At first listen of the song you knew the video would be built around the old Taylor is dead line. Still I spent most of the video missing the Our Song era of Taylor. People have been making a lot out how this is “dark Taylor Swift” but it does not sound much different than her last two albums. To me, dark Taylor would sound more like Safe and Sound. Unfortunately the Civil Wars no longer exist; instead she is making another record with the dude from Bleachers who is getting kind of stale (he recently did the underwhelming Lorde sophomore album). If there is a silver lining is that Taylor’s first singles are the worst song off the album, hopefully that is the case here.
I think like many people around the eclipse, I watched Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart video, apparently so did the Foo Fighters who weirdly are using the same eye-light effect.
I cannot count the number of times I went to YouTube searching for Batdance only to remember, oh yeah, Prince hates the internet. A month or two his estate has slowly putting his music videos on the site and last week, we finally got an offiial version of Batdance. I am so happy.
There was a time when my biggest complaint about the cable news stations was they would get obsessed over insignificant stories like random dead white chicks and missing plains from halfway across the world with no Americans on board. Just wall to wall coverage despite no new news to report for days. Much simpler times. When Natalie Holloway’s dad popped up recently I thought, what a reprieve to what modern news has devolved into.
For those that miss these types of stories, Science Channel has a new show that will delve into stories that puzzled us all and still do with Mysteries of the Missing. Tonight’s premiere starts off with CNN’s favorite missing plain, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. In a time of security cameras, satellites, and cameras in almost every phone, it is increasingly shocking how a plain leaving from Kuala Lumpur, traveling to Beijing could just disappear. The show goes over the various theories (a couple I never heard of before) as well as talking to aviation specialist as well as a hacker that has been banned from a couple airlines.
The series features other prominent vanishing acts including the three Alcatraz escapees who managed to flee the island fortress in 1962; the Lost Roanoke Colony in North Carolina; the unexplained cause of a 1908 explosion in an extremely remote part of Siberia that is said to have been the equivalent of a thousand atom bombs; and the notorious Bermuda triangle, among others. The series is narrated by Lost’s Terry O’Quinn.
Mysteries of the Missing airs Saturdays at 10:00 on Science Channel.
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 Prince, Cold War Kids, Baker Grace, Aly + AJ, The Third Rail with OZYThe Third Rail with OZY, Jerry Lewis, the SAG Life Achievement Award, and 2017 VMAs.
- Showtime has acquired the rarely seen Prince concert film Sign O’ the Times, which will air on American television for the first time in more than a decade, premiering September 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Created as a companion to the 1987 Prince double album of the same name, Sign O’ the Times features live performances of songs including “U Got the Look” (with Sheena Easton), “If I Was Your Girlfriend” and “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man,” in addition to the title song and a striking rendition of the Prince classic, “Little Red Corvette.” Much of the film was shot at Prince’s own Paisley Park Studios, as well as on tour in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Tune in to the AT&T* AUDIENCE Network concert special Cold War Kids airing Friday, August 25,at 9:00 via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. In this episode, Cold War Kids perform fan favorites and sit down with series host Ted Stryker for an in-depth interview.
- Stepping out today with her debut single, 16 year old newcomer Baker Grace makes an immediate impression with Am I Talking To You? Showcasing gorgeous vocals and songwriting ability belying her tender years, the track features Baker's sparkling tone decorating a sparse arrangement.
- Musical duo, Aly + AJ, who have sold over 2 million records worldwide, return today after a 10 year musical hiatus, with their brand new track, Take Me. “This is just the start,” muses Aly Michalka, who, along with her sister AJ Michalka, exude an excitement impossible to ignore. Their energy completely renewed, the track, "Take Me" exudes that same vigor - it's teaming with a slow burning restlessness that’s nestled amongst textured melodies and 808 drums, with nostalgic synth hits.
- OZY Media and PBS new prime time show, The Third Rail with OZY, premieres Friday September 8, 2017 at 8:30 pm ET and is hosted by OZY CEO and founder Carlos Watson. Watson grew up in Miami and holds an A.B. in Government from Harvard University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. After stints on political campaigns, graduating from law school, time at McKinsey & Company, starting his own college prep company and anchoring on MSNBC, Carlos Watson channeled his skills toward building Silicon Valley based-OZY, a media company focused on the future.
- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of acclaimed comedian, actor and filmmaker Jerry Lewis, whose irrepressible zaniness and frantic creativity made him a defining figure of American entertainment in the 20th century, with a five film tribute on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4 in honor of of the nearly 50 years Mr. Lewis spent hosting The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon encouraging viewers to donate to the charity. Lewis, who passed away Sunday Aug 20 at the age of 91, knew success in movies, on television, in nightclubs, on the Broadway stage from his early films with Dean Martin, to his solo career eventually writing, producing and directing many of his own films.
