50 Shades of Grey started as a joke, it was fan fic of Twilight turned into an SnM story. Everyone who read it claimed to only doing so to see if it was really as bad as everyone said. Eyebrows were raised when it was announced to be made into a movie with big names attached. Except it ended up being Don Johnson’s kid and the dude from Sons of Anarchy. The latter of which dropped out because of embarrassment (or as he told it, scheduling conflict). But bizarrely when no one wanted to be associated with the film, somehow they managed to amass some big names for the soundtrack, most notably Beyoncé but it also spawned two hit songs and pretty muh launched The Weeknd as a pop star. The film was routinely mock upon the release and again everyone who saw it claim to do it ironically. Bizarrely they are actually doing another one and again recruited another major pop star for the soundtrack. But where Beyoncé exudes sex, Taylor Swift is very open about how she does not want to be a sex symbol. And really beside the Bad Blood video, she has succeeded at it. So it is really weird to she her parade around in her underwear in an ad for a crappy SnM movie. Meh. I am ready for her to go back to making cheesy county pop songs.
I always roll my eyes when conservative firebrands rail against the “mainstream media” and its anti-conservative bias (and roll even harder when normal citizens spot these same absurdities). Although I may be warming up to that bias when I recently read a headline that said (and I am paraphrasing) “Ed Sheeran fans, blame Donald Trump for having to wait until the New Year for his new album. Despite the obvious click bait headline, I still clicked on it and it turned out Sheeran’s record label had planned to release the album the week of the election but decide to delay until later because that news sucked all the air out of the room, because, you know, Sheeran fans across the world were so focused on the American election. And then since Bruno Mars already had a release date the next week and The Weeknd after that the label decided to postpone the release until after the start of the year because the crossover with these two artists and no one could possibly buy two albums the same week. No wonder the music industry is dying.
But Sheeran should have taken those extra months to try some new some new songs because the first single sounds like a cheap Coldplay rip off, complete with Sheeran walking with purpose like Chris Martin in the music video (maybe Ed should have stuck to not appearing in his videos except maybe a small cameo). But I do like him sticking to the math themed albums. I cannot wait until his eighth album differential.
The Weeknd had one of the weirder assents to the top of the pop music. He made moody shoe gazing RnB and then out of nowhere he decided he wanted to be Michael Jackson. Now he is getting weird again hooking up with Daft Punk on his new album. But I am beginning to wonder if all his power was in his hair because I am ambivalent to his latest songs as I was towards his shoe gazing phase.
Homeland: What a juxtaposition that this season focuses on whether Carrie’s client has been radicalized or not, that Quinn is listening to some wackadoo on the right who is radicalizing angry white dudes. And we already knew Carrie was a horrible mother, but c’mon, what a horrible idea to let Quinn anywhere near her daughter. Maybe it is a good thing Quinn locks the door so Franny cannot find her way downstairs. But the big new was that Saul was right to accuse Carrie of counseling the President-Elect. Obviously we the viewers know how bad a decision that is, but just what does the future president know? I do remember Saul publically calling Carrie a crazy person live on the Congress floor once.
The Affair: Seriously Helen, you are going to eat at the Lockhart Lobster Roll? That was almost as stupid as having a Panic Room that locks from the outside. But at least she finally came clean that she was the one who killed Scotty. And so it is official, Noah is crazy since there was no cut on Gunter’s hand. Makes we wonder if all his prison memories were real. We did see his face messed up when Helen visited him. But maybe scruffy five o’clock shadow Gunther is the only real Gunther. That last scene was clearly an revelation that Noah tabbed himself.
Gotham: I have never been much of a fan of Jerome and him possibly becoming The Joker, but the who reapplying his face look is respectively freaky looking for a potential Joker.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.
Supergirl: Oh wow, Mon-El was not completely useless this week and I actually kind of laugh. And he caught the eye of the aliens from the crossover event which are also in Kara’s universe. Hopefully Supergirl does not have to recruit the crappy CW superheroes to defeat them on her planet. Hey, she can always call the Guardian.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.
Timeless: The first episode saw a big change in the timeline with Lucy’s sister being erased from history… and then nothing much changed after that. Finally someone is finally going to change the timeline when the short muscle is going to try and go back and save his wife. I kind of hope he succeeds just to shake things up a bit but I have a feeling things will not end up that way.
