Around the Tubes: June 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 Shangri-La, POV, Janet Jackson, The Avett Brothers, James Bay, Maggie Lindemann, Phantogram, Keb’ Mo, KIANA LEDÈ, Tom Morello, Normal People, Work in Progress, and AccuWeather.

- Showtime Documentary Films today revealed the official poster and trailer for Shangri-La and announced the four-part docu-series, a collaboration from Academy Award® and Emmy® winner Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor, 20 Feet From Stardom), legendary music producer Rick Rubin, and director Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol) will premiere on Friday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. While new episodes of Shangri-La will be released on Showtime linear channels weekly, all four will be available immediately on July 12 for on-demand streaming, via the SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME ANYTIME apps and partnering on-demand platforms. With Rubin’s iconic studio in Malibu as the backdrop, Shangri-La is a four-part docu-series that focuses on creative conversation and the emotional side of music-making. Neville directed the first two episodes of the series, and the final two are directed by Malmberg.


- At a pre-season party in small-town Steubenville, Ohio, a heinous crime took place: the assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved high school football team. As it painstakingly reconstructs the night of the crime and its aftermath, Roll Red Roll uncovers the ingrained rape culture at the heart of the incident, acting as a cautionary tale about what can happen when teenage social media bullying runs rampant and adults look the other way. Directed by Nancy Schwartzman, winner of seven documentary feature awards, and nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award, Roll Red Roll has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, June 17 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, debuting its 32nd season with Schwartzman’s investigative film.

- A&M/UMe is set to release Janet Jackson's iconic mega platinum-selling third album Control on single vinyl in two different color options: black and translucent red. This will be the first time Control has been reissued on vinyl since the album's initial release on February 4, 1986. Pre-order Janet Jackson's Control here. Over the course of its relentlessly catchy and undeniably dance-able 42 minutes, Control instantly established Jackson, along with her co-writers/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as perennial pop and R&B innovators. (The three of them continued to experiment and break new ground together on a number of subsequent best-selling releases, including 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 and 1993's janet.) Control is internationally recognized as a singular fusion of musical styles including rhythm and blues, funk, pop, soul, disco, and modern synthesized percussion. Control also solidified the fact that Janet Jackson had truly arrived as a liberated and noteworthy artist, one who ultimately emerged as a global superstar and a model for independent women the world over.

- The Avett Brothers, Cloud 9 Adventures, and The Bowery Presents have announced full details for the third edition of their tropical music vacation. After taking a year off, The Avett Brothers At The Beach returns in 2020 with a new destination, the stunning Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

- James Bay performed a cover of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger” in front of Noel Gallagher on BBC’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Fearne Cotton. Watch HERE. Alongside the cover, BAY performed “Let It Go”, and recent single “Bad” on the morning show.

- Maggie Lindemann has consistently challenged her self-identity and evolved as an artist throughout a career that’s already seen her pass the billion streams landmark. Her breakthrough smash ‘Pretty Girl’ established her as a breaking pop icon before she took a reflective, goth-tinged approach with ‘Would I’ and ‘Human’. Her latest cut ‘Friends Go’ continues her exploration of mental health issues, but the music has shifted again with a modernist update of Gwen Stefani-style attitude and summery island rhythms. Now Maggie uses ‘Friends Go’ as the soundtrack to the short film ‘Death By Third Wheel’, which was directed by Van Alpert (Post Malone, Local Natives).

- Phantogram are officially back! Today, the duo returns with their new single “Into Happiness”—listen and share HERE. Announcing their return, Phantogram wrote a special letter to fans, noting about the song that it “embodies the personal journey that both of us have taken since we released Three; it’s been a long path, coming out of the darkness and into the light.”

- AllMusic gives a sneak peek into Keb’ Mo’s upcoming release, Oklahoma, with the premiere of “This Is My Home,” a thought-provoking track from the new album. The song is coupled with a storytelling lyric video also shared via AllMusic. Starting today, the track will be offered as a free download when pre-ordering the album. Oklahoma is set for a June 14 release on Concord Records and is now available for pre-order here: https://found.ee/KebMo_OK.

- As buzz reaches a boiling point, R&B starlet KIANA LEDÈ shares a new single and music video entitled “Can I” this week. Watch it HERE.

- As the co-founder of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets Of Rage, and as a collaborator with rock legends from Bruce Springsteen to Johnny Cash, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and political activist, Tom Morello. Genesis is honored to announce Whatever It Takes, the official signed limited edition book exploring Morello's entire career from his first bands through to his most recent solo album. Additional details including publication date coming soon. Check the website for updates.

- Hulu announces straight to series order on Normal People, a 12-episode, half-hour drama, adapted from Sally Rooney’s NY Times best-selling novel from Element Pictures, in association with BBC Three. Normal People tracks the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from the end of their school days in small-town west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College. At school, he’s well-liked and popular, while she’s lonely, proud and intimidating. But when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers – one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying in Dublin and Marianne has found her feet in a new social world but Connell hangs at the side lines, shy and uncertain.

- Showtime has ordered an eight-episode season of the new half-hour comedy series Work in Progress, created by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason. McEnany stars in the series, expected to premiere later this year. Mason directed the pilot. Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) will co-write the first season and executive produce with McEnany and Mason. SHOWTIME acquired the project after its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was an official selection of the Indie Episodic program.

- AccuWeather, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weather and digital media company, will commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day with a compelling content series about how weather forecasts influenced the outcome of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. Known worldwide for forecasts and warnings with proven Superior Accuracy™, AccuWeather will spotlight the contributions meteorologists made to this historic event on June 6, 1944. The content will be featured on the AccuWeather Network and found on the popular AccuWeather.com website.

Previewing American Princess: A Dude's Review of Lifetime vol. X

Lifetime liked their last original program You so much, they renewed it before it even aired. Except when the season ended, Lifetime changed course, said the show would be giving the show to Netflix and would now be focusing on just making their crappy Lifetime movies. I kind of wonder how the cast and crew of American Princess, the only other show the channel had in production at the time, reacted to this. They did not have a premiere date then and their channel just said they were getting out of the television show business. But the show is actually airing on Lifetime, but they better hope someone at Netflix, or some other outlet, likes the show because it is very doubtfully there will be a second season on Lifetime.

You would expect a show called American Princess airing on Lifetime to be some cheap Megan Markle knockoff (there already is a Lifetime Movie that aired a week or two ago) but it surprisingly has nothing to do with any actual (or fictionalized) monarchy. The show begins with Amanda, a New York socialite on the day of her dream wedding catching her hypothetical Prince Charming with, um, how do I want to put this… his manhood in the mouth of another woman.

This prompts Amanda to go full runaway bride until she finds herself at a Renaissance festival where the English major schools the festival’s Queen in period accurate Shakespeare (needless to say the queen is none too happy with her and become the main antagonist of the show). Then after waking up the next morning hungover from copious amount of mead, Amanda decides to stay when her family finds her and tries to get her to look past her fiancé’s dalliances. What a forking stupid idea for a show… I love it.

Ironically enough, the titular American Princess is played by new to Hollywood Aussie Georgia Flood who reminds me of a shorter Krysten Ritter. She can come off as a little mean at times, but highly likable the more you see her. The rest of the workers are the rag tag band of weirdos you expect. Amanda’s roommate came for one day five years ago and never left. There is a guy called who says nothing but “stick” (naturally he is the guy in the picture above with the stick).  And the potential love interest works in a mud pit. Really, a good dumb show to watch when there is not much else on during the summer.

