Around the Tubes: June 22, 2019

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 On Becoming a God in Central Forida, Prince, The Affair, America’s Hidden Stories, Amazing Dogs, Bipolar Rock ’N’ Roller, Paul Simon, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Maggie Lindemann, Back to Life, Heavenly Bodies, and The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.

- Showtime has picked up On Becoming a God in Central Forida, a one-hour series set to debut Sunday, August 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Kirsten Dunst (Fargo), the nine-episode series is a darkly comedic story about the cult of free enterprise and one woman’s relentless pursuit of the American Dream. In addition to Dunst, the series stars Théodore Pellerin (Genesis), Beth Ditto (Nocturnal Animals), Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth) and Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs). Created and executive produced by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky and produced by Sony’s TriStar Television, the series is also executive produced by Smokehouse Pictures’ George Clooney (Catch-22) and Grant Heslov (Catch-22), along with Dunst, Charlie McDowell (The One I Love), who also directed the pilot and Esta Spalding (MASTERS OF SEX), who also serves as showrunner.


- The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Records, released a brand new music video for Prince's original demo recording of the classic "Manic Monday" featuring never before seen, archival footage from his storied vault that provides a rare window into Prince's creative process during a wildly productive era of his career. Watch the brand new "Manic Monday" music video in full and catch up on all things Prince on Apple Music here.

- Showtime has released the first-look teaser for the highly anticipated fifth and final season of the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-winning Showtime drama series The Affair. Premiering on Sunday, August 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the series was created by WGA Award-winning playwright, writer, executive producer and showrunner Sarah Treem (House of Cards, In Treatment). The Affair is also executive produced by Jessica Rhoades (Sharp Objects), Hagai Levi (In Treatment) and Michele Giordono (Nurse Jackie). Starring Golden Globe nominee Dominic West, Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney and Sanaa Lathan, the series explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. Oscar® and Golden Globe Award winner Anna Paquin (True Blood) joined the final season as a series regular.


- Jamestown, the first successful English settlement in the Americas, is best known for the legend of John Smith and Pocahontas, but now archaeologists are on the hunt for a pioneering and controversial forgotten founding father. On July 30, 1619, Sir George Yeardley presided over the first democratic assembly in English-speaking America. Just a few weeks later, he purchased the first captive Africans for an English colony – opening America to the horrors of slavery. Smithsonian Channel’s probing series America’s Hidden Stories has pulled back the curtain on history we thought we knew, such as the groundbreaking revelation that Revolutionary War hero General Casimir Pulaski was intersex. Now, a special episode of the series reveals how Sir George Yeardley and a single year, 1619, set the course for the nation’s future. America’s Hidden Stories: Mystery at Jamestown premieres 400 years after the assembly’s anniversary on Monday, July 29 at 8 PM ET/PT.

- Take a journey along the twists and turns of the canine family tree to meet the most dangerous and wondrous wild dogs in the natural world and learn how they eventually went on to become much-loved pets like Labradors, bulldogs, mutts and more. Hosted by biologist Patrick Aryee, Amazing Dogs travels the world to study all 34 extraordinary canine species – from the Arctic fox to South America’s maned wolves and everything in between. Aryee examines these wonderfully varied creatures and discovers how, by harnessing their wild instincts, dogs helped change the course of human history. Taking viewers from the jungles of Brazil to the deserts of Africa and onto North America’s prairies to meet the most incredible canines known to man – Amazing Dogs premieres Sunday, July 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel. The premiere episode, MAN’S BEST FRIEND, sees Aryee meet the fastest, strongest and most unusual looking domestic dogs on the planet – all descended from the wild gray wolf. In the Mongolian wilderness, we find the Bankhar, a native dog that protects livestock from predators; then, it’s to the deserts of the Middle East to meet the Saluki – speed-demon canines that can reach up to 40 mph. Later, Aryee heads north on a dog-sledding adventure with the sturdy and strong Inuit Sled Dog, and while heading back south, he finds the loyal Newfoundland working among fishermen and the Cattle Dog riding alongside cowboys.

- Showtime and Mauro Ranallo announced at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National Convention in Seattle that Bipolar Rock ’N’ Roller, a raw and revealing documentary chronicling the prolific combat-sports broadcaster Ranallo and his lifelong battle with mental illness, is now available for free to non-subscribers. The full documentary, which originally premiered on Showtime during Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2018, is available via YouTube, SHO.com and across select TV and streaming providers' websites, apps and free On Demand channels through Saturday, August 31.

- Paul Simon will perform a special pair of concerts August 13 and 14 at Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s A&B Amphitheater and Yokouchi Pavilion with all of the artist’s net proceeds to be donated to environmental organizations working in Hawai‘i. Tickets for both shows go on sale to the general public Saturday, June 22 at 10:00 am HST at the MACC Box office, by phone at 808-242-SHOW or online at http://mauiarts.org.

- One of music's most renowned trailblazers and the top-selling female country artist of all-time, Shania Twain, is returning to the Las Vegas Strip with Shania Twain "Let's Go!" The Vegas Residency, opening at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.

- Taylor Swift's 7th studio album Lover has already set a new Apple Music record...and it's not even out yet! Lover is officially the most pre-added album by a female artist ever on Apple Music in the first day with 178.6K Pre-Adds worldwide, breaking the previous record set by thank u, next by Ariana Grande.

- On Maggie Lindemann's latest single, ‘Friends Go,’ the 20-year-old treads the line between modernist and throwback. The starlet embraces this duality with the help of Blink 182's Travis Barker by putting a punk twist on the recent single which explores feelings of disconnect at a time in which technology has made people closer than ever before.

- Showtime has ordered the critically acclaimed six episode comedy series Back to Life, from Fleabag producers Harry and Jack Williams and Daisy Haggard (EPISODES). Haggard plays Miri Matteson, who, after 18 years behind bars, returns home and stumbles back into adult life in the coastal town she once knew, while the mystery of her past looms large. Created by Haggard and written by Haggard and Laura Solon, the series will premiere on Showtime on Sunday October 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

- What do you want to happen when you die? The ancient Greeks hung their heroes in the stars. On Monday, June 24, Smithsonian Channel cameras will capture an emotional, 21st-century version of this timeless human story, when 152 people mark the end of their life on Earth – by having their ashes shot into space. Celestis Memorial Spaceflights is lifting the cremains of 152 space enthusiasts off to their greatest and final adventure. Now, cameras are on the ground to capture the stories of Celestis participants and their loved ones as they witness this emotional launch to be shown in an upcoming Smithsonian Channel program, Heavenly Bodies (w.t.).

