Around the Tubes: July 13, 2024

 

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 Interior Chinatown, Futurama, Nelly Furtado, Young The Giant, Amy Sheppard, and Dress My Tour.

- "Interior Chinatown" will premiere all 10 episodes Tuesday, November 19 on Hulu.  Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning book of the same name, the show follows the story of Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural called Black & White. Relegated to the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen job, waiting tables and dreaming about a whole world beyond Chinatown. When he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, Willis begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, his family’s buried history, and what it feels like to be in the spotlight.  Check out the photos below for a first look at the series!

- Good News, Everyone! Hulu has debuted the official trailer for Futurama Season 12!  TRAILER  Season 12 of Futurama will premiere on Monday, July 29 on Hulu.  Following Hulu's critically acclaimed 2023 revival of Futurama, the epic sci-fi series from Matt Groening and David X. Cohen returns in 2024 with ten all-new episodes. On this orbit around the sun, our occasionally heroic crew embarks on mind-bending adventures involving birthday party games to the death, the secrets of Bender's ancestral robot village, A.I. friends (and enemies), impossibly cute beanbags, and the true 5 million-year-old story behind the consciousness-altering substance known as coffee. And, of course, the next chapter in Fry and Leela's fateful, time-twisted romance.

- GRAMMY Award-winning global superstar Nelly Furtado has announced her highly anticipated new studio album, 7, releasing on September 20.  Her most inspired and personal collection to date, 7 is the culmination of four years of artistic rediscovery. “Corazón” is the second single to be released from 7 following Furtado’s pop anthem “Love Bites” feat. Tove Lo & SG Lewis. Released alongside an interview with Zane Lowe, “Love Bites” has amassed over 13 million streams to date, has received worldwide critical praise from publications such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, PAPER, Wonderland, The Line of Best Fit, Stereogum, CLASH Magazine, CBC, EUPHORIA. Magazine, and UPROXX, and was recently remixed by Don Diablo - listen HERE. 

- Critically-acclaimed, multi-platinum selling band Young The Giant releases “Metropolis” from their archives. Never before released, the song was written and recorded by lead singer Sameer Gadhia  in the days of their hit album Mind Over Matter. The band teased the track on their 2023 American Bollywood World Tour by surprising fans with stripped-back acoustic performances of the song several times throughout the summer. This year being the record’s 10-year anniversary, it felt right to share this musical time capsule — Stream.   On July 26, Young The Giant will celebrate 10 years of their most successful album with the release of Mind Over Matter (10th Anniversary Edition). Upon its original release, Mind Over Matter (produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen and mixed by Rich Costey) reached #7 on the Billboard 200 chart and #2 on Top Rock Albums. The album’s title track has been a staple of the band’s catalog since and was recently certified Platinum.  The exclusive deluxe version comes in clear smoke vinyl and includes a 12-page booklet, fold-out poster, and an exclusive slipcover — Pre-order / Pre-save. The tracklist includes 3 never-before-released demos and the new song “Metropolis.”

- Amy Sheppard makes a triumphant return to the country music scene with her latest single, "Small Town Rumors," available now across all streaming platforms here.  With a track record that includes global hits like "Geronimo" and a standout performance as Orca on The Masked Singer Australia, Amy Sheppard continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Now based in Nashville, Sheppard brings her signature blend of authenticity and resilience to her latest single, "Small Town Rumors." 

- Check out the official trailer for Hulu's new unscripted series "Dress My Tour." All 10 episodes will premiere Tuesday, July 23rd on Hulu.  TRAILER.  Hosted by supermodel and actress Kate Upton, “Dress My Tour” takes fans behind the curtain of the unpredictable fashion and music industries. The series follows 11 aspiring fashion designers on the raw, emotional journey of creating stunning fashion pieces worthy of the music world’s biggest names like JoJo Siwa, Paula Abdul, Toni Braxton, Ty Dolla $ign and more. As these designers compete to make their mark in the fashion and music industries, find out which one of them truly has what it takes to design for the stars and win the $100,000 prize.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 7, 2024

 

House of the Dragon:  Oh hey, Sheila the She-Wolf, she is not suspicious at all.  So what exactly did she do the Daemon to see young Rhanera?