American Princess airs Sundays at 9:00 on Lifetime. This Sunday features back to back episodes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 26, 2019

Supergirl: Last week I wondered why Red Daughter was killed off screen, but we got flashbacks of it this week, oh and she did not actually die. I guess they could not afford Jon Cryer to appear in more episodes so they had to do big Lex episodes with copious amounts of flashbacks. Speaking of not really dying, I take it The Monitor is going to do something to Lex to bring him back. I do hope we get Evil Lena next season, the buddy-buddy with Kara has become a bit tedious and we need a little more drama. I wonder if she will just be a little upset or go full Lex.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: Yeah, still confused. So last week, the French assassin smacks the mark with a book, stalks some chicks at night, and this week she is still meeting with the mark even though she smacked him pretty hard last week? Why would he want to be in the same room as her?
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Good Girls: Wait, Boomer has been alive this whole time and the other chick gave the Good Girls her dead husband’s husband so should could continue to cash his military checks and Boomer has been living in the attic of his grandmother? What? That is some daytime soap plotline right there. But if he was there, why didn’t he continue to pay his grandmother’s bill like he used to? And I am confused to what was going on with Ruby’s lawyers. It seemed implied to me that the lawyer knew she was playing with dirty money, I assumed that is why he asked for more when Ruby paid with cash, so it would cover the extra expense of having to wash it.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Enemy Within: I actually thought for a moment they were actually going to bring Tal into the task force and just keep adding traitors as they climb higher and height up the ladder who the head of the organization was. But I did not quite understand why Erika did not mention there was someone higher up in the government. Wouldn’t that guarantee she stays in Washington so she could help find Tal’s accomplice? The only reason I can think of for not telling is maybe she thinks she can get a full pardon if she brings down this person herself?
You can download The Enemy Within on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: Obviously the British dude was a red herring, but what a horrible end. Someone called The Professor admits to killing the dude and (s)he may be an actual professor because that is what the waiter called him. They really are going to stretch out this mystery like the orginal version of the show. And unless it turns out to be Cece again, it will likely be as dumb.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Well I predicted a Nany/Turbo win at the beginning of the season so I will go ahead and take credit for that. But what great humor for Cara Maria to get the mile head start only for her to have to sit there for someone else to show up, then lose to everyone but the last person.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: Ooo, Dagger vs. Mayhem battle royal. So big bag did take Dagger’s mom. But how? And why? And where are they now?
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Okay, so when Beard Hunter randomly showed up on Danny Street was not as random as I thought. When he ate Niles “essence” it led him to Danny Street where Niles’s daughter was. Alrighty. But after a stellar first season, the ending was kind of meh. Well aside from the Tubthumping karaoke.

Blindspot: Well that was a long layoff, when the little girl showed up, I thought, wait, when did Kurt and Jane have a kid? Did I forget a time jump? But then I realized, oh yeah, Kurt knocked up that US Marshall.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: With an episode entitled, “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” you would have to think things might get a little weird, but I never thought Quake and Simmons would start tripping balls. Well that was entertaining.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: May 25, 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 Taylor Swift, The L Word: Generation Q, Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall, Arrow, The Flash, Tiffany, micki maverick, Ginesse, The Battle of Normandy: 85 Days in Hell, Detainee 001, Little Fires Everywhere, and Untitled Mary Laws Project.

- Taylor Swift made a playlist on Apple Music called Playlist by ME! 🎉 Swift tells Apple Music: "'Maybe a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories, a hundred good stories make me interesting art parties' - the lyrics of AJR's '100 Bad Days' pretty much sum it up. Everything that happens to us is just part of a story we'll tell someday. These songs are the soundtrack to my story at the moment. I love this playlist for kitchen dance parties, long drives home, sun-soaked reflection, or aggressive bopping. All songs have been loved and appreciated by ME!"

- Showtime has announced the official title of its highly anticipated sequel – The L Word: Generation Q, which will debut this fall on Showtime. Marja-Lewis Ryan (The Four-Faced Liar, 6 Balloons) serves as showrunner and is executive producing with original series creator Ilene Chaiken and original series stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey. Kristen Campo also serves as executive producer. The series is slated to begin production on eight new episodes in Los Angeles this summer. The pilot is directed by Steph Green who also serves as executive producer on the episode.


- On June 28, 1969, a routine police raid of a gay bar in New York City turned into a violent conflict that ignited protests lasting for days. The Stonewall Inn Uprising is celebrated by many as the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. But the history of gay life in America extends far before and after Stonewall. Using commentary from LGBTQ+ allies and icons (including Matthew Shepard’s parents, Stonewall eyewitness participant Mark Segal and Gene Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be consecrated a bishop by the Episcopal Church) and expert perspectives from Smithsonian curators, new documentary Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall tells the story of the LGBTQ+ community in America through an exploration of rare artifacts in the Smithsonian collections, predominantly from the National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall premieres Monday, June 24 at 8 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Get ready for nonstop action from start to finish when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Arrow: The Complete Seventh Season on Blu-ray and DVD August 20, 2019. Both sets contain all 22 action-packed episodes from the seventh season, plus the show’s 2018 Comic-Con Panel, a crossover featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel and more! All three DC Crossover: Elseworlds episodes will be available only for fans who purchase the Blu-ray set. The Complete Seventh Season is priced to own at $39.99 SRP for the DVD ($51.99 in Canada) and $44.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($52.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). Both sets have an order due date of July 16, 2019. Arrow: The Complete Seventh Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

- Just in time for the sixth season premiere of the highest-rated series on The CW, you will be bolting into stores to pick up The Flash: The Complete Fifth Season as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases the Blu-ray and DVD on August 27, 2019. Fans will be able to speed-watch all 22 electrifying episodes from the fifth season, plus the show’s 2018 Comic-Con Panel, three featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel and more! All three DC Crossover: Elseworlds episodes will be available only for fans who purchase the Blu-ray set. The Flash: The Complete Fifth Season is priced to own at $39.99 SRP for the DVD ($51.99 in Canada) and $44.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($52.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (available in the U.S.). Both sets have an order due date of July 23, 2019. The Flash: The Complete Fifth Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

- Tiffany’s new music video for her newest single, Beautiful, from her latest album ‘Pieces of Me’ premiered, May 23rd, 2019 exclusively on Billboard.com at 11a.m. EST. This new single delivers Tiffany’s iconic chart topping vocals layered over a colorful and vibrant music video shot in Brighton, U.K. In her new single, Tiffany delivers a vibrant rock-pop single which is reminiscent of other female classic pop rock artists like the Go-Go’s. Tiffany’s notable tone takes on a new sound in this electrifying and unexpected rock track. Unafraid to take a risk, Tiffany shows her fans an authentic and different side of herself as an artist. Stepping aside from her ‘80’s pop legacy, she dives into music that has been in her heart for a long time. Beautiful is a culmination of rock and pop while combining Tiffany’s powerhouse vocals, original songwriting, and production skills.

- indie alt-pop artist micki maverick makes her debut with the release of the new single "HE/ART," the first track from her forthcoming EP due out later this summer. micki maverick is the moniker for Dylan Neil, an LA-native who uses music as a way to navigate life as a young gay female in an ever-evolving society. In an exclusive with Grimy Goods, she shared "HE/ART is really a complete look into my life, my past, and my insecurities. Society expects perfection, but that standard is completely unattainable. Not everything in life can be fixed, some things remain broken. And that's what I believe should be the new standard: broken pieces that form something new, something more beautiful."

