The Seven Most Anticipated Events of 2017

2016 sucked. Massively. We lost too many people who shaped my childhood to named. I have not been as ashamed of my Best Songs of the year’s list since 1999. Music was so bad last year; somehow Justin Beiber landed a Best Album nomination. Really, since music was so bad last year and so many great artists, died, the Grammy’s this year should just be a three hour tribute show. In some years, Leon Russell or Leonard Cohan would have gotten a lengthy tribute but they may just get stuffed in the In Memorium package this year as neither are in the top five this year (and that is not even counting David Bowie or Glen Frye who were paid tribute at last year’s ceremony). Oh yeah, and we also witnessed the worst presidential election in my lifetime, probably ever. Also as hit musical Hamilton taught us, at least no one is participation in duels. Instead we had dudes bragging about the size of his penis at a televised debate, bragging about being able to molest women, claiming political opponent’s father was involved in the JFK assassination, openly admitted to wanting to have sex with his daughter, promising to lock up his political opponents, and siding with Russia over our CIA. And that is just the guy that won. But as the great philosopher Adam Duritz one said, there is reason to believe that this year will be better than the last. So with that said, here are seven things to look forward to in 2017.

7. Obligatory Superhero Movie Mention: Superhero movies have been a mainstay on my Most Anticipated lists for a while now but honestly I am getting a bit worn out. I have had the Batman v. Superman blu-ray sitting on my desk for about a month now unopened, and I am two movies behind on the Marvel movies. Basically I did not watch one Superhero movie that was released in 2016. I am sure I will eventually and it may not happen this year, but eventually I am sure I will get around to watching Logan (March 3), Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (May 5), Wonder Woman (June 2), Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7), Thor: Ragnorok (November 3), and Justice League (November 17). And really, you might as well put Star Wars: Episode VIII (December 15) in this category too.

6. Kong: Skull Island (March 10), The Mummy (June 9): Superhero’s are no longer the only films getting their own cinematic universes, now other movie studios are getting in on the action. Kong: Skull island takes place in the same universe as 2014’s Godzilla. Although that is a pretty limited universe because it is just the two large mutant animals that will not even appear on screen together until 2020. As lackluster the concept is, it is a pretty impressive cast: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman. Universal is getting a bit more ambitious, rebooting the very first shared cinematic universe with its monster movies, first up, The Mummy. If all goes well, there will also be movies featuring Frankenstein's monster (starring Javier Bardem), Count Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man (starring Johnny Depp), and Bride of Frankenstein.

5. A Few Good Men Live!(?): Hiding at the bottom of NBC’s press release for their upfronts last year was one line about adapting the Aaron Sorkin play, a break from their string of live musicals. Supposedly it was coming “early 2017.” Well here we are in early 2017 and I have not heard anything about it since. NBC.com does have a page for it and it just says, “coming soon.” Hopefully they are just making sure they are getting it right and not just quietly forgotten about it because I am much more interested in it than the Jennifer Lopez starring Bye Bye Birdie.

4. The Ends of Orphan Black and Pretty Little Liars: Two show on the opposite of the quality spectrum are ending this year. After introducing one of the more adventurous ideas in television history, Orphan Black will be coming to a close. Here is hoping there is an Alison spin-off into a bad CBS sitcom. Then there is Pretty Little Liars which stretched a murder mystery further than any show before. I long ago lost track of how many different A’s there have been. And yet, I was never able to stop watching.

3. Prisoner - Ryan Adams (February 17): In the first decade of this century, Ryan Adams put out ten albums, this decade he has only put out two proper albums and none since 2014 (obviously I am not counting his Taylor Swift cover album a “proper” album. After his output last decade, three years is a long time sso hopefully he has a lot of great tunes lined up and no Rihanna covers.

2. Powerless (February 2) – The last couple years saw multiple superhero shows hit the small screen but this current season will only see one network superhero show, and that does not even star someone with powers, hence the title. (Do not fret traditional funny book fans, Legion premieres next week on FX, the ongoing Netflix shows, and ABC has already greenlighted Inhumans to premiere this fall as well as the return of Young Justice to some yet announced channel or possibly streaming service). Instead the show will follow incurrence agents living in a superhero world that sees city blocks destroyed regularly. I cannot wait to not watch this show when it gets demoted to The CW in the fall.

