Around the Tubes: February 6, 2021

 

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 Alienist, COVID  Diaries NYC, Billie Eilish, .38 Special, Emily Kinney, The Weeknd, The Go-Go's, 3 Doors Down, Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler.

- Follow the trail – find the killer! Get ready to test your investigation skills with TNT’s award-winning psychological thriller as Warner Bros Home Entertainment brings more plot twists and shocking turns with the release of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on Blu-ray and DVD on May 18, 2021. Uncover the secrets and go on an edge-of-your-seat journey with all 8 episodes from the second season, plus enjoy the captivating extra features including a season 1 recap, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a set tour, and series overview! The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is priced to own at $24.98 SRP for the DVD and $29.98 SRP for the Blu-ray, which includes a Digital Copy (US Only). The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.  It is June 1897. A year has passed since Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a pioneer in forensic psychiatry, tracked down the brutal serial killer John Beecham with the help of a team of trusted companions and a revolutionary application of the principles of his discipline. Kreizler and his friends--high-living crime reporter John Schuyler Moore; indomitable, derringer-toting Sara Howard; the brilliant (and bickering) detective brothers Marcus and Lucius Isaacson; powerful and compassionate Cyrus Montrose; and Stevie Taggert, the boy Kreizler saved from a life of street crime--have returned to their former pursuits and tried to forget the horror of the Beecham case. But when the distraught wife of a Spanish diplomat begs Sara's aid, the team reunites to help find her kidnapped infant daughter. It is a case fraught with danger since Spain and the United States are on the verge of war.

- COVID DIARIES NYC, debuting TUESDAY, MARCH 9 (9:00-9:40 ET/PT), chronicles the lives of five young filmmakers, ranging in age from 17 to 21, who turn their cameras on themselves to tell the stories of their families during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. The deeply personal film illuminates the plight of essential workers and their families during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis as they navigate the deadly virus and a country riven by social upheaval.  The film will be available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max.

- Five-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Billie Eilish has partnered with Vevo for an exclusive behind the scenes look at her self-directed “Therefore I Am” music video in the latest installment of Vevo Footnotes. WATCH “THE MAKING OF ‘THEREFORE I AM’ | VEVO FOOTNOTES”  Eilish reveals that after spending an entire day trying to come up with the perfect concept, the idea to film “Therefore I Am” at a mall came to her and her manager while waiting in line at a Starbucks drive-thru. The video was filmed in one night at the Glendale Galleria Mall in Los Angeles, a familiar stomping-ground for Eilish during her early teen years, using only her mother’s iPhone.

- After performing together for more than four decades, 38 SPECIAL will commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the release of their first single, “Hold On Loosely” with a special inclusion as the featured song on an all-new episode of ABC-TV’s The Goldbergs on Wednesday, February 10 at 8 p.m. “A great ‘80’s song and the wacky Goldberg family! – a perfect match!” said Don Barnes, co-founder and lead singer, 38 Special. “We’re still blown away by the continued enthusiasm for our first big hit. I’m positive the show will stand the test of time just as our song has!”  The Goldbergs, a sitcom featuring a suburban family living in the 1980s, features a hit song from the 1980s into each episode. The inclusion of “Hold On Loosely” aligns perfectly with the 40th anniversary of the release.  “’Hold On Loosely’ was a simple view into personal relationships and how it’s important to accept each other as they are,” recalled Barnes. “So many have commented on it as great advice. Combine that with an intense guitar track and it was a formula for success. In my opinion, that’s what has kept it popular all these years.” 

- Jullian Records and actress/singer-songwriter Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead, Showtime’s Masters of Sex, ABC’s Ten Days In The Valley) are excited to announce the Friday, April 9 release of Kinney’s brand new full-length album titled The Supporting Character (pre-order). Staying busy this past year, Kinney took advantage of 2020’s endless days of social distancing and time at home to finish up one of her most personal albums to date. Produced by Benjamin Greenspan, The Supporting Character touches on themes of heartbreak, loss, family history, creativity and personal growth, and finds Kinney tackling difficult subjects with her trademark lyrical honesty.  Released this week and streaming with Entertainment Weekly, the album’s new single, “Fifteen Minutes,” is a love-turned-breakup song Kinney wrote for her boyfriend at the time that explains how she would easily trade the time she spent becoming successful for more time with the person she really loves (him). "He said he didn't get it. We broke up,” she says. Though some relationships inevitably end, Kinney finds comfort in the fact that each relationship of hers has solidified her sense of independence and has confirmed the aspects of her romantic life that are truly important to her. “I’ve observed people who constantly struggle and who are addicted to ups and downs and conflict, whereas I know that I seek stability.” Stream “Fifteen Minutes” over at Entertainment Weekly HERE and on YouTube HERE.

