Around the Tubes: April 5, 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 Chi, Queenpins, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, bülow, Jonas Brothers, Best Ever Trivia Show, Black Hole Hunters, Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story, The Carol Burnett Show, Light as a Feather, Looking For Alaska, and Intelligence.

- Starting today, the season two premiere of the hit Showtime drama The Chi is available for free sampling online, on streaming platforms and on TV on demand. Created and executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Boomerang, 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 season premiere episode is available for free now on YouTube, and SHO.com ahead of its linear debut this Sunday, April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

- Think of a crime boss - do you imagine Al Capone, Tony Soprano, maybe Atilla the Hun? If so, actress Keke Palmer can now school you on some of the baddest "Queenpins" in history - the women who were loved, feared, and definitely in conflict with both the laws and gender norms of their day. Check out the first episode of 'Queenpins,' her new Glamour x FB Watch series, HERE, to learn about Stephanie St. Clair, the Queen of Harlem and the notorious "Numbers" gambling ring she ran in Roaring 20s and Great Depression NYC. She was an immigrant who, at a time when ambitious black girls were confined to career options such as: maid for a white family, cook for a white family, (you get it, etc.), owned a brownstone (409 Edgecomb Avenue, home to W.E.B. DuBois and Thurgood Marshall), sent white mobsters blackmail notes on their deathbeds, shot her cheating second husband (didn't kill him, though!), rocked hats and furs like the best of the pimps she partied with, and fought for social justice for black women at a time when it required the breaking of (many) laws to get a seat at the table.

- You have searched the internet for clues and re-read your old copies of the books with anticipation – but the suspense is over and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital now from Warner Bros Home Entertainment! Please check out our supercut created just for this release below celebrating the amazing "girl power" in the film!


- Award winning and multi-platinum pop iconoclast bülow has released a new EP, Crystalline, out now via Wax Records /Republic Records/Universal Music Canada. Listen to Crystalline HERE. The new EP will also be available on vinyl and can be pre-ordered HERE.

- Following the biggest comeback of the year, GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse trio–Jonas Brothers—unleash their new single “Cool” today. Get it HERE (Republic Records)

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, has announced Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) as host of its new expert-trivia game show, Best Ever Trivia Show. The half-hour series is anticipated to premiere in Summer 2019. In Best Ever Trivia Show, three contestants face off against three Trivia Experts. The winning player then goes head-to-head against the Expert with the highest score in the final round – the ultimate trivia challenge. The Expert is asked five multiple choice questions and if the player gets one or more correct answers than the Expert, the player wins $10,000 along with the opportunity to come back and win up to a grand total of $30,000 and take his or her spot in trivia history. Trivia Experts to be announced at a later date.

- Smithsonian Channel is putting viewers in the passenger seat of the journey towards a cutting-edge outer space discovery. On the heels of a groundbreaking scientific announcement to be made on April 10, the network will air a new one-hour documentary following a team of international scientists as they attempt to document the first-ever image of a black hole. Black Hole Hunters premieres Friday, April 12 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Starting Sunday, April 14th, lost episodes of the groundbreaking The Carol Burnett Show will return to broadcast television only on MeTV, America’s #1 classic television network. Airing Sunday nights at 10:30pm ET/PT and Monday-Friday at 11pm ET/PT, these rarely seen episodes will showcase sketches from the first five seasons of the longstanding series, including the premiere episode with Jim Nabors, who became Burnett’s “good luck charm” and first appearances of iconic characters, like pitiful Eunice and air-headed Mrs. Wiggins, who fans continue to adore. Many of these milestone episodes have never aired beyond their original debut – until now on MeTV.

- Showtime announced the acquisition of rights to the award-winning documentary Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story based on the turbulent life of one of the NBA’s most controversial figures. Directed by Johnny Sweet (VICK) and written by journalist Tom Friend, Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story is produced by Bleacher Report and will premiere on Showtime during Mental Health Awareness Month on Friday, May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

- Hulu and AwesomenessTV have announced the cast of Light as a Feather season 2. New cast includes Katelyn Nacon (The Walking Dead) as “Sammi,” Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf) as “Ridge,” Adriyan Rae (Atlanta) as “Peri,” Alisa Allapach (The 15:17 to Paris) as “Amanda,” Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans) as “Nadia,” Alex Wassabi (Wassabi) as “Luke,” Robyn Lively (Teen Witch) as “Deb” and Alan & Alex Stokes (Brobot). Returning cast includes Liana Liberato as “McKenna,” Brianne Tju as “Alex,” Haley Ramm as “Violet,” Jordan Rodrigues as “Trey,” Brent Rivera as “Isaac,” and Dylan Sprayberry as “Henry.”

- Hulu is excited to share that Timothy Simons (“Veep”) and Ron Cephas Jones (“This is Us”) have been cast as series regulars in the upcoming 8-episode limited series, Looking For Alaska, which began production this month.

- Showtime has given a series commitment and opened a writers room for the new spy thriller Intelligence, a real-world scripted drama series from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty). Boal will write, direct and executive produce, marking the filmmaker’s first foray into television. The series, based on real stories from around the world, will explore the secret inner workings of power – how espionage intersects with politics, finance, media and Silicon Valley. The first season will dramatize the behind-the-scenes history leading up to the 2016 U.S. election, with each subsequent season looking at a major world event through the lens of covert operations.

Previewing The Chi; Season Two

I finished the first season of The Chi with a big feeling of meh. The pacing of the show just felt off, I never really connected with the over bloated cast that did not even interact that much, and the murder mystery at the central of the season just did not seem too compelling. We never met him until he was dead and his mother ended up not even being one of the numerous cast members. I cannot even remember how that mystery played out.

But I have to say season is a vast improvement. It probably helps that I now have a sense of who is in the over bloated cast are (although they have added to that this season). Also gone is that murder mystery element which dragged down last season. Though the effects of that murder are still being felt. Ronnie ended last season in jail after confessing to the murder of the kid who thought killed the son he helped take care of but is looking for ways to get out after his grandmother gets ruthlessly attacked. While Kevin is in therapy as he and his family debate on if he should testify against Ronnie as an eye witness.

Then you have Brandon, the brother of the kid Ronnie murdered, having to deal with the potential release of his brother’s murderer while trying to get his taco truck off the ground. One of the big complaints of the first season was the lack of interactions between the four main men on the show, but Brandon actually has some screen time with Emmitt which I do not believe happened last season, these are some of the best moments of this season. Emmitt does need to interact with some new people after his mom moves into a one bedroom apartment, which means no room for him.