- Multi-dimensional artist Ginesse (Cait Fairbanks) returns today with a new track "The Inbetween." Out alongside the track is the vibrant music video, choreographed by icon Marguerite Derricks (Heathers: the musical). The video was completed in one shot and showcases Ginesse's breathy falsetto alongside pastel suits and killer choreography. Left of center singer Ginesse has already made quite a name for herself in the acting realm with her Emmy-nominated performance on The Young and the Restless and is now set to solidify herself as an inspiring household name. "This song was kind of a turning point for me as an artist," explains the singer/songwriter. She expands "We finished the song in only a few hours and it just felt right...I let go of my expectations for how the song should go and how my life was going at the moment and I started to feel very present and happier in general."

- Smithsonian Channel will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy with a new documentary that uses unseen and rare images to give an intimate account of the battle that freed Europe from Nazi rule. One of the world’s foremost experts on World War II archives, Dominique Forget, has identified over 100 hours of previously unseen archival footage, including 20 hours from the battle itself, to reveal the Allies’ struggle to liberate Europe. The Battle of Normandy: 85 Days in Hell premieres Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- As John Walker Lindh is released from prison, Showtime Documentary Films today announced the production of Detainee 001, from Emmy® winning director Greg Barker (The Final Year, Sergio, Manhunt, Legion of Brothers). The film, which has been in production since 2017, gives the definitive account of Lindh’s story with never-before-revealed details from his legal case and unpacks challenging truths and shifting allegiances behind one of the most compelling and unresolved mysteries of the post-9/11 age. Lindh’s case set a precedent for how Americans caught up in the War on Terror were prosecuted, and the film examines how American military and justice systems have grappled with the two decades since his detention.

- Hulu’s highly anticipated upcoming (8-episode) limited series, Little Fires Everywhere, announces Joshua Jackson as a series regular. Joshua Jackson will play ‘Bill Richardson’ A Shaker Heights attorney who hails from modest means, Bill is the perfectly-suited counterweight to his energetic and strong-willed wife, Elena. But when Bill agrees to represent their friends in a fiery custody battle, the couple begin to fight about more than just their challenging youngest daughter, Izzy. Based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

- Hulu has ordered “Untitled Mary Laws Project” (WT), an anthology series based on “North American Lake Monsters,” a collection of stories by Nathan Ballingrud, to series. The first season will consist of 8 episodes. Logline: Through encounters with Gothic beasts, including fallen angels and werewolves, broken people are driven to desperate acts in an attempt to repair their lives, ultimately showing there is a thin line between man and beast. Based on the short stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s collection. The series is created, written and executive produced by Mary Laws (“Preacher,” “Blueberry Toast,” “The Neon Demon”) and executive produced by Lucan Toh (“An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn,” “Under the Shadow”) and Babak Anvari (“Under the Shadow”) who will also direct. The series is produced by Annapurna Television.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 19, 2019

Supergirl: That ending made no sense, Red Daughter just leaves to be killed by Lex off screen and then Supergirl somehow is about to pull sunlight out of nowhere in the dead of night when she is too hurt to move? Then I did not think I could dislike quirky Braniac 5 more, but super serious Braniac 5 does that. Although if The Dreamer gets banished from the show because of what he did, I will be fine with that. But is Lena actually more evil than her mother? Her mother did say she loved her daughter with some anti-lying thing but Lena did really poison her mother to make sure she helped.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: So I found it weird for Eve to team up with the French assassin but the ending this week was downright confusing. So the French assassin hits the dude with a book and leaves and then starts stalking two chicks at night. I feel like I missed something.
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Billions: I thought when Bonnie turned down telling Taylor she was in the super-secret fund; I thought she was going to go there and be a mole. Kind of petty to take that meeting just to have Axe tell Taylor off face to facetime. That pettiness is going to bring Axe down one of these days. Well, probably not because the show is built on pettiness.

Good Girls: I know these are amateurs but c’mon, if you are going to break into someone’s apartment, at least have a look out so you do not get caught. And I know throwing the body away did not work, but burying a body in the backyard seems like a pretty bad idea too. Especially if you are not sure if it is the right body or not.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Chi: Emmitt’s council of baby mamas need their own television show. But it surprising that a standardized test gets stolen, Kevin scores well above average and the teacher thinks he is just a genius.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: I thought the idea of someone who was booted out fourth would make for a horrible show, except the guy voted out third ended up winning. Yep, half of the final four was made up players who were voted out in the first four votes. And they just handed Chris the win because he got to hang out with the jury for a month with nothing better to do and talk about the game without any real consequence, got put back in the game with a ton of dirt from the jury (Victoria can win, Lauren has an Idol, Gavin and Julie are goats), and Idol in his bag, and we learn after the show that he actually also was given letters from the jury to the remaining player. People have been given some unfair advantages in the past, but the overwhelming amount of advantages that Chris receive was just absurd. This should go down as the worst season of Survivor ever.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: Dead girl shot British dude? Did not see that coming. But what is British dude hiding? Is he really the killer? Was he just involved but did not do it? Is this all a red herring and his secret not tied to anything? Since it took a bunch of seasons for the original show to tell up who A really was, I am guessing there is a shoe or two to drop. Maybe Cece killed the dude. It would make about as much sense as Cece turning out to be A.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: TJ not kidding this being the most grueling final ever: running and biking six miles in the desert seems extremely brutal. Kind of hard to watch. At least they did not make them eat anything gross… yet.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: When the season started I assumed Mayhem was some sort of Jekyll and Hyde situation. Except it turned out she was split into two spate people. But is she now Jekyll and Hyde. Mayhem certainly implied the good cop half was now in there but was not to being presplit cop. And what happened at the end, did Dagger’s mom OD? Did record playing guy make her take those pills by playing her album? We never see a body so did record playing guy take Dagger’s mom?
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: I did not think we were going to get a weirder power than the one Beard Hunter had, and then Flex Mentallo flexed and made everyone, um, really happy for a about a minute. Alrighty. But what exactly happened to Beard Hunter. He swallowed Niles essence, went down some weird staircase, and the next we see him he is on Danny the Street, giving up on hunting beards. But we are in for a loaded finale, they need to explain to us just how Niles was involved in creating all those superheroes and then they have to bring down Mr. Nobody.

The Blacklist: So the president was not trying to assassinate himself, just making it look like a failed assassination plot gone wrong. That makes much more sense than trying to kill himself. Then after all this time we get to finally see Lizzy’s mom… who promptly stabs Red and stuffs him in a van. Um, okay, that is going to need some explaining. I am guessing that momma thinks if Red can find her the Russians can too.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I hope we do not get a bunch of close misses of FitzSimmons because that will be a bore. But not-Coulson has to be an alternative Universe version, right?
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: May 18, 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 16 Shots, Sugar and Toys, Kid Cudi, James Bay, Of Monsters of Men, Adolf Island, Atomic Age Declassified, The Good Lord Bird, and Your Honor.


- Showtime Documentary Films today announced it will premiere the new documentary 16 Shots from Academy Award® nominated director Richard Rowley (Dirty Wars) on Friday, June 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The feature examines the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued. After the police initially declared the shooting as justified, journalists and activists fought for footage of the event to be released, sending the Chicago Police Department and local Chicago government officials into upheaval as the community demanded justice. Rowley’s film dissects the cover-up through first-hand witness accounts which led to the unprecedented conviction that fractured the political landscape of Chicago.


- The first trailer for Fuse’ brand-new, late night animated series, Sugar and Toys, is now available! Starring host and multi-platinum rapper and actor KYLE, (The After Party), Sugar and Toys is a late-night cartoon party aimed at adults only, featuring hip-hop-culture themed and no-holds-barred social commentary. Created by Carl Jones and Brian Ash (Black Dynamite and The Boondocks), Sugar and Toys puts a wild new twist on the Saturday morning cartoons we grew up with. Sugar and Toys, premieres Sunday, June 9 at 11:00 pm ET/PT.


