Ready for a Story About Superheroes? Or, What if I Told You This Was Actually a Story About Super-Zeroes?

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.

Disney+ made big waves by saying you can stream their service in 4K compared to Netflix which costs an extra three dollars. None of this really matters to me because I do not have a 4K TV. And even if I did, I am not sure I would be able to stream in 4K because I sometimes have trouble streaming in 1080p. One of the secret big disadvantages of the streaming era is that broadband in America kind of sucks. Other nations pay less for much better speeds. So if you want to watch something in the best quality, the be best to watch is to purchase the physical copy so you do not have to worry about buffering or internet outages.

Case in point, Doom Patrol. I watched earlier this year on DC Universe, which also offers 4K streaming at no extra cost, but like I said earlier I do not have a 4K TV. Not that I could watch on my HD TV either because DC Universe did not have an app for my Playstation or Android TV (it has since released one for the latter) so I was stuck watching on my laptop. I have to say, re-watching the season on the Blu-ray looks so much better. You have not lived until you have seen a horde of butt with teeth in glorious HD.

Okay, watching Doom Patrol on a laptop with a mediocre connection was still pretty good, it did top my list of the Best Television Shows of 2018-19. The group was introduced in the best episode of the first DC Universe show Titans and there were some tweaks to their own show from that episode (the Chief got recast, Negative Man got moodier, Beast Boy got forgotten), it was still mostly the same weirdness that made the Titans episode so good.

Timothy Dalton (Penny Dreadful) plays the Chief who hosts this group of outcasts in his mansion. Elasti-Girl has been there the longest after the actress who has trouble controlling her body and April Bowlby (The Slammin’ Salmon) is great with a pithy comment when one is needed. Then came Negative Man, who has some sort of negative energy with a mind of its own living inside of him. The latest addition (not counting Beast Boy) is Robotman, voiced and played in flashbacks by Brendan Fraser (Encino Man), as a former race car driver who was save by the Chief after a car accident where only his brain was save and put into a robot body, natch.

Returning to the mansion after a decade’s long hiatus is Crazy Jane and her sixty-four personalities, each one weirder than the next with their own abilities. Diane Guerrero (who voiced Jessica Cruz in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five) is great as all of them and it is a shame that could not get a whiff of attention at this year’s Emmy. Granted it took Tatiana Maslany three seasons to get nominated for Orphan Black and did not win until the fourth. Rounding out the group of heroes is Cyborg who was never in the Doom Patrol in the comics yet was a founding member of the Teen Titans, a show he did appear on.

Of course every superhero needs a good supervillain and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) chews all the scenes he can fit in his mouth as Mr. Nobody who is also the show’s de facto narrator. There are plenty of other Doom Patrol rouges gallery and allies that pop up throughout the show like Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man (be sure to always watch the background for more on him), Danny the Street (a living sentient street) Joshua Clay, Beard Hunter (who, um, hunts beards... so I guess his name is self-explanatory), the Bureau of Normandy, Willoughby Kipling (a Constantine rip-off because DC would not let Doom Patrol use Constantine in their comics so they made their own), Cult of the Unwritten Book, Lodestone, Flex Mentallo (who can alter reality with his flexing leading to one of the weirdest scene on the show which is saying a lot). Oh yeah, and Butts with Teeth.

As superhero fatigue slowly creeps (or much faster for some people) in as we keep seeing the same themes over and again, Doom Patrol is the cure because you have never seen anything like this team on the big or small screens. And as Disney dominates with the PG-13 shows and movies, Doom Patrol is very R. Sure I am not sure I needed to see Brandon Frasier naked but we do get to hear Crazy Jane’s most vulgar personalities in their most profane (really, the episode where we go inside her mind may be the best of the season). Oh, and did I mention the Butts with Teeth? This show is awesome.

Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season comes with all fifteen episodes across three disks (five per disk). The Blu-ray also comes with about fourteen minutes of deleted scenes. All deleted scenes are put of the disk with its corresponding episode, but you cannot watch them individual, they are grouped together on the disk. The final disk also has two bonus features, both about five minutes each. Firsts is a gag reel and boy, do the actors on this show like to break out into dance. The other is “Doom Patrol – Come Visit Georgia PSA about scouting locations for the show. The Blu-ray also comes with a digital copy (I know a started this review complaining about streaming) but keep in mind the code that came with my copy expires 12/31/2020.

Own Doom Patrol: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD October 1!

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 29, 2019

The Affair: Oh hey, even Sierra gets her own segment. Kind of weird to devote half an episode in the final season to someone who just popped up last season but was barely there even then. Considering the Helen-Noah exchange, I am a bit surprised that we did not get both sides of that scene. But I guess maybe we will see Noah’s side of it next week. Also a little weird that we got our first Joanie free episode, she is only getting about five minutes per episode to begin with and now she is getting nothing. I wonder when they will give her a full thirty minute segment or this is basically how they will be using her all season.

Fear the Walking Dead: I never understand why everyone on zombie shows find a place overrun by zombies so daunting. Create a bottleneck and kill them as they come out.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Survivor: Island of Idols: I was not expecting much because there are very few things I ever want on my television less than Rob but I have to say, somehow this premiere did not even meet my already low expectations. I may even go as far as calling it the worst season premiere in the history of the show. The season stated off on a bad foot because there was no Probst, no big mad dash for supplies, not even a challenge, just dudes walking onto a beach. So nothing really excited happened for about a half an hour.

Then after the challenge we got the Island of Idols, and boy was that excruciatingly bad, in an eighties train video on how to camp bad. Seriously, those two are just going to give everyone who visits a survival lesson each week. That is just boring. And why are they pulling names out of a bag? Have the winning team pick in the old day. Games of chance are boring.

As bad as the episode was, at least we got a happy ending with the most annoying dude going home first. Although, I cannot say there is anyone worth rooting for of those that are left. I guess I kind of am rooting for Elisabeth because I remember her watching her at the Olympics. But as a prediction, I will say… um, Vince I guess.
You can download Survivor: Island of the Idols on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2: Usually competition shows go to an ad break leaving you thinking that the challenge is still in doubt so very weird to have TJ tell Johnny he missed something and then cut to break. So as a person who watches way too much television, it made me think that then Theo would screw up leading to a Johnny comeback. But no, after the break, Theo rolled to an easy victory after the Johnny mistake. But at least TJ told Johnny of the mistake compared to telling Laurel she won last week only to be, “oops” on review. But hey, good riddance Johnny, I really hope we never see you again.
You can download The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 on iTunes.

The Good Place: I almost got the twist right. After spending the summer thinking of whom the two remaining people the demons picked, I settled on there being a real Real Eleanor whose Vicky skin-suit was based on. And then Vicky would kidnap her and torture the humans. Instead the demon who is always taking off his shirt was masquerading as a random old lady. Then the other new human was just a generic WASP who misses the good ol’ days. Actually kind of disappointing that the four new humans are the generic WASP, some random blogger, Chidi’s ex-girlfriend, and then Chidi himself. No Donkey Doug. No Dress Bench. No Blake Bortles. No Stone Cold Steve Austin. Oh well.
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.

