57 Channels and Only This Is On: March 10, 2019

Supergirl: This season has been one of the biggest drags in television history to watch but The Elite finally seem like a worthy advisory, much more than Agent Liberty. But Supergirl’s response of having her own “Super Friends” was really grown worthy. That is clearly the lamest iteration of Super Friends ever. You can take the four kind of racist Super Friends from the original eighties show and they would still be cooler than Supergirl’s Super Friends.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Shameless: Oh yeah, I completely forgot about Liam too. Now I am wondering how long it has been since he has been on. Has he been on this half of the season? Then after a half a season of really bad news, is Fiona actually getting some good news? Although I am not sure if I would accept an offer by someone who is quick to buy you out. Maybe that is how she gets written off the show, she leaves town to oversee the new property.

Black Monday: Wow, that has to be the most elaborate prank ever conceived. Except the joke may end up on Mo because he may have broken up the engagement of his mark and tipped off said mark to the actor he hired. But since we still have a couple episodes left, it will probably work out in the end.

SMILF: $90 for electricity? Doesn’t Bridget live in a one room apartment? Is this a big city thing and they are paying more for electricity? That is more than I pay for all my utilities in my much bigger square footage. Does Bridget leave her computer/television on at all times? Is she still using incandescent light bulbs? That just seems like a lot.

The Walking Dead: I finally got around to last week’s episode despite not getting On Demand for a week and the AMC website not letting me watch and I was a bit shocked that no one died during the exchange. I was ready for Alpha to kill her daughter just out of spit. Although, now the daughter knows the Hilltop secret exit. Except she (presumably) did not get to tell her mother about it before being rescued by Daryl. And I never understand why people on this show think a room full of zombies is such an insurmountable task. Just create a small opening and kill them one by one as they come out. But I wonder how they still have batteries that work that can power that boombox
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Girls: I complain a lot about promo monkeys spoiling things, but the cast list just spoiled who would live and die, both the gangsta and the husband were in there pretty much spoiling that neither would die. Granted the husband still got shot. Yet the police did not make much of a deal about this. Yeah you can tell the kids it is a robbery gone wrong, but when it happens in the house, I cannot believe the police would buy that especially if you are being investigated for robbing the grocery store.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Passage: C’mon, just let the little weasely army guy die. Or get bitten I guess. Although isn’t Zach Morris’s ex-wife now stuck with the vampires?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Obviously due went to Edge of Extinction. Stupid cliffhanger. And it will be a little lame if they get a little more stuff every time someone new shows up at the island. But it always amazes me how long people hold on to Immunity. Wentworth knew her name was coming up but did not player her Idol just in case. My philosophy has always been, play it just in case and go look for a new Idol tomorrow.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Wait, didn’t just last season Zach risked a million dollars and went in to elimination just to spite his partner and now he is letting his patner run right over him? And this time he was right, it is
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Deadly Class: mmm, the age old question, to Devil’s Threesome, or not to Devil’s Threesome. I guess when she looks like her; you just have to bite the bullet. Clearly these moron took way too much time to come to that conclusion.
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

Gotham: Barbra got big quick. It had passed my mind that she may be faking it but if she is this big, that would be a very long con. And I was really surprise Barbra, or no one else, actually crashed the wedding. I cannot remember the last wedding I saw on television that went off without a hitch.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Alright, we have a two parter. Well, I assume we this will get resolved next episode. Kind of weird pacing just because I expected the Doom Patrol to dispatch the baddies by the end of the episode, instead the book gets read and we roll the credits. And I wonder if that magic dude was supposed to come off as a low rent Constantine because that was what happened. (Scrolls Wikipedia) Oh yeah, that character was created when the Doom Patrol writers were not allowed to use Constantine… makes perfect sense.

Blindspot: A weird move to have a flashback episode from in between seasons, two seasons ago. I was thinking it was a case I did not remember there for a while.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

The Blacklist: Oh wow, Red did not escape. That was a shocker. So what next? The promo looks like the execution is next episode. I know Red waived he right to an appeal, but that seems very quick. If Red could not escape on his own, could Lizzy find a way to get him out? Will he be pardoned by a pardon happy psychopathic president?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: March 9, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, The Circus, Sigrid, Marshmello, Skylar Grey, Picture This, ASHS, Disgraceland, and Francis and the Lights.

- Please check out our never-before-seen clip below from Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, an all-new film coming to theaters on March 15 from Warner Bros., Ellen DeGeneres’ A Very Good Production and Red 56. The clip follows high school enemies Nancy (Sophia Lillis) and Helen (Laura Slade Wiggins), as they become “frenemies” and agree to team up to solve the case of the ghost that is haunting Helen’s Aunt Flora’s (Linda Lavin) home. True to the iconic character, we can see the excitement in Nancy’s eyes as she gets ready to investigate!


- With Democratic infighting on full display this week, THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE WILDEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH examines the ideological debate that is consuming the Democratic Party. In the episode, titled “To The Left” and airing on Sunday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®, co-hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon explore the intra-party clash over whether the best strategy for beating President Trump is to embrace ideas popular with the energized left or with moderate voters closer to America's political center.

- In the last two years we have witnessed an incredible new talent in Sigrid. From the tiny town of Ålesund in Norway, Sigrid’s defiant pop was catapulted into the public consciousness with the zeitgeist defining ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’ in 2017 with a colossal mind, attitude and voice. Today Sigrid releases her debut album Sucker Punch to critical acclaim, already praised across the board from the likes of NYLON, Paper, Rolling Stone, Fader, Elle, Billboard, NPR and more. The album includes the energetic ‘Strangers,’ as well as ‘Dynamite,’’ title single ‘Sucker Punch,’ and recent track ‘Don’t Feel Like Crying.’ The pop prodigy kicked off 2019 with a SOLD-OUT headlining NYC show at Brooklyn Steel, a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and continues the year supporting both George Ezra in March on his mammoth arena tour, and Maroon 5 in June across UK and Europe; with more US tour date announcements from Sigrid coming soon.

- History-making international superstar Marshmello shares his new single “Here With Me” featuring CHVRCHES today. Get it HERE via Republic Records.

- Tune in this Friday, March 8 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of “Skylar Grey” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming, on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV.

- Critically acclaimed Irish international phenomenon Picture This release the official music video for “Modern Love” today. How would those from the past use modern dating apps? The answer is hilarious. Watch HERE.

- Have you ever been to the “Unknown”? Mariel Darling quickly gaining popularity in the music industry as she launches new music video “Unknown” – gaining more than 260K views in the past two months. Mariel takes the listener on a journey into the “Unknown” with the pressure of growing up in today’s society.


- ASHS explores the depths of volatile romance further with the release of, 3AM Pt. 2, today through Wax Records / Casablanca Records / Universal Music Canada. Listen HERE.

- The explosive rock and roll true crime podcast Disgraceland announced its first ever live shows at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA on May 10 and at The Gothic Theatre in Denver, CO on May 25. The show will also make its first festival appearance at Comedy Central’s Clusterfest in San Francisco which takes place on June 21-23. Tickets for the Boston and Denver shows are on sale now and can be found on the Disgraceland website.

- SHOWTIME announced that Francis and the Lights will headline the music line-up at The SHOWTIME House on Monday, March 11 at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals, located at Clive Bar on Rainey Street. Monday’s performance is part of The SHOWTIME House Of Music, celebrating music documentaries SHANGRI-LA and WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN, with curated music inspired by Rick Rubin. That night will also feature a DJ performance by Peanut Butter Wolf. Francis And The Lights is featured in the work-in-progress documentary SHANGRI-LA about legendary music producer Rick Rubin, screening that same day at 2:45 p.m. at the Paramount Theater.