-  The 104-date global tour will kick off on January 14th in Vancouver at Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena with stops in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, Berlin and more, before wrapping November 16th in London at The O2.  The worldwide tour announcement comes just days ahead of the multi-platinum singer’s headlining Super Bowl performance, and also includes a handful of rescheduled dates shifting from 2021 to be a part of the After Hours World Tour in 2022.  With the addition of 39 new tour dates, The Weeknd will also release The Highlights on Friday, February 5th. The Highlights is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place.  While this isn’t a “Greatest Hits” album it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. Fans can pre-save and pre-order the album HERE.

- On May 14, 2021, The Go-Go’s’ critically acclaimed 2001 reunion album, God Bless The Go-Go’s, celebrates its 20^th anniversary and will be reissued on CD, vinyl and digital formats via Eagle Records. This is the first time the original album version of God Bless The Go-Go’s will be available on LP and is pressed on 140gram, blue colored vinyl. The deluxe CD and digital versions feature new cover art and includes the bonus tracks “I Think I Need Sleep” and “King of Confusion.” Pre-order here.  Featuring Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals), Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Gina Schock (drums, percussion, vocals), Kathy Valentine (bass guitar, vocals) and Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), God Bless The Go-Go’s was the band’s first studio album in 17 years following 1984’s Talk Show and reached No. 57 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 on the Top Internet Albums chart. The album was produced by Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade (Radiohead, Hole) and features Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong on the single “Unforgiven,” Rame Jaffee (The Wallflowers and Foo Fighters) on “Here You Are,” as well as Roger Manning (Jellyfish. Imperial Drag and The Moog Cookbook) on the track “Daisy Chain.” Upon its original release, it was hailed by Uncut magazine for its “sheer, punchy exuberance” while Billboard was impressed with its “deliriously buoyant, unadulterated adult-made pop.” 

- On March 26, 3 DOORS DOWN will release a re-mastered, 20^th Anniversary Edition of The Better Life album along with the nine-song "Escatawpa Sessions" as a box set on high-quality 3LP vinyl. The "Escatawpa Sessions," recorded in the band's Mississippi hometown in 1996, features seven demo versions from The Better Life, as well as three previously unreleased tracks. The 3LP box set features a custom lithograph, a six-page booklet with never-before-seen photos and extensive liner notes, and interviews with the band and executives from their label and talent agency.  A 2CD and an expanded digital album will also be available.  The 2CD and digital album each feature four new bonus tracks including, "The Better Life (XX Mix)," a new mix by Grammy Award-winning Chris Lord-Alge, "Kryptonite (2000 Acoustic)," "Be Like That (2000 Acoustic)," and "Wasted Me (With Harp Version)." Pre-order THE BETTER LIFE 20^th Anniversary Edition now and listen to the Bonus Track "The Better Life (XX Mix)," HERE. Watch the new lyric video for The Better Life (XX Mix)" on the 3 DOORS DOWN Official YouTube Channel HERE.

- After receiving widespread critical acclaim and inciting fan anticipation around their reunion, singers, songwriters and producers Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler unveil their anxiously awaited new EP, brent ii—listen HERE.  On the release of brent ii, Jeremy says, “for chelsea and i making ‘brent ii’ was an important reminder of why we love making music, especially during such a difficult year. it has been almost 2 years since this first ep, and i think that project really set a standard for us and our fans. i’m extremely proud of ‘brent ii’ and think it shows fans a lot of personal and artistic growth from both of us, while keeping things in the same world we created with ‘brent’. i’m so incredibly proud of the 5 new songs that became ‘brent ii’.”

