Around the Tubes: 11/25/2017

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 Alienist, Wild ‘N Out, Maggie Lindemann, Lady Antebellum, The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, Panama's Animal Highway, and Meth Storm.

- The Alienist opens when a series of haunting murders of boy prostitutes grips New York City. Newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) calls upon criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are joined by Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), a headstrong secretary determined to become the city's first female police detective. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and forensics, this band of social outsiders set out to apprehend one of New York City's first serial killers. The limited series also stars Douglas Smith, Matthew Shear, Matt Lintz, Robert Ray Wisdom and Q'orianka Kilcher. The Alienist premieres across TNT’s television, mobile and digital platforms on Monday, January 22nd, at 9:00.


- For the 10TH SEASON of Wild ‘N Out Nick Cannon and his world class crew of comedians and freestylers will be taking their hit show to Brooklyn! Over the years Wild ‘N Out has curated one of the most impressive arsenals of comedians and entertainers in the game. Mike Epps, Kevin Hart, Kat Williams, Mikey Day, Pete Davidson, DeRay Davis and more all started as Wild ‘N Out cast members. Each episode puts two teams, comprised mostly of seasoned vets, against each other in some of the most hilarious, entertaining and sometimes outlandish games seen on TV. Nick Cannon will lead his team against a celebrity-led squad and the two teams will try to best each other in ridiculous comic throw downs. These throw downs escalate with each act, all gearing up toward the main event: the “Wildstyle battle” to decide who takes home the coveted WNO battle belt. The show premieres on Thursday, November 30th with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 11:00 on MTV.

- Multi-platinum recording artist, Maggie Lindemann continues to prove that she is one of music’s newest pop heroines. The 19 year old artist lands today with her new single “Obsessed” (via 300 Entertainment)— a glittering pop gem infused with tropical synths and saccharine melodies.

- On Friday, November 24, AT&T* AUDIENCE Network will present the broadcast premiere of a special concert and documentary event with seven-time GRAMMY award-winning trio Lady Antebellum via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. The two-hour show, titled Lady Antebellum: YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR starts live at 8:00 and gives viewers full access to personal interviews and a never-before-seen televised concert packed with their biggest chart-topping hits and new favorites. The show was recorded live at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena--on the last official North American stop of the tour, which spanned over 60 shows this year and coincided with the release of their sixth studio album HEART BREAK.

- For nineteen months, American families were glued to their TV screens watching the saga of the kidnapped Patricia “Patty” Campbell Hearst as she turned from an American heiress to the automatic machine gun toting urban guerilla fugitive named Tania. Hear the inside story straight from Patty herself in The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, which features footage of her first interview following her release, first-hand audio tapes of the kidnappers and rediscovered news footage to reexamine the story that held a nation in thrall. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst airs this Sunday, November 26 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Smithsonian Channel’s Wild Wednesday lineup takes viewers on a journey of extremes, from the rugged beauty of South Dakota’s Badlands to the tropical jungles of Panama, to meet some of the amazing animals that call these locations home. While an extraordinary assortment of creatures migrate thousands of miles to escape to warmer weather, others must stick it out through the brutal winter. All of these animals have one thing in common: the struggle to survive. Get a closer look at the challenges these animals face on Smithsonian Channel with the premiere of Panama's Animal Highway on Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00 and America's Badlands on Wednesday, December 20 at 8:00.

- Today, 90% of the methamphetamine consumed in America comes over the border from Mexico in the form of a superdrug called ICE. As drug enforcement agents battle sophisticated cartels, poor, rural users, dealers and families are caught in the middle. Featuring extensive access to law enforcement, Meth Storm tells the story of rural, economically-disadvantaged users and dealers whose addiction to ICE and lack of job opportunities have landed them in an endless cycle of poverty and incarceration, and follows police and DEA agents struggling to stop the cartels. Debuting this MONDAY, NOV. 27 (10:00–11:40 p.m. ET/PT), this timely presentation is both a cautionary tale and a high-stakes drama told from inside the war on drugs. The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

The Voice Season Thirteen Not So Live Playoffs Power Ranking

What the fork!?! Back in season six, the show realized taped Playoffs with coaches picking all three singers was an abject failure and when back to Live Playoffs… until this season. Which begs the question why? Is it simply because NBC did not want to preempt This Is Us? There were plenty ways around this, push This Is Us to 10:00. Or just do two hours on Wednesday. Just push The Blacklist episode back a week.

So we are left to wonder what would have happened had America voted. I think Jennifer’s team would be the same with America saving Noah and Chris and then Jennifer inexplicably saving Shi’Ann (even though Hannah deserved for making a horrible song almost listenable; seriously, Jennifer did really horrible job picking songs making me wonder if there was intentional bussing). Blake is slightly more questionable. Red probably would have (sadly) gotten America’s vote, and Chloe charted high on iTunes, then Blake could have saved Keisha. But America loves boring white guys so Mitchell could have very likely gotten the second spot with a bored housewife catnip of a song selection, but then again he charted very low. But if it counts as a votes, are the bored housewives more willing to part with their cash?

Things get interesting with Adam. Addison far and away charted the highest, but Jon, Emily, and Adam were all bunched up. I think Adam gets through with the country vote, and then Adam saves Jon. But how many people who would have downloaded Emily’s song if it was for a vote but didn’t since she did not advance. That may have been a bit of a change. Miley is probably the most questionable with all her singers bunched up together.

But I have reached that point of the season where I stop caring. I will probably catch Addison on YouTube and vote for her if I remember. So here is my final Power Ranking.

1. Addison Agen (Team Miley Adam)
2. Adam Cunningham (Team Blake Adam)
3. Noah Mac (Team Blake Jennifer)
4. Chloe Kohanski (Team Miley Blake)
5. Jon Mero (Team Adam)
6. Davon Fleming (Team Jennifer)
7. Janice Freeman (Team Miley)
8. Brooke Simpson (Team Miley)
9. Ashland Craft (Team Miley)
10. Keisha Renee (Team Blake)
11. Shi’Ann Jones (Team Jennifer)
12. Red Marlow (Team Blake)

Ugg, I hate these coaches, my top four are the four Steals left In the show. Miley in particular, her team would have been much better if it were Karli, Addison, and Chloe. Brooke and Ashland never lived up to their buzzed about Blind Auditions and though Janice improved I still find her mostly boring. But who cares what I think, here is how the top twelve charted on iTunes.

1. Noah Mac (19)
2. Addison Agen (31)
3. Red Marlow (62)
4. Chloe Kohanski (67)
5. Emily Luther (94)
6. Davon Flemming (95)
7. Jon Mero (100)
8. Adam Cunningham (104)
9. Janice Freeman (127)
10. Ashland Craft (152)
11. Noah Mac – Hold Back the River (164)
12. Chloe Kohanski – Landslide (171)
13. Brooke Simpson (169)
14. Keisha Renee (179)
15. Karli Webster (262)
16. Adam Pearce (266)
17. Addison Agen – Beneath You’re Beautiful (300)
18. Mitchell Lee (326)
19. Moriah Formica (337)
20. Anthony Alexander (363)
21. Noah Mac – Way Down We Go (486)
22. Red Marlow - Outskirts of Heaven (512)
23. Shi’Ann Jones (591)
24. Lucas Holliday (612)
25. Hannah Mrozak (637)
26. Natalie Stovall (655)
27. Addison Agen – Jolene (656)
28. Addison Agen and Karli Webster (684)
29. Emily Luther – Glitter in the Sky (773)
30. Chloe Kohanski – The Chain (862)
31. Keisha Renee – I Hope You Dance (904)
32. Esera Tuaolo (978)
33. Keisha Renee and Noah Mac (1031)
34. Davon Flemming - I Can Only Imagine (1112)
35. Chris Weaver (1191)
36. Whitney Fenimore (1434)
37. Emily Luther – Summertime (1434)
38. Janice Freeman – I’m Going Down (1487)

I have been saying Noah and Addison are the front runners for a couple rounds now in that they have been constantly recharting past performances. Both had all four in the top 1500 last week. Chloe and Keisha had three. Though if I were a betting man, I would still pick Red to win after two strong weeks on the charts. If you averaged the peaks of all four rounds, here is how everyone would rank (Janice, Chloe, and Shi’Ann all failed to chart one round and I gave them 1500 for the missing song).


