Around the Tubes: 2/21/15

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 Great British Baking Show, Killing Jesus, Simple Minds, Barely Famous, Killer IQ: Lion vs. Hyena, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Adam Ruins Everything, Sharknado 3, Walk of Shame Shuttle, Hot GRITS, and Backstreet Boys: Show ’Em What You’re Made Of.

- Viewers will feel the palpable tension as the four bakers enter the semi-finals in the critical hit series The Great British Baking Show on PBS. Last week, contestant Richard was named “Star Baker” for the record-breaking fourth time, while 17-year-old Martha was sent home. In this week’s episode “Patisserie,” the bakers showcase their creative design and time management skills as never before. Episode nine airs on PBS Sunday, February 25 at 8:00, before Downton Abbey. (Show times may vary, please check local listings in your market). First, the semi-finalists are challenged with a Signature baklava. Next is a most demanding Technical task — making the tricky German schichttorte, cooked in stages under a grill to create 20 layers. Judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry check by counting the individual layers! The Showstopper raises the bar even higher: the final four work non-stop to create two elegant entremets.

- It’s a story nearly the whole world knows, with more than 2.2 billion people around the globe following the teachings and principles of Jesus of Nazareth. But the intimate historical details of his life and the political collusions that led to his brutal demise bring intriguing context to the familiar story. This spring, National Geographic Channel’s Killing Jesus, produced by Scott Free Productions and based on the New York Times best-selling book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, dives deep inside the historical story of how Jesus’ message and preachings led to his persecution and execution by a group of conspirators who saw him as a threat to their power.
Killing Jesus, a three-hour television event, will premiere on Palm Sunday, March 29, at 8:00 on National Geographic Channel.

- Following the recent release of Big Music Universal Music Enterprises will release a four-disc digital box set of Simple Minds’ Sparkle in the Rain on March 31st. It will be the first time the entire back catalog of this era has been collected together. Originally released in February 1984, SSparkle in the Rain (title taken from a line in ‘Book Of Brilliant Things’) was Simple Minds’ sixth studio album and, following 1982’s crossover album New Gold Dream, the one to cement their commercial success.

- VH1’s series Barely Famous features sisters Erin and Sara Foster (multi-hyphenate producers, actresses and writers and daughters of Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster) offering a tongue-in-cheek perspective on reality TV and life in the Hollywood fast lane. In Barely Famous, Erin and Sara portray sisters who navigate the treacherous LA waters of career and dating, all while trying to maintain their picture perfect image. The series highlights the most obvious and outlandish conventions of reality TV by centering around two sisters who say they would never do a reality show, but are being filmed by a camera crew. The sisters are followed through their awkward celebrity encounters and efforts to book their next big gig and when things go horribly wrong - as they tend to do – the ladies prove that living the Hollywood lifestyle isn't easy, even if you're born into it. Take a peek at the Supertrailer here: http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1734255

- “Lion whisperer” Kevin Richardson and some of the world’s leading wildlife biologists set up a series of remarkable experiments designed to unravel the mysteries of two apex predators and arch rivals in a new two-part series. Killer IQ: Lion vs. Hyena premieres March 4th and March 11th at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel. Nicknamed the ‘lion whisperer’ by his global fans, Richardson has forged an incredibly close bond with these formidable carnivores – interacting with them as one of the group.

- Hulu has acquired the exclusive subscription video on demand (SVOD) rights to all previous seasons of CBS’s award-winning, critically acclaimed crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, it was announced today by Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins, and Scott Koondel, Chief Corporate Content Licensing Officer for CBS Corporation. All episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu with a Plus subscription beginning early April.

- truTV has ordered a pilot for Adam Ruins Everything (working title), a half-hour investigative comedy starring comedian Adam Conover, from Los Angeles-based production company Big Breakfast. In Adam Ruins Everything, Conover explores topics and ideas many people take for granted and dispels widespread misconceptions through a combination of comedy, history, and science. A perfect blend of comedy and enlightenment, Adam Ruins Everything is inviting, fast-paced and, above all, smart. Adam is like that friend who knows a little bit too much about everything and is going to tell you about it whether you like it or not. By employing sharp humor, mock experiments and on-the-spot comedy reporting, Adam Ruins Everything isn't just fun to watch, but addictively informative—it's everything you didn't want to need to know.

- Now Florida will know what it feels like to be hit by a Sharknado! The eagerly anticipated Syfy and The Asylum production Sharknado 3 will shoot key scenes at Universal Orlando Resort, it was announced today. Featuring stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and Cassie Scerbo, Sharknado 3 will premiere on Syfy in July, causing mass destruction in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., before roaring down the Eastern Seaboard and into Florida. Ziering and Reid will reprise their roles as Fin and April, respectively, while Cassie Scerbo will play Nova, her character from the original 2013 Sharknado movie.

- Rise and shine! Spring is coming and VH1 brings you a dose of raucous humor and supersize personalities to shake off those winter blues. It all starts as the network takes hangover humor on the road with Walk of Shame Shuttle, premiering Wednesday, March 18th at 9:00. In this all-new series, VH1 takes an uninhibited ride with hard-partying merrymakers rehashing the previous night’s escapades in the harsh daylight of the following morning. The following week, on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 8:00, tune in for the premiere of Hot GRITS a revealing look at the lives of seven girls looking to shake things up south of the Mason Dixon line.

- VH1 will commemorate the best-selling boy band of all time’s 20th anniversary with the VH1 Rock Doc Backstreet Boys: Show ’Em What You’re Made Of. The documentary will make its world television premiere on Friday, April 3rd at 9:00. The film was directed by Stephen Kijak (Stones in Exile, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man) and stars original group members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson, all of whom were producers on the film along with Mia Bays.