- One banana, two banana, three banana, GORE! The cult-favorite animal rock-band from Hanna-Barbera’s 1968 The Banana Splits Adventure Hour variety program is back with a blood-spattered vengeance! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you The Banana Splits Movie, an original feature-length film on Digital on August 13, and on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on August 27, 2019. The movie is priced to own at $19.99 SRP for Digital, $24.98 SRP for Blu-ray Combo Pack ($34.97 in Canada), $19.98 SRP for the DVD ($24.99 in Canada).

The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2019

Last week I saw a Billboard headline that asked are labels signing too many artist? After the music industry almost died during the height of downloading, it seemed like most Top 40 radio stations only played 25 songs, streaming has been a huge boon and they are making almost as much money as the CD era. So to answer Billboard's question, no. With more signees means more diversity, after a long period where record companies were just throwing around crash to Soundcloud rappers, hopefully with the boon it will spawn the weirdness in the nineties where you had alt rock, gangsta rap, Boyz II Men, Hootie and The Blowfish, and Celine Dion all selling boatloads of CD's. Even Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and johnny Cash had huge comeback albums. With the overabundance of music come are way, I am actually able to come up with a Most Anticipated list for the first time in a while.

1. Originals - Prince (Tomorrow) - We are all familiar with songs like Manic Monday, Jungle Love, and the Glamorous Life but what some people may not know is that Prince wrote all three of those songs and many more that he handed off to artists as diverse as Martika and Kenny Rogers. Much like last years Piano and a Microphone 1983 these are all demos and not completely finished songs but like that album, this will at the very least be an interesting album to listen to.

2. "Let's Rock" - The Black Keys (June 28) - The duo released six albums in their first eight years as a band but just two in the next eight years. And the last one, Turn Blue was a weird psychedelic turn. Thier firt in five years sounds like a reeturn to the garage rock that got them the rare guitar based radio this decade. And I am all ready to have some rock back in my life.

3. Jimmy Lee - Raphael Saadiq (August 23) - Speaking of a long hiattus, it has been eight years since the last album by the RnB legend but listening to the first single Something Keeps Calling, it will be worth the wait. Really, old school RnB is another thing I really need back in my life.

4. No.6 Collaborations Project - Ed Sheeran (July 12) - Before he got signed and released mathematical themed album titles, Ed Sheeran numbered his EP's, the last of which was No.5 Collaborations Project. No word on who he is collaborating with other than Justin Beiber (meh) and Chance the Rapper (much better) which have already been released as single.

5. Lover - Taylor Swift (August 23) - Alright, Reputation was pure trash. And Me! was not much better, but Taylor does tend to release her cheesiest songs first. You Need to Calm Down is a little better. Here is hoping she is holding off her best for the album release like she has done for hr best albums.

Here are some other albums coming out this summer that will at least be worth a spin on Spotify. Click on the album name to pre-order on Amazon. Click on the artist's name to be taken to their iTunes page.


Tomorrow
Help Us Stranger - The Raconteurs
Late Night Feelings - Mark Ronson
Ride Me Back Home - Willie Nelson
Blood - Collective Soul

June 28
From Muscle Shoals - Foy Vance
Stranger Songs - Ingrid Michaelson

July 5
Brand New Day - Eddie Money

July 12
III - Banks
Solutions - K.Flay
Voyager - 311
Full Circle - Angie Stone
∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) New Order + Liam Gillick: So It Goes.. (Live at MIF) - New Order

July 19
Singular Act II - Sabrina Carpenter
Throwing Copper (25 Anniversary) - Live

July 26
Fever Dream - Of Monsters and Men
Little Yachty - Sugar Ray
Hotel Last Resort - Violent Femmes
Live From The Artists Den - Soundgarden
Everything Hits At Once: The Best Of Spoon - Spoon

August 2
Finch - Penny & Sparrow
Interpreting the Masters, Volume 2: (A Tribute to Van Halen) - The Bird and the Bee
Live at Woodstock - Creedence Clearwater Revival

August 9
How Do You Love? - The Regrettes

August 16
Thrashing Thru the Passion - The Hold Steady

August 23
Threads - Sheryl Crow
Hello From Las Vegas - Lionel Richie

September 6
Lost Girls - Bat for Lashes
404 - Barns Courtney
Valve Bone Woe - Chrissy Hynde

September 13
III - The Lumineers
Charli - Charli XCX

September 20
Why Me? Why Not. - Liam Gallagher

October 4
Closer Than Together - The Avett Brothers


TBD
Masochism - Sky Ferreira
Run the Jewels 4 - Run The Jewels
Adele
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Chance the Rapper
D'Angelo
Guns N' Roses
Hootie & The Blowfish
Keane
Lorde
Mandy Moore
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Rihanna

And of course this could be the quarter we here Dr. Dre's Detox. Recently Flying Lotus says he has heard Detox and claims it is better than Compton, so maybe there is a chance us common people will hear it soon too.

Previewing The Detour: Season Four

The Detour started out as a travel show as a family of four had a bunch of humorous mishaps while trying to make it to Florida for a family vacation. The show took a detour form that concept staying fairly stationary in seasons two and three. Now in season four, the Parkers are hitting the road again and traveling a lot further than from New York to Florida.

After Delilah stole a car and ran away last season, leaving a note imploring her family not to come find her, the remaining Parkers have been traveling the globe, going from Paraguay to Tibet to Russia (there is a Soviet version of Kickstart My Heart) trying to find the missing teenager. These travels also introduce us to some long lost relatives of the Parker clan, some never mention to others before and others thought to be long dead. While other family members who had been on the show previously like Robin’s sister and Nate’s other baby momma show up for about five seconds each via a phone message.

The problem with Delilah on the lamb, she was the best part of the show in the early season so she does not get much screen time for the first couple episodes. But when we finally get an episode devoted to what she had been up to in the past year, it not surprisingly turns out to be the best episode of the season. And much like last season, this season ends with a pretty big cliffhanger tease for a potential season five which may include a new cast member who shows up late in the season and is pretty entertaining in their own right.

The Detour airs Tuesdays at 10:30 on TBS.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 16, 2019

Billions: So everything Chuck did this season with his father was just a very long con against Connorty? That just comes across as a little too cute. Really, Chuck knew that choir boy Connerty was going to eventually turn into Chuck? But where does this leave Connerty next season? Is he really going to prison to only be seen again as Taylor plots her revenge against both Chuck and Axe who thankfully will be antagonists again next season because them working never seemed right? I just hope Taylor actually brings one if not both down next season. Although it will probably be another Connerty situation where just as we think Taylor has Axe dead to rights, in the season finale we will learn Taylor played into Axe’s hand the whole time. Meh.