You can download Timeless on iTunes.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Radcliff is one sneaky dude, programs Ada to go rouge and even has his own Life Model Decoy around to avoid getting caught himself when it turned out Ada #1 did not actually grow a soul. Oh yeah, and he is secretly working with the anti-Inhuman senator. I was not that eager when then teased the LMD themed block of episode but I am enjoying it more than the Ghost Rider half. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on CONAN Without Borders: Made in Mexico, Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration, Hacking the Wild, Legacy: Bob Hurley, and The Librarians,
- TBS's CONAN will go international for the sixth time in two years as host Conan O'Brien travels to Mexico City for the brand new primetime special CONAN Without Borders: Made in Mexico. The hour-long special is set to premiere Wednesday, March 1, at 10:00, exclusively on TBS. With all of the negative news about the current state of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, O'Brien has decided to strike a positive note by heading to Mexico City, where he'll outsource his show by shooting his latest CONAN Without Borders special with the help of an all-Mexican staff, crew, guests and studio audience. "Although I'm eager to make a show in Mexico, if the U.S. government meets my demand for $100 million in tax incentives, I will consider relocating production to Akron." said O'Brien.
- To honor the late Mary Tyler Moore, PBS stations will rebroadcast Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration. Please check local listings. The documentary, which first aired in 2015, commemorates the influential TV icon and her 50-plus-year career that spanned award-winning films and Broadway shows, as well as two beloved television series that broke ground and continue to entertain viewers. Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration features interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Valerie Harper and many others who recall Moore’s career highlights and underscore the importance of her television characters in shaping today’s society.
- In Science Channel’s all-new series Hacking the Wild, “Digital Survivalist” Andy Quitmeyer goes deep into some of the most remote parts of the world armed with nothing but everyday technology and science to survive the wilderness. Each of the six, hour-long episodes follow Quitmeyer as he hacks his way back to civilization using a hybrid of time-tested outdoor survival skills and a backpack’s worth of wires, laptops and tracking devices. HACKING THE WILD premieres Wednesday, February 15 at 10:00.
- The potential final season for a Hall of Fame coach and a national basketball institution will be chronicled in a Showtime Sports digital documentary titled Legacy: Bob Hurley. Showtime will debut Legacy: Bob Hurley in six weekly installments exclusively on SHO.com and the Showtime Sports YouTube channel (@shosports) beginning Monday, Feb. 20.
- Turner’s TNT has renewed its hit fantasy-adventure series The Librarians for a fourth season. The show’s third season recently aired its finale on January 22, 2017 and is currently available on TNT On Demand and TNT's digital and mobile platforms. The fourth season is slated to begin later this year.
- In the wake of last weekend’s Women’s Marches, activists have announced a major “People’s Climate March” on April 29th in Washington, D.C. and across the country. The effort is being organized by the coalition formed out of 2014’s People’s Climate March, which brought over 400,000 people to the streets of New York City and many more around the world.
- In response to the horrifying news that Republicans in the South Dakota legislature voted yesterday to use a contrived state of emergency to repeal the South Dakota Government Accountability and Anti-Corruption Act, a ballot initiative that was approved by a majority of voters in the 2016 election, the Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair released the following official statement:
“The American people have said time and time again that they want ethical and responsible leaders in government. The South Dakota GOP’s refusal to be accept accountability oversight is deeply troubling, and their willingness to take extraordinary measures to overturn a democratically approved law is appalling. South Dakota lawmakers should not be afraid of higher ethical standards, they should embrace them.
The state government has been wracked by scandals, it consistently ranks as one of the worst in the nation for accountability, and yet the state GOP somehow thinks anti-corruption laws are so bad they require a state of emergency to repeal them. Voters in South Dakota have finally said “enough,” it’s time for lawmakers to accept the will of the people and clean up their act,” said Patriotic Millionaires’ Chair Morris Pearl, former Managing Director BlackRock, Inc.
This is usually the time where I decry the death of the music industry and the lack of any marquee albums coming out in the near future, but I am not going to do that this time (well, I guess I kind of did) because I am actually kind of excited for something (supposedly) coming out soon: the new album by Michelle Branch. Her debut album Teh Spirit Room was one of the greatest pop-rock albums of all time and number five on my list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the 00's. Her sophomore was pretty good (#39) then she went country with her duo The Wreckers who released one album... then nothing. That album was 2006, Hotel Paper was 2003. Okay there was an EP seven years ago but there were also two aborted albums. Now she is on a new label and it seems like the album, produced by The Black Keys Patrick Carney, may actually be released. But hey, fourteen years my sound like a long time to wait for a third album, Bell Biv DeVoe is dropping their third today, twenty-four after their second. Wait, Spotify is saying they actually on their fourth and released an album in 2001... who knew. But anyway. Here is a list of albums coming out the next couple months that will at least be worthy of a listen on Spotify. Click on the album titles to be taken to Amazon or the artist name to be taken to their iTunes page.