1. Addison Agen (76)
2. Noah Mac (131.75)
3. Karli Webster (160.3)
4. Ashland Craft (163.25)
5. Brooke Simpson (191.5)
6. Davon Flemming (248.25)
7. Adam Cunningham (259)
8. Jon Mero (332)
9. Mitchell Lee (334.75)
10. Moriah Formica (339)
11. Keisha Renee (346.5)
12. Emily Luther (359.25)
13. Natalie Stovell (437.6)
14. Anthony Alexander (448.75)
15. Janice Freeman (501.75)
16. Red Marlow (518)
17. Chloe Kohanski (535.75)
18. Hannah Mrozak (547.25)
19. Chris Weaver (557.75)
20. Lucas Holiday (571)
21. Adam Peirce (701.5)
22. Shi’Ann Jones (719)
23. Esera Tuaolo (749.25)
24. Whitney Fenimore (755.6)

Wow, four of the top five were all on Miley’s team at the start of the season, though the top two are no longer on her team. I do wonder what would happen if we pulled an Olympic rull where you toss out the lowest score because Janice and Chloe had one bad performance but their last two were strong (same with Red who no one cared about his first two performances).

Weirdly, despite coaches getting to pick instead of he public, I went eleven for twelve on my picks (Mitchell instead of Chloe being the one I got wrong). Except Mitchell was one my finalist. So here are my revised picks:

Elimination Order: Shi’Ann, Janice, Brooke
Eliminated During Bloodbath: Chloe, Jon, Addison, Keisha, Davon
Finalists: Adam, Ashland, Noah
Winner: Red

And I just realized there is a lot of country and RnB this season, with only three (Chloe, Addison, and Noah) not fitting into that category. Five RnB, four country is way too much. If you are going to have the coaches pick the top twelve they need to do a much better job coming up with a more diverse sound. Shi’Ann has no right being here. Adam , Whitney, and or Moriah could have added some pure rock (Noah is more in the alt-rock vein). Clearly iTunes purchaser would have included Karli who is more of an old school pop singer compared to Addison’s newer take on the folk pop genre. Seriously, The Voice, white people can sing more than country on this show.

Previewing Search Party: Season Two

The first season of Search Party followed a bunch of annoying Brooklyn hipsters trying to find their missing college friend that they really did not communicate with anymore despite living in a time where it is really easy to stay in touch with everyone. But the thing is, I could tell from the very beginning how that season was going to end: with the whole missing thing being a misunderstanding and the friend would show up safe and sound on the finale. And though that is exactly how the mystery was resolved, the show did throw a huge curve at the end when the merry band of hipsters killed a dude.

Sure, they thought he had something to do with the disappearance and possible murder, except the friend was alive and well and he was a private investigator looking for a reward. So this was straight up murder. Much like the first season, early in the seconds season I f think I figured out how the season second season would end: these Brooklyn hipsters would end up in prison. Seriously, there is no way these morons could possibly get away with murder, can they? Sure it would hard for there to be a show if most the of the main characters are in prison unless there is big switch in season three.

Each of the annoying Brooklyn hipsters are rationalizing the tragedy in their own way. Dory keeps seeing things, Elliot developed a rash, Drew is trying to get his job to transfer him to the Shanghai office in hopes there is no extradition treaty, and Portia actually veers into trauma by joining a play about the Manson murders. Needless to say none of these coping mechanisms go very well. Oh yeah, and lets not forget the gang’s token black friend (who knew he went on to become ABC’s The Mayor) who joins the staff of a senatorial campaign of someone who looks a lot like nineties era Hilary Clinton. Though I am not entirely sure if this was intentional but this candidate does act more like Bill than Hilary behind close door in an eerie bit of timing with all the current senate candidates right now.

The thing about the first season was it was fun watching a bunch of incompetent hipster try to do something good for the first time in the lives and bumble their way through their task. But watching a bunch of incompetent hipster try to get away with murder and bumble their way through their task is not nearly as entertaining. It was really mostly a drag. The most entertaining part came in the second to last episode where a not so incognito Portia and Eliot do a very poor job tailing someone. See the uncomfortable comedy is much better when the stakes were low. But I will say, much like the end of the first season, I was shocked by the ending and left wondering what they possibly be doing in season three.

Search Party airs Sundays at 10:00 on TBS and airs back to back episodes each week.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 11/18/2017

The Walking Dead: Go ahead and kill all the humans you want, but why the fork did they need to kill the tiger? And just after we learned how the King saved her. Booooooooo.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Behavior: Wow, Letty made the worst dude ever. Are there really drag queens that skinny out there? They really should have gone with Javier in drag, at least it would have been funnier.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

White Famous: Maybe it was because Mr. Robot did it a couple days before, but there was a point where I thought this was one long shot, and then there was a bunch of quick cuts and got that wrong. Then I had a suspicion that this was all a dream because that cat fight was a little weird, especially when they both just ran out of the house. Wrong on both accounts.

Supergirl: The pervert scandal hit Supergirl this week with one of the producers of the show was accused by multiple women. This was kind of shocking in that Surpergirl lays on the girl power themes pretty quick and I really never notice the guys perversion seep into them… well that was until teenaged Kara walks into the boys locker room and is offered a peep show. Well, that was poor timing especially with what is going on in Alabama.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Lucifer: Well that was weird, an episode that really does not fit in the timeline and was just basically a loop of a character we just met. Interesting that this Hell is basically the same Hell described Preacher where you have to relive the worst moment in your life over and over again. Of course if he died while Lucifer is on Earth, who exactly is administering things down there?
You can download Lucifer on iTunes.

The Challenge: Dirty 30: I know this is season where everyone is playing dirty, but c’mon, you make us wait a week after the finale to see who wins… and then wake us wake another forking week. Although where most reunion show are mostly boring, oh my goodness, what the fork happened with Tori’s phone!?!
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: Wait, what just happened? Everyone hates Joe, the seemingly split the votes just in case Joe found yet another Idol, but then voted out Desi. What? And I have to say of all the lame advantages that have popped up recently, Laurens save a vote for later is the least stupid. Except how did she pull it off? I am at hope counting votes every week so how with eleven people do Joe and Desi not go, wait, how is this a tie with an odd number of people?
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunesr.

The Blacklist: You know what, if I ever fall afoul to some really bad dudes who are going to kill me, I hope they have the common curtosy to put on some classic yacht rock while they do it. Oh yeah, and Tom died. So I guess we are never going to get resolution on what was happening on the Redemption spin-off. Oh well.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Mr. Robot: I spent half the last episode with a growing suspicion that Angela would not make it out alive and the crept into this episode too. Especially when she had a gun pointed out her. But when the robber ran off, I realize, she is not going to be killed by some random person. Then in the next season when she ran into Darlene, I realize, oh, Darlene is going to kill Darlene. Except she did not. I am going to spend every episode thinking she is going to die which probably will happen the moment I stop thinking it is coming.
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.

Blindspot: Why didn’t drunken Patterson crash every wedding dedication? Oh well. Oh yeah, and Jane has a daughter. Wait, what? Which begs the question, who is the father? And how old is the daughter? She would have to be at least five. Except small kids are boring, it would be a lot more interesting if she is older. If Jane was a teen mom, you could reasonable say the kid could be as old as twenty if you say Jane is in her mid-thirties (the actress is currently thirty-three; not that Hollywood does not fudge ages; the Gilmore Girls were only eleven years apart in real life). I kind of hope the daughter is a Hannah situation, a kid assassin, that would be the most interesting.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: 11/17/2017

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 Chi, Rachel Platten, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings, Tears For Fears, Survival in the Skies: Space Suits, Ella Fitzgerald, Sigrid, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul, Meth Storm, Megnify, Teyana & Iman, and GSN marathons.

- Showtime has released the full trailer and the official poster art for the highly-anticipated drama series The Chi, created and executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Common (Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O) who also serves as showrunner. The series, which explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago, premieres on Sunday, January 7 at 10:00.


- Tune in Friday, November 10 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special "Rachel Platten" on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.Airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT theone-hourconcert features the multi-platinum, EMMY award-winning pop star Rachel Platten. Shot on location in Los Angeles in ultra high-definition 4K, Rachel performs all the hits and joins series host Ted Stryker for an intimate look at her career.