Titans: Ew gross, Wonder Girl forked a fish. But it was nice to have an episode without the actual teen Titans around. But the question now is just who hired Deathstroke to kill off the Titans? Is Lex Luther too obvious of an answer? Though a Superman sidekick is not in the Titans so why exactly would he care?

Around the Tubes:September 28, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Into the Dark, Ray Donovan, Anna Kendrick, The Silence of Others, Jade Bird, Chelsea Cutler, Taylor Swift, The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle, VICE, You Light Up My Christmas, Mavericks, Ripley, Little Fires Everywhere,

- Get in the Halloween spirit with the NEW TRAILER for Into the Dark's October episode Uncanny Annie. The horror series' newest installment follows a group of college students as they play for their lives on Halloween night. Available on Hulu Friday, October 4th!


- Showtime has released a new trailer for the upcoming seventh season of Ray Donovan, premiering on Sunday, November 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The series stars Liev Schreiber in his three-time Emmy® nominated and five-time Golden Globe® nominated role as the iconic fixer.


- Anna Kendrick Is Proud of Amsterdam’s Petite Sex Workers on Late Night:


- Filmed over six years, The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, as they organize a groundbreaking international lawsuit and fight a “pact of forgetting” around the crimes they suffered. A cautionary tale about fascism and the dangers of forgetting the past. The Silence of Others has its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org this Monday, September 30 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). The film is a co-production of Semilla Verde Productions, Lucernam Films, American Documentary | POV, Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), in association with El Deseo. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 32nd season.

- Jade Bird: Love Has All Been Done Before on Late Night:


- Breakout singer, songwriter and producer Chelsea Cutler drops her new single “You Are Losing Me” today via Republic Records—listen HERE! Of the inspiration behind “You Are Losing Me,” Chelsea says, “‘You Are Losing Me’ is about realizing what you deserve and moving on from someone who took you for granted.”

- Taylor Swift’s critically adored album Lover [Republic Records], receives platinum certification in just four weeks from the RIAA in recognition of over 1 million U.S. sales—as announced yesterday.

- Inspired by their juggernaut podcast – with more than 85 million listens worldwide and 1.5 million unique listens a month – Kid Fury and Crissle host this talk/variety format that carries over their beloved segments like Hot Tops and The Read, while additionally featuring a special celebrity and/or musician guest. The duo uses their sharp, honest brand of cultural commentary and perceptive opinions to drill deep into the roots of the issues and stories affecting their millennial and Gen Z peers, from social justice and politics to dating and music culture, and everything in between. Produced by Avalon Television, The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle premieres on Fuse October 11.


- The hit rock and roll true crime podcast Disgraceland returns in its 4th season with a two part episode on NWA. The show will run through the rest of 2019 with new episodes released mostly bi-weekly. The announcement of Season 4 comes just days before the release of host Jake Brennan's debut book, Disgracleand: Musicians Getting Away with Murder and Behaving Very Badly, available October 1 via Grand Central Publishing.

- Further establishing itself at the forefront of longform journalism and newsworthy explorations of our world today, Showtime has acquired the rights to the Emmy-winning weekly newsmagazine VICE and ordered a new 13-episode season, to premiere in the spring of 2020. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. Featuring a diverse group of award-winning journalists with a boundless passion and determination to inform, VICE has redefined documentary filmmaking with acclaimed reports on a range of international issues affecting young people today. Created to engage and occasionally enrage, the series has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy awards across its previous six seasons, with two wins including Outstanding Informational Series or Special.

Lifetime’s highly anticipated holiday movie, You Light Up My Christmas, starring and executive produced by veteran actress, Kim Fields sets new premiere date for Sunday, December 1st at 8pm ET/PT. Initially set to debut on December 14th, positive reaction to the network’s announced slate of holiday films prompted the earlier date to satisfy excited fans. You Light Up My Christmas is part of Lifetime’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming event, kicking off October 25 and continuing through December 25. With 60 plus days of holiday movies totaling over 1000 hours, It's A Wonderful Lifetime features some of television and music’s most beloved stars.

- MSNBC's Mavericks has made a name for itself as a series of groundbreaking, in-depth conversations with artists, musicians, and cultural icons. Past interviews have featured Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels, Grammy Award-winner Annie Lennox, and Emmy-winner Jill Soloway. Tonight, Long-time music business titans, Lyor Cohen, currently of YouTube Music, and Kevin Liles of 300 Entertainment, sit down with Ari Melber to graciously invite us for a look behind the curtain of the industry and into their lives as two of the driving forces behind the wave of innovation propelling digital music, record labels, and streaming platforms into the future.

- Showtime has ordered the first eight-episode season of the ongoing drama series Ripley, based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling quintet of Tom Ripley novels. BAFTA® Award winner Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Sherlock) will star in the title role of Tom Ripley. Oscar and Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® nominee Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, The Night Of) will write and direct the entire first season. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. In the series, Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom's acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.

- Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere has found its young Elena and Mia for its flashback episode. AnnaSophia Robb as ‘Young Elena,’ a young mother with four children under four, Elena struggles to reassert control over her life after her youngest child is born. Tiffany Boone as ‘Young Mia,’ after learning her scholarship is being revoked, Mia is willing to go to extreme lengths to stay in art school and pursue her dreams. Alona Tal as “Young Linda,’ Elena’s best friend, Linda and her husband Mark long for a child of their own while enduring heartbreaking loss and the grief of infertility. The 8-episode limited series will premiere on Hulu in 2020.

- The CNN/New York Times Democratic presidential debate in October will occur on one night, the Democratic National Committee told campaigns Friday. "To address several inquiries we have received we are writing to let you know that, pending a final decision after the certification deadline, it is the intention of the DNC and our media partners to hold the October debate over one night on Tuesday October 15th," the DNC wrote in an email Friday morning.

- As Nancy Pelosi officially calls for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump today, the Executive Director of the Main Street Alliance, Amanda Ballantyne, had this to say: “Main Street Alliance supports Speaker Pelosi’s decision to investigate President Trump’s recent interactions with the Ukrainian government. Our federal government must do everything that it can to protect the integrity of US elections. As the investigation moves forward, Main Street Alliance small business owners are hopeful that accountability is a priority, and look forward to moving on from this tumultuous season of politics towards more transparency from this administration.”

Fall 2019 Music Preview

Whenever I do my quarterly music previews, I like to add links to iTunes (the artist name) and Amazon (the album names) just in case anyone wanted to pre-order them and while making links this weekend, I could not find any pre-order links for the new Kanye West album that is supposed to come out on Friday. Sometimes when I make these list,albums that are scheduled months later do not have pre-orders yet, but I do not remember this ever being the case for something coming out in less than a week. so maybe we will get a new Kanye album on Friday, or maybe not. Really the only promotion so far for the album is a handwritten note from his wife's Twitter page. Not that I can get too excited about a Kanye gospel album in 2019. Sure, Jesus Walks is one of his best songs, but his last coupe albums have been too weird or just meh.

But meh kind of describes how I feel for this slate of fall albums. Sure The Avett Brothers always put out a solid album and I have really enjoy the singles King Princess has put out but is about it. I was excited for the return of Hootie and the Blowfish until iTunes listed under the country genre. The band was at its best when it mixed southern rock with RnB, but the lead singer's country albums have been mostly forgettable (though I am still intrigued by the song they wrote with Ed Sheeran). Then I find it weird that three pretty huge rock bands (or as huge as rock bands can be in 2019) are waiting until early 2020 to release their albums when fall is usually the time when the big releases are dropped (though that means less in the streaming age when people are no longer buying albums even as Christmas presents). But really the albums I am most interested in this fall are reissues: R.E.M., Prince, and The Roots. Oh well, here are the albums that will be at least a spin on Spotify.


