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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

New DVD Release of the Week: Parenthood: Season 2

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



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

Around the Tubes - 8/26/11

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 Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, How to Make it in America, Indecision 2012, Strike Back, Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Animals, American Horror Story, and TNT's Fall lineup.

- If you are in a band and would like to do some international touring, Reyka Vodka, the first vodka to be distilled and bottled in Iceland, will be taking three American bands to their homeland to perform at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival taking place October 12-16 2011 to play on the same bill as headliner Björk. All you have to do is upload three orginal tracks, photos, and a biography/website link to the official Breakthrough at Iceland Airwaves Soundcloud Account by September 5.

- HBO has released its first promo for How to Make it in America which returns for its second season October 2 at 10:30. Check it out below:



- Indecision 2012 is creeping up on us and The Daily Show’s Best F#@king News Team is giving you primers on Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, the Tea Party and check out the Two-Party System below:

The Daily Show - The Correspondents Explain - Political Parties - The Two-Party System
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

- New episode of Strike Back tonight at 10:00 on Cinemax. Check out a preview below:



- Bones star Emily Deschanel is the new spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Animals which will be taking place this fall. For more information, click on the link.

- Only one new promo for American Horror Story this week which is entitled Belly.

- TNT has announced its fall schedule which includes the return of Leverage (11/27), The Closer (11/28 at 9:00), Rizzoli and Isles (11/28 at 9:00) and Southland (1/17/12 at 10:00). They have also announced their slate of TNT Mystery Movie Night and here is the rundown (Scooter’s note: this is cut and paste from the TNT press release excepted I changed Kadeem Hardison’s credited work because who actually remembers him from Made of Honor?)

Scott Turow’s Innocent – Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Bill Pullman stars as Rusty Sabich, a judge charged with the murder of his wife, a situation that comes 20 years after he was cleared in the death of his mistress. During this latest trial, a secret affair from Rusty’s r ecent past threatens to hamper his defense and fracture his relationship with his son. Oscar® winner Marcia Gay Harden plays Rusty’s wife, while Alfred Molina is his friend and defense attorney. Emmy® winner Richard Schiff (The West Wing, The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Callard Harris (TBS’s Glory Daze, Intermedio) and Mariana Klaveno (True Blood, While the Children Sleep) also star. Scott Turow’s Innocent is a sequel to Turow’s bestseller Presumed Innocent. The movie is written and directed by Mike Robe (TNT’s HawthoRNe, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King), with Robe and Frank von Zerneck (We Were the Mulvaneys, Miracle on Ice) serving as executive producers.

Ricochet – Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Two homicide detectives find their careers – and lives – on t he line when they get caught up in a case of murder and betrayal in high-society Savannah. Emmy nominee John Corbett is set to star in this atmospheric tale based on the book by #1 New York Times best-selling author Sandra Brown. Corbett plays Det. Sgt. Duncan Hatcher, who is investigating a corrupt judge (Gary Cole) while also becoming romantically involved with his wife (Julie Benz). Kelly Overton plays Det. Deedee Bowen, Hatcher’s blue-collar partner; Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Motherfracking Wayne) is Detective Bob Worley; and Haaz Sleiman (The Visitor, Nurse Jackie) is drug dealer Robert Savich. Nick Gomez (Dexter, Drowning Mona) is directing Ricochet from a script by Donald Martin (The Craigslist Killer). Howard Braunstein (The Informant!) and Jim Head (On Strike for Christmas) serve as executive producers.

Hide – Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
In this movie based on Lisa Gardner’s book, Carla Gugino plays Boston Police Detective D.D. Warren, who is called to the grounds of an abandoned mental hospital where a buried chamber is discovered. Inside are the mummified remains of six young women, who have all been missing for years. The case leads D.D. to Annabelle, a young woman who spent her childhood moving from city to city, from identity to identity, hiding from someone or something totally unknown to her. D.D. uses clues from Annabelle’s secret past to unravel the mystery behind her twisted family history. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kevin Alejandro also star. Hide is written by Janet Brownell (Eloise at the Plaza), directed by John Gray (Ghost Whisperer, Helter Skelter) and executive-produced by Stephanie Germain (The Day After Tomorrow).