1. On second thought about 2017…

The 100 Best Songs of 2016

1. In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson

2. Gold - Kiiara

3. Spirits - The Strumbellas

4. Waves [Remix] - Miguel featuring Kacey Musgraves

5. My Church - Maren Morris

6. Take It All Back - Judah and the Lion

7. Lake By the Ocean - Maxwell

8. River - Bishop Briggs

9. The Sound - The 1975

10. Nobody Speak - DJ Shadow featuring Run the Jewels

11. We the People.... - A Tribe Called Quest

12. After the Afterparty - Charli XCX featuring Lil Yacgty

13. Get Out - Frightened Rabbit

14. Yellow Eyes - Rayland Baxter

15. Way Down We Go - Kaleo

16. Capsized - Andrew Bird

17. Shine - Mondo Cozmo

18. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele

19. Up&Up - Coldplay

20. When We Were Young - Adele

21. 24K Magic - Bruno Mars

22. I Don't Care About You - Lake Street Dive

23. Ain't No Man - The Avett Brothers

24. Happiness - Needtobreathe

25. Angela - The Lumineers

26. All We Ever Knew - The Head and The Heart

27. Hardwired - Metallica

28. White Flag - Joseph

29. Love Me - The 1975

30. Small Bill$ - Regina Spektor

31. Hurtin' (On the Bottle) - Margo Price

32. Longer - Lydia Loveless

33. Blended Family (What You Do For Love)\ - Alicia Keys featuring A$AP Rocky

34. Hotel Pool - Lily and Madeleine

35. River - Leon Bridges

36. SOS (Overboard) - Joseph

37. Cleopatra - The Lumineers

38. Vaporize - Amos Lee

39. Bury It - Chvrches featuring Hayley Williams

40. I Forgive It All - Mudcrutch

41. Sleep on the Floor - The Lumineers

42. I Go Through - O.A.R.

43. For the Weak - Lily and Madeleine

44. I Need Never Get Old - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats

45. Part One - Hey, No Pressure - Ray Lamontange

46. Carry On - Norah Jones

47. A Change of Heart - The 1975

48. She Burns - Foy Vance

49. Help Me Out - The Wild Feathers

50. You Belong To Me - Bryan Adams

51. Lost Weekend - Pete Yorn

52. Underneath - Maia Sharp

53. On Hold - The xx

54. Fire - Barns Courtney

55. Black River - Sierra Hull

56. Born Again Teen - Lucius

57. Waste a Moment - Kings of Leon

58. Tragedy - Norah Jones

59. Starving - Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd

60. You Don't Get Me High Anymore - Phantogram

61. Left Handed Kisses - Andrew Bird featuring Fiona Apple

62. House of Mercy - Sarah Jarosz

63. Brace for Impact (Live a Little) - Sturgill Simpson

64. Into You - Ariana Grande

65. Hymn for the Weekend - Coldplay

66. Rhythm & Blues - The Head and The Heart

67. Off the Ground - The Record Company

68. Bleeding Heart - Regina Spektor

69. UGH! - The 1975

70. Lose It - Oh Wonder

71. Fade - Kanye West

72. True Sadness - The Avett Brothers

73. Better Man - Leon Bridges

74. Love Me Now - John Legend

75. Black America Again - Common featuring Stevie Wonder

76. Bang Bang - Green Day

77. Prophets of Rage - Prophets of Rage

78. Sit Here and Cry - Aubrie Sellers

79. I Can't Stop Thinking About You - Sting

80. No Hard Feelings - The Avett Brothers

81. Dark Necessitiess - Red Hot Chili Peppers

82. Ophelia - The Lumineers

83. The Runners - The Naked and Famous

84. Rock Bottom - Hailee Steinfeld featuring DNCE

85. Bring My Baby Back - Dr. Dog

86. Ain't It a Sin - Charles Bradley

87. Heartlines - Broods

88. Run - Bell Biv DeVoe

89. Light of Day - Aubrie Sellers

90. Wish I Knew You - The Revivalists

91. Wow - Beck

92. Devil In Me - Anderson East

93. Hourglass - Lily and Madeleine

94. Rise Up - Andra Day

95. Painkillers - Brian Fallon

96. Mr. Rodriguez - Rayland Baxter

97. Fire Away - Chris Stapleton

98. Stop Where You Are - Corinne Bailey Rae

99. Higher - The Naked and Famous

100. No Love Like Yours - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

The 50 Best Music Videos of 2016

1. Crown - Run the Jewels featuring Diane Coffee


2. 100x - Tegan and Sara


3. Lazarus - Davis Bowie


4. After the Afterparty - Charli XCX featuring Lil Yachty


5. Nobody Speak - DJ Shadow featuring Run the Jewels


6. Genghis Khan - Miike Snow

7. Cherry Wine - Hozier

8. Flip and Rewind - Boss Selection featuring Rashida Jones

9. City Lights - The White Stripes

10. Bury It - Chvrches featuring Hayley Williams

11. I Need Never Get Old - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

12. I Want it That Way - Brittany Howard and Jim James

13. Burn the Witch - Radiohead

14. A Change of Heart - The 1975

15. Ain't No Man - The Avett Brothers

16. In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson

17. Irresistible - Fall Out Boy featuring Demi Lovato

18. Out of the Woods - Taylor Swift

19. Lose It - Oh Wonder

20. She's Out of Her Mind - Blink-182

21. Small Bill$ - Regina Spektor

22. The One Moment - OK Go

23. Up&Up - Coldplay

24. Side to Side - Ariana Grande Nicki Minaj

25. Rise Up - Andra Day

26. Daydreaming - Radiohead

27. Upside Down and Inside Out - OK Go

28. Vroom Vroom - Charli XCX

29. Waves (Remix) - Miguel featuring Kacey Musgraves

30. Move Me - Sara Watkins

31. Left Handed Kisses - Andrew Bird featuring Fiona Apple

32. Hardwired - Metallica

33. Kill Em with Kindness - Selena Gomez

34. We the People… - A Tribe Called Quest

35. Better Than Me - Blood Orange featuring Carley Rae Jepsen

36. Bleeding Heart - Regina Spektor

37. Cosmic Love - Mayer Hawethorne

38. Dying to Know - Tegan and Sara

39. She Burns - Foy Vance

40. Sick Love - Red Hot Chili Peppers

41. Fade - Kanye West

42. Memory Of… - De La Soul featuring Estelle and Pete Rock

43. Go Robot - Red Hot Chili Peppers

44. Dead Alive - The Shins

45. Hymn for the Weekend - Coldplay

46. Heartlines - Broods

47. Love Me Now - John Legend

48. Blue Wonderful - Elton John

49. Wow - Beck

50. Gold - Kiiara

The 40 Worst Songs of 2016

1. Panda - Desiigner

2. M.I.L.F. $ - Fergie

3. NO - Meghan Trainor

4. Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid) - Fall Out Boy featuring Middy Elliot