September 27
Jesus Is King - Kanye West
Sound and Fury – Sturgill Simpson
Hey, I'm Just like You - Tegan and Sara
In the Morse Code of Brake Lights - The New Pornographers
For the Girls - Kristin Chenoweth
Things Fall Apart (Deluxe Edition) - The Roots

October 4
Closer Than Together - The Avett Brothers
Ode to Joy - Ode to Joy - Wilco
A Pill for Loneliness - City and Colour
All Mirrors - Angel Olsen

October 18
The Help Machine - Fastball

October 25
Cheap Queen - King Princess
Daylight - Grace Potter
KIWANUKA - Michael Kiwanuka
Colorado - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Dream Girl - Anna of the North

November 1
Imperfect Circle - Hootie & The Blowfish
Wildcard - Miranda Lambert
New Age Norms 1 - Cold War Kids
Monster (25th Anniversary Edition) - R.E.M.

November 8
Building Balance - Allen Stone

November 15
Our Pathetic Age - DJ Shadow
Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police - Juliana Hatfield

November 22
You're In My Heart: Rod Stewart (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Rod Stewart
WHO - The Who

November 29
1999 (Super Deluxe Edition) - Prince
The Later Years 1987-2019 - Pink Floyd

January 17
Father of All... - Green Day

February 21
Notes On a Conditional Form - The 1975

March 20
The Light - Delta Rae

May 15
Van Weezer - Weezer


TBA
Entergalatic - Kid Cudi
Dixie Chicks
Mandy Moore
Rihanna
Selena Gomez

Of course this could be the quarter that we get Dr. Dre's Detox.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 22, 2019

The Affair: We finally got that Whitney centered act that I thought we should have gotten way back when Noah climbed into the hot to watch two chicks make out and one of the chicks turned out to be his daughter. She even manages to possibly start an affair her first time out. Although she may not go back to the guy who lets another guy watch. At least it worked out; she is getting her own gallery. That was better than Noah this week who just did stupid things after another.

Fear the Walking Dead: So why are the better tomorrow people bad? Sure they ruthlessly killed Logan, but they let Morgan and Al go when they broke in on behalf of the dude they were looking for. Hopefully they get fleshed out in these last couple episodes.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Challenge: Well that was wild. I did think it was weird that Laurel just seemed shove that last flag in at the top. Also kind of weird that none of the production staff noticed that both Laurel and Ninja missed a hole. Usually when someone misses something, the cameraperson zooms in on it so everyone knows that something was missed. Everyone just seemed to drop the ball on that. It will be interesting to see how things move forward. I cannot see a way where any of the Americans not put one of their own in if they lose now. Or possibly they try to throw it again so an American is guaranteed to go home like this week or will the backfire this week will make them all try. But really, I am surprised that Ninja did not just ship, the americans are in free fall now so every Probing Ground winner would be wise to join up with the Brits. At least until they start to implode too.

Titans: So Wonder Girl just left Chicago without even noticing Starfire just disappeared? Alrighty. But I never thought they could find a character as annoying as New Robin, but Dr. Light is up there. I was kind of hoping they would just kill each other. But how bad are the original Titans that they needed the whole team to take him down but New Robin almost took him down singlehandedly?

Around the Tubes: September 21, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Circus: Inside the Wildest Political Show on Earth, Light As A Feather, Oh Wonder, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, bülow, Anna of the North, Ali Barter, Ariana Grande, JunkBunny, Marina Kaye, Rise of the Supercrarrier, I'm Listening: A Frasier Podcast, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and Yellowjackets.

- The Circus: Inside the Wildest Political Show on Earth returns this Sunday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime, venturing behind the scenes of the unfolding 2020 campaign.


- No TRICKS here, just major TREATS for the return of Hulu's Light As A Feather, just in time for Huluween. Check out the new trailer below. The remaining 8-episodes of Light As A Feather Season 2 premiere Friday, Oct. 4 only on Hulu!


- Oh Wonder recently made a magnificent and much welcomed return with their brand new single “Hallelujah.” Today, the duo release a joyous live video, shot in one take, of the band performing the track unplugged with a host of musicians and a choir—watch the video for “Hallelujah” (Unplugged) HERE!

- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) continue their 40th anniversary celebrations with the announcement of a digital career box set, 2CD download and a brand new 3LP greatest hits collection - out October 4th. The special digital career box set will be comprised of 98 songs. Pre-order here. The 3LP greatest hits package, spanning the band's 40-year career, will include all the singles from "Electricity" to "What Have We Done" as well as the exclusive brand new single, "Don't Go." Listen here.

- Today, award winning and multi-platinum selling artist bülow released her latest track “Boys Will Be Boys,” Wax Records /Republic Records/Universal Music Canada. The highly anticipated new music is the first single off an upcoming EP to be released on October 4th. Listen to “Boys Will Be Boys” HERE. About the new song bülow comments, “Its ironic. A ‘fuck you’ to old sayings that reinforce negative bullshit.”

- Anna of the North releases enchanting visuals for her recent single, "Dream Girl." The video follows the announcement of her forthcoming sophomore album, which will be released on October 25th. The effervescent track blends Anna's idyllic, hypnotic vocals over saccharine melodies as she sings refreshingly honest lyrics. The video perfectly compliments the ethereal vibe of the track, with Anna seen singing longingly on a beautifully ornate estate.

- It’s rinse and repeat every New Year according to Ali Barter on her video for brand new single "January", which premiered yesterday on Billboard. It marks the third track pulled from her highly-anticipated second album Hello I’m Doing My Best which will land on October 18th via Inertia Music/ [PIAS]. Furthermore, next month she’ll embark on a huge twenty-five date tour around Europe, the UK, USA and Australia. Watch the video HERE.

- When Charlie’s Angels hits theaters this November – for the first time in the entire history of the franchise, films and television, directed by a woman, Elizabeth Banks – the new Angels will move to the beat of Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey as Republic Records and Sony Pictures Entertainment release their song “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angels)” and the song’s official music video. The track, which features co-writing credits from all three of the artists, was recently featured in the film’s trailer and is the lead single from the upcoming Charlie’s Angels (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). The soundtrack is co-executive produced by Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha, and will be available November 1, 2019 via Republic Records, two weeks prior to the films November 15, 2019 release. Check out “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angels)” HERE and the official music video HERE.

- Rising Houston-based rock trio JunkBunny releases their debut single “Sedona” with an accompanying video via LAVA Records/Republic Records—watch HERE and listen HERE! JunkBunny is made up of three young musicians – Mac Johnson (lead vocals & guitar, 18), Cayden Diebold (vocals & bass, 17) and Jake Douglas (drums, 17). The band’s upcoming debut is an impressive introduction to their sound, sizzling with big, raw, urgent and relentless proclamations. The trio’s debut song “Sedona” is immediately both personal and universal, with sincerity bleeding from the vocals. “Sedona” was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.), and the video was directed by Adam Rose-Levy and shot in the desert of Lancaster, CA.