- Morgan Freeman – Academy Award® winning actor, producer, voice actor and activist – has been named the 54th recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Freeman will be presented the performers union's top accolade at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan.21, 2018 at 8:00. Given annually to an actor who fosters the "finest ideals of the acting profession," the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Freeman’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Academy Award, HFPA’s Cecil B. DeMille Award®, an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, seven Image Awards, a Silver Berlin Bear, several Obies®, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- MTV today announced additional performers set to take the stage at the 2017 “VMAs” airing live from the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday, August 27 at 8:00. Logic will perform his hit single “1-800-273-8255” featuring Khalid, and Gucci Mane will take the stage with previously announced Fifth Harmony to perform their song “Down.” Additionally, the show will feature special performances by breakout artists Post Malone and Julia Michaels. MTV is announcing that singer-songwriter Alessia Cara and rapper KYLE will perform at the 2017 "MTV VMAs" on Sunday at 8pm ET/PT.
Echosmith and Rachel Platten debut major label albums were cheesy fun and what set them apart was that they sounded more like classic pop songs instead of what passes as current pop, which is basically vaguely EDM with that weird dolphin sound in ever song. So it was very disappointing that both of their new songs of their sophomore albums have that same vague EDM sound like everything else there right now.
So The Last Ship found a cure for the outbreak in the first season, spread it across America in season two, and then shipped it across the globe in season three. So what is left for season four especially after Captain Chandler walked away from the ship in the season finally to raise his kids after his father died? Well apparently the virus, called Red Rust on account that is the color food is turning, that threatened humanity is now destroying the food supply. But fear not, there is a virus resistant strain, except it is being horded somewhere is Iran. Maybe. So on to Mesopotamia the Nathan James goes this season.
Civilian Chandler is still on the show, he and his brood has found their way to Greece (maybe no so coincidentally the Nathan James will be travelling the Mediterranean early in the season) and has found a hot Greek family to shack up with. Except with the food shortage, pirate have to taking food from local fishermen, including those Tom is cohabitating. And Tom thought his days of hero-ing were over.
It has been sixteen months since the events of last season and even early in the first couple episodes, the show visits, Nebraska, Morocco, Greece and Spain, with more foreign countries to come. And like past seasons, there are plenty of explosions and tense action that should keep you entertained for the rest of the summer.
Orphan Black: 147 clones? Wow, Dyad was busy. They are apparently all dead now but I wonder how many dude clones were there. I was just disappointed they ruined Alison, turning her into a hippy for no apparent reason with two episodes left. I was hoping we would get a cheesy sitcom spin off with her and Donnie.
You can download Orphan Black on iTunes.
Ray Donovan: So are they going to continue to tease Abby’s death without actually saying the word or at least show the body? Sure Ray found her convulsing and foaming from the mouth, but we never heard what happened to her. Ray did mention the head injury from the car accident which of course was cause by the hot leaked actress. Except Ray did not bring that up when she showed of at his office. But I did find it interesting that she told Ray she “shot” her husband, not that she killed her. It would be more interesting if the husband is not dead because it seems like Ray cleans up a dead body at least one a season. I believe the very first scene of the series was Ray getting rid of a dead body.
Claws: I am not sure what was more entertaining, the Whitney Houston scene or the Humpty Dance scene. Still I do not understand why Roller and Uncle Daddy let Desna, and Virginia, live for trying to kill the former. And I am not sure if I am racist and think every black man looks the same, but I am pretty sure that was Desna’s doctor friend that the Dixie Mafia met with in the last scene.
You can download Claws on iTunes.
The Strain: So Setrakian has been part of a bone marrow experiment this whole time? And that was kind of an easy escape, why not try that earlier? And why I am complaining, why did the Master not swarm Eph after learning his location. New Horizons was right there presumably swarming with Strigoli.
You can download The Strain on iTunes.
I’m Dying Up Here: Bill got the chair? I know the show positioned him as the next big thing, but never really deserved it in my eyes. Then he did not even bother to kill himself afterward. The other big question beside how did Bill get on Carson, let alone the chair is what happened to Teddy’s club? Did someone set it on fire or was it electrical because the pimp said it passed inspection but not because he updated it. Not that I really cared because after watching the whole season, I wish we would have gotten a second season of Roadies instead.