But the best part of The Chi remains the trials and tribulations of Kevin and Papa who is now a regular cast member this season. Really, Papa’s picture day wardrobe is just great even if everyone else has a big issue with something that happens during picture day.

The Chi airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.

Previewing The Last O.G.: Season Two

As pitched, The Last O.G. sounded like a great fish out of water story. A drug dealer who is sent away for a fifteen years and returns to find Brooklyn now fully gentrified and his baby mama (who he did not know was with child when he went to prison) is now raising their twins with a white dude. This would have been hilarious if that gangbanger in question was someone out of New Jack City but alas, the O.G. in question was the too goofy Tracy Morgan who is not really who I picture when I think O.G. I need someone who can rap as hard as Ice-T circa 1990. I would even take Ice-T today over Tracy Morgan.

But as that disappointment fades, my enjoyment of the show actually increases in season two. Of course I have come to realize that the real fish out of water is the new white husband who weirdly is the most compassionate person on the show towards Morgan. Probably the funniest storyline of the early episodes I have seen is the white dad being the most upset when one of the female twin’s white friends sings the n-word while listening to rap music. We have all been there.

Despite having to deal with a new corny white dude of his own on The Neighborhood, Cedric the Entertainer, the best part of season one, is back for a couple episodes in season two as the owner of the halfway house than Morgan is assigned to and the other inhabitants are back too. Despite his curmudgeon ways, he does find it in his heart to help Morgan out with his latest dream. He spends most of the season trying to get a food truck business off the ground where he serves his prison quinine to the people on the outside.

The Last O.G. airs Tuesdays at 10:30 on TBS. You can also download The Last O.G. on iTunes.

Previewing Into the Dark: I'm Just Forking with You

In a measure of full disclosure, I should mention I hate April Fool’s Day. Ninety-nine percent of people just are not funny and worse is when corporations try to prank their customers as if treating your customers like morons is a good idea. Really, there has only been one good April’s Fools Day prank that has ever been funny, when Taco Bell took out a full page ad in newspapers across the nation to say that have bought the Liberty Bell, were going to fix the crack, and rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. Now that was funny.

So I was hoping that for April, Into the Dark would be doing a Tax Day themed episode. But alas, it is based on April Fool’s Day. And the antagonist of this episode is the worst kind of April Fool’s prankster who is constantly trying to fool un-expecting people and even when they catch on, he still is pulling pranks and then they just keep getting bigger and more annoying.

The mark is a germ-a-phobe who for some reason picks a seedy motel to check in while attending his ex-girlfriend’s wedding who is now marrying his cousin. Ouch. But hey, he does have a fake social media account to troll the couple. He is meeting his sister at this motel but the guy gets suspicious of the prankster when she does not show up thinking that the motel clerk prankster has something to do with it. And this being Into the Dark, things start going off the rails as the pranks get bigger and bigger.

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

Into the Dark: I’m Just Forking with You premieres today on Hulu.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: March 31, 2019

Supergirl: So we get the Lex backstory by then Superman was conspicuously absent from even the trial. But we did get the Md. Tessmacher backstory… well except why exactly why she is obsessed with Lex but now we know why such an overqualified person was an assistant at Catco. But I do wonder if they did this Russian Supergirl storyline just to have someone on the show with a worse accent than Lena.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Billions: The new money girl certainly looks like Axe’s wife… ex-wife? I kind of forget their status. I believe they are just separated and she moved the kids to the west coast. And she also kind of looks like Taylor’s new version of Wendy. I actually thought that was the new money lady coming to Taylor later in the episode for a second. But it is really weird seeing Chuck and Axe in the same scene in two straight episodes. The show was better when they were at each other’s throats but only came face to face once or twice per episode. I do wonder which one will end this truce first. It has to happen eventually.

The Walking Dead: They say you save the best for last, and thought the heads on spikes parade was going to end on the pregnant Rosalita, but they really ended with the annoying kid? I never really cared for him at all and am kind of glad he died. Although was that not Rosalita in the second to last spot? I thought I saw her later. So maybe that was Tara? Everyone else was kind of a yawn. I think that redhead only had one line and that was earlier in the episode. Although this all begs the question, just how can you kidnap seven(ish) people from a carnival without anyone noticing until the daughter told the King? And if Tara is dead, who is the new leader of Hilltop? Did we ever get an explanation on Maggie? Is the show being vague in the hopes that her new show will fail (which it pretty much is)?
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Girls: Maybe I forgot, but I did just notice that they were trying to scam Cloud 9 from Superstore. It is a shame they could not get the actual actors to play the clerks.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

Black Monday: Okay, so just how long has Blair been conning everyone? We get confirmation that he is a gay-homosexual this week so has he been running the Georgina play this whole time and then was scamming Mo? Was scamming Mo this whole time the plan or did he just needed someone at Wall Street and since that was the only job he could get thanks to Mo, he went with it?

The Act: Gypsy gets her first kiss. Oh was that weird and awkward. And of course DeeDee showing up was the only way it could have gotten any weirder.
You can stream The Act on Hulu.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: It is always weird to hear people talk about their majority that is not an actual majority. I remember the last Fans vs. Favorites season there was a four person alliance in a Tribe of ten who thought they had the numbers and then promptly started getting voted out. Luckily for this six person “majority” in a tribe of thirteen, they actually got those seven other players to vote for each other. Granted, now six-six, those non-“majority” players have three Idols between then. They just got to figure out how they can work together considering they voted one of them out and tried to do it again. David is really going to need to mend those fences. Although it may not be six-six because the Promo Monkey makes it looks like someone dies. Has to be Wardog, dude has been pretty incompetent so far.

Sure the vote was surprising but so was the jury showing up already. I do wonder if the jury will be everyone who does not quite, or did they just bring everyone to Tribal just in case they make it back in the game, but the actual Jury will just be the last nine or ten that were booted. Probably the former just so they can get more screen time for Aubrey and Joe.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: So we got an update on Hanna and Spencer (sorry other two Liars). Although I really want a Hermie the Hermaphadite update. But as wild as the first episode with the douchebag blackmailing everyone and then dying, kind of a boring second episode. I wonder when the not dead sister comes back into play.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Oh Georgia, what is wrong with you? You literally get caught as the other woman and yet end the episode back with Bear who inexplicably keeps winning on the Killing Floor. Dude needs to go away soon.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: I was going to call this the first meh episode, but then they had to end it with a rat called Admiral Whiskers. Awesome.