Silent Witness – Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
This legal drama based on Richard North Patterson’s novel stars Dermot Mulroney as prominent defense attorney Tony Lord, who returns to his hometown to defend an old friend, played by Michael Cudlitz. The friend is a teacher accused of murdering one of his students, and the case re-opens the heartache from Tony’s own high school days, when he was a student falsely accused of murdering his first love. Lizzie Friedman and Greg Little, the team behind One Lucky Elephant, Whiz Kids and Sex and Death 101, serve as executive producers along with Howard Braunstein (The Informant!). Peter Markle (Bat*21, Flight 93) is set to direct from a script by Thomas Michael Donnelly (Our Fathers).

Good Morning, Killer – Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Adapted by April Smith from her own novel, this thriller stars Catherine Bell as FBI Special Agent Ana Gray, an undercover operative tracking down a serial kidnapper. As Ana develops a rapport with the kidnapper’s latest victim, the suspect suddenly changes his pattern. Now Ana must race to find him before he strikes again. Cole Hauser (Chase, K-Ville) co-stars as Detective Andrew Berringer. In addition to writing the screenplay, Smith is set to executive-produce Good Morning, Killer with Frank von Zerneck (We Were the Mulvaneys, Miracle on Ice). Maggie Greenwald (Songcatcher, The Ballad of Little Jo) will direct.

Deck the Halls – Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Based on the first book in Mary Higgins Clark and daughter Carol Higgins Clark’s series of holiday mystery novels, this warm-hearted story brings together two of the authors’ most popular characters: Cleaning-woman-turned-pr ivate-eye Alvirah Meegan (Kathy Najimy) and Detective Regan Reilly (Scottie Thompson). The women investigate the kidnapping of Regan’s father and a young female driver just before the holidays. The race is on to rescue the pair and get them home in time for Christmas. Two-time Emmy® winner Jane Alexander plays Regan’s mother, famed mystery writer Nora Regan Reilly. Ron Underwood (Tremors, City Slickers) will direct from a script by Howard Burkons (John Q, TNT’s The Ron Clark Story), who also serves as executive producer with Brenda Friend (Joan of Arc, TNT’s The Ron Clark Story) and Frank von Zerneck (We Were the Mulvaneys, Miracle on Ice).

Don't Call it a Comeback vol. VI: A Tribe Called Quest

It seems like once a week I am listening to my iTunes library and I hear a song that makes me go, this artist really needs a comeback. So I thought I would start a new feature here on the 9th Green highlighting an artist that really needs to reenter the public consciousness. The only criterion is that the artist hasn’t had a legitimate hit in over a decade.

Due for a Comeback: A Tribe Called Quest

Biggest Hit: Award Tour



Last Hit: Find a Way (1998)

Where Are They Now: The group announced their breakup prior to the release of The Love Movement but continues to tour and perform together the past decade. Q-Tip released two critically acclaimed albums and is a successful producer, most recently on the Kanye West / Jay-Z Watch the Throne album. The most recent collaboration from the group was on the recently released documentary Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest.

Why the World Needs a Tribe Called Quest Comeback: Because rap crews are virtually extinct. Remember the good old days when the majority of rappers were in groups and the fun they had playing off each other? Now a day’s every rapper is solo and just has random people jump on ever track (there was a running gag in college of the resident hip-hop head who’s every song on every album he own had “featuring” next to every song). After seven years of reunion tours it is about time the boys get back in the studio and give us some new material. Just do not forget your backpacks when you get back into the studio.

Feed Your iPod vol. LXIII: Hey Stephen

Like I mentioned yesterday, these days I spend most of my days listening to hardcore gangsta rap, Taylor Swift and bands no one’s ever heard of. I cover the latter in yesterday’s post and let me tackle the middle today. I know Taylor Swift is much maligned by pretentious music types and some of their critiques are warranted: her live performances are not always on key, most of her lyrics sound like they came straight from the diary of a middle-schooler, and she has horrible taste in boys. But let’s face it, flaws and all, if you hate Taylor Swift you hate America, and you don’t have America do you?

