Around the Tubes: December 2, 2023

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

View From the Peak - Everything Coming to Paramount+ in December 2023

 

Trim the tree, spin the dreidel and get ready for a winter wonderland on Paramount+! The season of giving has arrived and we’re stuffing stockings with a mountain of entertainment this year with our special holiday collection 'Tis the Season for Streaming. Our youngest viewers will be delighted by the streaming premieres of two new animated adventures with the recent addition of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and the upcoming Baby Shark’s Big Movie. The star-studded cast of the crime drama Finestkind deliver powerful performances in its streaming debut. And documentary fans will receive a gift pack of news series, including The World According to Football, Thriller 40 and  Born in Synanon. For more of what audiences can expect to unbox in December, check out this month’s edition of View from the Peak.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega and Ben Foster in Finestkind In December, audiences will be treated to the streaming premiere of the crime drama Finestkind, starring Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega and Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones. The film tells the gripping story of two brothers who have led dramatically different lives and are reunited during one fateful summer. To learn more about the project we sat down with its writer and director Brian Helgeland. Q: We understand Finestkind is a very personal story for you. Could you tell us a little bit about the personal experiences from which you drew while writing this story and then directing the film? My first memory as a child was dropping my father off at the docks at the boat he worked on. I then wouldn’t see him again for a week. His father was a commercial fisherman before him. I began the script for Finestkind nearly 30 years ago. It’s an incredibly personal project. All of the characters are based on people I knew from home, all with whom I fished in the two years that I myself was a commercial fisherman. The character of Charlie was a loose sketch of me as a young man just out of college which is when I first fished. And the character of Mabel is also a loose sketch of myself as a young person who grew up in the city of New Bedford and was looking for a bigger world for myself without knowing how to go about finding it. So, it’s very personal. My journey in life making movies has taken me not only around the United States, but also the world. But part of my heart, and most of his family, stayed in New Bedford. I always wanted to go back there to make this movie and I finally did.   Q: At the center of this film are a pair of brothers who have a difficult relationship. Can you tell us about their journey? I grew up with two great sisters. As I like to say, I never had brothers until I started fishing. The brother relationship is based a lot on the relationships I had with my fellow fisherman. I also wanted to explore different facets of how you end up in that world and using two half-brothers gave me a great angle to do that. It also gave me two very different fathers to explore. The character of Charlie is in search of another way to live and he needs his brother Tom to show him. Tom is an emotionally isolated character who doesn’t realize how much he needs his younger brother. The push and pull between them drives the movie in many ways.   Q: Are there any stories you want to share about working with the film's phenomenal cast? I really think it’s one of the best casts I’ve ever worked with, from a true veteran like Tommy Lee Jones to exciting young actors like Jenna Ortega and Toby Wallace. They all have in common a love for what they do and a desire to be authentic in the characters they play. Jenna has the big driving scene in the film and she did a lot of her own stunt driving. At one point she had to drive a 25-year-old car off the sidewalk and onto the street at a pretty good clip. At take maybe 7, the car pulled up short like something was wrong and I hurried down and found Jenna looking down at the car’s driveshaft sitting in the middle of the street. She’d literally driven it out of the car. It was pretty great. A lot of the guys, including Toby, also went out on commercial fishing boats to learn how to be fisherman. Ben Foster, in particular, went out 75 miles offshore in February for a week. The seas were 15 feet the whole time he was out there. That’s dedication. Get ready to raise anchor and set sail for Finestkind’s streaming premiere on December 15.

WATCH THE TRAILER

While you might have to wait a little longer to unwrap some of your presents, our gift to audiences this season, the Paramount+ Holiday Collection, titled 'Tis the Season for Streaming, is already here with double the films and episodes for the whole family to enjoy. Our very own team of elves have hand-picked the finest in festive entertainment and packaged them up in more than 20 curated carousels with special treats for everyone’s tastes, with heart-warming holiday romances such as A Christmas Proposal and Bridget Jones’s Diary, seasonal specials from kids’ favorite franchises including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House, and classic Christmas comedies like Scrooged and Bad Santa.   We also have a special present for football fans this season, with an unmissable lineup of games. The action kicks off on Thanksgiving Day with the NFL on CBS matchup between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys. We’ll follow this up on Christmas Eve with a live, local market game. On Christmas Day, Swifties should keep an eye out for their favorite popstar when Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders.   To make the season even sweeter, Paramount+ has announced a special new Black Friday deal. New subscribers can sign up and pay just $1.99 per month for 3 months of our Paramount+ Essential Plan and $3.99 per month for 3 months of the Paramount+ with Showtime Plan. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY now.