The Blacklist: Red gets his stay of execution and a weird episode to mark his escape by meeting his mentor and getting screwed over by that mentor one more time. Second episode was even more unexpected with what looks to be the exit of Samar. So how did Red know the next target was going to happen in America? Did he know it was going to be Samar?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: March 30, 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 Lisa Hannigan, Aerial Britain, Tre Maison Dasan, Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase, Tony Lucca, Aly and AJ, Taylor Janzen, Amazon, The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story, Guess I'm a Ghost, Marvel’s Runaways, Homeland, and the 2020 Democratic Debate.

- Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan is pleased to share "Bookmark", a brand new single taken from her forthcoming album Live In Dublin that is due for release on May 31, 2019 through Play It Again Sam. A spellbinding collaboration with composer Andréde Ridder and his s t a r g a z e neo-classical orchestra, the project sees Lisa’s sparse, ethereal folk, now backed by strings, percussion and brass, transformed into something truly cinematic and evocative. The album was recorded when Hannigan and s t a r g a z e took their show to Dublin’s National Concert Hall following stops at the Barbican and various European festivals. Listen to "Bookmark" HERE.

- The hit aerial exploration series from Smithsonian Channel, Aerial America, expands across the pond with the debut of Aerial Britain. This newest installment takes viewers on a journey to four regions of Britain, discovering the historical significance of the island from breathtaking heights. Filmed from helicopters and drones equipped with cutting edge 4K/Ultra High Definition cameras, Aerial Britain presents views of stunning iconic landmarks, both natural and man-made, as well as fascinating monuments off the beaten path. Aerial Britain premieres Sunday, April 28 at 8 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Told directly through the children’s perspective, Tre Maison Dasan is an up-close and unfiltered look at the lives of three Rhode Island boys, each navigating childhood and adolescence with a parent behind bars. Each boy faces the pressure of growing up in a society that often demonizes their parents, provides little support for their families, and assumes “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Produced and directed by Denali Tiller, Tre Maison Dasan premieres on Independent Lens this Monday, April 1, 2019, 10:00-11:00 PM ET (check local listings), and will also be available simultaneously for online streaming at pbs.org.

- The iconic mystery solving teenager from the classic Nancy Drew books is back with an all-new feature length film that will keep you guessing until the very end! Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase is out on Digital now, and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD on April 2, 2019. Check out this never-before-seen clip from the bonus features here.

- 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.

- “I do bad things for the sake of good times I don’t regret / Call me what you will, I’m in it for the thrill, I’m just selfish / I need redemption," the sisters Aly and AJ harmonize over a starry synth and electronic textures, producing a resounding strength from the two who are not afraid to let their voices and stories be heard on the lead single "Church" from their forthcoming 5-track EP Sanctuary.

- With her stunningly sparse melodies and minimalistic guitar riffs, 19 year old Taylor Janzen may seem softly spoken, but her staggering lyrical narrative and deeply personal writing sends a resounding message. The Winnipeg artist garnered praise from the likes of New York Times with her debut EP, "Interpersonal", which was mastered by Greg Calbi (Julien Baker, Arcade Fire, Big Thief), and co-produced by Taylor. With further praise from NYLON, Paste, The Line of Best Fit and more, Taylor kicked off the year as an Official Artist at SXSW where she performed at the Rolling Stone Emerging Artist Showcase and NPR featured her in their coveted Austin 100.

- Amazon opened its curated storefront for the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival featuring festival essentials from categories like fashion & accessories, beauty, health & wellness, tech, and camping. Items available include sunglasses, sunscreen, pain relievers, bug spray, portable fans, disposable cameras, nail art, and more. Customers can order in advance for delivery to their home or Amazon pickup point, or ship directly to an Amazon Locker located inside the festival gates, here: amazon.com/Coachella. In addition, Amazon has worked with actress and musician Vanessa Hudgens to shop the store and select her favorite items that she plans to wear to this year’s festival

- Coming off its acclaimed world premiere at SXSW earlier this month, Pilgrim Media Group and Lance Bass Productions’ YouTube Original feature documentary The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story is getting a one-week theatrical release in limited theaters in Los Angeles and New York – beginning Wednesday, March 27 in LA (Arclight Sherman Oaks) and Friday, March 29 in New York City (AMC 34th Street). The movie will debut exclusively on YouTube April 3. Directed by Pilgrim’s Aaron Kunkel, and produced by Pilgrim Media Group CEO Craig Piligian, alongside producer, artist, host and entrepreneur Lance Bass; Pilgrim Media Group’s Nicholas Caprio; and Matthew Charles Ducey, the film tracks the life of boy band impresario Lou Pearlman from his childhood in Queens, New York through discovering mega-bands the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, and chronicles his later life, including his perpetration of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history.

- Guess I'm a Ghost is a comedy web series in eight episodes that explores coming to terms with your past mistakes, making amends, and how we both perform ourselves and find out about death through social media. Tonally, the series is a mix between High Maintenance and The Good Place. Using both naturalistic and absurd comedy, the show looks to see how we grieve over imperfect people we think we knew, but maybe didn't at all. Diane...wasn't the best friend. She liked to bend the truth and look out for number one. After embarrassing herself at a party, she's killed in a ride-share accident when climbing into the front seat to charge her phone. Then, because of a mistake in the afterlife, she's sent back to earth and forced to haunt those she could've treated a little better, and might owe her an apology themselves.

- Hulu has renewed Marvel’s Runaways for a 10-episode third season. Marvel’s Runaways is executive produced by series showrunners/writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The O.C. and Gossip Girl) along with Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger) and Quinton Peeples. Fake Empire’s Lis Rowinski produces as well. Marvel’s Runaways is a co-production with ABC Signature Studios. “We are so excited to tell more Runaways stories and are so grateful to Marvel, Hulu, our amazing cast and crew and of course our passionate audience,” said co-showrunners and Executive Producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. “Season three will be a magical time on Runaways, as we deepen our connection to the Marvel universe. We are honored to continue to play in the sandbox created by Brian K Vaughn and Adrian Alphona.”

- Emmy-nominated actor Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) will guest star in a multi-episode arc on the award-winning drama series Homeland, starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Claire Danes and Emmy and Tony® winner Mandy Patinkin. Dancy will recur as John Zabel, a savvy Washington consultant who joins the White House as a new foreign-policy advisor to the President and a formidable opponent to Saul Berenson (Patinkin). The acclaimed series is currently in production on its eighth and final season and will premiere later this year.

- NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo will host the first democratic presidential primary debate of the 2020 cycle live from Miami, Fla. The debate will take place on back-to-back nights on Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27. The prime time events will be broadcast live across all three networks with real-time Spanish-language translations on Telemundo. In addition, the two-night special event will also be streamed for free on NBC News’ digital properties, including NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, NBC News Mobile App, and OTT apps in addition to Telemundo’s digital platforms.