- Oso Studios and Facebook today announced the premiere of Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings, an original unscripted series on minor league baseball hosted by the comedy icons. The ten-episode digital series debuts on Facebook Watch on Monday, November 20 with new episodes available weekly on Mondays. People can add the show to their watchlist by following the Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings Show Page.

- Following a sold-out summer arena tour highlighted by their triumphant UK return in front of 65,000-plus fans as s pecial guests of The Killers during British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park, Tears For Fears - Roland Orzabal [vocals, guitar, keyboards] and Curt Smith [vocals, bass, keyboards] - close out 2017 with the release of their first career-spanning Greatest Hits album, Rule The World. The collection arrives everywhere November 10, 2017 on UMe. It's available for pre-order at the band's official site now.

- Every day, pilots and astronauts face life-or-death situations when they risk their lives to test the capabilities of physics and science. With limited time, harsh conditions and the pressure of survival, they must do everything they can to make it back on the ground safely. Survival in the Skies tells the stories behind incredible pieces of space and aviation technology, from the invention of the parachute to the development of space suits. The series features stories of the people who created these amazing breakthroughs and the men and women who relied on them when their survival hung in the balance. The premiere episode, Survival in the Skies: Space Suits, airs Tuesday, November 28 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Verve Records and UMe will close out their year-long celebration of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald’s centennial with the ultimate present for her 100th birthday – a completely unreleased live album. More than 60 years after it was recorded, Ella At Zardi’s will finally be released on CD and digital on December 1. WBGO, the global leader in jazz radio, premiered the album’s opening track, “It All Depends on You,” both on the air and at WBGO.org, with an accompanying article. The song, popularized by Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, was never released on any of Fitzgerald’s albums, making this a truly rare performance. Listen at WBGO.

- In the past nine months, Sigrid has gone from unknown to one of the most exceptional breakout artists of 2017. Sigrid’s rise has been unrivaled; from releasing her acclaimed debut Don’t Kill My Vibe EP, which has amassed over 100M global streams – to playing multiple festivals worldwide and being chosen as Apple’s Up Next Artist, all in less than a year. Now Sigrid releases the mighty ‘Strangers’, produced by Martin Sjolie, the dream pairing behind ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’. With lyrics of steel, meandering melodies and stark honesty, ‘Strangers’ embodies the natural, sincere talent Sigrid has become renowned for. Watch the lyric video to the track HERE.

- A concert special from Grammy® Award-winning superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul will premiere on Friday, November 17 at 9:00 on Showtime, on-air, on demand and over the internet. The special was shot over the summer in the U.S. on this year’s Soul2Soul The World Tour. Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul is directed and executive produced by the award-winning Magical Elves production team of Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Katy Perry: Part of Me). The tour documentary includes live performances from their Soul2Soul tour, as well as unprecedented access to Tim and Faith, with never-before-seen interviews and behind-the-scenes footage capturing their unmatched chemistry on and off the stage.

- Today, 90% of the methamphetamine consumed in America comes over the border from Mexico in the form of a superdrug called ICE. As drug enforcement agents battle sophisticated cartels, poor, rural users, dealers and families are caught in the middle. Featuring extensive access to law enforcement, Meth Storm tells the story of rural, economically-disadvantaged users and dealers whose addiction to ICE and lack of job opportunities have landed them in an endless cycle of poverty and incarceration, and follows police and DEA agents struggling to stop the cartels. Debuting Monday, NOV. 27 at 10:00, this timely presentation is both a cautionary tale and a high-stakes drama told from inside the war on drugs. The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

- FOX Sports Films is excited to present Megnify, a new feature-length documentary series, leveraging sports as a lens for examining important cultural stories. The films’ deep explorations of athletes’ on and off-the-field journeys connect to the challenges, change and unity that sports can bring to communities. “This commitment to deeper storytelling – pointing the cameras where they’re needed most -- diversifies our voice and gets audiences thinking about sports in a broader context beyond wins and losses,” says Charlie Dixon, EVP, Content at FOX Sports. “The aim is to create dialogue and hopefully affect change in the communities where these stories are told.” The first documentary in the series is “89 Blocks” (82 minutes) airing Sunday, November 26 on FOX. The film, executive produced by Time Inc.’s SPORTS ILLUSTRATED with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s UNINTERRUPTED, brings an authentic perspective to the story of the East St. Louis High School Flyers football team -- the pride and joy of a complex, at-risk Illinois community. This look at their exceptional challenges and heartwarming triumph during the 2016 season is directed by Emmy winner Josh Oshinsky.

- VH1 today announced the new series Teyana & Iman will premiere Monday, February 19 at 10PM ET/PT. The eight, 30-minute episodes will provide an intimate look into newlyweds Teyana Taylor, a trend-setting singer, dancer, model and actress, and Iman Shumpert, a professional athlete, musician, dedicated father and loving husband.

- Celebrate Thanksgiving with a GSN marathon! Gather the family ‘round to watch game show favorites The $25,000 Pyramid, The Chase, and Family Feud while you're waiting for (or digesting) that delicious turkey.
Thanksgiving Day Marathons, Thursday November 23rd:
8:00am - 12:00pm – The $25,000 Pyramid
12:00pm - 7:00pm – The Chase
7:00pm - 11:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
And the fun doesn't stop once the pumpkin pie has run out - come back on Friday, Nov. 24th and Saturday, Nov. 25th for more mini-marathons including Match Game, Cash Cab, and more Steve Harvey.
Friday November 24th Marathon:
8:00am - 12:00pm – Match Game
12:00pm -11:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
Saturday November 25th Marathon:
11:00am - 4:00pm – Cash Cab
4:00pm - 8:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
8:00pm - 11:00pm – The Chase

Previewing There's... Johnny! and GameFace

We have finally reached peak streaming because something called Seeso just folded before I ever heard of it. According to Wikipedia, it was basically an over the top channel from NBC Universal devoted to comedy with shows that had appeared on its network. It officially launched January 2016 and shit down earlier this month. I being this up because they had just started creating original content, much of which got moved to other streaming sites I have never heard of.

The most ambitious of the bunch had not even premiered when Seeso went under but was saved by a streaming service I have actually heard of, Hulu. There’s… Johnny! follows a Midwestern guy who travels to Los Angeles mistaking a stock response from the show as an actual job offer. When he shows up for work just shy of 11:30, the surprisingly understanding guard points out the show is not live and actually let him on the lot and a day later he gets a job as a goffer on The Tonight Show.

Ian Nelson (The Boy Next Door) played the doe eyed kid. The always good Jane Levy (Suburgatory) is an assistant talent coordinator who takes a shine to the kid. T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh (In Living Color) is the gatekeeper to Johnny. And Tony Danza (Who’s the Boss) does his best Mad Men audition as the executive producer. While minus the dirty stuff the ad men did and the creator of that show was alleged to do.

Really the tone of There’s… Johnny! is more Wonder Years than Mad Men in that it is a much idealized version of the time. One of the bosses is a black woman and George Carlin does not ask any of the pages if he could touch himself in front of them. Okay the writers do refer to one of their co-workers Joy as Joy of Sex, one of the ladies takes her shirt off in front of a guy the first day they meet, while the F-word gets thrown around a couple times.

The show is quant and nostalgic which actual scenes from The Tonight Show circa 1972 thrown in. Paul Riser (Mad About You) is the creator, producer, and even wrote the first episode. Sure these episodes will likely be the last as the original network folded and Levy has already landed two more shows (including the upcoming Hulu Steven King universe show Castle Rock) but it is something most of the family can gather around with Thanksgiving next week and remember or simpler time. Or just watch it while avoiding the family next week.

All episodes of There’s… Johnny! is available to stream now on Hulu.



English humour is an acquired taste. And it is one that I have not quite acquired yet unless it is delievered by Edgar Write with Simon Pegg starring. But I will admit to laughing more than I do to most Bristish shows when watching GameFace. The show was created and stars Roisin Conaty. Her Marcella reminds me a lot of SMILF’s Bridget. Both are struggling actors who are struggling even more to keep their lives together. Thankfully Marcella does not have a kid, but on the flipside she probably has a decade on Bridget.

