Around the Tubes: January 9, 2021

  

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 No Man's Land, Solar Opposites, Derek Delgaudio's In & Of Itself, Ryland James, Eddie Vedder, The Black Crowes, The Weeknd, Bailey Bryan, Taylor Swift, and Michelle Obama.

- NO MAN'S LAND Opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on January 22nd . Synopsis:  Border vigilante Bill Greer (Frank Grillo) and his son Jackson (Jake Allyn) are on patrol when Jackson accidentally kills a Mexican immigrant boy. Bill tries to take the blame but Texas Ranger Ramirez (George Lopez) sees through the lie, spurring Jackson to flee south on horseback across the Rio Grande to become a gringo "illegal alien" in Mexico. Chased by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales, Jackson journeys across deserts and mountains to seek forgiveness from the dead boy's vengeful father (Jorge A. Jimenez), as he falls in love with the land he was taught to hate.

- Adult animated comedy series Solar Opposites returns with 8 all-new episodes on March 26, only on Hulu.  Season 2 Announcement Video Available HERE.  Co-created by Justin Roiland (Rick & Morty) and Mike McMahan (ex-writer's assistant on Rick & Morty), Solar Opposites centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding home world only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Justin Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth. On season two of Solar Opposites, the Solar Opposites take it bigger, funnier, and more opposite than ever before.

- DEREK DELGAUDIO’S IN & OF ITSELF is a new kind of lyric poem. It tells the story of a man fighting to see through the illusion of his own identity, only to discover that identity itself is an illusion. An intimate and powerful exploration of what it means to be and be seen, the film chronicles Derek DelGaudio’s attempt to answer one deceptively simple question, “Who am I?” His personal journey expands to a collective experience that forces us to confront the boundaries of our own identities. Premieres Friday, January 22, only on Hulu.

- Today critically acclaimed Canadian breakout star Ryland James released a brand new single, “Blame,” via 21 Entertainment / Republic Records / EMI and Universal Music Canada.  Listen to the single and watch the lyric video HERE.  “Blame,” comes after a busy holiday season that saw Ryland release his first-ever holiday EP, A Little Christmas. The project had Ryland revisit and recharge four seasonal classics, including his 2019 smash rendition of “Please Come Home For Christmas”, which garnered over 10 million streams.

- Eddie Vedder releases the five-song Matter Of Time bundle. Just in time for Christmas, he expands on the previously released two-track set and collects a series of acoustic songs and covers performed and recorded throughout 2020. He presents all of these tracks together for the first time in one comprehensive collection which also includes an acoustic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Growin’ Up.”  Get Matter Of Time available tomorrow at all digital streaming partners HERE via Monkeywrench/Republic Records.

- The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker, the multi-platinum debut by the seminal rock n' roll band The Black Crowes, is being re-released in multi-formats sets on February 26, 2021, through UMe/American Recordings. Band founders, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, with original producer George Drakoulias, oversaw the creation of the re-release.  Most exciting are the  4LP and 3CD Super Deluxe versions, which includes the original album, remastered; 3 never-before-heard studio recordings; 2 unreleased demos from the band's early incarnation as Mr. Crowe's Garden;  B-sides; a spectacular, high-energy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, GA in December 1990; reproductions of an early Mr. Crowe's Garden show flyer, setlist and tour laminate; a 4" Crowes patch; and a 20-page book with liner notes by David Fricke.   To listen or pre-order Shake Your Money Maker, click HERE

- The Weeknd has released an intriguing new video for “Save Your Tears” from his album After Hours. The video, maybe the darkest from the album thus far, continues the platinum selling artist’s continued physical transformation (previously being decapitated in the “Too Late” video). While his physical rehabilitation makes progress it’s clear in the video that he’s mentally unraveling.  With the NFL playoffs starting this weekend the countdown to February 7th for The Weeknd’s Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime performance begins with fans eagerly anticipating the super star’s show for over 100 million viewers.   WATCH ‘SAVE YOUR TEARS’ HERE

- Bailey Bryan is kicking off 2021 not with an expected celebratory New Years bop, but with “Sober” -- a gorgeously constructed, melancholic reflection on a love-hangover that feels all-too-relatable. Out today is the track’s chillingly profound music video where glitter, plastic champagne glasses, Chinese takeout and silver balloons litter the floor as Bailey pleads to a lover to remember her after the buzz of their young love wears off.