I Want My Music Television: March 27, 2019

I Can’t Get Enough - benny blanco, Tainy, Selena Gomez and J Balvin


I was not all that interested in the new Selena Gomez song when I saw there was two other people credited on the track because she does not have the best track record when it comes to collaborations after she left The Scene. But when I actually listened to it the song was surprisingly good… until the rapper came in sounding like he was trying way too hard to be Latin Drake. Hopefully a version get released without him.


Rule the World - 2 Chainz featuring Ariana Grande


Okay, 2 Chainz and Ariana Grande has to be the weirdest pairing since… well I guess Taylor Swift / Future / Ed Sheeran was not that long ago. But really all this song does is make me miss Amerie. Now that was a great song.


Now That I Found You - Carly Rae Jepsen


Cat people scare me. Case in point: Carly Rae Jepsen.


Dancing On My Own (From Teen Spirit Soundtrack) - Elle Fanning


Elle Fanning just has that aura of likeably about her and just seems like a fun hang (unlike the other Fanning who just seems dour and a really bad hang). Though this song just sounds like bland karaoke. But since it is for a movie about someone shooting to fame on a singing competitions, I guess it is apropos because that is intiy nine percent of singing competitions.

Previewing Knightfall: Season Two

We have hit have hit peak television a couple years ago and yet it is only getting peakier as Disney, Apple, Warner Brother, and Comcast all look to start their own streaming services soon that will all have their own original programs. So what a great time to be an actor because all those shows need to be filled with a new cast. Seriously, Lyla Garrity is currently playing a superhero on DC Comics newly christened streaming service.

Too bad this was not always the case. Back in the eighties, there were only three networks who only aired nine months of programing (and that is not even taking account copious amounts of re-runs in season) and not that many movies being released each month. So while someone like Lyla Garrity can get steady work basically from being launched on Friday Night Lights, you take someone from the eighties like Mark Hamill who shot to stardom as Luke Skywalker really never got another starring role. Really, his second biggest gig may be voicing The Joker in multiple shows, movies and video games.

But now in the era of Peak TV, Mark Hamill is finally getting his just due as the lead in the biggest movie franchise as he has been brought on to the second season of Knightfall to give that show a little star power. And Knighfall really needed it because no one in the cast is all that recognizable (and it does not help the show has been off the air for thirteen months). There is a moment in the second premiere where there is a big reveal of someone in a fight club but I basically went: what, should I know who that guy is? I guess I should have paid more attention to the “Previously On” package.

Okay, so on a show set in France and filled with mostly British actors, Hamill and his gruff American accent is a bit out of place. Hamill plays a Templar elder who trains new recruits. How Yoda of him. One of which is Landry, who got booted from the order for breaking his vow of celibacy when he knocked up the Queen of France who died in childbirth at the end of last season. But Landry is allowed to rejoin but has to start from the bottom. This is actually great for the rest of the new recruits who get to train alongside one of the best Templars of the day.

Back in France, there is strife between the king and his children. The Prince is mad that his mother had died in his absence. Added to this, his bride is having trouble giving him an heir. The princess is unhappy because her mother wanted her to marry for love, and now her father is forcing her to marry for politics to a man who is known as a pervert. So the Queen may be dead, but there is still plenty of palace intrigue.

Knightfall airs Mondays at 10:00 on History.

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

Supergirl: Oh snap, Miss Tessmaucher is evil. Oh wait, she says she has been evil this whole time? I guess maybe why someone with an advanced degree was an assistant to Cat Grant, but um, how exactly did that help with Lex Luthor’s plan? She need to have Cat leave, get close to James and have James get close to Lena. Maybe it will be better explained next week which I believe is a flashback episode of how Lex planned all this. And is Manchester gone forever? I guess it makes sense that he had this death wish so he can be with his dead girlfriend, but did not really get his revenge first.
Supergirl on iTunes.

The Walking Dead: Did I miss how Michonne and Daryl got out of their restraints after being captures by the Lord of the Flies gang? But I guess when Michonne has to kill a bunch of children because she let someone she trusted into Alexandra is a good reason to not let anyone new in after that.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Girls: When they learned about the every growing landfill, I thought they would actually take the body their instead of dumping it in the trash. Seems like a lot could go wrong with the body getting discovered before making it to the dump. Of course that might be the point.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

Black Monday: A little jarring when you see that the episode takes us all the way back to seven thousand days before Black Monday. Although a bit disappointing that half the episode took place a day after the last episode and the far back half was just a red herring to make you think that Mo was capable of kidnapping only for it to be her parents which likely will be the reason Blair comes on board the plan.

The Act: The one thing that really bothered me with this whole story is if DeeDee was really faking Gypsy’s illnesses, how exactly was she able to get away with this from a doctor? Well we did see in the second episode one doctor try to get to the bottom of things, even going as far as to call Child Protective Services. But now I am left to wonder why stop? Was it just because the social worker could not find enough to go any further?
You can stream The Act on Hulu.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Once Immunity has been won, it is usually pretty obvious who is going home. Sure the editors will try to make you think there is another option and occasionally there are some shocking twist but ninety [percent of the time you can easily guess who it is. Like in the first hour, seemed pretty obvious Aubrey was going to be voted out because all the dominate tribe has talked about is how the returning players did not deserve to come back. Sure there was a chance the redhead ended up going with the all-chick alliance or Aubrey pulled out her Idol, but that turned out the case.

As for the second hour we had the very rare, I have no clue what was going to happen. We had five vs. five going into Tribal. Except Wendy was the only person who had not been with her tribe the whole time, and yet, she kind of hated her old tribe. Then it seemed like David and the redhead could very well switch instead of going to rock (anyone who goes to rocks is a moron, alliances do not matter anymore, just get yourself to tomorrow). Oh, and both Lauren and Wentworth have Idols.

Shockingly Wardog came up with a reasonable plan and even more shocking, it actually went off without a hitch. I mocked Wardog all episode for being the least athletic fit looking dude who could not even throw a bag despite a Yankee’s tattoo on his arm, but he somehow pulled that out of his noggin. Although all the whispering that we were not privy to via subtitles were a bit annoying. What exactly did David and Wendy talk about? Was that just a giant ruse? Did he try to sway her to vote with them? Get the name of who she was voting for? We will never know.

