Man, we have lost some all-timers recently. Just in the last two years we have lost Davis Bowie, Glen Frey, Prince, George Michael, Chuck Berry, and most recently Tom Petty. All at some point could be considered the biggest artist in the world. Michael is an interesting case because it is very rare for an artist to go from teen idol to a critically acclaimed all timer. It is basically him and The Beatles. But on the flipside, fewer one time biggest act in the world fell faster and harder out of public consciousness.
George Michael: Freedom is a film the singer was finishing at the time of his death last Christmas. But after his death there was no epilogue added mourning his death, just an introduction by Kate Moss explaining the circumstance of how the documentary was being made. George is the director and narrator for better or worse. Obviously when you have the subject so deeply involved you get the most accurate account, but then the subject can also gloss over event that an objective filmmaker knows is important.
First off, Wham! gets a very short shrift. Michael goes solo within ten minutes of the film (and that even includes credits and his early life) and Andrew Ridgeley is not even interviewed. Also George’s most infamous moment is not discussed. The only time the bathroom incident is even referred to was showing the Outside music video and an Extras cameo when George says, he is doing community service, but ”not for that incident.”
Even then, this still an intimate look at a guy who once refused to appear in his own music videos or really do much promotion of his music starting in the nineties. There is plenty of time devoted to his secret boyfriend who died of AIDS and was the inspiration of much of Older. There are also plenty of interviews from his influences (Stevie Wonder was shocked to learn he was white), contemporaries (Elton John, in true Elton John fashion is pissed he was not playing the piano on Freedom ’90), people he influences (unfortunately Liam Gallagher did not come with subtitles), and all the supermodels in the Freedom ’90 music video (one of which admits to throwing eggs at him when Wham! opened for Culture Club in their pre-fame days).
George Michael: Freedom may not be the bit of filmmaking ever which can be expected when it is being helmed by the singer and not an actual filmmaker. But he wisely picked plenty of good storytellers who sell his life and times well. My favorite parts are when they just drop the pin on the record and have the talking heads listen and comment on certain songs. This is a devise that should be used by all future music documentaries.
George Michael: Freedom premieres Saturday at 9:00 on Showtime.
I wrote off the first season of Freakish as a simple and cheap The Walking Dead rip-off for teenagers. It even had one of the members of The Walking Dead as the gym teacher until he was turned into a zombie like creature (granted more 28 Days Later than Walking Dead) because apparently there is a strict no one old enough to buy alcohol limit on the show. But the thing is, while watching the first couple episodes of season two; I started to realize I may actually be enjoying the show.
Where the first season felt very insular, the show never left the school grounds or introduced anyone who was not part of the initial detention group besides one person, the second season really opens up as it slowly starts going outside the walls of the school while the mystery and twist come fast. And they are much more interesting than the obligatory cliffhangers at the end of each episode in season one.
We even get to meet many different groups of people, some friendly, some not, and some yet to be determined and these additions are much better actors than the novices cast in season one. Well, they are mostly better actors and Jake Busy. Has that guy even worked since Shasta McNasty? (A scroll of his IMDB, oh my, he actually has been steadily working with 100 credits to his name. Sure less than ten I even recognize and most of those are one and done episodes on television shows, although I may have to check out Nazi at the Center of the Earth staring another what have they been up to since the nineties star, Dominique Swain who apparently has also steadily been working though the last thing on her IDMB I actually recognized was Alpha Dog in 2006. But again Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre may be worth checking out.)
The new season starts off letting us know where exactly LaShawn went after looking for help when their water supply got shot off and runs into the military that may not be that interesting in finding and helping survivors. Later in the season, a search supplies leads to a group holed up, some of whom are more than what they seem while another has a past with one of the original survivor. Then there is a mysterious third group. Oh yeah, and there is a new person who can walk outside without turning into a freak and has some weird thing on the back of his neck. In season two, Freakish finally has found its groove and if it can actually give competent answers to what is going on, it could turn into something worth talking about.
Miley Cyrus is completely unbearable, and it turns out Jennifer Hudson turned out to be much better okay, I did like the nasty look she shot Adam when he turned for a soul singer before her). Add to that the Adam / Blake bromance was old ten seasons ago. So I knew pretty early I was not going to watch the episodes as aired and just watch the YouTube clips of the singing then skip to the end to see what team they join. No overly sappy sob stories (although I may have to go back and see what is up with the balding white dude who sang Maxwell whom you could have convinced me was a member of Steely SDan), no annoying coach banter. But unfortunately there is nothing else on at 8:30 on Tuesday so I would catch the end of those episodes. What really struck me about that last episode was how they kept talking about Miley making “herstory” with the very first all-female team.
Um, why is that something to promote? That just seems extremely sexist to me. Though I am not entirely sure who is to blame. Guys have been very hesitant to join female coaches since the start, I doubt any female coach has had a majority male ever. But then I wonder, at what point did Miley stop turning around for guys so she could have an all-female team? It also makes me wonder if she will try to Steal any boys in the next two rounds or will be taking girls all the way through.
Okay, so I spend a lot of time in the intro complaining about how annoying (and kind of sexist) Miley was, but she did put together a pretty good team, same with Jennifer who notched three of the top four. But let’s add things up to see who has the strongest team.