- - French multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter Marina Kaye (21), discovers her sinful alter ego in the sultry new single "Twisted". Accompanied by the macabre new visual (Directed by Julien Hosmalin and Marina Kaye), it’s a track that explores Marina’s unhinged and twisted, musical nature. Watch and listen HERE.

- - As the network’s fall schedule expands for the first time to a three-hour programming block, Showtime has made some changes to the schedule as reflected below. The series finale of the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe®-winning Showtime drama series The Affair will now air at 9 p.m. on Sunday, November 3. The new comedy series Back to Life will have its series premiere with two episodes airing back-to-back beginning at 9 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, following the tenth season premiere of Shameless. The second season of Kidding moves to next year paired with the eighth and final season of Homeland. Kidding will now premiere with back-to-back episodes at 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 9, 2020.

- Set sail on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest and most advanced warship ever built in Great Britain, in Smithsonian Channel’s Rise of the Supercrarrier. Filmed over three years, with exclusive and unprecedented access, the new three-part series takes viewers on an intimate and extraordinary journey with the Royal Navy, as 700 sailors learn the intricacies of the new warship and are pushed to their breaking points. Rise of the Supercrarrier premieres Sunday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- On October 1st, season 3 of I'm Listening: A Frasier Podcast with Anita Flores will premiere on the More Banana Network with special guest Rachel Bloom. Comedian and number one Frasier fan Anita Flores explores different themes and pivotal moments from ‘Frasier’ with a new guest each episode. Past guests include John Hodgman, Larry Owens, Remy Kassimir and Anita's dad.

- Beginning production in early October in Montreal, Lee Daniels will direct and produce The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a new feature film about the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. In 2010, Daniels received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and was the first African American to receive a Director’s Guild of America Nomination for Best Director for his critically acclaimed film PRECIOUS. Daniels also helmed the global box-office hit, THE BUTLER in 2013, grossing over $175M worldwide.

- Showtime has announced a pilot order for the hour-long drama series Yellowjackets, with creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos) executive producing and serving as showrunners. Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will executive produce and direct the pilot, a co-production of SHOWTIME and Entertainment One (eOne) taking place in Los Angeles this fall. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

57 Channels and Only This Was On: September 15, 2019

The Affair: Considering how I was surprised that Helen was looking like she was going to hook up with “modern James Bond” I did find it interesting that the “modern James Bond” wants movie Noah to get bac with movie Helen by the end of their movie. Kind of says something if the show ends up going with the “modern James Bond” ending or go with the ending that Noah was adamant about. And then we got short scene of Joanie being extremely messed up and for the second time in three episodes where her scene ends with her ambiguously possibly dead. This is going to be a long season. I do wonder if we get another perspective in the future other than her’s.

Fear the Walking Dead: So just when the main antagonist of the season find a conscience, he gets shot in the head. And apparently by the person who hired him to get the oil. Alrighty. So that nerdy cowgirl chick is now the chief antagonist?
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Challenge: There are not many cases where I would actually root for Wes to win on the Killing Floor, but against Bear would be one. Meh. It would have been interesting had Wes won because it would have been the first time this season where there would be a serious question of if he would join the British team. Although maybe he could have been welcomed back into Team US and the two voted him in could be on the outs. The next episode is titled “Benedict Laurel.”

Titans: I wonder if the show will turn a corner after a pretty lackluster first season. The original four characters were a bore last year but Lyla Garrity and Wonder Girl are now cast members and provided the two best scenes this week. Rose Wilson seems intriguing, but it will be a bigger test when they give her father more screen time. Although Dr. Light was kind of silly but I do not see him being around very long with Hawk, Dove, and Wonder Girl heading to San Fran. But does no one care that Starfire just disappeared?

Around the Tubes: September 14, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Castle Rock, Shameless, Looking for Alaska, Kate Tempest, Isle of Chimps, Gorilla Gabon, Robin Williams: Comic Genius, and The Hunt for Eagle 56.

- Check out the first teaser for the new season of Hulu Original Castle Rock. Season two stars Lizzy Caplan, Tim Robbins, Paul Sparks, Yusra Warsama, Barkhad Abdi, Elsie Fisher and Matthew Alan. Castle Rock premieres Wednesday, Oct. 23, only on Hulu.


- Showtime has released a new trailer for the upcoming tenth season of Shameless, premiering on Sunday, November 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award® winner William H. Macy, Shameless is the network’s No. 1 comedy series.


- All eight episodes of Looking for Alaska will debut on Friday, October 18 only on Hulu. Looking for Alaska is an 8-episode limited series based on the John Green novel of the same name. Set in 2005, it centers around teenager Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer), as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth), and finds a group of loyal friends. But after an unexpected tragedy, Miles and his close friends attempt to make sense of what they’ve been through.


- British spoken word artist, rapper, poet, novelist and playwright Kate Tempest drops a new version of her song “People’s Faces” off of her critically acclaimed album The Book Of Traps & Lessons—listen to “People’s Faces” (Streatham Version) HERE! Of the song, Kate Tempest says “‘People’s Faces’ is the final song on my recent album The Book Of Traps And Lessons. It’s where all of the agonising and soul-searching of the entire record culminates in this very simple expression of deep love for people’s faces. We wanted the song to have the possibility of connecting with as many people as possible. So, we made a version that was shorter and was more song-like, we are calling it the ‘Streatham Version’ as that is where Dan [Carey] is based. I really hope that it connects with you and that you feel it.”

Smithsonian Channel is spotlighting the incredible conservation work being done to save great apes in two new films to debut as part of the network’s signature Wild Wednesday lineup. From an island sanctuary giving orphaned and rescued chimpanzees a second chance to a journey through a distant land to save a silverback gorilla and his rainforest, both programs will share the heartwarming yet difficult paths to safeguard these endangered species. Viewers can follow these extraordinary animals and their human allies on Smithsonian Channel’s Isle of Chimps (October 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT) and Gorilla Gabon (October 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT).

- On October 1, Time Life celebrates Williams' memorable, inimitable 40-year career with Robin Williams: Comic Genius. Decades in the making, the TV DVD archivisists at Time Life have collected all his most memorable stand-up and television performances across three singular collections: a 5-Disc Collector's Set (Available exclusively at Walmart), a handsomely-packaged 22-Disc set featuring 50+ hours of comedic genius, and a single disc featuring Robin's first HBO stand-up special. All DVD releases also feature newly produced featurettes and exclusive interviews.

- The Hunt for Eagle 56 follows the Nomad Exploration dive team – a group of amateur divers who made the stunning discovery of the USS Eagle 56 shipwreck off the coast of Maine. Their missions, documented in Smithsonian Channel’s new three-part series, THE HUNT FOR EAGLE 56, uncovers exclusive images of the lost WWII warship lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, unseen anywhere else before. The Eagle 56 has been missing for over 74 years, ever since a German U-boat torpedoed the ship in April 1945 just 5 miles off shore. Long-believed to be the result of a boiler explosion, the case of the Eagle 56’s sinking marks the first time that the U.S. Navy has changed a classification from accidental to combat loss due to enemy action. The Hunt for Eagle 56 premieres on Sunday, September 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

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

The Affair: Oh joy, we get three different perspectives on Vic’s funeral. But how obvious that Janelle was going to fork her ex-husband? What is the show without actual affairs? I do wonder if we ever get an explanation why we sometimes get wildly different versions now that we are in the final season. But Helen wasted no time in getting over Vic. I kind of thought for a second she would end back with Noah by the end of the series. There was a point during Helen’s act, I actually though Joanie may have actually died because it was getting kind of late. But now she is back on Montauk. I wonder if she runs into anyone we know. It sounds like Cole is dead, but I wonder what connections she has to Noah. He did raise her for a while. Maybe the show can come full circle and she can have an affair with one of the Soloway children while in Montauk.