WATCH THE PARAMOUNT+ HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN SPOT

TECH TALK

Paramount Streaming has seen an incredible year of innovation with new advancements and features that have contributed to a tremendous 46% increase in total viewing hours in the third quarter.  Content discovery and personalization continues to drive new features, including the launch of Prominent Carousels, Targeted Micro-Genres and Personalized End-Card Recommendations. This new way of merchandising content has led to a 22% increase in playback rates.  This year, the service streamed more than 5,000 live events worldwide by leveraging cutting-edge technology and improved infrastructure, which included catch-up live moments for sporting events, making Paramount Streaming beyond primed and ready to handle the massive crowds for Super Bowl LVII in 2024.

WATCH THE 2023 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS REEL

MOUNTAIN OF MOVIES

In December, audiences are invited to swim along, and sing along with iconic pre-school favorite crooner Baby Shark in Baby Shark’s Big Movie, the first film from the popular kids franchise. After garnering more than 13 billion views on YouTube and getting the whole planet to sing doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, Baby Shark’s movie debut will see the titular tyke teaming up with aquatic artists from all over the sea played by real-world singing sensations, including Ashley Tisdale, Cardi B and Lance Bass. In the film Baby Shark also teams up with a pod of beluga whales portrayed by the popular K-pop group ENHYPEN. You can watch the music video for their song from the movie "Keep Swimmin' Through,'' by clicking the link below. It’s safe to go back in the water when Baby Shark’s Big Movie premieres on December 8.

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO

DOCU SERIES

The transformation of an idealistic drug rehabilitation community into a hierarchical cult is detailed in Born in Synanon, a Geeta Gandbhir-directed docuseries coming to SHOWTIME and Paramount+. The series tells the story of Cassidy Arkin, who was born into Synanon and lived there until the age of six. Across four episodes, viewers will watch as Cassidy, for the first time, comes to terms with the stark reality of what she experienced as a child. Throughout the series, additional former Synanon members share their own harrowing and heart-breaking stories of corruption and abuse. Prepare for a revelation when Born in Synanon premieres on the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan on December 12.