I Want My Music Television: March 4, 2019

I Get No Joy - Jade Bird


Of all the singles Jade Bird has released (though it is growing on me with every listen), this would be my least favorite, but it is still a pretty entertaing music video.


High as a Kite – Weezer


Hasn’t Weezer already done the children’s show music video with the Muppets a decade ago? Granted, they just redid their Undone video. But maybe if your write a very boring song, maybe not highlight the boringness by having everyone yawn. Maybe it is time for a Keep On Lovin’ You cover.


You Mean The World To Me - Freya Ridings


Arya Stark has been trying to kill Cersie Lannister since way back in season two but on the eve of the final season, the two put aside their differences to film a music video for Freya Ridings. How nice. Now I cannot wait for Arya to steal Jamie Lannister’s face and kill Cersie.


Sisyphus - Andrew Bird


You would think for a song called Sisyphus, Andrew Bird would push a boulder up a hill. Nope instead he puts a boulder on his head and climbs a mountain. Alrighty.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: March, 3, 2019

Shameless: So after a couple months of destructive behaviors, Fiona finally gets herself to AA. It would be kind of sad if Frank’s pep talk about being an angry drunk (compared to his happy drunk) was what convinced her to make some chances. Though I guess we will have to see if this sticks. It is kind of becoming a long slog to Fiona’s exit, I understand why they do it from a marketing perspective, but from an entertainment perspective it is becoming a long goodbye.

Black Monday: So who exactly were those maids at the end and who exactly were they working for, I kind of missed what was going on there.

The Walking Dead: I did not watch this week because I went to watch On Demand, and yet six days later it is still not there. So I went to AMC.com to watch except when I went to log in threw my cable provider, nothing happen. I would not even let me log in and I tried with three different browsers. Fork you Spectrum. Fork you AMC. Technology should not be this hard. This is why people are cutting the cord.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Enemy Within: Homeland debuted almost a decade ago and NBC has been trying to create a network version almost every year since. And every single one was one and done until The Blacklist which basically the procedural version of Homeland. The Enemy Within just seems like the gender swap version of The Blacklist but with a significantly worse actor as the lead. Although I am just assuming that they are going to bust one of these hundreds of sleeper agents per episode.

The Gifted: Well the show sucked but at least they closed all the season two plot threads. Well that was until they set up a potential season three with the presumed dead (except by me, we just saw her get shot, not die) Blink. And where did she come from? It looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland to me. Although I would be fine without learning the answer if they finally cancel this shirt show.
You can download The Gifted on iTunes.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: The Edge of Extinction twist is lame to begin with but still the show found a way to make it worse: end an episode on a cliffhanger of if the guy is going to continue or go home. Is anyone actually going to go home? Especially after only six days? But congrats to Lauren for being one of the rare non-annoying people to find an Idol/Advantage in recent history. A couple seasons ago, one of the contestants made a big deal about how only dudes find them only for a guy to find the Idol after a hunt, and I actually thought they were going to do that again.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Cograts on Nany for having the guts to vote in CT and the luck of him actually going home but I fear that may have been a pretty bad strategic move. She said she did that because there were too many British people who are friends. If there are too many British people, maybe you should try to get one out because once you are only last non-English team left, you are a sitting duck. So instead three Americans and a Brazilian were sent home. Add that to the four Americans who were sent home the first week (not to mention the American and Mexican who were instantly eliminated after the first challenge). So now the teams with at least one British player outnumber the ones without six to five by my count.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Gotham: Oh wow, they really did the evil puppet. At least that was entertaining while it last. And was the tunnel person supposed to be young Killer Croc? I guess maybe not because it seems like Aldred actually killed him. That would have been a cool origin story.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Just when you think it was not going to get any better than puppets, out walks a dude with a second dinosaur head and vegetation growing out of his hand. This show is awesome.

Around the Tubes: March 2, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Women, War and Peace, bülow, Europe in Crisis, Wolf vs. Bear, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, and Halo.

- In a year when American women mobilized, ran for office, and were elected to Congress in unprecedented numbers (and are already impacting), the acclaimed documentary series Women, War and Peace (pbs.org/womenwarandpeace) returns Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26, 9-11 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) with powerful stories of women’s role in dramatic conflicts and peace settlements across the globe.

- 300 Entertainment is proud to announce its involvement in curating the soundtrack for the feature film “The Unicorn.” The music curation was a joint effort between Rooney frontman/director Robert Schwartzman and rising industry star A&R Allyson Coff of 300 Entertainment. 300 Entertainment will release the soundtrack on Friday, March 8th. “The Unicorn,” is a quirky and charming tale about love and pushing boundaries starring Lauren Lapkus, Nick Rutherford, Lucy Hale, Beck Bennett, Dree Hemingway, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Maya Kazan, John Kapelos, Beverly D’Angelo and Kyle Mooney, and more. The soundtrack features two songs recorded exclusively for the movie; “Time and Time Again” by Rooney and a special collaboration between Rooney and Phony Ppl for a feel-good cover of Len Barry’s 1965 hit “1-2-3” - Out Now.

- Critically acclaimed German born pop iconoclast bülow releases brand new single “Sweet Little Lies” via Republic Records / Wax Records/ Universal Music Canada. Listen HERE. “'Sweet Little Lies' is about creating false realities.” bülow comments on the new song, “When things get real, we find escapes. Sometimes it’s hobbies, and sometimes it’s people. But the degree of it we can’t always control”

- Smithsonian Channel and the BBC have teamed up on a riveting insider account of two forces that threaten to tear Europe apart: Brexit and the migrant crisis. Two hour-long specials reveal the fierce arguments and personality clashes among Europe’s leaders as they struggled over the past decade to find common ground amid intense political pressure, overwhelming waves of refugees and a referendum in Britain that shocked the world. The back-to-back specials of Europe in Crisis premiere on Smithsonian Channel on Thursday, March 28 at 8 PM ET/PT, just as the United Kingdom enters the March 29 deadline for withdrawal from the European Union.

- Smithsonian Channel’s new special Wolf vs. Bear brings two archenemies together in a fight for food and survival. Shot over the course of a full year across the far northern wild of Norway, Finland and Russia, this one-hour special follows the tracks of two of nature’s most formidable predators and shows what makes both creatures optimal predatory machines, albeit with remarkably different strategies. Their goals are the same and are driven by the most basic of primal instincts – to hunt and breed. Each must do what it takes to endure the harsh northern wilderness and make it through the year. The competition unfolds in Wolf vs. Bear, premiering Wednesday, March 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Showtime has announced that Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) will join Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, the next chapter of the Penny Dreadful saga, in the role of Magda, a supernatural demon who can take the appearance of anyone she chooses and manifests in a number of guises throughout the story. Charismatic, clever and chameleonic, Magda is a dangerous enemy and an invaluable ally. Tony® and Golden Globe® award winner and three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan, creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy nominated series Penny Dreadful, will continue in those same roles. Michael Aguilar (KIDDING) will also serve as executive producer. Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year.