Miley – 382
Jennifer – 310
Adam – 241
Blake – 232
Yep, the ladies are far ahead. I think the problem is that the two guys who have been o the show so long they know who gets votes (boring, mostly white dudes) and gear their team that way. Well at least Blake will mix things up with a few left of center contestants in the Live Shows but Adam goes full pander as the series goes on. Much was made by Miley’s all female team, but Adam only has three and I would not be surprised if none make the Knockouts let along the Live Show. But who cares what I think, what were people buying. Though I feel bad for people who were on the second week because Tom Petty just died and I believe by Tuesday, he had about fifty of the top 200 hundred songs.
1. Ashland Craft (104)
2. Brooke Simpson (127)
3. Jon Mero (184)
4. Karli Webster (187)
5. Addison Agen (207)
6. Michael Kight (210)
7. Anthony Alexander (241)
8. Dave Crosby (241)
9. Ignatious Carmouche (269)
10. Gary Carpentier (272)
11. Noah Mac (317)
12. Moriah Formica (332)
13. Davon Fleming (342)
14. Chris Weaver (349)
15. Natalie Stovall (416)
16. Dylan Gerard (442)
17. Emily Luther (475)
18. Esera Tuaolo (501)
19. Adam Cunningham (549)
20. Whitney Fenimore (553)
21. Chloe Kohanski (563)
22. Ilianna Viramontes (626)
23. Brandon Brown (690)
24. Mitchell Lee (703)
25. Lucas Holliday (706)
26. Jeremiah Miller (821)
27. Hannah Mrozak (866)
28. Megan Rose (885)
29. Keisha Renee (897)
30. Anna Catherine DeHart (1297)
31. Dennis Drummond (1302)
32. Rebecca Brunner (1303)
33. Red Marlow (1369)
34. Ryan Scripps (1379)
A surprisingly good showing by montage victims, half of them actually charted. Should I know who Natalie Stovall is? That is really high for someone who was montaged. Although there were eleven who were not montaged that failed to be one of the 1500 most downloaded song. Sure five could blame Tom Petty, still mostly sad. But let’s see who iTunes downloaders think is the strongest team:
Adam – 213
Miley – 185
Blake – 109
Jennifer 88
Adam really is iTunes magic, I thought his team was pretty weak this year, but being a team of mostly boring white dudes really helps. And he only had two people who did not chart. And though they may not have charted very high, Blake had all but one chart. Then look at newbie Jennifer who over half her team did not chart at all.
Time for predictions. This used to be really easy because they would basically tell you who would make the Live Shows by who they focus on during the Best of the Blinds episode, except there was none this year. Cannot pull This Is Us off the schedule to air a recap show. Suprising they did not pull The Blacklist instead. Oh well, they did give out the Battle pairings so here is who I think will win (they are listed first) in order with how confident I am I right.
Team Adam
Dave Crosby vs. Dylan Gerard
Emily Luther vs. Gary Carpentier
Jon Mero vs. Brandon Brown
Brandon Showell vs. Hannah Mrozak
Anthony Alexander v. Michael Night (Steal)
Whitney Fenimore vs. Adam Pearce (Steal)
Team Blake
Krista Hoopes vs. Anna Catherine DeHart
Adam Cunningham vs. Natalie Stovall
Mitchell Lee vs. Dennis Drummond (Steal)
Esera Tuaolo vs. Rebecca Brunner
Ryan Scripps vs. Red Marlow
Keisha Renee vs. Noah Mac (Steal)
Team Jennifer
Ignatious Carmouche vs. Eric Lyn
Shi’ann Jones vs. Stephan Marcellus
Chris Weaver vs. Kathrina Feigh (Steal)
Jereremiah Miller vs. Alexandra Joyce
Lucas Holliday vs Meagan McNeal (Steal)
Davon Fleming vs. Maharasyi
Team Miley
Ashland Craft vs. Megan Rose (Steal)
Brooke Simpson vs Sophia Bollman
Janice Freeman vs. Katrina Rose
Chloe Kohanski vs. Ilianna Viramontes
Moriah Formica vs. Shilo Gold
Karli Webster vs. Addison Agen (Steal)
Ray Donovan: Wait, what just happened? It look like there were strangle marks on Natalie’s neck. But was she resting or just dead? If it was the former, then obviously she killed her husband by throwing him off the balcony. But I am guessing it was the latter and he raped her one last time and then jumped off the balcony. That could explain why he left the dog at the bar knowing he would not be around to take care of him. And I was just thinking, why was she opening the door for Terry, she did not know who that was. And she definitely should nor opened up the door to her husband.
Episodes: I always thought behind the scenes of The Box was much more interesting than trying to create a new show and I really want to know what was up with all the Nazi’s in the hot chick’s box. It if seem obvious that the new show would end up being the one we were watching, but I was a bit disappointed that the hitman show that Matt left was not her real crappy CBS sitcom instead, now that would have been funny.
Supergirl: I was so happy when Mon-El got sucked into the black hole never to be seen again because he could not breathe Earth’s air for hundreds of years. And then he shows up in the first forking scene of the season. Ugg, I hate that guy. And maybe one of the few things as annoying as Mon-El being on the show is Kara moping around when he is not around. And then the creature who was supposed to “reign” over Earth turned out to be a hot mom. What?!?