- In honor of Black History Month, Apple Music has launched a highly curated editorial music experience across Apple Music, Apple Music radio and Apple Music TV, celebrating the incredible community of black artists, moments and movements that have shaped music and global pop culture for generations. Check out Black History Month on Apple Music here: http://apple.co/BHM2021  All month long, Apple Music will feature curated playlists, essays, original videos, radio shows, and more from black influencers, musicians, authors, and directors including Ava DuVernay, Tracee Ellis Ross, Monica, Dame Pat McGrath (DBE, Founder/CEO Pat McGrath Labs), John Legend, Erykah Badu, Naomi Campbell, Common, Jaden Smith and many more. Apple Music TV will have four 24 hour music video takeovers featuring artists like Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Pharrell Williams and H.E.R., among others.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 31, 2021

  

Snowpiercer:  Well, there goes my theory that the show actually took place in the same universe as the film, just that the real Mr. Wilford was on a different train. But I am a bit fuzzy on just how we got here.  So Wilford train was just circling North America waiting for the perfect time to connect to Snowpiercer?  And his train just happened to be able to latch onto other trains and powerful to stop them?  But at least the new train has some weirdos on it.  That was one of my problems with the show was that the people on the train just were not as weird as they were in the movie.

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  One of the best jokes of the premiere was when Mo mocked Zoey for having to choose between the handsome guy or the more handsome guy.  And now there is a third handsome guy who seemed to be plucked from some WB teen drama from the nineties, complete with a crappy nineties one hit wonder to sing.  Hopefully he is less annoying than the dude Zoey just fired.

 

Big Sky:  There have been some pretty absurd cliffhangers where a character is left for dead only to be miraculously still alive when the next episode rolled around on television, but getting a bullet to the head, right above the eye, has to take the cake.  Seriously.  Unless he learn he had a steel plate in his head, there is no way anyone could survive it.  But I guess this is a show where a widow and a side piece can sing together at a funeral.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  So last week TJ got all soft when Lio Rush quit, but I thought he would redeem himself this week when we had a violent two hand push, but all we got from TJ was a stern warning.  Even his quitters do not get their votes count decree ended up being pretty toothless because the same people went in regardless of if they counted or not.

 

Search Party:  After what was a pretty weak start to the season, we finally got what is probably the best episode of the series.  The car chase around the roundabout was the funniest thing I have seen in a while.  Unfortunately that was not the turning point of the season as the season just sputtered to the end.  I may have enjoyed the ending much more if they actually killed Dory, but alas.  A potential season five with a potential ghost Dory could have been interesting. 

 

WandaVision:  Finally Kat Denning.  I do wonder if maybe instead of a full episode of what is going on in the real world, they should have sprinkled some of these scenes after the “WandaVision” sitcom was over.  Seems like we spent too much time away from the titular characters.

 

The Blacklist:  I do not buy it, no way is Lizzie actually going to fork Ressler.  I do not believe that at all.

  

Around the Tubes: January 30, 2021

  

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 Women in Blue, City on a Hill, The Mamas & The Papas, Paris Jackson, The Weeknd, The Peter Frampton Band, The Muppet Show, Cut Throat City, Laugh In, Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine.

- Filmed from 2017-2020, WOMEN IN BLUE follows Minneapolis’ first female police chief Janeé Harteau, as she works to reform the Minneapolis Police Department by getting rid of bad cops, retraining the rest, diversifying the ranks and promoting women—who statistically use less force than their male counterparts—into every rank of leadership. The film focuses on four women in Harteau’s department, each trying to redefine what it means to protect and serve. After a high-profile, officer-involved shooting forces Chief Harteau to resign, the new, male chief selects only men as his top brass. The women left behind continue to fight to police differently and to rebuild community trust.  WOMEN IN BLUE will broadcast on PBS television series Independent Lens series on Monday, February 8, 2021

