The Voice Season 5 Knockout Round Power Rankings

I will not go into the stupid decision Blake made this week dumping Holly Henry for one of the worst singers to ever make the Live Shows because I ranted about that at length yesterday, so let’s just go straight into the Power Rankings before I rant some more (okay, I do bring it up multiple times in the rankings because it was the worst decision ever in the history of the show).

1. Cole Vosbury (Team Cee-Lo Blake): Cole got really lucky this season, most obvious he signed up for the season the added a Steal to the Knockout Rounds so the person who actually should have won that round (Cole was significantly better than Jonny) got to advance. And even though Let Her Go was still obscure back in August when this round was filmed, it has been sitting in the iTunes top 25 for the past and a few stints in the top 10 which probably helped his version into the top 20.

2. Caroline Pennell (Team Cee-Lo): After turning As Long as You Love Me into a hauntingly beautiful song, choosing The Way I Am was too safe and obvious. Still a very good performance. But hopefully her and Cee-Lo are more creative I the Live Show.

3. Matthew Schuler (Team Christina): Young the Giant, Fall Out Boy, Florence + the Machine, can’t wait to see what he has in store for the Live Shows.

4. Austin Jenckes (Team Blake): After the disastrous Knockout Rounds last season where the majority of the people who went home based on bad song choices alone, it is not surprising many singers played it safe this season (oh, if only Holly played it safe), but I’ll Be was Austin’s most boring performance of his three. Yeah he deserved to win this round, but I thought Brandon’s pick of Even if it Breaks Your Heart much more interesting.

5. Jacquie Lee (Team Christina): Well that was fun. Still I think I am watching a high school talent show whenever she performs. She needs a breakout moment soon because the second spot on Christina’s team is wide open because everyone else on her team has not been inspiring as of late except for Matthew. (Hopefully the bored housewives do not ruin things by flooding the telephone line for Josh or country fans for Olivia because Jacquie and Stephanie are much better.)

6. Ray Boudreaux (Team Blake): Not much to say, just another solid performance. I am still waiting for a great one, solid performances will get him a few rounds, but still needs a great one to be a contender.

7. Jonny Gray (Team Cee-Lo): Jonny really needs to let Cee-Lo pick his songs because the ones he picks for himself just do not fit him very well. Refugee, Cee-Lo’s pick, remains his best performance this season.

8. Preston Pohl (Team Adam): Oh goodness no; bad song choice. Compare that to Lina, who I did not care for through the first two rounds, picked a much more inspiring song and did a better job. In the past, Adam usually goes with who was best in the moment, but with all his picks this season, he has gone with potential over best in the moment (compared with Blake who always went with potential but screwed things up big time this season going with Nic over Holly).

9. Grey (Team Adam): Last Power Rankings I hoped Grey would start doing more interesting songs. Instead she picked the most boring song in the Kelly Clarkson catalogue. Should I assume My Life Would Suck without You is next?

10. Amber Nicole (Team Christina Cee-Lo) : Amber definitely should have won her round, but I am not sure if the performance was worth a Steal considering there were much better people who lost that came after her that did not get stolen (Holly, Juhi, I may have even taken James Irwin or Destinee Quinn just because they would have better chances of advancing than Amber).

11. Shelbie Z. (Team Blake): Another decent performance but it is hard to image Shelbie even making it to the Knockout Rounds let alone the Live Shows had she been on Blake’s country only team last season. She is much more Liz Davis, who was eliminated as soon as America got to vote, than any of his country acts last season.

12. Stephanie Anne Johnson (Team Christina Cee-Lo Christina): She did way too much to this song. Again, Christina would have been much better suited saving Holly or Juhi.

13. Will Champlin (Team Adam Christina Adam): I thought Will should have won his Battle and Christina stealing him was much deserved. This performance was boring and a bit off and not really Save worthy. Adam should have passed him, went to the end of the round with his Save intact and went back and retroactively saved Holly instead.

14. Tamara Chauniece (Team Cee-Lo): Didn’t Whitney Myers do a reggae infused version on No One on the show already? And did it much better. Yet Whitney did not make the Live Show and Tamara did. Go figure.

15. Tessanne Chin (Team Adam): Another boring performance of a boring pop song. I hate when this show rewards the lack of creativity. I was not a fan of Ashley’s Blind Audition, but I would have definitely taken her here, at least she was trying.

16. Olivia Henken (Team Christina): I suggested last week Olivia should stick with up-tempo songs as Done. was significantly better than Two Black Cadillacs and after this performance, I stick by this assessment. Olivia only won because Destinee was just worse. Maybe since Done was each of their best performances of the season, Christina should turn Olivia and Stephanie into a duo and fill her open spot with Holly.

17. Josh Logan (Team Christina): Another boring karaoke version of a song where he tried to sound too much like the original artist.

18. James Wolpert (Team Adam): When Amanda Brown sang Dream On on season three, I was thinking this is good, but if she does not hit that high note at the end it would be a failure. I thought the same thing when James said he was singing More than a Feeling, a song where you have to hit those notes a couple times. James did not hit those notes, not once. Not even close. James over Juhi was the second worse decision this season. And Juhi was just great, thoroughly engaging, picking a great song that took a pot shot at her former coach (Cee-Lo actually seemed to enjoy it). The Live Show will be a lot less interesting with James instead of Juhi. Making things worse, Adam said he did not steal Holly because she did not live up to the potential of her Blind Audition, then the next day picks James who been on a bigger slide than Holly, I did not think James even deserved to win his Battle Round.

19. Kat Robichaud (Team Cee-Lo): Oh please make it stop, one of the worst performances of the week. I do not know why Cee-Lo, and the show’s producers who stick her in every promo, keep pushing her. It seems pretty clear to me Caroline and Jonny have the fan votes sewn up. Why is it every season Cee-Lo always has two really good contestants and the rest who have no right being part of the Live Shows?

20. Nic Hawk (Team Adam Blake): I will say this about Nic; he made history twice this season. First he was the worst Steal ever in the history of the show and then he was on the winning end of the worst decision ever in the history of the show when Blake inexplicably picked him over Holly. He is also the least talented singer to make the Live Shows that is not named Erin Martin. Thankfully the Vote for the Worst people closed up shop earlier this year so Nic has no chance of advances. Unless Blake bizarrely saves him for a third time.

Only nine Holly references in the Power Rankings, not bad, that is less than half. For the last time I will do this season, let’s see who has the strongest team (it is silly to argue strongest team once America starts voting). I assigned 20 points to number one on the power rankings and one to last and here is what comes out:

Blake – 36
Adam - 42
Christina – 52
Cee-Lo – 53

Despite dumping his best talent, Blake managed to make it to number one will all his singers in the top 11 (they all would have been in the top 12 had he taken Holly). It also helped he had the best Steal of the round. But who cares what I think, let’s look who the music buying public likes, here is how all the songs from the show peaked this past week (Audition and Battle rounds are italicized).