Big Little Lies: I worried about the second season of the show because when Game of Thrones went past the books, creatively the show fell off, same for the Handmaid’s Tale, and there may not be much of a plot now that the murder has been resolved, but oh my goodness, everyone was just firing heaters all episode. I cannot remember any show that has ever been this snide and snarky before. Although the one exception was Adam Scott who seems to be obvious as ever. And I was just as puzzled as him at that supermarket scene. Should I know who the boob job chick was? Was that the teacher from last season?

The Chi: After all the blustery from Cruz, Ronnie still gets out of prison by the end of the episode. With not much time until the season finale, I wonder if he will catch Ronnie by then. It is also about time for the cops to crack down on all the gang activity this season. They finally connected everything, now they just need the smoking gun. Speaking of wrapping things up, it will be interesting to see how they end Brandon’s arc considering the actor got dismissed from the show. Hopefully they did not intend his wedding to be a big part of next season, because we know it is not happening now if it is not done by the end of this season.

The Bold Type: So Scarlett is folding? Is that was what was happening at the end? Is the main trio just going to start a blog next season? Or is the magazine just going full digital and just downsizing? Did they really renew this show and not Cloak and Dagger yet?
You can download The Bold Type on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Wow, those Rory Gilmore scenes were just super boring. If you are going to do a sappy reunion, just leave it to one scene. If you are going to drag that out, at least give the wife a new wife (or more shockingly, a husband). Really the whole episode was a drag until the end (this episode sorely missed Commander Lawrence who is the only interesting this so far). Is Fred really going to go to Canada to steal “his” baby back?.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Krypton: So I watched about a ten minute recap before the premiere and still ended up a little confused. Like the blond chick was a clone? Completely forgot that. But I finally got the answer of what happened to Adam Strange, he went back to his time only for his town being bottled by Brainiac and apparently the planet was also taken over by Zod. Except Zeg-El killed Brainiac so all’s well on Earth now I guess? Okay, I doubt Brainiac is really dead. It would be pretty cheesy to defeat a supervillain off screen like that.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: They are really racking up the questions without actually answering the past ones. Like who, or what, were controlling the bugs and why did they disperse when Swamp Thing told them to? What was the secret group the banker mentioned when threatening to expose Avery? And why exactly can the actor not leave, why did his cards change, what exactly do the cards mean, and what exactly does Abby have to do with it?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So Not-Coulsen is not evil and is actually trying to save the Earth? Alrighty. Even more confusing is how Daisy was able to get back to Earth so quickly. Didn’t Simmons waste the last warp speed jump to get to Fitz? So how did Daisy get back to Earth so easily?
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: June 15, 2019

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 Veronica Mars, Selena Gomez, Supergirl, The Avett Brothers, Common, I’m With Her, Royal Teeth, Anna of the North, Noah Kahan, BENEE, Social House, The Habits, Wild Rose, Keb’ Mo’, Disgraceland, Notorious B.I.G., Lavell Crawford: New Look, Same Funny!, Desus & Mero, and Fertile Crescent.

- Last week at ATX Festival, Hulu announced that Veronica Mars fans will be able to re-live the first three seasons of the cult favorite on July 1st ahead of the Hulu Original returning for its fourth season on July 26th. Brush up on everyone's favorite teenage private eye below:


- Selena Gomez Reveals What Bill Murray Kept Whispering to Her at Cannes:


- Just in time for the fifth season premiere on The CW, catch up with one of TV’s favorite DC Super Heroes as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you Supergirl: The Complete Fourth Season on Blu-ray and DVD on September 17, 2019. Fans can purchase the sets which, in addition to all 22 super-powered episodes from season four, also contain the DC Crossover featurette, the show’s 2018 Comic-Con panel, deleted scenes and a gag reel! All three DC Crossover: Elseworlds episodes will also be available only for fans who purchase the Blu-ray set. Supergirl: The Complete Fourth Season is priced to own at $39.99 SRP for the DVD ($51.99 in Canada) and $44.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($52.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (Available in the U.S.). Supergirl: The Complete Fourth Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.
In season four, Supergirl faces a bigger threat than she’s ever faced before – a new wave of anti-alien sentiment, spreading across National City that’s fomented by Agent Liberty. As Kara mentors a new reporter at CatCo, Nia Nal, and tries to use the power of the press to shine a light on the issues threatening to tear the city apart, Supergirl takes to the skies to battle the many villains who rise up in this era of divisiveness. But how does Supergirl battle a movement when she, herself an alien, represents one of the main things people are fearful of?

- In a letter penned by Seth Avett, Grammy Award®-nominated collective The Avett Brothers revealed today that they will be releasing their new album, Closer Than Together [American/Republic Records], on Friday, October 4, 2019. Read the mission statement for Closer Than Together here and below. The first single from the record “High Steppin’” was also released today along with its official music video. Listen to “High Steppin’” HERE and watch the official music video HERE.

- GRAMMY® Award-winning rapper Common unveils a new single and music video entitled “HER Love” featuring Daniel Caesar and special guest Dwele. Also included is an unreleased beat from J Dilla. Get it HERE! Boasting an unheard beat by longtime collaborator the late and great J Dilla, the soulful production underscores rhymes celebrating the culture from Jam Master Jay, all the way to Lil Uzi Vert, Nipsey Hussle, and Cardi B. It illuminates the genre’s powerful impact, as he claims, “You see a Malcolm X in a YG.” Regarding Hip-Hop, Common admits, “You gave me a voice in the world, it’s been hard to choose another girl.”

- Discogs has teamed up with I’m With Her to introduce an exclusive mini-documentary delivering a behind the scenes look at the vinyl manufacturing process — from mastering and lacquering to plating and pressing.

- Royal Teeth release their final single "Get A Load Of This One" before their long-awaited new full-length album Hard Luck comes out on June 28 via Round Hill Records. Keeping fans on the edge of their seats, the band announced the album release date today alongside the new track. "Get A Load Of This One" premiered by way of Northern Transmissions. The new single comes with a funky animated lyric video as well, which features a personal touch from the band - a peacock - because there's one that lives in their neighborhood and has become somewhat of a mascot for the group.

- Anna of the North today shares her magnificent new single ‘Thank Me Later’ via Paper Magazine. ‘Thank Me Later’ is yet another tantalizing addition to an enthralling new chapter of Anna of the North. A powerful follow-up to her defiantly raw singles ‘Leaning On Myself, and it’s equally powerful follow up ‘Used To Be’, ‘Thank Me Later’ is Anna of the North in full control. It's daydream pop brimming with the bold outlook of a woman taking charge in the modern age.

- Noah Kahan gifts his fans with a new song “Cynic” from his debut album Busyhead out this Friday, June 14th—listen and share HERE! Noah performed the track live for the very first time last night on Late Night with Seth Meyers—watch the performance HERE!