Fear the Walking Dead: That storyline just really made me think of the time Rick on the main show ran into a preacher alone in his church who was testing his faith in the middle of the of the zombie apocalypse. So around the fifth season of the next spin-off, is someone going to run into an Iman testing his faith?
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Challenge;War of the Worlds 2: I did not really like the new tribunal rules when they were first announced last week but seeing them in action again it just makes less sense. Seriously, someone can just shout out I am the head of the tribunal? Seems like they could do this better. I think in the past when they had large team they would have captains and if the winning caption won they were in the power position but the losing captain was up for elimination. That just seems better.

Titans: I guess it was good they introduced Trigon in human form because he real form looked pretty bad. And where did he go? I though he gets trapped in Raven’s crystal. She just psychically pushed him into some wormhole thing and then everyone was like, alright, let’s go to San Fran. What an anti-climactic ending. And they had the entire year to come up with that. They should have just kept with that being the season finale instead a season premiere.

Around the Tubes: September 7, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Marvel’s Runaways, Reprisal, Castle Rock, Couples Therapy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Million Little Pieces (Motion Picture Soundtrack), Counterfeit, Oh Wonder, The Avett Brother, Anna of the North, Conan Gray, Donna Lewis, Private Lives of the Windsors, The Silence of Others, POV, and Downton Abbey

- New York Comic Con revealed their programming line up for the annual fest, which features three Hulu Original series. Fans can expect to see the world premieres of Marvel’s Runaways Season Three, upcoming drama series Reprisal and the highly anticipated Castle Rock Season Two. Screening and panel information is below.

- Marvel’s Runaways: Season Three World Premiere Screening and Panel: Marvel’s Runaways is headed back to Madison Square Garden with an action-packed panel you won’t want to miss! Be the first to experience the premiere episode of the highly-anticipated third season with the stars and creative forces of Marvel’s Runaways. After the exclusive screening, join Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television, along with the cast and executive producers, to discuss what’s to come in season three. All episodes of Marvel’s Runaways season three drop on Friday, December 13th only on Hulu. Friday, October 4th 5:30 – 7:00 PM, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

J.J. Abrams & Stephen King’s Castle Rock: Season Two World Premiere Screening and Panel: Hulu’s hit psychological-horror series returns! Set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. In season two, a feud between warring clans comes to a boil when budding psychopath Annie Wilkes, Stephen King's nurse from hell, gets waylaid in Castle Rock. Panelists include stars Lizzy Caplan, Tim Robbins, Paul Sparks, Yusra Warsama, Barkhad Abdi, Elsie Fisher and co-creator/showrunner Dustin Thomason. Castle Rock premieres Wednesday, October 23rd only on Hulu. Saturday, October 5th 3:30 - 5:00 PM, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

- World Premiere Screening and Panel of Hulu’s Reprisal: From the executive producer of The Handmaid’s Tale, comes Hulu’s new drama series Reprisal. Premiering at New York Comic Con, the hyper-noir story follows a relentless femme fatale (Abigail Spencer) who, after being left for dead, sets out to take revenge against her brother and his bombastic gang of gearheads. The thriller examines the intricacies of family – both the one you’re born with, and the one you make along the way. The series stars Abigail Spencer, Rodrigo Santoro, Mena Massoud, Rhys Wakefield, Madison Davenport, Gilbert Owuor, David Dastmalchian, W. Earl Brown, Craig Tate, Wavyy Jonez, Shane Callahan, and Rory Cochrane. All episodes of Reprisal will premiere on Friday, December 6th only on Hulu. Saturday, October 5th 7:00 – 8:15 PM, Javits Room 1A10

- Showtime has released all nine episodes of the new docuseries Couples Therapy to its subscribers. The episodes are available now for on-demand streaming or download on the Showtime and Showtime Anytime® apps and on partner on-demand platforms. From DGA® Award-nominated and Sundance Award-winning filmmakers Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg and Eli Despres (WEINER), Couples Therapy will debuted on air on SHOWTIME lst at 10 p.m. ET/PT and continue to air new episodes every Friday.

- Watch the finale of Hulu's romantic comedy series Four Weddings and a Funeral from co-creator Mindy Kaling next week! All episodes of Four Weddings and a Funeral are available to binge on Wednesday, Sept. 11 only on Hulu. A year after Maya (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Ainsley's (Rebecca Rittenhouse) blowup, the fractured friend group hopes that a wedding may be the perfect occasion for a reunion. Sneak Peek.

- Grammy Award®-nominated collective The Avett Brother release a new single entitled “Bang Bang” today. Additionally, the pre-order for the group’s tenth full-length album, Closer Than Together [American/Republic Records], which hits stores October 4th, just went live today. Pre-order Closer Than Together HERE.

- Republic Records announces the release of A Million Little Pieces (Motion Picture Soundtrack) featuring an original song entitled “Always There” from the GRAMMY® Award-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet. Check out “Always There” by Greta Van Fleet, which was recorded during the same time as their debut album Anthem of the Peaceful Army and produced by Marlon Young and Al Sutton, HERE and the full A Million Little Pieces (Motion Picture Soundtrack) HERE. In addition, the soundtrack features classics from R.E.M., Otis Redding, Tom Waits, and includes an original score by Academy Award winning film composer Atticus Ross (The Social Network), Leopold Ross (The Book of Eli) & Claudia Sarne (The Book of Eli).

- UK’s own Counterfeit. have announced their first release on Lava/Republic Records with their unifying protest song, “It Gets Better” out today. Check out “It Gets Better” Here!

- Oh Wonder make their highly anticipated return today with their first single in over two years, “Hallelujah”—listen HERE and watch the video HERE! If there has always been more to Oh Wonder than met the eye, “Hallelujah” heralds a newfound clarity in the alt-pop duo. Building from hushed harmonies and beautiful orchestration into breakneck electronics and dizzying pop, it’s easily the most urgent, infectious and anthemic moment of Oh Wonder’s career to date. Written, recorded and produced by Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West in their home studio, the song arrives alongside a joyous, one-take video made in collaboration with Gregory Ohrel and Supple Nam. “Hallelujah” announces Oh Wonder’s return in bold, brilliant fashion: no longer DIY pop-stars-in-hiding, but a duo whose musical and emotional alchemy is a timely testament to our purest need to connect.

- Anna of the North shares an infectious new single, "Dream Girl," and announces the release of her forthcoming sophomore album, out October 25th! The effervescent track blends Anna's idyllic, hypnotic vocals over saccharine melodies as she sings refreshingly honest lyrics. Alongside the track and album announce, Anna of the North treats fans with an exclusive album trailer.