- Showtime has announced that Tony and Emmy winner Nathan Lane (The Producers) has joined Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, the next chapter of the Penny Dreadful saga, in the role of Lewis Michener. A veteran officer in the LAPD, wise to the ways of the world and ruthless in pursuit of his goals, Lewis becomes the partner and mentor of young Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto). The series also stars Natalie Dormer, Jessica Garza and Johnathan Nieves. Tony and Golden Globe® award winner and three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan, the creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy nominated series PENNY DREADFUL, continues in those same roles. Michael Aguilar (KIDDING) also serves as executive producer. Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year.

- Otto Bathurst (Black Mirror, Robin Hood) is set to direct the highly anticipated Showtime series Halo, based on the hallowed Xbox® franchise with Kyle Killen (Awake) serving as executive producer, writer and showrunner. Bathurst will helm multiple episodes and executive produce the live-action series, which has an initial nine-episode order. Produced by Showtime in partnership with 343 Industries, along with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, HALO will begin production later this year.

Previewing Into the Dark: Treehouse

The first five episodes of Into the Dark picked pretty chalky holidays for their monthly horror anthology: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. For March we get our first curve-ball. I am sure most people were guessing St. Patrick’s Day, but you would be wrong. Maybe because it is hard to do a horror episode based on that holiday without getting sued by the Leprechaun franchise, instead the March episode is actually based on the Ides of March.

I will say this about Treehouse, the latest episode; it does have a bunch of recognizable faces. Okay, no actual names, but if you are like me, you will spend the show going, oh hey, they guy from Breakout Kings, Howard Stern’s wife from the movie, the lady from Angel From Hell, that MuchMusic VJ, the chick from the Friday the 13th reboot, the teacher from Bunheads, the girl from a bunch of commercials.

The episode follows a semi-famous chef who escapes to his family’s vacation estate during some bad press that coincides with the wedding of his previous wife. Okay, the Ides of March theme is a bit of a stretch here. The episode open with a knife and I guess there is sort of an et tu Brute moment but the whole idea of the past coming back for what it’s due is a pretty vague concept here considering how the past episodes really banged you over the head with the holiday theme.

The Flesh and Blood episode probably set the bar foe slow moving episodes, but Treehouse is also pretty slow to pick up. It takes fifteen minutes for anything weird to happen (a random black goat), thirty minutes until we see the titular treehouse, then forty-five minutes until anything remotely scary happens. But once we get to the big reveal, the episode really picks up and goes in a direction that is a bit unexpected. Still, waiting for it to get going really keeps it low on my Into the Dark Power Rankings:

Into the Dark Power Ranking
1. The Body (October)
2. Down (February)
3. New Year, New You (January)
4. Pooka! (December)
5. Treehouse (March)
6. Flesh and Bone (November)

Into the Dark: Treehouse premieres tomorrow on Hulu.

I Want My Music Television: February 25, 2019

break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored - Ariana Grande


I found Sweetner to be Ariana Grande’s weakest album (despite God Is a Woman being her best song) and I was not expecting much from her follow up Thank U, Next after the title track, 7 Rings, and this dropped the same time as the album. But despite the week singles, I actually found it her strongest album totally. The music video had an obvious twist because that dude was acting like a total douche.


Take On Me - Weezer


Africa was fun, but Weezer’s full-fledged cover album was pretty crindgeworthy (especially No Scrubs). It was at its best with the other cheesy eighties songs like this. Still the song and video are pretty unnecessary.


Armor - Sara Bareilles


I have been complaining for two years that all the anti-Trump songs kind of totally suck. Well it took a while but Sara Bareilles finally wrote a good one. Now if we can only get someone to write a great one.


Preach - John Legend


I guess you can add Preach by John Legend to that good but not great protest song, but For What It’s Worth it is not. Although it may get a bit awkward with Legend as the newest coach on The Voice, a show by Mark Burnett who refuses to turn over the Trump tapes that reportedly has plenty of racist comments by the president.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 24, 2019

Supergirl: This season is just dreadful, but I did get a good laugh at The Dreamer’s outfit. So stupid.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Shameless: Fiona has done some horrible things in this back half of the season, but you cannot blame her for letting an alcoholic have some of her drink when she did not know he had been sober for a hundred days. Same with the social services guy. Really, Lip should have gotten her to rehab or at the very least take her to an AA meeting with him.

Black Monday: Weird that the show pointed out the two shows with short black kids living with rich white people and then in the very next scenes it reminds us that this is the second show in the eighties with a robot butler. Although the other show did not murder the robot butler. But wow, I never realized just how racist Teen Wolf was.

The Walking Dead: I am sure being a horny teenager in the zombie apocalypse must be hard on the libido, but how about not let the bad chick out of her cell? Same they just did not do a full on flashback episode because we did not get to see just how crazy bald momma went from an underground bunker to wearing a dead man’s face. A pretty big jump. And there have been plenty of dumb plans on this show, but waiting until nightfall to look for your buddy in a zombie apocalypse with people posing as zombies out there is high on the stupidity list. Although that bears the question, just when do the Whispers sleep? If you are hiding among the zombies and presumably they do not sleep, at what point do you break away from the heard and catch some shut eye and not get eaten by the heard you are with?
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Passage: Finally someone is smart enough to kill all the death row inmate vampires. Oh wait, they care about one girl. Okay, first off, didn’t they kill the vampire that turned the scientist so why is he even still alive? Maybe it is because they killed the old vampire before the scientist turned and that is some grey area. Even if that is it what it is, how about then kill all the other death row vampires and just keep the scientist alive to save the little girl. And why does it take so long to kill a vampire in the sun?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Manifest: What a stupid forking way to end the season. They just told us that the returned die the exact time for when they were gone so if the new guy was gone for a year, he clearly is not going to die. I guess there is the question of if the cop got shot. Not that I really care, I am fine with the show not returning.
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Kind of a giant “meh” of a premiere. Did not help that it was only an hour. Usually we get ninety minutes or back to back episodes. Which gives us better idea of who these people are. We only continued the streak of annoying people is the ones that find advantages. And the Advantage Menu is a stupid name. Really, unless you are confident you are getting the boot, you gotta go with the steal reward. As predictions go, I will say Lauren will win. And I am not just saying that because she kind of looks like the hot chick from the Baywatch movie.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Yeah, it was pretty obvious from the promo that Bananas would be the “legend” that goes home early and then Bananas gets the boot from the first round of the challenge pretty much made it a lock. So when Bananas calls out Zach it took out all the suspense because c’mon, calling Zach a legend would be a bit of a stretch. Watching Bananas leave this early should have been great but the Promo Monkeys just took all the fun out of it. And are they going to do the same next week? It seems like either Paulie or Kyle will be going home. But since next week is a double elimination, at least the other boot will be a surpise… unless they both end up going home.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Gotham: Sure Jim, you may have saved Gotham from that gas, but you just polluted the river worse than The Cuyahoga in the seventies when that caught on fire. So yeah, probably smart for the government to keep the city quadrated off for a little longer.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: I was a bit down on the premiere because there were a bit too many origin stories to get through and way too much naked Encino Man. But this episode was much more enjoyable. And I do hope we get an episode inside Jane’s Underground.

The Blacklist: I hate arguing with the simple minded like those who think that spending billions of dollars putting up a wall would even slow the drug flow into the country. I have to tell these people that I have seen a lot of movies and shows on the subject and have seen drug smugglers dig tunnels under existing barriers, walk around the wall in low tide, pay hot chicks to put it in the car and go through customs (most recently they payed Clint Eastwood to do this), I have seen them bring in drugs through the post, I have seen them swallow condoms full of heroin, get on a plane, then crap out the condom and clean it up, but one thing I have never seen is anyone trek drugs across the desert so a wall there would be a complete waste of billions of dollars. Now surgically implant them in woman to make them seem pregnant is a new one. And I have to wonder just how would that work? Like do you have to find a former pregnant chick because it seems like it would be hard to grow that skin into a pouch.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: February 22, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Billions, Ariana Grande, The Resurgence: DeMarcus Cousins,, Janelle Monáe, Monica Martin, Peter Tork, and MuscleKingz Car Show & Concert.