- Hailing from the suburbs of Auckland, 19-year-old indie pop artist BENEE returns with her latest single “Want Me Back” out today—listen HERE! Coming off the heels of her Gold-Certified hit “Soaked” and viral hit “Evil Spider,” the up and coming singer and songwriter also announces her upcoming debut EP FIRE ON MARZZ set for release on June 28th.

- Buzzing LA duo Social House—made up of Michael “Mikey” Foster and Charles “Scootie” Anderson—shares a brand new single “Haunt You” via School Boy Records/Republic Records—listen HERE! Social House also reveals their debut EP will be released on August 2nd—stay tuned for more!

- Los Angeles alternative/pop duo The Habits are celebrating the release of their debut self-titled EP, The Habits, out now. The band will be performing at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA on June 29th to commemorate the release. To further mark the the release of The Habits, the duo premiered their new music video for their 2nd single “Thirsty,” premiering now on Celebmix. “Thirsty” follows lead singer Wolf Bradley with a new sweetheart having an adventure on the world famous Santa Monica Pier. To catch the good vibes fans can view the video here.

- The Official Soundtrack for upcoming film Wild Rose, starring BAFTA Rising Star Award nominee Jessie Buckley, is now exclusively available at Barnes & Noble. Wild Rose is set for release in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, June 21st. Watch the trailer for Wild Rose HERE!

- Today, Keb’ Mo’ releases Oklahoma, his first solo studio album since BLUESAmericana (2014). Building on the backbone of the Blues with subjects like depression and love, Mo’ also addresses current worldly issues like immigration and environmental degradation. Oklahoma is now available through all digital retailers and can be purchased here.

- The explosive rock and roll true crime podcast Disgraceland released a new episode on Slick Rick chronicling an attempted murder, kidnapping, and more. So far in season 3, host Jake Brennan has dissected Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love, Snoop Dogg, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead and more. Recently, the show peaked at #4 on the overall Apple Podcasts Top Podcasts chart ahead of The New York Times' The Daily and Serial following the launch of season 3.

- The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, in partnership with the office of Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo, hosted the official event celebrating the street co-naming of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way, located at the intersection of St. James Place and Fulton Street in Brooklyn, where the late rapper was born and raised. The event commemorated the life and legacy of the legendary Notorious B.I.G., and his impact on music as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. Hundreds of fans showed up to witness this historic moment, joining Biggie’s closest family and friends in celebration.

- Lavell Crawford is back to debut his new comedy special Lavell Crawford: New Look, Same Funny!, premiering Saturday, July 6 at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. Filmed at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre in San Antonio, Crawford is funnier – and skinnier – than ever. After losing over 120 pounds, the comic offers his unique take on everything from being a fan of first-term President Obama and the recent government shutdown to his weight-loss journey and the best way to deal with cops in 2019.


- Showtime has released the latest episode of Desus & Mero for free online sampling, on streaming platforms and on demand. In the episode, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero continue their EGOT mission, setting their sights on scoring a Tony® Award with the help of Academy Award® nominee and Grammy®, Emmy® and Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. The episode is available for free now on YouTube and SHO.com. Upcoming guests include Black Monday star Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Julian Edelman, Schoolboy Q and Ice Cube. The series airs Mondays and Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET/PT until its summer hiatus beginning August 5.

- Hulu announces straight to series order on Fertile Crescent (working title), an 8-episode drama series co-produced by Masha Productions, Spiro Films, Haut et Court TV, Arte France and Fremantle. Fertile Crescent dives into the depths of the Syrian civil war through the eyes of Antoine, a young French man, in search for his estranged, presumed to be dead sister. While unraveling the mystery, piece by piece, Antoine ends up joining forces with a unit of Kurdish female fighters, fierce women and ISIS’ biggest nightmare, and travels with them in ISIS occupied territory. Antoine’s journey crosses paths with adventurers and anarchists, spies and innocent victims, and provides a unique look on the tragic events in Syria, and the way they affect the entire world.

Previewing City on a Hill

There was a time in my life when I though the children were our future, just teach them well and let them lead the way. But whenever I spend any amount of time with the youth today I et increasingly depressed. The last interaction with a trio of teenagers, no of them had heard of the Beastie Boys, thought Eminem was old school, and have never played or even heard of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. For instance Aldis Hodge was Voodoo Tatum in Friday Night Lights with Connie Britton who was on Spin City with Michael J. Fox who was in Back to Future 2 with Elisabeth Shue who was in Hollow Man with, you guessed it, Kevin Bacon.

Although after next week those Hodge and Bacon will have no degrees of separation as they are both starring in City on a Hill. The new show is set in early nineties Boston (O.P.P. on the radio!) and follows a pompous FBI agent (Bacon) who has a great arrest record mostly thanks to illicit means and a new Assistant District Attorney who has to do everything by the books because all eyes are on him because the color of his skin. I sometime wonder if the proliferation of period pieces is solely the excuse for writers to be racist as they want under the guise of historical accuracy. Women are not portrayed much better, there is one actress who shows up in both of the first two episodes but only manages to spend less than ten percent of her time on screen actually clothed.

With the two lawmen, they need a crime to be solved. That comes way of Johnathan Tucker (whose one of his first acting gig was with Bacon in Sleepers) who despite runs a market, still finds time to knock over armored trucks. Although I am not entirely sure why someone with a full time job is risking everything for a $15,000 take. Especially considering what happens in a robbery that goes wrong that draws the attention of the Feds in the first episode. He does have three small children and a full time screw up little brother (a douchebag Bostonian who listens to Marky Mark in the early nineties is a bit on the nose) who wants in on the next score.

The thing about City on a Hill is the story as described in the press package sound much better that the clichéd period crime show that show up at the very least in the first couple episode. The press materials describe the early nineties setting as the height of violent crime and corruption in the city. Then the show starts at the dawn of the turnaround. I would like to watch that show as Bacon and Hodge route out corruption, instead it just comes off as a The Town retread with a couple more bushy mustaches (director of that movie, Ben Afleck is a producer on the show). Future seasons of City on a Hill may end up being compelling, but I feel like I have seen the first season way too many times at this point.

City on a Hill airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 9, 2019

Billions: Well they finally got Chuck Sr. But I have to guess the thing Connerty’s brother stole is going tome back to haunt him. I was a bit disappointed that the two teams breaking in for the document did not run into each other. Not like either could rat the other out because they were both breaking the law.

Fear the Walking Dead: Wait, Daniel is alive? Didn’t he die… twice? I remember him “dying” in a fire in like the second season. Then he showed up at the damn, but then I do not even remember how he “died” that time. But apparently he has run into Al sometime between the damn and right now, which has been a while in the show’s time because they did a pretty big time jump just to get Morgan on the show.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Chi: Well the last time Cruz brought in Ronnie when he was drunk did not end well for him. Let us see if things end differently this time.

