I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXIX

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Power - Kanye West



Do not call this a music video, it ia living portrait. Alrighty, I am not sure that it awesome, or just the most pretentious move ever. Probably both. Hopefully Kanye West doesn’t use the same delivery style throughout his next album because it reminds me of the voice Eminem used during Relapse which was so annoying, Em disavowed it. It is alright for a song or two, but I have no desire to hear and hour’s worth of it.


Love the Way You Lie - Eminem & Rihanna



Speaking of Eminem, he has a new video of his own and you know it is serious because it has big name actors in it. Granted it is hard to take anything serious when Megan Fox is involved because she cannot act, and really can only come close to pulling something off when she is portraying a hooker or succubus.


What Part of Forever – Cee Lo



When his former partner is going the pretentious route by casting the chick from Mad Men in a sci-fi video, Cee Lo is stuck slumming it with vampires on the Twilight soundtrack. Maybe he should have stuck with Gnarls Barkley.


Cold War - Janelle Monae



You may remember Janelle Monae as the house band for this year’s ESPY Awards and here is a super simple video to her latest song reminiscent of Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2U performance.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLII

Quote of the Week: If you see your balls, pick ‘em up. When I get back I’ll staple them back on you. (Needles, Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: Goodbye – Steve Earl (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: MTV Video Music Awards Announced: Remember when the VMA’s were a cultural landmark, now, like most people that watch during the MTV heyday, I do not care. I haven’t even seen half nominated videos or even heard the songs. The only nominations of note are Broken Bells up for Best New Artist, though both James Mercer and Danger Mouse put out music for most of last decade, and Tighten Up - The Black Keys for Breakthrough Video, granted I do not remember anything groundbreaking about Tighten Up and both videos are better than anything in the Best Video category, but it is hard to complained because the VMA’s lost credibility about five years ago.

Leverage: Nice light fair after last week’s heavy political episode and Turner was nice enough to give Bill Engvall some work after canceling his show. I wonder if the network is regretting that decision after the daughter on the show has become a much buzzed about actress for her performance in Winter Bone and being cast in the X-Man reboot. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rubicon: I am always up for a good conspiracy theory and it is too soon to tell if this is one yet. It is moving a little too slow for my taste so far. You can stream recent episodes on AMC.com. You can also download Rubicon on iTunes.

Rescue Me: There have been some very bizarre moments throughout the history of the show, but handcuffing your daughter in church to baptize her ranks very high near the top. And it is strange that Lou broke out of the hospital and no one there seems to care. I really do not think that storyline is going to end well for him. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Covert Affairs: Let me put out my prediction of who I think the leak is: the chick from Invasion. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Covert Affairs on iTunes.

Also check out my season wrap up of Friday Night Lights.



Free Download of the Week: For The Summer - Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: Over 1000 Albums for $5 Each (Huey Lewis and the News, A Tribe Called Quest, KT Tunstall, The Like)



Video of the Week: Two years ago there was a Stand Up 2 Cancer special that aired on all the major networks (except Fox who for some reason had something else to air) and there will be another one coming up September 10 at 8:00 on many networks (this time Fox is included). Here is a PSA featuring Kristen Bell (in a bathtub), Zach Levi, Olivia Munn, Clark Duke, Aubrey Plaza, Vanessa Hudgens and more to bring awareeness to the cause..

SU2C: Change The Odds PSA


Next Week Pick of the Week: Pretty Little Liars, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family: Pretty Little Liars really didn’t catch my interest enough to actually write about it that often, but it has intrigued me enough during the summer doldrums to tune to find out who A is. My prediction: Aria (her name does start with A).

So What Is it Like to Be the Guy who Used to Be Tim Riggins

There is no better line that sums up season four of Friday Night Lights than, “What’s it like to be the guy who used to be Tim Riggins?” All the returning cast members seemed to be shells of their former selves (with the exception of Tami Taylor who looks will be making her downgrade next season). Tim was an all too familiar site in Texas high school football, they guy who peaks in high school and can’t seem to find his way without it.