Previewing Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas! and Cesar 911

For about a decade, Cesar Millan has been coming into our homes to train our dogs. The reason he has stuck around so long on television is that not only is he a dog trainer, he is also a showman. So with that knowledge it should not be all that surprising to learn he now has his own stage show which he recently brought to the place all showmen dream to headline: Las Vegas. Of course he brought some cameras along for his new two hour special airing tonight Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas!

Sure he rehabilitates some dog in his show but it is really more of a comedy show with Cesar stalking around the stage like he is Chris Rock, but instead of jokes about race, these jokes are family, and dog friendly. The stop at the Palms Casino Resort was actually the only American stop on his world tour.

Next week Cesar leaves the stage behind and returns to his day job on Cesar 911 where family members, neighbors, and friends call on the dog whisperer to help their loved ones and their best friend. In the season premiere Cesar receives a call from someone who was bit by a neighborhood Great Dane and an expecting mother who fears her kid will be bitten by her sister’s dog because of the number of times the Maltese mix has bitten her.

Later this season, Cesar is called on to help someone who was banned from the weekly family barbecue three years ago because of his German Shepard, a duo that has already been kick out of one apartment complex because of their unruly dogs and is close to getting kicked out of their current one, an American bulldog that is driving his owners towards a divorce after he bit the family’s toddler.

Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas (watch a preview) premieres tonight at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild. Cesar 911 (watch a preview) airs Fridays at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild starting next week.

Previewing Vikings: Season Three

Conventional wisdom says that the cable model of only ten to fourteen episodes per season is better because it is easier to write that many good episodes then twenty-two in one year. That is clearly true but the one downfall is that instead of a three month break, you have to wait nine to ten months in between seasons. So you could have gotten impregnated of the night of the second season finale of Vikings and delivered your kids with time to spare before the third season started.

It seems that in between season, Ragnor has done some procreating of himself, though I am not entirely sure because I do not remember how big his brood was when the last season ended, it could very well be the same. But as the season starts it seems like all the men are having some lady problems as they wait to return to Essex to do some farming. One is going through a seven year itch, another has too many baby momma, another does not want to be tied down, while another in the clan who does want to be tied down but want to do so with someone who only wants to fight.

But do not worry, once Ragnor and his crew make it back to Wessex, they will not just be sitting around and farming their new land. If you may remember, there was a hot brunette last season who uncle and brother took the land that she thinks is rightfully hers and manages Ragnor to help her get it back. And o course there are plenty of people who will conspire against him that will Ragnor from his field and on the battlefield all season. And with the boys away, the girls play with a new mysterious man who turns out to be more than he seems.

Vikings airs Thursdays at 10:00 on History.

I Want My Movie Trailers

Pitch Perfect - May 15


The first domestic trailer did very good job to get excited for the sequel; the group doing the Cups song from the original, Anna Kendrick making fart noises. The Super Bowl spot gave up an a capella version of Before He Cheats and the Green Bay Packers covering Bootylicious. The latest trailer brings the funny (...because of World War II... boom). We got some new musical performances: Wrecking Ball.. yawn. But the Germans pick things up with an eerie snippet of Muse and a funny take on Bell Biv DeVoe. Then something that is giving me pause about the second movie happened: Rebel Wilson giving her take on the A Tribe Called Quest / Leaders of the New School classic collaboration. Hopefully that turns out better than the trailer would have me believe. I would be much more confident if Anna Kendrick had taken lead on that one after she crushed No Diggity in the first film. Maybe they are saving her for the epic Busta Rhymes part which is so great you have to spend money to see it, they just will not give away something that good during a free trailer.

Aloha - May 29


News broke last year that Cameron Crowe was filming a new movie in Hawaii with Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Rachel McAdams, and Danny McBride. Just the casting and with Crowe writing and directing I was almost ready to call it the greatest movie in the history of cinema. I probably would have if they cast Ryan Gosling instead of Bradly Cooper. Last week we finally a title (Aloha) and a trailer. It was not as great as I was hoping (though I cannot confirm nor deny I have already watched it over twenty-five) most it falling on me being disappointed that it stars Cooper instead of Gosling and Stone as an Air Force liaison (with that said if she were cast in a female reboot of Top Gun, I would start camping out at my local multiplex tomorrow). But of course there are some good times in the trailer: "You're gonna wear this like Flavor Flav wears a clock," the dude from The Office saying "a lot," the best Cold War Kids song in their catalogue, the scene with Emma covering her face with her hands (if I was a fourteen year old girl with a Tumblr I would gif the crap out of that, granted if I were a fourteen year old girl, I would probably be giffing Cooper rolling his eyes at Emma playing guitar instead; wait Emma Stone plays guitar in this movie? Why is this not out yet?); and most importantly the triumphant return of Rachael McAdams who has not been in a watchable movie since maybe Morning Glory five years ago.

Trainwreck - July 17


After popularizing the beta male bro comedy genre ten years ago, Judd Apatow seems to be trying to get the female version of the genre off the ground. He produced Bridesmaid and now the first film he has ever directed but not write looks to continue that beta female route with Trainwreck. The movie was instead written by star Amy Schumer. I am a little iffy about the trailer because I am one of the few Clevelanders still hates LeBron James. But hey, there is Brie Larson (if Amy is Seth Rogan, does that make Briw Paul Rudd?) And it seems clear LeBron is playing himself, does that mean John Cena does too? Either way I do not think I could lookm at him the same way ever again.

Hot Pursuit - May 8


When I heard Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergarra were in a trailer together for a female buddy comedy I though it was a fake one for Funny or Die. After seeing it and learning it is a real movie, I am still suspicious that it may really end up being fake. Maybe Reese was right to stop making comedies and should have continued to take serious roles.

I Want My Music Television: 2/17/15

Style - Taylor Swift


When you listen to Taylor Swift, her lyrics are so direct and to the point, you can see the music video play out in front of you, and when she finally puts her own visuals to her music, it is pretty much what you expect it to be as they are usually acted out versions of her lyrics. This is the first time that I can think of that Taylor went very abstract with her music video which look like something you would expect to have seem on 120 Minutes (well if she would have wore less stylish clothes and pick a less attractive co-star) instead of TRL.