-  Rounding out a landmark 2020, Taylor Swift closes out the year by making history once more. evermore, her latest 5 star album, bows at #1 on the Billboard 200, and her single “willow” captures #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, cementing her as the only artist in history to simultaneously debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 twice. Taylor is the only artist ever to accomplish this historic milestone in one year.

- Former First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA'S story has just begun. The Obamas have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama's autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book. Get lost in the incredible journey of this modern-day First Lady's story in the making.  The feature-length biography is now widely available, including Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/2XqTne5

- As we are watching the U.S. Capitol being taken over on our television screen, BET has posted a point of view piece on BET.com, sharing the words of Black legislators.

- Through his actions, President Donald J. Trump has violated his oath of office and betrayed the public trust.  The shameful events of January 6 have shaken American democracy to its core. Incited by the incumbent president of the United States, a mob temporarily took over the US Capitol and tried to prevent the Congress from exercising its constitutional duty to confirm the choice of the American people for their next president. Thankfully, the effort failed. Indeed, the episode underscored the essential resilience of our democracy. At a time of great peril, the congressional and judicial branches have rallied to protect our constitutional system and the rule of law—features that have distinguished the United States during its nearly 250-year history.  There will be time enough for thoughtful reflection about the path forward to restore the health of our democracy, reduce the polarization that has prevented effective action to address the needs of the American people, and recommit to the aspiration of making the United States a beacon of freedom and equality for the world. But at least one thing is already clear: The president, through his actions, has violated his oath of office and betrayed the public trust. More than that, his ongoing presence and unwillingness or inability to faithfully exercise his constitutional duties pose a direct threat to the peaceful transfer of power and the well-being of the Republic. Whether through resignation, impeachment and conviction, or invocation of the 25th amendment, President Trump must leave office immediately.  Michael Abramowitz, President of Freedom House,  Michael Chertoff, Chairman, Freedom House Board of Trustees

-  Independent Women's Forum President Carrie Lukas released the following statement:  "Millions of Americans have lost faith that our election systems can be trusted. They don’t trust the media to tell the truth. They feel our government bureaucracy has been politicized and our justice system treats politicians from one party very differently than the others.  “These concerns are legitimate, but violence and disrupting the peaceful transfer of power are not the ways to fight those fights. The Constitution that our founders bequeathed to us is more important than any single election. Americans have the right to protest peacefully, but not to destroy or resort to mob violence. Anyone who violates the law, regardless of political party, should be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law.  “We must keep fighting for a better country, but not like this."

The Twenty-Five Worst Songs of 2020

 
1.        Yummy – Justin Beiber

2.       W.A.P. – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion

3.       LIL PIMP BIG MAGA STEPPIN – Lil Pump

4.       Trollz – 6ix9ine featuring Nicki Minaj

5.       Watermelon Sugar –Harry Styles

6.       Stupid Love – Lady Gaga

7.        Blueberry Faygo – Lil Mosey

8.       Body – Megan Thee Stallion

9.       Commander in Chief – Demi Lovato

10.   ROCKSTAR – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch

11.   Imagine – Gal Gadot and Friends

12.   What’s Poppin – Jack Harlow

13.   Stuck with U – Ariana Grande and Justin Beiber

14.   My Oh My – Camilla Cabello featuring DaBaby

15.   Savage – Megan Thee Stallion

16.   Rain on Me – Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande

17.   Toosie Slide – Drake

18.   Anyone – Demi Lovato

19.   Nice to Meet Ya – Meghan Trainor featuring Nicki Minaj

20.   Wonder – Shawn Mendes

21.   Nobody’s Love – Maroon 5

22.   Baby I’m Jealous – Bebe Rexha featuring Doja Cat

23.   HOLIDAY – Lil Nas X

24.   Monster – Shawn Mendez and Justin Beiber

25.   I Love My Country – Florida Georgia Line

A Ranking of Every Song From the First Season of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