- Buzzing 20-year-old pop singer-songwriter Conan Gray shares a new single and music video entitled “Comfort Crowd” this week. Listen HERE via Republic Records. Watch the official music video HERE. “I wrote “Comfort Crowd” during a particularly lonely part of my past year.” Conan comments on the new single, “I had just moved away to college, and all my friends were back home in Texas. I just really needed some company, that kinda company that didn’t require attention. That kinda company with someone who you’re so close to, you don’t need to say a single word to fill the “uncomfortable” silence”

- Following on from the success of ‘Bad Bad Love’ - incredible review by The Lumineers on Facebook and Instagram, feature in Clash Magazine, opening track of Chicane’s Sunset radio show to 6 million listeners worldwide, feature in TMRW and Made In Shoreditch magazines. David Baron and Donna Lewis up their game with a unique take on Kate Bush’s mega hit ‘Running Up That Hill’

- Smithsonian Channel ventures into the heart of the monarchy with two new programs this fall. The three-part series Private Lives of the Windsors reveals scandalous stories of the royal family’s previous generation via new access to private letters, diaries and photographs. One-hour documentary Princess Diana’s ‘Wicked’ Stepmother introduces a new character to the Princess Di legend – her stepmother, Raine Spencer – giving first-hand accounts of their backstabbing rivalry with a twist ending. Private Lives of the Windsors premieres Monday, October 7 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. Princess Diana’s ‘Wicked’ Stepmother premieres Monday, October 28 at 8 p.m. EST/PST.

- Filmed over six years, The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, as they organize a groundbreaking international lawsuit and fight a “pact of forgetting” around the crimes they suffered. A cautionary tale about fascism and the dangers of forgetting the past. Directed by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar and executive produced by Academy Award-winning Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, The Silence of Others is the winner of over 30 international awards including the 2019 Goya for Best Documentary Feature (Spain’s Academy Award) and was shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature for the 91st Academy Awards. The Silence of Others has its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, September 30 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). The film is a co-production of Semilla Verde Productions, Lucernam Films, American Documentary | POV, Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), in association with El Deseo. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 32nd season.

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

- Lot18 cordially invites you to taste a new wine collection, crafted in honor of Downton Abbey’s eagerly awaited return for the first time on the big screen. Relive the romance, drama and intrigue of the beloved Crawley family and its fiercely loyal staff, as both the upstairs and downstairs members of the iconic residence continue to navigate their personal lives as well as larger events of the early 20th century. As the Dowager Countess would say, “You’ll find there’s never a dull moment in this house” – nor with this wine. Winemaker Lot18.com has teamed up with NBCUniversal and Focus Features to produce a collection of wine based on the beloved and multiple Emmy® Award-winning series, and soon to be released feature film, Downton Abbey, opening in the US on September 20, 2019. The new collection includes a Downton Abbey Sparkling Rose from Val de Loire, France, a 2018 Downton Abbey Bordeaux Blanc from Bordeaux, France and a 2018 Downton Abbey Bordeaux Rouge from Bordeaux, France.

Previewing Into the Dark: Pure

Well here we are at the end of the Into the Dark season. What started as an interesting concept of a monthly anthology with a holiday themed episode to go with that month. It had its ups and downs but never seemed to go past the initial belief that I had that these episodes were just concepts summited to Blumhouse Productions that the studio did not think were good enough to get people to theaters. But even without the restrictions of a movie ratings system, all but one of these episodes strived way too hard to be PG-13.

The last installment of the season could have really benefited from less restrictions that a streaming service provides but still remained pretty toned down. But it is a shocking end to Into the Dark. Nope the September episode is not a Labor Day themed episode, nope, it is inspired by a holiday I did not even realized existed: Daughter’s Day. And Pure is exactly the episode you are thinking for such a “holiday.”

Pure is about a Purity Retreat. Shay is a first time attendee on account she just met her father after the death of her mother and it not going to the retreat with her father and half-sister. And no, these religious zealots do not seem that concerned that this dude has to daughters about the same age from two different mothers. It is more about making sure their daughters do not have sex as te boys in the family just seem like a lost cause. Yeah, dudes who whine a lot about #MeToo will want to skip this one.

Naturally most of the girls, some that have been coming to this for ten years, are not much of a fan of the patriarchy and find the ritual as weird as a normal person would (there is a true believer or two). Scott Porter (Jason Street!) show up as the pastor who always just so happens to have a pistol on his sidearm (Chekov: check). As they always do, the girls try to raise Lilith, Adam’s hornier first wife who did not want to be subservient to Adam. Not surprisingly Shay is the key and things start getting weird from there.

But not weird enough and this is another episode of Into the Dark that suffers from the slow burn so by the time blood starts getting spilled you are ready for the episode to be over. And again the episode would have benefited from a little more blood and given the theme, a little R-Rated when the purity pledge gets violated. Watching a girl cry because a boy kissed making her un-pure is not as emotional as if they went a little further. Into the Dark does not go out on a complete dud, but I guess it goes out as a fitting end as it leaves the audience they went a little further into actual horror.

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

Into the Dark: Pure premieres today on Hulu.

The Most (and Least) Anticipated Questions of 2019-20 Television

The Challenge premiered last week, Wu-Tang: an American Saga started yesterday and Titans premieres tomorrow which means the slow start of the fall television is upon us until the flood gates upon in two and a half weeks when the networks unveil their line ups. As I usually do every fall, I am asking all the big questions heading into the new television year.

1. Will someone get into The Good Place for the first time in 521 years? You know it has gotten too hard to get into The Good Place when Doug Forcett is currently not on track to get there. But the judge has let Team Cockroach set up a new version to see if people can get in without having to worry about racking up negative point for doing things that in theory sound good like buying flowers for your mother because unfortunately too much gasoline was used to get them there. Of course The Bad Place it doing everything to keep their cupboards stocked by picking four people that will hinder The Brainy Bunch. Which adds a secondary question, who else did Shawn pick? We met an annoying blogger that triggered Tahani. When I heard Shawn got to pick, I initially thought Eleanor’s mom, Tahani’s sister. Chidi’s ex-girlfriend, and Donkey Doug, but the blogger really ruined that prediction. Chidi’s ex still seems very likely, but I really hope Donkey Doug makes an appearance.

2. Will Mr. Robot and Homeland stick the landing? Two shows that had meteoric rises that then had rough sophomore seasons. After seven seasons, Homeland has mostly ironed itself out (aside the season where Peter Quinn slowly and painfully died). Mr. Robot on the other hand has to iron itself quit quickly because this is it. Here is hoping one if not both of these shows can go out in the way they came in.