Black Son - Death Cab for Cutie


Death Cab for Cutie announced their new album along with the departure of guitarist Chris Walla, usually credited with creating the sound of the band though he still contributed to most of the album. Their first song since comes off as a little more menacing than anything the band has done before. If Codes and Keys was about Ben Gibbard's dissolving marriage, is this another album of something breaking up? I am not optimistic it will be better just from the first single.

Pray to God - Calvin Harris featuring Haim`


I was a big fan of Haim's first album, but I really do not need a crappy EDM / Calvin Harris version of their music. Much like I was hoping (and got) an acoustic Aloe Blacc version of Wake Me Up, I do kind of want to hear Haim play this song by themselves. And maybe they can do it without the coven outfits and random animals.

Champagne Kisses - Jessie Ware


I wanted to like Jessie Ware's first album more than I actually did but her sophomore outing was a vast improvement (Say You Love Me cracked the top ten of my 100 Greatest Songs of 2014), the latest single is alright but the video is messing with my mind. I really want whatever that director was taking.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 2/15/15

2015 Grammy Awards: I had a feeling 2014 was not a very good year for music when I was making my best of the year list and watching this year's Grammy's verified that after seeing Sam Smith and Beck win the top four awards especially considering they were basically the best in very weak fields (well I would have given Haim the Best New Artist Award). But usually in weak musical years, the show can produce great once in a lifetime duets, but all of those fell flat. Really, a week later nothing really stands out to me this year except how boring it was.

The Walking Dead: Hold ghosts of Tyrese past! I have to admit I have enjoyed this season significantly more that the earlier ones, but why oh why had the show killed off its two most entertaining characters in back to back episodes yet Carl is still alive (thee third, Bob literally bit it earlier this season two).
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Oh Spencer, you are a moron. Did she really think that some college hired the dude to make a mural and to do it with spray paint at night? But I really could care less about these girls personal lives, just stick the the overly complex murder mystery of someone who probably is not even dead.
You can download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Mavel's Agent Carter: Whoa, they were actually able to catch Peggy, I was a assuming as soon as she went on the lamb she would stay there until she was able to clear her name. And even more shocking it was a kiss from a Russian spy that brought her down. But the most shocking was the Russian scientist ended up being in cahoots with the spy. All this intrige should make for an interesting final two episodes.
You can download Marvel's Agent Carter om iTunes.

Justified: Watching this episode and the previews for next week was a greatest hits of recurring characters past (Loretta McCreary! Dicky Bennett!! Constable Bob!!! Elmore Limehouse!!!!) and that pretty much sums it up because I think the rest are either dead or in jail. Jake Busy is already on the dead list after just one episode with yet another memorable death scene on the show. I laughed through the entire commercial break. But it was nice to see Loretta outsmart Dicky one more time, not that it very hard thing to do.
You can download Justified on iTunes.

The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II: It is time for the annual annoying "To Be Continued" episode. Usually this comes right before the final elimination challenge. So we have to wait a week to see who goes home. But this has been two straight sad challenges. Last week TJ had to admonish all the guys who were too scared to jump out the surfboard contraption challenge and this week half of the teams could not even finish at all and had to institute a mercy rule. Even more sad, Jonna's puzzle was extremely embarrassing (Zach was right to compared it to something a third grader put together which was his second best comment of the evening after his almost correct reference to Of Mice and Men) and Brittany somehow did worse than her.
You can download The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II on iTunes.

Hindsight: Of course the show eventually worked in the famous Say Anything boombox scene, but this definitely the first time anyone thought to use KWS as the soundtrack. And it only got better when the batteries ran out.
You can download Hindsight on iTunes.

The Americans: Yawn, another near miss by the FBI. At least there was that bizarre and random scene with Paige finding a picture of their neighbor in a bikini in her brother's room.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Nashville: Of course his niece was not a match and his sister does not want to give hers (okay that was a bit of a serve, I just thought she would not be a match), it is beyond obvious that Deacon is going to have to get a new liver from his daughter. I wonder how long they will stretch this until he asks (or more likely she offers).
You can download Nashville on iTunes.

King of the Nerds: Whoa, Moby really takes his nerd culture seriously. But you have to side with him because it is really stupid for someone to pick a fight with a judge.
You can download King of the Nerds on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 2/13/15

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 Valentine's Day programming, Happyish, Penny Dreadful, Haunting: Australia, The Librarians, and Funny Or Die's Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner.

- Premium entertainment network EPIX delivers the cinematic equivalent of a dozen roses this Valentine's Day with a line-up of unforgettable romances. This heartwarming (and occasionally heartbreaking) all-day marathon includes a mix of enduring film classics and new romantic crowd-pleasers. Prepare to be charmed as the iconic Audrey Hepburn lights up the screen in Breakfast at Tiffany's, then grab your hankies for the timeless tearjerker Love Story. Laugh it up with modern-era classics, Moonstruck and Pretty in Pink, then sit back and enjoy new romantic stories such as Labor Day, Barefoot and They Came Together.

- This Valentine's Day, as lovebirds swoon over each other in amorous bliss, TBS is going to be commiserating with lonely hearts everywhere by exposing the true horrors of this thing called love. TBS's Un-Valentine's Day Marathon is going to pull back the curtain on dating mishaps and relationship pitfalls with seven hours of episodes from The Big Bang Theory, Friends and Seinfeld. The hilarious misery is set to air Saturday, Feb. 14, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

- Showtime is giving viewers the first look at the brand new half-hour comedy series Happyish starring Oscar® and Golden Globe® nominee Steve Coogan, Kathryn Hahn and Emmy® winner and Golden Globe nominee Bradley Whitford. Premiering on Sunday, April 26th at 9:30, the series is a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness and why it continues to be so elusive. To view the tease, go to sho.com.