I wanted to love the first season of The Path, I really did, everything was in place, produced by the Friday Night Lights guy, starring the guy from Hannibal. There was even a guest spot from Lyla Garrity. But the shoe just did not completely gel for me. I think maybe it is the whole cult theme but I spent most of the first season hoping for something more that never came. I still hold out hope the show can find its footing.
There are some changes in the second season, mostly by subtraction. Gone is Hawk’s high school crush which is understandable as the cult alienated her mother (Hawk gets a new love interest this season, a fellow level one rung member). Also gone is the hot blonde deserter. I vaguely remember her walking onto a frozen lake at the end of last season. I guess we are led to believe she fell in. Maybe? (I will say we do see one of these two ladies at some point in the second season.) On the bright side there is a new curly haired hot blonde this season to entice Eddie.
I guess the new season started off five months after the last season when Eddie went to Peru and saw the supposedly dying leader of the Mierist movement rising from his deathbed (there are flashbacks to that moment in the first episode. I guess five months because Mary is now five months pregnant and we are led to believed that the father can either be Sean’s (who has been promoted to the main credits) or Cal’s. There is a humorous scene early on where she asked Sarah’s adoptive Asian sister how likely her mixed raced kids look like her. Apparently she missed that day in biology class or has never heard Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Plant where they talk about the dominant and recessive genes.
That is about as entertaining a moment in the two episodes that are uploaded to Hulu today. Yes the show is sticking to its weekly schedule even though Hulu has since experimented with Netflix season dump with their latest show Shut Eye. Still the most interesting part of the show is the war between Cal, the true believer who wants more than anything to be the next leader and will do anything to obtain power, and Eddie, the nonbeliever who may actually be the chosen leader but wants nothing to do with it.
But the thing is, as the second season progresses, the most enthralled I got into it as it really build to something which was lacking in the first season. Okay, I did not care that much for the resolution of this build, but I will say it sets up an interesting plot for a potential season three.
The Path releases new episode every Wednesday on Hulu, the first two are available today.
The Affair: Allison’s acts have been kind of a bore this season and it looked like that was going to be more of the same… and then Helen plopped down next to her at a bar. That was kind of interesting especially when Helen said, “I think people see what they want to see in people” when you put that in context of how this story is told. Unfortunately no such surprise meeting during Cole’s act (unless you count Allison visiting him in jail which did not happen in her act). I was really hoping he was going to run into Gunter in jail, even though Gunter works at an upstate prison. Hopefully they actually reveal Cole stabbed Noah because something interesting has to happen in his storyline. Him confessing his love to Allison does not cut it.
Lucifer: Wait, only two episodes until the winter finale? I thought it just returned from its winter finale. If you are going away for three month, why even come back for three episodes?
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.
Timeless: So Lucy gets kidnapped foe one whole episode? Meh, they could have stretched that out a little longer.
You can download Timeless on iTunes.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So the Inhuman boss turned out to be a regular human with some Captain America Super Soldier rip off that only works for a limited time. Alrighty. And they did that to make American trust Inhymans but could not find any actual Inhumans they actually trusted to do the actual job. Sounds like our government. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.
The Good Place: Is it possible to hate and love a finale at the same time? But before that, the Medium Place was great. Although after what we learned in the finale, is the Medium Place a real place or was she just another actor in Michael’s plan? Is there a real Good Place at all? I am going to assume the answer is yes until we learn definitely either way. As for the final episode, I kind of hated the reveal. When the show started it was hard not to think that this may have been The Bad Place or some sort of Purgatory (which I guess is The Medium Place) but I thought the concept of a horrible person accidentally making it into The Good Place was a strong enough concept it did not need a twist. But on the other hand I did like how the concept set up a potential second season (there has to be a secnd season right, what else does NBC actually have in the comedy department; I do not see Powerless setting the ratings on fire).
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.
The Blacklist: I was really hoping the creepy kid actually had some special ability, that would have made the episode much more interesting.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.
Emerald City: So we now know who the Tin Man is. But does that make the boy turned girl the cowardly lion? They are spending so much time on him/her you would think (s)he would be part of the original story. But wouldn’t it be a little sexist to say a girl who spent her whole life as a boy needs courage.
You can download Emerald City on iTunes.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Atlantis Eising, Uncensored with Michael Ware, The Weapon Hunter, TNT and TBS news, The Great British Baking Show, All Eyez On Me, and The Mindy Project.