My favorite song of Swift’s may be the song that sounds the least like her. With every successive album her songs get more and more poppier but still have an underlining hint of country be it the addition of some banjo or fiddle, but there is none of that on Hey Stephen. The song is build on a fun groove and you can tell Swift is having fun herself singing along and the softer and smoother delivery perfectly hides any limitations she may have vocally. It is a perfect template if Swift ever wants to transition into adult contemporary, I for one would not mind if she made an entire album that fits this mold.

Hey Stephen - Taylor Swift

The Best of Neo-Folk

Someone recently asked me what kind of music I listen to and I responded, “Hardcore gangsta rap, Taylor Swift, and bands no one has ever heard of.” After realizing I was not kidding, she asked me of those bands no one has ever heard of; sadly I was proven right at least in this case. Later I realized that most of those bands were based in the folksier type of music which has been gaining momentum in recent years and seems to be an evolution of the alt-country of the late nineties and / or Johnny Cash’s Rick Rubin era. So I thought I would make a CD sampler of these bands which I have dubbed Neo-Folk. Hopefully long time readers are familiar with most of these artists because I have been hyping most of them here on the 9th Green, but if not, give them a try.

1. Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

2. Feeling the Pull – The Swell Season

3. Belated Promise Ring – Iron and Wine

4. Magpie to the Morning – Neko Case

5. White Blank Page – Mumford and Sons

6. Skinny Love – Bon Iver

7. Furr – Blitzen Trapper

8. Lost In My Mind – The Head and the Heart

9. Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

10. Mykonos – Fleet Foxes

11. If It's the Beaches – The Avett Brothers

12. You Still Hurt Me – William Fitzsimmons

13. Little Lovin' – Lissie

14. No One's Gonna Love You – Band of Horses

15. A Little Bit of Everything – Dawes

16. Art Isn't Real (City of Sin) – Deer Tick

17. Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe – Okkervil River

18. Shadow People – Dr. Dog

19. Coney Island – Good Old War

20. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone) – The Decemberists

I Want My Music Television - 8/22/11

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.


Otis - Jay-Z & Kanye West



When I hear Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Spike Jonzes together I except something legendary, but this may not even be a top ten video of the year let alone of all time. But I have been thinking lately where exactly does the Otis Redding sample ranking in the all time rap samples category. I may have to start doing some research, look for a list sometime in the next five years.


The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie – Red Hot Chili Peppers



Did someone not tell the Red Hot Chili Peppers that when you do a rooftop performance that it is supposed to end with the cops shutting you down? But that is a funky bassline from Flea but I cannot say the same for the new guitarist. Or Anthony Kiedis‘s mustache.


Miracle Worker - SuperHeavy



And the award for most random Supergroup award goes to SuperHeavy featuring Mick Jagger (in the pinkest suit that I do not think even Elton John could pull off), Dave Stewart, Damien Marley, Joss Stone, A.R. Rahman (you may know him better as the guy who did the Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack). It was if Mick put his iPod on shuffle and decided to ask the first four people that popped up to come into the studio with him. Hopefully Eric Clapton does the same because I would love to hear his collaboration with Mandy Moore, Babyface, Q-Tip, and Willie Nelson.


Day Dreams - Raphael Saadiq



Last week Cee-Lo had Urkel lip-syncing his words and this week Raphael Saadiq saw his Urkel and rasied him an Abed. Kimmy Gibler better get her agent on the phone.

Previewing the Liquid Bomb Plot

In a measure of full disclosure I should mention that I have a B.A. Baracus type aversion to flying and have only stepped on one airplane (well technically five in one trip) in the post 9/11 era. And I usually reply to anyone who whines about the junk getting touched or the three ounce liquid rule with, “would you rather be blown up?” For those of you that are frequent fliers and wonder why you can only bring three ounces of liquids with you, well you actually have Tang to thank. Yes that horribly powder drink your mom made you consume as a kid.

The liquid limitations came out a terror plot that we would be commemorating the fifth anniversary of its attacks right about now if the terrorist were successful and would have killed more people than in the 9/11 attacks. Due to being unsuccessful, many may not know much about the plot, if at all, but are aware of the fallout because of the three ounce rule that was put in place because of the plan. Now you can learn more about the plot from the mouths of those that prevented it tonight when the National Geographic Channel premieres The Liquid Bomb Plot at 9:00.