- SHOWTIME will premiere the second season of its one-hour drama series CITY ON A HILL, starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy^® nominee Kevin Bacon and Screen Actors Guild^® award winner Aldis Hodge, on Sunday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Beginning April 18, the series will move to 9 p.m. ET/PT. Additionally, SHOWTIME has released the official key art for season two, which will consist of eight one-hour episodes.
- On January 29, Geffen/UMe is set to release The Mamas & The Papas' If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears on black vinyl. Also, the album will be available on opaque yellow vinyl exclusively at uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl. Considered one of the best pop-rock albums of all time, the 12-song 1966 debut showcases the exquisite pop sensibilities and impeccable harmonies of Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty, John Phillips and Michelle Phillips. Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard album charts within months of release and spending more than 100 weeks on the chart, the Lou Adler-produced gem opens with the No. 1 hit "Monday, Monday" and includes "California Dreamin'," which hit No. 4 on the Billboard singles chart. Preorder here: https://TheMamasAndThePapas.lnk.to/IfYouCanBelieveVinyl.
- 22-year-old singer, songwriter, actress, model and activist Paris Jackson releases the official “eyelids” video – watch HERE. The song features vocals from Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull, who co-wrote and produced the track, as well as Jackson’s first full-length album, wilted, out now – listen HERE. The video was directed and edited by Phillip Lopez (Selena Gomez, Kygo, Avicii, Lauv) and executive produced by Tara Razavi (Justin Bieber, Tyler, the Creator, G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha).
- Gravity defying artist The Weeknd and XO/Republic Records have announced a special project curated specifically for his upcoming Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show appearance. Given the vast mainstream audience of the Super Bowl, The Highlights album is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place.  While this isn’t a “Greatest Hits” album it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. The project is available on February 5^th, pre-order HERE.
- Frampton Forgets the Words, the new studio album by The Peter Frampton Band, will be released April 23 via UMe. The album features instrumental tributes to some of Frampton’s favorite songs and is the follow up to his 2007 Grammy Award-winning instrumental album, Fingerprints. The first track to be revealed is their take on Radiohead’s “Reckoner,” alongside a video—watch/share HERE.  Frampton Forgets the Words was co-produced by Frampton and Chuck Ainlay and was  recorded/mixed at Frampton’s own Studio Phenix in Nashville. With his infamous 1954 Les Paul Phenix—which was lost in a plane crash in 1980 and recovered more than 30 years later —  Frampton brings virtuosic guitar playing to songs by David Bowie, George Harrison, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz and more. See track listing below.
- The long wait for Muppet fans is almost over! “The Muppet Show,” Jim Henson’s iconic variety series that started it all, will begin streaming Friday, February 19 exclusively on Disney+. In addition for the first three seasons, fans will be able to enjoy seasons 4 and 5, which have never previously been released on home entertainment.  Originally premiering in 1976, some of Hollywood’s brightest stars stopped by “The Muppet Show” for unforgettable comedy and chaos including Crystal Gayle, Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly, and Mark Hammill.
-  CUT THROAT CITY, the “ambitious, messy, sprawling and bullet-riddled crime epic” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times), set in the Crescent City, has topped the Netflix charts hours after its debut on Netflix. The film, the third effort from recording artist, composer and rapper RZA, was released last summer to critical and audience acclaim and is mounting a dark horse, renegade #FYC Awards campaign to support the Netflix streaming of the film.  Opening on a gritty graphic novel animation, CUT THROAT CITY finds four boyhood friends return to NOLA’s Lower Ninth Ward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As FEMA fails to provide aid to their wracked community, they reluctantly turn to a local gangster for help. When that job goes horribly awry, they must outrun–and outsmart—a system rife with corruption and filled with both malevolent and colorful characters.
- This February, the TV DVD archivists at Time Life are making ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SERIES available at retail for the very first time for classic TV aficionados and comedy lovers alike. The ultimate completist’s set, this handsomely packaged collection is comprised of 37 DVDs featuring all 140 remastered episodes from the series award-winning, groundbreaking six-year run. Included are 89 episodes never-before-released on ANY format, along with exclusive bonuses such as the rare pilot episode (September 9, 1967), the 25^th Anniversary cast reunion and more.
- SHOWTIME announced today that the provocative docu-series SUPERVILLAIN: THE MAKING OF TEKASHI 6IX9INE, profiling hip-hop artist Tekashi 6ix9ine’s epic rise to notoriety and spectacular fall to convicted criminal, will premiere on Sunday, February 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will debut on-air every Sunday through March 7, while the entire series will release for on-demand streaming or download on SHOWTIME and across all SHOWTIME partner platforms on February 21.  In the three-part series, director Karam Gill (Ice Cold, G-Funk) examines manufactured celebrity through the lens of 6ix9ine’s controversial artistry, personal demons and mastery of social media, as a reflection of our times and the complicity of culture today. The series is narrated by Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian). SUPERVILLAIN is produced by Imagine Documentaries, Rolling Stone and Lightbox. Brian Grazer executive produces with Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein of Imagine Documentaries, Gus Wenner of Rolling Stone, Jonathan Chinn and Simon Chinn of Lightbox, journalist Stephen Witt and Peter J. Scalettar.  To watch and share the trailer, visit: https://youtu.be/rKeH1THBBEU.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 24, 2021

 

Your Honor:  So the judge was able to get a reprieve from the gangster by saying he could get his son off by preceding over his murder case.  Um, so now that he is not, why doesn’t the gangster just kill him?  Were the cops pulling over the black lady judge their bidding?  We already know the gangster has the cops in his back pocket when they kidnapped the kid he originally thought killed his son and interrogated him before he was even booked.