- Adidas has officially confirmed their partnership with Kid Cudi, with product set to be released later this year. No stranger to the brand Kid Cudi’s collaborative efforts with the Three Stripes began in 2018 with the release of the TRESC run. This was just the beginning of the relationship as Adidas has confirmed more footwear and apparel is coming soon. The partnership was announced Saturday morning with cryptic wheat pastings across Miami (where Cudi will headline this weekend’s Rolling Loud festival), Los Angeles, and New York. The graphic depicts a feminine half head with a burning moon inside and will be present on all upcoming adidas x Kid Cudi product. A URL at the bottom of the poster invites you to visit adidas.com/kidcudi where there is a sign-up page for the collaboration now live.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay performed his recent single “Bad” on the TODAY Show. Watch HERE.

- Multiplatinum Icelandic quintet Of Monsters of Men performed their return single “Alligator” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Watch HERE. The performance follows the announcement of their North American fall FEVER DREAM Tour in support of their new album FEVER DREAM out July 26th.

- In what could turn out to be the largest murder case on British soil, Adolf Island sees forensic archaeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls (Professor of Conflict Archaeology and Genocide Investigation at Staffordshire University) go in search of a Nazi SS camp constructed in secrecy on the British Channel island of Alderney during World War II. Years of research and forensic investigation have led Sturdy Colls to examine remnants of concentration and labor camps on the quiet island, and to official SS archives in Germany, where clues emerge that lead Caroline to suspect that Alderney was the scene of Nazi mass murders. However, when local officials attempt to stop the investigation, the search for the final resting place of the victims is imperiled. Adolf Island will premiere on Sunday, June 23 at 10 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Smithsonian Channel will shed light on years of America’s history that were shrouded in secrecy and deception in Atomic Age Declassified. The three-part series takes viewers back to the Atomic Age of the mid-20th century, a time when there was excitement about the potential of nuclear planes, trains and automobiles and private programs were on a mission to identify the endless possibilities of atoms as an energy source. But recently declassified materials show that our atomic dreams had a dark side, with paranoia and secrecy leading to many near-disasters and raising the question, “How far was America willing to go?” in the volatile atomic race. Atomic Age Declassified premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- FOX Sports Films has released the trailer for its newest Magnify series film “Q Ball.” The documentary chronicles the lives of incarcerated basketball players at San Quentin State Prison and is executive produced by Golden State Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Media, in conjunction with HEIST and Hunting Lane Films.

- Filmmaker Albert Hughes (Alpha, Menace II Society) is joining as executive producer and will make his television directorial debut helming multiple episodes of the new Showtime limited series The 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).

- After his compelling work on the acclaimed Showtime limited series Patrick Melrose, Emmy nominated writer/director Edward Berger returns to the network to direct the first three episodes and executive produce the new limited series Your Honor. The 10-episode series starring Oscar nominee and Emmy, Golden Globe®, Screen Actors Guild® and Tony® Award winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), 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. YOUR HONOR is executive produced by Emmy nominees Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Evil). BAFTA winner Peter Moffat – whose Criminal Justice was the basis for The Night Of – serves as showrunner and executive producer and has written multiple episodes, including the first episode. Your Honor will go into production this fall in New Orleans.

The Five Most (and Least) Anticipated Shows of 2019-20

One thing I noticed as the networks were releasing their schedules, I am not watching much next fall, especially dramas, which I will only be watching three of. It could stem from not really wanting to watch twenty-two episodes of a show over the course of a year anymore and just the lack of creativity. Sure there will a few cable shows that have not been announced yet that will take up time, most likely Homeland, Mr. Robot, and The Walking Dead, but I may be watching less television this fall than I have in a while this fall. Here are the few bright spots that caught my eye.

1. The Great (Hulu, TBD): Hulu did not release a trailer but did show one during their Upfronts and let me tell you, this show looks like a hoot. It is an absurdist look at Catherine the Great, not to be confused with HBO’s super serious take on the Russian princess starring Helen Mirran. The Hulu show stars the much younger Elle Fanning with Nicolas Hoult hamming it up as a Prussian suiter. Definitely keep an eye out for this one.

2. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC, Midseason): When pilot announcements started rolling in, the only one that really caught my eye was Jane Levy starring in a musical. That is all I needed to know. And that is basically all I know at this point because NBC did not release a trailer. Hopefully this turns out better than NBC’s last musical Rise.

3. Dollface (Hulu, TBD): Another Hulu show that they did not release a trailer to the public but I got to see, and this is actually weirder than The Great. It reminded me of Man Seeking Woman but from the woman’s point of view and that woman is Kat Dennings. It will be nice seeing her in something that is not as bad as 2 Broke Girls.

4. Snowpiercer (TBS, Spring): Here is a show that may have been on my list last year too because it has seemed to be gestating for a while now. Based on a very good movie which I came away thinking, this could have made for a great television show having each car be its own episode. But due to the lengthy production time and word that the show is moving from TNT to TBS (because, you know, the movie was so forking funny), I was a little worried, but TBS also announced it has been announced for season two. So maybe there is hope still that it will live up to the hype in my head.

5. Perfect Harmony (NBC, Thursdays at 8:30): NBC’s other musical show, this one about a church choir. Since it stars Pitch Perfect’s Anna Camp, I am hoping for some gratuitous cameo.


As the great philosopher Butt-Head once pondered, how would we know if something was cool if there weren't things that sucked, here are the five shows you could not pay me to watch next fall

1. BH90210 (Fox, Wednesdays at 9:00) – No, not a reboot, a fake reality show, because… who knows.

2. Batwoman (CW, Sundays at 8:00) – Batwoman was just horrible in the last CW crossover, why they thought giving not-Batman her own show is very puzzling.

3. Katy Keen (CW, Midseason): A Riverdale spinoff, the second one, except I knew who Sabrina the Teenage Witch is, who the fork is Katy Keen.

4. Nancy Drew (CW, Wednesdays at 9:00): Not a Riverdale spinoff technically, but certainly looks like it.

5. The Unicorn (CBS, Thursdays at 8:30): Boyd Crowder deserves better than a crappy CBS sitcom.


Here are the few things I will be watch on network television this fall:

Mondays
8:00 – The Neighborhood (CBS)

Tuesdays
9:00 – Mixish (ABC)
9:30 – Blackish (ABC)

Wednesdays
8:00 – Survivor (CBS)
8:00 – The Goldbergs (ABC)
8:30 – Schooled (ABC)
9:00 – Not Just Me (Fox)
9:00 – Modern Family (ABC)

Thursdays
8:00 – Superstore (NBC)
8:30 – Perfect Harmony (NBC)
9:00 – The Good Place (NBC)
9:30 – Sunnyside (NBC)

Fridays
8:00 – The Blacklist (NBC)

Sundays
9:00 - Supergirl (The CW)

Previewing Catch-22

At the Hulu upfronts, George Clooney joked about how this was the first upfronts he has attended in twenty-five years and tells a story about being backstage with Jennifer Aniston wondering if their shows were any good. Yeah, things turned out well for ER and Friends. After ER, Clooney went on to be the biggest movie star in a while when movies stars just did not do television. Why take up three-fourth of the year for a tenth of the paycheck?

But with the proliferation of different outlets who play with episode counts so you are not stuck doing a role for twenty two episodes, television is becoming easier to get a pet project down than some small scale movie. In the one for them, one for me format, the one for me is slowly turning into limited series. Reece Witherspoon is even now juggling three different shows on three different outlets. The first, Big Little Lies, just landed one of the biggest film stars alive, Meryl Streep to join the cast.