It all started when the British found Tang in the suitcase of a friend of a known terrorist which was considered suspicious by MI5 and kicked off the largest surveillance operation ever in the history of the U.K. And the spy operation looked like something out of Alias with camera’s in lighters, agents breaking into a terrorist house to bug it, even replacing a screw in a light switch plate with one with a camera in it and many counter measure by the terrorist who were filling up soda bottles hydrogen peroxide to make bombs to explode in ten different airplanes. I found myself screaming at the television multiple times to arrest somebody and let a real life Jack Bauer loose on them.

The Liquid Bomb Plot is a compelling look at just what our, and governments around the world are doing to protect us and includes interviews from former secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and his U.K. counterpart Lord John Reid, former home security and former defense secretary, as well as arresting officers. My only complaint is that we never get an explanation as to why a three ounces limit. If twenty can take down a plane (we see an experiment of what could have happened if the terrorists were successful), what damage exactly will three ounces do?

The Liquid Bomb Plot airs tonight at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel. Check out a clip below:

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/20/11

Quote of the Week: I don’t usually get to do the shakedowns, it’s very exciting. (Dawn Summers, Weeds)

Song of the Week: Teenage Dream – Katy Perry (The Lying Game)

Big News of the Week: Miami the Most Corrupt of a Corrupt System: Maybe it is because I went to a college that won as many games as years I attended, but I never understood the fanaticism of college football. Then there is the whole no playoff thing. And it has shown to be the most corrupt system in all of America (which says a lot considering our political system). And the latest in the long line of corruption is a ponzie schemer rolling on the college who detailed years of kickbacks to players including a boat that got wrecked and even an abortion for a stripper. I would say the death penalty is warranted, but it is not like that is going to stop anyone.


Leverage: Best part of the episode: Eliot in his Indiana Jones outfit. Classic. We finally met the big bang and learned his motive. Interesting proposal, Nate gets the lowdown on the scummiest of the scum, but the other dude gets to profit Martha Stewart style. I’m guessing dude ends up in jail by the hand of Nate and his crew by the end of the season. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Maybe I am just bored with “A” (I do not trust the promo monkeys when they elude that we may find out who (s)he is soon) but I do like this new evil step sister storyline. Evil is much more entertaining when there is a face attached to it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Also check out my first impressions of The Lying Game and my last impressions of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.


Free Download of the Week: Magnifier.blogspot.com: Three months Google launched its new music site in beta. In it you can upload 20,000 songs to your account and use your Andriod devise to listen to your library on the go. But since I did not have an Andriod, I did not really care until Google launched Magnifier where you can add hundreds of free songs to your Google Music account. Of course there is a drawback that you cannot download these songs to your computer (or at least not yet, supposedly it is in the pipeline). The free music is an eclectic mix of everything from Alice Cooper to Wyclef Jean, Johnny Cash to John Legend, and even two songs from the dearly departed Jani Jane and his band Warrant. And be sure to bookmark the site because there will be a new free song every day. If you need an invite to Google Music, I have four invites to give, just shoot me an e-mail (sorry foreigners, Beta is currently only open to Americans) although I got an invite from Google less than twenty-four hours from requesting one.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 57% on Hit Movies & TV Deals (Batman Begins, Just Go with It, Planet Earth)

New Album Release of the Week: Muppets: The Green Album

New DVD Release of the Week: POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Video of the Week: American Horror Story has been dropping “clues” for the last couple weeks and now they have released the first promo featuring the actors from the show including Tami Taylor and, well, it is just as confusing as the “clues.” American Horror Story premieres October 5 on FX.



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Liquid Bomb Plot, Sunday at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel: I have a full review on this special tomorrow but I will leave you with what we call in the industry a tease: Ever wonder why you can only take three ounces of liquid on a plane? You actually have Tang to thank for it. Seriously.

Around the Tubes - 8/19/11

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 Hulk Hogan's MCW, Fix This Kitchen, True Blood, The Love We Make, Rebirth, The Angry Beavers, The Sing Off, Fall TV, INSP, Wendy, Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood, Leverage, and American Horror Story.

- Hulk Hogan and midgets. I have nothing more to add.