 

Orphan Black: Echoes:  Now I feel stupid.  I thought the scientist looked so much like the French chick from the original, I did not realize that was Kira until Felix showed up and called her “monkey.”  But in my defense, how was I supposed to know that was her if someone did not shout Keeeeeeeerrrrrraaaaaa?  But Felix added some much needed levity.  Now if only Uncle Donnie shows up.  Though I have a feeling Donnie and Alison probably died a long time ago. 

 

The Acolyte:   Was that unknown planet supposed to look like the planet where Rey found Luke?  It would be hilarious if there was some Sith temple on the other side of the planet unbeknownst to each other.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 30, 2024

 

House of the Dragon:  So is each episode this season going to end with a tragic death of a character or characters we barely know?

 

Orphan Black: Echoes:  When the blonde showed up in the first scene, I thought to myself, she looks exactly like the French chick in the original, yet she does not have an accent.  Why would they cast someone who looks just like her?  Oh, it is because she is her niece.  But this reboot could really use a Alison / Donnie type couple.

 

The Acolyte:   Bortles!!!!!!  I knew it.  But that was one of the worse kept secrets in TV history.  You could tell he was the master by the end of the trailer.  But is there anyone else left on this show after this episode?  Is it just Jason Mendoza, Sol and the twins?

 

The Chi:  The episodes started off with a three minute “previously on” showing Douda terrorizing everyone else in the cast.  Gee, I wonder what will happen in the episode.   At least we did not have to wait very long to see his dead body.  Unfortunately we got an “eight hour earlier” title card which meant we still had to wait to see who actually killed him.  But even that was a fake out in who actually did it.  While Douda being killed was not very shocking, we did get an actual shocking death.  Though I do not understand why you would kill that guy considering you just saw her try to kill Douda for attempting to kill her son.  What do you think she will do to you for killing her son?  The new kingpin will not likely be in that position for very long.

Around the Tubes: June 29, 2024

 

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 Hit-Monkey, Vikings: Valhalla, Johnny Cash, Miranda Lambert, MisterWives, Nikka Costa, Mckenna Grace, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ruthie Foster, and Succession.

- Check out the official trailer and key art for the second season of Hulu's Hit-Monkey.  Season 2 of Hit-Monkey will premiere Monday, July 15 on Hulu.  Season 2 Synopsis: In New York City, Monkey finds a path to escape his life of killing, while Bryce attempts to repair the damage to those he wronged in life. But what will it cost them to undo the past? 

- From Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer Jeb Stuart (The Fugitive, Die Hard), Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment brings you the next chapter in the Vikings franchise, with the release of Vikings: Valhalla: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD on August 27, 2024. One hundred years have passed, and a new generation of legendary heroes have arrived to create their own destiny — and make history! On August 27, all 8 gripping episodes from the first season will be available for purchase online and in-store at major retailers. Pre-order your copy today.  Vikings: Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived — the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson, his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter, and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson. As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, these three Vikings begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory.

- In the powerful opening song, “Hello Out There” from Johnny Cash’s acclaimed new album, Songwriter (available everywhere now via Mercury Nashville/UMe), the late legendary musician and songwriter sounds as if he’s reaching out from the beyond concerned about mankind and the state of the world as he bellows, “Hello out there/This is planet Earth/Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling,” facilitating his own echoes, before continuing, “Hello out there/our net worth is/Falling Falling Falling Falling Falling.” As the “cleverly disguised gospel song” continues, as his son and album co-producer John Carter Cash describes it, the song crescendos with a glorious swirling of Marty Stuart’s spacey guitar licks, strings, steel guitar, pounding drums, the angelic backing vocals of Ana Cristina Cash and Harry Stinson, and Johnny’s prescient message of salvation, sonically falling somewhere between cosmic country and gospel. Recorded just before Johnny was recruited by U2 for Zooropa album closer, “The Wanderer,” the songs could be celestial cousins of sorts. “I believe dad wrote it about the Voyager spaceship sometime around when it launched,” said John Carter. “I remember him sitting in Cowboy Jack Clement’s office in the early ‘80s and singing it for him.”  WATCH “HELLO OUT THERE”