3. Will Disney+ be a Netflix killer? Netflix has been a behemoth for almost a decade now with even the deep pockets of Amazon, Facebook, and YouTube (who has already thrown in the paid streaming towel) unable to put much of a dent into it. But two companies with even deeper pockets, Apple and Disney are launching their own paid subscription streaming services this fall. Now if I am Netflix, I am not too worried with Apple (one word: Ping) who seems to be more along the lines of Amazon who seems more interested in selling other stuff (though that may change after Amazon bought the rights to tell Lord of the Rings stores for about a billion dollars) but Disney is pushing hard with big name IP (Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, along with their classic animated movies) and a very nice price point at $7, one dollar cheaper than Netflix cheapest tier. Expect Disney+ gives you four log-ins to Netflix’s one, and 4K compared to standard definition For $13, Netflix will let you stream in HD on two screens while at that price, you still get Disney+ in 4K with four streams, but you also get ESPN+ and Hulu with ads (no Hulu ad free or live TV bundles announced yet). Disney+ also has discounted yearly rates. Sure these are introductory rates and I would expect a rate hike within five year, but I would still be worried if I were Netflix. And I have not even brought up HBO Max and the unnamed Comcast streamer both coming next year which will be taking two of Netflix’s biggest performers, Friends and The Office respectively.

4. How will Shameless move on without Fiona? After nine seasons it is an end of an era as Fiona finally cashed out and went south away from the bitterly cold Windy City. But there are still five Gallagher children left since Ian, who announced right after Fiona he was leaving the show only to announce his return months later; six if you count Franny and seven if you count Lip’s who is on the way (his baby mamma has been bumped up to series regular as well as Mickey who is regaining that status). So there will likely still be plenty of trouble brewing on the south Side.

5. Who is going to die/show up on Crisis on Infinite Earths? The former may be a bit easier to answer since Arrow has already cancel and the titular character has already been cast on a dude version of G.L.O.W. which I have zero interested in. Of course the comic book had two major death so there may be a surprised death (most surprising would be if it is the same as the comic book). So the bigger question is will there be any surprise appearances. Burt Ward from sixties Batman has been already announced as well as the voice of many Batman animated shows and movies Kevin Conroy. But will there been any surprise guest? Rumor that the three main Smallville actor may show up (Chloe is, um, otherwise busy). But can the lowly CW get anyone from the movies? Can they get anyone from the DC Universe show (the Swamp Thing cast is very avaiable right now) . I hear Ben Affleck is also very available to play his Batman. I just hope they land Black Manta or anyone from the upcoming Bird of Prey movie.


As the great philosopher Butt-Head once pondered, how would we know if something was cool if there weren't things that sucked; here are the five least anticipated questions:

1. Can the Titans defeat Trigon after he mind controlled Dick? Um, the trailer shows Raven with a gem in her forehead, so I am going to go ahead and guess yes.

2. What crappy IP can The CW exploit next? Half of The CW schedule is based on DC heroes (Batworman joins the fall lineup after a lackluster appearance in last season’s team up) that are not to say there is much for any new ideas. The only shows on the fall that are not based on existing IP is some football show and a show that is older than the network itself (granted two of the five midseason shows are original ideas) with dark Nancy Drew also joining the lineup. The Lost Boys has been in development there for a couple years, how long until they do dark Fat Albert?

3. Who will win the battle of Catherine the Great shows? Remember the nineties when there were two asteroid movies, two volcano movies, two Mars movies, and two insect animated movies release within months of each other? With the overabundance of airtime, we might get that version on television. Over the next couple months we are likely to have multiple shows based on a Russian Empress from the eightteenth century. Okay the two will likely be very different as seventy-four Hellen Mirren will star in the HBO adaptation starting October 21 while the Hulu version has twenty-one year old Elle Fanning playing a slightly younger version. No word when Hulu will premiere The Great but if you remember, earlier this year, Hulu surprise dropped their Frye Festival documentary just days before Netflix released their much hyped version. My guess is that the HBO show will get more viewers but the Hulu one will be much more entertaining.

4. Who’s going to watch CBS comedies? For most of this century, CBS comedies have dominated the rating but in the last couple years it has mostly being kept afloat by The Big Bang Theory. But that show is now gone and being replaced by… Bob Hearts Abishola. And as stupid as the name is, the trailer made it look really creepy as a hospital client starts to stalk his immigrant nurse. Then The Unicorn and Carol’s Second Act do not look much better. Compare that to NBC’s Thursday line up and the peacock may finally getting its Much See TV mojo back with the funniest show on television, The Good Place, the always solid Superstore and two freshmen show that look pretty good.

5. How can you make Survivor worse than Edge of Extinction? Well, have an island full of Idols that is inhabited by a giant bust of Boston Rob seems like a good start. Meh. Wake me up when they bring Lauren back.


Here is everything I will be watching this fall. Way too much on Sunday and Wednesday, the networks really need to stary spreading out their shows.

Mondays
8:00 – The Neighborhood (CBS, September 23)

Tuesdays
8:00 – The Little Mermaid Live! (ABC, November 5)
9:00 – Mix-ish (ABC, September 24)
9:30 – Black-ish (ABC, September 24)
10:00 – The Purge (USA, October 15)

Wednesdays
Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu, yesterday)
Castle Rock (Hulu, October 23)
8:00 – Survivor (CBS, September 25)
8:00 – The Goldbergs (ABC, September 25)
8:30 – Schooled (ABC, September 25)
9:00 – The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 (MTV, Already Started)
9:00 – Not Just Me (October 2, FOX)
9:00 – Modern Family (ABC, September 25)
10:00 – Stumptown (ABC, September 25)

Thursdays
8:00 – Superstore (NBC, September 26)
8:30 – Perfect Harmony (NBC, September 26)
9:00 – The Good Place (NBC, September 26)
9:30 – Sunnyview (NBC, September 26)

Fridays
Titans (DC Universe, September 6)
Light as a Feather (Hulu, October 4)
Dollface (Hulu, November 15)
Reprisal (Hulu, December 6)
Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu, December 13)
8:00 – The Blacklist (NBC, October 5)

Sundays
8:00 – Ray Donovan (Showtime, November 17)
9:00 – Supergirl (The CW, October 6)
9:00 – The Walking Dead (AMC, October 6)
9:00 - Watchmen (HBO, October 20)
9:00 – Shameless (Showtime, November 3)
10:00 – Mr. Robot (USA, October 6)
10:00 – Silicon Valley (HBO, October 25)
10:00 – Kidding (Showtime, November 3)
Brain Games (Nat Geo, December 1)

Previewing Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Who would have guessed that a quarter century after the release of their debut album, 2019 would be the year of Wu-Tang Clan? Okay so they have not released a full length album that was available for mass consumption in five years and I am guessing that most people would be surprised to learn that individual members have released twelve solo albums since then (Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck both put one out this year). Then what was the last memorable single, Uzi?

2019 is not the year of the Wu for any new music (there was a mostly forgettable EP released earlier this year); it is because the seminal rap group has been the subject of two shows this year. First was the pretty good four part documentary on Showtime’s Of Mics and Men (I wished the Once Upon a Time in Shaolin got its own episode). Now comes the fictionalized version of the group’s formation with the Hulu mini-series Wu-Tang: An American Saga premiering today.

Most of us were introduced to the Wu when Raekwon said, “I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side. Staying alive was no jive.” C.R.E. A.M. is the visual representation of An American Saga; there is drug loots, running up on gates, making ways on fire escapes, sticking up white boys, and most importantly getting with a sick click and going all out. The show paints very graphic look at what it was to be a young black youth living in Staten Island in the early nineties.