Along those lines, Matt Saresen also stays in town only to get mocked by the guy who took his spot on the team when delivering pizza. While their former coach gets forced out of his cushy job of a perennial State contender to the other side of the tracks where he can barely field a team. And the only white students that end up in East Dillon just happen to be Landry Clarke and Julie Taylor, but all their friends graduated anyways.

With all the grand sendoffs over the last two seasons; Jason Street moves closer to his kid, Smash Williams gets a scholarship to play football, Tyra Collette emotional acceptance into UT (yet doesn’t even warrant a mention at her absence at Thanksgiving), Matt riding off into the sunset after the death of his father; it is striking how Tim gets his send off, walking into the sheriff’s office to take full responsibility for the chop shop, so his brother can stay on the outside and raise his boy.

Where most shows are not even able to integrate one new character into a show, Friday Night Lights managed to do just that with three new faces in Dillon. Becky Spoles started out as comedic foil with a sharp tongue to jab Tim Riggins at every turn. But the more we learned about her, the mother who isn’t there enough to the dad who isn’t ever there to her scenes with Tami, she brought the emotional weight I just was not expecting at the beginning of the season. Here’s hoping, even with Riggins in prison, she is brought back next season with something to do, and with Tami taking a councilor gig over at East Dillon, it shouldn’t be too hard to do.

On the field, there was Vince Howard, a boy on his last strike, given his last chance at life in exchange for playing football in the newly resurrected Lions. But Vince had a good reason to turn his life to crime, to support his mother who cannot support herself due to her drug habit. It was emotionally wrecking to watch him try to balance his former life of crime, his mother’s struggle with sobriety, being the guy that Coach expects him to be, as well as being the guy that his childhood friend Jess Merriweather can date. That is a lot of weight to put on the shoulders of a high school student and Vince was almost able to pull it all off.

Jess herself seemed to start off as a throwaway character, just an object of Vince and Landry’s affection. But she had her own demons to exercise in the form of her father; a former Lions star that no longer can even watch the game, not even his boys’ peewee games no matter how much Jess tries to persuade him but eventually finds himself rooting for the Lions and his boys with the help of Jess and Coach.

With everyone taken down a notch in the early episodes, redemption was a big theme of the season, most notably that of Coach Taylor. Just two seasons removed from winning a state champion, Taylor is pushed out by a wealthy booster and resigned to take the job at the newly opened East Dillon because the last time he took a job away from his family didn’t work out very well. The transition took him from coaching future college players to former convicts and the road was a bumpy one.

Just yelling “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts…” was not going to work and it took a couple weeks for Coach to realize this. But slowly he won people over, from couple coaches, to Buddy Garrity (who hilariously got the Lions games broadcasted on a Spanish language radio station) to finally the players themselves as coach himself learned that he could not put these players into his system, but to create a new system around them, managing to win a couple games, and the big win against West Dillon (with the Dillon mayor on the Panther’s sideline) with what may have been the first ever game winning field goal in the history of Hollywood created football games. But Landry needed some redemption of his own.

Friday Night Lights gets a on my Terror Alert Scale. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Friday Night Lights on iTunes.

Around the Tubes vol. LXI

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 And Man Created Dog, My Child Is a Monkey, Eldebrock, Shaquille O’Neil, Pretty Little Liars, and True Blood.

- If you ever wonder how dogs became man’s best friend and went from wolves to the most diverse species on the planet will want to check out the very detailed explanation given by the National Geographic Channel on the special this Sunday at 9:00 called And Man Created Dog. Below is a clip:

The Start of the Domestic Dog


- For those that prefer monkeys over canines may instead want to watch My Child Is a Monkey on Nat Geo Wild tonight at 9:00. Here is a preview:



- For fans of Nickelback, Three Days Grace and Theory of a Deadman, you will want to check out new band Eldebrock. Their single Release Me is out on iTunes now and their self titled debute is out September 15. The band created the campaign, World War on Cancer, and will commit $1 per album (.10 cents per song sold) to support the UICC’s (International Union Against Cancer) fight against cancer.