Hulk Hogan’s MCW


- Not so fun fact: I am not the best reader in the world. Like when I got a press release for Fix This Kitchen I got really excited when I thought I read, “see if you would be able to be featured on Fix This Kitchen” but after rereading, it turned out it actually read, “see if you would be able to feature Fix This Kitchen.” Sigh, I could really use a new oven, which I am pretty sure is older than me (hint, hint). You can check out those who did get surprised with a new kitchen when Fix This Kitchen returns September 10 at 9:30 AM as part of A&E’s The Big Help block.

- A new True Blood coming your way this Sunday at 9:00 on HBO. Here is a sneak peak of Jessica unloading to Nan:



- Showtime has lined up its 9/11 anniversary programming which will include The Love We Make premiering Saturday September 10 at 9:00 which follows Paul McCartney as he goes through the streets of New York City in the aftermath of the World Trade Center’s destruction as well the planning and performance of the benefit concert at Madison Square Garden six weeks later. Then on September 11, the network will air Rebirth that follow five people’s lives who’s livers were forever changed by the day and a minute by minute time lapse evolution of the memorial where the Twin Towers once stood.

- Awake your inner-child because The Angry Beavers: Season One and Two is hitting shelves this Tuesday but of course you can always preorder today.



- Wonder why The Sing-Off is the best talent competition on television? Check out this video:

Straight Up A Cappella


- We are less than a month away from the kick off of the fall television season and tvguide.com has you covered with info from over sixty shows including refreshers of returning shows, the eleven most promising new shows, a day by day schedule and premiere calendar.

- INSP (The Inspirational Network) recently announced their fall line-up starting September 26 including new to the network Bonanza, The Big Valley, The Brady Bunch, and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

- There won’t be new shows just on television, on September 15, Alloy Entertainment will premiere a new web series Wendy staring Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars) and Meaghan Martin (Mean Girls 2). Wendy is an updated telling of the classic Peter Pan story. Head over to the Wendy YouTube Channel to subscribe so you are alerted when new episodes are uploaded ever Tuesday and Thursday, watch a music video of Tyler singing a song from the show, and find out how you can download the mp3 for the low, low price of free.

- TCM received it most ever Emmy nominations for Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood and if you missed it the first time around, they are re-airing the seven part series in its entirety starting Monday September 5 at 12:45 PM.

- Leverage fans rejoice, the show has been renewed for a fifth season of fifteen episodes. The show commences its summer episodes August 28 before finishing out its fourth season with new episodes in November and December.

- FX has released a couple more video clues for their upcoming American Horror Story which you can check out with the links below:

Clue #7: Stairs
Clue #8: Melt
Clue #9: Red Cello
Clue #10: Rubber Bump

Actually I’m Attached to my Toxins, We’ve Been Through a Lot Together

For anyone hoping to one day own ever season of Spin City on DVD, you probably have Mr. Tiger Blood to thank because just months after his Adonis DNA started to creep out for everyone to see, Spin City: The Complete Fifth Season, and the first to feature Charlie Sheen, has finally hit shelves. He replaced Michael J. Fox who off screen had to bow out due to his fight with Parkinson’s and on screen left after taking blame for Mayor Randall Winston’s association with the Mafia. Unfortunately Connie Britton left the show with Fox so anyone looking to see a pre-Tami Taylor Britton will have to pick up earlier seasons of the show.

Heather Locklear did return for her second season as the mayor’s Communications Director to get co-top billing with Sheen which lead to the funniest moment of the season during the credits where they share a scene where Locklear has a look on her face that read “why did they bring in the bum, I could have led the show by myself” while Sheen’s face read, “why won’t she have sex with me, I thought it was written into my contract?” On the show, Sheen took over as Deputy Mayor who had a reputation as a womanizer with a history of substance abuse named Charlie. No, seriously, that was how his character was actually described on the show.

With two leads whose comedy was not their strong suits, thankfully Spin City brought back some characters that could actually deliver a joke correctly. Barry Bostwick is back as the absentminded mayor as was resident kiss butt Richard Kind who may have the biggest mouth in the business. But the comedic standouts continued to be the bickering roommates Alan Ruck, the inept womanizer and the gay homosexual Michael Boatman. Lana Parrilla (who plays the Evil Queen in the upcoming Once Upon a Time) was also added to the cast as the office secretary but I do not remember one storyline she was given this season or was even spotted outside the office.