- “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” croons multi-hyphenate superstar Miranda Lambert on current single “Wranglers,” which arrived last month as the biggest streaming debut of her career. Now, Stereogum’s “single greatest country star to come along this century” doubles down on her signature theme of empowerment as a woman liberated on “Dammit Randy,” a rousing anthem about reclaiming independence. Listen HERE.  “This song came out of a conversation the night before Jon Randall and I went into the studio to make this album,” Lambert shared. “We were talking about how excited we were to be starting this journey with a new label family (Republic and Big Loud) and how supported we felt by them, which turned into chatting about situations where you might not feel so supported by someone – in this song’s case, an unappreciative Randy. So, this one’s for anyone with a Randy they need to move on from.”

- New York City/Los Angeles-based alt-pop group MisterWives share the official VEVO performance of booming single "Organized Chaos" out now, premiering exclusively via PAPER Magazine. PAPER dives into the video itself and the "art of bringing repressed feelings to the surface." Later this summer, the band will release the deluxe version of their 2023 album Nosebleeds, Nosebleeds: Encore complete with reworked tracks and new surprises.  This Fall, MisterWives will embark on the MisterWives: Just For One Night! tour with support from Joan, Juliana Madrid, Moody Joody and Meg Smith beginning with the band taking the Austin City Limits stage on October 6 and October 13. Tickets are on sale now here.

- LA-based soul and funk singer Nikka Costa shares the release date of her new single “Dance 'N Forget” taken from her highly anticipated album Dirty Disco. The album was recorded with and produced by Justin Stanley (Prince, Jamie Lidell, Beck, etc.) and will be released on August 16th. Today, tickets to her first tour in over six years go on sale at 10 am PST here.  She adds that “”Dance ‘N Forget” is about that feeling you get when you’re just DONE and wanna hang with your friends and forget everything. It’s lights out, shoes off, people you love, music loud, no worries, all fun, zero %$#ucks! “Amnesia, give me a dose of it so I can care less. Something to turn off my mind.” Known for her powerful vocals, dynamic stage presence, and diverse musical influences, Nikka Costa returns from a six-year musical career break with future-forward disco-inspired sounds. 

- Narrating life as it passes by, rising musician, songwriter and actor Mckenna Grace marked her 18th birthday today with the release of her pop/punk inspired new single, "LOSER!!." now (via Photo Finish Records) HERE. Produced by David Burris and written by Grace, Burris and Kella Armitage, this angst-filled track, released on Grace's 18th birthday, is brimming with the internal dialogue and social awkwardness that Grace's fans adore and expect from her. Today, Grace additionally shared her high school prom-inspired companion video for “LOSER!!”. Directed by Justin Mitchell and Lottie Abrahams the video humorously revolves around Mckenna’s big Prom night. Adorned with both corsage and electric guitar, Mckenna guides viewers through all the quintessential prom night feels, angst, exuberance and friendship. The quick cut scenes capture everything from intimate girl talk in the bathroom to playful antics in the back seat of a limo. The fun and relatable video reaches its climax with Mckenna and her friends coming together, rocking out and ultimately celebrating the inner "Loser" in all of us. Watch HERE.

- Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning iconic rock band The Smashing Pumpkins will release (Rotten Apples) The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits on vinyl for the very first time on August 9, 2024, via Capitol/UMe.  Spanning the first decade-plus of their discography, (Rotten Apples) The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits comprises some of the band’s most recognizable anthems, including “Today,” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “Cherub Rock,” “1979,” “Ava Adore,” and more. It also features their fan-favorite Lost Highway soundtrack cut, “Eye.” Plus, the collection notably concludes with “Untitled”—which would be the last song recorded by Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin for seventeen years until their 2018 reunion. The latter has never previously been pressed on vinyl.  (Rotten Apples) The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits will be available as a 2LP on 180g black vinyl and multiple collector-worthy, limited-edition 2LP color variants pressed on standard weight or 180g color vinyl. Preorder (Rotten Apples) The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits HERE