1. American Pie - Ensemble

2. Crazy - Zoey

3. You Give Love a Bad Name - Autumn

4. Pressure - Zoey

5. Say My Name - Jessica

6. I've Got the Music In Me - Zoey

7. If I Can't Have You - Max

8. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Autumn and Ensemble

9. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - Max

10. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Mitch and David

11. True Colors - Mitch

12. All I Do Is Win - Leif

13. Here I Go - Max and Simon

14. Happier - Simon and Jessica

15. Fight Song - Abby

16. I Want You to Want Me - Zoey

17. Moondance - Mitch

18. Perfect - Mitch and Maggie

19. Mad World - Simon

20. Don't Speak - Tobin

21. Everybody Hurts - Leif

22. The Trouble with Love Is - Mo

23. The Sound of Silence - Mitch and Howie

24. All of Me/I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) - Max

25. Sucker - Max

26. Superstar - Ensemble

27. Let's Stay Together - Leif

28. It's Your Thing - Mitch

29. Jealous - Simon

30. I Think I Love You - Max

31. How Do I Live - Zoey

32. Margaritaville - Bonnie

33. Bad Moon Rising - Zoey

34. Angel of the Morning - Mo

35. All Out of Love/Bye, Bye, Bye - Leif and Max

36. Dream a Little Dream of Me - Maggie

37. All by Myself/Whatta Man/Help - Ensamble

38. We Gotta Get Out of This Place - Maggie and Ensemble

39. No - Simon

40. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? - Maggie

41. I Put a Spell on You - Leif

42. Feeling Good - Deb

43. Get Together - Ensemble

44. I Will Follow Him - Mo

45. Should I Stay Or Should I Go - Simon

46. The Great Pretender - Mo

47. Kokomo - Bonnie

48. Amazing Grace - Mo

49. A Little Less Conversation - Maggie

50. Lean on Me - Mo

51. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Zoey

52. This Little Light of Mine - Mo

53. The Boy Is Mine - Joan and Ava

54. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Joan

55. Fight for Your Right - David

56. Roar - Joan

57. Buttons - Emily

58. Bailamos - Mo and Eddie

59. Tik Tok - Joan

60. Con Te Partiro - Max

61. Just Give Me a Reason - David and Emily

62. Wrecking Ball - Joan

63. Issues - Mo

64. I Got the Music in Me - Random Doctor

65. This Is How We Do It - Karaoker

66. Achy Breaky Heart - Karaoker

The Ten Most Anticipated Events of 2021

  
10. Everything that got delayed from 2020:  Unfortunately due to the Coronapocalypse, many things on my most anticipated list from last year never actually happened.  Hopefully movies like Ghostbusters: Afterlife, West Side Story. Black Widow, as well as the Olympics actually happens this year.

9.  Mr. Mayor (January 7):  National treasure Ted Danson is back on a NBC sitcom about a year after the end of The Good Place from the team that brought us 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  Should be good.

8.   8. In the Heights (June 18):  There are a lot of things this year that are written in pencil, but Warner Bros. have already announced their entire slate of movies will get a simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release.   So we should see some of these movies no matter how long the vaccine rollout takes.  Many people know Lin-Manuel Miranda for Hamilton, but before the cultural phenomenon, there was In the Height.  And unlike the Disney Ploose version of Hamilton which was just the stage play, this is a full blown adaption.

7.  The Book of Boba Fett (December):  There was some confusion as if this would be its own thing or if it would be the third season of The Mandalorian, but it turns out to be a mini-series and the first of the many live action spin-off from the first show.  Boba was awesome in his limited run and Ming-Na Wen is always a welcome addition to any cast.  Plus this show will be run by famed director Robert Rodriquez who directed the big Boba Fett return.  Maybe we will finally learn how he got out of the Sarlac Pit and what he has been up to since then and now.  This is likely the only new Star Wars live action show we get this year, but animated show The Bad Batch (a spin-off of the Clone Wars which will also feature the voice of Wen) and anthology show Visions are also supposed to air this year but no date for either.