So it is the perfect time for Clooney to finally return to the small screen. His pet project is an adaptation of the dark war comedy Catch-22. But here is the thing, though George Clooney is the face of the show, the guy who did the presentation at the upfronts, and will likely do the talk show rounds, Clooney is not really the star of the show. He is not even in all of the six episodes, though he is a producer and directed a pair of episodes. Same goes for two other well-known television actors Kyle Chandler and Hugh Laurie. And though Clooney has been away from television for a while, he still kept each episode runtime at a brisk, network like forty to forty-five minutes.

Those three big name stars all play upper management in the air force, but the story of Catch-22 belongs to the airmen that doing the actual flying. Unfortunately the show falters when the fail to cast anyone as charismatic as those three elder statesmen. Even half way through the series, it is hard to distinguish most of the younger characters aside from the main POV character. It probably does not help that our military service was pretty racist and sexist during World War II so we are stuck with a very white male, undistinguishable cast. There is only one woman who does not spend most her time on screen in various stages of undress, and that nurse is one of the more memorable characters because of it.

There is also an issue with tone. Clooney and Laurie are hamming it up while Chandler just tweaks his Coach Taylor-ness up to eleven which is just humorous itself. But the lead guy acts like he is in a serious war movie and does not seem to know what to do when someone makes a joke around him. It is not until he has a groin injury does he do or say anything that makes me laugh. In the end, Catch-22 comes off like a Bob Hope movie if a Bob Hope movie had nudity, foul language, and graphic deaths. Well, also a very large-budgeted Bob Hope movie. The show was beautifully shot in Italy which almost makes it worth a look.

Christopher Abbott (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) plays the lead airman who is trying his best to end his tour no many how many times his commanders raise his missions. There are attempts to get a medical, desertion, and even doing multiple missions a day in the hope he can complete them all before the number is raised. It is weird that Clooney just disappears for half the series considering how much of an antagonist he is to Abbott at the beginning, and really the show comes alive when he goes full ham during his scenes. Catch-22 is decent, but it is hard not to come away thinking how much better it could have been with some more tweaks to the casting and writing.

All episodes of Catch-22 are available to stream on Hulu starting tomorrow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 12, 2019

Supergirl: So just when Kara was going to reveal herself to Lena, Lena says something about betrayl so Supergirl puts her glasses back on. Meh. Maybe Supergirl will tell Lena by the end of the season setting up Lena slowly turn evil next season. There really needs to be a change in that dynamic.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: I am not sure what made less sense, the French assassin not retaliating for Eve stabbing her or Eve having the French Assassin locked in a container with two armed guards and just let her walk away. She has killed a bunch of people including one of your co-workers Eve.
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Billions: Really, a draw? They can pay for Rich Eisen but not any judges? But kudos to the nerd who bet push. But silliness aside, both Axe and Chuck took a big hit from their adversaries this week. I hope at least one of them if not both get their comeuppance this season because if we are just going to have them in these big holes only for them to come out on top by the finale will be pretty boring.

Good Girls: So Beth takes an entire week off from being a drug kingpin? And only decides to go back to it because someone would not put out her gluten filled cupcakes? Kind of an unnecessary episode.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

Shadowhunters: Petty horrible show, and even though they had to wrap up the series in a two and a half movie, that actually kind of had a satisfying ending. Still, I am glad it finally got canceled.
You can download Shadowhunters on iTunes.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Just when you thought Rick could not get any more annoying. If Lauren does not win, this will be the biggest travesty in the show's history.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: It seems like they have spent most of this season trying to convince the head of security that the trio had nothing to do with the death that we really have not spent much time figuring out who exactly did it. The British dude has to move to the top of the very short list right now.
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Good riddance Paulie, please go back to Big Brother.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: What a great ending, just when you though the worst was about to happen to Dagger she sees the light. But did Cloak put Mayhem back in his dark space? He told her doppelganger he put her away. We did see a record store there when Dagger went there so I guess that is some voodoo plain where all that other worldly things go.
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: So poppa Stone is still, barely alive. I guess that would happen because it is hard to do Cyborg without him. We also almost got the death of Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man but hilariously he was shot in the mineral part of him. I wonder if he will just stay in the background or if he will ever come face to face with the Doom Patrol again. He as to have some part in the finale, right?

The Blacklist: So the president’s big plan is to kill himself to become martyred? Yeah, that does not make any sense. If you can pull off a conspiracy like that, how about just bury the bad information?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I thought we were going to start another season without any Fitz, but he finally showed up in the end tag. But what exactly was he injecting? Of course that may not have been Fitz because we got not-Coulsen this episode. I take this is some sort of multi-verse thing. Except the guy in the wall had some sort of cybernetics. So who know? Hopefully we find out sooner rather than later.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: May 11, 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 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, When Whales Walked: Journeys in Deep Time, James Bay, Bene, Of Monsters and Men, Joan as Police Woman, Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, Russia's Wild Sea, CTRL ALT DELETE, Must Watch: The Chase, featuring Ken Jennings, and Billions.

- With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ just 30 days away, FOX Sports gets fans ready for the biggest live event of the summer with its “All Eyes on Us” spot, taking fans inside a heart-pounding, midfield moment with the defending World Champion, U.S. Women’s National Team. Alex Morgan, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz and Becky Sauerbrunn take on all comers with slick stepovers, nutmegs and turf-shattering tackles, showing the grit and skill they need to take on all challengers.


- Showtime has released all four episodes of the highly anticipated docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men early to its subscribers. Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men episodes are available now for on-demand streaming or download on the Showtime and Showtime Anytime apps and on partner on-demand platforms.

- Created in a first-ever partnership between PBS and Smithsonian Channel, When Whales Walked: Journeys in Deep Time is a two-hour film tracing the epic origin stories of some of the world’s most spectacular creatures. From Abu Dhabi to Argentina, Kenya to China, the program takes viewers on a global adventure as top scientists investigate clues from the fossil record and use 21st-century technology to unlock the evolutionary secrets of crocodiles, birds, whales and elephants. Using innovative storytelling techniques, 3D graphics and CGI to bring ancient beasts to life, When Whales Walked offers surprising insights into the evolution of these magnificent animals, exploding myths about the path these species took over millions of years. Narrated by actor Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hobbit), the film premieres Wednesday, June 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on both PBS and Smithsonian Channel and will also be available for simultaneous streaming on PBS.org.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay surprised fans and released his new Oh My Messy Mind EP featuring new single and fan favorite song “Bad.” Check out Oh My Messy Mind HERE and “Bad” HERE.

- Hailing from the suburbs of Auckland, 19-year-old indie pop artist Bene returns with her latest single “Evil Spider,” out today—listen HERE! Coming off the heels of her Gold-Certified hit “Soaked,” the up and coming singer and songwriter also announces her upcoming debut EP is set for release on June 28th.

- Multiplatinum Icelandic quintet Of Monsters and Men announce their new album Fever Dream to be released on July 26th. Pre-order Fever Dream here and check out albums first single “Alligator” here.

- Joan Wasser aka Joan as Police Woman is pleased to release a unique reworking of the Prince classic "Kiss". Listen to it HERE . The second track to be released from her forthcoming Joanthology retrospective album ( out May 24th on Play It Again Sam), Joan’s version of "Kiss" is stripped back, raw and uniquely Joan; the cover became a live favorite on her Damned Devotion tour.

- The critically acclaimed Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience will return this fall for a 20-city amphitheater tour, bringing the music of Emmy® Award-winning Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi to stunning new life at outdoor theatres across North America. As we say goodbye to one of the biggest shows and scores in television history, relive the greatest musical pieces and footage from all eight seasons in an immersive outdoor concert experience. Tickets for the tour will be available HERE starting Monday, May 13, 2019, at 10:00am local time and a full list of dates can be found below.