- Showtime has released a new video for the highly anticipated fourth season of Billions, premiering on Sunday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis. Viewers can catch up on the first three seasons of BILLIONS, available now on Showtime on-air, on demand and over the internet.


- Multi-platinum, record-breaking superstar ARIANA GRANDE captures #1 on the Billboard 200 with her fifth full-length album, thank u, next. Get it HERE via Republic Records with SB Projects managing. This marks her fourth number one bow on the chart and second number one bow in under six months. The album broke numerous records right out of the gate. With 360k equivalent album units in under seven days, it now holds the record for Largest Streaming Week for a Pop Album & Female Artist. She also ascends as The Only Female Artist to Grace the List of Top Ten Biggest Streaming Weeks.

- Showtime today announced The Resurgence: DeMarcus Cousins, a Showtime Sports Documentary Films original chronicling the enigmatic NBA superstar’s grueling comeback from a career-threatening injury and his path through free agency, will premiere on Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The Resurgence provides unfettered access to one of the NBA’s biggest personalities at the most crucial time of his career. Viewers witness Cousins’ roller-coaster ride through free agency that culminated in a shocking one-year deal with the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and join his private and emotionally charged journey back from a devastating Achilles injury.

- Last weekend marked NBA All-Star which lent itself to a handful of exciting announcements and performances, specifically as it relates to AT&T. Most prominently, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, performer, producer, activist and actress Janelle Monáe headlined the debut AT&T Pregame Concert streamed live Sunday on AT&T and NBA social media channels with more than 1,000,000 live viewers. The rising star was most recently featured in the Robert Zemeckis film Welcome to Marwen in winter 2018, and pulled off an incredible musical performance at last week’s Grammy Awards in support of her critically-acclaimed third solo album, DIRTY COMPUTER. Watch the replay on AT&T Twitter or here on AT&T’s YouTube channel.

- Chicago-born and Los Angeles-based songstress Monica Martin releases her new single “Patient” via Republic Records. Get it HERE! “Patient” exclusively premiered on Consequence of Sound, who said, “The track finds the former PHOX frontwoman trying to find strength in pushing a loved one away while pop piano melodies sadly sway under constantly building alt-folk orchestration.” The song, produced by Jon Green (James Bay, Paloma Faith) and featuring noteworthy musician Ian Fitchuk (producer of Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy Award-winning album Golden Hour), marries acoustic guitars and steady beats. Blurring the lines between pop, alternative and folk, the lyrics evoke an emotional plea, “You’re going to have to be patient with me.” “Patient” follows her previously released singles “Thoughtless” and “Cruel.”

- MeTV Network pays tribute to the career of actor and musician Peter Tork with a special presentation of The Monkees airing on MeTV this Sunday, February 24, beginning at 5:00pm ET/PT through 6:00pm ET/PT. Complete tribute schedule is listed below. Peter Tork will forever be remembered as the keyboardist and bass guitarist for The Monkees, the 60’s pop/rock band that was formed specifically for the eponymous television show that originally aired from 1966 to 1968. Beloved for the TV show’s comedy and music, The Monkees musical hits include I’m a Believer (featured in this MeTV tribute), Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and Pleasant Valley Sunday.

- Yes, it’s true! Luke Duke, Daisy Duke, ‘Crazy’ Cooter Davenport, Coy Duke, Cousin Jeb Duke, Deputy Enos Strate, and Deputy Cletus Hogg are reuniting and will appear at the MuscleKingz Car Show & Concert series! The MuscleKingz Car Show & Concert series puts a modern twist to the classic culture of a traditional car show with the addition of great live music. The kick-off event will transform the Kern County Raceway on Saturday, April 13 into a car show & concert venue fit for a great experience for car enthusiasts and music fans alike featuring classic and modern American muscle cars, custom trucks, hot rods, rat rods and more. Previous shows have been headlined by Dan+Shay, Rodney Atkins, 38 Special, Night Ranger, and more! To register your vehicle and learn more visit musclekingz.com.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 17, 2019

Shameless: Oh no, Fiona got fired. But long overdue, she has been constantly drunk since learning her boyfriend was married. Now I am wondering if she is actually going to die and that is how she leaves the show. It is certainly not going to be her going away for very long for that petty assault. Or she could go to rehab and be back a season later like Ian who was just revealed to be returning just two months after announcing his departing. But that was kind of a random intro with Frank recapping what happened during the first season of Homeland which was about eight years ago. I guess it is nice he is finally getting caught out. I cannot wait to hear his take on the bad second season.

The Walking Dead: When they lingered on Jesus, I thought they were actually going to act like a sword through the heart was not fatal. Would not have been the most absurd, oh dude is dead moment, only for them to recover the next episode moment. But then you have Negan who escapes, goes back home, and then decides he rather be a captive? Is that actually what is happening?
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Passage: Oh snap, the main vampire forked the other doctor’s wife and then turned her into a vampire herself? Now with all the mind control going on, they have to kill all the vampires now, right?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Manifest: Let me call it now, all of these new people with lost time are going to be the evil version of the flight passengers. Although it would be quite on the nose that the good people lost time in the air while all the bad people lost time underground / under water.
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: How silly how they played up Hunter sending home the person who took a half a million dollars (pre-taxes) from him as if they are even now. Smashley can go home to her million dollars (pre-taxes) while Hunter is stuck in a house where most people are against him. I do wonder if anyone has won a Challenge after being sent in first. But the big news was the promo for next week hyping a Legend goes home. Has to be Bananas right? Really only him and CT qualify even though CT went out early last season so that really would not garner a tease like that. I guess there is an outside chance that it is Cara Maria or Wes.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Deadly Class: How very Fear and Loathing of them. Though I guess Hunter S. Thompson never ran into a talking Ice-T slot machine. I kind of want to play that. But was the headmaster really there or was white boy just tripping?
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

Gotham: Of course Leigh was a secret agent, she “died” with The Riddler. But why didn’t Bane deploy her at the same time?
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: The Doom Patrol episode of Titans was the best one of that show so I had high hopes for the spin off. Unfortunately it dragged a bit because there were so much origin stories. Yet somehow at the same time not enough because I was left wondering how Elasti-Girl and Negative Man met the Chief and then we got nothing of Crazy Jane. And it was a bit weird Beast Boy did not even get a mention despite being part of the team for a while. Here is hoping now that the introductions are out of the way, things pick up next week.

Around the Tubes: February 15, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Desus & Mero, Action, Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1, Meg Mac, Jay Rock, and The Go-Go’s.

- Desus Nice and The Kid Mero will welcome fellow Bronx native Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as the first guest in studio on their new Showtime weekly half-hour late-night talk show, Desus & Mero. The series will premiere on Thursday, February 21 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT and air on Thursday nights from New York City. In the premiere episode, the duo will also visit the Congresswoman’s new offices in D.C. determined to make her feel at home, as well as give their take on the day’s hot topics in their signature style in front of a small live studio audience. Upcoming guests on Desus & Mero will include John Legend, Vince Staples, Ben Stiller, Issa Rae, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Pusha T.