6.  Marvel Television on Disney Ploose:  The MCU was a sprawling cinematic universe that spanned ABC, Netflix, Hulu, and Freeform.  Granted none of the shows really had any influence on the movies and Marvel TV studio was shut down, all the existing shows were canceled.  All of this was to consolidate the televised show onto Disney Ploose (sorry sister site Hulu who was planning a whole Adventure into Fear series of shows when this decree when down).  Now all these new shows for The Ploose supposedly will be tied directly into the MCU and the first couple features characters from the movies.  We have dates for WandaVision (1/15) and Falcon and Winter Soldier (3/19) but just loose dates after that including Loki (May).  Later this year is the show I am most excited for, Hawkeye which features the titular character mentoring Hailee Steinfeld and Lucky the Pizza Dog.  The other show that is supposed to happen this year is the lone show based on a new character Ms. Marvel.

5.  Nine Perfect Strangers (TBA):  Big Little Lies was such a success for David E. Kelly and Nicole Kidman; they made a second season and went on to do another mini-series together, The Undoing.  They are teaming yet again for a Hulu show Nine Perfect Strangers which like Big Little Lies is based on a book by Lynn Moriarty.  While not one of the titular characters, Kidman plays the director of the resort than the nine strangers come to relax.  But the list of actual strangers is pretty impressive: Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Michael Shannon, Grace Van Patten, Samara Weaving, Luke Evans, and Melissa McCarthy (okay have not heard of the last two actors of the nine).  Manny Jacinto (BORTLES!!!!!!!) and Tiffany Boone also work at the spa with Kidman.  Pretty interesting cast.

4. The Suicide Squad (August 6):  A wise man once said, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice… won’t be fooled again.  Yet I am cautiously optimistic about DC’s second attempt at the franchise which is sort of a sequel and sort of not (added only a “The” to the title only adds to the confusion).  James Gunn was quickly picked up by DC after being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy (but quietly rehired) giving him free reign on a sequel even if it does not quite jive with the original.  Back is the best part of the first film Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.  Also returning are Viola Davis (Amanda Walker), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), and, um… Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang).  Idris Elba was originally cast to replace Will Smith as Deadshot but ends up playing the much lesser known Bloodsport.  He is not the only D-list villain in the movie, but unlike Elba, I would be fairly surprised if Pete Davidson’s Blackguard, David Dastmalchian’s Polka Dot Man, Michael Rooker’s Savant (Gunn has already killed him once), Nathan Fillion’s T.D.K.,  Daniela Melchoir’s Ratcatcher 2, or Fluta Borg’s Javelin make it to the end of the movie.  I would have had John Cena’s Peacemaker on that list, but he was already announced to be starring in a HBO Max spin-off show.  It is still unknown which of the numerous villains is the main antagonist and which are in the titular group, but Sylvester Stallone and Taika Waititi are both cast as yet to be announce characters.  At the very least, this has to be better than the first one.  Right?

3. Last Night in Soho (April 23?) – Edgar Wright is one of my favorite working directors so anything he does goes to the top of my list.  This movie is being listed as a psychological thriller but seems to be much more serious than his previous horror movies like Shaun of the Dead.  The movie star Anya Taylor-Joy after her much buzzed about show The Queen’s Gambit.  No trailer yet which makes me think this will not make its April date (is had already been pushed back once) but hopefully it will get released by the end of the year.

2.  Only Murders in the Building (TBA):  Steve Martin and Martin Short gave us one of the funniest movies in the history of cinema in The Three Amigos and who better to replace Chevy Chase in that threesome than Selena Gomez?  The trio star as three strangers with a true crime obsession who get wrapped up in one.  And of course, then hilarity ensues.