But we finally get the Edge of Extinction playing out next week. Crazy thing is, I was thinking if Aubrey is the player who returns (which is likely the producer’s pick) the former Manu could end up in the majority post merge. There are just four original Manu left, Aubrey would likely join them out of spite and bring Joe because he would also be targeted as a returning player and then they could recruit Aurora who also seemed on the out too. Then that would be seven to the remaining original Kama’s six. But if not Aubrey, will a former Manu player come back into the game bitter and will be fine at the bottom of Kama or try again with people who already booted them? Though the worst case scenario for everyone would be Wendy returning who would just be pure chaos.

Okay, one more group of questions: so do the losers that do not win their way back in the game go back to Edge of Extinction or are their torches snuffed again? Or is this going to be like Redemption Island where the deck is cleared and everyone post merge goes there and has a chance to come back in at around four left? Or are we done with Edge of Extinction?
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: There is an old saying that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did but backwards and in heels. I thought of that this week because I believe every team had the chick walk backwards in this challenge. But I am really ready for Bear to be off my television screen. Just deport him to Ex on the Beach or something. But weird play from Wes. Targets the British alliance last week then burns a vote on one and votes in a very weak team. For a self-proclaimed genius, that seemed like a very weak play.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: Pretty Little Liars was a drag. They stretched out who was A way too long and just became a chore to watch the longer it went. So I was dreading watching the spin-off because the last one sucked. But then started explaining the plot of the first episode to someone: there is a dude who is dating a hot black chick, forking a hot Latina who he broke up with by letting her walking in on him forking some random which chick, oh yeah, and he is blackmailing the nerdy white dude he also forked. And then he was thrown off a building. Okay, that was kind of an awesome premiere. And I did not even get to the gay politician who got taped cheating on her wife with a dude. Hopefully they do not take five seasons to figure out who killed the guy.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

Deadly Class: Not one but two cliffhangers to end the season (especially considering the rating puts a renewal in the toss up category)? And just how did the cartel people know where everybody was?
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

Gotham: Mmm, an Al-Gul daughter plans an elaborate scheme to punish her father’s killer with the help of Bane… where have I heard that one before? And then why is the show taking a month off if there is just two episodes left? Just finish it now.
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Well that got dark. But hey, the new Doom Patrol has one more member and a Cyborg so maybe that will even the odds in their next battle. But what exactly has Mr. Nobody been doing since that battle, just plotting for a couple decades?

Blindspot: Oh yeah, the evil therapist is still alive. For some reason I was thinking he was killed by an explosion. I guys the scars means he survived the blast.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

The Blacklist: So Red was able to bluff his way out of his execution and somehow also inadvertently uncovered the very conspiracy that was trying to kill him. Although now that he is out, isn’t he going to track down the person who put him in prison? And though Liz says she no longer cares who Red really is, what about her sister?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: March 23, 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 Action, A Life Among Monkeys, Tre Maison Dasan, bülow, Maggie Lindemann, We Are Columbine, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Looking For Alaska, and The Loudest Voice.

- Showtime has released the official trailer for its new four-part docu-series Action, premiering on Sunday, March 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Directed by Luke Korem, Action explores the legalization of sports gambling and its evolving impact on the industry following the landmark 2018 Supreme Court decision to lift a ban on sports betting. Peeling back the curtain on a once taboo industry during its most critical juncture, Action chronicles the lives of professional gamblers, bookies and oddsmakers throughout the 2018 NFL season, culminating with the biggest gambling day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday. The character-driven narrative delivers intimate access to a diverse cross-section of the sports gaming community and documents the effects of legalization through their prisms.


- Smithsonian Channel will introduce viewers to a class-conscious community of Sri Lankan monkeys in a new documentary to air during the network’s Wild Wednesday lineup. The one-hour special draws upon the remarkable work of Dr. Wolfgang Dittus, who has spent over 50 years studying the charismatic toque macaques of Sri Lanka, constituting the longest continuous monkey study in the world. Centered in the stunning ancient kingdom ruins of Polonnaruwa, A Life Among Monkeys reveals trials and tribulations of life in the intricate social order of toque macaques, documented for the first time thanks to Dr. Dittus’ pioneering work, and forces us to reevaluate what we thought we knew about primate societies. A Life Among Monkeys premieres Wednesday, April 24 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Told directly through the children’s perspective, Tre Maison Dasan is an up-close and unfiltered look at the lives of three Rhode Island boys, each navigating childhood and adolescence with a parent behind bars. Each boy faces the pressure of growing up in a society that often demonizes their parents, provides little support for their families, and assumes “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Produced and directed by Denali Tiller, Tre Maison Dasan premieres on Independent Lens Monday, April 1, 2019, 10:00-11:00 PM ET (check local listings), and will also be available simultaneously for online streaming at pbs.org.

- JUNO Award winning, pop iconoclast bülow has announced the release of her new EP, Crystalline, on April 5th via Wax Records /Republic Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Music fans can listen to the EP’s debut single, “Sweet Little Lies,” here.

- Maggie Lindemann has been adventurously investigating her sound and identity since breaking through with the global pop smash 'Pretty Girl.' From that track's laser-sharp pop focus to the darker, revealingly vulnerable recent tracks ‘Human’ and ‘Would I,’ Maggie has demonstrated a brave desire to tackle bold new ideas while amassing over a billion streams.

- This April marks 20 years since tragedy unfolded at Columbine High School. Director and former student Laura Farber now brings us stories from those who lived it and how they’ve since dealt with the residual trauma in We Are Columbine, the new documentary playing this April in select cities along with a digital HD release April 9th. Offering a unique perspective, We Are Columbine follows four students who experienced one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Director Laura Farber, who was also a Columbine freshman at the time, sensitively captures her classmates' deeply personal and unique perspectives during an unprecedented walk-through of the school itself, shedding light on the complexity of a life impacted by violence and loss at a young age.

- Showtime has announced that Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful) has joined Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, the next chapter of the Penny Dreadful saga, in the series regular role of Dr. Peter Craft. Craft is a successful German pediatrician and the head of the German-American Bund, an organization he hopes will keep the United States isolated from the growing threat of war in Europe. The series also stars Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Adriana Barraza, Jessica Garza, Johnathan Nieves and Tony® and Emmy® winner Nathan Lane. 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.

- Hulu’s upcoming (8-episode) limited series, Looking For Alaska, announces additional series regulars: Denny Love, Jay Lee, Landry Bender, Sofia Vassilieva, Uriah Shelton, and Jordan Connor. They join previously announced series regulars, Kristine Froseth and Charlie Plummer. The series comes from Paramount Television and Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire. Logline: The series is based on the John Green novel of the same name. It is told through the eyes of teenager Miles “Pudge” Halter (Plummer), as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with a girl, Alaska Young (Froseth), and after her unexpected death, he and his close friends attempt to uncover the truth behind her death and make sense of it.

