “IT’S SO EASY” was never completely finished and has remained in the vaults, unseen and unreleased. The footage was recently uncovered for inclusion in the box set and has been digitally restored in 4K UHD from 16mm film transfers with the original conceptual scenes edited back in with the live footage, just as the band had originally intended. “IT’S SO EASY” can be viewed HERE.

- To celebrate their 40thAnniversary, John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) are pleased to announce The Public Image is Rotten(Songs from the Heart) Box Set will be released on July 20, 2018, coming in the form of a staggering 5CD/2DVD set as well as a 6LP set. The box set will feature the PiL Singles Collection (1978-2015), B-sides, Rarities and Radio Sessions, 12” Mixes, Unreleased Mixes and Tracks and a Live concert from New York Ritz in July 1989. The DVD includes PiL promo videos + footage from the BBC’s Top Of The Popsand Old Grey Whistle Test. Just in case that isn’t enough they’ve included two legendary live concerts, the first PiL’s appearance at the Tallinn Rock Summer Festival in Estonia 1988 (still part of the USSR at the time) and the second from 2013’s Enmore Theatre in Australia during the This is PiLtour.See below for full track listing.

- GHOSTLIGHT DELUXE, an imprint of Ghostlight Records, will release Take Me to the World — the long-awaited third album from two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster — on Friday, June 1. Customers that pre-order the digital album will immediately receive a download of the album’s second single. “I’m on My Way / On My Way” is a medley of one of Sutton’s signature songs from the musical Violet, combined with the traditional spiritual. The album is being released in conjunction with the fifth season of the critically-acclaimed TV Land series “Younger,” which returns on Tuesday, June 5. To pre-order the album, please visit here.

- Joe Walsh and VetsAid, his national 501(c)3 non-profit veterans organization, today announced the date and location of their 2nd annual music festival. VetsAid 2018 will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2018, Veterans Day, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Launched on September 20, 2017 with an inaugural concert at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia featuring performances by Walsh, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr., the first VetsAid concert disbursed nearly $400,000 in grants to veterans’ services organizations nationally and locally. “It was always my intention to take this show on the road and share the experience with veterans’ communities across the country,” Joe Walsh explains. “In 2018, I wanted to bring VetsAid to my brothers and sisters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Naval Base Kitsap and all throughout the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And next year… who knows?” Full lineup and on-sale information will be announced later this summer. For more information, please visit vetsaid.org.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 5/27/2018

Billions: Two episodes after the big revelation of Chuck and Axe and I still have little idea where the show is going if those two are not at each other. Is Chuck going to take on the Attorney General? Are Chuck and Axe ever going to target each other? When is Taylor going to turn on Axe like they have been teasing? Now that Connorty has found a job, is he going to go after Axe and/or Chuck again? They built to such a high apex for the first two and a half seasons, it does not seem like they are going anywhere for the remaining three episodes this season.

Fear the Walking Dead: Many people have theorized that Madison is no longer alive in the future timeline on account she has yet to turn up yet. When the Scavenger dude gave Alicia condolences to for her brother but not her mother I thought maybe that was a hint she is still alive. Then Dharma shows up and Alicia shoot at her making me think that the only thing that could make Alicia do that is Dharma killed her mother or had something to do with her death. Whatever the case I am guessing we will not get a definitive answer until the midseason finale.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

I’m Dying Up Here: Did Carson really ever have on people who had potatoes shaped like people? But anyway. Apparently Cassie’s kid is going to be a thing this season. But we did who the father is and it was just some dude back home while she was in high school. I do still wonder if everyone back homes knows this or did the ruse start when she was still pregnant? But it looks like she wants another one.

Supergirl: One thing I noticed this episode was that all the cars had National City license plates. Wait, is National City a state? Do all the cares in this universe have their city’s license plate instead of the state? That was weird. And it says a lot that the only thing that stuck out to me in this episode were the license plates.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars II: Again, the big twist just happened to help the Stars, and that was four straight Champ eliminations losses in a row (granted Hennessey walked out during that). Thankfully they are switching things up next week even though they pretty much gave away who wins as a pair with one Champ and Star debate what to do.
You can download The Challenge: Vendettas on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Oh hey, Donnie Hendrix is back. I wondered where he was when Offred went to the doctor in the first episode. He had a memorable cameo in the first season offering to impregnate Offred because the Commander was shooting blanks. I just assumed he got fired for being a pervert. And as we saw with Lost, flashback can be hit or miss (and the longer the show goes the more misses there are), but Mrs. Waterford’s are always the most interesting. I kind of wish they would giver her a full episode because I am fascinated to see just how she got where she is. Oh, and just how exactly does a Handmaid get her hand on a bomb?
You can stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Survivor: Ghost Island: I spent the last couple weeks complaining that Laurel was content playing for third (which she ended up doing) but what the fork was Angela doing? First she is excited to be a part of SeaBass and Donathan’s plan to oust Dominick only to tell Dominick for no reason. Almost as mind blowing is that she voluntarily switched seats with Wendell to make him feel comfortable at the fire making challenge because he was freaked out having to use a loser’s color. Why would you want your opponent to feel comfortable when you are doing a challenge for a chance at a million dollars?

Seriously, why come on Survivor if you are not going play the game? It is one thing to realize to late you need to shake things up like Kellyn, Donathan, and SeeBass, but to know you are going to lose and being content about it is unacceptable. And no one talks about it because they went one two, but why didn’t Dominick or Wendell turn on each other until Dominick resigned Wendell to fire making (I laughed when Dominick floated giving Angela Immunity to take on Wendell at fire making but in retrospect, he should have done it; although why would you ever think an army vet would lose a fire making challenge)? He could have joined the girls when Kellyn when out. Actually the split tribals when he had immunity would have been the perfect time to strike.

But even with the split vote at the end, it was a boring finale with the only to look forward was the theme of the next season which is David vs. Goliath. The more I think about it the more offensive I think it is. If you are in the David Tribe you are probably there because you are weak or weird. Then if you are Goliath, well, he lost to loser and clearly by the name the producers want someone from the other Tribe to win. But hey, I did spot Mike White, who wrote and was Jack Black’s roommate in School of Rock, in the background of the promo. Which begs the question, which Tribe is he? He looks like someone who would be on the David Tribe, but his bank account will probably double or triple that of everyone on the Goliath Tribe.
You can download Survivor: Ghost Island on iTunes.