Sure Marcella is trying to get her life together, she is learning how to drive (though regularly called by her teacher asking where she is), she has a life coach (though it was a gift from her mom), and can still book acting gigs every once and a while (if you consider children’s parties gigs). The show does have some dark undercurrents as Marcella walks in on a suicide attempt in the first episode and has to deal with the death of an ex-boyfriend mother in the second. If you do have the acquired taste of British humour, you may want to give GameFace a try.

All episodes of GameFace is available to stream now on Hulu.

Previewing Mythbusters and Street Science

Mythbusters seems like a show I would like, except it fell into that category of television show that aired on a channel never watched mixed with being too lazy to find it. But there is no way better to get me to watch a show than to send me a screener. So now I know that the show airs on Science channel (okay, I still have no idea what channel that is on my cable box. But again I thought I would like it because I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories and I am more a Occam’s Razor guy which states “that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected” which basically the most obvious answer is usually the right one.

Since I never saw the original I really cannot judge these new guys, who won some Mythbusters Search that I also did not watch. But my first impressions are these guys are overexciteable, the type of guys who think everything is awesome

But I am not here for the host, I am much more interested in the myths. In the first episode the new host test out if when you put your feet up on the dashboard, would deploying the airbags be fatal even at low speeds and can you cut straight threw the neck where the head dramatically stays put before falling of like in ninja and zombie movies? Um, did the bust all the myths in the first run? To me, Occam ’s razor would say, you may lose some limbs but you will not die and you are not getting a blade threw bone. Well, unless a zombie has been rotting for a while. But you will have to watch to find out. I will say it is very amazing how realistic crash test dummies are now.

Then next week’s episode they will be testing that if a burgle gets stuck in a fireplace and the unknowing owners like the propane fireplace with a leak, will he become a “rocketman?” The other myth says that a bullet that is log in a tree will shoot into a lumberjack when he tries to cut into it. In my opinion Occam ’s razor would say guy may not survive but he is not going airborne. Then in the other myth, um, who would ever think of this. I am not sure there is an Occam ’s razor for that.

Mythbusters airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on Science Channel.

Now I had heard of Mythbusters, but not only have I never seen Street Science, I have never even heard of it. But they had me at: a five found Gummy Bear, potassium chlorate, a concrete block, and a blowtorch. Science people. Fun times. It is just in its second season but this show follows a bunch of scientists who perform experiments, well, on the street. Yeah, the title pretty much sums the show up. Okay not all their science happens on the street like in the premiere where the boys try to create a fire ball thrower that comes out their wrist like Spiderman’s web thrower. There is even a running segment of “Will it Burn” which is a lot more entertaining than Letterman’s “Will it Float.”

If fire launcher is not cool enough for you, the guys create a person launcher in the second episode. And the professionals are not helping because they have no interest in sharing trade secrets so the scientist have to figure it out themselves and then test it even though thirty “cannonballers” have died. Street Science is one of those fun science shows that is fun for the whole family. Well unless a member of you family is quick to ignore the “Do not try this at home” warning and go around lighting everything in the house just to see if it will burn.


Street Science airs Wednesdays at 10:00 on Science Channel.

Previewing Future Man

It is interesting in the advertising of Future Man says it is from the same guys behind Sausage Party and This Is the End and not Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s other television show on right now. It is a smart move, not just because it would be kind to say that show got mixed reviews. But Preacher was based on nineties graphic novel and Future Man is from the brains of the writing duo like the previous mention mentions. And what makes those two movies stand out was that they were high concept movies with low IQ characters.

Future Man follows that high concept filled with stupid people as Josh Henderson (Journey to the Center of the Earth) stars as a janitor who spends all his free time playing video games. He becomes so obsessed with Biotic Wars he is basically the only one left playing while everyone has moved on to the latest one. So he becomes the first person to actually beat the game. And while celebrating the only way a guy who spends too much time playing video games can, two characters from the game show up.

It turns out the game was sent from the future to recruit the best fighters from our time to fight the real Biotic Wars in the future because the resistance has run out of fighters to help win the war. (Yes this is the plot of The Last Starfighter, but even the writer cop up to this and that is even part of the trailer.) Except videos games in the future are for training, unlike this time when it is played by the least athletic. See what I said about high concept, I just burned through two paragraphs just explaining the basic plot even though must network executives want you to be able to explain your show in one line. Of course maybe this is why most network shows are boring.

One of the soldiers from the future is Derek Wilson (Preacher) who may actually be dumber than Henderson because the latter at least has a basic liberal arts education; all Wilson knows to do it fight. And his commanding officer, Eliza Coupe (Benched) is not much smarter. Like I said, high concept, stupid people. And you also get a bit of wacky partners mixed in too. The future soldiers are quick to kill the guy who invented the Biotics where Henderson, who is only comfortable with killing cartoon characters on his television would like to change history in less violent way in hilarity, ensues because everyone involved is kind of incompetent.

Oh, and a lot of hilarity ensues. Be it in the past where they debate killing baby Hitler, or in the future where they break into a famous director’s house to get more time travel material. There is a very high laughs per minute ratio. Well that is if you really enjoy sophomoric humor. If you have not liked any of Rogan or Goldberg’s movies, this show will not change your mind about them. But I will be laughing all the way to the end.

Hulu might not be pumping out the content of other streaming options or networks are, but of the three new shows they debuted in 2017, Harlots was really good, The Handmaids Tale was great, and Future Man is already one of the funniest shows on television. Then next week, Marvel’s Runaways premieres and, well, no one bats a thousand. Which may end up being my official review because the screeners I watched of the first two episodes were not for review. Hulu took those two down a month ago and have not put any up for review.

All episode of Future Man are available now to stream on Hulu.

Previewing Ill Behaviour

Cancer is not funny. This is probably why there are not many comedies about the subject. Off the top of my head there is 50/50 where Joseph Gordon Levitt is diagnosed with schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma and Funny People in which Adam Sandler has acute myeloid leukemia. Weirdly enough Seth Rogan was the second lead in both movies coming out two years apart. Leave it to the British to turn tragedy into a television show with Ill Behaviour. Of course since this is an originally a British show, the series lasts just three hours which Showtime will be showing in six half hour episodes here stateside.

Ill Behaviour stars Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons), father of two who has decides after finding a cancerous lump on his neck that he is going to forgo chemotherapy, with a ninety-four percent success rate, for more holistic treatments of acupuncture, enemas and juicing. This does not sit well with his childhood friends including Chris Geere (You’re the Worst) who, after some life changing news too, decide to kidnap their sick friend and force chemotherapy treatments on their friend.

To do so, first they need some chemo drugs, and those are supplied by a morally questionable oncologist in the form of Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex). Needless to say hijinks in sue and concludes is a surprisingly tense climax. Despite hiding behind some cringeworthy British humour and drugged out characters it does tackle some deep philosophic and moral question, most importantly should you and when should you step in when someone you love is doing something harmful to their being. And at just three hours, it does not stick around too long. I wish America would do more bite sized shows like this as there are too many shows on right now whose thin conceit is spread out amongst ten to twenty episodes.

Ill Behaviour airs Mondays at 10:30 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 11/12/2017

The Walking Dead: Well that guy from season one did not last very long. Well, I guess he is still around since Daryl did not shoot him around. Same with the gay homosexual. Seriously, his boyfriend was, sure, fine; he will still be hear during a zombie apocalypse gunfight when I get back? Get the dude to a doctor. I think the characters on this show are somehow getting dumber.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Behavior: Yeah, I am not buying it. I do not see an FBI really chancing losing her job and being sent to a prison possibly fill with people she put there because a petty thief thinks she can rob an FBI evidence locker.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

White Famous: Wait, the fake show is done? I guess they can get funding elsewhere depending on who owns the rights. I would not mind if Floyd would move on to another project though just to get away from Michael Rapaport

Supergirl: Good riddance lesbian. Can we please go back to season one when neither of the Danvers sisters dated? But this probably mean Mon-El will be back next week.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

The Challenge: Dirty 30: They are not going to announce the winner until the Reunion Show? How Survivor of them. Except Survivor airs its reunion show for after the finale, so only the contestants have to wait, not the audience. Meh. But at least I can make a guess of who wins and I am going tto go with Jordan and Tori.
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: Booooo, my two favorite contestants out in consecutive weeks. But you really cannot fault Ben or Lauren for going with the Heroes/Hustlers alliances because the alternative would be aligned with super annoying Tony and Cole would cannot keep his mouth shut. Speaking, Tony is a complete and utter moron. When you announce you have an Idol, and no one reacts, that means they are not voting for you. At that point, you either hold onto the Idol for later or give it to someone else. Well at least he no longer has an Idol and looking at the preview, everyone knows who gets the new Hidden Immunity Idol (or some stupid new advantage) so they can easily get rid of him next week.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunes.