- The legend of Atlantis has sparked controversy and debate for thousands of years — is the story fact or fiction? And if Atlantis was a real place, can its ruins be found today? Atlantis Eising, which premieres on National Geographic on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 9:00, follows executive producer and Oscar-winning legend James Cameron; three-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Simcha] Jacobovici; and a group of archeologists, scientists and historians as they set out to search for the true “Atlantean” civilization and for a possible location for the mother city, the lost city itself. The team draws clues from “Timaeus” and “Critias,” the source of the story of Atlantis, penned by fourth century B.C. Greek philosopher Plato.
- Audacious journalist Michael Ware is best known for his coverage as a war correspondent, spending nearly a decade of his life in some of the most brutal and hostile combat zones on the planet. Famous for his coverage of the Iraq War, Ware was given access that he deemed to be frightening, witnessing the horrors of war and the birth of ISIS. Now, in National Geographic’s new eight-episode series Uncensored with Michael Ware, Ware is leaving the trenches to embark on a new adventure as he investigates some of the most fascinating people, places and cultures on the planet. Ware brings his style of gritty, unapologetic journalism to some of the world’s buzziest areas, ranging from the rough and savage highlands of Papua New Guinea — where women who are thought to be witches are hunted and killed — to the glamorous streets of Los Angeles where celebrities are sought out and snapped by paparazzi. Uncensored with Michael Ware WARE premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 10:00 on National Geographic and globally in 171 countries and in 45 languages on Sunday, March 19.
- Season two of the Smithsonian Channel original series The Weapon Hunter shines a light on true American heroes as series host, history buff and restoration expert Paul Shull partners with veterans to spotlight iconic moments and artefacts in military history. This is history that leaves a mark. From a Vietnam era gun truck and a World War II B-25 bomber, to a giant 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon and more, The Weapon Hunter is history up-close and personal. Season two of the six-episode series premieres Sunday, February 12 at 9:00.
- Turner's TNT has picked up a sixth season of the hugely popular crime-drama Major Crimes, from Warner Bros. Television, which has consistently ranked as one of cable's most-watched drama series since its chart-topping debut in 2012. The show's stellar ensemble cast – including two-time Oscar® nominee Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, Kearran Giovanni, Jonathan Del Arco and Graham Patrick Martin – will return for the 13-episode sixth season. Major Crimes will close out its fifth season with an eight-episode run that begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 9:00.
- TBS's The Guest Book is filling up quickly with notable entries. The new comedy series from Emmy® winner Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl) has locked its first-season cast and guest cast. The Guest Book is slated to premiere on TBS in August. Among the regular and recurring cast members joining The Guest Book are Kellie Martin (Army Wives) as Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Charlie Robinson (Hart of Dixie) is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Aloma Wright (Suits), Carly Jibson (Broadway's Hairspray) is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank, played by Lou Wilson (Tween Fest). Rounding out the first season cast in recurring roles will be Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), Laura Bell Bundy (Scream Queens) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl). The Guest Book has also lined up an impressive list of guest stars, reserving the talents of Danny Pudi (Community), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the new Black), Michaela Watkins (Casual), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Michael Rapaport (Sully), Kate Micucci (Raising Hope), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Stockard Channing (The Good Wife), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead) John Ortiz (Togetherness), David Zayas (Gotham), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Margo Martindale (The Good Wife) and Stephnie Weir ( The Comedians) for the anthology-style series.
- Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) is set to star in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Playing Sara Howard, a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters, Fanning joins recently cast Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglorious Bastards, Captain America: Civil War), who stars as forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, and Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train, The Hobbit trilogy), who will play reporter John Moore. The series will follow the three of them as they investigate a series of brutal murders in New York during the Gilded Age.
- Turner's TBS has greenlit ten episodes of the animated series The Cops (working title), starring and co-created by Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks. The two also serve as executive producers on the series with Greg Daniels, Dino Stamatopoulos, Dave Becky and Howard Klein. The Cops is produced by FX Productions, Louis C.K.'s Pig Newton and Turner's Studio T, and is slated to premiere in 2018. The Cops follows Al (Brooks) and Lou (C.K.), two Los Angeles patrolmen trying their best to protect and serve, sometimes failing at both. Ride with them as they patrol one of the biggest cities in the world, then go home with them and be glad you're not married to either.
- Turner's TNT has ordered a second season of its hit drama series Good Behavior, starring award-winning actress Michelle Dockery. Juan Diego Botto, Terry Kinney and Lusia Strus also star in the seductive thriller, which is executive-produced by Chad Hodge and Blake Crouch and based on a series of books by Crouch. The entire first season of Good Behavior is currently available on TNT On Demand and TNT's digital and mobile platforms. The second season is slated to launch in the fall.