The Americans: So what did Stan searching for the Jennings accomplished? The Jennings did steal their identities but did Stan think that when he saw Philip was a twenty-three year old black dude from Florida or did he think, oh, there must be a bunch of Philip Jennings in America. I know someone who shares my name in my county. But once the surveillance phots come in, will Stan recognize Phillip? And since she grabbed Passports, does that mean the Jennings are leaving the country? After that blow up, will they take Paige? And what about the boy?
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Krypton: I realized a couple episodes back there was only two ways the ends: Braniac succeeds or he does not. The writers chose to go with the bolder choice of changing the timeline. And boy it did. Superman’s cape did not actually disappear despite the change but the cape itself changed from a House of El seal to that of a House of Zod which makes me think that Zod still sends his nephew to Earth, not to save him from a dying planet but to conquer Earth. But the one confusing is what is going on with Adam Strange? Clearly he is in a city on Earth that Braniac bottled up. Except Braniac was sucked into the Phantom Zone. Is Adam in the Phanton Zone? Are whole cities in the Phantom Zone? Of course if Zod can escape the Phantom Zone so can a twelfth level intellect so this can be in current day on the darkest timeline.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.


And with the season finale of Survivor, the Spring season is pretty much over and we get our first summer premiere (that I have any interest in) next week. Here is what I will be watching while trying to avoid the heat.

Mondays
Nothing

Tuesdays
Casual (Hulu, July 31)
9:00 – The Bold Type (Freeform, June 12)

Wednesdays
The Handmaids Tale (Hulu, already started)
Harlots (Hulu, July 11)
Castle Rock (Hulu, July 25)
8:00 – Young and Hungry (Freeform, June 20)
10:00 – Reverie (NBC, May 30)

Thursdays
8:00 – Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger (Freeform, June 7)
9:00 – Nashville (June 7)
9:00 – Trial and Error: Lady, Killer (NBC, July 19)

Fridays
8:00 - Quantico (ABC, already started)

Saturdays
Nothing

Sundays
9:00 – Claws (TNT, June 10)
9:00 – The Affair (Showtime, June 17)
9:00 – Preacher (AMC, June 24)
10:00 – I’m Dying Up Here (Showtime, already started)

Around the Tubes: 5/25/2018

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 Claws, Just Another Immergrant, MTV Movie & TV Awards, The Chinese Exclusion Act, The Pacific War in Color, Love Means Zero, James Bay, Meg Myers, Liz Phair, Chloe Kohanski, Papillon, and Twin Peaks.

- TNT is revealing the official trailer and new key art for season two of Claws. Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Jack Kesy, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Suleka Mathew, Harold Perrineau and Dean Norris star in the hit dramedy series, which returns Sunday, June 10, at 9:00 on TNT.



- Showtime has released the trailer for the new docu-comedy series centered around popular UK comedian Romesh Ranganathan, Just Another Immergrant. The 10-episode, half-hour series will air back-to-back episodes on Fridays beginning on June 8 at 9:00.


- MTV announced a slate of performers and presenters for the 2018 “MTV Movie & TV Awards.” Mustard will perform his new single “Anywhere” for the first time ever with Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated artist Nick Jonas. There will also be a performance by fan-favorites Chloe x Halle. Presenters who will be onsite to hand out the top prizes of the night will include: Michael B. Jordan, Seth Rogan, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell.

- In the context of ongoing national debates over immigration, the timely new two-hour documentary The Chinese Exclusion Act, from Emmy® Award winning documentary filmmakers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu, will debut as a special presentation of the award-winning PBS television series American Experience this Tuesday, May 29 2018 at 8:00. The film is narrated by actor Hoon Lee (Banshee).

- A groundbreaking new eight-part series traces the epic struggle of the Pacific War using rare and never-before-seen color visuals from every corner of the conflict. Smithsonian Channel takes viewers on a vivid journey from the home front to the battlefront, examining the pivotal moments, wartime innovations and social upheavals that still reverberate today. The Pacific War in Color premieres Sunday, June 24 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Showtime will present the television premiere of the documentary Love Means Zero, which tells the story of celebrated yet controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and explores the cost of his all-consuming drive for greatness, on Saturday, June 23 at 9:00. From Showtime Documentary Films, Love Means Zero features interviews with his former students and tennis prodigies, including Jim Courier, Kathleen Horvath, Carling Bassett and Boris Becker. The documentary made its world premiere to critical acclaim at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.


- After months of building excitement and anticipation around the globe, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay releases his second full-length album, Electric Light [Republic Records], last week. Check out Electric Light Here.

- Meg Myers reveals the chilling video for “Numb,” the lead single from her forthcoming album ‘Take Me To The Disco,’ out 7/20 on 300 Entertainment. The video, directed by Clara Aronavich, shows Meg going about her day in a haze, surrounded by people intruding on her personal space. It's a powerful, spine-tingling visual that brings the song to visceral, disturbing life. NPR Music’s Bob Boilen called the video, “Singer Meg Myers Confronts 'Innocent Touching' And Microaggressions In New Video” Watch here.

- On June 8, Capitol/UMe will release three vinyl reissues by Grammy®- nominated, indie-rock singer/songwriter Liz Phair. These three coveted LP releases have all been culled from Phair’s fertile, whip-smart studio catalog, with each album making its triumphant debut on 180-gram black vinyl.

- Chloe Kohanski releases her brand new single “Come This Far” produced by MXM. Get it HERE via Republic Records.

- Watch Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek plan their escape in the new trailer from Bleecker Street's Papillon. Based on the international best-selling autobiographic books from Henri "Papillon" Charrière, the incredible true story from director Michael Noer (Northwest) and writer Aaron Guzikoswski (Prisoners) opens in theaters August 24!