Throughout the season you will be able to spot such guest appearances by Marcia Cross, Raquel Welch, Rena Sofer, Jason Priestly, Vanessa Marcil, Kelly Monaco, Scott Wolf, Alyssa Milano, Willie Garson, Samm Levine, as well as Regis Philben, Barry Melrose, Rosie O’Donnell, Roy Firestone, and the disembodied voice of Bob Costas as themselves. You can also see a pre-fame Dakota Fanning, Kal Penn, Geoff Stults, Sarah Shahi, Bonita Friedericy, Kevin Rankin, Jack McGee and Seth Myers and blink and you’ll miss them cameos from Eric Stonestreet, Beth Riesgraf and Jenna Fisher.

You can now buy Spin City: The Complete Fifth Season now with all twenty-three episodes on four DVD’s (those who hate extra content wil be glad to know there is none on the set). Check out a clip below with new castmember Charlie Sheen and pre-Alias Sarah Shahi:



Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD set was given to me by Shout Factory for review.

I’m More of a Cat Person

In recent years, ABC Family has been a go to channel for guilty pleasures. But much like the channel they took the guiltiest pleasures crown from, VH1, the channel is teeter on being guilty without any of the pleasure. Pretty Little Liars is becoming more cumbersome to watch by the episode and The Lying Game debuted as a bit of a bore (see my First Impressions).

Then there is The Nine Lives of Chloe King which would be in the pleasureless guilt category had I not created the Chloe King drinking game where you take a shot whenever the show rips off Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As much grief I gave the show for its similarities to The WB classic, one of the show’s biggest problems is that it did not steal from Buffy enough.

Yeah, the best friends, chosen one, forbidden love were all Buffy staples, but what Chloe King should have adopted from Buffy was the monster of the week format. Instead of battling a new baddie every week, we only a small handful of them so the show could focus on the less interesting love triangle between Chloe, her protector, and a human she could kill if they ever kissed. The whole death thing took any intrigue of the love triangle. And let’s face it, in the finale, Chloe clearly did not kill the dude, she just paralyzed him and I bet there will be simple sure that will have him up and walking by the end of the season premiere.

It is a shame that the first season was not as interesting as the finale twenty minutes. We also got some cool action sequences (though I do not know why Chloe did not bust out her claws, We finally got some interesting plot twists: Chloe’s mom was dining with the evil dude, grandma had been poising as Chloe’s dad all along, the leader and her daughter were killed (okay, I bet the daughter survives and would not be surprised if the mom does too), and it turns out it was done so by the hand of the British dude’s brother. But I was disappointed he did not go into James Bond villain and give a monologue of his master plan when he poisoned the leader.

Had Chloe King spread those twenty minutes across the first season instead of cramming all the good stuff at the end, maybe the show would have been more please than guilt.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King gets a on my Terror Alert Scale. You can stream episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

First Impressions: The Lying Game

I am probably too old and too male to be watching anything on ABC Family, but really, what else was I supposed to watch this summer: Breaking Bad? I have better things to do than watch the dad from Malcolm in the Middle cough a hundred times in the span of an hour (okay I obvious do not have better things to do because I still find time to watch ABC Family, I still choose not too).

The latest show on ABC Family comes from the same pedigree from the channel’s biggest breakout hit. The Lying Game is based on the Sara Shepard books, who also wrote the series that Pretty Little Liars is based on, though The Lying Game got optioned as a television show before the books even hit the shelves.

The story follows twins that were separated at birth (not to be confused with the show whose timeslot The Lying Game took over), one who grew up in privilege, the other in foster care and both played by Alexandra Chando (Rockville, CA). They found out that each other exist when one went searching for their birth parents and circumstances brings them together when the one from the wrong side of the tracks gets in trouble and turns to her newfound sister to help. The rich one takes the opportunity to have the poor one take her place so she can follow a lead on their mother in Los Angles.