- Ruthie Foster, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her powerful blend of blues, folk, and gospel, unveils her evocative new single "Heartshine," the second release from her highly anticipated album Mileage, set to drop on August 23 via the legendary Sun Records. This single follows the uplifting "Rainbow" and continues to showcase Foster's unparalleled ability to meld soulful melodies with heartfelt storytelling.  "Heartshine" emerged from the creative synergy between Foster and her collaborators, Tyler Bryant (of Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown) and Rebecca Lovell (one-half of Larkin Poe). The trio found a profound connection in their songwriting process, and their conversations evolved into poetic lyrics and resonant melodies.

- Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will be newly releasing Succession: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. Get ready to binge on all 39 episodes from HBO’s Emmy® award-winning original series, along with all the previously released special features. The brilliant high-stakes drama following the Roy Family and their quest for power will be available to purchase online on August 13. Pre-order your copy today.  Succession stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, J. Smith-Cameron, Peter Friedman, David Rasche, and Fisher Stevens.  The series was created by Jesse Armstrong; executive produced by Jesse Armstrong, Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Lucy Prebble, Will Tracy, and Will Ferrell. Jesse Armstrong served as showrunner.

Transmissions from Pluto - Everything coming to Pluto TV in July 2024

 

Next month, we’re tapping into our pioneering spirit and lassoing all our favorite Wild West titles into a new category as well as saddling up with the Dutton clan for a Yellowstone marathon Fourth of July weekend. Expect fireworks at the Big Brother house when season 26 premieres; and with our dedicated 24/7 live feeds, you won’t miss a second of the drama. And fans can relive past seasons of the competition series with a new dedicated channel. For a closer look at all the entertainment coming to Pluto TV in July, check out the latest edition of Transmissions from Pluto. FAST FORWARD Amy Kuessner, EVP Programming, talks about how Pluto TV programs around genres audiences love to stream. At Pluto TV, we’re all about giving audiences more of what they want: more content, more ways to watch and more devices to watch on. As our library expands, we aim to make content easier to discover and enjoy by introducing new categories curated by our programmers and inspired by fandoms, because “more” is even better when you can effortlessly find the films and TV series you love most. This month, we’re excited to bring our audiences a brand-new category, Westerns, where they can explore a frontier of classic tales, timeless heroes and endless adventures. Inspired by the popularity of channels like Gunsmoke and the success of our existing fandom categories, we knew Westerns would be a gold mine for fans. Exclusive to Pluto TV, this category offers viewers a chance to be transported to the Old West, where they can enjoy familiar favorites and perhaps meet some new cowboys along the way. Hand-curated categories and live channels are a hallmark of the Pluto TV experience. We hone in on specific fandoms and speak a shared language of enthusiasm because we’re fans too. Roughly 82% of our users agree that Pluto TV is a good place to find niche content, and we work diligently to deliver and improve their experience. Inspired by downstream viewing habits, our team organizes categories based on viewer patterns that chart a roadmap of how audiences navigate the platform, allowing us to streamline the path between the viewer and the content they most want to see. In recent years, this approach has led us to introduce thoughtful categories like Game Shows, Sci-Fi, True Crime and now Westerns so fans can find their favorite content seamlessly. We are proud to offer audiences such a personalized streaming journey for free so viewers can always find the best content for their mood every time they watch Pluto TV. – Amy Kuessner, EVP Programming FAST APPROACHING Westerns We’ve wrangled up all our Westerns channels into one corral, so dust off your boots and grab a seat ‘round the campfire as we welcome two new channels: The Wild Wild West and Classic Movie Westerns, and a whole heap of timeless classics such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide and The Lone Ranger on the Western TV and Pluto TV Westerns channels. Yeehaw—these stories of high adventure are worth their weight in gold! Yellowstone Marathon Looking for a modern take on cowboy life? This Fourth of July weekend, Pluto TV will stream seasons 1-4 of Yellowstone on the More TV Drama channel for the ultimate holiday binge.  