- Smithsonian Channel takes the Sea of Okhotsk by storm with Russia's Wild Sea, the first comprehensive documentary revealing this untouched area of natural wonders. Located almost 4,000 miles from Moscow in Russia’s Far East, the Sea of Okhotsk is a constant survival battleground for humans and a range of wildlife that includes orcas and humpback whales, as well as tigers prowling the forests. The two-part special from award-winning director Franz Hafner tells the fascinating stories of the region’s inhabitants and presents the incredible contrasts of the sea’s beauty and wilderness, rarely seen on film. Russia's Wild Sea debuts on Wednesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel, with the second hour premiering Wednesday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

- CTRL ALT DELETE, the Emmy-nominated web series stars Ed Begley Jr. in Season 2, set to launch Wednesday! Amy Brenneman is the consulting producer, and Naomi Grossman who was Emmy-nominated for her role in season 1 is of course back! The trailer is here.

- Before James Holzhauer became world famous as a Jeopardy! record breaker, he first showcased his trivia prowess as a masterful player on Game Show Network’s The Chase. In Must Watch: The Chase, featuring Ken Jennings, premiering on May 13 at 4 pm ET on Game Show Network, viewers will see a condensed encore presentation of James’ incredible appearance on The Chase, along with exclusive commentary and insight into the professional sports bettor's strategy provided by fellow Jeopardy! superstar, Ken Jennings.

- Showtime has picked up a fifth season of its hit drama series Billions. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti, and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, Billions airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Billions is currently averaging 4.2 million viewers per week across platforms. The season four finale will air on Sunday, June 9.

Previewing Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

If there is one thing I can impart thing to my young nieces, it is that the Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to fork wit. You know, because as a wise man once said, Wu-Tang is for the children. Unfortunately their parents have yet to let me play Wu-Tang Clan for them. And I am guessing they will not let me show them the new documentary, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men either.

Now you might ask yourself, isn’t four hour long episodes a lot for on one group. But there are ten members (including Cappadonna) and that just comes out to twenty-four minutes per member. Really, there are a couple of events in the Wu-Tang Clan history that could have warranted a full documentary, like the one copy of the Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album, or the aborted tour with Rage Against the Machine. The ODB could have carried his own documentary.

The group came together in their home of Staten Island for the first time together there in two decades to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Naturally the first episode deals with the origin story of each member on how they grew up in Staten Island and how they all ended up toward RZA to form the rap super group. We do get some debate of just how the rappers found the name Wu-Tang Clan.

The second episode naturally goes from there as their first album just explodes as Wu becomes a cultural phenomenon that even white kids from the suburbs like me are buying up the album. Of course when that many young men get a taste of the spotlight, they start going their separate ways. And then we get to the low point at the end of the third episode with the death of the ODB.

The final episode is a bit of scattershot that bounces around too much. The album auction is talked about, then they go somewhere else, come back to that album, talk about something else, and then finally came back to the album. Again, they could have spent most of that final hour on Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album, and I would have been fine with it.

I also could have gotten more of the Rage tour. I was actually working at the local ampatheater at that time and remember distinctly that tour stop. So Atari Teenage Riot (anyone actually remember them) were the opening act… and then nothing for over an hour. I learned later the reason for the delay from a buddy backstage was because the Wu members wanted to finish their basketball game. And since the delay, Rage Against the Machine literally had the plug pulled on their set because of a strict local ordinance that all concerts had to end by at least 11:00 which pretty much cut their set in half. And from MTV News stories at the time, we were one of the luckier stops on the tour. Certainly the doc does not make the tour look like all was good, but from my vantage point; they could have gone deeper on what went wrong and why. Not that I am bitter that I was not asked to participate in the doc.

Nas, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Seth Rogan. Jim Jarmush were all asked but I wonder how much of those interviews hit the cutting room floor because they are all blink and you miss them type segments. This is a shame because it is always nice to hear from people who were inspired in music documentaries. One dude we do hear a lot from is RZA’s brother who was the group’s money man. And boy does he have a lot to say, he has more new interview moments that even some of the actual Wu members for better or worse.

Like I wish we would have gotten more from the members when they were brought together for the doc. Maybe the best part of the whole thing is when they collectively start trashing Once Upon a Time in Shaolin as the camera is constantly cutting to RZA who basically put the album together in a shady way. And while I can nit-pick all I want, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics of Men is worthy of four hours of any fan’s time. And be sure to sit down some members of the younger generation with you so they can see real rap music.

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men airs Fridays at 9:00 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 5, 2019

Supergirl: Just when you though The Dreamer could not be any lamer she breaks out some electric blue whip for no apparent reason. Isn’t sleeping her superpower? How does the whip tie into that? And Wonder Girl’s lasso is much cooler.
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: We all know the French assassin likes everyone to know she is the one doing the killing, but literally killing someone in a sex window in Amsterdam is going to be hard to top.
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Billions: When Taylor reached out to Wendy I thought that maybe Wendy was back to being in the middle but instead of being in between Chuck and Axe, she was now between Taylor and Axe. But that did not last very long as she was quick to help Axe try to crush Taylor. But I wonder just what did McPhee’s outburst will have any effect on her.

Good Girls: Yeah, we need more of the cash advance dude. I am not sure how they can possibly add him to the cast, possibly another undercover FBI agent, but that really needs to happen. But sure, they got Stan’s bail but how do they keep them out of prison? I was banking on the FBI dude dying, but now I have a feeling Internal Affairs will be catching up to him soon with him opening admitting to coercing false testimony.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Chi: O Poppa, dressing up as The Big Poppa for picture day. How classic. But really cheap to have Brandon being tapped on the shoulder only for it to be just another chef.

The Act: I guess I never realized it until now but we never did get to see the titular act last week, they just yadda yadda-ed to the escape. Though we did not really get to see it this week either but I guess it was apropos that we got to see Gypsy’s point of view of it while it was happening. But you still have to feel bad for her, ten years seems like a lot after all of the abuse she went through even though prison may actually seem like an improvement to her previous life. There really should be a place for her where there is a punishment but not hard time, like a halfway house. The update could have a little longer, maybe with actually footage of the real Gypsy. I guess there is a documentary on HBO for the real stuff.
You can stream The Act on Hulu.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Just when you thought Rick could not get more insufferable. Really, you are worried that Ron’s giving you an expired Advantage will make you look like an idiot? You are doing that all by yourself Rick with your buffoonish outburst afterwards and you constant dumb jokes. Everyone else has to stay on him next week like Andrea did Malcomn after that. I cannot take this guy anymore.
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: Wait, some random teenager ran over the black chick? That better not be the end of that. But that just makes me think the cop actually did it now. Although, why?
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Paulie, what a wuss. You cannot make these big proclamations of taking out Kyle and then wuss out. Especially with Kyle hurt. Hopefully karma comes for him before the final.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: Okay, so that dinner party was not some misdirect, it was an actual memory planted by what has turned out to be the big bad. I guess that answers my question from last week of why kidnap someone who can conger light daggers in her hands. When you can manipulate memories, I guess you can think you can get away with that. Is it wrong that I found the darkest timeline the most interesting?
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Just when you thought nothing could get more weird than a dude with a second dinosaur head and celery for a hand, here comes a swarm of killer butts like this a bad B-movie from the eighties. Awesome. Though it did seem like there was something else to the Doom Patrol’s plan going into the the underground bunker considering Rita was conspicuously missing. But I would have never guessed she was hiding inside Robot Man. Of course the big question now, is Silas dead? He did get punched multiple times with a metal hand. But this is a comic book show, so not exactly something that is too hard to come back from.