- PBS announced this week at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour that The Great British Baking Show will return for a fourth season on June 16, 2017, airing Friday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). This upcoming season is the BBC’s most recent season, which received the highest-ever viewership for the series. PBS also announced it has committed to a fifth season of the series that has previously aired on the BBC.
- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF.A, LGF.B) and Morgan Creek Entertainment announced today that Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment label will distribute All Eyez On Me, the biopic on Tupac Shakur, in the U.S. The film is scheduled to be released in theatres nationwide on June 16, 2017, on what would have been Tupac’s 46th birthday.
- Get a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing costumes and design on The Mindy Project. Season five of The Mindy Project returns Tuesday, Feb. 14.
- This week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report finding that if the key provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are repealed 32 million Americans will become uninsured over the course of 10 years, and more than half of those people—18 million Americans—will lose their insurance within the first year. A report by Policy Matters Ohio found that 964,000 Ohioans would lose health coverage in 2019 if the ACA were repealed.
As it has been written many times before, we are truly in the era of peak television. There are hundreds of new scripted shows (352 in 2014 and probably rising) coming every year now so it is easy to miss them. Seriously, I have never even heard of The Crown until it won the Golden Globe for Best Drama (so good promotions dollars to whoever bribed the Hollywood Foreign Press for that award). So I have never even heard of Six until History made it available for me to watch the first couple episode. And to be honest, the only reason I watched was because Boyd Crowder was in it.
If you are like me and only hearing about the show now, Six is for Seal Team Six, led by Crowder back in 2014. For fans of action, there are two firefights in the first ten minutes, three in the first twenty-five. Not surprising, Crowder is kind of a psychopath who makes a question kill on the last mission we see with him as the team leader.
Fast forward two years, Crowder is now employed by a private contractor who is building a new school in Africa, right in the middle of Boca Haram country. Naturally Crowder gets captured setting up the season where his old team has to rescue him and the schoolgirls who were also taken. The team is still in tack sans Crowder and a newbie replacing him while the team is now being led by Barry Sloane (who I best know as the guy who ruined Revenge). The only other cast member I recognized is My Name Is Earl’s Nadine Velazquez as one of the team member’s wife who is a little irritated at her husband’s insistence that it is “one last mission.”
And that is kind of the downfall of Six, I really do not care when they go home as all the (ex)wives are kind of wet blankets. Sloane’s wants to have children while he is more reluctant. The only home storyline that is remotely interesting is that of the playboy who grown teenage daughter starts popping up all of the sudden much to his dismay. But aside from those home diversions, added to the race against the clock to save Crowder is unknown to the team, they are racing against someone else looking for Crowder, remember the question kill I mentioned earlier, that guy’s brother also learns of Crowder’s capture. Six should appeal to those who have enjoyed History’s first foray into scripted fair Vikings (even though Six is not actually based on real events and is not even that historic taking place three to one years ago). But I guess it makes more sense than the unscripted shows that History currently airs.
When Morgan Freeman talks, people listen (okay, we will forget the ads he lent his voice to last fall). And now it is time to listen to his golden voice as his show The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. Tonight’s premiere sees Freeman travel the globe to find “chose ones” of various religion. He starts off with probably the most famous living “chosen one,” the latest Dali Lama a nine year old who Morgan goes his first ever public speaking event since being declared the next Dali Lama at age two. From there Freeman talked to someone who was convicted in North Korea for “attempting to overthrow the government,” or just praying to God in North Korea.
For those who always wondered is the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Freeman goes back in time to look at the split where the Shiites believe in a chosen one that the Sunni do not. Also in the episode are Thailand religious people mutilate themselves in the name of god with multiple piercing including swords and pipes.
Later this season, Freeman tackles how different faith look at Heaven and Hell and looks for proof of God. The series also visits some of the world’s most sacred places, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, constructed in the 12th century as a model of Hindu heaven; Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, which the Lakota tribe believe to be one of the power points of their worship; the underwater caves, or “cenotes,” of the Maya in Mexico, which they believed were the entryways to heaven and hell; rare access inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith; and the Meskel celebration in Ethiopia that commemorates the discovery of the true cross by Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine.
The Story of God with Morgan Freeman airs Mondays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel.
At the end of last season of Homeland, it looked like this season would revert back to familiar time when Saul offered her a job back at the CIA with full autonomy of her team. But shockingly, she turned it down to continue working with her philanthropist fiancée. The other big new from the end of last season was Quinn pretty much dying after being the giunie pig for a chemical bomb Except the show left his death ambiguous as the season went to black, but basically he needed a miracle to survive,
I thought the show was going to tease out Quinn’s fate after the lack of a title sequence to see if the actor’s name was still in the credits, but it is easy to deduce his fate in the first scene of the season and confirmed in the second. At the start, Carrie has moved back to the United States (which means a return of computer guy Max), taking up roots in New York City still working for the foundation But instead of working for the poor like in the past, she has steered the new New York chapter towards unjust Muslim arrests.