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.
The Gifted: Nothing improves a show more than a women’s prison shower scene. Though I have no idea why there was dye running down Polaris’s back, I do not think that was just hair dye.
You can download The Gifted on iTunes.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: Interesting the power players were willing to go big but not for the second vote. And I get CT, but the guy has only one once ever. Know who has numerous wins and is still in the game: Johnny Bananas. That should have been the pick. CT is a smoker who always gets gassed in the final challenge while Johnny trains for this during the off season. And poor Jenna pulling the Double Cross because clearly whoever was going in against Jemmye was going to win. There was a four foot distance to the first door and yet Camilla was already through by the time Jemmye got there.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: Usually I live tweet along with the episode, but as credits ran, I realized I had just one comment all show, and even that was just asking the internet just which celebrity does Ali assist (spoiler alert: it is just some YouTube). Needless to say the episode was extremely boring. But at least they got rid of the annoying guy even if it were a week too late.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunesr.
Mr. Robot: I was wondering why the show opened up with some weird Bobby Canivale looking dude, only for his name to show up in the credits. Alrighty. After being confused for much of last season, I think I am starting to understand what is going. The Dark Army and White Rose orchestrated everything we have seen up to now, being in cahoots with the Mr. Robot side of Elliott and recruiting Angela to monitor the Elliot side of him. Though I am still not entirely sure how Tyrell fits in to this. Has he been a mole this whole time? Did they recruit him while he was with E-Corp? I am still not entirely sure if he is even real. But one thing I am actually almost sure of is they spoiled the ending of the show during the premiere. Time forking travel. When Angela told Eliot they could go back to before their families were killed by E-Corp, I realized that is how the series is going to end. Was that big cavernous place that White Rose was in before the main credits ran a time machine? Maybe.
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.
Gotham: I said that Gordon was going to hook up with Falcone just in time for Leigh to return. Let us see if that happens next week. And more rapping riddles please.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.
Once Upon a Time: Wait, the Hook we saw last week was not even the real Hook? This show is so stupid. And really, to too most evil bad guys in fairy tale land just both happen to be good cops in the new cure. Seriously, really stupid.
You can download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.
Marvel’s Inhumans: Well at last this week they finally explained who the transporting dog put everyone in different places. Other than that, meh. Marvel's Inhumans on iTunes.
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 SMILF, Castle Rock, Scared Famous, Shut Eye, Street Science, Marvel’s Runaways, I Love You, America, and Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film.
- Showtime has released the trailer for the upcoming comedy series SMILF, created, starring and executive produced by Frankie Shaw and based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name. Shaw also wrote the pilot. The new eight-episode, half-hour SHOWTIME comedy is a raw, honest look at the life of a 20-something single mom from quadruple threat Shaw. SMILF will premiere on Sunday, November 5 at 10:00, following the 9:00 season eight premiere of the Showtime hit series Shameless.
- A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King's best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. The series stars André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Sissy Spacek, Billy Skarsgård, Jane Levy and Scott Glenn.
- VH1’s new competition series Scared Famous, featuring Redman as the “Master of Scare-a-Monies,” premieres Monday, October 23rd at 9:00. Please click to see the supertrailer…if you dare.
- Check out the official teaser trailer for Hulu's upcoming second season of Shut Eye starring Jeffrey Donovan, KaDee Strickland, Isabella Rossellini and Angus Sampson. All episodes premiere Wednesday, Dec. 6 only on Hulu.
- Kevin Delaney, known to millions as the science expert on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, is back to build, execute, and nail the science behind larger-than-life experiments when a new season of Science Channel’s Street Science returns. Combining scientific method with humor and curiosity, Kevin brings mind-blowing experiments out of the lab and onto the streets to show how relevant science is to our everyday lives. The second season of Street Science, comprised of 14 half-hour episodes, begins on Wednesday, November 15 at 10:00.
- Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe – their parents. The 10-episode series premieres Tuesday, November 21st.
- From inciting treason to telling poop jokes, Sarah Silverman has created her fair share of online chatter. With I Love You, America, she's looking to connect with people who may not agree with her personal opinions through honesty, humor,genuine interest in others, and not taking herself too seriously. While it's great to connect with like-minded people, Silverman feels it's crucial, now more than ever, to connect with un-like-minded people. I Love You, America comes to Hulu from Funny or Die and is executive produced by Sarah Silverman, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Amy Zvi, Gavin Purcell and Joe Farrell.
- niversal Music Enterprises is set to release, for the first time, a double-vinyl LP edition of Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film, the 2001 soundtrack which accompanied the release of his acclaimed motion picture on October 6th. In addition to its standard black-vinyl release, the anniversary LP will also be released in a limited colored-vinyl edition that will be available exclusively through the online retailer, uDiscover.
One quote about television that has really stuck with me was an interview with the creators of Homeland when asked about why they packed five to ten season finale type reveals into the first season and they said (and I am probably poorly paraphrasing) audiences are too smart these days, you can no longer shock them with what happens, you can only shock them with when you do them. And that is true with most shows these days which you can tell exactly what is going to happen in the season finale from what happens in the season premiere.