5. Bad Things - Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello

6. Bohemian Rhapsody - Psnic! At the Disco

7. Work from Home - Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign

8. Go Ahead and Break My Heart - Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani

9. Broccoli - D.R.A.M. featuring Lil' Yachty

10. You Don't Own Me - Grace featuring G-Eazy

11. My House - Flo Rida

12. Perfect Illusion - Lady Gaga

13. One Call Away - Charlie Puth

14. No Broken Hearts - Bebe Rexha featuring Nicki Minaj

15. Me Too - Meghan Trainor

16. Make Me Like You - Gwen Stefani

17. Team - Iggy Azalea

18. All In My Head (Flex) - Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap

19. CAN'T STOP THE FEELING! - Justin Timberlake

20. H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line

21. Make Me... - Brittany Spears featuring G-Eazy

22. I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix) - Mike Posner

23. That’s My Girl - Fifth Harmony

24. White Privilege II - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Jamila Woods

25. Me, Myself & I - G-Eazy x Bebe Rexha

26. i hate u, i love u - gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien

27. Let Me Love You - DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber

28. Kids - OneRepublic

29. Flo Rida - Flo Rida

30. Rise - Katy Perry

31. This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna

32. pick up the phone - Travis Scott and Young Thug featuring Quavo

33. Bacon - Nick Jonas featuring Ty Dolla $ign

34. Cold Water - Major Lazer featuring Justin Beiber and MØ

35. Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers featuring Daya

36. Million Reasons - Lady Gaga

37. Cake By the Ocean - DNCE

38. Close - Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo

39. Love Yourself - Justin Beiber

40. Mama Said - Lukas Graham

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 12/23/16

Shameless: Odd they would end the season devoting the whole episode to Monica dying, leaving most of the season plotlines just hanging there. The biggest being that Svetlana still owns The Alibi with no retribution. Something to look forward to next season. I will be more interested in what is up with Fiona’s new building. Are she and the family (and Kev and Vee) going to move in? Even a building in progress is still better than what they are currently living in. Of course Frank will figure out a way to sneak in. But that is only if the building is really up to code, I do not really trust the guy selling.

The Affair: I thought we were going to get two wildly different accounts of Block Island. Instead Noah starts off his act in flashbacks with creepy Brendon Frasier only to flash forward to where Allison left off and then another flashback and back to the present. I wanted to see how Noah recounted Allison being the one who wanted to go into the hot tub. Oh well. But creepy Brendon Frasier is the best part of this season. Maybe we will get a creepy Brendon Frasier episode.

:Good Behavior: After an interesting plot twist, Javier killing the guy who hired him to kill his wife in the first episode, kind of a drag that the rest of the episode was dragged down but his over dramatic family. But at least we now know how he grew up to become a cold hearted hitman.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 12/18/16

Shameless: By my count, this is the third chick who died after hooking up with Frank. But really, in the even seasons, it is Frank that pretty much dies and somehow survives. Then I pretty much figured that Ian would not go with Micky. Now my big prediction this week is that after finally getting a win with the laundromat, I think Fiona will some hoe get swindled by the apartment guy.

The Walking Dead: Geez, I thought Negan was starting to like the fat chick; that was cold. But at least he had the decency to shoot her in the head, he lead the douchebag mayor’s son bleed out from the gut so he would come back as a walker. Well at least the gang is back together (or at least those that are left minus Eugene). So I guess the back half of the season will be the planning and joining forces until the finally when they start their assault on Negan. Ugg, this show is as slow as the walkers on the show.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Affair: Cole has always been number four in the The Affair power ranking, but goodness that first act was a complete and utter bore. I would much rather have a Haddie Braverman centered act than another Cole one. Unless of course he was the incompetent stabber. Granted Allison’s was not that much better, but we did get the return of different recounting of events. And her interaction with the detectives was really weird in the way they were acting. And then maybe the most different of any two perspective with what happened after Joanie feel off the horse.

Timeless: Really, they kill Riddenhouse and we do not get to see how present day was changed, if at all. I was kind of hoping they would return to a post-apocalyptic present day, but hey, at least Lucy’s sister and boring white dude’s wife are now alive again! Instead Lucy gets kidnapped and no glace at present day which leads me to believe nothing changes even though they killed some dude who was supposed to sign some treaty in a couple years.. I liked the idea of Timeless but the execution is leaving less than entertained.
You can download Timeless on iTunes.

:Good Behavior: When the promo focused on Letty looking for her son in the mega store, I first thought, oh no, The Killing went off the rails when the frumpy sweater lady spent an entire episode looking for her runaway kid. I guess this episode did not focus solely on searching for the kid, had some funny moments, and had a couple plot twists. Seriously, who expected seeing the Godmother’s husband getting rammed by another dude? And like almost every episode so far, I left the episode with no idea where the show goes from here.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen. X: You had to have the sense Adam was going to win after they got down to the final three, but in my views, Hannah gave a significantly better case to be a winner at the Final Tribal so I was shocked that Adam won by a clean sweep. Really, Ken should have had a good argument, single father, won a bunch of challenges, cashed in the very first Legacy Advantage, loyal but knew when to turn on an alliance to help his game, lone Gen Xer in the finals; he just did not make it, or really any argument.

That Hannah did not get even one vote, I had to wonder that much like the nation that picked an incompetent man as president, are the Survivor contestants getting more and more sexist? Recently we had those two overtly chauvinistic seasons (Worlds Apart and Cagayan) so I looked it up and five of the last seven season were won by men and one was in an all-female final (Blood vs. Water II), the other being two girls and Tai (Kaôh Rōng). Granted before this stretch, there was a three women win streak. So I guess this just may be an anomaly.