- No athlete has exploited social media more than Shaquille O’Neil (who recently went to his Twitter page to challenge Jim Rome to a boxing match after Rome criticized Shaq on his show) and here is an interview of his on FastCompany.com about the subject of social media.

- Others on the Twitter is Marlene King, executive producer of Pretty Little Liars will be participating on a Tweet-Chat next Tuesday at 7:00 right before the mid-season finale. Follow @ABCFamily, @ABCFpll, and use the hashtag #PLLchat to join the chat.

- New episode of True Blood this Sunday at 9:00 on HBO. Here is a preview:

The Most Anticipated Films of the Next Year

Last week’s Comic Con got me thinking of which movies I am most looking forward to and so I came up with this list. I did limit the list to movies with a release date within the next year (sorry Avengers, though it may not have made the list anyway because I have been more of a DC Comics guy, which begs the question, whatever happened to the Justice League movie). Here are the top ten I am most looking forward to (note release dates are subject to change).

10. Everything You’ve Got (December 17): I really do not know anything about this movie other than it reteams Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd. It’s only been twelve years since Overnight Delivery (everyone remembers that movie right?).

9. Green Hornet (January 14): Seth Rogan really would not be my first choice for any superhero, but let’s face it, Kato was always the star of the show anyway. And Michel Gondry (all the great White Stripes videos) directs.

8. Machete (September 3): The first two Grindhouse movies were cheesy, low-budget fun so expect much of the same from this one.

7. Let Me In (October 1): This isn’t you younger sister’s lame vampire flick. I have yet seem the Swedish movie this is based on due to my dislike of reading (though Let the Right One In is a much cooler title), but the critics raved about it and this version stars Hit Girl as the fanged one that requests the title phrase.

6. Easy A (September 17): Let’s go ahead and file this one under guilty pleasure already.



5. It’s Kind of a Funny Story (September 24): For those that jumped on the Zach Galifinakas bandwagon after The Hangover might be disappointed by this film (if so, wait for Due Date), but being a fan dating back to his VH1 show, I am much more excited about this that an overhyped blockbuster. Though Emma Robert’s hair looks way too good to be a mental patient (but not as egregious as Mila Kunis in The Book of Eli whose hair looked immaculate despite the lack of conditioner for most of her life).



4. Thor (May 6): As previously mentioned I do not care too much with the Marvel lineup of comic book heroes, but I was a fan of Adventures in Babysitters and the little girl (whatever happened to her?) was obsessed with Thor. Plus Natalie Portman returns to nerdom for the first time since Star Wars ended.

3. You Again (September 24): Sign me up for anything Kristen Bell does, no matter how cheesy it looks. And as an added bonus, Betty White, Kristin Chenowith and Victor Garber also star.



Sucker Punch (March 25): Hot chicks with guns in a mental hospital during the fifties? How exactly is this not number one? Oh yeah…



Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (August 13): Every once in a very rare while does something come out that you feel was written specifically for you. For me that has only happened twice: High Fidelity and Wonderfalls. From the look of the trailers, this movie may be the third.

Previewing Dark Blue 2.x

As the name may suggest, Dark Blue aims for the darker underbelly of police work. Where other cop shows of its ilk like to also play up the glitzier parts of cities like Las Vegas, Miami and New York City, Dark Blue stays on the grittier side of the tracks of Los Angeles for better or worse because even on basic cable, they still cannot cross that preverbal line that stories on the big screen can.

Season two opens up with a new player in town, Tricia Helfer (Canada’s Next Top Model) as a FBI Agent who pulls rank, much to Carter Shaw’s dismay, when their respected cases intersect leading to the two butting heads in more ways than one. Carter’s team remains in tack; Ty slips further away from his wife with her recent promotion who he cannot share his adrenaline rush.

In the second episode of the night, Dean gets a little too close for comfort to a mark’s daughter, the form of Fast and Furious star Jordana Brewster, which may hamper the case. Then in next week’s episode Jaimie gets to babysit an informant released from jail to help the team who, in a rare comedic moment in the show, seems more interested in scoring some conjugal time on the outside then helping her out.