Okay, I have to get this out of the way: the actors on the show do not look like their real life counterparts at all. Over half way through the series and really the only two Wu members I could recognize without any other cues were RZA who is tall and scrawny and the ODB who has the wild hair. I also thought I had Method Man pegged because he has the wild braid except then he dies making me realize that there were two dudes on the show with the same hair (later in the show a guy who I sort of thought was GZA also dies so I was wrong there too).

Worst is Ghostface Killah who is being played by some dude who could pass as a male model. About half way through the first episode I had to look up this dude Dennis is only to be shocked that it was Ghost’s name. Though in retrospect they did tip who it was in his first scene when he is talking about the Iron Man comic with his special needs brothers, Ironman is the name of his solo debut and he routinely refers to himself in rhymes as Tony Starkz. And that is just when they use their government names, sometimes they use nicknames that are not their Wu aliases; for instance, look out for Sha who you will know better as Raekwon.

It does help in the second episode where there are cartoons that look much more like the real versions that morph into the actors but unfortunately that is the episode that utilizes this technique. For a group brought up on over the top kung-fu stories, a show based on their lives could haed utilized a little more flashiness in its storytelling. I wished they would have flashed a chyron whenever a new member pops up so we could keep the characters straight. Although, even though I am half way through the season, I do not even think I have seen Masta Killa, Cappadonna, or U-God. Those three were not pictured in the promo above but at least Masta Killa and Cappadonna were at least listed at the end.

Really most the Wu members take a back seat to the Diggs family, RZA being Bobby Diggs. His bother Divine (one of the few actors that actually looks like his real life counterpoint) who may have been the most entertaining part of the documentary, may get the second most screen time in what I have seen. Bobby’s litter sister even gets her own episode and Momma Diggs also gets a weird storyline involving Italian gangstas. These are the weakest parts of the show. A show about the Wu-Tang Clan should not give more screen time to someone’s little sister than half the group.

With that said, Wu-Tang: An American Saga is a compelling tale of life in big cities in the early nineties that we saw on the big screen many times at the time from Boyz n the Hood to Juice that we can now live with a little longer thanks to peak television. And the show only gets better as it goes along as it morphs from the crime story, which could be a bit tedious, to the rise of a group of brothers that would go on to conquer the world. After watching, I am sure you will be dusting off your copy of Enter the Wu-Tang album like I did. And be sure to watch with the whole family because everyone who lived through the nineties know, Wu-Tang is for the children.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga premieres today on Hulu with its first three episodes. New episodes are released every Wednesday.

Around the Tubes: August 31, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Looking for Alaska, Taylor Swift, Kiana Ledé’s, Mark Lanegan Band, Angelica Vila, Audiomack, and Yoshiki.

- Hulu is excited to share the key art for upcoming Limited Series Looking for Alaska. All eight episodes of Looking for Alaska will debut on Friday, October 18 only on Hulu. Synopsis: Looking for Alaska is an 8-episode limited series based on the John Green novel of the same name. Set in 2005, it centers around teenager Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer), as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth), and finds a group of loyal friends. But after an unexpected tragedy, Miles and his close friends attempt to make sense of what they’ve been through. The series stars Charlie Plummer, Kristine Froseth, Denny Love, Jay Lee, Landry Bender, Sofia Vassilieva, Uriah Shelton, and Jordan Connor. Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) and Timothy Simons (Veep) also star.

- In just 24 hours, Taylor Swift’s blockbuster new album Lover became this year’s highest selling album in the U.S. Taylor makes history yet again by earning “the biggest first-week total for any album since her own Reputation in 2017,” according to Billboard. Globally, Lover (Republic Records) has surpassed more than 3 million in consumption. In the U.S. it has eclipsed 1 million-plus total consumption year-to-date and is approaching 700k in pure album sales this week.

- Global superstar Taylor Swift will perform an intimate concert in Paris, France to celebrate the record-breaking superstar’s seventh album Lover; first for Republic Records. Lenovo Presents: The City of Lover Concert will take place at The Olympia Theater in Paris on Monday, September 9th, 2019. The concert will welcome fans from more than 30 countries to experience a once-in-a-lifetime performance from the 10-time Grammy award-winning artist and songwriter.

- Vevo announces the release of LIFT artist, Kiana Ledé’s, second piece of content for “Can I” from of her new Myself EP. Vevo’s LIFT initiative connects today’s up-and-coming artists to audiences around the globe through video content. Launched in 2011, Vevo's artist development program shines a spotlight on the world's freshest new talent. Vevo LIFT alumni include the likes of Sam Smith, Halsey, Khalid, Jorja Smith, SZA, Julia Michaels, Billie Eilish and CNCO. Ledé's LIFT performances follow those of Def Jam Recordings’ YK Osiris, who recently premiered a live version of his hit “Worth It” as well as a short film, “YK Osiris: Young King.”


- With highly–anticipated new album Somebody’s Knocking due for release on October 18th via Heavenly Recordings, this week Mark Lanegan Band have shared new single “Night Flight To Kabul” alongside its incredible, visually-unique video, directed by Dean Karr. Watch and listen to it HERE. Of the video Lanegan says: “The artistry and genius of Dean Karr is what made this video happen. 5,000 still photographs taken in eight hours were painstakingly put together to give the appearance of a strange wraithlike figure moving weirdly through the desolate landscape of the Salton Sea. My third video with Dean in three different decades and I have to say this was the best. The most artistically challenging and satisfying.” Director Dean Karr adds: “We had been talking about doing this video for Night Flight to Kabul for a month or two and my only concern was how could I pull this off with such a challenging budget for my friend? Being a photographer before I was ever a director, I decided to use my Nikon D810 still camera for the entire music video and turn it into animation throughout the entire clip. What a simple solution! There's lots of post work involved, which was done by editor and FX artist Joel Nathaniel Smith. There's alot to be said for the simplicity of working WITHOUT a crew, it was just Mark, myself and a fan of Mark's (Jason Hall) who drove 3 hours out of his way to meet us at the The Salton Sea, CA to help us shoot a beyond unique video! I think this is one of the freshest looking things out there today and love the ‘melty’ moments, which remind me of doing hallucinogenics back in the day!”

- Rising songstress Angelica Vila releases the video for her single “All I Do Is 4 U” today via Roc Nation in partnership with Republic Records. Watch “All I Do Is 4 U: HERE.  The video encompasses nostalgic summer vibes, following the singer around her hometown of New York with appearances from Dave East. The video also features an appearance from fashion legend Dapper Dan. The video premiered today on HYPEBEAST with the outlet calling her “a one-of-a-kind talent who showcases her electric signing prowess and top of the line songwriting ability on her new record.” The video also premiered on broadcast today on BET Jams and BET Soul.

- Audiomack welcomes critically acclaimed international star and Nigerian afro-fusion pop innovator Burna Boy as the latest performer on its popular tastemaker-approved series, Trap Symphony. Watch it HERE.

- internationally renowned, composer, classically-trained pianist, rock drummer and leader of the rock group X JAPAN--has announced his support for Earth Alliance and its Amazon Forest Fund. YOSHIKI has donated $100,000.00 to Earth Alliance and its Amazon Forest Fund in support of local efforts on the ground that are working to support the indigenous and local communities that are protecting the land and biodiversity. After hearing about the increasing fires throughout the Amazon region, YOSHIKI discovered the newly launched Earth Alliance and reached out to make the donation through his 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Yoshiki Foundation America.