Saul and Dar are still at the CIA and start the season meeting with the new Madam President Elect. Before you decry the presumptuous liberal Hollywood for already electing Hilary Clinton before the votes were cast, this female president is vert dovish whose one of the first questions she has is why do we just pull out of the Middle East completely? But what exactly does this have to do with Carrie who last we saw had no interest with the CIA. Well the first time Saul and Carrie meet this season, he points out the President Elect is friends with Carrie’s boss and point blank accuses her of being the president-elect’s secret council.
Okay, enough beating around the bush, I am going to talk about the fate of Quinn since the premiere has been on the internet for a while. So SPOILER ALERT if you have not watched it.
Brody should have died at the end of season one. Clearly in hindsight because of the horrible and eventual Carrie/Brody romance that completely ruined the show for a season and a half, but I think most people in the moment knew he should have exploded his vest at the end of the first season. I fear things will be repeating itself. Quinn should have died last season. It is completely inexplicable that he survive the chemical booth. And goodness is he annoying this year as a half dead person who still pining over Carrie. If they actually hookup it may be worse than Brody because that means the writers have not learned their lesson. But other than that, a female president elect… how novel.
The Affair: Finally another duel perspective episode. And of course Noah’s sex scene was creepy and kind of violent (also interesting that Helen kept her top on during her act and Noah had it off). I am kind of hoping for a Gunter act coming up just to see if what Noah sees is real or not, I am questioning his point of view. Would seem like a long haul to drive from upstate New York into the city just to taunt Noah and not retaliate when he cuts you (I have to imagine that cut will come into play at some point.
:Good Behavior: My big takeaway from the season finale: Just how did Javier get both cars to the house? But anyway. It was a satisfying finale. I am not sure how exactly the show is doing in the ratings or even critically, but if this is also the series finale, I would be fine with how the season played out.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Oh man, good one Dr. Ratcliff, program your robot to make it seem like she has overwrote their own programming. Really brilliant. But when does Ada actually go Ex-Machina? Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The New Edition Story, Seven Songs for a Long Life, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, The Obama Years: The Power of Words, and news from Showtime.
- BET Network’s upcoming biopic The New Edition Story is a 6 hour, 3 night star studded mini-series that will air on January 24, 25, and 26, 2017. Check out the trailer below.
- Hospice care is rarely associated with song and dance, unless the songs happen to be dirges or solemn hymns. But a new hospice-centered documentary, Seven Songs for a Long Life, sings a very different tune. Filmmaker Amy Hardie goes inside Strathcarron Hospice in Scotland, where six patients, some stricken with terminal illness, face pain and uncertainty with song and bravery. Three years in the making, Seven Songs for a Long Life captures the often quirky patients’ reflections on life and their own mortality, as well as their heart-tugging renditions of pop music classics by everyone from Sinatra to R.E.M. The film debuts on the PBS POV series on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017.
- This February, home audiences will be whisked deep into the vortex of a culebra underworld on the verge exploding in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series - Season Three. Across 10 new horror-packed episodes, MIRAMAX and El Rey's fan-favorite, supernatural crime saga returns on loaded blu-ray and DVD, available only from Entertainment One. Both sets include hours of specially-produced extras including audio commentary with the cast & crew, featurettes including "Season 3 Catch Up," "Inside the Episodes," "Season 3 Best Kills," "Evolution of a Fight Scenes" and much more!
- From global independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), Sienna Films, Wildcats Productions and Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz's Big Light Productions comes the suspense drama series Ransom, which follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Ransom airs Saturdays at 8:00 on CBS. eOne will release new episodes for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and all other leading digital platforms weekly.
- Over eight years, President Obama delivered more than 3,500 speeches and statements – officially ending his era with a farewell address on Tuesday in Chicago. His speeches ranged from redefining patriotism, candidly addressing race relations, inspiring hope and healing, and turning divisive moments into an opportunity for national unification. But which are the moments that history will remember? A new hour-long Smithsonian Channel special tells the story of Barack Obama, “writer in chief,” and takes viewers inside the defining moments of his political career through the prism of his most memorable speeches. The Obama Years: The Power of Words, narrated by actor and producer Jesse Williams, premieres on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 8:00.
Showtime Sports® announced a powerful new documentary, Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds To Freedom, which examines a controversial practice in Thailand’s criminal justice system whereby inmates can earn their freedom by winning a series of Muay Thai fights. A Showtime Sports original production, the 90-minute film will premiere on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 on Showtime.