Dark Blue airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Dark Blue on iTunes.

Long Ago, in the Beautiful Kingdom of Hyrule...

Where most of the early Nintendo games were your basic side scrolling fair, Legend of Zelda was the first game I remember that seemed epic and even featured a sort of open world that many of the best games today utilize where you could go anywhere in the world to fight baddies and find hidden items and not take a linier path like other games at the time. The game was also one of the first with worth wild replayability where you can, once beating the game, play it again with a completely different map in the same game.

But much like the second Super Mario Bros., the second installment Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was a misstep as it moved from its predecessors patented bird’s eye view to a duel, role playing overhead map where enemies can randomly attack you, and the overused side scrolling for towns, battles and other dungeons and such. And the side scrolling was so frustrating I still, to this day, never conquered the game.

But all was forgiven with the first Zelda title on the Super Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past which went back to the top down perspective of the first installment but utilized ever of the sixteen bits the console had to offer with its cartoony. And where in the original game, you had to defeat the game before you got a whole new world to play; A Link to the Past actually had two different playable worlds (the Light and Dark Worlds) that you had to navigate to beat the game.

As video games moved to the thirty-two bit version, I moved over to Sony’s Playstation console ending my run of the Nintendo exclusive Zelda franchise. But even in all its sixteen bit glory, A Link to the Past remains one of the best video games ever made and this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLI

Quote of the Week: I care about my teammates, and you're my teammate. (Landry, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: When the Night Comes – Dan Auerbach (Friday Night Lights)

Leverage: How MacGyver of Hardison in making the bomb, but still, going back into the lair of dude with semi-automatic weapons was not the brightest idea he has ever had. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rescue Me: What a mind trip of an episode. I am not sure that is a good thing or a bad thing like a warped version of The Hangover. I am not sure how Uncle Teddy would think lacing Tommy’s drink was a good thing. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: When I rewatch this season, I may have to make a drinking game out of every time Tim tells Becky, “This can’t happen.” Certainly it won’t get me as drunk as the time I drank every time on Deadwood when someone said (expletive deleted)-sucker. but I bet I could get a good buzz. Also I have to give hats off to Landry for his toothpick prank. But do Texans really call that drill jingle-jangles because here above the Mason-Dixon line we have a much less lame name for that: Suicides. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Nat Geo Amazon Sampler (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: Save up to 47% on Action & Adventure (Black Hawk Down (Blu-Ray), Air Force One, Hellboy)

Video of the Week: Hot chicks with guns in a stylized version of the fifties as conceived by the director of 300 and Watchmen? Yes please.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights, Friday at 8:00 on NBC: I cannot believe it is the season finale already as we get the big showdown between the two Dillon with a playoff birth in the balance for the Panthers and pride for the Lions. Luckily we will be getting another season and here’s hoping DirecTV, with or without NBC, ponies up for a sixth.

Around the Tubes vol. LX

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 True Blood, Friday Night Lights, Community, and Chuck.

- Here is a sneak peak up the upcoming episode of True Blood on Sunday featuring Howard’s girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory:



- Here is a quick two minute replay of last week’s Friday Night Lights:



- Community hit Comic Con last week and here is Allison Brie talking about what she expected:



- Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski also has some thoughts on Comic-Con:



- Some changes are going on over on CNN and here is a link to Nancy Franklin’s piece from the current issue of The New Yorker about the subject.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXVIII

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Amongst the Waves (Live) - Pearl Jam



Surfing enthusiast Eddie Vedder had another song about his favorite pastime on the latest Pearl Jam album and with the recent assault on our oceans, no better time that heal out the ecosystem in the Gulf. Proceeds from the U.S. sale of Pearl Jam's video “Amongst the Waves” will benefit Conservation International's Marine Programs. To learn more about this program and Conservation International, visit www.conservation.org/marine


The Fire – The Roots featuring John Legend



When I first saw this new video from The Roots, I had no idea what was going on, then I read this description from directorRik Cordero:

"The Fire" chronicles a post-apocalyptic death march set in 1945 during the final stages of World War II in Europe. After a cataclysmic event renders the war futile, a paramilitary splinter group -- led by a Kurtz-like figure known as The Commodore -- forces the transfer of young men who will be used as labor...and food. The last survivor of the march receives a mysterious White Box which holds the key to survival.