But of course the most important part of every Survivor finale: the preview for the next season. And what a weird roll out. First there was a vague trailer and we were left to wonder if the people they were highlighting were actually going to be in the next season or not. Then I seemed like they were going to announce the cast, but then only brought out eight of them, including Michaela who was already on stage. So why fly in just those seven? Were they the only ones available? Were they on a budget and just picked them at random? Were they picked because they are going to go far? Making things weirder, Probst announces Michaela was in the cast, but not Zeke who spoilers say is also in the cast. I more disappointed that also only the spoiler list, Andrea, was not at the reunion and I do not even remember seeing her in the promo.

As for those that did show up, what a mixed bag. It started out horrible, Tony was one of the most annoying ever, Tai not that far behind. The third guy I even had to look up (apparently Caleb was the guy who got air lifted from the last Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty). Then Ozzy? Seriously, they let the porn star back for, what, the fifth time? Please stop with Ozzy. Does he know something about Probst? Did they film a porn together? Ugg. The rest were fine. Ciera is always a welcome edition even though I cannot imagine she will go far. Same for Cirie. But I wonder why Sandra came back after two straight wins. C’mon girl. Wait for an all winner’s season to come back. Coming back to battle the likes of Tai and Ozzy is beneath you.
Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen. X on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 12/16/16

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Path, Cream, The Killers, Secret of the Six Wives, Street Light Harmonies, The Real Mad Men of Advertising, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, Claws, National Treasure, People of Earth, and Search Party.

- This week Hulu released the season two trailer of The Path as well as first look photos. The first two episodes of the 13-episode season will launch on Wednesday, January 25th.


- Showtime has released the teaser for the highly-anticipated second season of its hit drama series Billion. The series, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, will premiere its second season on Sunday, February 19 at 10:00.


- Late January 2017 sees the deluxe edition release of Fresh Cream, the debut album by British, blues boom, power trio, Cream. The 3-CD + 1 Blu-Ray Audio disc come housed in a gatefold sleeve within a rigid slipcase and includes a 64-page hardback book, featuring new sleeve notes by respected Rolling Stone writer, David Fricke. The set comprises various alternate and new stereo mixes plus several, previously unreleased BBC sessions. A special 6LP 180g Vinyl edition of Fresh Cream will also be released in April 2017.

- The Killers – vocalist/keyboardist Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci -- emerged from Las Vegas, their name a tribute to the logo on the bass drum of the fictitious band seen in their favorite band New Order’s music video for “Crystal.” They released their major label debut album, Hot Fuss, on Island Records, June 15, 2004 in the U.S., peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200, a week after it came out in the U.K., where it quickly went to #1 and went on to spend an astounding 247 weeks, more than four-and-a-half years on the album chart. Hot Fuss has gone on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, including three million in the U.S., and has also been certified platinum or multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom and Germany as well as many other International territories. A dozen years after it first catapulted the band to international stardom, The Killers’ Hot Fuss is being reissued on standard weight vinyl as a single LP by UMe on January 13. A limited edition, white vinyl LP will also be available exclusively on uDiscover.

- The 16th century legend of King Henry VIII is turned on its crowned head as the dramatic stories of his six tumultuous marriages are told from the wives’ perspectives in Secret of the Six Wives. The three-part dramatic and historical series, co-produced by the BBC, premieres Sunday, January 22, 2017, at 10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). It joins a full night of head-turning drama that evening that also includes the second season premiere of PBS’ original American drama Mercy Street at 8:00 p.m., followed by the second episode of “Victoria” on Masterpiece at 9:00 p.m.

- An entertaining journey through bands, songs and harmonies that evoke both days gone by as well as current hits, Street Light Harmonies is a new documentary that uncovers the definitive period of doo-wop music and the artists that defined it. Millions know the music but few know the artists and their history that laid the foundation for rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and built a bridge to the civil rights movement. Featuring commentary from Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Lance Bass (NSYNC), Brian McKnight, Jimmy Merchant (The Teenagers), La La Brooks (The Crystals), Charlie Thomas (Drifters), Al Jardine (Beach Boys) and more, Street Light Harmonies will be a combination of present-day interviews and archival footage. View the extended trailer now online.

- A new Smithsonian Channel four-part series provides an inside look into the men and women who re-invented the advertising industry from post-WWII America through the 1980s. Driven by memorable, classic ad campaigns, many of which are in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the series also features clips and interviews with the creators of the groundbreaking series Mad Men. The Real Mad Men of Advertising premieres Sunday, January 8th at 9:00.

- Prophets, spiritual enlightenment and the afterlife — they are mysteries as old as time. National Geographic and Revelations Entertainment seek clarity on some of humanity’s biggest questions in season two of the Emmy-nominated hit series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, premiering on Monday, Jan. 16, at 9:00. As host of the network’s most-watched series of all time, Freeman will again take viewers around the world on a quest for interfaith understanding and connectivity through the lens of the world’s major religions, science, anthropology and archaeology. The series, hailed as “fascinating” by the Wall Street Journal and “eye-opening” by MediaPost, will also air globally later this spring on National Geographic channels in 171 countries and in 45 languages, and in Spanish on Nat Geo MUNDO.