Preacher: What the fork is up with the freaky dude with the eye? Seriously, the butter thing, what was that?
You can download Preacher on iTunes.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: She may look and act like a ditz, but, wow, Jenna looked like a beast as the only one who pushed her opponent off and she did it twice.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 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 Good Behavior, Halt and Catch Fire, Austin City Limits, Conan, Might Cruise Ships, A Season With, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Watergate *But Were Afraid to Ask, Anna of the North.
- Award-winning actress Michelle Dockery will be back on the bad side when she returns as thief and con artist Letty Raines in the hit TNT drama Good Behavior. Juan Diego Botto, Terry Kinney, Lusia Strus and Joey Kern also star in the seductive drama. The second season of Good Behavior is slated to premiere across TNT's television, mobile and digital platforms on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 10:00.
- AMC announced today that the award-winning Blue Man Group will appear in the season premiere episode of Halt and Catch Fire, which begins its fourth and final season on Saturday, August 19th at 9:00. The network will also be launching an exclusive sweepstakes where fans can enter to win a Blue Man Group prize package, including two tickets to see a Blue Man Group performance, a human paintbrush canvas of Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) as seen in the season four premiere, and much more. The sweepstakes will launch on Friday, August 18th at 3:00pm ET and run until September 1st.
- The iconic PBS series Austin City Limits (ACL) announces a new season premiering October 7 with an an epic hour featuring global superstar Ed Sheeran. With this season, ACL becomes the longest-running music show in television history, providing viewers with a front-row seat to the best in performance for over 40 years, and continues its legendary run showcasing more stars, innovators and highly-anticipated debuts. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast
- TBS’s Conan will take the show internationally for the seventh time in two years as the popular host travels to Israel. Conan Without Borders: Israel will be a primetime special premiering Tuesday, September 19 at 10:00 on TBS. O’Brien plans to visit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem among other locales to be announced in the coming weeks.
- Embark on a journey across the globe on some of the world’s most luxurious cruises and remarkable trains, exploring breathtaking landscapes on land and sea while experiencing the unique ways passengers can travel the world. Voyage on some of the most extraordinary vessels and locomotives and meet the engineers and crews behind these incredible machines as they travel to locales near and far; with first-class amenities, it’s no wonder these trains and cruise ships are so distinguished. MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS and MIGHTY TRAINS premiere on Sunday, September 3 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET/PT, respectively, on Smithsonian Channel.
- SHOWTIME Sports will chronicle the 2017 Naval Academy football team with weekly installments of the all-access documentary series A SEASON WITH NAVY FOOTBALL. The third edition of the groundbreaking franchise, A SEASON WITH, immerses viewers behind the scenes and into the lives of the football players and coaches at the storied Service Academy with weekly 30-minute episodes throughout the 2017 season. The series premieres Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, four days after Navy begins its season on the road against Florida Atlantic University. New episodes will premiere each Tuesday as the Midshipmen balance the rigors of academics, athletics and military service while navigating a challenging 2017 NCAA FBS football schedule.
- The innovative hybrid publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books is releasing Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Watergate *But Were Afraid to Ask by Brian J. O’Connor and Lori Perkins on August 14th. Select chapters will be available for free to read on RiverdaleAveBooks.com on August 8th, the 43rd anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resigning from office.
- Anna of the North today unveil new single ‘Money’, another infectious alt-pop gem from the ever-more endearing Norwegian-Kiwi duo who stand on the precipice of blowing up.
There are many advantages to shortened seasons utilized by cable networks. But there is one huge disadvantage, where major network shows tend to only have three month breaks, when you are only airing ten episodes a year, that means you are off the air for forty two weeks a year, or a nine and a half month hiatus. And that is the minimum. Sometime it takes longer to come back. Case in point, they announced the last season of Episodes so long ago, Matt LeBlanc managed to air all twenty-two episodes of his next show, Man with a Plan. Seriously, the last episode of Episodes aired March 15, 2015.
Ten months is a long time to remember what happened on a television show, so what happened almost two and a half years ago is very vague. I remember the show within a show was canceled but not that much else. That, of course, makes me ask, if the fake show was canceled why not cancel the real show? What else is there possible to do?
The answer is quite clear at the start of the season premiere; Matt LeBlanc’s new fake gameshow The Box is great. They even spend the first eight minutes show up the fake game show where contestants are stuck in a box (natch) and can build up advantages within the game by answering trivia questions that they can use to make their experience inside the box better or the competitors lives worse to the point they quit the game.