- Showtime will now premiere the sophomore season of the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller Penny Dreadful on Sunday, May 3rd at 10:00. Penny Dreadful returns with ten episodes and will find Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) forming a deeper bond as the group, including Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and Sembene (Danny Sapani), unite to banish the evil forces that threaten to destroy them. Meanwhile, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), the Creature (Rory Kinnear) and Brona (Billie Piper) are all waging battles of their own. Patti LuPone will guest star as a mysterious character of great importance in Vanessa’s past. Helen McCrory returns as Evelyn Poole (a.k.a. Madame Kali), the seductive spiritualist who will pose a unique threat to our protagonists this season, along with Simon Russell Beale, who is back as eccentric Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle. Additional guest stars include Douglas Hodge as a Scotland Yard investigator; Sarah Greene as Poole’s powerful daughter, Hecate; and Jonny Beauchamp as a man with a singular past.

- EPIX recently announced that stand-up’s biggest and most off-the-wall comics Jim Norton, Jim Breuer and Lisa Lampanelli will star in three new hour-long Original Comedy Events. The laughter begins on April 24 with Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate, followed by Jim Breuer: Comic Frenzy on May 29 and Lisa Lampanelli: Back to the Drawing Board on June 26.

- Continuing to expand its roster of global programming, Syfy this week announced that it has acquired Haunting: Australia, an eight-part unscripted series featuring six of the best ghost hunters in the world. Haunting: Australia will premiere on Syfy Tuesday, March 24 at 10:00. Hailing from all corners of the globe, the Haunting: Australia ghost hunters join forces to investigate paranormal activity in Australia’s most haunted locations, traveling across the country unearthing ghostly evidence.

- TNT has renewed its hit fantasy-adventure The Librarians. One of the hottest new shows on cable, The Librarians burst onto the scene with a chart-topping launch in December and went on to finish the year as basic cable's #2 new series of 2014, second only to TNT's The Last Ship. The show's success extends across TNT's multiple platforms, with each week's episode reaching an average of 11.4 million viewers through linear telecasts, DVR playback and VOD, digital and mobile viewing. TNT has ordered 10 episodes for the second season, which is slated to launch later this year.

- Funny Or Die's Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner is coming to truTV as part of a multi-layered deal with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. that also includes original specials and pilot commitments for networks across the Turner portfolio. At the center of the deal, the streetwise game show hosted by comedian Billy Eichner is set to become a truTV original series, starting with its fourth season later this year. Sister network TBS will present encores of each episode after initial airings on truTV.

I Want My Music Television: 2/11/15

Only One - Kanye West featuring Paul McCartney



FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna and Kanye West and Paul McCartney


Kanye West christened the new year with a surprised song that featuring instrumentation from Beatle Paul McCartney. The duo then pulled in Rihanna for their next collaboration on a song presumably for her album. I cannot say I was that impressed by either. Only One sounds like a more uplifting version of a song off of 808's an Heartbreaks (my least favorite Kanye record) while FourFiveSeconds sounds just like Stay but with a singular acoustic guitar instead of a piano. Meh to both.


Doing It - Charli XCX featuring Rita Ora


Charli XCX is this bizarrely fun mix of early nineties grunge mixed with late nineties bubblegum pop. Her first album was a bit of a mess in a British version of Ke$ha kind of way. She ironed thing out for her sophomore effort which is a vast improvement. One of the catchier songs on the bubblegum end of the spectrum was Doing It. I jut d not understand why she added Rita Ora to the track who ended up being an even more unnecessary part of the music video that the fat dude in a Speedo.


Lay Me Down - Sam Smith


When someone took Hozier's Take Me to Church and inserted images of homosexual Russians being hunted down and killed in stark black and white and uploaded it to YouTube; Hozier saw it and just made it the official music video. Watching the new Sam Smith video makes me think this pitch could had been perfect for the Hozier song had he had done a more proper music video for Take Me to Church. As for the actual Sam Smith song that does accompany the video, much like the rest of his songs, it is kind of a bore.


Straight Outta Compton Red Band Trailer


That intro is a little silly, but I guess for anyone under twenty-five, they may not even know that that dude from the Are We There Yet movies and the guy who sells Beats Headphones were actually rappers at one point. Usually I stay away from bio-flick (I would rather listen to the music or watch a documentary; surprisingly there was never a N.W.A. episode of Behind the Music though Dr. Dre and Ice Cube got individual ones), but I have to admit this trailer got me a little excited for the movie.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 2/8/15

Super Bowl: I refuse to recognize cheaters as winners because cheaters should never win and winners do not cheat. And lets be honest, the true winners of the Super Bowl was the Green Bay Packers. Seriously, very few people can outshine one of the greatest living humans Anna Kendrick in her own movie trailer. I am definitely not ready for Clay Matthews's jelly, but I cannot wait to see the full performance.


Shameless: Did someone forget to tell Showtime that the Super Bowl was on? And it ended up being the best episode of the short season so far and one of the best of the series. But I guess in the age of DVR and On Demand, I guess watching the first run episode does not really matter much for premium channels who are not selling ads. As long as the viewers watch sometime. But anyway. What a great episode for Frank in his warped The Hangover type plot of trying to figure out what happened to his insurance money. That final reveal with the prosthetics my have been the most "shameless" scene in the show's history. Now with Sheila gone and his money gone, it looks like Frank is back to square one. Does he move in with Sammi at this point?

Pretty Little Liars: Rosewood really has a never ending well of absurdly attractive lesbians. But can they bring back Mona already? The show is kind of boring without her. Because much like Allison, I just do not believe Mona is dead. Hopefully it does not take Mona four years to pop back up in town.
You can download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Agent Carter: As entertaining as the show has been it is disappointing that could not figure out how to make use of Dum Dum Duggan more often. Maybe if their is a season two, maybe Peggy can take up his offer of joining the Howling Commandos for next season.
You can download Marvel's Agent Carter om iTunes.