The Blacklist: Yeah, I am getting more and more lost on the whole suitcase subplot.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Mr. Robot: Well that was ambitious. It probably took me fifteen minutes to realize that the episode would be one long take. And just when the gimmick started getting stale, a morsel of an idea started growing in my mind that Angela would not get out of the building alive. They clearly were building to something, thankfully that just turn out to be Angela running into Eliot.
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.

Gotham: I think this was the first time anyone called Tabitha “Tigress.” And that was sadly the most interesting part of the episode.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: Ooops, during the premiere when Rich and shared a secret, I just assumed they were doing the nasty. Nope, they were doing white hat hacking. Alright. So are all the new tattoos going to unveil a new secret about the team. Twenty-two episodes, which would be four secrets per team member. Unless they also unveil secrets of other agents not on the team.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Inhumans: I feel like I deserve a I watched every episode and all I got was this stupid t-shirt, t-shirt. Hopefully that is it. Sure Lockjaw and the little sister can show up on SHIELD except SHIELD looks like they are going to space this season.
Marvel's Inhumans on iTunes.

The Voice Season Thirteen Knockout Round Power Ranking

Usually coming out of the Knockouts, I rave about how Blake’s post-Blind team is average at best, but since he made the most strategic pairings and wisest winners, he goes into the Live Shows with the strongest teams. Except this season he is just abysmal. Sure the person he Stole is high on my list but his other four are in the bottom half of my list including the bottom two. Making things worse, two of his castoffs, Adam and Noah, have much brighter futures.

Speaking of questionable decisions, Miley, who has hosted my favorite team up to this point, does not seem to know how to play the game. A quick spoiler for the iTunes chart below, the top two people on the list were on her team at the start of the season, but now or on Adam and Blake’s team, two guys who have been here since the beginning. And that does not even include Karli Webster who did not have a chance to chart this round despite doing well on the charts the previous two rounds because Miley sent her home and she was inexplicably not stolen even though the other three Miley Knockout winners ranged from meh to just bad. Added to that she had the worst Steal of the round.

Imagine Miley could be going into Live Shows with Addison, Karli, Chloe, then take your pick between Brooke or Ashland, and then maybe Stolen Lucas or even gotten Hannah instead of Jennifer, that would have been one of the strongest Live Show teams even, instead, her team is just… meh. Oh well, it may be time for me to check out. Unless the comeback artists are Karli, Lucas, and, um… oh goodness, Blake and Adam really do not have much to bring back. I wonder if they could bring back Ignatious and Shilo, two people Jennifer and Miley should not have dumped in the Battles.

1. Addison Agen (Team Miley Adam): With Karli out, Addison is my token girl whom I am going to be irate when she is eliminate in favor of a bunch of boring white dudes this season. Well either that or Adam will force to sing Shania Twain.

2. Hannah Mrozak (Team Adam Jennifer): The most head scratching decision of the season. Sadly not even the top five worst Adam decisions of all time.

3. Adam Cunningham (Team Blake Adam): Blake is usually the most obvious coach, but I would have to put this second most shocking Blake decision after Nic Hawk over Holly Henry. But now on Adam's team, I have to onder what is worse, Blake's boring country songs, or Adam's bizarre song selections?

4. Chloe Kohanski (Team Miley Blake): Twice she has picked her songs and twice she has gone with Fleetwood Mac, usually not a good sign. Granted The Chain is a rock song and Landslide a ballad. Although if given the chose, Karli would be the better Steal in the long time. Which again shows the flaw in the Knockouts (and Blinds) in that when Steals are gone, they are gone leaving more deserving singers going home. This should be an easy fix.

5. Chris Weaver (Team Jennifer): A Knockout between songs that should be retired. But why is Zombie the only Cranberries song that is ever sung on this show. In fact, Linger, Ode to My Family, and When You’re Gone are better songs too.

6. Janice Freeman (Team Miley): I love my divas on this show, but c’mon, Karli has a much better chance going further. Karli was the iTunes leader while Janice barely sold any at this point and will likely go nowhere during the Playoffs. Seriously, Karli’s Battle performance was not the far two weeks later than Janice’s Knockout this round. If they were doing the stupid Coach’s Comeback again, Karli should be the obvious choice. But then again I remember people thinking that stupid twist was created during the Andi and Alex season, other big iTunes selling, and yet Adam brought back some nobody instead.

7. Davon Fleming (Team Jennifer): That was another fine performance but you really cannot help but roll your eyes at the song choice an think, could you pick something less cheesy next time?

8. Noah Mac (Team Blake Jennifer): Nothing says, this is just a prop more than walking away from the piano during a performance and no one notices the music change.

9. Brooke Simpson (Team Miley): Fine, I guess, but I really do not need to hear another person sing this song, especially a teenager.

10. Shi’Ann Jones (Team Jennifer): Wait, Lucas lost to like a high school freshman? What?

11. Esera Tuaolo (Team Blake): Like I said before, Blake is the most obvious to the point I did not even think I needed to see this Knockout. Adam is a finalist contender (at least on Team Blake, Adam’s track record with country artists is not good), Esera seems like Playoff fodder unless Blake saves him.

12. Jon Mero (Team Adam): From what they shows, it looked kind to montage Jon because what they did show was mostly embarrassing. Make me wonder if the other guy just happen to be worse or they montaged it to keep Adam from looking bad for picking him.

13. Keisha Renee (Team Blake): Yeah diversity I guess, but that was boring.

14. Emily Luther (Team Adam): Is she a late addition to the show because I do not remember her from the first two rounds. Maybe I nodded off like I fell asleep while watching this performance.

15. Adam Pearce (Team AdamMiley): Deep Purple on The Voice? Surprising, what’s not surprising: how much money… a coach on the show wasting a Steal. And that was twice Miley ruined Herstory with an underserving male.

16. Moriah Formica (Team Miley): I really liked Moriah’s first two performances, but that was just bad. Clearly a sign of Miley knowing who was going to win before anyone sang a note. Maybe Miley should have pitted her with Karli with the latter advancing, that would have made a much stronger team.

17. Ashland Craft (Team Miley) – Well that was kind of boring and bland.

18. Anthony Alexander (Team Adam): Seriously, what was Adam thinking? The coach’s banter has become unwatchable so I just watch the YouTube clips, but I may have to go back and watch that segment just so I can hear Adam’s absurd explanation.

19. Red Marlow (Team Blake): Oh, Blake, you are killing me this season with your most bland brand of country singers in the history of the show.

20. Mitchell Lee (Team Blake): Fork this guy. I actually saw Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwin McCain back in ’95 and this boring soft rocker to ruin both of them. Seriously, fork this guy.


oh wow, the top four are all Steals. Some bad decisions all around. But I mentioned how Blake and Adam know how to play the game since they have been here since the beginning, but apparently her years on The Voice UK gave Jennifer some need experience. Sure her team is a bit homogeneous with Chris and Davon being interchangeable. But to me she has the strongest team followed by Adam, with Miley dropping to third after a bunch of bad decisions and Blake following up the rear with his most boring team ever. Which probably means he will win. But let us look at the iTunes results:


1. Chloe Kohanski (11)
2. Addison Agen (34)
3. Noah Mac (40)
4. Red Marlow (96)
5. Emily Luther (99)
6. Davon Fleming (118)
7. Esera Tuaolo (130)
8. Adam Cunningham (141)
9. Janice Freeman (154)
10. Keisha Renee (159)
11. Mitchell Lee (163)
12. Chris Weaver (169)
13. Ashland Craft (189)
14. Addison Agen and Karli Webster (198)
15. Brooke Simpson (261)
16. Moriah Formica (263)
17. Hannah Mrozak (421)
18. Chloe Kohanski – The Chain (450)
19. Shi’Ann Jones (510)
20. Ashland Craft – You Are My Sunshine (589)
21. Noah Mac - Way Down We Go (704)
22. Adam Pearce (760)
23. Addison Agen – Jolene (744)
24. Anthony Alexander (828)
25. Jon Mero (837)
26. Keisha Renee and Noah Mac (924)
27. Ashland Craft and Megan Rose (1132)

