View From the Peak - Everything Coming to Paramount+ in January 2024

 

We’re counting down to 2024, and our top resolution for the new year is to bring you the world’s best collection of shows and films to stream. Things are looking both sexy and scary on the service in January with the premieres of two highly anticipated Original series: crime drama Sexy Beast and psychological thriller The Woman in the Wall. Next month, the second season of SkyMed will come in for a landing on the service and music fans will get an in-depth look at the life and work of legendary singer and songwriter June Carter Cash in the brand-new Original docuseries JUNE. And as football fans eagerly count down to Super Bowl LVIII, they can kick back and enjoy CBS Sports' coverage of three AFC Playoff games, including the AFC Championship which airs on January 28. For a closer look at all the entertainment coming to Paramount+ in January, check out the latest edition of View From the Peak.

PEAK CONTENT

David Oyelowo in Lawmen: Bass Reeves The New Year’s bells are about to ring, but before we sip some bubbly and toast the new content coming to the service, let’s reflect on some of the wonderful things that happened in 2023. With a broad, popular offering for every member of the household, Paramount+ remained the fastest-growing streaming service in the United States.    This year, Paramount+ became the streaming home to SHOWTIME, and provided premium subscribers access to its entire library of critically acclaimed content, including award-winning series Yellowjackets, Billions, The Chi and Dexter: New Blood.    With record-breaking  premieres across genres, Paramount+ welcomed a wealth of content that won over audiences all year long. Top drivers this year included Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Special Ops: Lioness, Frasier and Fellow Travelers. The unscripted space was underscored by top series including Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, Couples Therapy and Milli Vanilli.   Paramount+ also saw the premieres and post-theatrical streaming debuts of huge films on the service that drove massive engagement, including Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Scream VI and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie as well as Original films Good Burger 2, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines and Love in Taipei.   And we were the talk of the town with this year’s awards nominations with Golden Globe nominations for 1923, The Curse, Fellow Travelers, Lawmen: Bass Reeves and Yellowjackets. We also received five Film Independent Spirit Award nominations and 12 Critics Choice Television Award nominations.    CBS Sports’ presentation of its marquee live sports continues to differentiate Paramount+ in the marketplace. The platform streamed some of the year's biggest sporting events, including NFL on CBS, AFC Playoffs, UEFA Champions League and its final, The Masters, PGA Championship, March Madness, Big Ten on CBS, SEC on CBS, a full season of the National Women's Soccer League, the launch of the free 24/7 soccer channel CBS Sports Golazo Network and more than 2,500 soccer matches.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Emun Elliott and James McArdle in Sexy Beast Next month, viewers can check out the premiere of Sexy Beast, which serves as a prequel to the critically acclaimed crime film of the same name. The series explores the relationship between Gal and Don, petty thieves in London’s East End who are looking for a major score. The pair is portrayed by James McArdle and Emun Elliott, respectively, and we sat down with the actors to learn more about how they played the younger versions of these characters. Can you tell us a bit about where Don and Gal are at the start of the series? Emun: Don is working at his sister’s arcade. He does odd jobs and menial tasks and is very much tied to his sister and serving her. At the same time, Don is working with Gal, and they’re involved in petty crime, like theft, robberies and muggings. But Don has huge ambition to hit the big time and sees this phase as a stepping stone for him to reach ultimate glory in the gangster world. He’s looking for a sense of identity, and he finds that in his relationship with Gal and the criminal underworld. James: When the series begins, Gal doesn’t realize he’s got a problem. He’s unaware that he’s blindly treading a path that’s been laid out before him. There’s something in him that longs for more, but there hasn’t been a catalyst that sort of says to him, “You can go out and get that.” He’s happy plodding along and dreaming. The world turns up for him when this woman enters his life, and he realizes, “If I’m going to go out for what I want, then the world around me is going to have to burn.” The question is: Will he do that, or accept the status quo?   These are characters to whom fans feel connected; are you excited to bring them to life in this new world? Emun: The fantastic thing about the movie is that Don is on the screen for one hour; he makes a massive impact, and then he disappears. But you never find out why Don is who he is. In our version, you get to explore why a character ended up like him. You get to delve into his vulnerabilities and his relationship with the few people who mean anything to him. It’s a rounded look at this character from both sides, in terms of his violence but also his vulnerability. James: This is a completely different Gal from the one we recognize in the film, so that gives me a lot of scope to play with, and that’s been fun as I get to imagine what he was like when he didn’t have the world on his shoulders. He's a bit more carefree at the beginning. He has compartmentalized his life so that he can enjoy different parts, and then he bites off more than he can chew.   The series follows Gal and Don’s descent into the criminal underworld. Can you tease how this creates conflict for both of them? Emun: Gal and Don have very different attitudes when it comes to executing a task. Gal leads with his head; Don leads from his gut and with his fists. They’re a team that works really well. Sometimes when they have to make decisions in the moment, Don makes mistakes and is far too much on the front foot, and Gal is constantly having to pull him back. There are occasions when Gal isn’t there to pull him back, and Don puts his foot in it, which leads to turbulence between the two of them. And it’s interesting to see that and see how their relationship – as all relationships do – winds in and out of each other. I think Gal and Don’s relationship is the most interesting when there is that separation and conflict between the two of them. James: They clearly adore each other. As we explore their pasts, you realize why Gal is so patient with Don. He’s a father figure and a brother figure to him. Gal thinks he is in control of that, but as Don grows, we see that Gal realizes he can’t contain the monster that is evolving. Crime pays when Sexy Beast premieres on January 25.