Things naturally go wrong when the rich twin does not return two days later like she said she would. And much like the pretty little liars who never bother to ask the police or even their parents for help with the crazy stalker, the poor one thinks it would be best to continue to poise as her missing sister. But at least her lie comes with a BMW.

Rounding out the cast include Chando’s adopted parents Helen Slater (Supergirl! Wow did I have such a crush on her in my youth) and Andy Buckley (The Office), and their bratty biological daughter Allie Gonino (10 Things I Hate About You). Then there are the rich girl’s rich friends Alice Greczyn (The Dukes of Hazzard) and Kristen Prout (My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2) and rival Sharon Pierre-Louis (Fame). And what show would be complete without a secret boyfriend, this time played by Blair Redford (The Day the Earth Stood Still).

If you noticed, I did not describe any of the supporting cast members because none of them were even strongly written. Prout is apparently the quintessential dumb blonde, but the rest are really not given any insight of them from the writers who do not even bother to make any of them easy stereotypes, they all are just bland. But the biggest fail on the part of the writers is they did not set up a compelling mystery. By the end of the first episode of Pretty Little Liars, they set up a laundry list of questions that the viewers were left wondering, but there really are none there for The Lying Game. I guess I am supposed to wonder what happened to the rich girl, but I really do not. This is really poor writing because there is plenty of mysteries that could have been put in place even if they would have turned out to be red herrings. Luckily for The Lying Game, there is still a month left until the networks launch the fall programming giving it time to set up compelling plotlines. Because what else am I going to watch until then: Breaking Bad? I am not that pretentious.

The Lying Game airs Mondays at 9:00 on ABC Family. You can stream episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Lying Game on iTunes.

Lyrics Quiz: Adult Contemporary

The Adult Contemporary charts recently hit its fiftieth anniversary and to celebrate Billboard counted down the fifty biggest AC artist in the chart’s run. Even though I was not an adult for most of its existence, I still have plenty of songs from artists on the list and created this month’s lyrics quiz based on the top artists of which I have music by on my iPod (sorry Herb Alpert). As always leave your guesses, both artist and song title, in the comment section or e-mail me. If you are correct I will un-bold the lyric and give you credit. Please keep in mind the lyrics quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please only use your own meandering mind to guess them.


1. Excuse me forgetting, but these things I do. See I’ve forgotten if they are green or they’re blue. Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen. (Your Song - Elton John; guessed by Angie)
2. Home, don’t it seems so far away? We’re traveling light today, in the eye of the storm, in the eye of the storm. (America - Neil Diamond; guessed by Angie)
3. There was a blood and a single gunshot, but just who shot who? (Copacabana - Barry Manilow)
4. Son I’ve made my life out of reading faces and knowing what their cards are by the way they held their eyes. (The Gambler - Kenny Rogers; guessed by Angie)
5. Children play in the park; they don’t know I’m alone in the dark feeling low. Time and time again I see your face smiling inside.
6. I was stranded in the combat zone. I walk through Bedford-Stuy alone. I even drove motorcycle in the rain. (You May Be Right - Glass Houses - Billy Joel; guessed by Angie)
7. We’re going to party, karamu, fiesta, forever. Come on and sing along. (All Night Long (All Night) - lionel Richie; guessed by Angie)
8. I wish I could just make you turn around, turn around and see me cry. There’s so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why. You’re the only one who really knew me at all. (Against All Odds - Phil Collins; guessed by Angie)
9. Well my hands are shaking and my knees are weak. I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet. Who do you think when you have such luck? (All Shook Up - Elvis Pressly; guessed by Angie)
10. From where I stand you are home free. The planets align so rare, there’s promise in the air and I’m guiding you through every turn. (Magic - Olivia Newton-John; guessed by Angie)
11. Every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you.
12. Old dream maker, you heart breaker. Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way.
13. All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand. But you turned into a lover and mother what a lover, you wore me out. (Maggie May - Rod Stewart; guessed by Angie)
14. I feel find anytime she’s around me now. She’s around me now almost all the time. And if I’m well then you can tell she’s been with me now. She’s been with me now quite a long, long time and I feel fine.
15. When you walk by every night, talking sweet and looking fine, I get kinda hectic inside. Baby I’m so into you. Darling if you only knew all the things that go through my mind.
16. Something in the way you love me won’t let me be. I don’t want to be your prisoner so baby won’t you set me free? (Borderline - Madonna; guessed by Angie)
17. We’re coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog, your sons and daughters.
18. Thirteen month old baby broke the looking glass. Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your path.
19. You got the body now you want my soul. Don’t even think about it. Say “no go.” (I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) - Hall and Oates; guessed by Angie)
20. I took for granted all the times that I thought would last somehow. I hear the laughter, I taste the tears, but I can’t get near you now. (Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx; guesse by Angie)
21. What’s you got cooking, how’s about cooking something up with me? (Hey, Good Lookin' - Hank Williams; guessed by Angie)
22. Stronger than any mountain cathedral. Truer than any tree ever grew. Deeper than any forest primeval, I am in love with you. (Longer - Phoenix - Dan Fogelberg; guesed by Angie)
23. It happens every day no matter what you say. You find it happens all the time. Love will never do what you want it to. Why can’t this crazy love be mine? (It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones; guessed by Angie)
24. I’m lying alone with my hand on the phone, thinking of you ‘til it hurts. I know you hurt too but what else can we do? (All Out of Love - Air Supply; guessed by Angie)
25. They say are love won’t pay the rent before it’s earned, our money’s all spent. (I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher; guessed by Angie)