Yep, still no clue.


You Lost Me - Christina Aguilera



It seems clear that Christina Aguilera should take the Eminem route and start disavowing this album like he did Relapse. This video seems like it is trying to be weird and artsy but just doesn’t go far enough instead coming off amateurish. Seriously, what is up with that effect when she sings about being infected?


He's Not a Boy - The Like



Of course The Like go for a retro video to the great retro song.

Sixth Annual Scooter Television Awards

Welcome to the 6th Annual Scooter Television Awards honoring show that aired new episodes between June 2009 and June 2010. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2010 STA's:

Best Scripted Show: Friday Night Lights

Best Sitcom: Modern Family

Best Cable Show: Justified

Best Reality Show: Survivor

Best Talk Show: Pardon the Interruption

Best New Show: Justified

Best Awards Show: 2010 Grammy Awards

Best Hour of TV: Fire in the Hole - Justified

Best Half Hour of TV: The Adhesive Duck Deficiency – The Big Bang Theory

Biggest Shocker: How lame the final scene of Lost was

Best Moment: Landon Donavan’s goal against Algeria

Worst Idea: JT giving Russell his Hidden Immunity Idol

Best New Title Sequence: Parenthood

Best Song Placement: Circle of Life – Elton John (Modern Family)

Best Karaoke: In the Moonlight (Do You) – Dylan (Modern Family)

Hottest Token Hot Chick:









Best Character: Sheldon Cooper PhD (The Big Bang Theory)

Best New Character: Annie Edison (Community)

Best Cast Addition: Becky Sproles (Friday Night Lights)

Best Guest Appearance: Ed Norton (Modern Family)

Best Duo: Coach and Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

Most Entertaining Male Reality “Star”: Dre P (Tool Academy 2)

Most Entertaining Female Reality “Star”: Casey Cooper (Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins)

Most Annoying Reality “Star”: Russell Hantz (Survivor)

Best Quote: “Use it or throw it away.” (Raylan Gibbons, Justified)

Show That Should Be Brought Back: Lost (but just the flashsideways world of Dr. Ben Linus and John Locke in high school buddy comedy)

Biggest Question for 2009-2010: What is The Event?

The Best Television Shows of 2009-10 Season

A little late this year for my best shows of the season list because I wanted to get a good chunk of Friday Night Lights under my belt before declaring it the best show of the year. Short of Landry killing another dude, I am confident in calling it just that. My list covers shows that air a bulk of their season between June 2009 and July 2009 (so any current summer show will be eligible next year. Here is the makeup of this year’s list.

1. Friday Night Lights, Season 4 (NBC)

2. Justified, Season 1 (FX)

3. Modern Family, Season 1 (ABC)

4. Parenthood, Season 1 (NBC)

5. The Big Bang Theory, Season 3 (CBS)

6. Rescue Me, Season 5 (FX)

7. Sons of Anarchy, Season 2 (FX)

8. Castle, Season 2 (ABC)

9. Leverage, Season 2 (TNT)

10. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (CBS)



It should be noted that this is the first time a cable network landed the most shows and had more than one show in the top ten. Also notably missing from the list is the final season of Lost in all its excruciating flashsidewardsness. And to show just how far it fell, here is how the other season landed in their respected years:

Season 1: 2nd
Season 2: 4th
Season 3: 8th
Season 4: 7th
Season 5: 6th
Season 6: Not Ranked

Keep in mind, the only other show with five appearances is Survivor (Friday Night Lights presumably will join that club next season assuming Landry doesn’t go on a killing spree). Below is a running tally of what shows racked up the most Quotes and Songs of the week.