- It used to appear so simple for many of us: you were a boy or you were a girl. Girls wore pink, and boys wore blue; girls played with dolls, and boys played with trucks. Yet around the globe, these traditional notions of gender are changing rapidly, and labels are no longer so clear cut. National Geographic sets out to explore this evolving concept of gender through the lens of science, society and culture in the groundbreaking new two-hour documentary Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, premiering Monday, Feb. 6, at 9:00. Produced by Katie Couric Media with National Geographic Studios and World of Wonder Productions, the special will also air on National Geographic around the globe in 171 countries and in 45 languages.

- Turner's TNT has given a series greenlight to Claws, a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a South Florida nail salon. Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, OZ), Jenn Lyon (Justified), Judy Reyes (Scrubs), Jack Kesy (The Strain), Karrueche Tran (The Nice Guys), Kevin Rankin (Dallas Buyers Club, Friday Night Lights) and Jason Antoon (Famous in Love) star in the hour-long dramedy from executive producers Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca, Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z,), Will McCormack (Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z) and < strong>J anine Sherman Barrois (ER, Criminal Minds), who also serves as showrunner. The pilot was written by series co-executive producer Eliot Laurence (Welcome to Me) and directed by Nicole Kassell (The Americans, The Leftovers). Claws is produced by Jones and McCormack's Le Train Train, in association with Warner Horizon Television and Turner's Studio T.

- In a deal with All3Media International, Hulu has acquired the U.S. rights to all episodes of hit series National Treasure, the ratings-winning drama produced by The Forge Entertainment for Channel 4. The first season of the series from Jack Thorne will debut in the U.S. as a Hulu Original on March 1, 2017.

After debuting on UK’s Channel 4 to strong ratings, National Treasure quickly became a must-see television event. Hulu’s audience will soon be able to experience the series in its entirety when all episodes land on the service under the Hulu Original slate.

- Turner's TBS ends an impressive and transformative year with renewals of all six of its 2016 scripted comedies. The network today announced 10-episode season 2 renewals of its two most recent critically acclaimed comedies, People of Earth and Search Party, which join the network’s previous 2016 renewals of Angie Tribeca, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Detour and Wrecked, in addition to comedy mainstays Conan and American Dad!

- An online petition at https://www.change.org/p/hillary-ms-clinton-release-your-electors-in-favor-of-mr-romney is calling for Ms. Clinton to release her electors in favor of Mr. Romney. “The only way Democrats stand any chance of persuading Republican electors to abandon Trump is with a dramatic gesture of true bipartisanship. If all 232 Democratic electors pledge to reach across the aisle and vote for a Republican alternative to Trump, it would take just 38 GOP electors to make that person the next president” wrote Michael F. Cannon of the CATO Institute in the Washington post.

57 Channel and Only This Is Only: 12/11/16

Once Upon a Time: So Belle and Mr. Gold’s son grows up to kill Emma. Alrighty. How very Angel of a plot.
You can download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

Shameless: So dos Micky not remember he has a kid? I was kind of disappointed that we did not get to see his reaction to the whole sisterwives situation his kid is growing up in. But I guess that relationship is already messed up without him popping up. He did not even run into Ian’s new trans flame. And oh wow, I am shocked Fiona sold the laundromat, she had plenty of reasons to give up on it and just take advantage of Edna, I’d figure she would keep it. Of course I have a feeling she is not going to like what her boss is going to do with the neighborhood. But the biggest shocker, Ian actually got in the van.

The Walking Dead: I did not dislike Negan while he was on screen for the first time ths season (and I hate in a hate to hate kind of way, not a love to hate kind of way; dude is seriously annoying and way too over the top), but I did laugh when he hit on the fat chick, got slapped by her and said that only made him fifty percent more attracted to her. Of course everything else about the episode mostly sucks. Seriously Carl, I know you are down to one eye, but how do you miss a guy standing right in front of you? I fear the second half of the season will be people trying to kill Negan and missing. Carl missed. Rosalita got her one bullet. Jesus is roaming around somewhere. You have to figure Rick and Dayrl are waiting for their chance. Hopefully the fat chick who was in charge of the arsenal will have a few hiding around and will be the one who does Negan in.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Affair: Wait, was that Brendon Frasier? Oh my, the last two decade have not been kind especially when you consider the new trailer for The Mummy reboot was released the same weekend with Frasier being replaced by Tom Cruise. And it was pretty obvious he would survive on account he is the main character, but c’mon, how does Noah survives an assault like that? Seriously who stabs someone in the neck and just leaves without making sure their mark is not dead?

:Good Behavior: Well that was interesting, did not see the parole officer go full heel. Is he going to join Letty and Javier’s gang now.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So when did Adia replace May (and why is it may that always seems to get replace)? Was it when May was sent to retrieve May or was it sooner than that (come to think of it, May was unusually chippy early in the episode before she was sent to get Adia). Oh yeah, and why did she do it? But when it comes down to it, I am not sure Adia will make for a very interesting Big Bad for the second half of the season.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Hairspray Live: NBC really needed to step its live musical game up after Fox blew them out of the water with Grease Live. Unfortunately they decided on a lackluster musical that already got a big screen adaptation not too long ago and ended up the worst live musical yet. Sure NBC stole some Fox ideas that I have been suggesting from the beginning: a live audience and a curtain call. Expect the crowd was only there for the show inside the musical and all other scenes were completely quiet which actually made it weirder. Then the curtain call was a gratuitous excuse to highlight the two biggest names in the cast. But at least their next live musical is Bye Bye Birdie. Wait, it is going to be Bye Bye Birdie starring Jennifer Lopez? Meh. Wake me up when they get Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling to star in Guys and Dolls.

Around the Tubes: 12/9/16

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 SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol, MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, Final Space, Bringing Up Bates, Growing Up McGhee, and Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour.