So Addison, Ashland, and Noah are the only three that charted all three songs this round (Chloe being the only one to chart two of them).  Are these your front runners?  Here is how they would rank if you average their three peaks:

1. Addison Agen (91)
2. Ashland Craft (167)
3. Noah Mac (169.3)
4. Brooke Simpson (199)
5. Davon Flemming (299.3)
6. Adam Cunningham (310.6)
7. Mitchell Lee (337.6)
8. Moriah Formica (339.6)
9. Chris Weaver (346.6)
10. Jon Mero (396)
11. Keisha Renee (402.3)
12. Emily Luther (447.6)
13. Anthony Alexander (477.3)
14. Hannah Mrozak (517.3)
15. Red Marlow (670)
16. Esera Tuaolo (673)

There were four who either did not chart their Blind Audition or Battle, but if you average the two that did chart, it would go Janice Freeman (190), Chloe Kohanski (288), Shi’Ann Jones (392.5), and Adam Pierce (520). If you put the top twenty in a formula to see who has the best team, here is how they rank:

Adam – 63
Jennifer – 55
Miley – 54
Blake – 38

As usual, Adam is the iTunes king, except he kind of lucked into this round with his top two charters are both Steals while his original singers are middling from 10-14. Blake is surprisingly bad. His best is at seven, behind two of his cast offs. Of course these are based on averages, just looking at the most recent round, he has two of the top four. And country voters usually do not start buying in force until the semi-finals, so I would not count out Mitchell or Keisha. Alright, prediction time:

Team Adam
America Saves: Addison, Adam
Adam Saves: Jon

Team Blake
America Saves: Mitchell, Red
Blake Saves: Keisha

Team Jennifer
America Saves: Noah, Davon
Jennifer Saves: Shi’Ann

Team Miley
America Saves: Ashland, Brooke
Miley Saves: Janice

Elimination Order: Shi’Ann, Janice, Brooke
Eliminated During Bloodbath: Jon , Addison, Red, Davon, Noah
Finalists: Keisha, Ashland, Mitchell
Winner: Adam (and it will be even more unwatchable next season hearing how Adam beat Blake with his own singer)

Around the Tubes: 11/10/2017

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 Shut Eye, POV, Superstition, The Detour, The Mindy Project, The Alienist, Shameless. Foo Fighters, Chuck Berry, N.E.R.D., Billy Idol, Diana Ross, Aly and AJ, Nickelback.

- Check out the official trailer for the second season of the Hulu original drama series Shut Eye. All 10 episodes of Season 2 premiere Wednesday, Dec. 6 only on Hulu.


- Iraq veterans Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, haunted by combat experiences, decided to distance themselves from their demons by taking a 2,700 mile walk from Milwaukee to Santa Barbara, seeking redemption, acceptance and a way to close the deep moral chasm opened by war. That trek is the centerpiece of Almost Sunrise, a new film by director Michael Collins and Producer Marty Syjuco, whose Emmy-nominated "Give Up Tomorrow" aired on PBS in 2012. Almost Sunrise debuts on POV and all streaming devices Monday, November 13, 2017 at 10 p.m. (check local listings).

- Superstition centers around the Hastings family, owners of the only funeral home in the mysterious town of La Rochelle, Georgia. The family also acts as the keepers of the town’s dark secrets and history. Known for its haunted houses, elevated graveyards, odd townsfolk, and rich history of unusual phenomena, the town is also a “landing patch” for the world’s darkest manifestations of fear, guided into the world by an ancient, mysterious malefactor. XLrator Media’s Barry Gordon and MVPTV’s Mario Van Peebles (“Roots,” “Bloodline,” “Hand of God,” “Empire,” “Lost”) will produce, and Van Peebles will also write, direct and star in some of the episodes. Joel Anderson Thompson (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Boomtown,” “House M.D.”) has been tapped as showrunner and Laurence Andries (“Alias,” “Six Feet Under,” “Supernatural,” “The Pacific”) will executive produce. Episode 104 - "Through the Looking Glass" - Airs Friday, November 10 at 10:00 on SYFY.

- Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll, Daniella Pineda and Laura Benanti. Season 3 finds the Parkers on the lam in Alaska. After months of running, the family finally finds a community of misfits and decides to settle down and start rebuilding their lives. But they’re not out of the woods, as the law isn’t far behind. While Nate and Robin learn to take on new roles in the family, Delilah starts to become a young woman. And Jareb...well he’s still Jareb. Well intentioned, bad parenting at its best in the Land of the Midnight Sun.


- In the series finale of The Mindy Project, Streaming 11/14, Mindy’s fertility practice is in danger and Annette’s (Rhea Perlman) upcoming surgery looms large. While Mindy and Danny (Chris Messina) wait for word on the surgery, Mindy attends Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) and Tamra’s (Xosha Roquemore) dream wedding, where she and the rest of the Shulman gang try to find their own happy endings.

- Twenty-three years after its original release, Random House is republishing the Anthony Award-winning international bestseller, The Alienist, by Caleb Carr, available in bookstores nationwide on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The novel sold millions of copies after spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list. Turner's TNT will tap into the critically-acclaimed novel with the eagerly anticipated premiere of its original series, The Alienist, which is slated to premiere on Monday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 across TNT platforms.

- On the heels of Sunday’s eighth season premiere, which delivered 50 percent year-over-year growth, Showtime has given a ninth season order to Shameless. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

- Multi-Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters delivers an electrifying, historic performance at the famed Odeon of Herodes Atticus from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, in the latest installment of Landmarks Live in Concert for THIRTEEN’s Foo Fighters – LANDMARKS Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special. Captured this past July, Foo Fighters – LANDMARKS Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special premieres nationwide Friday, November 10 at 10:00 on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS OTT apps.

- Geffen/UMe will pay tribute to the immortal spirit of Chuck Berry, who would have turned 91 last month, with the ultimate vinyl version of his landmark greatest hits compilation, The Great Twenty-Eight, as it celebrates its 35th anniversary, with The Great Twenty-Eight: Super Deluxe Edition. On December 15, the album will be released as a limited edition five-disc box set on ‘Chess Blue’ vinyl, limited to only 500 copies worldwide and available exclusively via UDiscoverMusic.com. A wide release standard black vinyl edition will be available next year on January 26, 2018.

- The beats of “Lemon,” the surprising new single from Pharrell Williams’ N.E.R.D. band, are now freely available for all music-makers to play and adapt in ROLI’s NOISE app. Breaking the mold of the traditional soundpack, “Lemon by N.E.R.D” is a “Studiopack” that deconstructs the song into easy-to-use sonic elements that anyone can build back up and take in their own creative direction. Simply touching the screen of a smartphone or tablet brings the song’s sounds to life. Explore the pack today in NOISE, the free music creation app from ROLI.

- There are many who would agree that classic jazz from the 1950s and '60s sounds best when played on the medium it was originally intended for - namely, the vinyl LP. With that in mind, UMe is proud to present three vinyl box sets via Verve Records focusing on key albums from three of jazz's biggest and most influential stars from its golden era: singers Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington, together with tenor saxophone sensation, Stan Getz. Available December 8, each box set contains five of the artists' most popular and enduring albums mastered on 180-gram vinyl, and presented in authentic period sleeves that reproduce the original artwork. For those who prefer CD, the collections will be available on December 15.

- UMe and punk rock icon Billy Idol celebrate several of his best-loved works with newly remastered vinyl reissues of Idol’s first two solo LPs, Billy Idol and Rebel Yell, plus the expansive double-LP greatest-hits collection Idolize Yourself: The Very Best of Billy Idol. Each release is available beginning November 3rd on high-quality vinyl with faithfully reproduced iconic original album art.