BEHIND THE STREAMS

Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack in The Woman in the Wall Premiering next month, the psychological drama series The Woman in the Wall stars Ruth Wilson as Lorna, a fictional survivor of the infamous Magdalene Laundries that incarcerated “fallen women” in Ireland against their will. In the series, Lorna, who suffers extreme bouts of sleepwalking due to the trauma she experienced, makes a terrifying discovery in her home. Extensive research was required to set this mystery against the backdrop of a true and painful period in Irish history. “We had a brilliant researcher, and we worked with a consultant at Justice for Magdalenes Research who helped us speak to a number of survivors,” said Joe Murtagh, series executive producer, writer and creator. “I really admire them for sharing their stories when you consider that one of the main objectives of these institutions was to shame and silence the women in their care.” For Murtagh, the show is a chance to raise awareness for this largely untold history. “Our town and our characters are fictional, in part, to protect real identities and communities. This allowed us to draw on as many real-life experiences as possible and combine them in one place.” Unravel the mystery when The Woman in the Wall premieres on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME* on January 19.

WATCH THE TRAILER

DID  YOU KNOW?

Praneet Akilla, Mercedes Morris, Morgan Holmstrom, Natasha Calis, Thomas Elms, Kheon Clarke and Aason Nadjiwon in Skymed Sometimes you just can’t wait another week to watch that next episode. Your wish is granted with an entire season of SkyMed streamable on day one. The show follows the high-flying adventures of daring nurses and pilots stationed in the wilds of Canada.    Long established as the home for incredible music documentaries and storytelling, Paramount+ continues this tradition with the premiere of JUNE this January. The feature-length documentary explores singer/songwriter June Carter Cash’s life and career through rare and never-before-seen archival material and interviews with family, admirers and friends, including Dolly Parton, Reese Witherspoon and Willie Nelson.    Countless viewers will stream Super Bowl LVIII on Paramount+ on February 11, but a few lucky winners will get the VIP experience in person thanks to the “Hide & Peak” sweepstakes campaign. To enter the sweepstakes, viewers must search for buried QR codes that appear before popular series and movies, which can be scanned to open a landing page with further submission guidelines. Who knows, you could be headed to the big game!