- Showtime will run all 18 parts of the limited series Twin Peaks consecutively, beginning Saturday, June 2 at 4:35 a.m. ET/PT and ending at 10 p.m. PT/ET. The uninterrupted Emmy For Your Consideration marathon will air on SHOWTIME 2. In addition, all parts are also available to subscribers on multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and their free On Demand channels.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 5/20/2018

Billions: So the end of the last episode felt like series finale. A very sad series finale where the bad guys won and had depressing ways of celebrating. Which begged the question, what is next. At first I was thinking that Axe was also going to throw his hat into the ring for governor. Then Chuck got screwed over for a favor to take down Axe that Axe still escaped. But Wendy did make a very convincing argument about power. Politics does seem like a horrible way wield power. Then we end this episode where I still have no clue where the show is going. Unless everyone Chuck, Wendy, and Axe screwed over the last two episodes, Connerty, Taylor, Chuck’s dad, Jack Foley, Mafee, Lara, et al, team up to bring down the trio.

Fear the Walking Dead: Okay, why is Dharma always leaving? She left new guy, she tried to leave Alicia. Just do not give us a full episode explaining why. And I missed why exactly the zombies were attracted to the jeep that covered up the hole in the bridge. And really, that many zombies washed up on shore over night?
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

I’m Dying Up Here: Cassie has a kid? So do we know the father or just some random dude back home? And will we ever see the kid again or is this a Peggy Olsen situation where the kid goes to the sister and is never talked about again?

Timeless: After spending three years in the past, why is Jiya so dismissive of waiting a year for training a new pilot. And if Mason built the thing, how hard would it be for him to fly it. Of course none of that matters because future Lucy shows up to go get Rufus back even though they are not allowed to travel to times they lived in and did not travel with a pilot.
You can download Timeless on iTunes.

Supergirl: Why the fork did Saturn Girl go back to the future when Reign still had Pestilence’s power. That seemed stupid. 74% is still not 100% had just one Legionnaire stayed back. Ugg. We better be getting a Saturn Girl spin off soon. And if Lex Luther’s biggest enemy is a Kyrptonian, how does he not have a safe room that is Krptonian proof?
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Lucifer: I expressed last week that I would have been disappointed if Angel Charlotte show up last week. I never realized there would not be a next season. Oops. Oh, and Chloe finally saw Lucifer’s devil face, so at least they went out on a bang.
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.

Rise: Well Ted Mosby continued to be annoying to the end. Clearly he should have been fired for putting the musical back the way it was written. But instead the superintendent shuts down the dram department because of funding cuts? Aren’t most drama departments self-funded except for the maybe the teacher’s bonus? Most concession stands can make a mint. But maybe Ted Mosby should have kept grease as the musical. Maybe then the drama department would not have been shut down and maybe the show would have gotten enough eyeballs not to be canceled.
You can download Rise on iTunes.

The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars II: And we have yet another advantage that helps the Stars. Either they are really lucky or they are getting some divine intervention from the producers. And Devil is probably ruing Shane’s plan to use the save as a ploy to get the Stars to trust the Champs a couple episodes again.
You can download The Challenge: Vendettas on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Well that was one of the creepiest marriage ceremonies I have ever witnessed. So is the driver and all those dudes future Commanders? Are they always going to be part of the working class with little upward mobility? The preacher talked about replenishing the Earth with children, are these women able to bare children? I would assume not because wouldn’t they make them Handmaid’s. And what is with all that blood? I do understand Offred not telling anyone because if that was a miscarriage, they may not have any more need for Offred. But with Offred talking to her belly, I guess she did not lose the baby. Or she went even more crazy.
You can stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Survivor: Ghost Island: Nothing more mind blowing than last week Laurel debating going with Wendell who she trusts but knows she cannot beat or the girls who she does not trusts but thinks she can beat and then voting with Laurel. Things got even more annoying this week and Laurel continued to hem and haw over turning on Wendell only decide against it because Wendell was too stupid to tell Probst he was done with puzzle and she thought it would be bad form to vote him off right after that. Laurel, that is except when you vote someone off: right when they do something historically stupid. Imagine if Parvati decided not to vote out for the Ice Cream Scooper because he stupidly gave up immunity. That is why Parvati won and why Laurel will not.
You can download Survivor: Ghost Island on iTunes.

The Blacklist: I spent the who season thinking there is no way what those bones in the duffel bag are going to be as important as Red is making them out to be. And then we learned the bones were Raymond Reddington. Wait, what the fork? So the first couple season Red kept on insisting that Lizzie was not his daughter only to finally admit later. And now we learn Raymond Reddington, Lizzzie’s father is dead. So what have we been watching?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

The Americans: Is Elizabeth turning soft? First she almost does not burn the picture which can easily track her to someone she should not be around. Then she does not kill the Congressional aid when he clearly figure out she was not who she says she is? Then she does not kill the person her handler tells her to, and not only that, she had turned her back on the Center and teamed up with Philip to protect Gorbachev. Oh yeah, but most importantly, Stan has pretty much figured out who she is.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Krypton: So Zod is Seg’s son. Wait what?!? That is some Shakespearian shirt right there that I never saw coming. But why would I? Maybe there is a swerve coming up. Maybe you do not need Zod and El blood to open Doomsday’s lair. Maybe Seg as a brother. Oh, and I wonder when Chekov’s Doomsday would show up again. But will it go off in the third act? Will it get bottled up in Kandor? Can Zod and Seg save Kandor. I guess if Zod is Superman’s uncle, anything can happen on this show. And where (or when) is Adam Strange?
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Gotham: Gotham is starting to look like Arkham City with each villain taking turf. Including a couple we have not seen before. Was that Man-Bat? And I have no clue who that mother-kid pair that looked to be in Joker masks were. But then you had Butch and Ras died for the second time each. Lee and The Riddler may have killed each other but their bodies are in the possession of Hugo Strange. Selina may be the best off of many of the main characters with just a damaged vertebra. I take it an experimental surgery will give her cat like reflexes?
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: So a side effect to her memory erasing drug is now Jane only has memory from before she was drugged and does not remember anything that happened after she came out of the duffel bag? And Zapata is evil now? Alrighty.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Once Upon a Time: So The Evil Queen’s happy ending to have complete power. Silly me, I thought the big event they were taking her to was a wedding and maybe they found a way to resurrect Robin. But I guess it was a fine finale for show that has not been good for years.
You can download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: When the characters started to think they were invincible because they know that are in the future I was convinced one would die. And Fitz seemed like the most likely candidate because he impregnate Simmons, then die before anyone knew she was carrying. And then he got crushed by debris… except he did not die? And he is in space? None of that sequence made sense. Well until I read someone else recap noting that future Fitz died and present day Fitz is in space waiting to go the future that is no longer happening. Yeah, that is only slightly less confusing. But I guess Zeke really did blink out of existence. Oh well.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 5/18/2018

- TBS' Emmy® Award-winning late-night series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is pleased to announce it is gamifying* the 2018 midterm elections. Samantha Bee, who totally knows what coding means, is working with some of the best minds in Silicon Valley to develop the non-partisan This is Not a Game: The Game game. TINAG:TG is a heart-pounding, prize-stuffed turducken of a trivia game in which average citizens play to the death OR win kick-ass prizes, not sure which. We're waiting to hear back from our lawyers. America's dismal midterm election turnout SUCKS and we are 100% certain this game will solve everything. Full Frontal is not sure why this responsibility has been left to late-night hosts but is up for the challenge.