1. Cole Vosbury (18)
2. Caroline Pennell (27)
3. Matthew Schuler (50)
4. Will Champlin (85)
5. Caroline Pennell – As Long as You Love Me (97)
6. Preston Pohl (167)
7. Jacquie Lee (204)
8. Preston Pohl – Electric Feel (214)
9. Preston Pohl – I Wish it Would Rain (255)
10. Tessanne Chin (284)
11. Austin Jenckes (295)
12. Caroline Pennell – Anything Can Happen (298)
13. Grey (304)
14. Nic Hawk (306)
15. Jonny Grey (349)
16. Ray Boudreaux (330)
17. Stephanie Anne Johnson (388)
18. Holly Henry – The Scientist (399)
19. Jacquie Lee - House of the Rising Son (472)
20. Josh Logan (492)
21. James Wolpert (545)
22. Kat Robichaud (549)
23. James Wolpert – Love Interrupted (589)
24. Matthew Schuler – Cough Syrup (654)
25. Jonny Grey – Refugee (738)
26. Shelbie Z. (776)
27. Juhi – Best I Ever Had (786)
28. Torn – Holly Henry (1072)
29. Matthew Schuler – My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (1019)
30. Tessanne Chin – Try (1157)
31. Jonny Grey – All These Things I’ve Done (1197)
32. James Wolpert – Radioactive (1224)
33. Tamara Chauniece (1272)
34. Josh Logan – Harder to Breathe (1292)
35. Will Champlin – Radioactive (1324)
36. James Irwin – Counting Stars (1342)
37. Austin Jenckes – To Love Somebody (1357)
38. Olivia Henkin (1356)
39. Cole Vosbury – Africa (1460)
40. Tessanne Chin – Next to Me (1375)

Please note Amber Nicole was the only Knockout performance to not make the top 1500 yet four songs by eliminated contestants, half by Holly Henry herself, did; again Cee-Lo, not the wisest steal ever. Actually this week, Holly's six week old The Scientist charted higher than the Knockout Round songs by seven people moving on to the Live Shows, the montaged Torn and Juhi's Best I Ever Had also bested three who are advancing. No wonder ratings tanked on Tuesday after Holly was eliminated. You probably should not dump a fan favorite just before fans start voting.  But anyway. If you use the same methodology as I did to see who had the best team based on my Power Rankings, here is how the teams rank based iTunes this week.

Adam – 65
Blake – 57
Christina – 50
Cee-Lo - 38

Oh Cee-Lo, not only did you Steal the only singer in the top twenty, you let some steal the person with the highest charting song this week. Even with the second highest charting singer, he is still last by a long mile. Now if you take the average how high each of the final twenty charted during the three rounds, which probably gives you the best idea of who are the favorites, this is how they rank:

1. Caroline Pennell (84)
2. Preston Pohl (88.3)
3. Matthew Schuler (153)
4. Jacquie Lee (266)
5. Will Champlin (267)
6. Tessanne Chin (275.6)
7. Austin Jenckes (292)
8. Jonny Grey (301.3)
9. James Wolpert (357.6)
10. Ray Boudreaux (436)
11. Josh Logan (455)
12. Grey (462.6)
13. Shelbie Z. (702)
14. Nic Hawk (785)
15. Cole Vosbury (800)
16. Kat Robichaud (1046.3)*
17. Stephanie Anne Johnson (1084.3)*
18. Amber Nicole (1120)**
19. Olivia Henken (1124)
20. Tamara Chauniece (1333.6)*

* These singers missed the top 1500 once so for the times they missed, I gave those 1500 for the missing song so I could add them to this list so there is a very good chance their numbers are inflated. Amber Nicole actually missed the top 1500 twice including her Knockout Round performance. Let m,e say it one more time, Cee-Lo would have been served saving Holly or Juhi who were much more deserving (same goes to Christina). Even James Irwin and Destinee Quinn would have a better shot at advancing than Amber or Stephanie. I almost feel bad for Grey, she is fifth on her team on this list but would be third on Team Blake or Cee-Lo and close to third on Christina's team.

Prediction time: assuming that the first round of Live Shows are the same as the last two where America saves two singers from each team and each coach saves one more for a final 12, here are my predictions on how it shapes out.

America saves Preston and Tessanne, Adam saves James
America saves Austin and Cole, Blake saves Ray
America saves Matthew and Jacquie, Christina saves Josh
America saves Caroline and Jonny, Cee-Lo saves Kat

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 11/3/13

Homeland: Did the writers not think we would initially think the dude crossing the border at the start of the episode was the Iranian dude come to meet Carrie? It seems like they did not even try to make us think otherwise aside from the creepy scene where he watched some chick while indulging in this nation’s finest fast food meal. But the question is if the Iranians made Carrie during her yoga class or not? Saul did not seem very worried. I do hope that now that she is hope, that is the end of Dana’s crazy love affair, but I fear it is not the last we see of the boyfriend. He will probably end up stalking her.

The Walking Dead: So Carol killed and burned the two sick people. I kind of got a feeling it may be her when Tyrone snuck up on her by the water. I figured it would be her or the other black dude. And now she is all alone in a prison full of sick people and Rick. Though still no indication on who was feeding walkers. The rest of the episode felt like too much of a set up. It took them way too long to talk about the veterinary hospital and actually leave for it.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Revenge: In maybe the least surprising twist ever, Victoria’s other son tried to kill Conrad. What was surprising is she got Charlotte to confess. Alrighty. Not sure why she would fall on that sword.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

Masters of Sex: Oh devote Christians. How do you think just lying together would get your pregnant? The sad thing is, I actually believe that were people who did not were unaware of how sex worked. There may even be some still around today.

The Voice: What the frack just happen? I cannot see how even Holly Henry at her worst could be beaten by Nic Hawk at his best. That was the worst decision ever in the history of The Voice, overtaking the time when Cee-Lo inexplicitly picked Erin Martin over The Shields Brothers. Holly had a legitimate chance to win while Nic will be off the show by this time next week. That decision was just befuddling. What made things worse is Adam said he did not Steal Holly because she had not lived up to her Blind Audition, and the very next day picked James who downward trajectory has been much steeper than Holly’s. I am really ready for a reboot of the coaching panel. Then maybe they can bring back some of the singers that got royally screwed over by some bad coaching decisions. I am thinking of doing a list of the 25 Singers that Deserve a Second Chance on The Voice in lieu of a Power Rankings tomorrow. I cannot believe I am unable to buy Holly's version of Creep on iTunes.

To show you just how bad a decision picking Nic was, Genie in a Bottle was his highest charting song so far this season, but it still did chart as high as Holly's Torn which got five seconds of air time. As I write this Sunday morning, Genie in a Bottle is completely off the top 1500 while the seven week old The Scientist is still on the chart. And though we will never know just how well Holly's version of Creep would have done on the iTunes charts, it does say a lot that after her performance, the twenty year old original made it into the iTunes top 200 overall chart, something none of the originals did (aside from Let Her Go which despite the coaches calling obscure, was already in the top 10 prior to the show). Dumping someone who has a legitimate chance to win for someone who will be voted out the first chance America has a stay just was the dumbest idea ever in the history of bad ideas. Maybe it was not a coincidence that ratings tanked Tuesday, a day after Holly was eliminated dropping 0.7 ratings points from Monday and down 0.6 from the week before (what is even worse is this week was two hours compared to one last week and two hours shows do much better in a vacuum because they continue to grow as the night goes on). And despite premiering to its best numbers ever (that were not aided by the Super Bowl), Tuesday's episode was just 0.3 ratings higher than the series low ratings and the lowest rated Knockout Round episode in the three seasons of the Knockout Rounds. Seriously The Voice, how about not knocking out one of the fan favorites otherwise you are going to quckly turn into American Idol. Or worse, The X-Factor.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download songs performed this week with the widget at right.