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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


Free Download of the Week: Invisible - Skylar Grey

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

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

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

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



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

The Lying Game: 60 Second Preview

Around the Tubes - 8/12/11

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 Strike Force, Haven, Weird Vibes, Pretty Amazing Contest, Teh Big C, Nurse Jackie, California DMV, and American Horror Story.

- Cinemax may be best known (well only known) for its late night programming but the premium channel is finally starting up an original program in primetime with Strike Force about charismatic former U.S. Special Forces operative joins forces with a stealth British military unit they stop a terrorist plot. The premieres tonight at 10:00 and you can check out the first six minute below:



- Also on tonight is a new episode Haven which promises to have the first fully integrated storyline with Twitter which will last for seven episodes. As the perss release says, “In the story, Vince (Richard Donat) and Dave (John Dunsworth), who run the newspaper in Haven, join Twitter as newcomers to the medium. Viewers who follow their characters (@VinceHaven, @DaveHaven) will see them interact with a mysterious Twitter user (@ColdInHaven) who knows more about Haven – and Vince and Dave – than anyone should.” But do not worry if you are like me and find Twitter a complete waste of time, viewers unfamiliar with the micro-blogging site will still be able to enjoy the episodes.

- MTV Hive yesterday launched a new internet only show Weird Vibes and the inaugural episode profiles the hardships of being in a buzz band and features interviews with Best Coast, Au Revoir Simone, Small Black, Tanlines, Beach Fossils, Frankie and The Outs; as well as music videos from Team, Friends, Wu Lyt, Shabazz Palaces, Grimes and Vivian Girls. You can watch the full episode below:

Get More: Weird Vibes, MTV Hive

- In other MTV news (you hear it da da da, da da da, first; sorry I watched too much of the MTV Anniversery special last week), the channel has teamed up with Seventeen Magazine to honor five young woman in a half hour special premiering Tuesday August 30 at 8:00. The winner of the Pretty Amazing content will land on the cover of the October issue of Seventeen.

- If you missed some or all of the new season of The Big C, you are in luck because Showtime will be airing all seven episodes back to back starting Sunday at 2:30. In other Showtime comedy news, Nurse Jackie will be welcoming Bobby Cannavale for its fourth season in all ten episodes as a hospital administrator. Look for the episodes to air in 2012.

- Just when you thought basic cable networks have run out of menial jobs to exploit for reality television, TruTV has announced they will be setting one in a California DMV. Keep in mind this is from the Ashton Kutcher production company so this may just be the most elaborate Punk’d ever.

- Last week I shared the first two “clues” for the upcoming American Horror Story, since then FX has released a bunch more, here are the links. And for anyone wondering who that is singing Tainted Love, her name is Hannah Peel.

Clue #3 – Couple
Clue #4 – Coffin
Clue #5 – Lying Down
Clue #6 – Fire