- Hulu and Lionsgate today announce that Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1, the powerful and inspiring true story of how Air Jordan 1 (AJ1) transcended sport to become a global phenomenon, will stream exclusively on Hulu. From first time filmmaker Dexton Deboree, the documentary interviews culture-defining titans, including NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan himself, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, Carmelo Anthony, Chuck D, and Phil Knight among others, to explore how AJ1 was not just a sneaker, but a worldwide movement that broke through barriers of race, age, and gender to define the culture in which we now live. Lionsgate acquired the documentary which is set to make its exclusive streaming debut on Hulu on February 14. “Sneaker fans all over the world remember the thrill of getting their first pair of Air Jordans, and this film explores the story behind and incredible impact of that iconic shoe,” said Heather Moosnick, Senior Vice President Content Partnerships, Hulu. “At Hulu, we’re focused on bringing highly compelling films and series to our viewers that reflect the culture and inspire conversation – and Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 is exactly that.”


- The critically acclaimed coming-of-age story Minding the Gap directed by Bing Liu, an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature for the 91st Academy Awards, will have its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org next Monday, February 18 at 9 p.m. (check local listings).

- Showtime Sports Documentary Films today announced a multi-part docu-series titled Action, exploring the legalization of sports gambling and its evolving impact on the gambling community as the industry navigates a landmark 2018 court ruling. Peeling back the curtain on a once taboo industry during its most critical juncture, the four-part series will premiere Sunday, March 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. Action chronicles the lives of professional gamblers, bookies and oddsmakers throughout the 2018 NFL season following the Supreme Court decision to lift a ban on sports betting. The series will culminate with the biggest gambling day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday. The character-driven narrative delivers intimate access to a diverse cross-section of authentic and sometimes garrulous subjects within the sports gaming community, documenting the effects of legalization through their prisms.


- Meg Mac is thrilled to unveil her empowering new single, ‘Something Tells Me’. Written with Grammy nominated Melbourne songwriter Sarah Aarons and produced by ARIA and Grammy Award winner M-Phazes, it is the second single from Meg’s forthcoming project. The song premiered on Consequence of Sound and is an ode to trusting in yourself, and learning to drown out the noise of others when it comes to making decisions. She explains, “Something Tells Me is about trying not to listen to the people around you but working out what you really want to do. I’ve made so many decisions and choices based on what other people tell me I should or shouldn't do. This song is about not doing that anymore”.

- Tune in this Friday, February 15 at 10:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert featuring the GRAMMY Award-winning rapper, songwriter and producer “Jay Rock” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV.

- Showtime announced today it has acquired U.S. rights to The Go-Go’s, a feature documentary about the most successful female rock band of all time, with plans to premiere the film later this year. Alison Ellwood (HISTORY OF THE EAGLES, American Jihad) will direct the project. The band granted full access for this textured biography featuring candid interviews and archival footage to tell the real story of their meteoric rise to fame and the journeys, triumphs, laughter and struggles along the way.

Previewing Miracle Workers

Workplace comedies have been a staple since the dawn of the television age, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to The Office. There is just something universal of going in punching the clock. From being in close proximity to people you otherwise would have never talked to and the occasional office flirtations, to the potential pouching from rival companies, to the banality of doing the same job over and over again. And then there is the aloof boss who has decided to blow up the Earth.

Okay, that last one is exclusive to the latest workplace comedy, Miracle Workers, which imagines God as the CEO of Heaven Inc. with departments like clouds, mammals, and bug control (spoiler alert, that department is not doing a very good job) while the Angels are resigned to being the worker bees. The show follows Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) as she finally gets to leave the Dirt Department for The Department of Answered Prayers only to find an overworked Daniel Radcliffe (Now You See Me 2) who spends most his days melting snowflakes one at a time for hours to answer the prayer of finding one’s car keys. See he is not allowed to break the laws of physics so it is rerouting wind patterns to uncover gloves under leaves.

Just last week I was lamenting the lack of extremely weird show despite there being an overabundance of outputs these days. I pointed out there was nothing truly bizarre since the FXX comedy Man Seeking Woman. Well that show was created by Simon Rich who also created Miracle Workers and wrote the book What in God’s Name that the series is based on. And that warped sense of humor continues on the new show.

So right as Viswanathan finally got a more exciting job, God has decided to blow up the Earth after a day of watching a wall of cable news. But Viswanathan convinces God to give Earth a reprieve if she is able to answer one of the prayers labeled “Impossible” and God gives her two weeks or kaboom. So hell or high water, the miracle workers go to work to make that one last wish come true by any means necessary. Oh, and I forgot to mention, God is played by Steve Buscemi (Grown Up’s 2). Yes, that Steve Buscemi.

What is great is all the actors completely buy into their characters no matter how absurd things get around them. Seriously, there is a “Burst Appendix” button that of course comes into play in hilarious fashion. Viswanathan is a great find and is perfect as the wide eyed newbie who will stop at nothing to prove she belongs. Go ahead and put her in ever comedy from her on out please. Though The best character may be the newscaster who comments on all the acts of God that the miracle workers and God create during the show. His delivery is just deadpan gold.

There is really only one complaint I can give to Miracle Workers: It is too short at just seven half hours. Really, without ads, you could watch the entire series in under two and a half hours (which comes to think of it would have made for a decent movie). If you are going to give the team two weeks, how about fourteen episodes, one day per episode? Instead we go from twelve days until the end of the world to six just like that and we are left to wonder what shenanigans happening in those six day.

Also TBS is calling the show a “limited series” but I really hope we get more seasons. It would not be unprecedented, Big Little Lies got a second season as did The Alienist on Turner’s other channel. But being too short is the best complaint you can have. For those that are missing the heavenly comedy of The Good Place will definitely want to check out Miracle Workers.

Miracle Workers airs Tuesdays at 10:30 on TBS. Or just watch the first episode below.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 10, 2019

The Passage: Some of these death row convictions just seem absurd to me. Last week the hot vampire is to be put to death because she murdered her child rapist and his protector, even if you do not particularly believe that defense, it should be enough to avoid the death penalty. Then this week the black dude is to be put to death because he drowned his lover? Again, that is a bit harsh. I understand the writers want them to come off as a little sympathetic, but c’mon can theynot be accused of something a little more gruesome than that?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Manifest: The Church of The Returned? Just when you thought the show could not get any dumber. Plus did none of the writers see that horrible show The Returned? Not really something you want to compare yourself to.
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: With Road Rules not airing for over a decade and Real World finally ending two years ago (on MTV anyway, supposedly there is a Facebook Watch reboot already in the works) and the show slowly working in MTV's other reality show, Are You the One before also including British shows and Big Brother, it is not surprising we are finally getting a full blown The Challenge vs. Other MTV shows. Though it is weird that one fourth of the vets started out on another show so MTV Americans are actually outnumbered ten to six. It is nice to finally have Nany back for the first time in four seasons, which is actually only a two and a half year absence. But the school yard pick was weird. In what world does Pauli get picked first and Zach gets picked last?
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Deadly Class: I had a theory that hot Asian chick was going to be related to the Asian headmaster and when they ran into each other while the cousins were taking her to her bother, I thought that was going to be the twist. But I kind of missed the layout of everything. Why go through a random restaurant while kidnapping someone. Is that were the secret entrance was. I vaguely remember a secret entrance.
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

Blindspot: Finally, they cured Jane. That went on a little too long. Maybe should have found a cure by the midseason finale. Of course, this begs the question, now what? Is the Zapata storyline really going to carry the show for the rest of the season? Although, kind of annoying that the promo monkeys spoiled what they needed the hacker for.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

The Blacklist: Uh oh, Lizzie got caught. Although Ressler just let it slide despite being the boy scout of the group. But will he just let it be or try to figure out just what Lizzie was doing with the fake Red tip? Well, obviously it will have to be the latter.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: February 8, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Handmaid’s Tale, Epic Yellowstone, Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me, Women, War & Peace, America's Hidden Stories, The Avett Brothers, KT Tunstall, Sheppard, Tony Lucca, Anna of the North, The Score, Flikka, In My Journey with a Polar Bear, Gibson, and Lot18.