- Showtime has announced the airdates for its two highly-anticipated new series GUERRILLA and I’M DYING UP HERE. The new six-part limited event series GUERRILLA will premiere on Sunday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. The drama will premiere in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky in the same week. The new one-hour drama series I’M DYING UP HERE will premiere on SHOWTIME on Sunday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, kicking off the network’s summer line-up which will include new seasons of RAY DONOVAN, DICE and EPISODES. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
- Showtime has announced the premiere date for the highly anticipated, new TWIN PEAKS. The 18-hour limited event series will debut with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, May 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following the premiere, Showtime subscribers will have access to the third and fourth hours, exclusively across the Showtime streaming service, Showtime Showtime® and Showtime ON DEMAND®. In its second week, TWIN PEAKS will air the third and fourth hours back-to-back on the linear network, starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by one-hour episodes in subsequent weeks. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
- Days after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, Showtime Documentary Films presents TRUMPED: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL UPSET OF ALL TIME at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. This world premiere screening at the prestigious festival will be followed by the Showtime premiere of the film on Friday, February 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on-air, On Demand and the Showtime streaming service. The film was produced by the team behind The Circus on Showtime. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc., at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
Even though I usually check them out, I not a big fan of the Artists to Watch for the next year that pop up at the end or beginning of each year. My ears usually meet each artist with a resounding yawn. Most are not really that new, usually artists that put out albums or singles months before to crickets and outlets are dusting them off now because they have to write about something and less and less artists are putting out music in the winter. Really there are just less and less big name artists that push the needle period.
One artist that caught my ear on Billboard’s list was Maggie Rogers. Her song Alaska was somehow familiar and weird at the same time. Then the song kept popping up again and again over the last couple month until one day I heard it and realized, oh wait, this song is kind of great. So I went on a deep dive and there was a viral video of Pharrell listening to her song in front of her at the NYU Clive Davis Insitut where she talks about coming to the school as a banjo player who fell in love with French dance music, hence the “familiar and weird at the same time” vive. Maggie’s segment starts at 18:18.
What is great about the video, beside Pharrell bizarrely comparing her to Wu-Tang Clan which he manages to make a convincing argument, is Maggie awkwardly trying to sneak a look at Pharrell’s expression but clearly to scared to. And like I mentioned, she went to music school to play the banjo so clearly there is musicianship to her behind the French dance music esthetic which you can definitely her in the acoustic version of the song which turns the song into a heartbreak anthem that could have been been on one of Ryan Adams more sad albums.
Maggie has released a new single since them with an EP coming February 17 called Now That the Light Is Fading, (she also released two albums in high school that you can find on Bandcamp if you are interested in her banjo phase). Dog Years is another great song that gives me a modern update of Laurel Canyon feel to it. After a dire year for new music last year, and really music in general, 2017 is already looking up.
The Affair: Wait, what just happened? They teased Noah going crazy in the lake and his act ends with the exact same moment, except there was someone there. Or was there? That was young Noah right? But yeah, there should be a Noah segment every episode.
Conviction: I am not entirely sure why I am still watching this dead show walking (oh yeah, my irrational love of Peggy Carter) but that had to be one of the most awkward kisses in television history.
You can download Conviction on iTunes.
:Good Behavior: 57 Channels was off last week so here are my thought on the post Christmas episode followed by this week’s episode: The previous week’s with the ballad of Javier’s family was a bit of a drag, but boy did they made up for it this week with shocker after twist after shocker. I guess you have to start at the end with Letty asking Javier to kill her baby daddy. Oh, yeah, we learned Jacob’s father was a porn director turned video fitness guru. And to think, most episodes I would have started off with Nelson being played at a wedding reception. Oh yeah, and then the Godmother learned her husband enjoys getting rammed by dudes in his office. I was thinking the Godmother may be the only one on this show worth rooting for. Then the parole office popped into my mind. Where has that guy been? If my memory is correct, the last we saw of him was being questioned by the FBI after he and Letty robbed the hotel. That thread has to be tied by the end of the season.
1/3 – So that is what happened to the parole officer; just waiting for the right time to have him and his new FBI buddy to try to get Letty to turn on Javier. Quite a pickle, turn him in seems obvious until you realize dude is resourceful. Maybe the smart thing would have been to give him a heads up, I do think him just leaving town is good enough. Should make for an interesting finale.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.
Blindplot: Well I was completely wrong about who was going to die because apparently no one did. Meh. But the big bad let Kurt live again, what could she possibly want with him? Is he going to turn out to be a Manchurian Candidate?