- Showtime has announced that Emmy and Golden Globe® nominated actor Josh Charles (The Good Wife) will play a recurring role in the network’s upcoming limited series The Loudest Voice about Fox News founder Roger Ailes. The series, led by Academy Award® and Golden Globe winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), is based on extensive reporting by Gabriel Sherman in his bestselling book, The Loudest Voice in the Room. Production is currently underway in New York City. Charles will portray Casey Close, husband of former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson (Oscar® nominee Naomi Watts) and well-known sports agent, who tries to comfort his rattled wife and reassure her that her situation at Fox isn't as bad as she thinks.

2019 Spring Music Preview

When I did my Winter music preview, it resolved around us getting three new Ryan Adams albums this year. Ooops. Dude got #MeToo-ed and the first album has been indefinitely delayed. Granted this did not come to much of a surprise because, c'mon, we have known Adams has been a douche for quite a long time now. The first story I ever remember of him was that he once stopped a concert and refused to continue until a dude who shouted "Play Summer of '69" was kicked out. And there are a lot of stories of this guy being an unhinged mess. I remember an article for Jenny Lewis's last album (not the one being released tomorrow) which Adams produced songs for and I came away from this thinking, wow, this guy is bat-shirt crazy. Kind of makes me wonder why anyone get close to this guy in the first place. Oh well. There is still plenty of new music coming our way this spring. Here is what I will at the very least give a spin on Spotify. You can pre-order on Amazon by clicking on the title. Click the artist's name to be taken to their iTunes page.


Tomorrow
On the Line - Jenny Lewis
My Finest Work - Andrew Bird
No Words Left - Lucy Rose
100% Fresh - Adam Sandler

March 29
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish
Union - Son Volt
For the Many - UB40
Rattlesnake - The Strumbellas
You're the Man - Marvin Gaye
Stand Back: 1981-2017 - Stevie Nicks

April 5
Amidst the Chaos - Sara Bareilles

April 12
Begin Again - Norah Jones
Love Is All You Love - Band of Skulls
The Hurting Kind - John Paul White
This Wild Willing - Glen Hansard
My Happy Place - Emma Bunton
Absolute Zero - Bruce Hornsby

April 19
Jade Bird - Jade Bird
Akron, Ohio - Sad Planets
In Stereo - Bananarama

April 26
Thrilled To Be Here - BAILEN
In the End - The Cranberries

May 3
Father of the Bride - Vampire Weekend
Pep Talks - Judah and The Lion
Age of Unreason - Bad Religion
Dreaming Time Again - Corey Hart

May 10
Wah Gwaan?! - Shaggy
We Get By - Mavis Staples
Space Between - Sammy Hagar and The Circle

May 17
Living Mirage - The Head and the Heart
I Am Easy to Find - The National

May 24
40 - Stray Cats

May 31
Glazed - *repeat repeat

June 21
Keepsake - Hatchie


TBA
Bleachers
Chance the Rapper
Fiona Apple
Guns N' Roses
Selena Gomez
Tiffany Haddish

And of course, this could be the season Dr. Dre releases Detox.

Previewing The Act

Last summer Hulu premiered Castle Rock releasing a new episode every week. There were two just outstanding episodes over the course of the first that spawned countless think pieces across the internet. And that was the last time Hulu released one of its show one episode per week instead opting for the Netflix model of releasing full seasons at one time. I never quite understood this other than the thought, well Netflix is successful is at so we should do it too. Except if you subscribe to Hulu, you probably to it to watch last night’s episode of NBC, ABC, and Fox shows.

Almost a year later, it looks like Hulu is rethinking its release schedule. The first drama to release every show at once was The First which was already canceled. I do wonder if it had been more successful if it was released weekly. Much like Castle Rock there was a truly great episode in the middle except there were no think pieces about because when a show is released all at once, when exactly do you write it? Instead most critics wrote about the show once, said there was one great episode but the rest was mostly, meh, and that was about it. Though The First is the only show since canceled, only Light as a Feather has been renewed. And really shows aimed at teenagers and younger are probably the only shows Hulu should release all at once.

So starting with The Act, Hulu is, at least for now, is going back to a weekly release schedule. (The Handmaid’s Tale and Harlots will follow this spring and both have released weekly in their first two season so I would assume that will continue though no word on Catch-22 which premieres before them.) And really it will be better for it because you may need a full week to pull process each episode because The Act is completely messed up. And I mean that in the most complementary way possible.

The Act is another in an every growing trend of True Crime limited series and this series may have found the most bizarre true crime story in America’s history. The Buzzfeed article that brought the story to the masses says it all: “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter to Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom to Be Murdered.” Patricia Arquette (who is back in a bad wig after winning an multiple end year awards for another pretty bizarre true crime story, Escape from Dannamora) plays Dee Dee who has been abusing her daughter with Munchausen syndrome by proxy for years. Gyspy is played Joey King (Ramona and Beezus) who is not going to make it easy for Arquette to also take home the Emmy where she may just compete against herself and King. Really, these two going out it in every scene going for that Emmy is going to be as compelling as every March Madness game this year. I might just give it to King by a hair because she literally has none for this role because Dee Dee told Gypsy she was so sick she could not grow any and shaved her regularly.

That Buzzfeed title is not really that spoilery for those unfamiliar with the case because there are flash forwards in the premiere where we see a lifeless Dee Dee with multiple stab wounds in her back. This act took place in 2015 while the first episode flashes back seven years when two New Orleans are built a new how in Missouri by Habitat for Humanity after being displaced by Katrina. Gypsy gets medicine and food injected through her belly and wears a mask to sleep. She also has the largest medicine cabinet you may ever see. And of course early in the show Gypsy has to be taken to the Emergency Room, her seventh time that year and it is not even summer year.

But this is the time of a young girl’s life where they are starting to be old enough to think about best friends, boyfriends. Or so one would assume, it is unclear just how old Gypsy is. Dee Dee is really exploiting records being destroying in Katrina to put Gypsy’s age in doubt. But Gypsy is now smart enough to clear the browsing history. One friend that presents herself is AnnaSophia Robb (Race to Witch Mountain) who lives across the street with her mother Chloë Sevigny (American Psycho).