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, has added actor John Michael Higgins (“Great News,” “Pitch Perfect”) as host of its new survey-matching game show, American Says. The new half-hour series will premiere June 18 at 5 pm ET and will air Monday through Friday. American Says is a fast-paced studio game show where two teams of friends and family face off to guess America’s responses with fill in the blanks to survey questions covering every topic under the sun. They’ll have to be quick when trying to think of what America says, as time is always ticking and the team with the most money banked after three rounds will head to a bonus round to see if they can guess even more survey responses to win up to $15,000.

- The first seven installments of the Star Wars saga are streaming all month long on TBS. TNT’s “People in Peril” themed films include American Sniper, Green Lantern and San Andreas.

- Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre – a narrative film experience by John Mellencamp –is available on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, and Digital Formats. A unique voyage into the mind and music of John Mellencamp, Plain Spoken is a live concert filmed at the historic Chicago Theatre, overlaid with personal commentary from the man himself reflecting on his career and life. This DVD set not only includes the original version of the film that debuted on Netflix, but a “non-commentary” version of the concert, as well as a live CD. The set list traverses material from across John Mellencamp’s career, from classics like “Small Town” and “Pop Singer” to songs from his most recent release Sad Clowns and Hillbillies.

- Chvrches: Miracle: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon


- The Aces: Last One: Late Night with Seth Myers:


- Platinum-certified duo Marian Hill’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Unusual, is out now—listen here! Unusual is made up of ten tracks written and produced by Jeremy Lloyd (production/songwriting) and Samantha Gongol (vocals/songwriting) of Marian Hill. Leading up to the release, the duo, “known for an arty blend of jazz and R&B that fits curiously well on a dance floor” (Apple Music), released three tracks, “Subtle Thing,” “Differently” and “Wish You Would,” off the album. “Differently” was produced by Marian Hill and notable Canadian producer Boi-1da (Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Lana Del Rey). Apple Music hails the track as, “an ominous hip-hop cut about jealousy…bursting with nervous energy yet feels meticulously controlled, a tension carried throughout the album.”

- Amanda Brown has built her career on taking risks that provoke intense reactions. Her new album, Dirty Water, brims with a distinct confidence, the kind only earned by choosing personal truth over people pleasing. Out now, the album meditates on the complexity of life’s ups and downs, as told by Brown’s unmistakable vocals -- capable of both awe-inspiring power and delicate nuances.

- BBC Sound of 2018 winner and the exceptional breakout star, Sigrid, releases new video for ‘High Five’ yesterday. The Spielberg inspired coming-of-age visual is directed by long-term collaborator Ivana Bobic, a relationship that has already spawned videos for breakout hit ‘Strangers’ and the live hybrid for ‘Raw’.


- Tune in Friday, May 18 at 9:00 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Stone Temple Pilots” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.

- TBS has ordered up another season of hilarious misadventures with TV’s most dysfunctional family of The Detour. After a bonkers road-trip, a disastrous move to New York City, and a run from the law in Alaska, the Parkers will be back for a fourth season of The Detour, one of cable’s top 10 comedies. With the return of The Detour, TBS is building on the extraordinary success of a 100% renewal rate since the network’s rebrand in 2016.

- Shometwim has ordered the drama series City on a Hill, starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy® nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild® award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground). With a 12-episode order, City on a Hill will premiere in 2019. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.

The Five Most (and Least) Anticipated Shows of 2018-19

I recently looked back at last year’s Most Anticipated list which turned out to be a pretty bad class. Rise and Good Girls were the best of the bunch though the former never even came close to being as good as it should have been. The Mayor and The Gifted both made the list but I was pretty meh on both (though the addition of the triplets in the latter gives me slight hope for season two). I closed the top five with Young Sheldon, a show I did not even bother to watch.

The thing is, this season is worse. Not one show grabbed my interest. Really, only one Pilot piqued my interest, The Greatest American Hero, but ABC inexplicably passed on that so they could air even more family sitcoms. Seriously, ABC will air five hours of family comedies this fall. Meh. But here are the five shows I may watch an episode or two next season:

1. Cosmos: Possible Worlds (Midseason, FOX) – I guess this is a cheating calling this a new series because there has already been a Cosmos on television twice, but everything below this is kind of meh.


2. Anne’s (Midseason, NBC) – Bill Simmons on his podcast constantly talks about how they should reboot Cheers and NBC finally did… sort of. It is not called Cheers and not in Boston (Abby’s is in San Diego). Bonus point for finding Natalie Morales getting her first regular television gig since the underappreciated The Middleman.

3. Manifest (Mondays at 10:00 on NBC) – Okay, this looks bad. And it will not last. Seriously, when was the last time one of these strangers are brought together by some weird occurrence lasted more than one season? Resurrection? And even that bombed hard in season two. Actually, is that the only one after Lost? But I miss hate watching Lost, so I will check this out.


4. Schooled (Midseason, ABC) – I did not care for the backdoor Pilot, but the announced version does not include the principal’s sister and kid, instead is replaced with Lainey for n apparent reason but I guess that is an upgrade.

5. The Neighborhood (Mondays at 8:00 on CBS) – They did recast the white dude with Deputy Leo, so…


As the great philosopher Butt-Head once pondered, how would we know if something was cool if there weren't things that sucked, here are the five shows you could not pay me to watch next fall (click on their names to watch the trailers where available).

1. I Feel Bad (Thursdays at 9:30 on NBC) – Seriously, did they name the show I Feel Bad so ever critic can write “… for watching this crap?”