STREAMING SOON

ORIGINALS, EXCLUSIVE PREMIERES & EVENTS 1/1: Changemakers 1/7: The Golden Globe Awards** 1/11: SkyMed Season 2 premiere 1/16: JUNE premiere 1/19: The Woman in the Wall* premiere 1/25: Sexy Beast premiere LIBRARY SHOWS January 2 America Decides (Season 2024)** CBS News Mornings (Season 2024)** CBS News Prime Time with John Dickerson (Season 2024)** January 6 The Uplift (Season 2024) January 7 Here Comes the Sun (Season 2024) The Takeout (Season 8) January 8 Eye on America (Season 2024)** January 10 Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship (Seasons 1-2) The Loud House (Season 6) The Really Loud House (Season 1) January 17 Aerial Argentina (Season 1) January 24 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) (Season 3) January 31 Air Disasters (Seasons 1-7) Combat Ships (Seasons 1,3,4) Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (Seasons 1-3) LIBRARY MOVIES January 1 54 5 Card Stud A Promise* A Single Man* A.C.O.D. Abandon Adore Adventureland Aeon Flux Alex Cross* Almost Famous American Beauty Amistad An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power An Inconvenient Truth Another 48 Hrs. Approaching The Unknown Atlantic City Baby It's You Bad Lieutenant* Basic Instinct Basic Instinct Director's Cut Bebe's Kids Becoming Jane Big Jake Black Beauty Black Sheep Boomerang Changing Lanes Chasing Amy Chocolat Cinema Paradiso Coach Carter Cop Land Days of Heaven Death On the Nile Deception Dora and the Lost City of Gold Event Horizon Face/Off Failure to Launch Falling in Love Flags of Our Fathers Flight Of The Intruder G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Get Rich or Die Tryin'* Gone Baby Gone Good Mourning* Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Halloween VI: The Curse Of Michael Myers Halloween VIII: Resurrection Hateship Loveship* Headhunters* Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Hellraiser V: Inferno Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker Hellraiser VII: Deader Hellraiser VIII: Hellworld High Noon Hope Springs* In Too Deep Indiscreet Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Jackass 2.5 Jackass 3.5 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 Unrated Jane Eyre* Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Last Vegas Little Women* Losing Isaiah Mansfield Park Miller's Crossing Monster Trucks My Left Foot Narc Norbit Nostalgia* Only Lovers Left Alive* Paid in Full Pretty In Pink Private Parts Reindeer Games* Scream Scream 2 Scream 3 Searching For Bobby Fischer Shall We Dance? Snow Day Some Kind of Wonderful Spy Kids Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Spy Kids* Support the Girls* Surviving Christmas Suspect Zero Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Switchback Team America: World Police Terms of Endearment The Adventures of Tintin The African Queen The Bigfoot Trap* The Chumscrubber* The Core The Crow The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* The Drop The Elephant Man The First Wives Club The Forgiven* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Godfather (Remastered) The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (Remastered) The Godfather Part II (Remastered) The High and the Mighty The Island The Last Airbender The Peacemaker The People vs. Larry Flynt* The Portrait of a Lady The Queens of Comedy* The Score The Stepfather The Thing Called Love The Time Machine The Untouchables The Woman in Black The Yards Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead* Total Recall Tropic Thunder True Grit Voyagers Warrior Strong* What Lies Beneath When Worlds Collide Young Sherlock Holmes January 8 All About the Benjamins Chloe Insomnia Lords of Dogtown Love & Basketball Maggie's Plan Menace II Society Michael Clayton The Exorcist January 17 The Stanford Prison Experiment* January 26 Clerks II* You Hurt My Feelings* January 29 Begin Again* SPORTS 1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Mississippi State @ South Carolina* 1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – TCU @ Kansas*  1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – UNLV @ San Diego State* 1/7: NFL on CBS Week 18 Doubleheader (check local listings) 1/9-1/11: Coppa Italia Quarterfinals 1/12: Start of AFC Men’s Asian Cup 1/13: NCAA Men’s Basketball – San Diego State @ New Mexico* 1/13: Professional Bull Riders – Chicago* 1/13: Formula E* 1/13 or 1/14: NFL on CBS – AFC Wild Card Game 1/18: EA Sports Super Cup Semifinal – Napoli vs. Fiorentina 1/19: EA Sports Super Cup Semifinal – Inter vs. Lazio 1/20: NCAA Men’s Basketball – San Diego State @ Boise State* 1/21: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Michigan State @ Maryland* 1/20 or 1/21: NFL on CBS – AFC Divisional Playoff 1/21: Barclays Women’s Super League – Chelsea vs. Manchester United 1/22: EA Sports Super Cup Final 1/26-1/27: PGA TOUR – Farmers Insurance Open (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 1/27: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Kansas @ Iowa State* 1/28: NFL on CBS  – AFC Championship Game 1/28: Barclays Women’s Super League – Liverpool vs. Arsenal Throughout January: Italian Serie A competition Throughout January: AFC Men’s Asian Cup Throughout January: Scottish Professional Football League competition Throughout January: AFC Champions League competition Throughout January: Barclays Women’s Super League competition * Title is available to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers. **All Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers can live stream CBS titles via the live feed on Paramount+. Those titles will be available on-demand to all subscribers the day after they air live. Dates for library titles are subject to change.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: December 17, 2023