- For the third year in a row, Hulu has featured an original series in their Super Bowl ad. The 30-second spot aired during the first quarter of today’s game and gave viewers a sneak peek into season three of the dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale. The Super Bowl ad kicks-off the season three marketing campaign for the award-winning Hulu Original


- The eagerly anticipated series Epic Yellowstone is set to give audiences a front row seat to the extraordinary spectacle of wildlife and dramatic seasonal extremes in the iconic crown jewel of America’s national parks. Hosted by renowned actor and Montana local Bill Pullman, and filmed over the course of three years, the series delivers stories from Yellowstone never told before. The stunning four-part project uses state-of-the art 8K cameras, FLIR thermal imagery, drone timelapse, cineflex aerials and miniature nest cameras to reveal the world of Yellowstone’s predators and prey in jaw-dropping beauty – shot fully in the wild with no captive or enclosed animals. EPIC YELLOWSTONE premieres on Sunday, March 10 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel and will also be available on the channel’s 10-hour 4K On-Demand model. In the lead-up to the event series, Smithsonian Channel will also premiere an all-new episode of the acclaimed and popular Aerial America focusing entirely on Yellowstone on Sunday, March 3 at 9 PM ET/PT.

- In celebration of Black History Month, Showtime will premiere Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don't Know Me, exploring the rise of legendary soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, the first male African American artist to record five consecutive platinum albums. Set against the backdrop of 1960s America, and his comeback after a life-changing accident, Pendergrass’ untold and ultimately inspiring story premieres this Friday, February 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Capturing Pendergrass’ rise to fame the film includes rarely before seen archival footage and features revealing interviews with his family, friends and colleagues alongside industry legends, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.


- In a year when American women mobilized, ran for office, and were elected to Congress in unprecedented numbers, the acclaimed documentary series Women, War & Peace (pbs.org/womenwarandpeace) returns Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26, 9-11 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) with powerful stories of women’s role in dramatic conflicts and peace settlements across the globe.

- The Salem witch trials. The Spanish influenza of 1918. The treason of Benedict Arnold. These events are notorious in American history, but new revelations suggest we don’t know their full stories. Smithsonian Channel’s new series America's Hidden Stories delves into hidden records to investigate what our history books may have missed: Is a British lord responsible for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? Did Benedict Arnold act alone? Where is the true site of the Salem witch hangings? The answers to these questions, and more, are uncovered in America's Hidden Stories, premiering Monday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- GRAMMY® Award-nominated North Carolina band The Avett Brothers share new song “Neapolitan Sky” last week. It follows up the recently released “Roses and Sacrifice” and “Trouble Letting Go”, which closed out a banner 2018 for the group. Check out “Neapolitan Sky” HERE via American/Republic Records.

- Tune in this Friday, February 8 at 9:00 pm ET/PT to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert featuring singer-songwriter “KT Tunstall” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239. The show will also be available streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW and WatchTV.

- Multi-platinum selling recording artist Sheppard is back with a brand-new single “On My Way” – available today, February 1, 2019 via your preferred music platform! Cowritten by John Hume (co-writes with Dean Lewis, Sofi Tukker), the anthemic, uplifting song, which was originally penned as a stand-alone single, earned the band a nod to participate in the show which will select Australia’s next representative at Eurovision 2019!

- Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tony Lucca is flexing his Americana muscles on his forthcoming new album, Ain’t No Storm, which he will be releasing on March 29, 2019. Ain’t No Storm reads like a who’s who of East Nashville notables: Ken Coomer produced the record at his studio, Cartoon Moon, great Nashville players like Michael Webb, Ted Pecchio, and Joe Garcia lent their talents — and even Patrick Sweany stopped in for a cameo on “Room With A View.” Replete with songs borne of his admiration for Nashville’s rich history – the town’s creative community ultimately fueled Lucca’s return to the studio and inspired the new album – Ain’t No Storm finds Lucca embracing with reverence the process and craft of songwriting and taking his time (more than two years) to get it right.

- Anna of the North has premiered brand new track ‘Leaning On Myself’, her first taste of new music since critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Lovers’. Having sold out worldwide shows and amassed over 140 million streams, Anna plays a headlining show in London on March 25, before embarking on her first North American headlining tour starting on April 19. Tickets for all US tour dates will go on sale this Friday, 2/8 at 10am PST.

- Critically acclaimed, buzzing LA based, New York born rock band The Score – Eddie Anthony and Edan Dover – release their much-anticipated new Pressure EP via Republic Records. Check out The Score’s Pressure EP HERE.

- Stockholm newcomer Flikka has revealed her debut single "Someone To Lose" via London independent label Blue Flowers. She also shares the track's video, directed by Beatrix Blaise.


- With climate change at the forefront of the world’s natural crises, Smithsonian Channel takes you on a dramatic adventure that reveals an ever-changing Arctic. In My Journey with a Polar Bear, viewers will get an intimate look at one polar bear mother’s struggle to raise her cubs as her home melts away under her feet. Norwegian filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad worked in the harshest of conditions to document the bear’s life over the course of four years, capturing her attempts to hunt and her interactions with other bears while experiencing unprecedented change to the world around her. In My Journey with a Polar Bear premieres Wednesday, March 6 at 8 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel.

- Writing a new chapter to the guitar of choice for artists in rock, pop, country, blues, folk, jazz, and beyond, GIBSON ignited its next era at NAMM in Anaheim, CA. The pre-eminent American-made instrument brand revitalized, re-envisioned, and recharged its core mission, paying homage to its storied history as it embraced the next vanguard of musicians independent of generation, gender and genre. NAMM represented a series of achievements for GIBSON including a NAMM Milestone Award for 125 years in business and the new Les Paul Standard 50s guitar went on to win “Best Electric Guitar of NAMM” from the editors of Guitar, Total Guitar and Music Radar magazines.

- Winemaker Lot18 has teamed up with Playboy Enterprises, Inc. to produce the ‘Playboy California Red Wine’, a limited edition, high-quality blend crafted for wine aficionados and Playboy fans alike. In celebration of Playboy’s 65-year anniversary, and just in time for Valentine’s Day, Lot18’s specially crafted red wine blend will undoubtedly please any wine lover. The bottle itself makes for a perfect gift for collectors, with a unique label that presents the famed Playboy Bunny Costume. Inspired by the sultry silhouette of the iconic Bunny, Playboy illustrator and designer, Katie Bailie, captured the essential details of the Costume – a satin bodice, ears, and bowtie applied in lavish gold mosaic as a gracious nod to Playboy’s heritage. Playboy California Red Wine Blend can be ordered exclusively at Lot18.com/Playboy while supplies last. The wine was masterfully created by the team at Lot18 to celebrate the iconic brand and its legacy of work.