- Diana Ross’ NEW album release, Diamond Diana: The Legacy Collection, is a memorable music journey that celebrates her iconic legacy. The 15-song collection contains some of her biggest hit recordings of her career and will be released digitally on November 17 through Motown/UMe. Diamond Diana: The Legacy Collection also includes as a special gift to her fans an exciting new dance club remix of her #1 hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

- Today, the duo arrive with Aly and AJ's staggering next installment, I Know, a glittering ode to friendship. From the opening moments, we're greeted with effortless vocals layered over saccharine synths that build to a climactic finish, complete with booming 80's-inspired 808 drums. "I Know" is the second song from their forthcoming EP, "Ten Years," due for release November 17, 2017, their first musical release in a decade. Their new direction is startlingly honest and a bold statement sonically. With their signature sound at the core of each track, the duo have experimented with wistful synths and breathy vocals that are teaming with a restless energy that is impossible to ignore.

- After a nearly seven-year absence from Las Vegas, multi-platinum, chart-topping rock band, Nickelback, is returning to Sin City for an impressive five-night run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Monster Truck will open all five shows. The limited run is made even more special with the announcement that these shows will be the only North American dates scheduled in 2018. Nickelback released their highly anticipated ninth studio album Feed The Machine, which debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard charts and recently completed a packed 45-city tour this past summer. Following their Vegas run, Nickelback will embark on the International leg of the Feed The Machine Tour throughout the remainder of 2018 (dates to be announced soon). The Las Vegas shows are scheduled for February 23, 24, 27 and March 2 and 3, 2018. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. PT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 11/5/2017

Ray Donovan: One day before I watched the finale, Showtime issued a press release saying Ray would be moving to New York next season to reconnect with his daughter. Um, spoiler alert. They could not wait until after the episode to let us know the show was being renewed? This was the network that did not tell up Penny Dreadful was canceled until it placed a title card at the end of the final episode saying “The End”. So I spent the whole time knowing that once Ray set foot in NYC, he would be staying there. Although the bigger disappointment was the season just ended with so many loose ends. So Bridget and Terry are already there. Is that the whole cast for next year? Lena could move because without Ray, she has no job. It sounds like Bunchy is staying in LA since he now owns the bar. Daryll got a producers job though but Micky’s movie could be made in New York. Speaking of Micky, they seem to have him dead to rights with multiple sworn statements, but he is fighting it. It would be hard to think that father/son storyline ends without one killing the other.

The Walking Dead: After shows are inherently silly and a waste of time, but I do leave Talking Dead on while I let my dog do her doggie business one more time out the back door, then turn the television off before hearing to bed. Like I said, Talking Dead is worthless, but it is a good thing I left it on this week because I had absolutely no clue the guy Rick ran into during the final scene was a guy Rick knew. And just as the guest said the scene sent everyone to the Google machine to remember who he was, I was doing just that. So that dude was from the original camp way back in season? Were we really supposed to remember him seven seasons later?
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

White Famous: I spent most of the dinner party wondering if the sex doll was modeled after an actual actress who will show up later as the late wife. Kind of looked like Paula Marshall to me.

Good Behavior: Why exactly did the FBI chick bring the parole officer to the fake cabin? Just to mess with him? He was no help in catching Javier, even inadvertently, and had he called earlier, could have saved Javier. But I am guess that Javier’s childhood friend will keep Javier and Letty from getting to jail. Though I am surprised Letty did not go to jail sooner because her little get money to pay for the spa did not go entirely to plan. And how does the kid not ID her because that wig was not that much different than her regular hair.
You can download Good Behavior on iTunes.

Supergirl: Um, what was that last scene? Where was that pod? What is going on?
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

The Gifted: You know what, if you know that there was a protest going on that had the potential of being so bad that your boss wants you to come in on your off day, maybe not take your kid to the park right next to where the protest is happening. People that stupid probably should not be having kids. But still, that was cruel to make him forget his child was dead.
You can download The Gifted on iTunes.

The Challenge: Dirty 30: Oh wow, they almost killed Jordan. But I wonder what would have happened had he not been able to compete since the final challenge has stages you have to compete in pairs. Would they have to bring back Tony to compete? Would they just make all the challenges dne by themselves?
You can download The Challenge: Dirty 30 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: What a horrible episode, my favorite got voted out and my least favorite found yet another Idol. But as stupid as it was for Turtleneck not float voting out Roark to Ali last week, it was the right decision to get rid of her now because she cannot tell all the other Hustlers he is a weasel next week and may even be able to get around with telling people they went to rocks. But this should make for an interesting merge. Only one Healer gone, two Heroes, half the orginal Hustlers. But three Hustlers cozied up with a Hero during the swap so seems obvious the Heroes will team up with the Hustlers to take out the Healers. Except the Healers have two Idols so it may be a case of can the Healers guess which one of them are they targeting.
You can download Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers on iTunes.

The Blacklist: When they said the case of the week involved a travel agency that just happened to stop assassinating people right around the time communism ended I was really hoping we were getting a The Americans crossover.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Mr. Robot: So we know Angela knows the difference between Elliot and Mr. Robot, but does Darlene? Does she know she was tailing Mr. Robot or think she was following Elliot
You can download Mr. Robot on iTunes.

Gotham: Ah, man, why kill Headhunter already? He was the best think since they aged up Poison Ivy (who they are inexplicably recasting).
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: So we learned of one of the big secrets from the premiere, apparently Jame’s big stash of cash was from rescuing kidnapped people… kind of boring.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Inhumans: Someone was telling me they gave up on the show because it was obvious it was going. I actually counteracted that by saying they just killed off the black guy. In the back of my head I thought, of course they will probably find a way to bring him back And they did just that. Thankfully there is just one episode left
Marvel's Inhumans on iTunes.

Previewing Shameless: Season Eight

It seems like every season of Shameless, something happens which I call the most shameless moment in the history of the show never to be topped… only for it to be the next season by something even more wild. That moment happens near the end of the third episode, and, oh my goodness, I doubt the writers can ever top that moment. But they will undoubtedly will somehow next season.

Shameless is predictable that way. Life in the Gallagher house sucks at the start of every season, things start looking up, then something horrible happens, and they are back at where they started by the end of the season. Then we get a couple month flashforward and a soft reboot every season. That is until now. All of the Gallagher love interests from last season are still around even if the couples crashed and burned last season. Ian’s ex-boyfriend who used to be a chick pops up a couple times in the first couple episodes. Lip’s ex-girlfriend is still working with him at the dinner as he offers to babysit. Her brother and Debbie are still a thing.

And though Fiona spent most of last season going from one Tinder hookup to the next, the first season involves her deleting the app because she wants something more. The person who went to the alter twice and averages a boyfriend per season is ready to settle down. Things are changing and growing so much, even Liam I think gets more lines in the first episode than he got in the previous seasons of the show combined.

But the biggest change of all this season may be Frank who, after the death of his wife has seen the error of his ways, is going around making amends and even goes so far to be a functioning member of society by actually getting a job. And not just to get injured so he can get more workmen’s comp. We will see just how long it last (I will predict it will last the season before he takes a copious amount of drugs and is back to his old degenerate self next season). Elsewhere this season, someone gets an unfortunate tattoo, Fiona runs into tenants in her new apartment who as bad as her father used to be (and some hot lesbians), there is a DUI, an ICE raid… of, yeah, and someone has a breast cancer scare. Never a dull moment on the South Side.

Shameless airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.

Around the Tubes: 11/3/2017

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 POV, The Librarians, Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials, Lavell Crawford, Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis, The Wallflowers, Fuse, Cimorelli, Winsanity, and The Secret World of Animal Sleep.

- Iraq veterans Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, haunted by combat experiences, decided to distance themselves from their demons by taking a 2,700 mile walk from Milwaukee to Santa Barbara, seeking redemption, acceptance and a way to close the deep moral chasm opened by war. That trek is the centerpiece of Almost Sunrise, a new film by director Michael Collins and Producer Marty Syjuco, whose Emmy-nominated "Give Up Tomorrow" aired on PBS in 2012. Almost Sunrise debuts on POV and all streaming devices Monday, November 13, 2017 at 10:00 (check local listings).

- TNT is moving the launch of its hugely popular fantasy series The Librarians to a new date. Season four will now have a one-episode premiere on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 8:00. Based on TNT's hit movie franchise, The Librarians centers on an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth and John Harlan Kim star in the series as protectors of the world's mystical treasures, with Emmy® winner John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. Noah Wyle (Falling Skies, ER) recurs in seven of twelve episodes this season as Flynn Carsen, the role he played in TNT's hit movie trilogy.