One of the rare exceptions was the first season of Good Behavior. I remember really liking the first episode but did not care for what I thought was going to be the set up for the rest of the season. Except they wrapped that up storyline in two episodes and kept playing with my expectations and surprising me with where the plot was going all the way to the finale which saw Letty sell out Javier to get her child back and then double-cross the FBI and leave town with her son and Javier.
As exhilarating the first season was, I have to admit that I was not as entertained with the first couple episodes of season two. Of course suburban bliss is never that entertaining even if both Javier and Letty quickly go back to old habits with varying results. Really the only thing that kept me away in those first two episodes was the presence of a nosy neighbor and the occasional appearance of Letty’s step-father who stole every season. Then Letty shows up for Christmas in the third episode and things get interesting.
Obviously I cannot say what happens but it may be the biggest twist to date. Granted the twist in episode four kind of dampens my enthusiasm. But still, much like the first season which may not have been perfect, I am still very intrigued to see when the rest of the season goes.
Saturday Night Live really needed Jay Pharoah. The late night show which relayed more and more heavily on political sketches as the show aged, had one lone black man at the time, and let’s say Kennan Thompson had a hamburger or a hundred too many to play Barack Obama, instead for three years Venezuelan/German/Korean actor Fred Armisen. And really, the best presidential sketch of his tenure was The Rock Obama when the Polynesian/Black wrestler took turns pretending to be the Commander in Chief. Pharaoh’s Obama actually looked and sounded like the president even though it took two years being in the cast to take over the role.
But the thing is, other than that, it is hard to think of another Pharoah sketch. Um, there were those horrible middle school dances where he played the principle. So when Barack got the boot, so did Jay. Though there are not many of them, black SNL cast members go into categories, the eventual superstars (Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock) and the ones who stay so long because they know there is nowhere else out there for them but bit roles (both Tim Meadows and Keanan Thompson have been in alumni monologue thanking them to come back for their triumphant hosting return only for the black guy sheepishly saying they are still in the cast).
For his first post-SNL gig, Pharoah teamed with another underutilized member of a sketch comedy show who himself who went into superstardom: Jamie Foxx who started on Fox’s In Living Color and was last seen on Fox’s Beat Shazam. The reason the game show was able to land an Oscar winner was because Foxx produced the show. Foxx is also the producer of White Famous based loosely on his life and makes a cameo in the premiere lampooning getting his start wearing dresses which his stand in Pharoah wants no part of.
The first episode is funny. Showtime has already released it so you can check it out at your lesure if you do not want to wait until it official airs this Sunday. Pharoah’s agent Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect) steals the show as an Indian Ari Gold doing whatever he can do to make Pharoah white famous even though the stand-up is content telling jokes on stage. Plus he want to stay close to his baby, and maybe even more so with his estranged baby mama Cleopatra Coleman (Step Up Revolution).
But as funny as that first episode is, I am a bit more dubious of the second episode when Michael Rapaport, who even managed to ruin my enjoyment of Justified, shows up as a director interested in casting. Future enjoyment of the show may hinge on just how long Rapaport sticks around. But at least Raylan Givins baby mama shows up in episode three as his agent's rival / former boss.
White Famous premieres Sunday at 10:00 on Showtime and moves to 10:30 November 5.
When HAIM released their last video I said they should never not dance in their music videos, though country line dancing was not really what I had in mind.
Killer llamas may have been more entertaining if it was not in super slow motion. And it was not until the end before I realize, didn’t Kanye West do this already but with a hot model and not farm animals? Is Fall Out Boy really parodying a decade old Kanye West video I barely remember?
There was no pre-ad roll before I watched this Lady Antebellum video on YouTube. I bring this up because about ten seconds in I was looking for the Skip This button because that opening was mostly boring. And really, the video’s plot did not make much sense. Unless it continues but I hate music videos that are to be continued.
Ray Donovan: Well that was harsh Abby, going without even telling your husband goodbye. I am not sure that was because it is easier and he could not talk him out of it or payback for all the infidelity (including the new hot actress while she was sick). And it seems weird to do long concluding flashback with four episodes left. Is there going to be more flashbacks because any more would seem anticlimactic now that Abby is dead and after that really graphic brawl. And they spent so much time with Abby in the flashbacks; it never really occurred to me that Avi also had a backstory to tell. So now we know why Avi was mostly missing for most of the season, he was back in New York arrested on heroin charges.
Lucifer: Wow, Superman got really old. But Lucifer has been redeemed? Alrighty. I am guessing the new bad guy will be his mom who did not stay in her new universe.
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.
The Gifted: In the ad before the show when they announced this show was part of The X-Men Cinematic Universe I thought, oh I have not seen the last couple movies. Days of Future Past being the last. But the problem with those films is they are all jumbled. The first three were linear, but then they did a Wolverine origin movie which was universally panned which I think is no longer cannon. Then they did two more Wolverine movies that took place in varying timelines. The First Class was in the eighties. Then Days of Future Past started in an alternative timeline flashbacked to the First Class timeline, and then created a new timeline… I think. So I have no idea where this show fits in. Making things worse is Blink is in both the movies and the television show but seem like two different entities. But I was mostly meh on the first episode, the main family cannot act besides the mother which is very distracting. But on the bright side, their powers are much less lame than those of the Inhumans.