The Blacklist: It says something about the writing that it seemed like every other scene I was flipping back and forth between thinking Tom was a traitor and he was being set up by Red. Sure his name was cleared, but those dudes watching still think there is something else going on with him, and I am inclined to believe him.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: Not surprisingly Tara’s plan is starting to unravel. Maybe you should not have included a drug addict and a former cop to help you out on your plan. Now the question is just when will Jax catch on to Tara’s plan?
You can download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water: Oh Hayden, that was a douchebag move, when you say your relationship is bigger than the game, then she asks you to switch with her, you have to. You cannot Jedi mind trick her into not thinking she should switch. This season will be a lot less entertaining without Kat. Then you had the chick alliance get rid of their second straight female in a row. How do you start out with a five to one female to male ratio and then go into the merge three chicks one dude? Kat and Laura B. would have been much more loyal than Vytas who will either go back to his dude alliance or possibly team up with Aras, neither are good scenarios for the female’s game. Then if either Laura’s make it back in the game, they certainly will not want to get back together with you. They may not even get Ciera to flip to their side. These last two votes are probably the dumbest move by any alliance that did not involve throwing a challenge.
You can stream recent episodes on cbs.com. You can also download Survivor: Blood vs. Water on iTunes.

Nashville: How everyone just happened to show up at the polo match was a bit comical (what, Avery was hired as a waiter?). But even more entertaining is whenever Juliet is annoyed. It is really amazing just how good Hayden Paintiere is on this show.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

Parenthood: If I were Kristina, I would have went hard negative on Bob Little and create an attack ad of him getting out of his van blaring Blurred Line and say he promotes date rape followed by the scary voice-over dude saying, “You know you don’t want Bob Little.” And c’mon Crosby, it is one thing to be forced into buying a minivan, but you at the very least have to put your foot down and make your wife trade in her car, not yours.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 11/2/13

Quote of the Week: I would switch because I’m afraid I won’t do well in this duel because it’s a puzzle and I can’t even spell. But I would switch. (Kat Edorsson, Survivor: Blood vs. Water)

Song of the Week: Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr. (The Goldbergs)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: The Red Sox Win Another World Series: For the third time in a decade the Boston Red Sox with the face of the steroids scandal from their city winning the MVP. Wake me up when the asterisk era is finally over in Major League Baseball.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“John 8:32” Sons of Anarchy, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX

Free Download of the Week: 24 Hours – Sky Ferrera (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 Each: This month’s discounted albums include Johnny Cash, A Tribe Called Quest, Mazzy Star, and Passenger.


New Album Release of the Week: The Marshall Mathers LP2 - Eminem

New DVD Release of the Week: Mad Men: Season Six

Video of the Week: Sad day Wednesday when Kat was booted from Survivor. Sure I was prepared for it all week considering most of the Redemption challenges have been puzzles, and Kat cannot even spell let alone do a puzzle. It is a shame she did not make the merge to at the very least be part of the Jury because when she was voted out of One World was the single greatest Ponderosa episode ever in the history of the show. We did get Kat on the After Show and since it was Halloween, both Kat and host Parvoti Shallow dressed up like kats. Can they just make Kat the permanent co-host?


Next Week Pick of the Week: Once Upon a Time, Sunday at 8:00 on ABC: Considering mermaids showed up in the season premiere, it was only a matter of time before The Little Mermaid showed up (apparently I was wrong thinking that the mermaid they captured in the premiere was Ariel). But goodness the preview for next week looks bad, especially the poor Ursula CGI. At least it cannot be as boring as this week’s Captain Hook centric episode.

We Named the Dog Indiana

Last month apparently was Indiana Jones Month on CBS as episodes of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother centered on exploits of the greatest fake archaeologist ever. (Thankfully no one was forced to make homage to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull… yet.) That continues here as I inducted the original trilogy into the Scooter Hall of Fame. For men of a certain age, Harrison Ford is a god among men; the guy went from Han Solo to Indiana Jones. No one comes close to that two headed monster. The only person who comes close is Samuel L. Jackson but he was still a bit player in Star Wars and The Avengers.

Screw Amy Farrah Fowler and her silly logical takedown of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who cares if the Nazi faces would have melted off even if Indiana Jones was not even in the film, it is the journey that matters. And what a journey it was. Indiana Jones was the first action movie I saw that was legitimately funny. There was not a one-liner Harrison Ford did not like to crew on and it was only equaled with his comical hatred of snakes (full disclosure notice: I have the same totally rational hatred of the creature). Armed with only a bull whip, Indiana Jones trotted across the globe on a race to find the rarest of artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands.

The second installment, The Temple of Doom got dark, like rip your beating heart out of your chest and you do not even die dark. The temple in question involved child slavery, black magic and ritual human sacrifice. That was even out by giving Indy a side kick Short Round (who had a nice one-two punch himself as his second movie he played Data in The Goonies but was rarely seen after that). The film also featured a very memorable mine cart chase that should have been made into a rollercoaster ride (at least one in America, there is one in Disneyland Paris).

As dark as the Temple of Doom was, they went the complete opposite route with the follow up The Last Crusade, no beating hearts being ripped, not even any melting Nazi faces. They even went so far away from the previous movie that they replaced the teenaged Short Round as the side kick with Indy’s elderly father (a very game Sean Connery). Though not as entertaining as the first two, it was entertaining to watch the two leads try to out grouch each other.

The less said about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull the better.

Around the Tubes: 10/31/13

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 Detective, Time of Death, Ground Floor, HBO Boxing After Dark, Queen Gorya, American Masters, Against the Tide, Rickie Lee Jones, Marco Argiro, and Conan.

- HBO has released a new trailer for its highly anticipated upcoming series True Detective as well as a companion website: darknessbecomesyou.com. Check out the trailer below:


- The groundbreaking six-episode Showtime documentary series Time of Death will premiere tomorrow. It intimately follows the final days of a truly remarkable group of terminally ill people and how their imminent mortality affects their family and friends, sometimes in surprising ways, and the support their caregivers/healthcare workers provide while guiding them through the final stages of life. It’s an unforgettable, unflinchingly candid series and each unique, emotionally resonant story serves as a tangible, hopeful reminder of the finite nature of time and mortality. Check out a clip below:


- TBS is giving comedy fans the chance to preview the network's brand new original sitcom Ground Floor one week before the show's "Super-Sized" premiere on television. Starting Thursday, Nov. 7, viewers can watch the entire first episode of Ground Floor via the TBS website (tbs.com) or the Watch TBS apps for iOS and Android devices, as well as through participating TV providers' websites and apps. The episode will be available for viewing through Thursday, Nov. 14, when TBS will launch Ground Floor with two back-to-back episodes, starting at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). To view the sneak preview episode of TBS's Ground Floor, users must log in with their TV provider username and password.

- HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise presents a twin bill of hard-hitting action highlighted by a red-hot middleweight title showdown when HBO Boxing After Dark: Gennady Golovkin vs. Curtis Stevens and Mike Perez vs. Magome Abdusalamov returns to The Theater at Madison Square Garden for an epic showdown airing Saturday, November 2 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) exclusively on HBO.

- Actress Haley Hudson, ("Weeds" "Ghost Whisperer") is launching a campaign to fund a pilot for a proposed TV series called Queen Gorya. Haley, who is best known for the hit films "Freaky Friday" and "Marley & Me," has joined with Canadian/Finnish actress Satu Runa to fund a horror-themed comedy series that recalls some of the characters of classic horror films. Graphic novel writer Andrew Harrison is executive producing the proposed pilot which would star Haley and Satu. Head over to Kickstarter to learn more and contribute.