  

A Murder at the End of the World:  The robot did it.  That is why no one can seem to find the killer.  That would be the perfect stupid ending to this stupid show.

 

Fargo:  I did not think we would see Lorraine defending Dot, but I guess she is the mother of her granddaughter.  But what exactly does the sheriff want from Dot?   Is he going to replace her with his current wife?  But I wonder if he did the math on Scotty’s age.  I have questions about that myself.

 

Survivor:  So Dee is going to win.  Though it would be more fitting if Austin somehow pulled out the win.  That would be the perfect stupid ending to this stupid season. 

 

The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion:  Gee, who could have seen the team with an extra player winning all three rounds?   Maybe everyone should have targeted them the first round when they had the chance.

 

Quantum Leap:  So Ben keeps leaping into places where the generic hot blonde chick is because they are in love.  Huh?  This was just the third time they have met.  At least the generic hot blonde did not have to make out with some old dude this time and got to make out with an international spy instead. 

 

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters:  So is John Goodman’s Asian granddaughter actually going to turn out to be Kurt Russell’s Asian granddaughter.  That would be the perfect stupid twist to this stupid show.  Happy early Festifus everyone.

 

Around the Tubes: December 16, 2023

  

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on John Legend, The Black Crowes, Kenny Rogers, Of Monsters and Men, Destroy All Neighbors, Hazbin Hotel, and Man on the Run.

- Multiplatinum, 12-time Grammy® Award-winner John Legend shares a new single entitled “Don’t Need To Sleep” out today via Republic Records. Listen HERE. It soars as a standout from the We Dare To Dream Soundtrack available on all DSPs. Executive produced by EGOT® superstar Legend and Academy® Award winner Angelina Jolie, the acclaimed 2023 Tribeca Festival selection and refugee sports documentary, We Dare To Dream, is now streaming exclusively on Peacock.  Legend notably co-wrote “Don’t Need To Sleep” with Justin Tranter and Oak Felder—who also produced the song. On the track, soft strings unspool underneath striking and soulful verses punctuated by piano. It culminates on the climactic chorus as he reminds, “Don’t need to sleep to dream.”  Be on the lookout for a powerful music video to accompany the song soon.  It follows his 2022 double-album opus, LEGEND, out now. Listen HERE.

- world-renowned rock band The Black Crowes released the box set of their chart-topping sophomore album, The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, via American Recordings/UMe. The album, which entered the US Billboard album chart at No. 1 upon release in 1992, was named after a post-Civil War southern hymnal and is home to some of the band's biggest hits, including "Remedy," “Sting Me,” and "Thorn in My Pride” which were #1 on the Billboard Main Stream Rock Airplay chart for a combined total of 21 weeks. Rich and Chris Robinson, alongside producer George Drakoulias, revisited the archives for the instant classic album. They also created a special super deluxe edition featuring unreleased studio recordings, rare B-sides, a live performance from Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, TX, on February 6, 1993, and a newly remastered album from the original 1/4″ production master. The boxset features 14 unreleased recordings, including a previously unreleased studio recording of "Miserable” and a new take on the Memphis soul classic "99 Pounds.” Originally from the catalog of renowned Memphis soul singer-songwriter Ann Peebles “99 Pounds” was first released on her 1972 album Straight From the Heart. The Black Crowes’ cover of is a classic Rock & Roll take on a Southern Soul ballad.  The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is available now on stunning 4LP, 3CD, 2 CD, and 1LP formats. An exclusive, limited-edition “Remedy” Lyric T-shirt or Trucker Hat is also available as Fan Packs bundled with the 1LP in the Black Crowes official store HERE. Alongside the box set, the band released a super deluxe digital audio today. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is now available HERE. 