The Blacklist: Glow in the dark put-put golf? I was born way too early. That looked awesome.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: May 4, 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, Veronica Mars, City on a Hill, Desus and Mero, Catch-22, Brendan Schaub You'd Be Surprised, The Day We Walked on the Moon, It’s Bruno, Fletcher, Of Monsters and Men, I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story, Anthony Hamilton, JP Cooper, This Is Not Happening with Roy Wood Jr., Family Style, Black Monday, The Chi, and other Hulu Upfront news.

- At the Hulu '19 presentation, we released the official trailer for season three of The Handmaid's Tale as well as the first look at the Hulu revival of Veronica Mars. The new season of The Handmaid's Tale premieres Wednesday, June 5. Veronica Mars premieres all episodes on Friday, July 26, only on Hulu.




- Showtime released the poster and new trailer for its upcoming 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). Premiering on Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, City on a Hill is currently in production on 10 episodes in New York and Boston.


- Showtime is bringing fans more Desus and Mero, expanding the show to two nights a week for a special summer run. The network’s first-ever late-night talk show will air two nights a week starting Monday May 6 and will air Monday and Thursday nights at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT all summer long, up until its August hiatus beginning Monday, August 5. Desus and Mero features the duo chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more, as well as giving their take on the day’s hot topics in their signature style in front of a small live studio audience from New York City. Upcoming guests on Desus and Mero will include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Charlize Theron, Amy Poehler, Gabrielle Union, Seth Rogen, Spike Lee, Bill Hader, Regina Hall and many more.

- Hulu has released a new featurette on the making of Catch-22 featuring soundbites with George Clooney (Director/ 'Scheisskopf'), Grant Heslov (Director/ 'Doc. Daneeka'), Luke Daives (Co-Writer), Ellen Kuras (Director), Christopher Abbott ('Yossarian') and Kyle Chandler ('Col. Cathcart). All 6 episodes of Catch-22 premiere on Friday, May 17, only on Hulu.


- Showtime presents podcast host and comedian Brendan Schaub in his first television comedy special, Brendan Schaub You'd Be Surprised, premiering Friday, May 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. A modern-day renaissance man, the former college football player, retired mixed martial arts fighter and current talk-show host takes center stage on premium television for the first time in a stand-up comedy special as he shares his tale and completes a life-long dream. Brendan Schaub You'd Be Surprised was filmed at Spreckels Theatre in San Diego on January 19.


- Half a century after humanity’s historic first step on the Moon, Smithsonian Channel will launch a six-week celebration of this historic accomplishment. Six-part series Apollo's Moon Shot explores the Moon program through unique and rare access to Apollo artifacts from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, while a companion augmented reality app enables users to participate in the mission. One-hour documentary The Day We Walked on the Moon relives those iconic 24 hours through the surprising revelations of the men and women who were there and those impacted across the globe. Apollo's Moon Shot premieres Sunday, June 16 at 8 PM ET/PT, and the APOLLO’S MOON SHOT app will be available for download free of charge on iOS and Android platforms this June. The Day We Walked on the Moon premieres Sunday, July 7 at 9 PM ET/PT and will be available to stream on the Smithsonian Channel app and at SmithsonianChannel.com beginning Sunday, June 30.

- There’s just no coming between a man and his dog, as the Netflix/Stage 13 new scripted series It’s Bruno attests. It’s the brainchild of Solvan “Slick” Naim, whose entry into filmmaking started with music. As a kid, whenever he would hear a song he loved, he would create characters and a narrative to go with it. Before he turned to filmmaking, he was pursuing a career in music as a rapper. In a way, it’s what makes Slick’s visual style so dynamic. “It’s Bruno” plays like vibrant, pulsing and visual beats surrounding the tight bond between a man and his dog. Streaming May 17 on Netflix.


- Grammy® Award-nominated multiplatinum Icelandic quintet Of Monsters and Men make their much-anticipated return today with the new single “Alligator.” Get it HERE via Republic Records and watch the lyric video HERE.

- Vevo announces the release of Fletcher's live performances of "Undrunk." Hailed by PAPER as "one of the most exciting female artists to emerge in pop," FLETCHER's new single, "Undrunk," is simultaneously heart-wrenching and infectious, capturing the post-breakup yearning for a do-over. It also brings to light the harsh reality of calling it quits and that "Some things you can't undo / and one of them's you." Creating infectious pop music in its most authentic form, FLETCHER's genuine approach to storytelling can elicit a visceral connection for anyone listening.

- As part of its ‘Fuse Docs’ series, I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story directed by Jessica Leski follows four diverse women across different generations as they explore what it means to be a superfan obsessed with bands from the Beatles to One Direction. What turns a fan into a Stan? From Beatlemaniacs to Directioners, obsession with a famous boyband is a curious thing. The Beatles, Backstreet Boys, Take That and One Direction all inspire a particular, fanatical fascination. In this surprising coming of age story, the focus is on four diverse women across different generations who struggle with the challenges and contradictions that come with their obsession. Directed by Jessica Leski. The film has its television world premiere on Fuse May 18.

- In a three-day immersive experience, Grammy Award winning artist Anthony Hamilton will join the ranks of other world-famous musicians and scientists to put a focus on climate-change solutions. The event scheduled for May 17-19 will be curated by Earth's Call, a new nonprofit organization that finds and funds innovative solutions to fight the climate crisis. The concert will anchor the three-day immersive experience of sight and sound. Highlights for the weekend in and around Aspen can be found here. Hamilton will join Grammy Award winning artists Colbie Caillat, Mickey Hart, Patti LaBelle, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Alan Parsons — along with the Compton Kidz Club and the Earth's Symphony Orchestra, the latter led by Grammy Award winning conductor Cheche Alara — will perform at the Benedict Music Tent, home of the Aspen Music Festival and School.

- The unmistakably British singer-songwriter JP Cooper follows the rapid success of debut album ‘Raised Under Grey Skies’ with ‘Sing It With Me’ ft. Astrid S – his first release of 2019. Never shy of working with other artists, ‘Sing it With Me,' is the most joyous of collaborations. With voices that meld together into one, the harmonies complement each other in all the right ways. Slowly adding layers, the track begins with the soulful vocals of Cooper and eventually builds up to an explosive chorus that commands the attention of any room. The perfect soundtrack for the dance floor or a day on the beach, 'Sing It With Me' can translate to any occasion. With a driving beat and passionate vocals, the track has an infectious energy that leaves listeners captivated by the duo.

- Comedy Central just posted the unedited version of Gastor Almonte's appearance on This Is Not Happening with Roy Wood Jr. over on Facebook Watch - check out Reverse Drive-By here:

- Stage 13, the award-winning content studio that is a division of Warner Bros. Digital Networks, continues to premiere its unique and relevant original programming with the streaming debut and series launch of Family Style on Monday, May 13. The show will launch on Stage 13’s siteand YouTube channel and on Facebook Watch during Asian Pacific American Heritage month. The original 12-episode, unscripted series offers a lively look at not just Asian food, but the history and culture that bring the food to the dish.

- Showtime announced today that it has picked up a second season of its series Black Monday. The comedy about a motley crew of underdogs causing the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street stars and is executive produced by Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe® winner Don Cheadle. Two-time Tony® Award nominee and Grammy® winner Andrew Rannells (Girls) and Regina Hall (Girls Trip) star in and produce the series. Black Monday is created by showrunners and executive producers David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (My Best Friend’s Girl). Emmy® nominees Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Preacher, Superbad, Future Man) serve as executive producers. Black Monday will resume production on 10 episodes later this year for a 2020 debut on the network.\

- Showtime has picked up the hit drama series The Chi for a third season. 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 cast includes Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme) and Armando Riesco (Bull). The second season is currently airing Sundays at 10 p.m. PT/ET.