Things are not as entertaining with Beverly and Sean’s new show which they pitched but then was turned over to different showrunner who is ruining their show. At least in their eyes. Yet like two ships passing in the night, the writing duo again crosses path with the former Friends star professionally, and again with mixed (but hilarious for the audience) results. The first couple seasons of Episodes were hit or miss, but the final season is firing on all cylinders, I kind of wish, this season was the starting point and we got four seasons after this premise. Especially a behind the scenes show about The Box.
Two years ago, networks were getting creative with rolling out new series kind of like NBC when they dumped the entire first season of Aquarius On Demand after the premiere. Showtime tried this out with Dice. But much like Aquarius which aired weekly in its second season, it looks like Dice will do just that even though Showtime cares more about subscribers who will watch whenever than appointment viewing.
But that really is the only change with the second season of Dice. Mr. Clay starts off the new season still paying off his gambling debt and even after playing a string of shows he is still owes the casino money. Then after a weird encounter with a rabbi, Dice wakes up in a parallel universe where he never became a comic and is now living as a salesman. And it is really disturbing just how much “normal” Andrew Dice Clay looks like most of my uncle’s friends. Then it dawned on me, oh my, if Andrew Dice Clay went into hedge funds, he may have ended up being The Mooch, the White House communication director for a week and a half Anthony Scaramucci.
I spent most of the first season of Dice wondering, just who is this show for. And it took the past election to realize, people who work for Donald Trump. The type of guy who still find jokes about sniffing underwear, use homosexual terms as an insult, wish they could still grab women without their consent, and vote for Donald Trump will love this show. I guess liberals who want to make fun of how sad these people’s lives are may also enjoy hate-watching Dice too.
I used to watch a lot of game shows; The Price Is Right was one of the few things I watched in college. But as I grew older I moved into more scripted fare. But now that I grow even older and I have no idea what is going on from week to week and need a five to ten minute “previously on” package, maybe I should get back into game show. They even have their own network now. Okay, do not ask me if I receive GSN, if I do it is in the 100 tier I never scroll through.
But I did get sample one of their original programming, Divided, returning for a second season tonight with back to back episodes. The first episode features a “full time live streamer.” And no, one of the questions is not how exactly does she make any money (unless the live stream does not involve clothing). The show features four contestants who have to answer each question unanimously and the longer they take to agree, the less money they make if they get. And if they get it wrong, their bank is divided in half. There is also a “Takeover” button where one person can answer for the group.
Then halfway through the episode one person is booted by the group, but if three people do not unanimously, again they have to debate while losing money until they agree. Then at the end of the game, the final bank is divided into sixty, thirty, and ten percent and the remaining three have to agree who leaves with what percentage, and of course everyone’s cut goes down as they debate who gets what.
One of the first things I noticed about the show is how poorly the layout is. Just in the first episode one player said he was picking A but B showed up on the board because he pressed the wrong button. Then later, another player went to lock in his pick, but pushed the Takeover Button by accident. I also found the final dividing round unnecessarily evil. Although the episode I watch, they surprisingly can to a decision quite quickly. But the questions were interesting, I only got one wrong and I was kind of shocked how wrong they all were in the first question of the night dealing with how many vegetarians there are in the nation. But I clearly would be horrible on this show because I am not very agreeable or persuadable. I would probably burn the two Takeovers early which would leave me to getting booted.
The new season of Divided will feature a number of special themed episodes, including Baby Boomers vs. Millennials, Military Night (featuring representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines), all teachers, all lawyers, all poker players, and “Second Chance” episodes where contestants voted off the show early get a second shot at the prize money.
Ray Donovan: At the start of every season these days I usually start with complaining about having no clue with what happened last season. The good thing about Ray Donovan is usually the wrap everything up in a little bow at the end of each season so you really do not need much of a refresher. So when they run their “previously on” segment to recap last season, I could go, oh yeah, Ray and the family took down that Russian oligarch (although they were a season early on doing an evil Russian businessman storyline), now there is a fresh slate for the new season.
It is still pretty vague what the big storyline for the season will be. Ray does see a story about a famous person whose personal pictures are released on the internet, presumably without her consent (I believe a starlet earlier in the series tried to release her own sex tape so you never know). The actress in question, does randomly show up in her underwear and runs away. There is also a scene with Susan Sarandon which will probably have a bigger impact later this season.
Then there was the big plot point (and the reason I am writing this now instead of my usually preview because Showtime said no pre-air reviews), they killed off Abby… Maybe. They heavily hinted at it but stopped short of explicitly saying she was dead or showed a body. They annoyingly do this next episode two until we get definitive proof in episode three. We do get to see a lot more of Lili Simmons next week who shows up in Ray’s office. Though again, you will have to wait until episode three to learn just why she was walking half naked in the middle of the road at night.