Switched at Birth: I cannot comment on this episode because I will undoubtedly offend people with my thoughts.
You can download Switched At Birth on iTunes.

Justified: I could not believe they killed of Dewie Crowe in the season premiere (that really puts a crimp into my Dewie / Dickie spin-off) but Choo Choo may end up being an almost worthy substitute. But that mask scene just showed that Raylan is still the best character on television.
You can download Justified on iTunes.

The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II: What a gutwrenching elimination, on one hand Johnny Bananas wore out his welcome five to ten seasons ago, on the other, Nana has quickly closing in on GOAT status. At least they have that silly ex-ile twist this season (is this the first time The Challenge stole something from Survivor? And now that I think about it, if The Challenge now allows Are You the One castmates, how about recruiting Survivor contestants too). If the show is scripted there is no doubt those two are the ones that make it back into the game. The stupid web show may end up being more entertaining than the actual show.
You can download The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II on iTunes.

Hindsight: Why was Becca telling the college students how great the next R.E.M. album is? Would that not be New Adventures In Hi-Fi? C'mon Becca, it is one thing to spoil the future, but is another to give people false hope of the future. But she made up for it with a great use of Nightswimming at the of episode, one of my favorite songs ever recorded.
You can download Hindsight on iTunes.

The Americans: Sure, this is still one of the best shows on television, but something needs to happen. The show is still living off close calls every couple episodes, be it the CIA almost catching the Jennings, or Paige discovering what her parents do, but they still have not pulled the trigger on either. Interesting that NBC already beat The Americans to the punch on the second point creating a show where Russians spies tell their son about themselves (or so the previews would have me believe, I did not bother to watch Intelligence). Really the best part of this season so far was the one aspect of the show that chance: Nina in Russian prison. Why did they hold that storyline out of the premiere? Well, the second best, Stan telling Olag that if he if going to shoot him, he will have to shoot him in the back. What a "G" move.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

The Blacklist: Usually I prefer more serialized moments of television shows, but I really do not care at all about the fire Lizzie was in as a kid. And the more they talk about it, the more confused I get. So now her dad (or who she thought was her dad because it is still very plausible that Red is really her father) died in that fire. But did he not die last season when Red smothered him with a pillow? Meh, just give me the Blacklister of the week for this show. I do not care at all with the backstory.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

King of the Nerds: One thing I noticed this week is there is copious amounts of cleavage this season. In previous season the girls wore a lot of t-shirts with nerd slogans on them, but there are a lot of tank tops this time around. Between that and all the partial lesbians running around it is clear the boys do not have a chance of winning yet again this season. But at least the challenges are silly as ever. Why was there a sumo wrestler in the Nerd Off? Who knows, but it was entertaining.
You can download King of the Nerds on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 2/6/15

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 MTV Movie Awards, Unlikely Animal Friends, Mississippi Inferno, It Takes a Church, Ringo Starr, Building Wild, Cabin Fever, and Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour.

- MTV just released their first promo video featuring host Amy Schumer, along with actress Anna Kendrick, in support of the upcoming 2015 MTV Movie Awards airing live on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 8:00 from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California.

Get More:

2015 MTV Movie Awards, Amy Schumer, Anna Kendrick, Latest Movie News

- Never doubt the power of friendship. Sometimes man’s best friend is not who you think it is, and sometimes predator and prey bond in the most unexpected ways. Of all the unlikely animal friends in the world, we search out the most unique, most surprising and most loving in Nat Geo WILD’s popular Unlikely Animal Friends, returning Friday, Feb. 27, at 10:00 with all new episodes.

- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in American history, the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A new Smithsonian Channel Black History Month two-part special, Mississippi Inferno reveals the essential role played by black landowners and black independent farmers as a real driving force behind the passage of this legislation. Narrated by actor, director and political activist Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), the two-part special premieres Monday, February 16 with Mississippi Inferno: Seeds of Revolt at 8:00 followed by Mississippi Inferno: Deeds of Defiance at 9:00.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today the premiere of the second season of their hit dating show, It Takes a Church on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00. Grammy®-nominated vocalist and multiple Dove Award winner Natalie Grant returns as host, visiting churches in California, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana and Wyoming, in hopes of finding love for one lucky single. Each week, It Takes a Church travels to a different location, to surprise one unsuspecting single with the news that they’re about to be saved from the dating world, as numerous matchmakers present people they believe would be a great match. However, it is not the bachelor/bachelorette who decides who they will get to know better…it’s family, friends and those closest to them in the community! After a series of dates, one person will be chosen, and the matchmaker who brought the chosen suitor also wins a donation made to the church in their name.

- Universal Music Enterprises proudly announces Ringo Starr's 18th studio release, Postcards from Paradise. With 11 original tracks, the solo album is due out March 31, 2015 and is the first to include a song written and recorded by Ringo Starr and his current All Starr Band - Steve Lukather, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie, Richard Page, Wally Palmer and Gregg Bissonette. Postcards from Paradise was produced by Ringo and recorded at his home studio in Los Angeles and, as always, features friends and family. As Ringo often says, "If I am recording and you're in town and drop by, you're going to be on the record!" The album’s guest artists include: Joe Walsh, Benmont Tench, Dave Stewart, Ann Marie Simpson, Richard Marx, Amy Keys, Peter Frampton, Nathan East, and Glen Ballard.

- Need that perfect spot to watch every big game, or a home away from home to escape the madness of the city? A classic log cabin or a floating getaway — these guys can build it. National Geographic Channel (NGC) is going into the woods to give cabin enthusiasts incredible — and sometimes improbable — wilderness retreats in America’s last frontiers. NGC’s first do-it-yourself series Building Wild returns for a second season (Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 9:) of incredible wilderness havens. And new series Cabin Fever builds beautiful custom log homes for clients across the United States the same night at 10:00.