Previewing PEN15

As we sit here in peak TV, it is a bit surprising that the overabundance of outlets producing shows, there are very few super-weird content. Back in the eighties when there was significantly less content there seemed to a lot more weird stuff. Sure it was quite clear that creators and television and movie executives were doing copious amounts of cocaine. Seriously kiddies, not only was there a movie where two office flunkies carried around the dead boss for an entire movie, that actually got a sequel where I believe the corpse started to move by itself because of a voodoo curse. Le sigh. I miss those days.

So I got a little excited when I heard of the completely absurd concept for PEN15 (no, it is not pronounced Pen Thirteen, look at it some more, you will get it eventually): two thirty-somethings playing versions of themselves as thirteen-year-old outcasts in the year 2000, surrounded by actual thirteen-year-olds in seventh grade. The two women are Maya Erskine (who also starred in one of the few other weird shows this decade Man Seeking Woman which featured Lyla Garrity being best friends with a Japanese Penis Monster, seriously) and Anna Konkle (who was also in an episode of Man Seeking Woman but my be best known for Rosewood) who both co-created the show and wrote most of the ten episodes.

Yeah, it gets extremely weird seeing two women almost three times the age of their co-stars act out the most awkward time in everyone’s life. And sure it is extremely funny to start out but then it gets kind of creepy and fast. In episode three Maya becomes a chronic masturbator and it just feels dirty watching a thirteen year old character touching themselves even if she is being played by a thirty-one year old.

Then despite being labeled outcasts, the two girls do seem to have a steady stream of suiters and it is so creepy watching these women flirting with barely teenaged boys, I was expecting Chris Hansen to pop out multiple times. Though I did notice a couple times in the credits that there were stand in’s for some of the scenes, and the scenes were cut in such a way, it was obvious there were a couple stand in without seeing the credits. Oh and I think I saw more menstrual blood on this show than every show I have previously watched combined.

Despite the high concept, at heart PEN15 is a nostalgia show. In the premiere we get early 00’s gems from Mandy Moore, Lit, Lifehouse and the most underrated, and really the second best TLC song Unpretty. And of course there is dial up modems,  Ask Jeeves, Ace Ventura jokes, and the first R-rated movie the girls watch is the best trashy movie of the era Wild Things. Surprisingly we do not get to see the girls react to the Kevin Bacon coming out of the shower scene.

The most nostalgic of all the episodes is when the girls first log on to AIM. Everyone under the age of twenty really needs to watch the bizarre online mating rituals of people who just started using the internet on a primitive messaging app that you could only use for limited times because you needed to dial into your phone, which was connected to the wall and could only be used to call things… Yeah describing how we used the phone and the internet at the turn of the century to people under twenty is hard. You may just have to watch to understand.

All episodes of PEN15 are available tomorrow on Hulu.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 3, 2019

Supergirl: Well that was one of the worst hours to ever air on television. You have the sister being the only rational person on the episode pointing out The Dreamer was not really a woman and therefore should not receive any gift passed on the maternal line.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Shameless: Sextuplets? Those will double Frank’s output in children. Although does he actually take responsibility for them unlike his current children or does he just inform Carl he was the actual sperm donor. Although Peg Bundy does have a history of having fever dreams of being pregnant before.

The Passage: Finally a ration person who thinks they should actually kill the death row vampires. Oh wait; moron stopped the execution because she hijacked his brain to give him a sob story. You know what, when a death row vampire hijacks your brain, that is even more reason to destroy it.
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Manifest: Jus when I thought this show could not get any worse; somehow the new hiker guy is making the show even dumber. So did he and the hot cop get stuck in another time jump thingy? Am I supposed to assume that bad CGI was what that was?
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

Vikings: Sometime the “Previously On” section can be a bit spoilerly and boy did I get a very Igar’s bride was going to be the one that murders him vibe from this week’s “Previously On.” Okay, I got that a bit backwards since Igar killed her but I did get it a bit right in that she tried pretty hard to get her killed by telling Bjorn about the secret passage into Kattergaurd. Of course this begs the question, when did Kattergaurd become that fortified? We always see the port but I do not remember ever seeing walls. But in the end, Bjorn was able to exile his brother… I think. That was a weird ending with Bjorn questioning things and the quick change of scenes of him holding a bloody blade his mother gave him. Are they saying that battle was just a dream? I am guessing seeing a fleeing Igar afterwards means that it happened.
You can download Vikings on iTunes.

Gotham: Wait, so Walker (who I just hear as Waller, as in Amanda, which would actually make sense) put a chip in The Riddler’s head so they could have him blow up a building full of civilians. Then tried to get Gordon to kill The Riddler threw his army buddy and when he did not, the army buddy sent The Riddler to kill Gordon. I feel like we are missing something.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Blindspot: I kind of wish more of the episode was written by the dead writer, it was great to see overexaggerated versions of these characters. What I do not need more of is sick Jane. Now that her organs are shutting down and she is on her death bed they can finally cure her.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: February 1, 2019

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, Sgrill Foo Fighters, 2019 NBA All-Star Game, and a slew of Showtime TCA announcements.

- Showtime has released the official trailer for Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, the four-part limited docuseries from filmmaker Sacha Jenkins (BURN MOTHERF*CKER, BURN!).The full series will air on Showtime later this spring. Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men is a Mass Appeal production in association with Endeavor Content. Peter J. Scalettar, Peter Bittenbender and Chris Gary serve as executive producers.



- Hulu released the teaser for Shrill. The six-episode season will launch on Friday, March 15th. Teaser Link: https://youtu.be/PVA7lfEGKkQ

- Foo Fighters will headline this year’s DIRECTV Super Saturday Night--one of the most sought-after invitations during the Big Game weekend--on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at a new high-end entertainment complex at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, GA. The sold-out event will also feature a special guest performance by hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, plus interactive fan experiences and more. Watch and share the trailer for “Live Super Saturday Night: Foo Fighters” (HERE).

- The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that 2019 GRAMMY®Award-nominated artist and North Carolina native J. Cole will take the court in his home state to headline the 2019 NBA All-Star Game halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Before the game, Meek Mill will take the stage for an exciting opening and entertaining introduction of the All-Star teams, followed by GRAMMY® Award winner and Charlotte-born Anthony Hamilton performing the U.S. national anthem. Multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen will perform the Canadian national anthem. The 68th NBA All-Star Game begins at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and will be seen by fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

- SHOWTIME has announced that Paco Cabezas (PENNY DREADFUL, The Alienist) is set to direct multiple episodes of PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS, the next chapter of the PENNY DREADFUL saga. Oscar® nominee John Logan, creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy nominated series PENNY DREADFUL, will continue in those same roles. Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year.

- SHOWTIME will premiere the feature documentary XY CHELSEA on Friday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Directed by Tim Travers Hawkins, and produced by Pulse Films, XY CHELSEA tells the historic story of whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, whose 35-year sentence in a maximum security prison was commuted by President Obama in 2017. Shot over two years and featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes verité with Manning, the film begins on the momentous day in May of that year when she leaves prison and follows her through her journey of discovery, while also examining her place in the conversation on national security and the fight of the transgender community for rights and visibility.

- The highly anticipated second season of the hit SHOWTIME drama THE CHI will premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. 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), THE CHI is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The ensemble cast includes Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight) Yolonda Ross (Treme), Tiffany Boone (The Following), Armando Riesco (Bull), Barton Fitzpatrick, Shamon Brown Jr., and Michael V. Epps. THE CHI averaged 4.5 million weekly viewers across platforms and ranks as the highest-rated SHOWTIME freshman series since BILLIONS in 2016.