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.
Emerald City: I will say this, the show looks very beautiful (NBC got the guy who directed The Cell to direct all ten episodes) but it became clear pretty quickly that we probably do not need a dark re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz with a Christ-like Scarecrow with amnesia.
You can download Emerald City on iTunes.
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures, OBAMA: The Price of Hope, Independent Lens, The Detour, Rock'N’Roll Inventions, Let It Fall: LA 1982-1992, Titanic: The New Evidence, Debbie Reynolds, The Handmaid's Tale, and Shameless.
- As the country prepares for Donald Trump to be sworn in as the 45th U.S. president, both critics and supporters believe they’re saying farewell to one of the most memorable presidencies in the nation’s history. On Sunday, Jan. 15, just days before the inauguration, National Geographic commemorates President Obama’s legacy with a night of programming, beginning at 8:00 with the one-hour documentary Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures, followed by the two-hour special OBAMA: The Price of Hope, premiering at 9:00.
- BS uncovers the awesome and terrifying power of the atom in a three-night marathon of nuclear-themed programming from January 9-11, 2017 (check local listings). Exploring nuclear power and global nuclear arsenal, the programming block will explore the many sides of the nuclear issue by looking to history, examining the present and imagining the future. The following programs will air January 9-11, 2017: Independent Lens’ “Containment”, a disturbing documentary that explores attempts to plan for a radioactive future and the failures in managing millions of gallons of waste left over from the Cold War, premieres Monday, January 9 from 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET.
- Hospice care is rarely associated with song and dance, unless the songs happen to be dirges or solemn hymns. But a new hospice-centered documentary, Seven Songs for a Long Life, sings a very different tune. Filmmaker Amy Hardie goes inside Strathcarron Hospice in Scotland, where six patients, some stricken with terminal illness, face pain and uncertainty with song and bravery. Three years in the making, Seven Songs for a Long Life captures the often quirky patients’ reflections on life and their own mortality, as well as their heart-tugging renditions of pop music classics by everyone from Sinatra to R.E.M. The film debuts on the PBS POV series on Monday, Jan. 30.
- TBS's hit comedy series The Detour is making its way back for its second season, slated to launch with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10:00. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour stars Jones, along with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda.
- A new Smithsonian Channel series is about to make some noise as some of the biggest names from the recording industry break out their drumsticks, synthesizers, and everything in between to explain the technology and innovations that have provided the soundtrack to our lives. The new six-episode series, Rock'N’Roll Inventions premieres Monday, January 16 at 8:00.
- Academy Award-winner John Ridley has teamed up with ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions to produce a feature-length documentary titled Let It Fall: LA 1982-1992 about the Los Angeles uprising of April 1992. The two-hour documentary is scheduled to air on the ABC television network in the spring of 2017 pegged to the 25th Anniversary of the rioting, looting and gun violence that unfolded after the verdict in the Rodney King case.
- The sinking of the RMS Titanic has been the subject of countless investigations, and the true cause of the tragedy is hotly debated. Now, explosive new photographs have surfaced containing shocking revelations about a series of shortcomings which contributed to the legendary ship’s tragic sinking. The images are unveiled in a new one-hour Smithsonian Channel documentary that tells the story of the unluckiest ship in maritime history. Titanic: The New Evidence (WT) premieres Saturday, January 21 at 8:00.
- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of legendary actress Debbie Reynolds, the vivacious actress, singer and dancer who entertained audiences in musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) with a 24-hour film tribute on Friday, January, 27. Reynolds, who passed away Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the age of 84, became a sensation after starring with legendary hoofers Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in the immortal MGM musical Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and received her only Oscar® nomination for pla ying the title role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Reynolds recording of “Tammy” spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1957 and was nominated for an Academy Award for best Original Song.
- Last week, Hulu announced Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale will premiere on Wednesday, April 26th, 2017. The drama series, based on the award-winning, best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated world. In this terrifying society where one wrong word could end her life, Offred navigates between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.
- On the heels of its seventh season finale last night, Showtime has ordered an eighth season of Shameless. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. One of the network’s longest-running and most successful series ever, Showtime season seven ranks as its highest-rated season to date. The series stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum. Production on twelve new episodes will begin in 2017.
- ast week, Main Street Alliance member businesses joined a national day of action–urging their Senators and Representatives in Congress to oppose efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The GOP leadership's health plan, to be voted on in early January, would take health coverage away from 30 million people nationwide and collapse the insurance market–leaving small business owners scrambling to find health insurance.
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.
Three Stripes - 
Prisoner - 
The Wild - 