2. New Amsterdam (Tuesdays at 10:00 on NBC) – Remember when medical dramas were dead. I believe Grey’s Anatomy was the last one standing. Then NBC launched one in Chicago. The Fox did one that is also returning. And now NBC has a second medical show. Yawn.

3. Magnum P.I. (Mondays at 9:00 on CBS) – Magnum does not have mustache… what the fork?

4. Last Man Standing (Fridays at 8:00 on FOX) – Um, wasn’t the show about a guy living in a house of girls? Two of the daughters are not even coming back and the third daughter moved out a couple seasons ago. If the show is just going to devolve into Tim Allen fighting about Trump with his black neighbor, who is now in the main cast, hard pass.

5. Everything on The CW – When The CW abandoned Sundays a decade ago, I figured the network would not even exist ten years later. Except here we are and the little network that barely does is actually reclaiming Sundays. With two extra hours to fill, that means they had even more new shows than usual. And they all look horrible. They got on the reboot crazy, except they are not bringing back hits like other networks; instead they are bringing back Charmed and Roswell, two shows I never watched in the first place. Then there is a Vampire Diaries spin-off which is almost as yawn inducing as a reboot. They did order a couple of original show; well as original as a crappy Friday Night Lights rip-off can be. Oh, and then there is a show about a blind chick who saves crimes with her dog. The CW everybody.


And here is my full fall schedule, at least the networks, hopefully cable has some better offerings or I may have to do something productive with my time this fall:

Mondays
8:00 - The Neighborhood (CBS)
10:00 – Manifest (NBC)

Tuesdays
8:00 - The Gifted (FOX)
9:00 – Black’ish (ABC)

Wednesdays
8:00 – Survivor (CBS)
8:00 – The Goldbergs (ABC)
9:00 – Modern Family (ABC)

Thursdays
8:00 – Superstore (NBC)
8:00 – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
8:30 – The Good Place (NBC)

Fridays
8:00 – Blindspot (NBC)
9:00 – Midnight, Texas (NBC)

Sundays
Second straight year where this is nothing on Sundays worth watching from the networks. Did they just cede the night to football and cable?

I Want My Music Television: 5/16/2018

Hunger - Florence + The Machine


Well that was freaky sticking your finger inside like that. But I wonder if Florence + The Machine was inspired by Losing My Religion which had a similar scene. But that was a fallen angel, this seemed like some random dude.


Caterpillar - Royce da 5'9" featuring Eminem & King Green


Eminem just stood there next to Royce da 5’9’’ so long I wondered if he was just a statue. He ended up spitting a better verse than anything on his last album, of which I already forgot the name of.


Good Kisser – Lake Street Dive


Wow, the new Lake Street Dive song is super cheesy, and the video just makes it sillier, but it is cheesy in the You Make My Dreams kind of way, which is a high compliment.


2002 - Anne-Marie


I find it pretty weird that Anne-Marie would pay homage to Baby One More Time, Bye Bye Bye, in the same music video as she does 99 Problems. That last one just does not fit with the cheesy teen pop videos.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 5/13/2018

Billions: Wendy always seemed like the moral compass of the show, sure she had some issues, but after opening looking for a patsy and seducing Mafee into perjuring himself, that is no longer the case. Does that make Taylor the real moral compass? (S)he seemed very upset (or as upset as an emotionless person can be) about the Mafee situation, I wonder if she turns on Axe at any point. (S)he definitely could open up her own shop and even hire Mafee there too. Something has to happen. Obviously, we are just half way through the season. I cannot imagine the Chuck/Axe truce goes beyond this episode after they have been at each other for year. And really did not even get a tease, just Chuck’s sad victory party with Wendy and Axe somehow being even sadder.

Fear the Walking Dead: C’mon, why are you getting into a pool full of zombies? Are these people really that stupid not to lure all the zombies to the edge, kill them, and then not having to worry about zombie (except ones that are at the bottom).
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Supergirl: So all the Worldkillers are dead except for Reign? And how was the black chick able to use her Worldkiller power as a human? And when Reign turned into Samantha in that one scene, it made me wonder: did Reign change her clothes after reigning terror or did Sam wake up in the Reign costume and never realized she was dressed up like the chick destroying the city when she was out. Oh yeah, but I guess the big news is Lena is making her own Kyptonite. That is not going to go over well with Kara.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Lucifer: So Charlotte actually got into heaven? Cool, but if she shows up next week (or next season) as an angel, that will be lame. Maybe Mama Lucifer will return.
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.

Rise: I have never seen Spring Awakening before but now that they spell out all the questionable content, how did this show not get axed after the district read the script? And I was extremely disappointed there was no NBC synergy why trying to replace swear words. C’mon, why not sing “Totally Forked” or “The Bench of Living”?
You can download Rise on iTunes.

The Challenge: Vendettas: I thought it was pretty convenient that the tiebreaker helped gain the Stars majority. Then Hennessey quit making things even again making me wonder if they intestinally injured Anessa to keep the balance. But, oh my goodness, what Louisa did with her Power Play was more underhanded than any “Champ” has ever done. I thought they would swap Tori out with another Star or even poach CT to make their team strong, but to take back Smashley was cruel. I loved it.
You can download The Challenge: Vendettas on iTunes.

Legion: Did they seriously devote a whole episode to multiverse theory?
You can download Legion on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: So is Offred just content in being a Handmaid now? I thought for sure when the driver kept calling out to June, I thought she would turn around and said, “My name is Offred.” Instead she just ignored him and started chanting nonsense. Between her accomplice being hung and remembering Luke’s wife, it seems like she now believes she deserves to be punished. I wonder how long that lasts before she tries to escape again. Or maybe she won’t and Luke launched a rescue mission. But something needs to happen soon.
You can stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Survivor: Ghost Island: Laurel asked a really stupid question this week, should I go with the people I trust but cannot beat at the end or the people I do not trust but I think I can beat. You always go with the people you can beat. If you stay loyal, you are probably getting third. But that is best case scenario because Wendell and Dominick could turn on you to take the easier to beat SeaBass or Donathan to the finals. It may be harder to get to the finals by going with the girls, but not impossible because SeaBass could be used as a vote. But no, Laurel seems content to just let Wendell win. It is going to be a boring final three hours. No I am just mostly interested in next season’s stupid theme. It may be time for another “all-star” season. There was just two seasons in between Second Chances and Game Changers. I would not mind a public vote because that was probably the best “all-star” season. Or more appropriately the one that sucked the least.
You can download Survivor: Ghost Island on iTunes.