Claws: So Roller did know Desna tried to kill her. At least he let her call Dean before offing her. Sure, she did save him but that also saved her too so not really to make things square between the two. But overall the weakest episode this season.
You can download Claws on iTunes.
The Strain: Wait, why is Gus still on the show? His little raid on a bunch of cops surveyed absolutely no purpose. If you are not working to bring down the Master at this point, go away. And why did Dutch up the stairs? That is bad horror movie logic, go down and leave. As she planning on jumping rooftops to escape?
You can download The Strain on iTunes.
I’m Dying Up Here: Am I supposed to care about Bill because I really do not. Nor his dad. I actually cared more about the dog then either of them.
Shadowhunters: So Haley Dunfey has a English accent now? Awesome. This girl really likes work, she is on one of the biggest shows on television doing twenty-four episodes a year yet keeps on showing up in numerous movies and shows. And she almost made this show enjoyable.
You can download Shadowhunters on iTunes.
Preacher: So what happened with the dude with the eye? He had a big part of last week but did not show up at all this week.
You can download Preacher on iTunes.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: Boooo, Jenna is the best post-Nany contestant on the show. Hopefully she makes her way back on the show next week. Her and Darrell.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 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 Episodes, Dice, Major Crimes, Shameless, White Famous, SMILF, Louis Armstrong, Mondo Cozmo, The Band Perry, MTV VMA, and Six Words Fresh Off the Boat: Stories of Immigration.
- SHOWTIME is giving viewers nationwide an early opportunity to sample the season premieres of the network’s hilarious comedy series EPISODES and DICE for free, ahead of their debuts on Sunday, August 20th at 10 p.m. and 10:30pm ET/PT, respectively. Starting today, consumers can watch the series premiere for free on YouTube (EPISODES / DICE) and SHO.com (EPISODES / DICE). Consumers can also sample the premieres of EPISODES and DICE across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and their free On Demand channels.
- TNT's Major Crimes faces its three most challenging cases, struggling to solve mysteries mired in complex political conflicts having little to do with identifying and arresting murderers. As Cmdr. Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) grows accustomed to her new boss, Assistant Chief Leo Mason (Leonard Roberts), the detectives find themselves questioning their faith in the rapidly changing priorities of the justice system and their ability to reason through difficult changes in their personal relationships. Finally, they must accept the necessity of risk, in all its different guises, as they prepare to face the inexplicable but increasingly undeniable return of Phillip Stroh (guest star Billy Burke).
- SHOWTIME has announced the premiere dates for its fall comedy slate, including two new half-hour comedy series and the return of the hit hour-long comedy SHAMELESS. WHITE FAMOUS – starring Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) and based on the personal experiences of Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx – will debut Sunday, October 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, airing after the hit drama series RAY DONOVAN. SMILF – starring Frankie Shaw (Mr. Robot) and based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name – will launch Sunday, November 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, following the 9 p.m. ET/PT season eight premiere that night of the hit series SHAMELESS. On November 5, WHITE FAMOUS will move to 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
- In celebration of the late, great Louis Armstrong’s 116th birthday today, Verve Records/UMe have released the digital collection, The Complete Decca Singles 1935-1946, bringing together every single and B-side Pops released during his first decade on Decca Records. Totaling 136 tracks – with many available digitally for the first time – the comprehensive collection is now on all digital retailers and streaming services just as the annual music extravaganza Satchmo SummerFest gets underway in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter for three days and nights of contemporary and traditional jazz in honor of the legendary trumpet player and singer. The Complete Decca Singles 1935-1946 is available here: https://UMe.lnk.to/LouisCompleteDecca
- Taking a much-deserved victory lap as his full-length debut Plastic Soul [Republic Records] earns unanimous critical praise worldwide, “The Best New Rock Act of 2017,” Mondo Cozmo (who named his music after his dog) shares an incendiary live performance video of the record’s title track “Plastic Soul” (Live From Exit/In Nashville) on VEVO. Watch it here.
- Tune in to the AT&T* AUDIENCE Network concert special The Band Perry airing Friday, August 11, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. In this episode, the Grammy® Award-winning trio The Band Perry perform fan favorites and sit down with series host Ted Stryker for an in-depth interview.