- This holiday season, Turner's TBS & TNT are going to turn the Christmas spirit on full blast with SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol, an all-new music special that puts a unique twist on the caroling tradition. The one-hour special – featuring such celebrity carolers as Conan O'Brien, Rashida Jones, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Jane Lynch, Ludacris, Kenny G, Tony Sirico, Vincent Curatola, Joseph Gannascoli, A$AP Ferg, Three Loco, Samantha Ronson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Fred Willard, T-Pain and many surprise appearances – is set to premiere on TBS on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 10:00. And the night before Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT), TBS & TNT will join forces for a simulcast of SURPRISE! Instant Xmas Carol. It will be followed by TBS & TNT's simulcast of the annual 24 Hours of A Christmas Story marathon, celebrating its 20th year as one of television's most enduring holiday traditions.


- Devoted sports fans can readily recall their favorite athlete’s bio and stats. They know that Serena Williams is a 22-time Grand Slam Champion and Olympic Gold medalist, and that Tim Tebow was the first college football sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy. But fewer people know about a MVP in their favorite athletes’ lives – their pets. In the fur-st ever MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, viewers will get to know the canine companions that brighten the lives of sports biggest stars, hear athletes discuss how their relationship with their dogs keep them in the game, and learn how these pups got their creative names. CBS Sports NFL Today Analyst Boomer Esiason hosts MVP: Sports Stars and Their Most Valuable Pets, CBS Special Airing Christmas Day at 4:00.

- Turner's TBS has greenlit the new animated series Final Space, an interstellar comedy created by independent filmmaker, actor, comedian and entrepreneur Olan Rogers. Slated to launch in 2018, Final Space is being produced by Conan O'Brien's Conaco and New Form, in association with Turner's Studio T. Rogers and creative partner David Sacks will write the episodes, executive-producing them along with O'Brien, David Kissinger, Larry Sullivan and Jeff Ross of Conaco and Kathleen Grace, Melissa Schneider and Matt Hoklotubbe of New Form. Part of TBS's continued push into animation, Final Space is a serialized intergalactic space saga about an astronaut named Gary and his adorable, planet-destroying friend, Mooncake. The series will follow their adventures as they embark on a quest to unlock the mystery of "Final Space," the place where the entire universe ends.


- UP TV, the entertainment destination that showcases stories about modern American families and the relationships that define them, announced this week that Bringing Up Bates season five will premiere Thursday, January 5 at 9:00 Joining the Thursday night lineup on UP will be the second season of Growing Up McGhee, premiering Thursday, January 12 at 9:30, following an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates. UP has ordered 15 original episodes of Bringing Up Bates and ten original episodes of Growing Up McGhee.

- Madonna’s highly-anticipated concert film, Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour will premiere this Friday, December 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, on-air, on demand and over the internet. For the official trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/9bNbvu0A8WI. MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR was shot around the world and features a collection of live and behind these scenes footage culminating in performances at the Sydney Olympic Park in March of this year. The film is co-directed by Danny B. Tull and Nathan Rissman, both of whom have worked extensively with Madonna on her feature films and tour movies.

- President-Elect Trump announced his nomination of Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration (SBA), immediately raising eyebrows in the small business community. With a personal net worth of more than $500 million, Ms. McMahon is out of touch with the real small business owners she is tasked with assisting at the SBA. Having contributed at least $6.5 million to the President-Elect’s campaign and associated super PACS, and $5 million to the Trump Foundation, the selection of Ms. McMahon raises conflict of interest concerns that have become synonymous with Mr. Trump and his Cabinet nominations. It begs the question, how much does a Trump Cabinet position cost? For Linda McMahon, the position carries a $11.5 million price tag.

- You’ve probably heard: President-elect Donald Trump has a strong opinion about Boeing’s contract with the US government for an upgraded Air Force One. Here’s Boeing’s official statement regarding Air Force One.

Previewing Shut Eye

Hulu is at a crossroads. It started out as a great way to catch up on last night’s television you missed with a few webseries quality shows, usually underwritten by a advertiser who put gratuitous product placements throughout. But it clearly became envious of Netflix and all its buzz and deep pockets. Hulu slowly started adding movies you have actually heard of and more credible original programming. It also started providing commercial free version and put most of the movies and original programming behind their paid wall.

They took a very huge step earlier this year eliminating their free tier leaving people like me who are not bothered by ads and primarily use Hulu for catch-up with the choice between ponying $7.99 a month (or an extra $4 to get rid of those pesky commercials) to continue using the service or go back to channel specific websites to catch up on what we missed last night. I chose the latter and really forgot how much I hate the other video players (especially ABC).

So now that you have to pay, Hulu really need to step its game up when it comes to original programming if it even want to get to Amazon Prime territory, let along Netflix. The Path was good but a little underwhelming and Casual was solid but will not be winning any awards or show up on anyone’s top ten lists. Hulu really stumbled out of the gate with their first post no free tier era with Chance which was met with a resounding meh. Personally I was not even able to make it through a full episode. And this is coming from someone who somehow watched every episode of Wicked City.

Now comes Shut Eye which seems like it want to be The Sopranos except instead of gangsters, the show focuses on psychics. And instead of seeing a therapist, the lead sees another type of head doctor after an angry boyfriend gives him a concussion after telling his girlfriend he was cheating on him. Oh, and we are led to believe this concussion may have also given him real psychic power that are triggered whenever he is around doughnuts.