Quotes of the Week
Chuck 5
Friday Night Lights 5
The Big Bang Theory 4
Greek 4
Mercy 4
Modern Family 4
Justified 3
Leverage 3
Rescue Me 3
Survivor 3
Castle 2
Community 2
Eli Stone 2
Kings 2
Lost 2
How I Met Your Mother 1
Ochocinco: The ultimate Catch 1
Pardon the Interruption 1
Parenthood 1
Pushing Daisies 1
Raising the Bar 1
Real World/Road Rules: the Ruins 1
Sons of Anarchy 1
Tool Academy 1

Songs of the Week
Rescue Me 7
The Big Bang Theory 4
Chuck 4
Friday Night Lights 4
Greek 4
Pardon the Interruption 4
Mercy 3
Modern Family 3
Parenthood 3
Castle 2
How I Met Your Mother 2
Late Night 2
Lost 2
Sons of Anarchy 2
Trauma 2
Leverage 1
2010 ESPY Awards 1
Community 1
Eli Stone 1
The Philanthropist 1
Pushing Daisies 1

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXL

Quote of the Week: So, now what do you think about Obama so far Jess? (Mrs. Clarke, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Thinking of You – Christian Kane (Leverage)

Big News of the Week: Comic-Con: The yearly nerd pilgrimage to San Diego is upon us. Certainly you can find news that is trickling out on site that are actually there (like who mama Bartowski will be played by).

Leverage: This episode featured Bo Duke, Meg Manning, and made an A-Team reference (I love it when a plan comes together; which took them long enough considering I mentioned Leverage was a modern day version of The A-Team back in my original review). If there were a Friday Night Lights references from touching my four favorite television of all time. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rescue Me: I seem to have gotten ahead of myself a week and mentioned what happened this week, during last week’s installment. Oops. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Covert Affairs: If Annie’s identity is so important that she needs a cover job, then why is she taking walk in’s where anyone who walks in can identify her? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Covert Affairs on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: It is a little disturbing that no one on the coaching staff had notice taking forever getting up until this episode. They should have been on that a lot sooner. And does the Sproles household not have a television in the living room to watch movies on. Yeah Tim can plead all he wants that nothing happened, but you shouldn’t share the bed with a girl on her mom’s bed. And from the promos, it looks like things are getting worse for Tim. I was a little surprised that Vince and his boys didn’t skaje down the Riggins boys for no longer stripping cars. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Trailer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Motion Comic - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 Motion Comic: For the fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer who are too lazy to read (i.e. me), the comic version of the 8th season has been made into a motion comic and you can head over to iTunes to check out the trailer and buy the first episode. If you like your shows in physical form, a blu-ray/DVD combo pack is available for pre-order on Amazon but no release date yet (I saw a non reliable source say early January).

Deal of the Week: Save up to 60% on Popular TV Shows and Movies (Friday Night Lights, Battlestar Galactica, Shaun of the Dead)

Video of the Week: Due to my dislike of airplanes, the idea of going to San Diego in the middle of summer to sit in a convention hall are two of the reason why I have not made my way to Comic Con yet (oh yeah, and I have no desire to be stabbed either). Another reason is why wait in line to see a panel when most of it leaks online anyway. Like this surprise performance during The Big Bang Theory panel.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Mad Men, Tonight at 10:00 on AMC: I have only watch the first season (I have the third on DVD but need to hunt down the second so I can catch up). Also returning tonight is My Boys on TBS. Check out mt preview of the return.

Previewing My Boys 4.x

My Boys isn’t Lost, but with a full year between new episodes it would have been nice if they started their fourth season with a “Previously On” segment as a nice remember of how we got here. It has been so long, I completely forgot that Kenny and Stephanie were an item and only vaguely remembered that P.J. and Bobby were still together. According to the press release, apparently near the end of last season Mike worked “towards what could be a life-altering decision” and Brendan decided “to start looking for a new place to live.” Who knew?

Tomorrow sees the return of the My Boys for its fourth season with back to back episodes. Apparently Andy has upped and moved to China with his family leaving the group short a poker player. This leads to a hilarious search for a new sixth and flashback of what they played before poker (though I thought they still played poker prior to Bobby arriving, but then again I can hardly remember what happened last season, let alone in the first). On the second episode, the couples head off to a fancy restaurant leaving Brendan and Mike left to debate the Citizen’s United vs. FEC ruling.