- PBS and Thirteen's American Masters series present a special in memoriam broadcast of the 1998 documentary Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart beginning tomorrow at 10pm nationwide on PBS (check local listings).

- Did University of Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and University of Southern California coach John McKay purposefully schedule the first game of the 1970 season – the first time a fully integrated team had played in Alabama – as a statement against segregation? Or was it simply another game between two college football powerhouses whose coaches were close personal friends? What were Bryant’s and McKay’s motives for the last-minute addition of USC, a fully integrated team ranked by some as the No. 1 team in the country, to the 1970 Alabama schedule? SHOWTIME Sports® examines these questions in the film Against the Tide, a feature-length documentary from EMMY Award winning producer Ross Greenburg; premiering Friday, Nov. 15 at 10:00 on Showtime.

- Grammy-award winning Ricky Lee Jones will release a new record consisting of original material for the first time in 10 years. For the album, due next year, the legendary artist has chosen PledgeMusic's direct-to-fan platform rather than a traditional label release.

- Following a successful stint fronting Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, The Killing Floor’s Marco Argiro stepped out solo with his September 2013 release Love. The title track's video takes a stand for the message, “All you need is love,” reinventing it for a new generation. Watch Love below:


- For the first time since his surprise appearance in March 2012 to announce the greenlighting of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) will once again appear on Conan. Burgundy, who surprised CONAN's audience with a skillfull jazz flute during that 2012 appearance, will sit down with Conan O'Brien for a much longer conversation on Thursday, Nov. 21.

I Want My Music Television: 10/30/13

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.


Reflektor - Arcade Fire


I have never been the biggest Arcade Fire fan (I do have a few songs on my library like Wake Up) because I find Win Butler’s voice a bit annoying and their new disco turn is probably not going to convert me. But those creepy masks would make for a good Halloween costume for those that need a last minute idea. Granted If I saw someone wearing one these tomorrow, I am running the other way.


All Of Me - John Legend


For his last music video, John Legend recruited a bunch of models to lay around naked. He probably saved a little more money this time around getting his Sports Illustrated bikini model wife to strip down for him.


All The Love You Got - Diane Birch


I am sure there is some deep symbolism in this Diane Birch video, white chick wearing black; black chick wearing white, but the meaning is really lost on me.


Back From The Dead - Skylar Grey featuring Big Sean & Travis Barker



Another symbolism heavy video, this time from Skylar grey, which is again lost on me. And I really wished people would stop trying to make Big Sean a thing.

Previewing Doomsday Preppers and Life Below Zero

This past weekend National Geographic Channel aired American Blackout, a fictional account of what may happen if terrorists attack out electrical grid. Of course the film featured a prepper and now their series Doomsday Preppers is returning for a new season. Unfortunately, neither preppers featured tonight, or even next week, features someone prepping for an inevitable attack on our electrical grid which seems more plausible than what a few of these people are prepping for.

First up tonight is Rodney who is actually prepping for something reasonable, a tsunami that could hit the Alaskan shoreline pretty hard. But of course the way he goes about it is off the deep end like buying an actual armored tank and sinking prepping supplies to the bottom where no one would think to look for them (unless of course they watched this episode). But the most entertaining part if his daughter who clearly has no desired to be filmed as not to be associated with these extreme views. We also get a bit of irony tonight visiting Curt who is prepping for an economic collapse, and despite the government’s best effort earlier this month, it is something that is still highly unlikely. Instead Curt, who lives in a densely wooded area of Oregon, should instead have spent his time and money prepping for a wildfire, which actually threatened his house while filming the episode.

But the real extremists show up next week. Fearing the atomic bomb dropped by our own government Chad has built an escape route via a fourteen-inch tube and the length of a football field to a bug-out vehicle. I am pretty sure one of his daughters blinked “Help me” in Morris Code. Also this season, you will meet people prepping for a domestic terrorist attack, someone who flees to Costa Rica to become more self reliant, a super tornado, a mega lightning storm, another one prepping for a financial catastrophe, and someone building booby-traps to protect his family in a Doomsday scenario.

After Doomsday Preppers, there is a new season of Life Below Zero. The show features six families in Alaska ranging from 122 south of the arctic circle all the way to 197 north of the circle; from the coastline to all the way inland near the Canadian border. This is the time of place where the inhabitants consider 40 degrees as crazy hot and the closest grocery store may be 500 miles away.

Doomsday Preppers airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel followed by Life Below Zero. You can download Doomsday Preppers on iTunes.

The Voice Season 5 Battle Round Power Rankings

As we enter the third season of The Steal, they were one again hit or miss. I thought Juhi, Will, Monika, and Stephanie all deserved their Steals. The other four were really head-scratching. I was with Blake in that Cee-Lo should have stolen Barry Black, but then again Cee-Lo was the only one that ended up using both Steals wisely. Maybe had Blake not wasted both of his Steals on Knockout Round fodder, he would have had one to use himself on someone much more worthy like Barry. Donna Allen was the only other singer that we saw that stood out to me as Save-worthy. I did like Lupe Carroll’s Blind Audition so I do wish he would have gotten a Steal, or they should have at least shown him singing Africa which I am guessing had to be better than some of the Battles they actually showed. Oh well, here is my updated ranking of those that did move on to the Knockout Round.

1. Austin Jenckes (Team Blake): Every season there always is a Battle or two where it sound like less like a duet and more of a Motown group with a single lead singer, this was the case for this Battle where Austin was Smokey Robinson and Brian came off as one of the Miracles.

2. Caroline Pennell (Team Cee-Lo): When Cee-Lo said she had to sing Justin Beiber I feared for Caroline because Beiber (and teen pop in general) has been a curse to anyone who sings him because there is just a cheesiness to him and teen pop in general. But wow, Caroline took this corny pop song and found a beautiful darkness in it. I do not know who did the arrangement for the song, be it Caroline, Anthony, Cee-Lo, or the band, but kudos to them.

3. Holly Henry (Team Blake): I will not complain anymore about how and why Holly was montoged, I did enough of that yesterday. The five seconds we got to hear her sing Torn on the show were solid and the studio version is really good (click Holly’s name, or any contestant’s name, to buy it on iTunes). I did have to put Austin and Caroline above her because theirs were the only great Battle Round performances, but Holly’s performance of The Scientist remains the best performance so far this season.

4. Preston Pohl (Team Adam): Dude can sing MGMT, then follow that up with The Temptations, and he did them both justice. Make you wonder what else Preston has in his musical quiver.

5. Ray Boudreaux (Team Blake): There really is not much to Ray, but he is just clean and smooth and could be a dark horse when people start voting.

6. Destinee Quinn (Team Christina): Destinee has a glaring flaw during her Blind Audition with a lack of consistency. She definitely ironed that out by her, if her future performances are as good as her Battle Round performance, she could end up as Christina’s last person standing.

7. Jacquie Lee (Team Christina): When Jacquie started out, I could not help but think to last season when Amy Whitcomb sang the song and Blake said (badly paraphrasing because I am too lazy to get the direct quote), “The song ended a whole lot better than it started.” It was a rough start and it seemed like House of the Rising Sun is just a very hard song to start (especially for the ladies that cannot reach the bottom as well as Eric Burdon can) and it looks like Jacquie drew the short straw have to start off the song. But like Amy, Jacquie ended the song a lot better than it started. Briana may have been more consistent, but Jacquie at her best was definitely better than Briana at her best during the song.