Shut Eye stars Jeffery Donovan as the small time hustler who is looking for a big score after leaving Vegas and his cushy job as the guy who builds tricks from magicians. But in Los Angeles he has run into real gypsies who do not like people taking their business (Isabella Rossilini plays the matriarch) and expect their cut from any pretend psychic. Hey, selling $5,000 candles to simpletons can only get you so far.

So Donovan sees and opening when an obvious gangster (Dexter’s David Zayas) comes in seeing help for his kid with Asperger’s. Needless to say, when you get in bed with gangsters, bad things start happening. And there is the problem with Shut Eye, I actually had to put the phrase “needlessly to say” in a review. It is kind of easy to predict where the show is going from the opening scenes. And since the show is trying to be prestigious, the show is peppered with just enough gratuitous violence (someone gets dunked in a doughnut fryer), gratuitous sex (though not gratuitous enough because Emmanuelle Chriqui manages to stay pretty hidden during a lesbian sex scene in the first episode). And what want to be prestigious show be without a worthless teenage son who abuses drugs? Though it fell flat in places, The Path was a much more ambitious attempt for Hulu to get their named made. Shut Eye just seems to be recycling decade’s old attempts at making television.

All episode of Shut Eye are streaming now on Hulu starting today.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 12/4/16

Shameless: I thought Monica revealing she was dying was going to be the big reveal of the episode (though I am not complete sold she is telling the truth, this is Shameless), then they end with Micky breaking out of prison. I wonder what will make him more upset, his ex-boyfriend hooking up with a dude without a manhood or his ex-wife shacking up with Vee and Kev.

The Walking Dead: Did we really need to devote a full extended episode to Tara? I completely forgot she even existed.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Gotham: They could not get Michelle Pfeiffer to play Catwoman’s mother? Oh well. What exactly has she been up to? I cannot think of anything since the nineties. But where, and why, has momma been hiding all this time? But I guess Jim should find her hiding hole because he broke his bring Falcone’s son in alive promise. Oh well. Hopefully this ends the Mad Hatter storyline and we move onto something new. Oh, the return of Jerome is the something new? Meh. Can’t they just have Black Manta crawl out of the Gotham harbor?
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Supergirl: So after promoting a big four night crossover for months, the Flash shows up for thirty seconds with some annoying hippie. I guess I should not complain since the other crappy CW superheroes did not ruin Supergirl worse than The CW already has this season. Seriously what was with Cyborg Superman’s silly Phantom of the Opera mask? He has this intimidating Terminator with half his face peeled off, yet he covers that up with something silly.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Lucifer: So we have known since early last season Chloe had some sort effect on Lucifer that made him more mortal, but never knew why… until now. So she was blessed by an angel before she was born. Why the angel picked an actress is still unknown, but it is a start.
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.

:Good Behavior: The one thing I like about this show is that I am not entirely sure where it is going. I was disappointed with thinking that the show was going to be a procedural with Leddy and Javier conning and/or killing new people every week. Except they parted ways in episode three leaving me wondering here exactly the show was heading again. Although with that ending, should I worry it will turn into a procedural again or will there be another twist in an episode or two?
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen. X: What a worthless gift, her, have some worst “advantage” ever in the history of the show, one that will guarantee you not to win and will likely be voted out next if you use it. Although I actually think the new owner is dumb enough to use it.
Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen. X on iTunes.

Around the Tubes:12/2/16

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 Nashville, Fitz and The Tantrums, Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba, Gutxi Bibang, L.E.J., Risky Drinking, A-Bombs over Nevada, Running for His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story, FilmStruck, and The Alienist.

- Hulu is excited to announce that Nashville fans will get an early glimpse into the new season just in time for the holidays! The highly-anticipated season five of Nashville may officially launch on Hulu January 6th, but the first hour of the two-hour premiere will now be available to stream early on December 16th. Need a refresh? Hulu is also the exclusive destination for fans to catch up on all episodes of Nashville and relive their favorite moments of the series anytime, anywhere. Simply head to Hulu to stream seasons 1 - 4 of Nashville now.

- une in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special Fitz and The Tantrums airing Friday, December 2 at 9:00 (DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114). On this episode, Fitz and The Tantrums' Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs sit down withhost Ted Stryker in Los Angeles foran in-depth interview spanning their musical history as well as the inspiration for group's latest self-titled studio album, out now via Elektra Records.

- The PBS ARTS Fall Festival continues with Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba, an event featuring renowned musicians from America and Cuba connecting cultures and artistry with beautiful music. The national air date for Joshua Bell's Seasons of Cuba​ is Friday, December 16 at 9:00, but we encourage you to check local listings as stations may be airing other special programming over the next several weeks.

- Gutxi Bibang is an unlikely candidate to carry the rock n’ roll torch, a second-generation African from the Basque region of northern Spain. He begins that journey today sharing the single "System Of A Gun" via French indie label OSKAR Recordings. His family emigrated to the tiny coast town of Algorta outside of Bilbao, but native son Gutxi Bibang has more in common with larger-than-life musical icons than he does his Basque countrymen. Even his unique moniker speaks of his cultural clash heritage – Gutxi, a common nickname in his Basque homeland, and Bibang, from his roots in Africa. With his distinctive manner and impeccable style, Gutxi Bibang exudes charisma - not just a reminder of when rock was a socio-cultural force for change in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but a glimpse into the music’s global future. System of a Gun has an attitude straight out of Gutxi’s primal influences, with lyrics wrenched from watching the evening news. “We deal with violence, poverty, unrest, racism and sexism in our music. We believe in the spirit of the ‘peace and love revolution.’”