- MTV yesterday announced that platinum-selling, Grammy-award winning, Top Dawg Entertainment recording artist Kendrick Lamar, will take the “VMA” stage for the first time as a solo headline performer. The “VMAs” will air live from the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, CA, on Sunday, August 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Lamar joins an extensive line-up of A-list performers for the show, including Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd and more, promising more music and unpredictable moments than ever before.
- Marrying the acclaimed immigration-themed ABC Television Network series Fresh Off the Boat with the New York Times bestselling Six-Word Memoir series by Larry Smith, Kingswell Press is thrilled to publish Six Words Fresh Off the Boat: Stories of Immigration, Identity, and Coming to America (on sale: September 5, 2017).
Pure Heroine was a great album that I had on heavy rotation, I just realized that I listened to the new Lorde once when it came out and that is out. Perfect Places was my favorite track off that album, I may have go back and revisit it. I do really like the video; it reminds me a time when people actually spent money on videos by going to exotic locations. Just imagine how great those Rio-era Duran Duran videos would have looked in hi-def.
Bibia Be Ye Ye – Ed Sheeran
How do I put this nicely: Ed Sheeran is very white so it is weird to see a bunch of black people sing his songs. But I wonder if Ed has a Graceland in him, that could be interesting.
Charli XCX can be very hit or miss for me and I am learning towards the latter for my early assessment of Boys. I like the chorus but the repetitive chorus may get very annoying.
Claws: So does Roller know who tried to kill him or does he really have selective amnesia? It is kind of a huge troll move if he does know at this point. Or he really fears the Russians and that he is throwing the scent that way?
You can download Claws on iTunes.
The Strain: Poor maid, Zach is totally going to get her killed soon.
You can download The Strain on iTunes.
I’m Dying Up Here: So the new guy pursues Cassie, gets a chance to nail her in the broom closet (because having sex apparently is the best way to end sexual tension), turns her down and then uses her as a wingman. Only on television or movies. But still, that is more believable than the other Boston guy banging the hot roommate in the baby’s room.
Preacher: So Preacher sinks the old cowboy in the bottom of a swamp and next week it looks like he will have another weirdo to deal with next week in the form of the dude we met this week.
You can download Preacher on iTunes.
Casual: I guess I was wrong that the season would end on a wedding. That is not to say we did not get any big news, Alex is going to be a father. Wow. That is a scary prospect. And his baby mama is not much of a responsible adult either. Should make for an interesting season four.
You can stream Casual on Hulu.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: That challenge was kind of disappointed. I think they have done ones like that before but it was much longer than one pass through. They should have done until one team had all the rings or the most rings after a time limit.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 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 Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, X Ambassadors, and Sublime.
- Showtime Networks has announced that the concert special from Grammy® Award-winning superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul will premiere on Friday, November 17 at 9:00 on Showtime, on-air, on demand and over the internet. The special was shot over the summer in the U.S. on this year’s Soul2Soul The World Tour. Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul is directed and executive produced by the award-winning Magical Elves production team of Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Katy Perry: Part of Me). The tour documentary includes live performances from their Soul2Soul tour, as well as unprecedented access to Tim and Faith, with never before seen interviews and behind the scenes footage capturing their unmatched chemistry on and off the stage.
- Showtime® continues to expand its powerful documentary portfolio with the world premiere of two riveting films at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Oscar®-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy), is an unflinching and deeply personal journal into the life of legendary 18-time Grammy® winner Eric Clapton. Also debuting at TIFF is LOVE MEANS ZERO, the story of the celebrated yet controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, directed and produced by Jason Kohn (Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)). Following their debuts at TIFF, both documentaries will premiere on SHOWTIME in 2018.
- Tune in to the AT&T* AUDIENCE Network concert special "X Ambassadors" airing Friday, August 4, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. In this episode, X AMBASSADORS perform fan favorites and sit down with series host Ted Stryker for an in depth interview.
- Southern California's reggae-punk pioneers Sublime have tapped two-time Academy Award-winning director Bill Guttentag (You Don't Have to Die, Twin Towers) to write and direct a full-length documentary on the iconic band.
Greg Garcia’s My Name Is Earl was the single funniest Pilot I have ever seen. I came away from watching first episode of Greg Garcia’s The Guest Book thinking, well that certainly was not the funniest thing I have ever seen. Actually I am not sure it was funny at all. But the thing is, The Guest Book is sort of an anthology with different people staying at a cottage. Sure the townspeople stay the same, but if you do not like one episode, the main characters will be gone by the next episode. Of course if you hate the townspeople, you are out of luck. The end of each episode even teases the next tenant involving a musical montage performed by a duo house band at the local strip bar. So when Rizzo talks about doing something to the chick from 24 that could land herself in jail, I figured, fine, I will give it another try.