Season 1: July 4th from 2pm to 12am ET Season 2: July 5th from 4pm to July 6th at 2am ET Season 3: July 6th from 4pm to July 7th at 2:45am Season 4: July 7th from 3pm to July 8th at 2:30am PREPPING FOR LAUNCH Here are some of the new channels and movies launching throughout July on Pluto TV. Big Brother Contestants on Big Brother live under constant surveillance, nominating each other for eviction by public vote. The last person wins a large cash prize, while others win nothing. Relive the drama, alliances, and evictions 24/7 for free on Pluto TV. Big Brother Quad View & Big Brother Cameras Watch all the House Guest drama unfold with a 24/7 live feed from inside the Big Brother House. Classic Movie Westerns Howdy, partner! Pluto TV is bringing you back to the original frontier. Relive the duels, the train robberies, and the Stetsons that defined the golden age of cinema. Drop in at high noon…or any time. Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan  Renowned dog behaviorist, Cesar Millan, has an uncanny ability to rehabilitate problem dogs of all shapes and sizes. Watch your favorite episodes any time, every day on Pluto TV. Ebony TV Drama EBONY TV Drama features award winning series that celebrate the richness and diversity of Black culture. Nash Bridges  Don Johnson is Nash Bridges, a San Francisco police investigator who deserves his reputation as the city’s top cop. Nash relies on his instincts, a keen sense of humor and a lot of charm to work his magic on the streets of San Francisco. The Wild Wild West Hop aboard the Wanderer and join favorite secret service agents as they out smart and out charm the villains of the wild, wild west. Stream the entire groundbreaking series 24/7 on Pluto TV. MOVIES 1941 The 6th Day Accident Man Adventureland Aeon Flux Along Came a Spider Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Angel Eyes Armed and Dangerous Armored Bad Asses Bad Asses on the Bayou Big Top Pee-Wee Boomerang Boyz n the Hood The Brady Bunch Movie A Very Brady Sequel Brotherhood of the Wolf Bullet to the Head Changing Lanes Chinatown Cliffhanger Close Range Clue Collateral The Core Dance Flick The Dark Crystal Days of Thunder Devil in a Blue Dress Disturbia Driven Eagle Eye Emma (1996) Empire Records Equilibrium Evolution Eyes Wide Shut Failure to Launch Fifty Shades of Black The Fighting Temptations The Fisher King Flatliners Footloose (1984) Forrest Gump Fresh Geronimo: An American Legend Get Rich or Die Tryin’ Gladiator Harlem Nights He Got Game Heist (2015) Hollow Man Hyena Road Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull The Island It Had To Be You Jack and Jill Jack Reacher John Grisham's The Rainmaker (1997) Joy Ride Juice Just My Luck K-19: The Widowmaker The King of Comedy Kiss the Girls Labyrinth Last Action Hero Lila and Eve Marie Antoinette The Mechanic (2011) Modern Romance Moon Morning Glory (2010) Moscow on the Hudson Old School Paul Blart: Mall Cop Point Break Premonition Pretty in Pink Punchline (1988) Quicksilver The Raid: Redemption The Raid 2 Red Eye Red Heat Redbelt Revolver The Ring The Ring Two Road to Perdition Rocketman Runaway Jury Saving Private Ryan Shaft Showdown at the Grand Shutter Island Snatch Sonic the Hedgehog South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Stardust Striking Distance Super 8 Tango & Cash The Terminal Terminator 2: Judgment Day The Art of War The Art of War II: Betrayal The Art of War III: Retribution The Bronze The Defender The Infiltrator The Lawnmower Man (Director's Cut) The Legend of Zorro The Mask of Zorro The Net The Prisoner (1990) There Will Be Blood Think Like a Man Think Like a Man Too This Beautiful Fantastic Tommy Boy Top Gun Total Recall Trapped Tropic Thunder True Grit (2010) The Truman Show Vacancy Vanilla Sky Vantage Point We Were Soldiers The Wood Zero Dark Thirty Zodiac