You can download The Gifted on iTunes.
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World: This show was much better when it was called Joan of Arcadia. Put Kevin in a wheelchair and fing Amber Tamblyn and it may be watchable.
You can download Kevin (Probably) Saves the World on iTunes.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: Interesting that after springing returning players on them twice, TJ just confirmed the next batch is going to the Redemption House. Should be interesting who gets the boot next week with the winning team made up of mostly outcasts. Do they go big and target Johnny Bananas and CT or go more conservative and give Hunter the instant boot. As for females, Camilla seems like a lock to be one of the two picked, but who is the other? Again, do you go big with Cara Maria or target the newbie with Tori. I really hope they go with the bold moves but The Challenge players always seem conservative.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: Ugg, why do the most annoying players always find the Hidden Immunity Idols? I guess you have to be shady to actually go look for it. I am surprised no one has used the, “we should go look for it as a group” way around looking selfish going after it yourself. Although the financial analyst came up with an idea I would have never thought of: holding onto the Super Idol to see if she can use it to make people think she has a regular Idol.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunes.
The Good Place: Mmmm, Michael says he can get everyone to the real Good Place. Sound like a bluff to me but working with him would be better than going to the real Bad Place. But do they need Michael? If Janet can take them to the Medium Place, why can she not take them to Good Place? I just hope we get more of Real Eleanor’s fake Good Place next week. Really that could be the rest of the season as they work a way to get to the real Good Place.
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.
Gotham: Wait, is Jim really going to hook up with Falcone’s daughter? I have a feeling right when that is about to happen Leigh is going to show back up. Then Barbara and Ra’s Al Ghul? Interesting. They have been teasing Barbara as Harley Quinn for a while now, but maybe she is going to end up being Talia’s mother. Or they are just subbing in Ra’s for The Joker in Harley’s backstory.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.
Once Upon a Time: The show had gotten really bad in recent years, but somehow the hard reboot was worse. I do not even know where to start.
You can download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.
Marvel’s Inhumans: I complained about the cheesy powers last week (I still am not entirely sure what the princess’s powers are), but they finally introduced an Inhuman this week with cool powers. Sure those powers were the exact same as Cyclops from the X-Men. Marvel's Inhumans on iTunes.
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 Future Man, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Seal, Belly, new Hulu acquisitions, Ill Behaviour, Secrets of the Underground, No Bombings in Beirut, What on Earth?, Black Sabbath: The End of the End, Entre Nos: Part 1, and Let’s Make a Deal.
- Check out the official trailer for Hulu's upcoming comedy series Future Man starring Josh Hutcherson! All episodes premiere Tuesday, Nov. 14 only on Hulu. Thank you!
- In the last decade of a career that spanned half a century, Johnny Cash capped off his musical legend with a breathtaking final act, recording a series of raw, stripped-down albums with producer Rick Rubin. Those albums reestablished Cash as a vital artist, while adding a remarkable closing chapter to his incredible body of work. Available November 3, the Unearthed vinyl box features a pair of cloth-bound books housed in an LP-sized black cloth slipcase. One book holds the nine LPs, while the other is a gorgeous 60-page coffee table book that incorporates Sylvie Simmons' extensive liner notes, drawn from five days of interviews at Cash's home in Tennessee, as well as Cash and Rubin's comments on every song on the set, plus a copious selection of photographs from the recording sessions, including some of the last photos ever taken of Cash. Preorder Unearthed now.
- Elton John today announces the forthcoming release of ‘Diamonds.’ Released on November 10th through UMe, ‘Diamonds’ is the ultimate greatest hits collection from Elton John and will be available on 1CD, 2CD, 3CD limited edition boxset, 2LP heavy-weight gatefold vinyl and digital formats. Kicking off with the ever-stunning ‘Your Song,’ this definitive collection brings together all the landmark hits of one of the greatest song books of all time, including ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time),’ ‘Candle In The Wind,’ ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,’ ‘Sacrifice,’ ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight.’
- Today, British soul legend Seal releases new song “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” from upcoming album Standards available November 10 via Republic Records. An artist who’s been at the top of his game throughout his 30-year career, Seal’s 10th studio album breathes life into iconic hits, paying tribute to legends including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Listen to “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” HERE.
- 90's alt-rock group Belly are back - hitting the studio for the first time in more than twenty years for their third album, NameTBD. Through their exclusive PledgeMusic pre-order campaign, launching today, the beloved band is inviting fans to take part in their creative process with sneak peeks into the studio, limited-edition merchandise, special experiences, and much more. Fans can pre-order the album in digital, CD, or vinyl form now on Belly's campaign page. The leaders in direct-to-fan platforms, PledgeMusic allows artists to get more personal with their fans, offering pledgers behind-the-scenes content and items not available anywhere else.