- Forty-five years ago, on December 16, 1978, Kenny Rogers’ trademark song “The Gambler” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, giving the country star his third No. 1 of the year. “The Gambler” would spend three consecutive weeks in the top spot and become a mainstream crossover hit, climbing to No. 16 on the pop chart. In addition to becoming Kenny’s signature song, it would launch his already successful career into the stratosphere. “The Gambler,” written by Don Schlitz, would go on to win the Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and spawn a TV movie on CBS with Kenny starring in the titular role as he added actor to his impressive resume. The film was a smash hit which led to Kenny Rogers becoming a household name and eventually four additional films, making it the longest running film series franchise on TV. Meanwhile, the album The Gambler, featuring the follow-up crossover smash “She Believes In Me” and standouts “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again” and “Tennessee Bottle,” went to No. 1 on the country chart, won Album Of The Year at the Country Music Awards and went five times platinum in the U.S.  Stream The Gambler In Dolby Atmos: https://KennyRogers.lnk.to/TheGamblerATMOS

- Multi-platinum Icelanders Of Monsters and Men proudly present their award-winning and acclaimed short documentary TÍU on YouTube. Following the premiere at 12pm EST, the band will go live for a YouTube after party, engaging fans worldwide for what promises to be a very special chat.  Watch TÍU—HERE.  When the band’s 2020 world tour was canceled due to the Covid pandemic, they set out on a friends and family road trip/adventure around their native Iceland. Footage shot by friend and director Dean Deblois (How To Train Your Dragon, Lilo and Stitch and Sigur Ros’ Heima) ultimately became what is now the short documentary TÍU which has been recognized as an “Official Selection” at 2022 & 2023 film festivals around the world including a world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival and an international premiere at the Reykjavik International Film Festival. It also garnered an award in the category of “Best Short” at the 2023 Dumbo Film Festival.

- William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad (Alex Winter). Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla. DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS is a twisted splatter-comedy about a deranged journey of self-discovery full of goopy practical FX, a well-known ensemble cast, and LOTS of blood.  Streaming on Shudder January 12th.

- Prime Video released the official trailer for Season One of the highly anticipated adult animated musical comedy Hazbin Hotel. The trailer features a new original song, “Ready For This,” from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg, who contributed original music and lyrics for the series. The first season of Hazbin Hotel consists of eight episodes,  with four episodes premiering on Prime Video January 19, 2024 and two episodes rolling out weekly through February 2. The series will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.  Fans can continue to visit HazbinHotel.com to pre-order special packages that include exclusive Season One merchandise until January 12, when early access to the first two episodes will be available to stream on the A24 App one week before they release on Prime Video, along with a virtual Q&A event with Vivienne Medrano and special guests.

- This January, Netflix debuts the true crime feature documentary, MAN ON THE RUN, directed by Cassius Michael Kim (Stockton On My Mind, The Wonder List), uncovering the shocking true story of a corrupt group of co-conspirators who jeopardized a country's hope for financial stability. Their influence extended from the highest levels of the Malaysian government to the glamorous enclaves of Hollywood.  MAN ON THE RUN follows the enigmatic Low Taek Jho—known to most as Jho Low – a mysterious businessman and playboy. Working with former Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, Low orchestrated a scheme to exploit 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund established in 2009 with the noble purpose of benefiting the people of Malaysia. In 2015, the intrepid journalist Clare Rewcastle-Brown receives leaked financial documents, setting off a global investigation that uncovers a staggering amount of money being funneled into international bank accounts to fuel Low's extravagant lifestyle. This included the acquisition of lavish properties, a private jet, a super-yacht, paying to party with A-list celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and dating supermodel Miranda Kerr. Dubbed the “Asian Great Gatsby,” Jho Low even financed Martin Scorcese’s controversial Oscar® nominated blockbuster, The Wolf of Wall Street. He now faces charges of money laundering and a slew of other offenses related to the multibillion-dollar scandal and is wanted by international authorities. The disgraced financier is on the run and believed to be hiding in China.