- Fresh off her Super Bowl XLIX Halftime performance and current world tour, EPIX are excited to announce the World Television Premiere of Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour on Saturday, March 28th at 8:00. The recently filmed high-energy two-hour Concert Special will air during the EPIX Free Preview Weekend (March 26-29) and features Katy performing her biggest hits from I Kissed a Girl to Dark Horse.

Around the Tubes: 1/30/15

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 Hannibal, The Blacklist, Fish Bowl II, Hindsight, Alaska State Troopers, Shaq Inq, and The Grim Game.

- Sneak a peek at the upcoming season of Hannibal, returning this summer to NBC.


- In anticipation of The Blacklist’s move to Thursday nights, NBC is launching #RedOnTheRun, a scavenger hunt in 25 cities! From February 2-5, fans will go on a scavenger hunt to find Red Reddington look-alike decoys in their city by solving the clues on the show’s social media handles. This culminates in a national tune-in-and-win sweepstakes with a $25,000 cash prize during the show’s Thursday premiere on February 5. Visit redontherun.com for more information, including clues in each city and the show’s Twitter feed next week.

- The Patriots, the Seahawks and the Goldfish. When the clash of the gridiron is too much to handle, click over to Nat Geo WILD to experience the scientifically proven calming effects of watching aquarium fish (complete with no cheating scandals!). This year Goldie is taking her show on the road, heading to a farm with a clownfish friend to visit some of Dr. Pol’s closest animal pals. Don’t miss Goldie’s relaxing escape to the farm in Fish Bowl II, once again premiering Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, from 6:00 to 10:00.

- VH1 is moving Mob Wives to 8:00 and Hindsight to 9:00 beginning Wednesday, February 4th. On the new Hindsight, Becca is given her first work assignment from Chester and Victoria, which leads to a road trip with Lolly and Paige to Chapel Hill. Jamie wants to make things right between Andy and Sean. Lolly runs into an old friend who could be something more. And a decision that Becca makes has dire consequences.

- For seven seasons, National Geographic Channel has embedded with the brave men and women of the Alaska State Troopers as they face treacherous rescue missions in below-freezing temperatures, high-speed pursuits on snowy stretches of highway, unexpected bear encounters and confrontations with unpredictable criminals. Now buckle up for one last ride-along as the eighth and final season of Alaska State Troopers premieres Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 9:00 on National Geographic Channel.

- truTV has ordered a pilot for Shaq Inq. (working title), a workplace comedy loosely based on the wild and frenetic business empire of Shaquille O’Neal, who is executive-producing the show with Mike Tollin (Smallville, Arli$$). The series is being produced for truTV by Mandalay Sports Media. Jeremy Garelick (The Wedding Ringer, The Break-Up) will write the pilot, with John Fortenberry (Galavant, Instant Mom) set to direct. Perry Rogers, Colin Smeeton and Michael Parris will render producer services. This half-hour scripted comedy follows Shaquille O’Neal and the team who runs his sprawling business empire. The offbeat, yet capable, group juggles the mayhem of managing Shaq’s existing products and endorsements while implementing his latest batch of eccentric and oftentimes brilliant business ideas. But while they're all working towards the same goal, each employee is constantly jockeying for the power and recognition to make the big guy proud.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is bringing the long-lost Harry Houdini classic The Grim Game (1919) back to the public eye in a world premiere screening during 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival held March 26-29 in Hollywood. This much-sought-after film – a complete print of which was only recently rediscovered and brought to TCM for restoration – features the escape artist and legendary illusionist in one of his few starring roles. The film was discovered and the restoration was produced and restored by award-winning film preservationist and silent-film scholar Rick Schmidli.

Around the Tubes: 1/23/15

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 Sound of Music, Wicked Tuna, Legend of Lead Belly, Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts, Motown 25, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Dreamcatcher, One Big Happy, and Hulu news.

- Hollywood will come alive with The Sound of Music (1965) this spring as the beloved, Oscar®-winning classic returns to the big screen to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a gala opening-night screening on Thursday, March 26 at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival. Legendary stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer will join Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theater IMAX to introduce the beautifully restored film and kick off the sixth annual festival, which will run March 26-29, 2015, in Hollywood. The film is being presented in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox, in celebration of their Golden 50th Anniversary Blu-ray release arriving on March 10, 2015. TCM has also announced that Delta Air Lines is returning once again as the festival's exclusive Founding Partner. The official airline partner of the TCM Classic Film Festival, Delta has provided air travel for many of the festival's VIP guests every year since the festival began.

- Last year, millions of viewers watched as one Gloucester captain dominated and outmaneuvered the entire fleet despite a difficult fishing season. But this season, the fish are larger, the competition is tougher and the top spot on the leaderboard is up for grabs once again. Wicked Tuna returns with an all-new season of peril and paydays on the high seas beginning Sunday, Feb. 15, at 9:00 on National Geographic Channel in the U.S., and will air internationally on National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and in 45 languages.

- Lead Belly has inspired generations of musicians, from The Weavers to the Grateful Dead, from Van Morrison, to The Beach Boys and even Nirvana. And yet few people today know his remarkable story, and even fewer know when they are listening to his music. His story is told in the new one-hour Smithsonian Channel special, Legend of Lead Belly, premiering Monday, February 23 at 8:00.

- Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts are partnering with PledgeMusic to release their upcoming album, Blaster due on March 31st. Weiland, along with his bandmates guitarist Jeremy Brown, bassist Tommy Black, and drummer Danny Thompson, who have toured together for years, are coming to PledgeMusic to deepen fan engagement during the music making journey and giving fans an inside look at the process. After their highly successful Purple At The Core tour in 2013, the musicians hunkered down in Weiland's Southern California studio and rehearsal space to write and record what would eventually become the rock album, quickly conjuring a fertile creative chemistry.