The Blacklist: How convenient Samar’s abductor was in very specific ways of killing and just did not put a bullet in her brain given the FBI time to find her. Why he did not just kill her when she stabbed him was just absurb.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

The Americans: Stan broke into the Jennings’ garage in one of the first episodes of the series so I guess it id apropos that he does it again in one of the last. But has he figured out that a lot of their bigger travel agency emergencies coincide with big failures in his FBI cases.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Krypton: Should I know who that weird looking chick at the end was? I had to look up who the computer was.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Gotham: So Gordon survived because The Riddler was following him? Huh? Just how exactly did they get far away from that big explosion? And what is with this stupid Ra’s Al Gul storyline this season? He want Bruce to kill him, he dies, is brought back because Barbra was incompetent as the Demon’s Head, does not want to die anymore, and now is teaming up with Jerome’s brother to destroy Gotham. Just does not make any sense.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: Wait, did Jane have an accent in the flashbacks? And does this secret federal task force really need two couples?
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So that is why YoYo said let Coulsen die. The Centipede serum can either save Coulsen or cure Talbot who will likely crack apart the Earth without it. But why not just save Talbot and take Coulsen to Tahiti.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 5/11/2018

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 Guns N’ Roses, Snoe Patrol, Jessie Ware, Jessie Ware, Mat Kearney, Drinks, Crime and Prohibition, Erik Griffin: Amerikan Warrior, and Final Space.

- On June 29, Geffen/UMe celebrates one of rock’s most important bands, Guns N’ Roses, with the release of Appetite For Destruction: Locked N’ Loaded Edition box set. Commemorating the band’s highly influential album debut Appetite For Destruction, this lavish box set is the ultimate GnFnR fan’s dream fulfilled. Appetite will also be released in concurrent multiple configurations, Appetite For Destruction will be made available in a 4CD/1Blu-ray Audio Super Deluxe Edition with a 96 page book featuring unreleased photos from Axl Rose’s personal archive, a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 2LP 180-gram heavyweight vinyl edition, 1 CD remaster, and digital download/streaming equivalents.

- Snow Patrol premiere Empress, their second single from Wildness, the band’s first album in seven years. Snow Patrol also return to “Later... With Jools Holland” where they debut a live rendition of Empress, along with performances of Life On Earth, Heal Me, and Chasing Cars. Listen to Empress here and watch the band perform the song on Later... With Jools Holland here.

- Jessie Ware: Selfish Love from Late Night with Seth:


- Following its release on Monday, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay shares the music video for his latest track “Slide.” Check out the “Slide” here and the video here!

- Tune in Friday, May 11 at 9:00 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special Mat Kearney on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.

- Prohibition in America was an era of profound contradictions – a period of unprecedented government intervention into the lives of citizens, and yet also a time of exuberance, decadence and casting off restraints. Nearly a hundred years later, Smithsonian Channel’s Drinks, Crime and Prohibition takes a deep dive into the underbelly of a time characterized as much by jazz, illegal booze and female liberation as it was by gangsters and brutality. Weapons experts, historians, museum curators and mixologists weigh in on "the failed experiment” and the compelling drama it unleashed, with all its unlikely alliances, corruption and machinations of organized crime. The two-part special premieres Monday, June 11 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Comedian and I’m Dying Up Here star Erik Griffin returns for his second Showtime comedy special Erik Griffin: Amerikan Warrior, premiering Friday, June 8 at 10:00. Filmed at the Star Theater in Portland, Oregon, the new hour-long special flips convention on its ear with Griffin deconstructing everything from social norms, personal responsibility and lazy protesting to the righteously religious and the female renaissance, all while skewering his own sense of male entitlement.

- Chookity Pok! TBS has renewed its original animated series Final Space for a second season. Born from a seven-minute pilot created by “Tennessee wonder child” Olan Rogers, the intergalactic space saga is TBS’ youngest- skewing original series to debut on the network, reaching more than 20 million viewers across TBS’ linear, VOD and digital platforms. The series pick-up is the latest in a string of renewals for the network, which saw every original series renewed for additional seasons in the last year.

Previewing Patrick Melrose

In the first five minutes of Patrick Melrose, the titular character laughs at the news of his father’s untimely death (okay, he just shot up right before the call and was pretty high) and then finds himself in the bed of two different women. So yeah, this is yet another difficult man show. But hey, in minute six, he says he is trying to kick the heroin. Sure he purchases speed and qualudes minutes later because he just cannot give up everything at once. Oh, and he cannot give up heroin either, he buys some more half way through the first episode.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) considered Patrick Melrose a bucket list role (Hamlet being his only other one) so it is that labor of love that elevates the five part miniseries into just another difficult man retreat. And it is such a vanity project; the star barely appears in episode two when the story flashes back to Melrose childhood to highlight just how difficult a relationship he had with his father who actually thinks he is passing on wisdom to his son.

Another time jump starts the third episode, picking up eight years after the death of Papa Melrose where that pain still lingers but Patrick has to just suffer through everything as he finally was able to kick his additions for better or worse. Each episode takes an interesting take on Melrose’s life popping in for only a short time in his life for a very specific moment before taking the next big jump forward or backward. Cumberbatch is such a livewire; you do not feel like you miss a thing throughout the years.

Patrick Melrose airs Saturdays at 9:00 on Showtime.

I Want My Music Television 5/8/2018

Cry Pretty - Carrie Underwood



Carrie Underwood recently had an accident where she injured her face and itt sounded like she now may now look the guy from The Mask. Nope, in her first music video, she still looks like Carrie Underwood. And she still sounds like her mostly inoffensive, boring self too. Although I guess the power ballad guitar at the end was a nice touch. I miss the good cheesy power ballad.


This Is America - Childish Gambino



Childish Gambino started out as a backpack rapper in a time of ringtone rappers. Then hi last alnbum he went full funk for now apparently reason. Apparently next he is going fully African music inspired sound yet with a very political bent to the visuals which I do not believe he release a video for the last album. .