Each episode of The Act opens with the tag “Based on real event” but I also found it interesting that each episode end with, “While this program is based on real events, some scenes and characters have been dramatized or fictionalized.” Which kind of leads me to wonder what exactly is real and what is not? I remember watching Hidden Figures last year and was disappointed to learn afterwards that the best part of the movie, when Kevin Costner tore down the “Colors Bathroom” sign, never actually happened because that character he did that for did not actually had to go across campus to use the restroom she was allowed to go in. Fake or real, The Act is creepy as it gets and I cannot wait to see how it fully unfurls and actually write about it every week.

New episodes of The Act premiere on Hulu every Wednesday. The first two episodes are available now.

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

Supergirl: Did they already disband The Elite? They were the only remotely non-horrible part of this season. Oh well, next week we get Lex Luthur. Meh.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Shameless: Fiona seemly got fleeced on that deal. All she got was her $100,000 back. At least get some interest if that dude stands to make money on the deal. Then she gives half to Debbie. $50,000 may last a couple years if you are frugal, but Fiona has not been the best at money. And flying south without a plan is not a great way to manage money. But hey, when changes her mind and want to rejoin the cast in half a season like Ian did, I guess that would make storyline sense.

The Walking Dead: I do not understand the argument of not going back to Hilltop. The Whisperers are just going to assume you are going there if you are or not. I really doubt they are going to knock on the door, be told the daughter is not there, and then say sorry and leave. I doubt they would leave unless they get proof and Hilltop cannot prove a false negative so there is going to be a showdown if you go there or not. I also do not understand stopping either. The Whisperers walk with slow moving zombies, they are easy to outrun.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Black Monday: So the SEC has been leaning on Keith for three months? I guess that is the problem with doing a show that takes place over a year in just ten half hour episodes. The SEC nabs Keith with 122 days to go and the next episode is 65. But interesting Mo actually came clean on his long con and that just blew up. So how is he going to get back on track? Marry Tiff himself? Or was that him behind both kidnappings in the episode? Next episode is 7042, which would be… 19 years ago? That should be interesting.

The Passage: Just when you think these people cannot get any dumber, that actually had a contingency plan by planting bombs in their bunker… except the forking morons did not seem to kill any of the vampires in the explosion. I kind of wonder if Shawna was lying and that the black scientist was turned and survived the bomb and will pop up at some point in season two. Actually, will anyone be around in season two after all the other countries nuked the U.S.? Amy survives because we see he decades in the future. Fanning we saw in Amy’s future vision. So are these vampires like cockroaches that can survive explosions in enclosed bunkers and nuclear fallout? Yet that black Bible spouting chick seemingly can kill them pretty easily. As for the rest of the cast, Zach Morris and his ex-wife were given the cure but seem to have some vampire properties. Zach’s army buddy seems to be in the same situation except we do not really learn how Shawna saved him. Then will this next season be exclusively in the distant future or will it split between present day? I guess the biggest question is, will there even be a second season?
You can download The Passage on iTunes.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Every season we have a swap and conspicuously every swap you can spot Probst shoving certain platters or bags towards certain players making me wonder just how random was the swap. Then we ended up with a pretty statistically improbable result of the minority tribe all ending up on the same tribe except the one member who was on the outs. And of course they continue to lose.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Well after we got our first English player to go him last week, Wes orchestrates to get rid of another… and fails the only way Was can. For a self-proclaimed genius, his plans fail quite miserable all the time.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Deadly Class: So the headmaster and the hot Asian assassin are linked… sort of. He knew her father. They kind of teased they were related a couple times and now we know what is really going on there. But so much for the speech on protecting her when her father died because she just straight up abandoned him. Granted, what exactly could she have done when the Cartel rolled up to the Headmaster’s home? That and the raid on the crazy person should make for an interesting finale.
You can download Deadly Class on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Oh my goodness, a Cult of the Recreator. How stupid and how great. But what exactly is Mr. Nobody up to by telling Crazy Jane about Doom Patrol? I guess they had a team name yet, but a weird reveal for the name he planted almost forty years ago. But this is a weird show so it will likely play out is a great way.

Blindspot: So are they selling that game? If not they are missing out on some money… from me at least. I kind of want to play.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

The Blacklist: So Red knew of a plot that goes all the way to the top. But did he know it went all the way to the tippy top because the president turned out to be in on it. So how exactly to you get a pardon from the one person who is actually conspiring against you? Well the team has about ten minutes to figure that out.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tunes: March 16, 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 RAMY, Funny Women of a Certain Age, Free Solo, POV, Harlots, Rome's Chariot Superstar, James Bay, Noah Kahan, Lion Babe, Meg Myers, Kaylee Rose, Disgraceland, The Good Lord Bird


- Following the world premiere at SXSW this weekend, Hulu has released the official trailer for upcoming Hulu Original comedy series RAMY. All 10 episodes of RAMY premiere Friday, April 19 only on Hulu.


- Fran Drescher headlines Funny Women of a Certain Age, a new comedy special that will premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Carole Montgomery, Luenell, Lynne Koplitz, Kerri Louise and Vanessa Hollingshead round out the lineup for the first television comedy special to feature six female comics over the age of 50. The outrageous hour-long special was filmed at The Bell House in Brooklyn.


- Beginning this week, Free Solo, the Academy Award® winning Best Documentary Feature highlighting soloist climber Alex Honnold, will stream on Hulu. From award-winning documentary filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, FREE SOLO is an unflinching portrait of Honnold as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream of climbing El Capitan, the 3,200-foot peak in Yosemite National Park, without a rope.

- From city streets to the halls of Congress, women are reasserting their voice and power in 2019. As history unfolds, women are also documenting it. Celebrating these powerful stories in the 32nd season of American television’s longest running documentary showcase on PBS and bucking the industry’s stubborn gender gap, nine out of POV’s 16 feature films this season are helmed by women directors, while four of the five POV Shorts premiering in its second season are directed by women. POV’s 32nd season begins with director Nancy Schwartzman’s Roll Red Roll on June 17 at 10 p.m. on PBS stations, PBS apps, as well as pov.org and amdoc.org. The season will continue with broadcast premieres airing into October, with pop-out episodes in early 2020. POV Shorts’ second season will also launch with Changing Same, premiering at 10:30 p.m. after the feature film On Her Shoulders on Monday, July 22, with subsequent broadcasts throughout POV’s 32nd season.

- Harlots season 3 will premiere on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 (weekly release) only on Hulu! Joining the cast this season as new foes for the women of Soho are Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones, The Predator) and Ash Hunter (Hamilton West End, The Secret Agent) as the Pincher brothers.