My Boys airs Sundays at 10:00 on TBS. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download My Boys on iTunes.

Around the Tubes vol. LIX

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 Vampire Diaries, Smallville, Being Human, Project Runway, George Steinbrenner, Mad Men, Bon Jovi, DieHard, New Country, and True Blood.

- The Vampire Diaries is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray at the end of August and Warner Brothers wants fans to head over to its website:

So you’ve thought about it, dreamt about it, even fantasized about it…now, you get to share it.

Check out the official Vampire Diaries DVD site, http://bit.ly/bDNV6N for your chance to vote and let everyone know if you would take Stefan or Damon home. Also, get access to an exclusive email with a special message from the cast, sneak-peaks, wallpapers, cell phone backgrounds and the opportunity to pre-order The Complete First Season before it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on August 31, 2010.

@ Comic-Con? – Stop by the Warner Bros. booth Friday or Saturday to pick up your Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season tin of red hot mints with an exclusive code!”

- In other WB TV news, Smallville: The Complete Series is now available in HD on iTunes as the show heads into its tenth and final season.

- The second season of Being Human premieres tomorrow on BBC America (not to be confused to the upcoming Syfy remake). Here is a preview:

What Is Being Human


- Also returning next week is the new season of Project Runway on Thursday at 9:00 on Lifetime with a special 90 minute episode. Below is a sneak peak of the first challenge on the show:

A Sneak Peak Scene of Project Runway


- For those that could not get enough of the 24-hour coverage of George Steinbrenner’s death on ESPN last week This TV will honor the former Yankees owner by airing the newly remastered Pride of the Yankees at 7:00 tomorrow followed by four the 60’s television show Home Run Derby.

- Mad Men returns this Sunday and fan of the show who like to read will want to check out Mad Men Unbuttoned by Natasha Vargas-Cooper who runs a Mad Men blog of the same name.

- Here one for you eighties buffs out there, out July 26 is Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi written by their tour manager Richard Bozzett. The book promises (of which gives me the feeling the book is unauthorized by the band):

• Bon Jovi’s managements connection to the largest cocaine and marijuana trafficking operations of their time, which led to multiple run-ins, while touring, with the DEA.
• Details on Bon Jovi’s use of speed prior to shows to get “amped up” and Halcion after shows to allow him to sleep
• Details on how the Living on A Prayer tour saved the band for financial chaos
• Never-before-released photos of the band touring, partying, family get togethers shedding a new light on the early days of these Rock Legends and a “Sex Scandal” that never leaked.

- I really cannot begrudge celebrities in commercials under one condition, it has to be creative; the recent Sir Mix-a-Lot Butterfinger ad doesn’t fall into that category. One that does is this DieHard commercial featuring Gary Numan playing Cars on Cars.

DieHard Battery vs. Gary Numan


- If you liked The Goodnight Anthem, you will want to check out New Country which features members of the band. You can stream and download the lead track off their EP Say What You Want on their MySpace page.

- Fans of True Blood will want to head over to the HBO store for newly arrived Jessica themed t-shirts, one of which is pictured below.

Feed Your iPod vol. XLIX: Gotta Get: Closer

There have been many bizarre covers in the history of rock and roll, but most of them are novelties (think Cake’s version of I Will Survive). There is only one really bizarre cover that really transcends novelty and is a legitimately great song on its own: Maxwell’s version of Nine Inch Nails’ Closer. Yes for those that didn’t see his Unplugged performance from back in the day, the RnB crooner did his own version of the industrial band’s ode to dirty, dirty loving. Maxwell makes the song his own, the first time I heard it, it took me to the infamous chorus, “I want to (love) you like an animal” before it clicked in my head that. And considering the original content, Maxwell goes even further into left field when halfway through the song; Maxwell takes the song to church with a gospel style in the middle before ending with a funky goodbye. And yet every second of his version worked brilliantly.

Gotta Get: Closer – Maxwell




Closer – Nine Inch Nails