8. Matthew Schuler (Team Christina): A silly song choice, but I would take it over the well worn songs that many of the coaches forced on their singers.

9. Olivia Henken (Team Christina): Well that was fun. I found her audition a little too mediocre Carrie-oke, but Done. was much more entertaining. Hopefully she sticks to more fun upbeat songs otherwise I give the edge to Destinee for Christina’s token absurdly attractive country singer.

10. Monika Leigh (Team Cee-Lo Cee-Lo): I was a little surprised that Blake paired Monika and Ray together, more than any other coach, Blake pairs his favorites with ones he is ready to dump. I thought bother were destined to at least make it to the Knockout Rounds on his team, if not the Live Shows. This ended up being Blake’s best Battle (granted half of his were montaged) and though Ray was slightly better, Monika got one of the few well deserved saved this season.

11. Juhi (Team Cee-Lo Adam): I was ready for Juhi to leave the show after her screeching during the rehearsal, but by the time she hit the stage, she was much better and definitely deserved to win her battle. She does need a little more fine tuning and I definitely trust Adam to do that better than Cee-Lo. So how the battle ended may be the best for her in the long run. I also have to say I have long thought that Twitter was the internet for stupid people. That thawed a little when Prince joined the site and it thawed a little more when Juhi tweeted this after her Battle:

@CeeLoGreen And although there's pain in my chest I still wish you the best! I'm like Forget you <3
— Juhi (@Juhix3) October 22, 2013

12. Cole Vosbury (Team Cee-Lo): I am having trouble to believe that the dude who sang The Theme to the Jefferson’s in the Blind Auditions and then sang Toto’s Africa was any worse than half of the Battles we had to sit through this season.

13. Jonny Gray (Team Cee-Lo): After his Blind Audition, I was hoping Cee-Lo would find a great song that suited him, and a little Tom Petty did the trick.

14. Will Champlin (Team Adam Christina): The most evenly matched Battle this season, maybe ever. I would have given the slight edge to Will because he has a little more something to his voice…

15. James Wolpert (Team Adam): …where James’s voice, though good, can be as bland as his look. If he is going to rock the accountant look, hopefully he just embarrasses the look and starts singing some Weezer, Ben Folds, or Barenaked Ladies.

16. Grey (Team Adam): Kind of the female version of Ray, it is hard to pinpoint what is good about her voice other it is the kind of voice you can sit back and soak in. But after two bland pop songs, I do hope she does something a little more interesting in the Knockout Round.

17. Stephanie Anne Johnson (Team Christina Cee-Lo): Every Blind Auditions there are a couple contestants who have to choose between two or more coaches and after they pick, I sit that and shake my head thinking they should have went with the other one. Then inevitably they are paired with someone during the Battles who the coach likes much better to the point they give them a song that is much more suited to the other singer and once again I shake my head thinking, you really should have picked that other coach. Stephanie was on of those contents who thought would have been much better off choosing Cee-Lo over Christina. Luckily for Stephanie, she eventually found her way to Cee-Lo’s team.

18. Briana Cuoco (Team Christina Blake): Wins the award for most improved. Although for someone whose reasoning for going with Blake because he won three straight year, I would think someone who knows the show this well would know Blake only uses his Steals as fodder I the next round. Lucky for Briana, the show has added a Steal to the Knockout Rounds. So maybe she may find her way back to Team Christina because I would be shocked if she made it to the Live Shows with Blake.

19. Amber Nicole (Team Christina): There is always a montage contestant that wins a Battle or two every season, but Amber winning was still a bit shocking because I thought the producers were setting up Timya as one of the frontrunners this season and not only did she lose, she did not get a Steal. But Amber definitely deserved to win this Battle.

20. Tamara Chauniece (Team Cee-Lo): Montage win. Yawn.

21. Lina Gaudenzi (Team Christina Adam): Lina was all over the place during her Blind Audition, she was a bit better this round, but I am not sure it was worth a steal.

22. Shelbie Z. (Team Blake): For the first three seasons, Blake only took one country artist to the Live Rounds, and only one of them advanced one round when they got there. Last season there were five country singers better than any of those in the first three seasons including Savannah Berry who did not even make the Live Shows. Shelbie reminds me of those in the first three seasons who will likely be one round and done unless Blake saves her. I would even venture to say one of Christina’s country singers may actually go further.

23. James Irwin (Team Adam): Maybe the second most even Battle of the season, but I could not help but thinking who ever won would end up being Knockout Round fodder on Adam’s team.

24. Tessanne Chin (Team Adam): I liked her Battle Round performance more than her Blind Audition, but her beating Donna was one of the most egregious decisions of the round.

25. Kat Robichaud (Team Cee-Lo): During the Blind Auditions, I feared that with Cee-Lo Kat would easily go over the top with her performances and that came to fruition with a cringeworthy performance of the severely overused karaoke staple I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing. I could not help thinking during the performance that the montages could not have been as bad as this. Seriously, they skipped of Africa for this performance?

26. Ashley DuBose (Team Adam): You have to wonder just how bad a performance of a song that featured not one but two coaches had to be to get the montage treatment. And judging by Adam’s stinkface when Ashley told him what she will be singing in the Knockout Rounds, she will probably not make the Live Shows without a Steal.

27. Anthony Paul (Team Cee-Lo Christina): I am not entirely sure what Christina saw in this guy, when I think back to his Battle, my only memories are of Caroline who just dominated the song.

28. Josh Logan (Team Christina): During his Blind Audition, Josh sounded a lot like Alex Clare, and during the Battle Rounds it sounded like he was trying to sound like Adam Levine too, but this time around he failed massively. I really have no interest in listening to copy cats. Michael not winning this battle was the second biggest mistake made by any coach made this round.

29. E.G. Daily (Team Blake): Montage win. Yawn.

30. Brandon Chase (Team Blake): Montage win. Yawn.

31. George Horga Jr. (Team Cee-Lo): It is really never a good sign when half the coaches spend most of their time talking about a bum note (that first “Best I ever had” was really bad) and after you are gone the other three coaches talk about how shocked they were when you were picked. Cee-Lo has made some of the dumbest decision on the show and nothing will probably ever beat Erin Martin over The Sheilds Brothers, but this may very well be number two.

32. Nic Hawk (Team Adam Blake): One of the most entertaining people this season, but his voice is just too musical theater for a singing competition. Blake likes to waste his Steals on Knockout Round fodder, but Nic was the most unworthy Steal in the series history.

Now it is time to see who has the strongest team coming out of the Battle Rounds (going in I had Cee-Lo followed by Adam, Christina, and Blake pulling up the rear). I gave the person last one point and firs 32 points and added the points up by teams and here is how they stack up:

Christina – 146
Cee-Lo – 134
Blake – 124
Adam – 124

So Christina leapfrogs Adam and Cee-Lo while Adam sinks all the way to last. But who cares what I think, here is how high each singer reached during the Battle Round (I also included any Blind Auditions italics that made the charts over the past two weeks to give you a sense about who the iTunes population is most enthusiastic about). Those that are not on this list did not make the top 1500 Overall chart (at least i never saw them on it).