The Handmaid’s Tale: So what is going on with Commander Lawrence, he seemed like a stand-up guy who was helping Rory Gilmore and Offred’s baby escape. And now this season he seems much more antagonist. Last season he seemed like the architect of Gilead who regretted his creation but now comes off as a grump. And even one face value it seemed extremely cruel to make Offred Ofjoseph pick five from a group being sent to the Colonies, but in actuality it turned out a blessing because then she could pick five that could be most helpful for the resistance. So what exactly is his deal? I guess we have a whole season to figure that one out.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Swamp Thing: Well that was a weird week. Not necessarily anything that happened on the show but right before the second episode aired, DC Universe announced they were canceling the show that led to a flood of possible reasons why. The one that caught traction was that a clerical error leading to North Carolina not paying for half the budget like originally agreed turned out to be based on false evidence, the 40 million tax credit promised turned out to be a couple million more than North Carolina set aside for all productions in the yearly budget. The more likely culprit is probably DC’s new corporate overlords who is currently working on their own streaming service and have not decided what to do with the niche outlet. I think it is very telling they have not made any programming announcements since renewing Titans last fall and it has been almost a year since they last greenlit a new program, Stargirl. So the question is Warner Bros. let DC Universe stand along with maybe the shows and movies eventually showing up on their still unnamed service? Will they take the successful shows and let DC Universe be just for comics? Or will they shutter it all together? The uncertainty really looks both DC Universe and whatever the Warner Brother streaming service called look really bad especially with Disney+ almost ready to launch.

As for the actual show, it continued from it strong premiere. I was most interested this week with the dead friend who just seemed like a way to draw a wedge between Abby and the big wig family as well as a way for her to get out of town to st up this homecoming. But clearly there is something else going on with the dead friend showing up twice. You can write off the first appearance as a dream sequence, but then she showed up again in bed with the mother. So she clearly has not crossed over yet and the mystic knows something she is not telling. This could be interesting.

Around the Tubes: 6/8/2019

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 City on a Hill, Sword of Trust, Sugar and Toys, POV, Letterkenny, James Bay, Meg Mac, Little Steven’s Underground Garage, The Affair, Brian Koppelman and David Levien, a Bernie Sanders.

- Showtime has released the series premiere of its new drama City on a Hill early for free online sampling, on streaming platforms and on demand. The series stars Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild® Award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground). City on a Hill is created and executive produced by Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler). Multiple Emmy winner Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street) serves as showrunner and executive producer. The premiere episode is available for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com. The 10-episode series will officially premiere next Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

- Sword of Trust is a riotously funny, improv-based eighth feature from acclaimed director Lynn Shelton (Outside In, Your Sister's Sister, Humpday) is filled with her trademark insight and humanism while slyly exploring our increasingly divided culture of conspiracy theories and revisionist history. When Cynthia (Jillian Bell, 22 Jump Street) and Mary (Michaela Watkins, "Casual") show up to collect Cynthia’s inheritance from her deceased grandfather, the only item she’s received is an antique sword that he believed to be proof that the South won the Civil War. The two attempt to unload the object to a curmudgeonly pawnshop owner Mel (Marc Maron, "GLOW") and his man-child sidekick Nathaniel (Jon Bass, Molly's Game). When Mel and Nathaniel discover there’s a black market for the relic, the two pairs reluctantly join forces to sell this rarefied ‘prover item’ to the highest bidder. The adventure that ensues takes the four of them on a wild journey into the depths of conspiracy theory and Southern disillusionment. Anchored by a hilarious and emotionally raw performance from Maron (who also wrote and performed the music), Sword of Trust is a sharp, unexpected ensemble comedy with Shelton's authentic take on the complexities of interpersonal relationships on full display.


- Sugar and Toys brings a wild new twist on the Saturday morning cartoons we all grew up with – but a whole lot less innocent. Adult comedy, social commentary and music culture parody crash the cartoon party, speaking directly to the trends and issues most relevant to a millennial audience, and bookended by host and multi-platinum rapper and actor KYLE (Netflix’ The After Party). It is executive produced by Aengus James, Colin King Miller, Nicholaus Goossen, Jones and Ash, with Kyle Harvey serving as co-executive producer and Lalo Alcaraz as consulting producer, and produced by This is Just a Test and 245 Enterprises. Check out a sneak peak below:


- At a pre-season party in small-town Steubenville, Ohio, a heinous crime took place: the assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved high school football team. As it painstakingly reconstructs the night of the crime and its aftermath, Roll Red Roll uncovers the ingrained rape culture at the heart of the incident, acting as a cautionary tale about what can happen when teenage social media bullying runs rampant and adults look the other way. Directed by Nancy Schwartzman, winner of seven documentary feature awards, and nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award, Roll Red Roll has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, June 17 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, debuting its 32nd season with Schwartzman’s investigative film.

- Hulu announced that following the acquisition of award-winning Canadian fan favorite and Crave Original comedy series Letterkenny, the show will return as a Hulu Original. In a new licensed deal with New Metric Media and DHX Media, Hulu will now have exclusive U.S. streaming rights to all upcoming seasons of the series. Created by and starring Jared Keeso, the half-hour comedy revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his pals get into with their small-town rivals. For the hicks, skids and hockey players of Letterkenny, getting your ass kicked is a legitimate concern on a day-to-day basis. In the upcoming six-episode seventh season premiering Monday, October 14, the Hicks start an agricultural call-in show. Fans can still binge the first six seasons of Letterkenny on Hulu, now under the new Hulu Original moniker.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay returns to The Ellen DeGeneres Show with his recent single “Bad.” Watch HERE.

- Following sell-out shows in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia Meg Mac releases her new mini album ‘Hope’; a powerful set of thoughtful and at times deeply personal missives.
Meg explains, “The songs on ‘Hope’ are influenced and informed by what was happening around me at the time of writing and recording. Music is always filtering through and though not directly influencing my songs they are somehow informing them. I was listening to Nina Simone’s ‘Piano’ album, Gill Scott Heron, Sam Cooke, and Patti Smith; powerful forces which impact on one's sensibilities. There’s something about the strength, power, attitude, and values of these artists that I connect with”.

- Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM Channel 21 will celebrate this year’s relaunch of legendary label Cleveland International Records with “Cleveland Rocks: A Tribute to Steve Popovich,” an hour-long tribute dedicated to the life and musical legacy of the label’s late founder. Hosted by famed DJ Kid Leo, who ruled The Rock and Roll Capital of the World’s airwaves on WMMS in Cleveland for 16 years (1973-89), the show is set to air six times in early June: Friday, June 7 @ 6 PM ET, Saturday, June 8 @ 11 AM and 8 PM ET, Sunday, June 9 @ 11 AM ET and Monday, June 10 @ 12 AM ET & 7 AM ET.

- The highly anticipated fifth and final season of the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-winning Showtime drama series The Affair will premiere on Sunday, August 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The series was created by WGA Award-winning playwright, writer, executive producer and showrunner Sarah Treem (House of Cards, In Treatment). The Affair is also executive produced by Jessica Rhoades (Sharp Objects), Hagai Levi (In Treatment), and Michele Giordono (Nurse Jackie). Starring Golden Globe nominee Dominic West, Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney and Sanaa Lathan, the series explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. Oscar® and Golden Globe Award winner Anna Paquin (True Blood) joined the final season as a series regular. New guest stars in season five include Jennifer Jason Leigh (PATRICK MELROSE), Claes Bang (The Square) and Lyric Bent (She’s Gotta Have It), with Russell Hornsby (Fences) returning.

- Showtime has announced it has signed acclaimed executive producers and writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien to an overall deal under which they will continue to serve as showrunners of the hit drama series Billions while also developing new projects exclusively for the network. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

- Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders sat with Noticias Telemundo’s Anchor Julio Vaqueiro for an exclusive one-on-one interview. They talked about President Trump, gun control, the Democratic primaries, and immigration policy, among other issues of interest to the Latino community. Highlights of the interview aired today on “Noticias Telemundo.” An extended version will be available for streaming via NoticiasTelemundo.com.

Previewing Claws: Season Three

As I usually do for a new season of a show, I looked up a recap of Claws before I started watching the third season (as posted above). I completely forgot the second season finale ended on a cliffhanger of Virginia taking a bullet which presumably was meant for Desna. Of course the list of suspects would be long, she just killed her fiancé who was a Jamaican drug runner, and then her brother killed a Russian mob head. Of course the Dixie Mafia always has unsettled beef with Desna. Obviously TNT has a spoiler embargo, so I cannot comment of Virginia’s fate, but watching any promo kind of makes it clear.

Elsewhere last season, Jenn and Bryce moved to Tampa but a blast from the past may disrupt their new middle class life. Polly checked herself into a psych ward after participating in dance sequences with her dead twin sister. Roller learned Uncle Daddy killed his real father. And Queit Ann, well, is still quiet. But her politician brother may play a bigger part in season three so she may have to do more talking.

I cannot say who did it, but I can say you do not have to wait very long to find out who tried to kill Desna. So that does not turn into a season mystery. Instead we get a pair of casino owners who have the majority stake in one of the properties inherited from her dead husband (non-natives like Desna cannot be a majority owner of a tribal casino). Needless to say the majority owners are not thrilled of their new partner.

Claws fell into a big of a sophomore slump last season which just seemed like a retread of season one, just with a crazier Russian mobster to deal with. Season three seems to iron things up with a bit of change of scenery to the casino and new antagonist who may not be scarier, but are a pair of oddballs. Are there no normal people in Florida? Thankfully for the show’s case, probably not. Although the best part of the early season are a pair of musical montages, because really, everyone could use some more En Vogue in their lives.

Claws airs Sundays at 9:00 on TNT.

Previewing Into the Dark: They Come Knocking

Into the Dark has had some obvious themes in its first eight episode with the exception of March and June continues that trend. Making it a little more disappointing is that we are following up a Mother’s Day episode with a Father’s Day episode, They Come Knocking. But unlike last month, this month actually mentions the holiday the theme is based on. Well, it does once and then kind of forgets about except a vague reference of how it is very cold for early June and the episode takes place over two nights so it is not even Father’s Day for half the time.

But hey, there is a father. He and his two daughters are traveling to the place where he proposed to so they can spread her ashes and camp out for a couple days in a camper. And any horror fan will notice the big board of missing children in a dinner they stop at for breakfast. So you just have to assume something is going to happen to the daughters, one a moody teenage (which is enhanced by the whole watching her mother being ravaged by cancer) and the other a precocious younger daughter.

As the title suggest, when the sun goes down and the family is about to get to sleep, some people come knocking asking to come in. Apparently this is a vampire situation where they have to be invited in and they only come out at night but these are not actual vampires. They leave, but do so with an ominous message. And in though these knockers are plenty scary, the episode is much more a character study on loss and the effects on a family. So if you are more of a thinking man’s horror fan, this may be more up your alley than a simple slasher flick. As for my take, here is where They Come Knocking ends on my Into the Dark Power Ranking:

Into the Dark Power Ranking
1. The Body (October)
2. All That We Destroy (May)
3. Down (February)
4. New Year, New You (January)
5. Pooka! (December)
6. I’m Just Forking with You (April)
7. They Come Knocking (June)
8. Treehouse (March)
9. Flesh and Bone (November)

Into the Dark: They Come Knocking premieres tomorrow exclusively on Hulu.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 2, 2019

Killing Eve: Well, with a title like Killing Eve it should not be too surpising that someone actually killed Eve. Except I do not believe Eve is dead. The ending was clearly meant to mirror season one with Eve stabbing the French assassin and this season the French assassin gets her revenge. And last season we were left to believe she killed Constantine but she ended up just wounding him and I am guessing that is the same this season. So it kind of ended up being an underwhelming ending to an underwhelming season.
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Billions: Earlier this year I wondered if the show wanted to use Atlantic City and came up with a Chick Man plot or did the storyline came first and then decided to use the Springsteen song. I think I pretty much got my answer this week because it seems pretty obvious they held this episode on New Year’s Day for the sole purpose of using the U2 song. But it is getting kind of depressing watching Conergty turn into Chuck, trying to bring Chuck down by any means necessary by bringing in his safe cracking brother. The end of last season made it seem him and Taylor were going to be the anti-Chuck and Axe, but they are slowly turning into the people they hate under the guise of bringing them down.