The second episode opened with maybe the most creative “previous on” package that I can remember (except for Braindead’s musical recaps) which anyone who watches too much television and wants someone to talk about it with can relate to. Then what Rizzo ended up doing to the chick from 24 is something you will never guess. Then the episode end with, oh, hello Kellie Martin, where have you been? Becca Thatcher was a seminal figure of my youth, she then did ER. But where has she been since? (According to IMDB, she has basically been in made for television movie hell for almost two decades). Since she is the town’s cop, she is one of the few people who sticks around for the season. She sets a speed trap for the next group to stay at the cabin including the dude from Dexter, the chick from Casual, and the guy from You’re the Worst.
As you can guess so far, the weekly guests are a who’s who of actors you probably know but have no clue what their real names are: Abed from Community! Pam from The Office!! Mags Bennett from Justified!!! But it was not until the chick from My Name Is Earl shows up as a former porn star who is going on vacation for the first time with her new boyfriend and his kid that I realized I was really enjoying the show. That episode kicks off a string of great and weird episodes including an Alzheimer’s patient who new treatment goes to well and a guy who throws a surprise first date.
And maybe that is what I did not like about the first episode is that it was not as weird as the later episode in that it features the very worn out plot of guy and his overbearing wife. The final episode of the episode does not actually feature any new guests but the townspeople become front and center because of something big and shocking in the penultimate episode. But the ending left me hoping the Guest Book gets to get opened again for a second season. Hopefully Jason Lee can grow a bushy mustache by then for a cameo.
I still remember vividly the first time I ever heard Linkin Park. I had an office job back in college crammed into a small room with two other departments. One of my office mates asked if she could turn on internet radio, which was in its very early stages back ten. I said fine, and when she turned it on, the first thing blaring over the speakers was some dude screaming, “Shut up! Shut up when you’re talking to me!” My first response was, well that was not very nice. She was embarrassed to admit to liking the song but said she forgot about that part of the song. I overcame this horrible first impression and actually ended up owning two of their album and Bleed it Out is one of the greatest workout songs ever recorded.
There was one song off of Demi Lovato’s first album I actually kind of liked (the title track) but since then she has been a mainstay on my Worst Songs of the Year lists, usually very high. So I was not expecting much when she released a new single. Except, I actually kind of liked it. I has a English pop retro vibe to it (the good kind as much English pop is as bad an American pop) instead of her usual trashy pop she has done recent. And she weirdly looks like Olivia Munn in the hot tube scene.
At the end of the Bad Liar video, Selena Gomez teased a continuation. Except Fetish turned out to be a nonsensical weird video that had nothing to do with the previous one. And the song is not very good, maybe my least favorite of her singles. At least video will not be continued.
Claws: Of course Dean and Roller ended up at the same art exhibit. But c’mon Virginia, take a photo to show Desna. But who exactly was looking for Roller if everyone thought he was dead? Did Uncle Daddy investigate the hung up he had from last episode. So what is going to happen next week that will keep Uncle Daddy from killing Desna for trying to kill Roller? Cannot imaging that will come with a huge price.
You can download Claws on iTunes.
The Strain: Oh, hey, Gus has hair? The reverse Ephraim. We also get our first glimpse of Dutch and Setrakian who were still together. So how did they split from Fett?
You can download The Strain on iTunes.
I’m Dying Up Here: Maybe not the best sign on a show about comedy is that the hardest I laughed so far was at the Hispanic guy running from the cop. And he got caught.
Midnight, Texas: Well that was boring for a show about the supernatural.
You can download Midnight, Texas on iTunes.
Casual: Awe, the nineties, when bands like Local H could actually have a hit and people could waste money just to see a movie trailer. Alex and Valerie were still living together. I am not entirely sure we need to learn just where Alex’s obsession with waffles started.
You can stream Casual on Hulu.
The Challenge: Dirty 30: I understand not having a cameraman at the Redemption House full time, but how do they not have a security camera? From the description that is one of the most epic fails in reality production history.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 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 Last Ship, Good Behavior, Angie Tribeca, new TBS shows, Mysteries of the Missing, One Day She'll Darken, MythBusters, Honey Badger Grit, Cobra King, City on a Hill, and Animal Kingdom.
In celebration of the epic drama The Last Ship at Comic-Con International, TNT is releasing the official season four trailer after playing it exclusively for fans who attended the panel. The fourth season of The Last Ship is slated to launch with a two-episode premiere on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 9:00, across TNT platforms.