Around the Tubes: December 9, 2023

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on  Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise, Stephen Sanchez, Paul McCartney & Wings, Norman Lear, and Warning Signs.

- Sexy and sizzling with secrets, this seductive new docusoap follows a group of uber-rich and on-the-rise locals and expats navigating the rocky waters of their relationships, friendships, and careers in the paradise that is GRAND CAYMAN.   CAST: Elizabeth Chambers, Selita Ebanks, Courtney McTaggart, Craig Jervis, Julian Foster, Aaron Bernardo, Cass Lacelle, Victoria Jurkowski, Chelsea Flynn, Teri Bilewitch, Trevor Coleman, Dillon Claassens, and Connor Bunney. We are excited to share a first look at “Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise,” a new unscripted series coming soon to Hulu.

 

 

- Following the release of his highly anticipated debut album Angel Face, breakout singer/songwriter Stephen Sanchez stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers last night for a swoon-worthy performance of his hit song “High.”  Watch “High” Performance HERE.  Listen to Angel Face HERE.  Released in September 2023 via Mercury Records/Republic Records, Angel Face received widespread acclaim from Associated Press, WWD, People, Billboard, and more. “High” has quickly become a fan favorite since the album’s release, amassing nearly 10M global streams and peaking in the top 15 on the Spotify Daily Viral Songs chart.

- 50 years to the week of its original release, MPL and UMe announce the expanded 50th anniversary edition of Paul McCartney & Wings’ iconic Band on the Run, due February 2nd, 2024.  A fixture of all-time greatest album lists for decades, the multiple GRAMMY-winning #1 smash was originally released in December of 1973. Featuring the immortal title track, worldwide hit ‘Jet,’’ the wistful ‘Bluebird,’ long-time live staple ‘Let Me Roll It,’ the multi-faceted ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)’ and climactic closer ‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five,’ Band on the Run is undoubtedly Wings’ most successful and celebrated release ever. Experience the 50th anniversary edition of Band on the Run HERE.

- Great Entertainment Television will honor the late Norman Lear this weekend with marathons of Good Times and Sanford and Son, starting at 10 am each day. Norman Lear, legendary sitcom writer and producer, passed away Tuesday at the age of 101. Join us in celebrating his work and legacy. 

Saturday, December 9

10A - Sanford and Son, "Crossed Swords"

10:30A - Sanford and Son, "Sanford and Son and Sister Makes Three"

11A - Sanford and Son, "The Puerto Ricans Are Coming!"

11:30A - Sanford and Son, "A Visit From Lena Horne"

12p - Sanford and Son, "Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe"

Sunday, December 10

10A - Good Times, "Too Old Blues"

10:30A - Good Times, "Cousin Cleatus"

11A - Good Times, "A Matter of Mothers"

11:30A - Good Times, "That's Entertainment, Evans Style"

12P - Good Times, "The Dinner Party"

- CBS News and Stations take viewers on an unprecedented journey into the heart of the world’s northernmost and fastest-warming community in Svalbard, Norway, in a five-part docuseries, WARMING SIGNS, premiering today, Monday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 8. A different segment airs each day within the local newscasts of CBS owned stations, culminating to an hour-long special, ON THE DOT WITH DAVID SCHECHTER, that will air and stream on CBS Stations starting Friday, Dec. 8. WARMING SIGNS is hosted by award-winning national environmental correspondent David Schechter, who takes audiences on a transformative exploration to understand what scientists are learning in Norway about how global warming is causing pivotal changes in our climate and contributing to our extreme weather events.   WARMING SIGNS is a collaboration, led by the CBS Local News Innovation Lab, between specialized climate-trained journalists and meteorologists at each CBS-owned station. As part of the week-long project, local climate stories relevant to respective CBS-owned markets will air in the local newscasts in Baltimore, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento and Texas.  Viewers can watch on-demand on CBSNews.com/warmingsigns.