Good Girls: Here is another ending that mirrors the season one finale. At the end of season one, the gangsta tried to get Beth to shoot him and she couldn’t. Again in the season two finale, he tries to get Beth to shoot someone, but instead finally gets around to shooting him… multiple times. But again, I do not think dude is dead, gay FBI is clearly going to save him, but what exactly does he have in mind? He has been gunning for Beth this whole time, but she just saved his life. So what is he up to?
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Chi: So not only does Ronnie get set free despite killing Coogie, admitting he did so, Detective Cruz ends up getting punished in this situation. Our legal system is messed up.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: It seemed like they cut a lot from this episode. There were a few times I was confused how they got from a to z. Like the Big Bad saying Dagger has left him, then all the sudden, she jumps out of Cloak. Huh. How did we get there? But it is interesting that they are now leaving New Orleans and going to a beach. But where? Since New Orleans was such a big part of the show, I wonder if the beach will be a short diversion.
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: I was never much of a Swamp Thing comic reader, did not really care for the cast when it was announced (the lead chick may be the most realistic scientist since Denise Richard in whatever Bond film that was), but I have to say it is one of the most effective horror shows that has been on television. Of course the problem with horror television is that they always seem to devolve into torture porn. And it does not help with this show that they turned the lone comedic relief on the show into a swamp creature. Hopefully another shows up because horror does need a little brevity every once and a while. In the terms of DC Universe show, I put this firmly between Doom Patrol (the high) and Titans (the low).

Blindspot: When Madeline’s plan of framing the team started to take shape, I thought, the team clearing their name and bringing Madeline down would make for an interesting finale season. Too bad they will likely bring her down by the end of the episode. But it looks that will actually happen because even though they stopped the cyber-attack, they are still wanted fugitives. Oh, and other than Jane, dead. Okay Ice Cream mentioning there are tunnels are under the safe house is the easy way to explain how they escape the drone strike. And I guess it was Weiss who gave them the heads up that the strike was coming. So the only real question going into the finale season, what happens to Rich? It seems like he was going off to a black site. Is rescuing him the team’s first mission? Dude does not seem like a guy who could stand up to an interrogation very long. Then they need to get the cell phone Rich hid before it dies. That has the information that can clear them.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So Deke did not fade away after his future was changed, instead he was allowed to use his future knowledge to create a tech company. Well that was dumb fun. But I wonder why non-Coulsen left with May and just left Deke behind. And why does his team need to rid the Earth of people who are not supposed to be there?
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Now that must of the spring shows have ended, here is what I will be watching this summer:

Mondays
10:00 – Grand Hotel (June 17, ABC)
10:00 – Legion (June 24, FX)

Tuesdays
Young Justice (DC Universe, July 2)
10:00 – The Detour (June 18, TBS)

Wednesdays
The Handmaid’s Tale (June 5, Hulu)
Harlots (July 10, Hulu)
8:00 – Grown’ish (June 5, Freeform)
10:00 – Krypton (June 12, Syfy)

Fridays
Swamp Thing (Already started, DC Universe)
Jessica Jones (June 14, Netflix)
Veronica Mars (July 26, Hulu)
G.L.O.W. (August 9, Netflix)
8:00 - Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (Already started, ABC)

Sundays
9:00 – Fear the Walking Dead (June 2, AMC)
9:00 – Big Little Lies (June 9, HBO)
9:00 – Claws (June 9, TNT)
9:00 – City on a Hill (June 16, Showtime)
9:00 – Preacher (August 4, AMC)

Around the Tubes: June 1, 2019

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 Shangri-La, POV, Janet Jackson, The Avett Brothers, James Bay, Maggie Lindemann, Phantogram, Keb’ Mo, KIANA LEDÈ, Tom Morello, Normal People, Work in Progress, and AccuWeather.

- Showtime Documentary Films today revealed the official poster and trailer for Shangri-La and announced the four-part docu-series, a collaboration from Academy Award® and Emmy® winner Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor, 20 Feet From Stardom), legendary music producer Rick Rubin, and director Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol) will premiere on Friday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. While new episodes of Shangri-La will be released on Showtime linear channels weekly, all four will be available immediately on July 12 for on-demand streaming, via the SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME ANYTIME apps and partnering on-demand platforms. With Rubin’s iconic studio in Malibu as the backdrop, Shangri-La is a four-part docu-series that focuses on creative conversation and the emotional side of music-making. Neville directed the first two episodes of the series, and the final two are directed by Malmberg.


- At a pre-season party in small-town Steubenville, Ohio, a heinous crime took place: the assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved high school football team. As it painstakingly reconstructs the night of the crime and its aftermath, Roll Red Roll uncovers the ingrained rape culture at the heart of the incident, acting as a cautionary tale about what can happen when teenage social media bullying runs rampant and adults look the other way. Directed by Nancy Schwartzman, winner of seven documentary feature awards, and nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award, Roll Red Roll has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, June 17 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, debuting its 32nd season with Schwartzman’s investigative film.

- A&M/UMe is set to release Janet Jackson's iconic mega platinum-selling third album Control on single vinyl in two different color options: black and translucent red. This will be the first time Control has been reissued on vinyl since the album's initial release on February 4, 1986. Pre-order Janet Jackson's Control here. Over the course of its relentlessly catchy and undeniably dance-able 42 minutes, Control instantly established Jackson, along with her co-writers/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as perennial pop and R&B innovators. (The three of them continued to experiment and break new ground together on a number of subsequent best-selling releases, including 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 and 1993's janet.) Control is internationally recognized as a singular fusion of musical styles including rhythm and blues, funk, pop, soul, disco, and modern synthesized percussion. Control also solidified the fact that Janet Jackson had truly arrived as a liberated and noteworthy artist, one who ultimately emerged as a global superstar and a model for independent women the world over.

- The Avett Brothers, Cloud 9 Adventures, and The Bowery Presents have announced full details for the third edition of their tropical music vacation. After taking a year off, The Avett Brothers At The Beach returns in 2020 with a new destination, the stunning Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

- James Bay performed a cover of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger” in front of Noel Gallagher on BBC’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Fearne Cotton. Watch HERE. Alongside the cover, BAY performed “Let It Go”, and recent single “Bad” on the morning show.

- Maggie Lindemann has consistently challenged her self-identity and evolved as an artist throughout a career that’s already seen her pass the billion streams landmark. Her breakthrough smash ‘Pretty Girl’ established her as a breaking pop icon before she took a reflective, goth-tinged approach with ‘Would I’ and ‘Human’. Her latest cut ‘Friends Go’ continues her exploration of mental health issues, but the music has shifted again with a modernist update of Gwen Stefani-style attitude and summery island rhythms. Now Maggie uses ‘Friends Go’ as the soundtrack to the short film ‘Death By Third Wheel’, which was directed by Van Alpert (Post Malone, Local Natives).

- Phantogram are officially back! Today, the duo returns with their new single “Into Happiness”—listen and share HERE. Announcing their return, Phantogram wrote a special letter to fans, noting about the song that it “embodies the personal journey that both of us have taken since we released Three; it’s been a long path, coming out of the darkness and into the light.”

- AllMusic gives a sneak peek into Keb’ Mo’s upcoming release, Oklahoma, with the premiere of “This Is My Home,” a thought-provoking track from the new album. The song is coupled with a storytelling lyric video also shared via AllMusic. Starting today, the track will be offered as a free download when pre-ordering the album. Oklahoma is set for a June 14 release on Concord Records and is now available for pre-order here: https://found.ee/KebMo_OK.