- Award-winning actress Michelle Dockery will be back on the bad side when she returns as thief and con artist Letty Raines, whose life is always one wrong turn or one bad decision away from implosion in the hit TNT drama Good Behavior. Juan Diego Botto, Terry Kinney, Lusia Strus and Joey Kern also star in the seductive drama, which was created by Chad Hodge and Blake Crouch and is based on a series of books by Crouch. The second season of Good Behavior is slated to premiere across TNT's television, mobile and digital platforms on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 9:00.
- Turner's TBS has taken another step toward earning its comedy series merit badge by ordering a fourth season of the hit series Angie Tribeca, starring Rashida Jones. And in a shameless attempt to grab some much-deserved awards attention, the fourth season will welcome a new cast member: two-time Emmy® winner Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) who has proven time and time again that he is irresistible to the Academy. Fingers crossed!
- This fall, TBS will enter the next phase of its ongoing brand evolution with a slate of three new original series, plus the eagerly anticipated second season of a returning favorite. Leading the pack on Tuesday, Oct. 24 will be TBS's new scripted comedy The Last O.G, starring and created by superstar and multiple Emmy® nominee Tracy Morgan alongside creators and executive producers Jordan Peele and John Carcieri. This marks the exciting return of Morgan to series television as he stars opposite Tiffany Haddish, who is hot off the heels of the box office success Girls Trip. TBS will also add (mostly) friendly competition to the mix with the new head-to-head celebrity rap battle competition Drop the Mic, hosted by Method Man and Hailey B aldwin and based on the popular segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden, premiering Thursday, Oct. 26. Fans can also expect a comedy-driven reboot of a classic game show with Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild, coming this fall. And finally, starting Sunday, Nov. 19, TBS will once again lead in to Thanksgiving Week with the season 2 premiere of the critically acclaimed series Search Party.
- In this day and age of modern technology and surveillance monitoring almost every detail of our lives, it seems inconceivable to us that something or someone could just disappear off the face of the Earth. Now a new Science Channel series, Mysteries of the Missing hosted by Emmy®-winning actor Terry O’Quinn (Lost, The Patriot), pursues plausible explanations to some of the most infamous disappearances of all time. The series premieres Saturday, August 26 at 10:00.
- Turner's TNT has greenlit straight to series the new drama One Day She'll Darken. Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster) is attached to direct the pilot and potentially additional episodes, and Chris Pine (Wonder Woman, Hell or High Water) is attached to star in all six. Sam Sheridan, author of A Fighter's Heart and The Disaster Diaries, is set to write the six-episode series, inspired by the autobiography of Fauna Hodel. The series is being produced by Turner's Studio T, with Jenkins, Michael Sugar (Spotlight, 13 Reasons Why), Sheridan and Pine serving as executive producers and will shoot this fall.
- MythBusters will explode back on to Science Channel this fall with all-new episodes and an all new-team. Brian Louden and Jon Lung, who earned the right to be called MythBusters by displaying killer build skills and science smarts during MythBusters: The Search, will showcase their awesome talents by building and executing new experiments involving rocket powered swords, exploding gas tanks, airbag disasters and more. The new 14-episode season of MythBusters will debut on Wednesday, November 15 at 9:00.
- Journey into the depths of exotic habitats with some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures with two brand-new Wild Wednesday specials on Smithsonian Channel. From the dry, barren terrain of the Namibian savanna to the lush rainforests of India, meet two of nature’s most unique creatures – the tenacious honey badger and deadly king cobra. Follow these incredible animals on Smithsonian Channel as they navigate their unforgiving environments and fight for survival in Honey Badger Grit, premiering Wednesday, August 9 at 8:00, and Cobra King, debuting on Wednesday, August 16 at 8:00.
- Showtime announced a new one-hour drama pilot, City on a Hill, to be executive produced by Academy Award® winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, written by Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler), and directed and executive produced by Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant, Warrior). The project will also be executive produced by James Mangold (Logan, Walk The Line) and Emmy nominee Jennifer Todd (Jason Bourne, Memento) for Pearl Street Films. Produced by Showtime, City on a Hill is based on an original idea by Affleck and MacLean. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.
- Turner's TNT has renewed its original drama Animal Kingdom for a third season as strong multiplatform viewing helped make the series cable's only Top 20 drama this year to show growth among Adults 18-49 in its second season. Emmy® and Tony® winner Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra star in Animal Kingdom, which is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. New second-season episodes premiere across TNT platforms Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), with the season fi nale set for Aug. 29. TNT plans to launch the third season in 2018.