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  Meh, after Zoey sang the song to start the episode, I thought we were going to get another full episode of just her singing, which was my favorite episode of the first season.  But she still heard other people sing and just kept singing the same song over again.  I wonder if they are saving a full glitchy episode for later this season even though this seemed like the perfect time as the stress of her dad dying and stress from her new job overwhelmed her.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  Um, I thought T.J. hated quitters.  I wonder if his speech was at the behest of some producer who wanted this to be a teaching moment on mental health or if that actually came from the heart from a guy who loves seeing contestants fall from very high heights into water.  But seems right that right after being reinstated, Smashley goes right back out in her very next chance to be sent into elimination.

 

Wandavision:  I am quickly realizing a weekly half hour mystery box show may not be the best idea.  These decade parodies are already getting tiresome.  Making it worse is that I think most people can already guess the mystery: Wanda broke mentally, created a sitcom world where she and Vision can live happily ever after and S.W.O.R.D. agents, like the black lady, are trying to break her out of it.  But all will be forgiven if next episode one of the twins grows up to be a young Republican and the episode after that the other twin gets sent to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Aire.

 

The Blacklist:  Um, why does the FBI have easily available bombs that they can check out?  That is not something I want our intelligence agency on hand.  And is car bomb the best idea Lizzie came up with to kill Red?  Even worse, when that plan failed she thought, well, I still have this bomb, might as well use it to sneak into the hospital where Red was admitted.  Seriously, why not inject him with something if you are that close that you can plant a bomb on his hospital bed?  That was just some Bond villain level of stupidity.

 

Around the Tubes: January 23, 2021

 

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 Fake Famous, Sublime, A Life Too Short, The Lady and the Dale, Lori McKenna, Your Honor, William H. Macy, and The First Lady.

- HBO’s FAKE FAMOUS, debuting TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), from first-time director and veteran journalist Nick Bilton, explores the industry of social media influencers through an innovative social experiment. The film’s journey into this world is driven by the casting of three people in Los Angeles who all have relatively small social followings and the attempt to grow them into famous influencers. By purchasing fake followers and an army of bots to “engage” with their social media, the newly made “influencers” discover both the wonders and costs of this unlikely, immersive lifestyle.  The documentary will be available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max.

- Z2 COMICS continues to roll out news of some of their most ambitious projects yet, with today’s announcement of the RYAN CADY-written graphic novel chronicling the misadventures of one of the most defining bands of the last three decades, the Long Beach, reggae-punk institution, SUBLIME!  The laid-back Long Beach trio spawned an entire genre—fusing reggae grooves, punk grittiness, ska energy, back-porch folk introspection, and hip-hop swagger.   The SUBLIME: $5 AT THE DOOR graphic novel clocks in at 120 pages and will be released in a standard soft and hardcover editions in comic shops and bookstores alike in June 2021, with a special deluxe edition, and highly limited super deluxe edition available for preorder now exclusively through the Z2 website! Deluxe and super deluxe edition include a special first-time vinyl edition of the Doin’ Time EP, unavailable elsewhere, as well as exclusive prints, Lou-Dog toy and more!

- MTV Documentary Films will debut A Life Too Short, from two-time Oscar® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Tribeca Film Festival winner My Father The Mover from breakout director Julia Jansch on Friday, January 22 at 7:00PM ET on Pluto TV.  An official selection of the 2020 DOC NYC Film Festival’s Shortlist and SFFILM’s DocStories festival, A Life Too Short, produced by two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, directed by Safyah Usmani, co-directed by Saad Zuberi and executive produced by Sheila Nevins and Guy Oseary, examines the startling tragedy behind the killing of Pakistani activist and social media star Qandeel Baloch. A vocal, provocative proponent of women’s rights and freedom of expression, Qandeel challenged conventional ideas with her open exclamations of women’s equality and sexuality.  Her bravery and outspokenness ended in chilling violence that reverberates around the world.  Following Qandeel’s murder, a crucial amendment to Pakistani law was passed, eliminating the possibility for families to forgive the perpetrators of “honor” killings.  The premiere of A Life Too Short will be followed by the award-winning short documentary My Father The Mover at 7:45 PM ET. The film introduces a South African teenager named Alatha whose father calls himself a Mover. Using African dance moves – electronic Gqom beats – he helps kids in Khayelitsha township to transcend hardship and "find their superpowers." The Mover is also a single father, and while he has helped many kids, he still has difficulty getting his own daughter to find her own powers.  But in a tender moment together, that is all about to change.