- Hulu announced a new agreement with the Disney-ABC Television Group for the exclusive U.S. subscription video-on-demand rights to all episodes of iconic sitcoms Boy Meets World, Home Improvement and Dinosaurs. The deal will mark the long-awaited SVOD debut of the complete libraries of hit series Boy Meets World and Home Improvement. In addition, all episodes of fan favorite Dinosaurs, from The Jim Henson Company, will also become available to stream in SVOD exclusively on Hulu. All titles will begin streaming on Hulu September 29th. The series will join hundreds of episodes of previously announced hit shows from America’s favorite Friday night lineup from the 1990s on Hulu – including Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Perfect Strangers and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper – and the agreement will make Hulu the exclusive subscription streaming home to the largest collection of series from the original “TGIF” lineup with the addition of Boy Meets World and Dinosaurs. All series launch exclusively on the service beginning September 29th, just in time for the 30th Anniversary of Full House and the 25th Anniversary of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.
- Showtime has acquired the BBC series Ill Behaviour, a six-part comedy thriller about the boundaries of friendship and the lengths taken to preserve it. Starring Chris Geere (You’re the Worst), Lizzy Caplan (MASTERS OF SEX) and Tom Riley (DaVinci’s Demons), Ill Behaviour focuses on Joel (Geere) who uses any methods, conventional or otherwise, to save Charlie (Riley) when Charlie announces that he is abandoning chemotherapy treatment for his cancer. Written by Sam Bain (Peep Show) and directed by Steve Bendelack (Friday Night Dinner), Ill Behaviour makes its Showtime debut on Monday, November 13 at 10:30.
- Using cutting-edge technology to investigate and uncover the world’s most fascinating subterranean mysteries, the Science Channel series Secrets of the Underground, is set to return for a second season. Explorer, adventurer biologist and tech fanatic Rob Nelson and his new co-host, geophysicist Stefan Burns, will dig deep into some of the world’s most notorious underground legends including the long-rumored Nazi Gold Train, America’s Atlantis, the Lost Temple of Jerusalem, Nikola Tesla’s buried master plans, and more. The new season, featuring eight one-hour episodes, premieres Saturday, October 28 at 10:00.
- From the man who pioneered stand-up comedy in the Middle East, Nemr: No Bombings in Beirut is a unique comedy event like no other, premiering Saturday, October 7 at 11:00 on Showtime. Filmed both in Lebanon and in the United States, No Bombings in Beirut is an hour of uproarious comedy that will leave viewers inspired as they witness the refreshing reality of a world they were told never existed. Journeying from his early days in the U.S. to his later years in Lebanon, Nemr touches on childhood, family, relationships, religion, war and the power of perspective while being able to laugh at our shared experiences. As Nemr explains, “We are at our finest when our paths cross.”
- Thousands of satellites orbit Earth, capturing images of our planet in unprecedented detail and revealing areas that have, until now, remained a mystery. These images, used by platforms like Google Earth, have uncovered baffling new structures and phenomena, many of which defy explanation. Science Channel’s top rated series What on Earth? uses state-of-the-art imaging technology, expert analysis from leading scientists, and hands-on investigation to search for answers to these mysteries. What on Earth? returns for its fourth season on Tuesday, October 17th at 9:00.
- Showtime will air Black Sabbath: The End of the End, a film showcasing Black Sabbath’s final concert, making its world television premiere Saturday, October 28 at 9:00. Black Sabbath: The End of the End captures the farewell performance by the Grammy®-winning band’s Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler in their hometown of Birmingham, England on February 4 at the Genting Arena – the culmination of their 81-date sold-out “The End” world tour.
- Riding on the success of Entre Nos: Part 1, comedians Vladimir Caamaño, Frankie Quiñones and Shayla Rivera will take the stage in the 30-minute stand-up comedy show Entre Nos: Part 2 when it premieres on Friday, October 13th at 9:30 exclusively on HBO LATINO®. In the hilarious English-Language special, the three comedians are joined by host and comedian Ben Gonzalez at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre for a laugh-out-loud night of stand-up. Directed by Joke Yanes and Adolfo Nowake, Entre Nos: Part 2 will air across all of the channel’s platforms including HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand® and affiliate portals.
- GSN announced earlier it will celebrate the work of TV icon Monty Hall with a 6-hour marathon of Let’s Make a Deal on Sunday, October 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
The last time U2 walked around the city streets of an American city, I Still Havn’t Found What I’m Looking For in Las Vegas, that felt epic. Three decades later, walking around the streets of New York City just seems mostly boring.
Selfish Love – Jessie Ware
I really dig this song by Jessie Ware, it gives me a very early Sade vibe to it.
Should I know who Ellia Sophia or JD Wilkes is? She kind of looks like Lili Simmons while he looks like Cochran from Survivor. Otherwise I am not sure while either gets a “starring” credit in ta Dan Auerbach music video.
Lift – Radiohead
Lift is off Radiohead’s OK Computer rerelease and the video feels like something out of the ninties (right down to the rectangular screen.