- SHOWTIME will premiere its new one-hour drama series CITY ON A HILL starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy® nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild® award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground) on Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Production on the 10-episode series will begin in February in New York and Boston.


- Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the original’s premiere, SHOWTIME has announced an eight-episode order for a sequel to its groundbreaking hit series THE L WORD, scheduled to premiere by the end of 2019. Marja-Lewis Ryan (The Four-Faced Liar, 6 Balloons) serves as showrunner and is executive producing with series creator Ilene Chaiken and original series stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey.

- Oscar nominee and Emmy, Golden Globe®, Screen Actors Guild® and Tony® Award winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) has signed on to star and executive produce the new SHOWTIME limited series YOUR HONOR. The series is a legal thriller that rips through all strata of New Orleans society. Cranston will star as a respected judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run that leads to a high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices. The 10-episode limited series will be executive produced by Emmy nominees Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight, The Good Wife). Peter Moffat – whose Criminal Justice served as the basis for The Night Of – serves as showrunner, executive producer and will write multiple episodes, including the first episode. YOUR HONOR will go into production later this year in New Orleans.

- On the heels of the recent premiere of the second half of season nine of its hit comedy series SHAMELESS, SHOWTIME has announced its most-watched show has been renewed for a 10th season. The renewal will make SHAMELESS the longest running series ever on SHOWTIME. Season 10 will mark the return of television’s favorite dysfunctional family The Gallaghers that will include series stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award winner William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, Christian Isaiah and Cameron Monaghan. Production on season 10 will begin in 2019.

Previewing Into the Dark: Down

Not only have each episode of Into the Dark feature a different holiday of the year, each have their own take on the genre. There have been psychological, farcical, each different in their own way. For the Valentine’s Day episode Down, it is what the press release call Blumhouse’s version of a rom-com. A rom-com horror, I believe that is how you can describe seventy-two percent of every Lifetime movie.

I actually wished they played more into the rom-com aspect earlier in the movie to lull you into a false sense of security as the start is still very cold taking place in a very non-descript elevator. It is late on the start of the three day weekend where Valentine’s Day just happens to coincide with the President’s Day weekend and the final two people in the building are leaving. (To save you from some Googling, no, Valentine’s Day does not fall on the weekend this year. The 13th does not even fall on a Friday like the monitor say. The last time this happened was 2015 and will not happen again until 2026. So pretty much it seems like the writers really wanted this to take place on Friday the 13th, you know, because it is a horror movie.)

Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome) and Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) play the unlucky duo that at first make the best of a bad situation. The meet-cute happens when the elevator shuts down four stories underground and all they have to eat and drink are a bottle of wine and a handful of Hersey’s Kisses. These two are so perfect for each other; they both even keep a mini-corkscrew around just in case. But of course, since this is Into the Dark, things go horribly wrong before they are able to get out of the elevator. Now I am not saying it is the best episode so far (see the power ranking below), but it is the best twist so far.

Into the Dark Power Ranking
1. The Body (October)
2. Down (February)
3. New Year, New You (January)
4. Pooka! (December)
5. Flesh and Bone (November)

Into the Dark: Down premieres tomorrow only on Hulu.

Previewing I Am the Night

The Black Dahlia Murder is one of those famous stories that I really do not know that much about because I have never been that much of a fan of the true crime genre. I think I maybe have seen a movie about it, maybe starring Josh Harnett. Maybe not. You will hear a lot about The Black Dahlia when reading about I Am the Night, but really that crime is just tertiary to the plot of the new TNT limited series. the show is more of a character study than trying to figure out who committed the crime.

The show, based on the book One Day She'll Darken, is the story of Fauna Hodel, who on her sixteenth year, learns her mother that raised her is not actually her birth mother. She grew up thinking that her black mother had sex with a white man, but finds her birth certificate and her mother is listed as Caucasian and her father is listed as an unidentified negro. So it is off to Los Angeles to find her birth mother, find out who her father is, and the rest of her family including her grandfather George.

Oh, and George is believed to be a copycat killer of The Black Dahlia murderer, or possibly the actual killer himself by a reporter played by Chris Pine (teaming back up with his Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins who directed multiple episodes and serves as the executive producer). At the time Fauna is learning about her real self, Pine is a disgraced reporter who was successfully sued for definition by George Hodel and has resigned to awkwardly walking on the sand just to take private pictures of celebrates. As his editor tells him, hold stories you can’t tell.

It takes a while for the two leads to cross paths and the first couple episodes suffer for it. That is the problem with how television is made, Pine’s reporter should not even show up in the first episode because this is Fauna’s story, but since he is the recognizable episode who face has to be on the poster to sell the show, he has to be in as many scenes, and possibly more, just to get the show made.

But once the two cross path, the show really hits its stride in the final three episodes. Well until it just ends and you realize that this was not out to solve the case of The Black Dahlia, it was tell the story of Fauna Hodel. And to hammer that point home, at the end of the series, there is the usual where are they now epilogue and the only person we get an update on is Fauna. This will lead people who are not totally emerged in the Black Dahlia case straight to Bing to see what became of George Hodel and the case

I Am the Night airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT.
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57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 27, 2019

Supergirl: Why is Kara acting as if Alex is not going to remember her at all? She is not losing the information that Kara is Supergirl. Presumably Alex will still remember Kara and still remember Supergirl, just not that they are the same person. Although, just how long until Alex realizes Kara is Supergirl? I cannot imagine it will take her own sister too long to figure out her secret identity.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Shameless: So no one took over Fiona’s room while she was livening in her apartment building? With that house over crowded, you would think someone would move in especially when I believe the three boys were still sharing a room. And I am starting to think that Fiona exits the show maybe going to rehab. Or could they possibly kill her off? It would be weird if she OD’s and yet Frank is still somehow managing to cling to life.

The Passage: Well, I was not expecting Zach Morris to get caught this quickly. Though where do they go from here? The shady organization had a shoot to kill order on him. They cannot let him go. Are they just going to try the cure on him too?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Manifest: So last week the pilot presumably found another cloud to make him go into the future again and now this week we find another dude who lost a year in the woods of New York? This show is getting dumber by the episode.
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

Vikings: What a horrible troll to have Floki taunted by the Christian Cross in what he though was the Viking hell. So now he is caved in and covered in ruble. Is this it for Floki? I guess he could just go out the way he came but that is if his torch did not go out. It is about time to close out this plotline, no need to spread it over the final season.
You can download Vikings on iTunes.

Deadly Class: Would it be racist to ask if the hot Asian chick and the Asian head master dude were related? They had that moment at the end where she spilled all the secrets of the new guy. But he did poison her for that test so maybe not.
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

The Good Place: Well I was sort of right in that The Bad Place would pick people who would torture the Soul Squad. Got Simone completely right. But odd that of all the time they have spent on how Tahani has lived in her sister’s shadow that instead of Kamila, they bring in a blogger to torture Tahani. And that guy got really annoying real quick. I guess they still bring her because you can say Simone can torture both Chidi and Eleanor. I just hope Donkey Doug is one of the final two..
The Good Place on iTunes.

Gotham: I made an offhand comment that maybe it was The Riddler that blew up the building but I never actually thought it would be him because mass destruction was never his M.O. Or he would at least let someone solve a puzzle first to allow Batman to stop mass destruction.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.