Accelerate - Christina Aguilera feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 2 Chainz



So is Christina Aguilera trying to be Bangerz-era Miley Cyrus now because even Miley has moved on from that gross phase? And that choppy rapper cadence is even more annoying when a which chick does it.


Ashes (from the Deadpool 2 Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Céline Dion



Deadpool is super-meta and I get it, having Mrs. Titanic Céline Dion topline your soundtrack is a get, but c’mon, but if you are going to go super-meta, even in your soundtrack, you should have gotten king of the soundtracks Kenny Loggins to contribute a song. Okay, sure, this video is funnier than anything they could have done with Kenny Loggins.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 5/6/2018

Homeland: The Vice President seemed like a guy who would do the right thing at the right time, but oh boy he went hard on the Russian Ambassador and the Senator. But I was totally surprised Saul got out of Russia within the first twenty minutes. Except poor Carrie got left behind. But I wonder why she did not have diplomatic immunity like Saul? I guess immunity does not extend to people who got caught spying.

Then you have Keene’s speech, at first I thought she was going to get killed by the opposition party for her hippy type speech, but halfway through, I realize, oh snap, this is a resignation speech. Kind of out of character after everything she did to hold on to power for the past two seasons. I wonder if the writers were trying to nudge real life counterpoints. But then they yada yada’ed how Carrie was released. I was thinking that was going to be what next season would be about. Yet seven months later, Saul finds the random Russian guy and Carrie was exchanged. Would have been nice if they explained who that Russian was and how Saul found him.

Fear the Walking Dead: Oh wow, Nick was killed by a little girl (who is a shockingly good shot). That was shocking. Mostly because there was no real lead up to why Nick killed the other guy first. I guess maybe we will see just how that escalated to murder in the flashbacks. The guy being a douche while getting to food they were going after first does not seem like a murderous deed. But Nick should have followed Morgan’s do not kill rule.
you can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Billions: I started this season thinking that the end of the series would feature Chuck and Axe is adjourning prison cells, but is this possibly going to end with only Wendy in jail? Or are Chuck and Axe going to team up to take down Connerty? That was my takeaway from the break the stick metaphor. But I never thought Chuck and Axe would team up after spending two and a half seasons of mutually assured destruction to try to take each other down.

Timeless: So Wyatt’s wife is Rittenhouse? I guess that makes sense? If you are going to save her life, might as well indoctrinate her and use her as another sleeper agent. Might as well do the same for Lucy’s sister. But Rufus is learning the same thing as Gemma on SHEILD in that sure you may not die, but you can get really hurt in the process.
You can download Timeless on iTunes.

Supergirl: Okay, I am a bit confused with the Worldkillers, we saw Reign come from Krypton, but were the other two Worldkillers from Krypton too? Were they sent at the same time as Reign? Are they Earthlings that Reign infected. I feel like I missed something.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Good Girls: What a horrible way to end an episode. I have not been this disappoint in a season one finale of a show I was enjoying since Lost.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes.

Rise: So pregnant chick showed up two weeks ago virtually out of nowhere and now am I supposed to know who the girl who made the video is? And I know you want to pretend to be a guy and all, but c’mon, you really do not need to tell the doctor the kid is not yours.
You can download Rise on iTunes.

The Challenge: Vendettas: Good riddance Hennessy, possibly the most annoying person to ever be featured on reality television. But do the Champs now have majority control of both teams? I guess The Miz could change how tiebreakers work next week, but it will be a boring slog if they let the Champs to roll the Stars. But Champs vs. mini seasons have all sucked so far. And why were Tony and Shane throwing whole bags of balls? You could not possibly break anything that way. I feel like I was missing something.
You can download The Challenge: Vendettas on iTunes.

Legion: Wait, what exactly just happened. What I got was the Farouk morphed David’s sister into Lenny, but then why does she have Lenny’s memories. And really has her everything except the sister’s eyes?
You can download Legion on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: I tried to be vague in my critic of the new season in my preview on account that Hulu forbid me from mentioning that June was recaptured in episode three. But that was kind of a big letdown. Is season two just going to be a retread of season one? But even before the capture, this was least interesting episode in the series to date. Really, the June scenes in the last episodes were mostly a bore too. Hopefully something big changes things soon, or at least give us more Rory Gilmore this season.
You can stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Survivor: Ghost Island: There are so many advantages in the game now that they are hiding real fake Immunity Idols now? Meh. But I do kind of like split Tribal twist. At least in theory. The two most likely to go home actually did. Sure there were almost fireworks, if only Donathan gave his Idol to the chick whose name I already forgotten. But she was kind of worthless. She goes to the jury and then had to have explained to her that someone had an extra vote advantage. Then we almost had some shenanigans in the other with everyone who could receive votes got one. But on the revote, Michael, the obvious one, was voted out unanimously.

So if only Michael voted for Laurel. That would have been wild. But what exactly was his play? Did he think Laurel was voting with him on Wendall and just hoped Kellyn flipped? And what is going on with Kellyn? She was the best thing about this season but has made to look really bad the last two weeks. First she tried to dictate a vote to Domanick last week, a big no-no on Survivor and this week she is big on Naviti sticking together even that just does not happen on this show in the past decade. And has not happened this season with already two Naviti on the jury and the first person voted out after the first swap was Naviti. I have a feeling Kellyn will be next.
You can download Survivor: Ghost Island on iTunes.

The Blacklist: So they took down the big bad last week and this week, Red sends the team on a wild goose chase which got Samar capture. So next week they have to find her. What a weird pacing for the last four episodes. But this whole season has been weirdly paced.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

The Americans: Oh snap, Philip just went after Elizabeth over killing the couple and straight up told her he was not going to entrap Kimmie. Though by the end he is willing to go to Chicago to help her. Something is going to go wrong next week. But one thing that has been bothering me about the travel business is isn’t their extra curricular activities funded by that? And wouldn’t the Russian funnel money through the business to keep them afloat?
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Krypton: Last week I wondered if Doomsday was a red herring or a Chekov’s Gun situation and then he appeared again in the “previously on” so I assumed it was the later. Except he was not shown in the actual episode or even mentioned. Are they just trolling us with that or did I just completely miss something? But I did like Adam Strange admitting he was a D-list superhero in his time. Very true.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Gotham: Well, I am sure Gordon survived that blast somehow because we know he will become commissioner eventually, but it is kind of silly, but there is no way that should be the case.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: Wait, Patterson’s father is Bill Nye playing himself? How random. And now that he has brought it up, what is Patterson’s first name.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Nothing says evil like going with a goatee. I do have a feeling going after that gravitonium in the Earth is what cracks it apart. Though I do wonder if Talbot is the real Destroyer of World why does Daisy get blamed for it in the future? But maybe the bigger question is why didn’t future Yo-Yo tell current Yo-Yo do not let Talbot near the gravitonium instead of telling her to do not save Coulson. How is Coulson more important than Talbot becoming Destroyer of Worlds?
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 5/4/2018

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 Castle Rock, The Affair, Lord Huron, Florence + the Machine, Snow Patrol, Donna Summer, Just Another Immigrant, Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller, Conan O’Brien, Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968, POV, Carriers at War, and The Forth Estate.