- Today, classically-driven French pop trio L.E.J. [Elijay] release their very first holiday EP, Christmas Hors D’oeuvre [Republic Records], at all digital retailers. Get it HERE.

- Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. engage in problem drinking at some point in their lives. Health professionals assess drinkers at risk on a spectrum ranging from low-risk to an alcohol use disorder that can range from mild to severe. This holiday season, HBO and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism present Risky Drinking, which challenges viewers to recognize when their drinking may be putting them at risk and offers information that could help millions of Americans lead healthier lives. The cautionary documentary debuts Monday, DEC. 19 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

- In post-WWII America, the nuclear bomb was a national obsession. But in one corner of Nevada, it was a cottage industry, a daily entertainment and cultural phenomenon like no other. A new Smithsonian Channel hour-long special, A-Bombs over Nevada, uses remarkable contemporary footage to capture the extraordinary period in the 1950s and 60s when hundreds of atomic bombs were dropped over the Nevada Test Site. The race to create bigger and better bombs led scientists to push the limits and turned a sleepy desert town into a theater of the absurd. A-Bombs over Nevada premieres Monday, December 5th at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Running for His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story, a powerful documentary examining the cycle of domestic violence that plagued two-time NCAA Division I college football champion Lawrence Phillips and the personal demons that led to his death in January, will premiere on Friday, Dec. 16 at 9:00 on Showtime.

- Iggy Pop, in collaboration with Brian Burton (Danger Mouse), GOLD director Stephen Gaghan, and GOLD composer Daniel Pemberton, created an original song for the film GOLD — the adventure drama starring Matthew McConaughey. The song, also titled “Gold,” is director Stephen Gaghan’s songwriting debut. GOLD, inspired by actual events, is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream and everything he’ll do to keep it from falling apart. Oscar© winner Matthew McConaughey stars as Kenny Wells, a man raised in the mining business and desperate for a lucky break. He teams up with a mythic geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. When they make the largest gold find in history, Kenny realizes his dream was only the beginning of the adventure, battling corrupt politicians, Wall Street tycoons and law enforcement, all of whom want to take it from him. Directed by Oscar© winner Stephen Gaghan, the film stars Oscar© winner Matthew McConaughey and Golden Globe© nominees Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard.

- FilmStruck, a new streaming movie service for film aficionados, is now available on Apple TV. FilmStruck offers the largest streaming library of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films and is the exclusive streaming home to the Criterion Collection. Film fans can now stream on Apple TV 4th generation devices as well as Amazon Fire TV, web, iOS and Android devices. FilmStruck can be accessed in the Apple App store, as well as online at FilmStruck.com and via Google Play for Android users.

- Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglorious Bastards, Captain America: Civil War) and Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train, The Hobbit trilogy, Dracula Untold) have been cast in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Brühl will play forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, while Evans will play reporter John Moore, who are both called upon to investigate a series of brutal murders in New York during the Gilded Age.

- Main Street business owners brace for the impact of President-Elect Trump’s latest cabinet nominee Steven Mnuchin, a Wall Street insider whose success has been built at the expense of small business owners and their communities. As one of the architects of the financial crisis, Mnuchin engaged in extractive business tactics that crippled the economy and forced countless small businesses to close their doors. After amassing a small fortune during his tenure with Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin led OneWest Financial, a predatory financial institution that had no significant branch presence in communities of color, rarely lent to small businesses, and has been accused of discriminatory lending practices. Given the very real challenges small business owners of color face in accessing and securing loans, it is profoundly disheartening that someone with Mnuchin’s track record would be offered this appointment. Mnuchin even managed to pocket more than $3 million from the Madoff-led Ponzi scheme that cost investors more than $65 billion.

Previewing Vikings: Season Four, Part Two

One of the big advantage of cable shows (other than the lack of FCC regulation) is the shorten season. When you only have eight to thirteen episodes a year to fill than the network standard of twenty-two, you storyline can be more concise and can easily trim the fat. But for some reason, occasionally cable channels expand their shows episode number (okay, that reason is obviously money). The worst in memory was when Rescue Me went from thirteen to twenty-two one season and the show cratered creatively. It quickly went down to ten the next season.

So I am a little worried to hear History has boosted the number of Vikings episodes this season from ten to twenty. Okay, they did have a seven month break between episode ten and eleven. The voice over for the intro even says, “Last season on Vikings,” even though it is still technically still season four. But no matter how you cut it, there will be twenty episodes of the show that air over twelve months.

There was a very specific break in between blocks this season as the first half ended with Ragnor being humiliated in Paris only to desert his land. A teaser at the end of the last episode jumped ahead about a decade with a returning Ragnor placing his sword in the ground that as surrounded by a crows and shouted, “Who wants to be king?” Welcome back Ragnor.

The new half of the season starts with the same question that ended the last. Sorry to anyone hoping to learn what happed between Paris and the return, no flashbacks in the premiere? Instead we get reintroduced to Ragnor’s grown sons including Gimpy who has grown into a son that only Donald Trump could love. Seriously, that kid is all sorts of horrible even though he cannot use either of his legs but still manages to crawl everywhere to watch people have sex.

As you can expect from a half season that starts with a dude striking the ground with his sword, there is plenty of conflict this season. Ragnor wants to go back to England while in his absence, Bjorn has found a map of the Mediterranean with plenty of Roman outposts to plunder. Granted this path goes through France which means permission from Uncle Rollo. And while the guys are away, the women back home will play, and not nice as Lagertha seems to want her throne back. Here is hoping this is enough storyline to keep the show from dragging on now that it has doubled its yearly episode output.

Vikings airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on History.