1. Caroline Pennell (35)
2. Jacquie Lee (77)
3. Preston Pohl (77)
4. Preston Pohl – Electric Feel (113)
5. Briana Cuoco (218)
6. Holly Henry – The Scientist (257)
7. Destinee Quinn (261)
8. Austin Jenckes (271)
9. Holly Henry (272)
10. Caroline Pennell – Anything Can Happen (273)
11. Juhi (280)
12. Jonny Grey (293)
13. James Wolpert – Love Interrupted (312)
14. Tessanne Chin (324)
15. Matthew Schuler (330)
16. James Irwin (336)
17. Amber Nicole (362)
18. Will Champlin (386)
19. James Wolpert (404)
20. Josh Logan (407)
21. George Horga Jr. (492)
22. Matthew Schuler – Cough Syrup (538)
23. Lina Gaudenzi (539)
24. Grey (569)
25. Jacquie Lee – Back to Black (589)
26. Anthony Paul (620)
27. Ray Boudreaux (628)
28. Shelbie Z. (665)
29. Olivia Henken (687)
30. Jonny Grey – All These Things I’ve Done (942)
31. Tessanne Chin – Try (1050)
32. Kat Robichaud (1090)
33. Cole Vosbury (1295)
34. Austin Jenckes – Simple Man (1346)
35. Brandon Chase (1417)
36. Nic Hawk (1418)

What is striking about this list is that three montaged contestants actually made this list (Holly, Cole and Brandon) and charted higher than three that had their full performance aired (Nic, Monika, and Stephanie). Holly alone did better than 20 other contestants that were show in their entirety. Here is how the teams shake out based on iTunes using the same methodology above:

Adam – 213
Christina – 189
Blake – 145
Cee-Lo – 120

Adam is on the top of the list followed by Christina, it helps when they had one montage Battle between them. If you are counting both the Blinds and Battles, Blake’s contestants were montaged five times, Cee-Lo four times, Christina twice, and only one for Adam. Then Adam’s contestants closed out four episodes, Christina twice, Blake once, and Cee-Lo only once, and that was the final Blind Audition. Gee, I wonder who the producers want to win. Keep in mind aside from winning the first season neither Adam or Christina finished better than third, and if there were no team quotas back in season two, they may not have finished that high. Clearly the producers have their favorites but if you want to know who the real front runners are when the Live Rounds starts, here is how the contestants rank if you average how high each of their songs charted during both rounds.

1. Preston Pohl (49)
2. Caroline Pennell (112.5)
3. Holly Henry (147.5)
4. Matthew Schuler (204.5)
5. James Wolpert (264)
6. Tessanne Chin (271.5)
7. Jonny Grey (277.5)
8. Austin Jenckes (290.5)
9. Jacquie Lee (297)
10. Will Champlin (358)
11. James Irwin (410)
12. Destinee Quinn (450)
13. Josh Logan (436.5)
14. Ray Boudreaux (489)
15. Grey (542)
16. Briana Cuoco (604.5)
17. Lina Gaudenzi (709.5)
18. Juhi (826)
19. Olivia Henken (847.5)
20. Brandon Chase (884.5)
21. Shelbie Z. (989)
22. Nic Hawk (1024.5)
23. Cole Vosbury (1191)

Despite being montage, Holly, is sitting at number three. It makes me wonder just how high she could have gotten if they showed more than five seconds of her singing. As I write this Preston and Holly are the only two that still have both of their songs in the top 1500, so those are your two front runners right now. Then really any of those in the top nine on this list I think have a chance of winning (interestingly enough, the top nine is evenly divided between the four teams with Adam getting the extra singer). Outside the top nine, I think Ray and whichever of Christina token absurdly attractive country singer makes it to the Live Shows could be dark horses. Everyone else I would put their chance of winning somewhere between slim and none. I do know the token absurdly attractive country singers are facing off in the Knockout Round because Entertainment Weekly released all the pairing. Here are who will be going against each other with who I think will win listed first and with the ones I am most confident listed in order of confidence.

Team Adam
Preston Pohl vs. Lina Gaudenzi
Tessanne Chin vs. Ashley Dubose
James Wolpert vs. Juhi
Grey vs. James Irwin

Team Blake
Holly Henry vs. Nic Hawk
Shelbie Z. vs. Briana Cuoco
Austin Jenckes vs. Brandon Chase
Ray Boudreaux vs. E.G. Daily

Team Cee-Lo
Jonny Grey vs. Cole Vosbury
Kat Robichaud vs. Monika Leigh
Caroline Pennell vs. George Horga Jr.
Stephanie Anne Johnson vs. Tamara Chauniece

Team Christina
Matthew Schuler vs. Will Champlin
Jacquie Lee vs. Anthony Paul
Josh Logan vs. Amber Nicole
Olivia Henken vs. Destinee Quinn

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 10/27/13

Once Upon a Time: Wow, these characters are stupid. You do not need Bellfire to crack the star map code: everybody knows the way to leave Neverland is take the second star to the right and go straight on ‘till morning. Now the hard part will be getting your hands on some fairy dust.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

Homeland: They could have easily had written out the Brody family after last season, and I am sure most viewers hoped for it, but I thought the writers had a real opportunity to look at the effects of the family left behind after learning their father and husband turned out to be a national pariah. Instead they just had Dana start up a crazy love affair with someone who may be a fratricidal murderer. I also figured that Carrie would eventually find her way back to the CIA by being a double agent against whoever the shady lawyer represented, but I would have never guessed that it was the plan from the start by Saul and Carrie.

The Walking Dead: You would think that if people know that everyone is already infected and you are living with old people that can kick it in the middle of the night, you would take more precautions to keep that from happening. Sure it would make for a less interesting show, but if I am living in a prison during a zombie apocalypse I would not be content with a sheet as a door, I would at the very least shut the door while I am sleeping or if there is a shortage of keys at the very least put some sort of noisemaker on the sheet if someone tries to stalk in at night.

We do get two mysteries during the episode, who is feeding the zombies rats at the gates, is it someone nefarious or one of the stupid kids feeling sorry for them? Then who is the person who lit the infected people on fire? Could it be the same person? I am guessing not as it seems the rat person may be a double agent for The Governor why the firestarter is just a concern, overzealous, health freak.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Revenge: So who tried to Conrad is going to be an actual mystery complete with a silly hashtag. Alrightly. I did not give much thought to it after it was revealed that the brakes were messed with. So I guess I should guess who did it: Victoria’s other son.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

Masters of Sex: It may get a little weird seeing Tinkerbell on Once Upon a Time and then an hour later seeing her sans her fairy costume an hour later. But anyway.

The Voice: I am a hug fan of montages, there are plenty of performances I sit through that I wished were montage. Except this season not only was number one on my Power Rankings, Holly Henry, was montage, so number two, Cole Vosbury. I really have a hard time believing that either of their battles was possibly worse than the Kat vs. R. Anthony Battle. What made things worse there were a couple of Battles that featured Steals that would have been montaged. Did anyone really need to sit through Grey vs. Nic even if there was a Steal involved? Blake's Steal of Nic was already the worst use of a Steal when it happened, and looked even worse when three montaged contestants, Holly, Cole, Brandon Chase, all charted higher than Nic.