- This four-part documentary series from Emmy®-winning producers Mark and Jay Duplass (“Room 104”) traces the audacious story of Elizabeth Carmichael, a larger-than-life entrepreneur who took the world by storm with her promotion of a fuel-efficient, three-wheeled car known as The Dale in the middle of the 1970s oil crisis. Liz's promotional zeal thrust her into fierce public and media scrutiny which uncovered a web of mystery and suspicion about the car’s technology and her own checkered past. Co-directed by Nick Cammilleri and Zackary Drucker, THE LADY AND THE DALE mixes animation, archival footage, and interviews with Liz's family members and gender scholars, including Susan Stryker. The result is a probing exploration of family and identity seen through the lens of the rise and fall of a fearless and wily innovator, an extraordinarily resilient woman and a dedicated parent.  The series debuts with two back-to-back episodes SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), with new episodes airing subsequent Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. THE LADY AND THE DALE will premiere on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max.

- Award-winning broadcaster and podcaster, Candy O’Terry and Music City Mentor, Jacy Dawn Valeras have released another episode in their joint podcast project, Country Music Success Stories with Candy O’Terry. The new podcast is a conversation with one of Candy and Jacy's all-time favorite singer/songwriters, multi-award winner Lori McKenna.  Their shared Boston roots shine through this interview with Lori which took place at 95.9 WATD, a local radio station just outside of Boston. At the core of this episode is the connection between an artist and local radio. Lori shares stories of her slow and steady rise in country music while raising her five children in her hometown of Stoughton, MA. and the joy of hearing Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Little Big Town breathe life into her songs. Subscribe to the podcast here and listen on all podcast platforms here.  Listen to an excerpt of the conversation with Candy O’Terry and Lori McKenna about writing the hit song “Humble And Kind” recorded by Tim McGraw here.

- The hit SHOWTIME drama series YOUR HONOR will return with an all-new episode on Sunday, January 31^st at 10pm ET/PT, after a repeat this coming Sunday. The ninth episode will air Sunday, February 7^th at 10pm. The following Sunday, on February 14^th at 10pm, the series concludes with the finale, directed by series star and executive producer Bryan Cranston.

- William H. Macy is more than just your favorite on-screen character, he’s creating gritty music and badass whiskey. His new single, “Whiskey Dell,” is a marriage of those passions. Under the moniker Willie Creeks, Macy’s inner outlaw, is personally writing spirited tales of fishing in the rugged Rockies while armed with his trusty 1935 Martin ukulele and a glass of whiskey from Woody Creek Distillers. “Whiskey Dell” features a driving kick, floor-rumbling bass, and a feverish energy brought to life through colorful collaboration with some extremely talented musicians. Watch the video HERE and stream the single HERE. 

 

- SHOWTIME has announced that Oscar and Emmy^® nominee and Golden Globe^® winner Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) will star as Betty Ford and Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing) will direct and executive produce the anthology series THE FIRST LADY (w/t), starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series is executive produced by Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash), Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow) and Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church) and created by author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who will write several of the episodes and executive produce. 

57 Channels and Only This is on: January 17, 2021

 

 Shameless:  Yet another Showtime show that features a teacher forking their student right now?  Last decade, Game of Thrones kicked off a decade of shows that features siblings hooking up, is this the new official taboo for this decade between this, Your Honor and A Teacher?  I hope not because I am ready for this topic to die.  Never a good sign when the Milkovichs move next door and that is not the grossest thing that happens in the episode.

 

Your Honor:  I knew last week this was not going to be the finale, because, you know, six more episodes, but it sure seemed like it because of the gangster would have no problem killing a judge.  And he almost did, but the thing that saved him was the judge knew his son was going to be arrested. Kind of a cheap play to extend the episode. 

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  Last week’s musical selections were not great but they corrected that this week with an influx of nineties music.  And it seemed like I was not the only one who thought the workplace was turning into a bit of a sausagefest.  But if Zoey poached three chicks from the fifth floor, isn’t that place a sausagefest now?