Ray Donovan: Oh Darryl, you clearly are the dumbest Donovan. I take it Micky s going to put the body with the dead sensei in what may turn out to be Dexter situation. Those Donovan’s do like to take down west coast FBI heads. I wonder when they take on the overall head. Although I guess the current head is busy with the president doing illegal and crazy things. Then we got a big bombshell in the Abbie situation, she actually committed suicide because of the pain and for a brief second we were lead to believe Bridget provided the drugs, instead Terry admitted he was the one. And not surprisingly Ray punched him out.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: People falling from high heights is never not entertaining. But why were there so many shocked people at the end when we learn Nelson was not coming back. Dude punched Derek (and then bizarrely said check the tapes claiming Derrek approached him first which clearly did not happen). What I was shocked was TJ asking CT who he was picking to go into elimination. And then they ended the show before he answered. I hate when they do that. I do fear that they will go through the vote, maybe even the Double Cross before saying, “just kidding, no guy elimination because of Nelson.”
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: The Idol Train last season was one of the worst moments in the history of the show. Just not according to Jeff Probst who spent the summer telling people how much he loved it. He was either lying or all the criticism got to him because, yeah, we got an advantage right out the gate, but it was not the silly Legacy Advantage, it was a first Tribal only Super Idol. And if the finder does not go to the first Tribal, they can pass it to someone who does. When turtleneck nerd was safe, puking chick seemed obvious.
What was also obvious was with an ad right before Tribal, something big was going to happen. Whenever that occurs, someone quits, gets medically removed, or last season, the Zeke outing Tribal. Except puking chick ended up voted with the majority to get rid of who looked to be her only real ally. Either a stupid move or the editors did some very fishy editing to completely throw the viewer off the scent, something that happened way too many times last season too. Kind of an ominous start to the season for me.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunesr.
The Blacklist: Wait, to rebuild his evil empire, Red has employed two carneys? And why not take down the racist drug cartel and take their money? Or are they saving that for later in the season. But I have to admit, I like the bare bones version of Red’s operation. I hope it takes a while for him to rebuild his empire.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.
The Good Place: Please let us get a full episode of Real Eleanor’s version and not have it be just part of a montage like this week. If we are lucky, the rest of the season will be the foursome and Michael teaming up against the Real Eleanor. I was a little disappointed that the version with Eleanor’s soulmate being Tahani and a Golden Retriever were just part of the montage. Those could have been full episodes in themselves too.
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.
Gotham: I thought they were holding Barbara back last week because there was going to be some big return. Nope, it turns out after being electrocuted all she has been doing is stockpiling weapons and the only lasting change was a new unflattering hairstyle. I thought for sure she would rise like a phoenix out of the electrocution as something else, like Harley Quinn whom they have been teasing ever since Barbara was kidnapped a few seasons ago. Even more disappointing the lady villains would not let Poison Ivy play in their reindeer games; she was the most entertaining part of the second part of last season. Hopefully they find her something to do.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.
Marvel’s Inhumans: Very few things live up to the hype these days, and on the flip side, things tend not to be as bad as people say because they tend to just be piling on. Inhumans is one of the rare exceptions. Boy, was that a flaming pile of dog shirt. First off, the Royal Family has to have some of the lamest superpowers ever. The king can kill with his voice so he just does not talk. Instead he does a moron’s version of ASL. Then his wife, Medusa, can kill you with her hair which is a way too on the nose name. I guess it could be worse, since she had her hair cut off, they could have named her Samson. She has a hot sister, but they ruin her hair with weird symbols in it. I am not entirely sure what is up with her powers other than it looks like she can shoot something out of her fingers. More confusing was the Asian dude. He can turn back time? Then the head of the Royal Guard, who did not know his subordinates were part of a coup, just has hooves for feet. Even worse is the little brother who has nothing and is basically just Loki in a story we have seen before, done better with a bigger budget. Marvel was doing really well with their shows, SHIELD was improving, Daredevil and Luke Cage were solid, Jessica Jones was great, but since then Iron Fist was bad and Inhumans looks to be worth, and next month’s Runaways does not have a strong start either. Hopefully Squirrel Girl can save Marvel television shows. Marvel's Inhumans on iTunes.
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 Islands and the Whales, Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild, Drop the Mic, The Librarians, Hulu, Blood Ivory, Air Disasters, The President Is Missing, The Affair.
- The Faroe Islands are where the North Atlantic meets the Norwegian Sea, found on a map in a triangle between Iceland, the United Kingdom, and Norway. It is there, among the eighteen rocky and majestic islands formed by volcanoes and oceans, that this visually stunning and evocative documentary The Islands and the Whales takes place. And it is there that the global forces affecting whaling converge in dramatic fashion. The Islands and the Whales has its national broadcast premiere on the PBS documentary series POV (Point of View) next Monday, October 9, 2017 (check local listings). POV is American television's longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 30th season.
- Starting October 24, Tuesday nights on TBS will be fueled by hip-hop, comedy and culture with the reboot of a classic game show, Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild airing at 10:00. Immediately following, the new celebrity-led rap battle contest Drop the Mic, based on the wildly popular segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden, is hosted by Method Man and Hailey Baldwin and will premiere at 10:30.
- Season four of TNT's hugely popular fantasy series The Librarians is slated to launch with a two-episode premiere on a new night, Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 8:00. Based on TNT's hit movie franchise, The Librarians centers on an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth and John Harlan Kim star in the series as protectors of the world's mystical treasures, with Emmy® winner John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. Noah Wyle recurs in seven of twelve episodes this season as Flynn Carsen, the role he played in TNT's hit movie trilogy.