- Hulu announced that Castle Rock, the psychological-horror anthology series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, will premiere on July 25th with the first three episodes only on Hulu. Please see below for an exciting new teaser for the series.


- Showtime has released the official trailer for season four of the Golden Globe® Award winning drama series The Affair. The series, starring Golden Globe nominee Dominic West, Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson, Emmy® Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney and Screen Actors Guild Award® nominee Joshua Jackson, will premiere on Sunday, June 17 at 9:00.


- Lord Huron’s acclaimed new album, Vide Noir, debuts at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart this week, marking the band’s first top 10 effort. Vide Noir is out now on Whispering Pines/Republic Records and can be purchased here. Last night, the band performed the album's single, “Wait by the River,” on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Watch here. The new music continues to receive widespread critical praise.

- High As Hope, the hugely anticipated new album from Florence + the Machine, is set for release June 29 on Republic Records. The first official single, “Hunger,” also premieres today, accompanied by stunning new video directed by A.G. Rojas; watch it here.

- Snow Patrol premiered the song “What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get? via a world first play on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 program. Lowe called the song “deep and emotional” and you can listen to it here. In addition, the band concurrently debuted the cinematic and cathartic music video for the new song, which was directed by Brett Simon. Watch it here.

- On June 22, the day after the first day of Summer, Island Def Jam/UMe is set to celebrate the very best of the 1970s chart-topping output of Donna Summer, the undisputed Queen of Disco and The First Lady of Love, with her classic, No. 1 album, On The Radio: Greatest Hits I And II. This iconic 2-LP collection, first issued in 1979, features 16 of Summer’s sweetest hits of the Seventies; all tracks, as they appeared on the original 2-LP release, are “DJ-mixed” – they segue together – for maximum entertainment. This edition, issued on the heels of the Broadway debut of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, is presented for the first time on highly collectible pink swirl color vinyl.

- Showtime has announced the premiere of a new docu-comedy unscripted series centered around popular UK comedian Romesh Ranganathan, Just Another Immigrant. The 10-episode, half-hour series will air two episodes on Fridays beginning June 8 at 9:00. Just Another Immigrant is a comedic docuseries that follows Romesh Ranganathan, one of the most popular stand-ups in the UK, as he uproots his entire family – his supportive wife, their three kids, his Sri Lankan mother and his eccentric uncle – and immigrates to the U.S. Displaced in Los Angeles, Ranganathan attempts to find success and happiness, while rebuilding a life from scratch. In addition to his efforts to adapt, he has committed himself to booking a U.S. gig – the 6,000-seat Greek Theater – with only three months to sell it out. The series chronicles the true-life adventures of this modern immigrant family and the obstacles of making it in today’s America.

- Prolific combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo and his lifelong battle with mental illness are the subject of a new documentary film from Showtime Sports®. Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller – named for the moniker Ranallo gave himself as a broadcast personality and DJ in the early 90’s – will premiere on Showtime during Mental Health Awareness Month on Friday, May 25 at 9:00.

- Turner’s TBS and Conan O’Brien today announced an expanded partnership spanning television, digital, social and live events that will enable the late night icon to capitalize and interact with his multi-generational fan base across platforms. After 25 years on television and having amassed a deeply passionate and engaged fan base through the nightly show, travel specials, digital content, live events and fan interactions, Team Coco and TBS will take Conan’s enduring brand of comedy to his fans wherever they are. The expansion of Team Coco will be advanced by Billy Parks who has been named to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer for the joint venture. The longest tenured host in late night television will continue to evolve and reinvent the genre with major shifts to both his late night show and the creation and expansion of a joint Team Coco enterprise with TBS. Conan will continue to air four nights a week on TBS, and in 2019 will unveil a new, less structured 30-minute format that will have guests and a variety of segments drawn from the newly expanded Team Coco portfolio.

- Few years in American history have been as pivotal and transformative as 1968. Fifty years later, Smithsonian Channel delves deep into the Smithsonian Institution’s vaults to relive a year that saw breathtaking change, violent tragedy and heroic sacrifice in Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968. What are some of the significant objects that the Smithsonian decided were worth saving to capture the essence of those turbulent times? Personal stories and curator insights bear witness to a remarkable year that shaped the country, highlighting more than a dozen key objects from across the Smithsonian Institution’s collections. Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968 premieres Monday, May 7 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- For his debut documentary, Quest, director Jonathan Olshefski spent nearly a decade chronicling the daily triumphs and tragedies of the Raineys, a working class African-American family in North Philadelphia. Quest has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, June 18, 2018, at 10:00. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 31st season.

- Today’s U.S. Navy faces very different challenges than its Cold War era counterpart. Conflicts are smaller and more regional. Terrorism impacts not only our allies’ sovereignty, but also the security of the United States. A new four-part series offers unique access to America’s elite fleet of mighty aircraft carriers as they engage in real-world action – giving viewers an intimate look at how the U.S. Navy maintains, operates and deploys to troubled spots around the globe. The series also unveils the newest generation of American supercarrier, designed to revolutionize naval warfare. Carriers at War premieres Sunday, May 20 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel as a part of its Memorial Day programming.

- Academy Award® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed the original theme music for the highly anticipated new Showtime documentary series The Forth Estate, directed and produced by Emmy®-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?). This marks the second time the duo have created music for Showtime programming, having appeared in the 18-part limited event series Twin Peaks performing the original song “She’s Gone Away," which is featured on their 2016 album Not the Actual Events.