Previewing Thriller 40

Taylor Swift had a pretty impressive year with her Eras Tour, she is the biggest artist on the planet, but even Taylor in 2023 pales in comparison to the year Michael Jackson had in 1983.  It has been forty years since Thriller dominated the zeitgeist.  70 million albums sold worldwide, 7 top ten singles, 12 Grammy nominations, eight won, including Album of the Year.  Forget Swift showing up to Chief’s game, Jackson showed up to the award ceremony that year with Brooke Shields and Emmanuel Lewis.

 

That album is now being chronicled with a new documentary, Thriller 40, with commentary from Shields, Mary J. Blige, Mark Ronson, Raphael Saadiq, Misty Copland, Thriller director John Landis, and many people who played on the album.  Though there is a glaring omission of any new comments from famed producer Quincy Jones, though he did just turn ninety earlier this year.  It is also a little surprising than none of Jackson’s siblings gave any new interviews for the film.

 

The doc stays focused on the time period so it never even hints at the many controversies that Jackson dealt with later in his life.  But they do focus on a few controversies from the time period.  I forgot that Michael was involved with ET and there was a big blowout with his record label because the film had a deal with a different label.  They also go into his accident on the set of the infamous Pepsi commercial.  But it was wild to remember that was for a tour with his family that his father Joe forced him to go on instead of touring behind Thriller on his own.

 

The film is a nice walk down memory lane focusing on one of the most iconic albums of all time.  Sure it is a fluff piece and in the middle there is a weird segment from some guy from Tik Tok talking about how Jackson is reaching a new generation, but came off more as an advertisement for Tik Tok, but is still worth checking out if you were ever a fan of the music, which, considering how many albums that were sold, was probably everyone who was alive in the eighties.

 

Thriller 40 airs Saturday at 8:00 is currently streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.  

57 Channels and Only This Is On: December 3, 2023

  

A Murder at the End of the World:  If there is snowstorm coming why not just hang out at the guard station?  Or hang out in the car at the guard’s station?  But if you leave the hotel when there is a snowstorm in the forecast, I guess you are not very bright.

 

Fargo:  The Home Alone is the best stuff.  Hopefully it pays off next week when the sheriff’s kid tries to enter.

 

Survivor:  Sigh, that was the last time there was a chance of anything interesting happening.  Now we are just watching the inevitable until the finale.

 

The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion:  Since one team had an extra player, does that mean the producers did not expect any Champ’s to lose?  But really sad when everyone is helping you and you still cannot win the elimination.

 

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters:  Speaking of stupid people doing stupid things in the cold, really stupid to split up when there is an incoming winter storm.   But it is a television show so no one was punished with their life.  But where exactly was the father?  I figured they would run into him eventually.

 

Around the Tubes: December 2, 2023

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Moving, Hazbin Hotel, Elton John, Lyn Lapid, and Billy Idol.

- After taking the world by storm with its unmissable story and heart-stopping action sequences, super-powered Korean drama series “Moving” is set to make its highly anticipated English language debut on Dec. 13 exclusively on Hulu. All 20 subtitled episodes are currently available to stream on the platform.  “Moving” tells the story of a group of South Korean special agents working to protect their super-powered children from harm and exploitation at the hands of malicious government agencies. Initially recruited because of their extraordinary abilities to fly, instantly heal and use their enhanced senses in the field, the agents disappeared without a trace after being tasked with carrying out increasingly dubious missions. But with their children now exhibiting similar abilities and a dangerous assassin rapidly picking off super-powered individuals, the parents must leave their peaceful lives behind to become the “monsters” they once were. 