- In other Hulu Upfront news:
The company has surpassed 28 Million U.S. customers
Hulu has expanded its partnership with Marvel Television with two new live-action series, Marvel’s Ghost Rider and Marvel’s Helstrom
Hulu inks a new multi-year deal with Vox Media Studios to create food-focused Hulu originals with David Chang & Chrissy Teigen
Hulu strikes original programming deal with TIME’s 100 Most Influential Honoree, Chrissy Teigen
Hulu expands slate of original series with straight-to-series order for Nine Perfect Strangers starring and produced by Academy Award® Winner Nicole Kidman and Emmy® Award-Winner Bruna Papandrea
Hulu will launch new binge advertising experience as it expands suite of behavior-driven ad formats
Hulu greenlights limited series, The Dropout, starring Kate McKinnon as Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes
Hulu renews freshman comedies Pen15 and Ramy

Previewing Into the Dark: All That We Destroy

After the first couple episodes tied very strongly into their holidays, the last couple Into the Dark episode seemed to tenuously linked to the supposed theme. March’s Ides of March episode only had a vague revenge plot but did not even feature an “Et Tu Brute” moment. Now for May, we are treated to a Mother’s Day episode that does not even mention the holiday once.

All That We Destroy features a geneticist mother who clones someone for his son which makes her a mother on two levels even though neither actually celebrates the holiday at any point during the episode. Samantha Mathis (American Phycho) plays the mother who is working on cloning to help cure people of disease in the near future as organ donors. Except she has diverged from her research to make the perfect clone for her son Israel Broussard (Happy Death Day).

See her son is a psychopath with homicidal tendencies and in her mind killing a clone is more in a moral grey area than having him snap and killing an actual human being. Sure this sucks for Aurora Perrineau (who was in the first Into the Dark episode though this is not a cross-over; although, since she is a clone in the future, I guess it is plausible) who plays the clone as she just repeatedly beaten to death while seventies soft rock song Every Time I Think of You is playing and then dragged naked to be cloned again. But hey, Into the Dark has already killed her off before. Things get even more complicated when another ethnically ambiguous woman (Dora Madison, Dexter) moves in the area and takes a likening to the son.

Setting aside dude killing a woman over and over again trope, All That We Destroy is the creepiest and haunting installment to date. It asks hard questions about technology and just how far should we go for the people we care about. Sure the twist ending can be seen from a mile away, but it still remains a satisfying ending.  It almost makes you forget the whole thing has nothing to do with Mother's Day.

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

Into the Dark: All That We Destroy premiere tomorrow on Hulu.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 28, 2019

Supergirl: After eighty years of Superman, you just kind of have to accept that everyone around him and Supergirl are blind and just do not notice them when they put on glasses, but seriously, no one realize Kara is Supergirl in the middle of a riot in a men’s prison that Supergirl started?
Supergirl on iTunes.

Killing Eve: The first couple episodes were kind of a bore, but at least th assissin is, you know, assassinating again. That tie gag was pretty entertaining. I doubt she is going to pull off “boring and strait” going forward which I guess is why she is back with Constantine. How long will that last?
You can download Killing Eve on iTunes.

Billions: It only took half the season but we finally get a sighting of Bobby’s baby momma, and what it may seem like it may be the last. Usually Chuck getting beat is always the low for any episode, but seeing Wags in a dress may actually be worse. But the ending is exactly why someone calling themselves “they” is stupid because when you really want to use that person in a plural you have to specify.

Good Girls: So Ruby is just going to go to prison and let her brother go too for Beth? I am sure there is a twist coming soon that will make the investigation go away, but this just does not make much sense to me. That twist better happen soon.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes

The Chi: How messed up is our legal system if a guy who confesses in detail to a murder, there is an eye witness to the crime, gets released that easily?

The Bold Type: Wait, the new editor has a boyfriend? I thought for sure he was brought in to possibly be the third side of a love triangle with Jane and Pinstripe.
You can download The Bold Type on iTunes.

The Act: With that end tag of admitting to dramatizing aspect of the story leads me to question almost everything, but as much as I wish no one was stupid to post their murder on their shared Facebook page with the person they killed, I definitely believe this two would be that stupid. Especially the part of leaving the geo-tagging on. But I hope all the trial scenes in the final feature copious amounts of reaction shots and commentary from the neighbors like the Jury on Survivor. Their reaction shot to Gypsy walking was fun.
You can stream The Act on Hulu.

Survivor: Edge of Extinction: Last week I said it was stupid for Wardog to turn on Kelley because if you are the second biggest threat in the game, you do not want to target the first because then you are the biggest threat. And everyone recognized this and promptly sent Wardog to sit next to Kelley on the jury. But unlike Kelley, Wardog has no chance of beating eight or nine other people to get back in the game. As Gabby from David vs. Goliath said when Wardog responded, “Not over yet” after she welcomed him into the eighth place club, “Wardog my man I’ve seen u in challenges.” Really the only thing that could have been better than that Tweet this week would have been had Lauren stood up after Wardog was voted off and screamed, “The North remembers!”
You can download Survivor: Edge of Extinction on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists: So the black chick bashed the black dude in the head and he breaks into her hospital room after she gets run over by a car to say… I am not entirely sure what was going on in that scene. And if he did not run her over, who did?
You can download Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of World: Poor Nany, I actually though she was going to win this season, and then they had to go and dissolve the team, and worse, her old teammate Turbo was pretty much the reason Nany lost. And how pathetic was Wes’s taping skill? It was shocking how fast Georgia got out of that.
You can download The Challenge: War of Worlds on iTunes.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger: Oh snap, Rebecca Logan is evil. I guess I should have seen that coming. And a grief support group does seem like a great place to find girls considering they just obviously lost someone and could very well be alone. But I don’t know, maybe you do not try to kidnap a girl who can create light daggers and light bombs.
You can download Marvel's Cloak and Dagger on iTunes.

Gotham: Well we finally got Batman, an actual full episode of Batman even if he spent most of the time in the shadows. But I guess it is understandable because the one full show of Batman e got looked very CGI. Certainly was not the little kid from the show. We also got a different Catwoman in what was either a bad perm or a wig. But at least they got an equally bad actress, so that was consistent. Never quite figured out who Barbra Keen was. They teased her to be Harley Quinn for a season but never ended up pulling that trigger. Then she shows up ten years later with red hair for no apparent reason (other than I guess they needed a reason why her daughter was a redhead). I actually thought she was Poison Ivy at first. Weird she or really any of the other rouges gallery that were not main characters showed up for the finale. Could have had them just hang out in Arkham with The Riddler. Speaking of the younger Barbra, I kind of feel bad for the kid knowing when she got stolen by The Joker what The Joker would do to her eventually. Though when The Joker shot the elder Barbra, I thought she was going to be the one that ends up in a wheelchair because of it. But the worst of all, why have Gordon crow his iconic mustache just to have him quickly shave it off?
You can download Gotham on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Well that was filler. And what happened to Beard Hunter at the end of last episode? But at least we got another Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man update. I wonder if the team runs into him later this season.

The Blacklist: Oh wow, Lizzy told Red it was her who turned him in. I really though Red was going to shoot Dembe during his speech because he has shot a couple people from a chair after giving a long speech before. Then in the second episode we finally get fake Red’s origin story. But just where is Lizzy’s mom now? I vaguely remember teasing her but I do not believe we have ever actually seen her in present day or know what happened to her.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.