- Following a groundbreaking licensing agreement that marked the streaming debut of iconic series Will & Grace, Hulu and NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution today announced a new agreement that will make Hulu the exclusive SVOD home to all episodes of Emmy Award winning comedy series, 30 Rock, beginning October 1st, as well as add hundreds of episodes of shows for the whole family to Hulu. In addition to bringing the complete library of the critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning comedy series from creator and star Tina Fey - 30 Rock - to a new streaming home, the new deal includes a full suite of premium programming that will become available to stream on Hulu: Parenthood (early 2018), There's Johnny (new show with Tony Danza), Made in Chelsea (first 13 seasons later this year), and Face Off (first 10 seasons early 2018).
- iscovery’s Animal Planet and Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW), a U.S. nonprofit that employs U.S. Veterans to protect endangered wildlife teamed up for Blood Ivory, a historic and exciting documentary series that premiered Tuesday, September 12, 2017. VETPAW was founded in 2012 by Ryan Tate , a former post 9-11 Marine who saw what was happening to elephants and rhinos in Africa and realized that like himself, U.S. Veterans trained on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan in counter-insurgency warfare are remarkably well suited to re-purpose those skills in the battle to save African endangered species.
- When a plane crashes, the world is left wondering what happened. Amid the tragedy of lost life and confusion surrounding these catastrophic accidents, experts are there to determine what went wrong and how these disasters can be prevented in the future. Smithsonian Channel’s popular and long-running series Air Disasters follows the stories of these fatal crashes and the investigators on the scene who must search for the clues in the aircraft’s final descent. The premiere episode, Air Disasters: High Rise Catastrophe, airs Sunday, October 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.
- Showtime announced it has acquired the rights to adapt into a series The President Is Missing, based on the highly anticipated novel by President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson set to be published in 2018. In the book, President Clinton and Patterson tell the startling story of a sitting U.S. president’s disappearance, with the level of detail that only someone who has held the office can know – generating a powerful, one-of-a-kind thriller. Though fictional, the story brings to life the pressures and realities of the most important position in the world.
- Showtime announced that Sanaa Lathan (American Assassin, Shots Fired) will recur on the network’s Golden Globe®-winning drama series The Affair. Lathan will play Jenelle, the tough-as-nails principal of the charter school where Noah (Dominic West) teaches, who intrigues him. She’s got a lot to prove to her school's oppositional administration and faculty, who seem to fight her at every turn. The Affair will return for its fourth season on Showtime in 2018.
Two things that really stood out to this nineties child when giving a once over to the list of albums coming out this fall. First off we are getting dueling Gallagher albums! Okay, this would have been much more exciting if this were 1997 not 2017. And the other thing was an album being released by some guy named William Patrick Corgan. If you have not figured it out yet, that is Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan. Apparently he thought Deborah Gibsn's name change was not silly enough so he also added the middle name. In other ninties news, Beck is coming out with a fun album after his super depressing Album of the Year one, Wu-Tang Clan is back with an album anyone can buy, while U2 is also back to making people buying albums again. Oh, and Hootie of the Blowfish fame is still putting out country music while Primus is back with their original lineup since 1995. And of course Weezer is back with their bi-yearly release of disapointing tracks. In other artists you probably did not realize were still releasing music news, oh, hey, Barenaked Ladies, Boyz II Men, and Seal.
I spent so much time on the nineties because as usually I am mostly meh on current music. I have enjoyed what I have heard from the upcoming Jessie Ware album and Jillian Jaqcqueline and Carly Pearce are a breath of fresh air in country pop music along with Danielle Bradbery who put out a track I kind of like (though weird to release a song called Hello Summer on the first day of fall) but that is about it. I will give at least a Spotify stream to these albums. You can pre-order the albums by clicking the album title or go to their iTunes page by clicking on the artists name.
In a measure of full disclosure, I tend to check out of The Voice when it goes Live because most of my favorites from the Blind Auditions are gone by then. So I have not seen every single Live Show performance, it may not even be twenty - five percent. I just tend to watch the few singers I like via YouTube. And here are my fifty favorite.
Season 1 – 3
Season 2 – 5
Season 3 – 8
Season 4 - 5
Season 5 - 8
Season 6 – 2
Season 7 - 1
Season 8 - 3
Season 9 - 10
Season 10 - 4
Season 11 – 0
Season 12 – 1
Performances by Coach
Blake - 17
Adam – 12
Pharrell - 7
Cee-Lo – 6
Christina – 4
Shakira - 3
Gwen – 1
Usher – 0
Alicia - 0
Miley – 0
And since I have gone through all the rounds, here is the ranking if you add up all four Best of rounds:
Performances by Season:
Season 1 – 7
Season 2 – 19
Season 3 – 22
Season 4 – 21
Season 5 – 23
Season 6 – 8
Season 7 – 3
Season 8 – 14
Season 9 – 23
Season 10 – 8
Season 11 – 0
Season 12 – 1
Performances of Coach:
Blake – 41
Adam – 34
Pharrell - 21
Christina – 19
Cee-Lo – 18
Shakira - 7
Usher – 6
Gwen – 4
Alicia – 0
Miley - 0