- With new discoveries from the world of Roman chariot racing, Rome's Chariot Superstar pieces together an epic view of the lost ancient sport – the most popular and longest-lived form of mass entertainment in the Roman world, yet also the most lethal. Smithsonian Channel’s new two-hour special offers a detailed account of the life of Flavius Scorpus, a real chariot star, and the racing contests he and other champions entered in the famed Circus Maximus arena. Drawing from expert knowledge, archeological evidence and written records, Rome's Chariot Superstar rebuilds the world of chariot racing and its stars in graphic detail. The special premieres Sunday, April 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay gave his debut television performance of “Peer Pressure” last night on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Watch the performance HERE.

- Noah Kahan releases the video for his new single, “Mess.” Watch it HERE! Produced by Kahan’s frequent collaborator Joel Little (Lorde, Khalid), the song has already received praise from Billboard, NYLON, Idolator, EARMILK, Baeble, Ones To Watch and more.

- Lion Babe just premiered their new song "Western World" feat. Raekwon on Beats1 Radio with Ebro and you can hear it now across all digital platforms - link to listen below. The track is from their forthcoming album, Cosmic Wind, due out March 29th, and pulls inspiration from the Pet Shop Boys timeless song "West End Girls" and features an appearance from the legendary Wu-Tang member Raekwon. Following their 2016 critically-acclaimed debut album Begin, Cosmic Wind is an introspective turn, highlighting their growth socially, physically, lyrically; musically! Lion Babe states simply, "It's about the current climate of our American culture and soul. Honored to have Raekwon help paint this wild picture of the present."

- Enigmatic alt-rock artist Meg Myers is back with an empowering cover of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill,' the first taste of her next project, slated for release later this summer. Coming of age in a devoted Jehovah’s Witness household, Meg dealt with restrictions on what music she was allowed to listen to. At 19, Meg moved to LA and recorded her debut album Sorry which spawned Top 15 and Top 20 alternative radio hits. Three years later, she put out Take Me To The Disco, her second LP which debuted at #5 on the Current Alternative Chart and earned the acclaim of The New York Times, Associated Press, NPR Music, Stereogum, Billboard, and more.

- Singer-songwriter Kaylee Rose has released a dynamic new song, titled “Stuff” to radio and digital retailers. The powerful new track talks about the emotional attachment one feels to the things that are left behind following a loss or breakup; conveyed in the lyrics of the song “Not ready to say goodbye. When it’s love, it’s not just stuff.”

- The explosive rock and roll true crime podcast "Disgraceland" released the first episode of its third season, a two-part episode focusing on Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love, via the iHeartPodcast Network. Part one is now available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are available, with part two available Tuesday, March 19. New episodes will be released bi-weekly on Tuesdays beginning March 26 with an episode on Snoop Dogg. Listen to episode one here.

- Showtime has ordered the eight-part limited series Good Lord Bird from Blumhouse Television, based on the National Book Award-winning novel The Good Lord Bird by bestselling author James McBride. Oscar®, Golden Globe® and Tony® nominee Ethan Hawke will star as 19th-century abolitionist John Brown and is co-writing and executive producing with award-winning author and producer Mark Richard (The Ice at the Bottom of the World and Hell on Wheels). Emmy winner Anthony Hemingway (Underground) will direct and executive produce. GOOD LORD BIRD is told from the point of view of Onion, an enslaved teenager who becomes a member in Brown’s motley family during the time of Bleeding Kansas, eventually participating in the famous 1859 raid on the Army depot at Harpers Ferry. Brown’s raid failed to initiate the slave revolt he intended, but was the instigating event that started the Civil War.

Previewing Shrill

Where Hulu has been swinging for the fences when it comes to dramas bringing in big names and splashy press releases, they may actually be getting more and more niche with its comedies. Earlier this year they premiered PEN15 by far the weirdest thing currently on television. Next month comes Ramy about a millennial Muslim starring someone you probably have never heard of. And today sees the premiere Shrill whose tagline is, “Annie, a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body.” So yeah, Shrill is not a broad comedy either.

Then after one episode, I kind of wondered if Shrill was a comedy at all because the only time I laughed in the first episode was at a very blunt pharmacist. And that was the only scene he was in. Okay the show does get progressively funnier with each passing episode. Early in the second episode Annie, who writes for an online publication which for some reason still has office space, goes to a strip club to review its buffet.

Annie is played by Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) who lives with her lesbian best friend (Lolly Adefope, Miracle Workers) while Luka Jones (People of Earth) is the douchebag boyfriend who she has to slum it with. Or maybe he is slumming it, I kind of go back and forth throughout the season. And he may only be out douched by Annie’s boss John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) who may the most pretentious gay dude ever.

But the problem is that the funniest people on the show are barely on it. There is a very inappropriate receptionist at the paper who always has something condescending to say but Annie is rarely at the office. So the IT girl only gets two scenes, but her matter-of-factly debates whether a corn dog could make for a self-pleasuring instrument may be the funniest bit in the show. It is either that or when you learn why the third episode is entitled “Pencil” (you will never guess why). Shrill can be very funny when it want to be, seriously there is a scene where a character takes shrooms when a dog eat one by accident in solidarity, but actual laughs are sometimes too far in between.

All episodes of Shrill are now streaming on Hulu.

Previewing Billions: Season Four

Billons threw a huge curveball last season in after two and a half seasons of being at each other throats and seemed to be careening towards mutual assured destruction, Chuck and Axe actually sat down together and called a truce. Not only that, they started helping each other out as both were being targeting by their one time protégés who are now going after their illegal and immoral ways they once tried to take down the other. Chuck is now being investigated by his second in command while Axe’s star analyst has set up her own shop, taking a sizable amount of capital with her as well as a couple employees.

So both Chuck and Axe start season four a little wounded, Chuck was fired by Attorney General and replaced by the protégé who is now reviewing all his past cases for improprieties. Then Axe is now is finding it hard to retaliate against his protégé who is being backed by a Russian oligarch and has lost his wife and child. Okay, there is a new blonde that looks just like her that catches Axe’s eye. But it is weird after rarely appearing on screen in the first three seasons, how much Axe and Chuck spend together in the new season.

Chuck private practice for high power players and without much power humorously goes on a trek to carry favors with his one chip is not very covetable. Of course it is not very long before his overbearing father tries to grab some power with his son by coming up with a play to make him the Attorney General of New York state. But I wonder just what would happened if a real disgraced U.S. Attorney tried to run for a state Attorney General would go. Wouldn’t an announcement be dead on arrival? Although in these days and times, I guess I could see Trump/Jeff Sessions firing one, claiming it is politically motivated and then run for Attorney General of New York and quickly crowned out of spite mostly.

Billions airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.