- Bob Hope, America's greatest entertainer of the 20th century, is celebrated in Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials, the most complete collection of his television specials ever assembled! The TV DVD archivists at Time Life have selected the very best of Hope's 250 network specials spanning five decades, many in support of the U.S. Armed Forces, for this ultimate boxed set. Celebrating the legendary and beloved entertainer's legacy, this one-of-a-kind collection is packed with comedy, music, dancing, movie stars, and, of course, Bob's memorable monologues all perfect for wholesome family viewing. Across 19 DVDs, fans will find more than 37 hours of specials, including 20 that have not been seen since their original broadcast. Available in stores November 14.

- Lavell Crawford is Home for the Holidays in his new one-hour stand-up comedy special premiering Friday, November 3 at 10:00 on Showtime on air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed at The Pageant in his hometown of St. Louis, the endearing funnyman taps into his family experiences growing up poor, offering his hysterical take on a multitude of holiday-related topics such as Black Friday, Christmas lists, “Trick or Treat,” BBQs on the 4th, homemade Easter outfits, Mother’s Day guilt and his family’s rendition of a Disneyland vacation.


- On Sunday, November 12 at 9:0, Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis airs on Smithsonian Channel, recounting the events of July 30, 1945, when the ship was sailing west towards the Philippines, after completing a secret mission delivering atomic bomb parts to an island in the Pacific. At 12:14 a.m. two torpedoes hit the ship, causing approximately 300 men to go down with it and leaving about 900 floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats, lifejackets, food or water. By the time the survivors are spotted by accident, four days later, only 317 men are still alive. Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis offers an exclusive interview with Edgar, who speaks about his experiences from that day and the challenges he faced.

- On November 3, Interscope/UMe will celebrate the 15th anniversary of alt-rock stalwarts The Wallflowers’ fourth album Red Letter Days with a 2 LP vinyl reissue. Two versions of the album will be made available on wax: standard-weight black vinyl, and a special limited edition on semi-transparent red vinyl with black smoke marbling.

- Tuesdays are Fusedays… On Tuesday, November 7 beginning at 10:00, tune in to Fuse to catch the epic one-hour season six finale of Big Freedia Bounces Back as Freedia takes over Las Vegas. Can Freedia outrun the drama she left behind in New Orleans before it threatens to ruin Freedia’s reputation and show? Plus, don’t miss the series premiere of Trivial Takedown featuring two back-to-back new episodes. YouTube sensation GloZell battles it out against comedian Chico Bean to identify music and pop culture icons at 11:00 while Romeo Miller goes head-to-head to with singer Lizzo at 11:30 to determine who will be the music and pop culture trivia champion. After, enter the world of Social Frabric at midnight where clothing, culture, and style weave a fascinating story about who we are. In the premiere episode, designer Kyle Ng meets up with soul singer Mayer Hawthorne to uncover why, when it comes to hats, the fedora is king. And at 12:30am, Ng takes viewers on a vibrant and colorful journey across the globe to examine plaid, a pattern that crosses cultures and continents.

- A vocal harmony group consisting of 6 sisters (ages 17 – 27), Cimorelli has gone from homeschooled kids living in a small town outside of Sacramento, CA to touring the world, winning a Teen Choice award, and accruing over 4 million subscribers on YouTube with over 1 billion views. This past Friday, October 27th, Cimorelli released their new album Sad Girls Club, a collection of songs that are a reaction to fan letters which voiced experiences with depression, eating disorders and domestic discord

- The all new Winsanity, hosted by actor Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), will return for a second season airing weeknights at 5:00 starting Monday, November 27. Winsanity, which debuted in June 2016, was watched by nearly 13.5 million viewers during its initial 40-episode run. Changes to the show in season two include a new set, as well as a new format, with two contestants (instead of one) competing against each other for the $10,000 prize. However, the show continues to offer the opportunity for prizes to be won not only by the contestants but also by the studio audience.

- Siestas are key, especially in the fast-paced lives of some of the world’s most active animals. The fascinating sleeping habits of the animal kingdom hint at a complexity humans are only just beginning to unlock. From birds that take micro-naps mid-flight to dolphins who half-snooze while underwater, Smithsonian Earth examines the myriad ways animals sleep with the new animated, short-form series, The Secret World of Animal Sleep. Narrated by journalist and science communicator Cara Santa Maria, this new series offers a captivating glimpse into the way animals restore energy and get ready for their next day or night on the prowl – all through a series of beautiful picture-book, hand-drawn animations. The premiere episode, Sleepless on the Savanna, is now available for free at SmithsonianEarthTV.com/Sleep. The five additional episodes will be available on Smithsonian Earth tomorrow, November 3rd.

- After carrying Indiana by 19 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election, President Trump now has greater disapproval than approval among Hoosiers, says the Old National Bank/Ball State University 2017 Hoosier Survey. In the telephone survey of 600 adult Hoosiers, only 41percent of respondents approved of the job Trump is doing as president, compared to 45 percent who disapproved. Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, is considered a red state. “These survey results add to the evidence that the president’s approval has slipped a great deal since January,” said Chad Kinsella, a political science professor and survey analyst at the Bowen Center for Public Affairs, which conducts the annual public opinion survey.

Previewing SMILF

Showtime recently premiered White Famous loosely based on executive producer Jamie Foxx’s life as he transitioned from stand up to actor. I spend most of my time wondering just how loosely is it based on his life? Did he sleep with his agent’s ex-boss? What show is Angry Black supposed to be on his resume? Who is Michael Rappaport supposed to be? Or is basically, stand up turned actor with a baby mama trying to be white famous and basically everything else is made up?

Starting this week, White Famous is going to be paired with another semi-autobiographical show based on the creator’s life called SMILF. Okay, let us get this out of the way first: SMILF is a horrible name for a television right up there with Better off Ted as the worst of all time. Even the titular character knows how icky that name is when someone calls her that (for those that cannot figure it out, Eleanor from The Good Place would call her a “Single Mother I’d Like to Fork”). Okay, enough with that.

Where Jamie Foxx came up in the nineties where there is not much personal information readily available on the internet and any relation to Floyd Mooney; just a look at Frankie Shaw’s (Mr. Robot) Wikipedia page shows just how much she shares with SMILF’s Bridgette. They are both from Boston, and have a baby daddy who went on to date an extremely attractive Australian. So when SMILF’s Nelson (Samara Weaving, Ash vs. the Evil Dead) says she was named after the saintly Nelson Mandela, it could not make me wonder if Teresa Palmer happened to be named after Mother Teresa.

Yeah, I am not sure if Teresa Palmer, Frankie’s real life baby daddy’s now wife, will want to watch SMILF. In the first episode she is calls her by a name that references one of her amble body parts (only behind her back of course) and later during a Google session of the ex’s new beau, something we all have done, Bridgette goes somewhere I personally I have never gone while cyberstalking one of them. Then in the second episode we learn of Nelson’s irrational love of standing in line. Although, I have to say, no matter how bad she comes across, Nelson is by far my favorite character on the show.

And that really is because as bad as Shaw may make Nelson look; Bridgette comes off looking a lot worse. That post-college time is a time of trial of error and doing plenty of stupid kid, a time that can make for a funny television show. But when that twenty-something has a kid, it makes that moment more cringe worthy than funny. Especially when she covers up her kid in her studio apartment to have sex with a dude for the first time since having a kid. Which of makes this the perfect pair for Shameless (which premieres at 9:00 the same night), Fiona and Bridgette are essentially the same person in someone different situations. The only thing is the Gallaghers come off as cartoony but SMILF just feels a little more real despite about one dream sequence per episode.

Almost as depressing is Rosie O’Donnell (Exit to Eden) who definitely looks like a beleaguered grandmother from the lower middle class. Sure, she will probably get an Emmy for this role, but I think it will be more as a troll to the president than because she is the funniest supporting lady on television. Then the baby daddy played by Miguel Gomez (The Strain) who is a boring as the real life baby day who has an IMDB with movies I have seen but cannot place him in any of them. But he has hooked up with Frankie Shaw and Teresa Palmer so clearly he is doing something right.

SMILF airs Sundays at 10:00 on Showtime.