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  So that makes Natalie the second people in two seasons to come on the show pregnant.  Though Melissa last season made it all the way to the finals without realizing.  And with her took the only female Gold Skull with her while three dudes had one.  Guess it is going to be much easier for the females to make it to the finales, but the dudes are going to run out of Gold Skulls soon unless someone who already has one gets sent in next.  Hopefully Fessy just keeps getting thrown in after all the Gold Skulls are passed out.

 

Search Party:  That new dude is extremely annoying.  Really everyone is extremely annoying this season.  Portia is the only entertaining part of the show so far.

 

Wandavision: They have been saying this show is going to be weird for a while but I still was not prepared for it.  I wonder if they are just going to continue doing a new decade every episode or if they will speed thing up.  Hopefully by episode five, Vision gets sent off to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Aire.

Around the Tubes: January 16, 2020

 

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 United States vs. Billie Holiday, Rick and Morty, Vice, Women in Blue, Boss Level, Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler, and Sasquatch.

- Hulu announced that the streaming platform has acquired the U.S. rights to Lee Daniels’ THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLIE HOLIDAY, which will debut as a Hulu Original film on Hulu on February 26, 2021. Sierra/Affinity will continue to handle international sales on the film.  The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar® nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy® nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLIE HOLIDAY unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life. Screenplay Writer Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement. NAACP Image Award® Nominee Trevante Rhodes and Emmy® Nominee Natasha Lyonne co-star along with Garrett Hedlund, Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey.

- Wubba-lubba-dub-dub! From creators Justin Roiland (“Adventure Time”) and Dan Harmon (“Community”), go on an intergalactic journey across the multi-verse with the release of Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 boxed set from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 2, 2021.  Get ready to binge on one of cables #1 watched comedies - and follow the misadventures of America’s favorite crazy scientist and his grandchildren with this outrageous boxed set which includes all 41 episodes from the first four seasons of the award-winning series, along with copious special features, including audio commentary, deleted scenes, “Inside the Episode” segments, numerous featurettes, past animatic sketches, and more. For a limited time, fans who purchase the set will receive an exclusive poster from the series. Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 is priced to own at $79.99 SRP for the DVD ($89.99 in Canada) and $89.99 SRP for the Blu-ray ($99.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). Rick and Morty also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

- SHOWTIME announced today that season two of the award-winning documentary series VICE will premiere Sunday, March 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The season will consist of 15 episodes, eight of which will air weekly on Sundays leading to a midseason finale on April 25. The remaining seven episodes will air this fall. Known for delivering immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflicts, civil uprisings and more, VICE returns with a new slate of groundbreaking stories from its team of global correspondents, taking on a range of issues from police brutality in Nigeria to the continued shockwaves of President Trump’s foreign policy in Iran and Yemen. And in the U.S., VICE will continue its fearless exploration of the racial reckoning underway in the country. Watch and share a glimpse of season two here: https://youtu.be/2vmDDm5yyPA.

- Filmed from 2017-2020, WOMEN IN BLUE follows Minneapolis’ first female police chief Janeé Harteau, as she works to reform the Minneapolis Police Department by getting rid of bad cops, retraining the rest, diversifying the ranks and promoting women—who statistically use less force than their male counterparts—into every rank of leadership. The film focuses on four women in Harteau’s department, each trying to redefine what it means to protect and serve. After a high-profile, officer-involved shooting forces Chief Harteau to resign, the new, male chief selects only men as his top brass. The women left behind continue to fight to police differently and to rebuild community trust.  WOMEN IN BLUE offers an unprecedented view into the inner workings of the MPD, chronicling a department—and a community—grappling with racism and a troubled history of police misconduct long before an MPD officer killed George Floyd in May of 2020. The film reveals the limitations of police reform through incremental change and asks questions that apply well beyond the city of Minneapolis. Could increased gender equity and more women —especially Black women — contribute to greater public safety?  WOMEN IN BLUE will broadcast on PBS television series Independent Lens series on Monday, February 8, 2021.

- From acclaimed filmmaker Joe Carnahan comes BOSS LEVEL, an action-packed drama starring Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson and Naomi Watts. The clock is ticking, get in on the thrill Friday, March 5, only on Hulu!  Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) uncovers clues about a secret government project that could unlock the mystery behind his untimely death. In a race against the clock, Pulver must hunt down Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), the powerful head of the government program, while outrunning skilled ruthless assassins determined to keep him from the truth in order to break out of the loop, save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) and live once again for tomorrow.