WATCH THE TRAILER

STREAMING SOON

ORIGINALS, EXCLUSIVES & PREMIERES & EVENTS 12/1: The World According to Football* premiere 12/2: Thriller 40* premiere 12/5: Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? premiere 12/7: The Envoys Season 2 premiere 12/8: Baby Shark's Big Movie premiere 12/11: The Billion Dollar Goal premiere 12/12: Born in Synanon premiere 12/15: Finestkind premiere LIBRARY SHOWS December 1 SpongeBob Twas the Night Before SpongeMas Special December 2 Robbie the Reindeer** December 4 The Price Is Right at Night Christmas Week** December 6 Digman! (Season 1) Deliciousness (Season 3) Ryan's Mystery Playdate (Season 4) December 8 Ghosts UK** (Season 2) December 10 A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop** December 13 Love & Hip Hop: Miami (Season 4) December 15 The National Christmas Tree Lighting** December 17 Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration Concert Special** December 22 The 25th Annual a Home for the Holidays** December 23 Frosty Returns** December 27 The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors** December 31 New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash** MOVIES December 1 10 Cloverfield Lane 12 Dates of Christmas 40 Days and 40 Nights A Very English Christmas A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas A Vineyard Christmas A Walk on the Moon Adult World* Airplane II: The Sequel* Airplane!* American Hustle* Angel Heart Angela's Ashes* Barbarella Bend It Like Beckham* Body Cam Braveheart Caddyshack Carriers Cheech & Chong's Still Smokin' Christmas by Candlelight Christmas Casanova Christmas Cupid Christmas in Scotland Cloverfield Coupled Up for Christmas Crawl Critical Condition* Dead Presidents* Deck the Halls Dirty Dancing* Eat, Love, London Emma (1996) Ernest Saves Christmas Face/Off* Finding Vivian Maier* First Blood Florence Foster Jenkins* Grindhouse: Death Proof* Grindhouse: Planet Terror* Hondo How Stella Got Her Groove Back* I'll Be Home for Christmas* Imagine That* Jack Reacher Jackass Number Two Jersey Girl John Grisham's The Rainmaker Joyful Noise Judas and the Black Messiah Just Like a Christmas Movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Machine Gun Preacher* Madea's Big Happy Family Megamind Milk Money* Mimic* Mimic 2* Mimic 3: Sentinel* Mother! Pretty Baby* Rambo III Rambo: First Blood Part II RED RED 2 Regarding Henry Rise of the Guardians Rosemary's Baby Rounders Scrapper* Set It Off* She's All That Sirens Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Tales from the Darkside: The Movie Tangerine* Teaching Mrs. Tingle That Thing You Do!* The Addams Family (1991) The Christmas Classic* The Dead Zone The Face of Love* The Fighting Temptations The Fugitive The Hours The Iron Giant The Ladies Man The Prophecy* The Prophecy 3: The Ascent* The Prophecy II* The Prophecy: Forsaken* The Prophecy: Uprising* The Shawshank Redemption The Shining The Thing* The To Do List The Virgin Suicides The Words Total Recall* Trainspotting Trapped in Paradise* Triple 9* Twisted Up in Smoke War of the Worlds What's Eating Gilbert Grape Witness Wuthering Heights* December 7 Showing Up* December 9 Transformers: The Last Knight December 11 Jules* December 20 Golda* December 21 Beau Is Afraid* December 26 No Escape* SPORTS 12/2: SEC Championship – Georgia vs. Alabama* 12/3: NFL ON CBS Week 13 (check local listings) 12/3: Major League Fishing* 12/3: Serie A – Napoli vs. Inter 12/8: Serie A – Juventus vs. Napoli 12/9: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Illinois @ Tennessee* 12/9: College Football on CBS – The Army-Navy Game* 12/10: NFL ON CBS Week 14 Doubleheader (check local listings) 12/10: Barclays Women’s Super League – Arsenal vs. Chelsea 12/10: Barclays Women’s Super League – Tottenham vs. Manchester United 12/11: Concacaf W Gold Cup Draw 12/12-12/13: UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 12/12: UEFA Champions League – Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich 12/13: UEFA Champions League – Newcastle United vs. AC Milan 12/14: UEFA Europa League – Matchday 6 12/14: UEFA Europa Conference League – Matchday 6 12/16: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Kansas @ Indiana* 12/16: CBS Sports Classic – UCLA vs. Ohio State & North Carolina vs. Kentucky* 12/16: Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol Final 12/17: NFL ON CBS Week 15 (check local listings) 12/17: Dubai Sail Grand Prix* 12/18: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Draw 12/23: Serie A – Roma vs. Napoli 12/23: NFL Slimetime* 12/23: PBR Rodeo* 12/23: Rogue Invitational* 12/23: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Vanderbilt vs. Memphis* 12/24: NFL ON CBS Week 16 (check local listings) 12/25: NFL ON CBS Christmas Day – Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs 12/29: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl* 12/30: Serie A – Juventus vs. Roma 12/30: PBR* 12/30: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Creighton @ Marquette* 12/30: NCAA Men’s Basketball – UCLA @ Oregon* 12/31: NFL ON CBS Week 17 Doubleheader (check local listings) Throughout December: Italian Serie A competition Throughout December: Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol competition Throughout December: Campeonato Brasileirão Série A competition Throughout December: Scottish Professional Football League competition Throughout December: Combate Global competition Throughout December: AFC Champions League competition Throughout December: Barclays Women’s Super League competition *Title is available to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers. **All Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers can live stream CBS titles via the live feed on Paramount+. Those titles will be available on-demand to all subscribers the day after they air live. Dates for library titles are subject to change.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: November 19

 

 Fear the Walking Dead:  So the dead chick was just the girl’s mom, not Alicia?  She better show up alive next week otherwise, what has this back half of the season even been about?  This show is just sputtering to an end.

 

A Murder at the End of the World:  How convenient, a true crime writer was invited to a retreat where someone died.  I have a sinking suspicion that the tech billionaire or his wife was the one that did the killing to see if she could solve the murder.  But this show just really made me miss my iPod.

 

Survivor:  Ugg, the only interesting contestant this season is already gone.  But this new twist on the auction was just stupid.  It was just musical chairs, except you lost your vote when the music ran out.

 

The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion:  I was laughing at the dude who lost, but then I read about how they changed the rules after he won the first two which lead to Jordan sweeping the last three, may I would cry at the blatant manipulation too.

 

Quantum Leap:  I do not think we got to see what Ben looked like, but it seemed like he was an old dude considering his peers which makes him forcing himself on the blond chick even creepier. I did laugh when Ben did not tell her his last name, because someone in that time period would likely be very racist against Asians.  But is Ben just going to jump around in time with her this season?  Did she have connections to the four episodes we did not see her in?  Will she end up being involved in the Quantum Leap program in the future?

 

Lessons in Chemistry:  How Gumpian that the preacher knew Calvin so personally.

 

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters:  Kind of annoying that I had to read the Wikipedia plot of a six year old movie within 30 seconds just to understand what was going on.  I do not even remember John Goodman being in that movie.  The math is also hurting my brain. John Goodman and Kurt Russell are about the same age; young John Goodman and young Kurt Russell are about the same age, but John Goodman's character was in the 70's and Kurt Russell's character is from last decade. That is a bit of a leap.   Russell has got to be in his nineties by now if he was in his twenties/thirties back during the fifties.