- As buzz reaches a boiling point, R&B starlet KIANA LEDÈ shares a new single and music video entitled “Can I” this week. Watch it HERE.

- As the co-founder of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets Of Rage, and as a collaborator with rock legends from Bruce Springsteen to Johnny Cash, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and political activist, Tom Morello. Genesis is honored to announce Whatever It Takes, the official signed limited edition book exploring Morello's entire career from his first bands through to his most recent solo album. Additional details including publication date coming soon. Check the website for updates.

- Hulu announces straight to series order on Normal People, a 12-episode, half-hour drama, adapted from Sally Rooney’s NY Times best-selling novel from Element Pictures, in association with BBC Three. Normal People tracks the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from the end of their school days in small-town west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College. At school, he’s well-liked and popular, while she’s lonely, proud and intimidating. But when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers – one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying in Dublin and Marianne has found her feet in a new social world but Connell hangs at the side lines, shy and uncertain.

- Showtime has ordered an eight-episode season of the new half-hour comedy series Work in Progress, created by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason. McEnany stars in the series, expected to premiere later this year. Mason directed the pilot. Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) will co-write the first season and executive produce with McEnany and Mason. SHOWTIME acquired the project after its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was an official selection of the Indie Episodic program.

- AccuWeather, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weather and digital media company, will commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day with a compelling content series about how weather forecasts influenced the outcome of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. Known worldwide for forecasts and warnings with proven Superior Accuracy™, AccuWeather will spotlight the contributions meteorologists made to this historic event on June 6, 1944. The content will be featured on the AccuWeather Network and found on the popular AccuWeather.com website.

Previewing American Princess: A Dude's Review of Lifetime vol. X

Lifetime liked their last original program You so much, they renewed it before it even aired. Except when the season ended, Lifetime changed course, said the show would be giving the show to Netflix and would now be focusing on just making their crappy Lifetime movies. I kind of wonder how the cast and crew of American Princess, the only other show the channel had in production at the time, reacted to this. They did not have a premiere date then and their channel just said they were getting out of the television show business. But the show is actually airing on Lifetime, but they better hope someone at Netflix, or some other outlet, likes the show because it is very doubtfully there will be a second season on Lifetime.

You would expect a show called American Princess airing on Lifetime to be some cheap Megan Markle knockoff (there already is a Lifetime Movie that aired a week or two ago) but it surprisingly has nothing to do with any actual (or fictionalized) monarchy. The show begins with Amanda, a New York socialite on the day of her dream wedding catching her hypothetical Prince Charming with, um, how do I want to put this… his manhood in the mouth of another woman.

This prompts Amanda to go full runaway bride until she finds herself at a Renaissance festival where the English major schools the festival’s Queen in period accurate Shakespeare (needless to say the queen is none too happy with her and become the main antagonist of the show). Then after waking up the next morning hungover from copious amount of mead, Amanda decides to stay when her family finds her and tries to get her to look past her fiancé’s dalliances. What a forking stupid idea for a show… I love it.

Ironically enough, the titular American Princess is played by new to Hollywood Aussie Georgia Flood who reminds me of a shorter Krysten Ritter. She can come off as a little mean at times, but highly likable the more you see her. The rest of the workers are the rag tag band of weirdos you expect. Amanda’s roommate came for one day five years ago and never left. There is a guy called who says nothing but “stick” (naturally he is the guy in the picture above with the stick).  And the potential love interest works in a mud pit. Really, a good dumb show to watch when there is not much else on during the summer.

American Princess airs Sundays at 9:00 on Lifetime. This Sunday features back to back episodes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 26, 2019

Supergirl: Last week I wondered why Red Daughter was killed off screen, but we got flashbacks of it this week, oh and she did not actually die. I guess they could not afford Jon Cryer to appear in more episodes so they had to do big Lex episodes with copious amounts of flashbacks. Speaking of not really dying, I take it The Monitor is going to do something to Lex to bring him back. I do hope we get Evil Lena next season, the buddy-buddy with Kara has become a bit tedious and we need a little more drama. I wonder if she will just be a little upset or go full Lex.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: Yeah, still confused. So last week, the French assassin smacks the mark with a book, stalks some chicks at night, and this week she is still meeting with the mark even though she smacked him pretty hard last week? Why would he want to be in the same room as her?
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Good Girls: Wait, Boomer has been alive this whole time and the other chick gave the Good Girls her dead husband’s husband so should could continue to cash his military checks and Boomer has been living in the attic of his grandmother? What? That is some daytime soap plotline right there. But if he was there, why didn’t he continue to pay his grandmother’s bill like he used to? And I am confused to what was going on with Ruby’s lawyers. It seemed implied to me that the lawyer knew she was playing with dirty money, I assumed that is why he asked for more when Ruby paid with cash, so it would cover the extra expense of having to wash it.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Enemy Within: I actually thought for a moment they were actually going to bring Tal into the task force and just keep adding traitors as they climb higher and height up the ladder who the head of the organization was. But I did not quite understand why Erika did not mention there was someone higher up in the government. Wouldn’t that guarantee she stays in Washington so she could help find Tal’s accomplice? The only reason I can think of for not telling is maybe she thinks she can get a full pardon if she brings down this person herself?
You can download The Enemy Within on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: Obviously the British dude was a red herring, but what a horrible end. Someone called The Professor admits to killing the dude and (s)he may be an actual professor because that is what the waiter called him. They really are going to stretch out this mystery like the orginal version of the show. And unless it turns out to be Cece again, it will likely be as dumb.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Well I predicted a Nany/Turbo win at the beginning of the season so I will go ahead and take credit for that. But what great humor for Cara Maria to get the mile head start only for her to have to sit there for someone else to show up, then lose to everyone but the last person.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: Ooo, Dagger vs. Mayhem battle royal. So big bag did take Dagger’s mom. But how? And why? And where are they now?
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Okay, so when Beard Hunter randomly showed up on Danny Street was not as random as I thought. When he ate Niles “essence” it led him to Danny Street where Niles’s daughter was. Alrighty. But after a stellar first season, the ending was kind of meh. Well aside from the Tubthumping karaoke.

Blindspot: Well that was a long layoff, when the little girl showed up, I thought, wait, when did Kurt and Jane have a kid? Did I forget a time jump? But then I realized, oh yeah, Kurt knocked up that US Marshall.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: With an episode entitled, “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” you would have to think things might get a little weird, but I never thought Quake and Simmons would start tripping balls. Well that was entertaining.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.