- Where were you when Michael Jackson unveiled his iconic moonwalk for the very first time as part of the legendary TV special Motown 25: Yesterday · Today · Forever? You likely remember those "six seconds that changed the world", as the historic concert televised by NBC on May 16, 1983, became an immediate sensation and water-cooler event in an era before social media. Now, music lovers and pop culture aficionados alike will have the opportunity to see magic and history being made as the Emmy® Award-winning program will air exclusively as a fundraising event on public television stations this February and March, marking the first TV broadcast of the concert since its debut more than 30 years ago. It will make its national public broadcasting premiere on February 28 at 8pm ET & PT/7pm CT (check local listings).

- As Hollywood prepares to celebrate the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, host networks TNT and TBS are revving up plans to make this year's ceremony an exceptional digitally connected awards show. In addition to simulcasting the SAG Awards® live from the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday, Jan. 25, the networks will have a team of social media correspondents and influencers to provide behind-the-scenes play-by-play before and during the ceremony using the hashtag #sagawards. In addition, TBS and TNT are once again teaming up with PEOPLE.com to present a live webcast of the SAG Awards Red Carpet Pre-Show, which will also include the announcement of this year's honorees for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Film and in a Television Series.

- Showtime Networks has acquired the rights to Dreamcatcher, the inspirational portrait of Chicago’s Brenda Myers-Powell whose Dreamcatcher Foundation fights to end human trafficking and to prevent the sexual exploitation of at-risk youth. The documentary was acquired before its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off today.

- Elisha Cuthbert, Nick Zano and Kelly Brook star in an all-new comedy about an unconventional family, One Big Happy premiering Tuesday, March 17 at 9:30 on NBC.


- Hulu has greenlit an order for a long-form comedy series from Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and RocketJump, the three companies announced today. The series will be produced by RocketJump in association with Lionsgate Television and will stream exclusively on Hulu. Fresh off the Season 3 success of RocketJump’s YouTube series Video Game High School, the new Hulu original will expand upon the global success of Freddie Wong and RocketJump’s short films. Each half-hour episode of the series will chronicle the filmmaking behind RocketJump’s newest short. The eight full episodes will be released exclusively on Hulu on a weekly basis and the newly-created shorts will premiere exclusively on Hulu as well.

- Hulu today announced the launch of Toyota AdZone, an annual experience that brings the best in Super Bowl advertising to one place. Now in its fifth year, Toyota AdZone will host one of the most comprehensive libraries of Super Bowl ads past and present, and will allow fans to vote in real-time for their favorite game day commercial.

Previewing King of the Nerds: Season Three

At the end of the introduction of the third season of King off the Nerds (now on Fridays), Bobby announces at the end of the season someone will be “crowned the King of the Nerds.” After an awkward dramatic pause, Curtis follows that up with a sheepish “or Queen.” Of course they had to add this because technically speaking there has yet to be an actual king to win, they have both been queens. In the first season, an attractive nerd, who was legitimately hot, not just nerd hot, won because what respectable nerd would vote off the token hot chick (if only the contestants of Survivor would be as tongue tied instead they always vote out the token hot chicks within the week usually).

The second season they only had a couple contestants that were nerd hot and even recruited a homosexual nerd who did not even need someone to warn him he should never trust a big butt and a smile, yet the outcome was the same: a female took the Throne of Games. So as the third season starts, you have to wonder if a dude will ever be crowned champion.

One of the funniest bits of the second season was when Bobby and Curtis went on this big dialogue about the big twist in picking teams from the first season and how everyone on the second season knew there was a twist and they knew that the contestants knew. In the end the host just did the same twist. There is a new way of picking teams (as decried by Curtis conjuring his inner Terminator) this season as everyone can tell as there is an even twelve contestants this season.

This time around there is some familiar type of nerds: there is a NASA engineer, marine biologist, mathematician, cosplayer (this one is a professional, just do not ask me how you make money for it), gamer, and a comic book nerd. We are introduced to some new nerd types this season. There is a Jeopardy champion and most people are probably familiar with larpers (which stands for Live Action Role Player) as it has seeped into popular culture a couple times with many movies and television shows mentioning the event before. But forgive me for have no clue what a “brony” was before this season. For the uninitiated, a brony is a grown male fan of the television show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Alrighty.

As great as the first season was, it seemed like in the second season the writers were running out of ideas for challenges. That is not the case at least in the first episode of the new season. Right off the bat each team is tasked with creating a steam punk Rube Goldberg Machine (the most famous is probably the board game Mouse Trap) within twenty-four hours. Each contraption is then judged by the guy who created the Rube Goldberg Machine for OK Go’s This Too Shall Pass music video, Winny Cooper herself, and legitimate math genius Danica McKellar, and some dude from True Blood. Then for the Nerd Off there is another entertaining Godzilla themed challenge. Some of the other celebrity judges this season will include Yaya Han, Billy Boyd, Moby, Lisa Loeb, Travie McCoy, Penn Jillette and Rachelle Lefevre.

King of the Nerds airs Fridays at 9:00 on TBS.

Winter 2015 Music Preview

Like the past few winters, the marquee names are far and few in between and most are listed in the TBD section but here are the albums coming out in the next couple months that will probably at least be worth a spin on Spotify. Click on the album name to pre-order on Amazon and the artist name to be taken to their iTunes page.