I do sometime wonder if The Voice even knows who their audience is. Holly was one of only two contestants to make the top 25 on iTunes for their Blind Audition (only one other person made the top 100, and three more made the top 200). And yet everyone who bought her song had to wait a full month from her audition to see she got montaged on the final episode of the Blind Auditions. It says something that the montage segment has the second most views from Battles this week currently on YouTube (and the one video with more views was from Monday which was on the internet a full 24 hours longer) while Holly and Cilla’s After the Battle video of all the Battles, even the ones from the first week and doubling all but one other video. Holly's version of Torn even made the top 100 on the iTunes pop charts, higher than all but four other Battles this season. The Voice has been spending a lot of footage this season on Tessanne Chin, Kat Robichaud, and Matthew Schuler this season, but I am willing to bet Holly, Austin Jenckes, and Preston Pohl will get a lot more votes starting next week.

The unknowing of the audience of the show extends to the coaches when you had multiple awkward situations this week where the people that got stolen actually outsold the winning. In the last two seasons of Steals, that only happened once that I am aware of when Caroline Glaser charted higher than Danielle Bradbery by only a couple spot. Again Will Champlin just barely outsold James Wolpert. But then there is Juhi who charted over 200 spots higher than George Horga Jr.

Speaking of the Juhi vs. George battle, there have been plenty of stupid reasonings as to why a coach picked someone. Blake’s I am going to stick with what I know during his country or bust plan last season being one of the dumbest. But that was overtaken this season by Cee-Lo reason why he picked George, who was so unmemorable that I originally thought his Blind Audition was montage and then he went on to hit the worst note of the season, over “Baby Einstein” Juhi because he knew this was what he was doing while Juhi was also contemplating college. Seriously Cee-Lo, do not give that boy any false hope, pull that band aid off now because music is probably not going to be George’s best option especially if you are just going to dump him in the Knockout Round. That was the second worse decision Cee-Lo has ever made on the show just behind Erin Martin over the Shields Brothers.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download songs performed this week with the widget at right.


How I Met Your Mother: Does CBS own Indiana Jones stock or something? Two weeks ago The Big Bang Theory focused an entire episode around Raiders of the Lost Ark. Now How I Met Your Mother built their episode around a scene from The Last Crusade. I assume that 2 Broke Girls will spend an episode calling Han Short Round to check off The Temple of Doom. I wonder which CBS sitcom will be stuck doing homage to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Hopefully it was We Are Men and since it was canceled it will never see the light of day. No one needs to be reminded of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Blacklist: Really, that is where they are going to end the episode? Right when Lizzie’s husband shows her his shoe box of goodies? I hate when show like this. The only thing worse is when they do not start the very next episode where they left off and do not explain what happened until the middle or end of the next episode. I am guessing that, as I theorize when Lizzie first discovered it, that the box was planted there by Red (or maybe even those watching them) just to mess with her. If husband really is a double agent, why not bolt town after he realizes he has been made? Or at the very least kill wifey and make it look like an accident, why confront her?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: One thing really missing from the show (aside from good acting; at least they got the Token Hot Chick into her underwear this episode) is a long term antagonist. I was happy to see the evil doctor back thinking she may be it. Except she quickly died. Maybe the girl in the flower dress will become that. Unless of course she dies in the next episode she appears in.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: I have predicted it from the beginning, and we finally got actual visual confirmation, no dream sequences, no speculation, that Allison is actually alive. Now why is Ezra trying to kill her? And how did he get Mona, CeCe, and the rest of The “A” Team to carry out his evil doings? And why don’t these teenage girls ever go to the police when people are trying to harm them? And why doesn’t Hanna wear a corset every episode?

Ravenswood: I actually liked the set up of the show during Pretty Little Liars, but by the time the show premiered, I got bored really quick. It may have been a better idea just to give Caleb a Ravenswood storyline in Pretty Little Liars as opposed to giving him his own show. Or maybe they could have transitioned a little better by having a Liar or two stick around a couple minutes, especially Hanna in that costume. I am one hundred percent pro corset after seeing Hanna in that dress. I am still a little confused with what the show is about. So every time a solder comes home from war in Ravenswood, five teenagers die, and all happen to look exactly like the teenagers who died previously? Huh? After that ending, if it was not for the “next week on” package, I thought Ravenswood might have been a one episode special and not an actual series.

Sons of Anarchy: So that is Tara’s master plan? Fake a pregnancy then try to get Gemma to make you miscarry, and when she does not, panic and do it yourself? Alrighty. Seems a little convoluted and evil genius from a Bond overthinking to me.
You can download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water: Oh Kat, the first time you strategize in two seasons and it fails miserably. I really hope Redemption Island does not have any more puzzles so Kat has a chance of getting back in the game (granted does sorting numbers twenty at a time even quaify as a puzzle?). Either that or Hayden falls on the sword and takes her place.
You can stream recent episodes on cbs.com. You can also download Survivor: Blood vs. Water on iTunes.

Nashville: I was hoping that Layla was really going to turn out to be the oh shucks girl they introduced her as because I thought that would be the best foil for Juilette. But apparently she is undermining. I did not even realize what she did to Scarlett until Will called her out for it. If anything I thought Layla was taking pot shots at Danielle Bradbury, the most recent winner of The Voice.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

Once Upon a Time: Wonderland: Anastasia turning out to be the Red Queen was one of the easiest "plot twists" to spot ever. I saw thatcoming as soon as they showed just part of her back in bed. But I kind of want to see a show where Anastasia turns into the Red Queen, that would be a much more interesting show than the one they made.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Once Upon a Time in Wonderland on iTunes.

Parenthood: Let’s be honest, the beginning of this season has been mostly a bore. It did pick up a bit this week as Kristina’s conversation with Hank and drunk Joel were entertaining. But I do wonder if the dip in quality this season is linked to Camille’s new cat face which is really distracking. Seriously old people, just age gracefully, it is much better to look old than look like an alien.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 10/26/13

Quote of the Week: Our relationship is just starting and now I've, like, embarrassed all his friends. Who wants to date someone that doesn’t make the merge? (Kat Edorsson, Survivor: Blood vs. Water)

Song of the Week: This Town – Deacon Claybourne and Scarlett O’Conner (Nashville)

Scene of the Week:


And yes you can download If I Didn't Have You (Bernadette's Song) on iTunes

Big News of the Week: It’s the Start of the Jason Campbell Era in Cleveland: You want to know just how much it sucks to live in Cleveland, I actually got excited when I heard the Browns were benching Brandon Weeden after throwing two underhanded throws in consecutive weeks (in Weeden’s defense, only one of them was intercepted). Keep in mind Campbell will be the twentieth starting quarterback since the Browns returned in 1999.  That is two ahead of the Dolphins, the second most over that time period.  The league average is 11.3.  As Bill Simmons would say, God hates Cleveland.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Death and the Maiden” Ravenswood, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Speak a Little Louder – Diane Birch (NoiseTrade): Earlier this week I reviewed Diane Birch’s latest album (see Musings from the Back 9: Music Edition) and if you want to get sense of the album you can download this three song sampler which also includes a fourth song, Nothing but a Miracle off her debut album.