- Rekindling their undeniable chemistry once again, singers, songwriters and producers Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler return today with a new single “this is how you fall in love” out now—listen HERE!  “this is how you fall in love” heralds the arrival of their forthcoming EP, brent ii, releasing February 5^th. Pre-order/pre-save HERE. Additionally, they unveiled the song’s official music video, watch HERE. “this is how you fall in love” is a smoothly harmonious song that brings Jeremy and Chelsea’s strongest vocals to the table in what they describe as “the kind of song to slow dance to at your wedding.”

- Hulu has announced Sasquatch, a three-part documentary series from Duplass Brothers Productions and Director Joshua Rofé, which investigates rumors of a bizarre twenty-five year old triple homicide said to be the work of a mythical creature, will launch exclusively as a Hulu Documentary this Spring.  Synopsis: While visiting a pot farm in Northern California in 1993, investigative journalist David Holthouse heard a story that still haunts him: On a nearby farm three men were torn limb from limb in a savage Bigfoot attack. Sasquatch follows David as he revisits the Redwoods twenty-five years later, in search of any evidence that might lead to the truth of what happened that night. As he pulls at the threads of this story, he’ll be taken down a path that’s far more terrifying than anyone would have imagined. 

 

The Twenty-Five Best Movies of 2020

 

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Knives Out

3. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

4. Ready or Not

5. Shazam!

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home

7. Hamilton

8. John Wick

9. Palm Springs

10. The Nice Guys

11. Zombieland: Double Tap

12. Alita: Battle Angel

13. Baby Driver

14. Widows

15. Parasite

16. The Grand Budapest Hotel

17. The Invisible Man

18. Lady Bird

19. Toy Story 4

20. What We Do in the Shadows

21. Wonder Woman 1984

22. Anna

23. John Wick: Chapter 2

24. Run

25. Mary Queen of Scots

The Twenty-Five Best Music Videos of 2020

 

1. Ice Cream - BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez

2. State Of The Union (STFU) - Public Enemy feat. DJ Premier

3. Boyfriend - Selena Gomez 

4. Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence 

5. Sad Girl Summer - Maisie Peters 

6. Fight The Power: Remix 2020 - Public Enemy feat. Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Jahi, YG, and Questlove

7. Man from the Magazine - HAIM 

8. No Save Point  - Run The Jewels 

9. 34+35 - Ariana Grande 

10. cardigan - Taylor Swift 

11. Czar - Busta Rhymes 

12. Kool - BENEE 

13. Forget - Nikki Yanofsky 

14. Don't Wanna - HAIM 

15. Bathroom Floor - Maddie & Tae 

16. My Own Soul’s Warning - The Killers 

17. positions - Ariana Grande 

18. ooh la la - Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier 

19. Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers 

20. Supalonely - BENEE 

21. Moral of the Story - Ashe 

22. The Man - Taylor Swift 

23. The Steps - HAIM 

24. willow - Taylor Swift 

25. Feel The Way I Want - Caroline Rose 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 10, 2020

 

Your Honor:  So is next week the series finale next week because the fifties mob boss is not forking around.  Dude blew up the house of the people he thought carries out a hit on his son; he does not seem like a guy who would have problems taking out a judge.  Or is fifties mob boss actually going to take the time to figure what exactly went down before administering his own type of swift justice?

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  Oh how nice to have the show back.  I have been calling Jane Levy the Emma Stone of television since her Suburgatory days so I was really giddy when Mo called Zoey, “a sad Emma Stone Halloween costume.”  But I will say the songs were a bit lacking in the premiere.  Hello Dolly was fun and grand, but I did not even know what song that new guy was singing.  But is the love triangle now over?  Simon did sing a lust song so there is still a flame.  I really hope Zoey does not go back and forth all season.  But there really is much of an option for Simon.  Joan just left, the other two women on the show are married or recently widowed.  Maybe the new guy should have been a woman to break up the sausagefest at Sparkpoint.  But I guess there is always Ava Price two floors up.  Oh yeah, I guess there is always Mo.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I have always found Nelson boring but I am beginning to feel bad for him.  Last season he went home late, going into elimination so his body Corey did not have to.  Now he got blindsided by someone who he thought was a friend, such a close friend he went to Corey’s gender reveal party (wait, did Corey knock up yet another chick).  I really hope Fessy keeps getting thrown in until he loses.  Maybe he can go in against Josh and have them eliminate each other some how.  Oh, and that drone challenge sucked massively.