- Prime Video is showing its appreciation to Hazbin Hotel fans by revealing the premiere date for Season One of the highly anticipated adult animated musical comedy. Episodes will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video beginning January 19, 2024, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Guest stars include Broadway veterans Darren Criss (Saint Peter), Jeremy Jordan (Lucifer Morningstar), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Carmilla Carmine), Patina Miller (Sera), and Jessica Vosk (Lute).  They will join the stacked lineup of previously announced main cast including Erika Henningsen, Stephanie Beatriz, Alex Brightman, Keith David, Kimiko Glenn, Blake Roman, Amir Talai, Christian Borle, and Joel Perez.  The series will feature original music and lyrics from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg.  In true Broadway fashion, Prime Video will be announcing the new guest stars via the marquee at the iconic Pantages Theatre in Hollywood today from 8am - 6pm PT.  Assets will be serviced to you directly.  Fans can continue to visit HazbinHotel.com to pre-order special packages that include exclusive Season One merchandise, digital access to the first two episodes before they release on Prime Video, and a virtual Q&A event with Vivienne Medrano and special guests. Early access episodes will be available to stream for a limited time on the A24 App.

- Last month, Elton John was presented with a plaque commemorating the RIAA Multi-platinum certification of more than 2 million copies of Diamonds with Universal Music Group Chairman & CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and Universal Music Enterprises President & CEO Bruce Resnikoff in Los Angeles, CA. Elton is currently celebrating the 50^th anniversary of his beloved holiday tune, “Step Into Christmas,” originally released November 23, 1973, and can be found on Diamonds. In honor of the song’s anniversary, Elton has released a brand new digital “Step Into Christmas” EP featuring Elton’s top holiday hits. Listen to the “Step Into Christmas” EP now HERE.  Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas” has become a timeless and enduring holiday classic, adding a touch of musical magic to holiday celebrations worldwide. Originally released as a stand-alone single in 1973, with “Ho, Ho, Ho (Who’d Be a Turkey at Christmas)” on the B-side, the track was intended to be an audible holiday card for his fans following the monumental release of his chart-topping, record-breaking album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The catchy tune, recorded on a Sunday and released less than a week later, was Elton’s first single aside from “Rock And Roll Madonna” in 1970. The catchy tune peaked on the UK Singles Chart at No. 24 upon release; however, proving it has become a perennial favorite for listeners around the world, it reached a new peak at No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart 46 years later in 2019, and certified double platinum in 2021. In the United States, the single hit the top of the Billboard Christmas Singles Chart in 1973, and it was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2021.  “Step Into Christmas” has become an essential part of the Christmas music canon, and its cheerful and festive spirit continues to delight audiences during the holiday season. Listen to Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas” EP now HERE.

- Following the recent release of her latest single “east side,” 21-year-old singer and songwriter Lyn Lapid unveils her deluxe EP to love in the 21^st century: the epilogue out now via Mercury Records/Republic Records—listen HERE! The deluxe EP includes “east side,” as well as two new tracks, “could’ve been you” and “july.”  Lyn dropped to love in the 21^st century earlier this summer and drew inspiration for the EP from fan favorite Gen Z rom-coms, including To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty. It tells the story of the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship, capturing all the emotions of a first love. The EP also includes fan favorites “poster boy” and “ok with it” and has amassed over 40 million streams to date. Sweety High described it as “a work of art from start to finish,” while Her Campus said, “Her sophomore EP is an alt pop sonic journey through the DMs-over-daisies state of modern love as seen through the eyes of its all-too-relatable protagonist. The 20-year-old indie songstress wears her heart on her sleeve for each track.” Watch the to love in the 21^st century short film HERE!

- Following a successful limited theatrical run, Billy Idol: State Line, a Vertigo Live concert film documenting the rock legend’s April show at the famed Hoover Dam—the first ever concert performed at the location—is making its streaming/video on demand debut via Veeps on Saturday, November 25 at noon PT. Billy Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens will be on hand for the debut live stream/chat HERE.  The special film—part docu-concert, part live performance—is free for Veeps All Access subscribers, and individual tickets can be purchased at Veeps.com. Fans around the world will be able to access the show at Veeps.com as well as via the Veeps app on Apple TV, Roku, iOS and Android. The film is available for ticket holders and All Access subscribers to rewatch through December 7. The Veeps stream exclusively features bonus, never before seen footage of Idol performing the tracks “Rebel Yell” and “Bitter Taste” at the Hoover Dam. Fans can also use code IDOL15 or VEEPS15 to get 15% off all State Line merch at billyidolstore.com.