New Album Release of the Week: Under the Influence: Holiday Edition - Straight No Chaser

New DVD Release of the Week: Springsteen & I

Video of the Week: Just in time for the next Thor to be released into theaters, the new Captain America trailer is out and Winter Soldier features some familiar faces (Nick Fury, Black Widow), some new ones (Robert Redford as one of the senior leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Anthony Mackie as Falcon, a guy who can fly and talk to birds) and some dude with a mask (anyone who has read Winter Soldier knows who it is; or just anyone who recognizes him). Conspicuously absent is Emily Van Camp as another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (she is not playing Kristen from statistics) or anyone from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. which probably did not even start casting by the time Winter Soldier wrapped shooting (though maybe Steve Rodgers may show up on the television show in the future to promote their movies, or even better, Natalie Portman; but the best bet is Emily Van Camp, who is already on ABC television, will pop up in a cameo eventual). Captain America: Winter Soldier hits theaters in April which is around the time we will probably get our first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxies which will feature Vin Diesel as a tree and Bradley Cooper as a raccoon.


Next Week Pick of the Week: American Blackout, Sunday at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel: It does seem like our power grid going down is not a question of if rather a question of when (remember when some downed trees took out the eastern seaboard all the way to Canada and Ohio a decade ago; it is as east to shut down the western seaboard and Texas). The National Geographic Channel takes a look at what very well might happen with cell phone footage to add to the realism. Check out my full preview of American Blackout here.

Around the Tubes: 10/25/13

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 Being Human, Springsteen and I, Zombie Night, Conan, The Pete Holmes Show, ABC Family premiere dates, Falling Skies, renewal news, Face Off, Wake up Call, and Opposite Worlds.

- Being Human may not return until January, but you can check out a first look now:


- Springsteen & I is a unique feature music documentary celebrating rock icon, Bruce Springsteen and his hordes of adoring fans. Filmmaker Ridley Scott says, “This beautifully crafted film provides a unique insight into the powerful bond between a recording artist and those who connect so profoundly with his music.” Inspired by Scott Free London’s (who served as executive producers) critically acclaimed feature film Life In A Day, fans around the world submitted clips sharing stories about their relationship to Springsteen and his iconic music. Filmmakers capture these moments & include never-before-seen archive footage of Springsteen’s performances throughout his career, and his incredible music. Directed by Baillie Walsh and produced by Ridley Scott Associates / Black Dog Films, this is the ultimate filmmaking experience. Springsteen & I is a film for the people, by the people – filled with beloved songs and the stories they lived. Tonight at 9:00 on Showtime, audiences everywhere will learn how the sound of Springsteen became the soundtrack of America and feel the impact he has had on fans worldwide for the past four decades.

- Don't miss Zombie Night on Syfy, tomorrow at 9:00, when two families meet an army full of zombies! Checkout the trailer below:


- TBS and Team Coco are inviting fans of Conan O'Brien to participate in a special celebration marking the host's 20th anniversary in late night. The Team Coco website is hosting 20 Years of Conan: The "Best Of" Fan Poll, which asks fans to choose their favorites from Conan's 3,300+ hours of late night madness. Fans can vote in four categories:Favorite Conan Character, Favorite Conan Guest, Favorite Conan "Desk Bit" and Favorite Conan Remote. Starting Monday, Oct. 28, TBS's CONAN will take a look back at Conan's late-night hosting career with memorable clips from the past 20 years.

- Conan is also getting a little company next week with TBS launching The Pete Holmes Show right after him at midnight. Here is the line up of guests for Pete’s first two weeks.

Monday, Oct. 28 – Kumail Nanjiani, plus Pete visits Jon Stewart in New York
Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Allison Williams
Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Jim Jefferies, plus Pete visits NBA All Star James Harden in Houston
Thursday, Oct. 31 – Chelsea Peretti

Monday, Nov. 4 – Ike Barinholtz
Tuesday, Nov. 5 – Anthony Jeselnik
Wednesday, Nov. 6 – Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael
Thursday, Nov. 7 – Deepak Chopra

- I hope you already have your 2014 calendar because ABC Family just announced their winter premieres. On Tuesday January 8:00, Pretty Little Liars will return followed by a new season of Twisted. Then on Monday January 13 at 8:00, there will be a new season of Switched at Birth followed by new episodes of The Fosters.

- In casting news, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino will dropping into Falling Skies next season for a multi-episode arc.

- In renewal news, Showtime has order up a fourth season of Homeland and a second season of Masters of Sex while the fourth season of Franklin and Bash will be coming your way summer of 2014.

- Syfy announces that its critically-acclaimed hit reality competition series Face Off will return for a sixth season in January 2014, introducing 14 new makeup artists in what will be Face Off’s boldest season yet. In the new season the contestants will face extreme challenges that will inspire them to create the most magnificent characters and creatures in Face Off history. And coming this November, Syfy debuts two original Face Off specials –Naked and Painted and Judges’ Favorites.

- TNT has greenlit a new series starring and executive-produced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who most recently headlined TNT's The Hero. In Wake Up Call (working title), Johnson will lend a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges in their lives. TNT has ordered eight one-hour episodes of Wake Up Call. Wake Up Call is slated to premiere in 2014.

- Also greenlit, this time by Syfy, Opposite Worlds is an all-new reality competition series - with an interactive twist - from Eyeworks USA. Set to premiere January 21, 2014, Opposite Worlds will run for 12 episodes over six weeks (two episodes per week), with the second weekly episode featuring a live element (a first for a Syfy reality series). In Opposite Worlds, 14 people from all walks of life face off in opposing teams that live in a house separated into two distinctly different worlds: one past and one future, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Adding to the drama is a glass wall dividing the house into the two environments, allowing the teams to watch, envy and dread each other's every move.
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Previewing American Blackout

Ten years ago one late afternoon I was playing video games when the power flickered off and back on. I did not think much to it, turned the television and Playstation back on, but about a minute later the power went out completely. Power outages happen way more often than they should around here, but if you wait it out, the power will turn back on within the hour. But this power outage was different. By nightfall, the lights were still out and did not come back on until much later that night. I was lucky because in places the power did not turn back on for two days and was up to that point the second worst blackout in history.

Considering this happened almost a year after 9/11, conspiracy theories quickly popped up suggesting terrorists attack on out power grid (R.E.M. even referenced this in their song, Bad Day: “The lights went out, the oil went dry, we blamed it on the other guy.”). They were wrong; it was a tree growth and computer glitch that brought down the deteriorating power grid. This was not much more reassuring that a terrorist attack.

But what if terrorists did launch a cyber attack on our power grid and it took ten days to find and fix the malicious code? That is the basis of American Blackout. The special looks like something National Geographic Channel would air after the fact with many eye witness accounts via cell-phone and various camcorders (note to self, get a solar powered battery to charge my portable devises if this were to really happen).

Though it features a lot of different culminated “footage” it focuses mainly on four different groups and how they survived the hypothetical ten day blackout. There is the couple who lives on the 24th floor of a Manhattan (please note you need electricity to get water above eight stories). There is a group of four students stuck in a dorm elevator and since it is the end of the trimester, there will not be many people around to hear their pleas. There is a resident NYC blogger who is left home alone because his mom is a nurse who cannot make it home. There is also a pregnant woman who is already two days late when the power went out. And being that this airing on the same channel that airs Doomsday Preppers, of course there is a family of preppers.

Each storyline could have been its own found footage horror movie because American Blackout gets dark, real dark, and I am not just talking about the lack of light at night. They go worst case scenario in many of the storylines, and then, when you do not think it cannot get any worse, it somehow does. What makes scarier than most horror movies is that everything that happens in the special is very plausible. And since neither President Bush nor Obama have really done much to improve our electrical grid, a major blackout may not be a question of if but when, and you definitely will want to check out American Blackout to see what may be ahead.

American Blackout premieres this Sunday at 9:00 on National Geographic Channel.