Last Week
Uptown Special - Mark Ronson
Evermotion - Guster
Me EP - RaeLynn
Soundtrack of My Life - Donny Osmond

This Week
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World - The Decemberists
Tetsuo and Youth - Lupe Fiasco
American Beauty/American Psycho - Fall Out Boy
Fear and Saturday Night - Ryan Bingham
Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance - Belle and Sebastian
For the Taking - Elenowen

January 27
The Phosphorescent Blues - Punch Brothers
Wanted on Voyage - George Ezra
Then Came the Morning - The Lone Bellow
Interlude - Jamie Cullum
Forever Charlie - Charlie Wilson
Sco-Mule - Gov't Mule
Tony Lucca - Tony Lucca

February 3
Shadows In The Night - Bob Dylan
Afraid of Ghosts - Butch Walker
Further Deeper - The Church

February 10
The Last Five Years Soundtrack - Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan
Smoke and Mirrors - Imagine Dragons
Tomorrow Is My Turn - Rhiannon Giddens
Love Stuff - Elle King
True Romance - Estelle
Whatever, My Love - The Juliana Hatfield Three
A Quien Quiera Escuchar - Ricky Martin
Last Dragon -Sisqó

February 24
Archis - Archis
First Kiss - Kid Rock
Just Kids - Mat Kearney
Our Own House - MisterWives

March 3
Chasing Yesterday - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
another eternity - Purity Ring
Strangers to Ourselves - Modest Mouse
The Firewatcher's Daughter - Brandi Carlile
Aureate Gloom - of Montreal

March 10
Rebel Heart - Madonna

March 17
Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith - Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield

March 24
Toto XIV - Toto
Short Movie - Laura Marling

March 31
Kintsugi - Death Cab for Cutie
Southern Style - Darius Rucker
Carrie and Lowell - Sufjan Stevens
The Day Is My Enemy - The Prodigy

April 7
After it All - Delta Rae
New Glow - Matt and Kim
Froot - Marina and The Diamonds

TBD
No Pier Pressure - Brian Wilson
Radio Silence - James Blake
Bush - Snoop Dogg
Black Is the New Black - Everclear
Adele
Ashley Monroe
Kacey Musgraves
Kanye West
Metallica
TLC (donate to the Kickstarter now)
Van Halen

As always, let me end with the obligatory maybe this will be the quarter that Dr. Dre will finally drop Detox.

The 100 Best Songs of 2014

1. Destination - Nickel Creek

2. Take Me to Church - Hozier

3. Boom Clap - Charli XCX

4. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

5. XO - Beyoncé

6. Kansas City - The New Basement Tapes

7. Say You Love Me - Jessie Ware

8. Blue Moon - Beck

9. Get Hurt - The Gaslight Anthem

10. Waiting Game - Banks

11. Mother and Father - Broods

12. Gotta Get Away - The Black Keys

13. Dearly Departed - Shakey Graves featuring Esmé Patterson

14. Keep It to Yourself - Kacey Musgraves

15. Understand - The Roots featuring Dice Raw and Greg Porn

16. Fever - The Black Keys

17. Supernova - Ray LaMontagne

18. Air Balloon - Lily Allen

19. If I Could Change Your Mind - Haim

20. Jungle - X Ambassadors and Jamie N Commons

21. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

22. Yellow Flicker Beat - Lorde

23. Blank Space - Taylor Swift

24. Bridges - Broods

25. Rollin' and Tumblin' - The Gaslight Anthem

26. Every Breaking Wave - U2

27. Bad Self Portraits - Lake Street Dive

28. Fall In Love - Phantogram

29. Beggin For Thread - Banks

30. I Blame Myself - Sky Ferreira

31. Brill Bruisers - The New Pornographers

32. Budapest - George Ezra

33. Gimme Something Good - Ryan Adams

34. Love Me Harder - Ariana Grande featuring The Weeknd

35. Our Time - Lily Allen

36. My Silver Lining - First aid Kit

37. I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

38. Magic - Coldplay

39. Left Hand Free - Alt-J

40. Do You - Spoon

41. Right Time - Nikki Lane

42. Rabbit - Lily and Madeleine

43. The Heart - Needtobreathe

44. First Things First - Neon Trees

45. Hurt You - Toni Braxton and Babyface

46. Be Mine - Meiko

47. Hate To See Your Heart Break - Paramore featuring Joy Williams

48. Strong - London Grammar

49. Reflections - Misterwives

50. Ex's and Oh's - Elle King

51. I'm Not the Only One - Sam Smith

52. She Used to Love Me a Lot - Johnny Cash

53. Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic

54. Ain't It Fun - Paramore

55. Cecilia and the Satellite - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

56. Just One of the Guys - Jenny Lewis

57. Red Eyes- The War on Drugs

58. Diamond Eyes - Boyz II Men

59. The Wall - Willie Nelson

60. Kingdom - Common featuring Vince Staple

61. The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez

62. This Is What It Feels Like - Banks

63. I Don't Want To Change You - Damien Rice

64. Let's Be Still - The Head and the Heart

65. Happy Idiot - TV on the Radio

66. Another Story - The Head and the Heart

67. Talk (Expletive Deleted), Get Shot - Body Count

68. Morning Song - The Avett Brothers

69. High Road - Mastodon

70. Something from Nothing - Foo Fighters

71. Never Gonna Change - Broods

72. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) - U2

73. Foil - "Weird Al" Yankovic

74. Automatic - Miranda Lambert

75. Don't - Ed Sheeran

76. Invisible - U2

77. Brain - Banks

78. L.A.F. - Broods

79. Back in the World - David Gray

80. Lazaretto - Jack White

81. Drowning - Banks

82. Girls - The 1975

83. Ink - Coldplay

84. Drive-in Movies - Ray LaMontagne

85. Riptide - Vance Joy

86. The Chamber - Lenny Kravitz

87. Paris - Magic Man

88. Stay With Me - Sam Smith

89. Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future - Mike Doughty

90. Tough Love - Jessie Ware

91. Let Her Down Easy - George Michael

92. Figure It Out - Royal Blood

93. I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You - The Hold Steady

94. Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon

95. Somethin' Bad - Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood

96. Cool Kids - Echosmith

97. Wild - Royal Teeth

98. Stranger to My Happiness - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

99. Girl In a Country Song - Maddie and Tae

100. Waking Light - Beck