1.  No More President Donald Trump (January 20):  I cannot think of a more incompetent person to lead our country through a pandemic and yet Donald Trump somehow performed worse than I ever expected.  Thankfully there were over eighty million Americans who agreed with me and will be showing him the door in a couple weeks.  Hopefully Joe Biden can do a better job at the vaccine roll out because the rate it is happening under trump, it would take a full decade.  And it is not only Trump who will be leaving; also gone will be all his incompetent flunkies.  I look most forward to a new Postmaster General so I no longer will have to wait weeks to receive a package that was sent through the USPS.

Here is also a list of everything I will be watching as I wait to go back outside again once everyone gets vaccinated.

Mondays
8:00 - The Neighborhood (CBS, January 4)
9:00 – Snowpiercer (TNT, January 25)

Tuesdays
8:00 – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC, January 5)
9:00 – Black’ish (ABC, January 26)
9:30 – Mix’ish (ABC, January 26)
10:00 – Nurses (NBC, January 5)
10:00 – Big Sky (ABC, January 26)

Wednesdays
8:00 - The Challenge: Double Agents (MTV, already started) 

      8:00 – The Goldbergs (ABC, January 13)

Thursdays
Search Party (HBO Max, January 14)
8:00 - Mr. Mayor (NBC, January 7)
8:00 – B Positive (CBS, January 7)
8:30 – Superstore (NBC, January 14)

Fridays
Wandavision (Disney Ploose, January 15)
The Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney Ploose, March 19)
8:00 – The Blacklist (NBC, January 22)

Sundays
9:00 – Shameless (Showtime, January 10)
9:00 – The Waling Dead (AMC, February 28)
10:00 – Your Honor (Showtime, already started)

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 3, 2021

 

 

Your Honor:  So they are just blowing up houses now?  It is not enough to murder the person you think killed your kid, but you have to take their whole family?  And just how does the OPP (yeah you know me) plan on covering up a murder?  It seems hard to turn blunt force trauma to the head into a suicide.  I also do not understand how the judge just completely deflected a bloody rag in front of a detective and a senator.  But that kid is going to start blabbing some more at some point.  I thought he might try to pick up the sister at the memorial.  Maybe next episode.

 

 

His Dark Materials:  Oh hey, James McAvoy, finally for the first time this season.  Though no explanation of where he was all season.  But we did learn that Lyra’s is prophecized to destroy fate… which is a bit of irony, I guess.

 

 

A Teacher:  What a waste of time.

 

 

The 100 Best Songs of 2020

 

1. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd 

2. the 1 - Taylor Swift 

3. Sad Girl Summer - Maisie Peters 

4. Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence 

5. exile - Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver

6. Sometimes - H.E.R. 

7. Supalonely - BENEE feat. Gus Dapperton

8. Everywhere I'm Goin' - Maddie & Tae 

9. Send You My Love - Liz Longley 

10. Gaslighter - The Chicks 

11. Moral of the Story - Ashe 

12. ooh la la  - Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier

13. Thought vs Everybody - Black Thought 

14. cardigan - Taylor Swift 

15. Ice Cream  - BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez

16. Levitating - Dua Lipa 

17. Maybe Don't - Maisie Peters feat. JP Saxe

18. Say Peace - Common Feat. Black Thought & PJ

19. Boyfriend - Selena Gomez 

20. Good Times - The Lone Bellow 

21. rock bottom - MisterWives 

22. Love On Top (from the cast of Pitch Perfect) - The Bellas 

23. Neon Cross - Jaime Wyatt 

24. Hero - Michael Kiwanuka 

25. Forget - Nikki Yanofsky 

26. Oh Yeah! - Green Day 

27. Be Afraid - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

28. My Own Soul’s Warning - The Killers 

29. Strong Enough - Ray LaMontagne 

30. betty - Taylor Swift 

31. Ring - Selena Gomez 

32. And It Breaks My Heart - LÉON

33. decide to be happy - MisterWives 

34. Kyoto - Phoebe Bridgers 

35. Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa 

36. Johnny - Sarah Jarosz 

37. Feel The Way I Want - Caroline Rose 

38. Texas Sun - Khruangbin 

39. Starting Over - Chris Stapleton 

40. Chasing A Feeling - LÉON

41. Salt And The Sea - The Lumineers 

42. Complicated - Eves Karydas 

43. Moment - Dagny 

44. The Steps - HAIM 

45. The Curse - Will Hoge 

46. willow - Taylor Swift 

47. Shameika - Fiona Apple 

48. Let Me Tell You Something - Lera Lynn 

49. Can't Fight - Lianne La Havas 

50. Shine A Little Light - The Black Keys 

51. Another You - Elle King 

52. 21 Days - Brian Fallon 

53. Rolling - Michael Kiwanuka 

54. Ring - Phoebe Ryan 

55. Charlie - Mallrat 

56. Conversations in the Dark - John Legend 

57. Bluebird - Miranda Lambert 

58. Only Time Makes It Human - King Princess 

59. Say So - Doja Cat 

60. Rare - Selena Gomez 

61. Bitter - FLETCHER 

62. the end - MisterWives 

63. Bigger Love - John Legend 

64. Oh, What a World 2.0  - Kacey Musgraves 

65. If I Hated You - FLETCHER 

66. Surrender - Will Butler 

67. Put Me Back Together - Caitlyn Smith 

68. Physical - Dua Lipa 

69. Letter To You - Bruce Springsteen 

70. Dead Horse - Hayley Williams 

71. If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) - The 1975 

72. Stay With Me - Margaret Glaspy 

73. Lilacs - Waxahatchee 

74. circle the drain - Soccer Mommy 

75. I Don't Wanna Lie - Yola 

76. Sleep at Night - The Chicks 

77. 3 Crow - Liz Longley 

78. Friend - Gracie Abrams 

79. Under The Table - Fiona Apple 

80. Honeybee - The Head and the Heart 

81. Ride  - Lenny Kravitz 

82. Bathroom Floor - Maddie & Tae 

83. I Know Alone - HAIM 

84. bon iver - mxmtoon 

85. Private Lives - Low Cut Connie 

86. Cold - Chris Stapleton 

87. Wild - John Legend feat. Gary Clark Jr.

88. It Ain’t Easy - Delta Spirit 

89. Ohio - King Princess 

90. Shot In The Dark - AC/DC 

91. Heartless - The Weeknd 

92. Can I Believe You - Fleet Foxes 

93. Don't Wanna - HAIM 

94. Pearl Cadillac - Gary Clark Jr. feat. Andra Day

95. Miss You - Gabrielle Aplin 

96. It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault - Courtney Marie Andrews 

97. You Have Stolen My Heart - Brian Fallon 

98. Fire - Waxahatchee 

99. Kool - BENEE 

100. Czar - Busta Rhymes feat. M.O.P.

57 Channels and Only This is On: December 27, 2020

 
Shameless:  Once again Carl’s day on the job was the most entertaining part, though I thought maybe he would end up losing another partner who would get suspended for police brutality.  But once again, that was really the only entertaining part of the episode.  Worse was that it really got dark this week with the kid that had a hole in his heart and Lip calling Debby a bad mother.
 
 
Your Honor:  Good thing the judge knew what was going on because I was lost when they switched out the guards at the funeral.  Though I do not understand why.  Did momma send her son to avenge the other son?  Why have him kill someone with only two weeks on his sentence.  Why not send low level thugs.  Was that not what the people in infirmary doing?  Though Kofi is kind of just Schroeder’s Cat right now because we do not know if the brother actually kills him or not.  Maybe momma just wants her son to deliver another type of message.
 
 
His Dark Materials:  So there are no real rules in the middle rule?  The specters were supposed to kill adults.  But Snake Dude and Lyra’s mom were just able to walk through, Lyra’s mom can now control them, and even the English professor can walk freely.  But I did laugh when the one girl asked to hug her after admitting to attempted murder.  That is the point I turn and run from those psychopaths.  But I have to wonder, if all the adult went up to the mountains, why did they not take their children with them?  But I feel that will just be added to the already long list of answers to questions we will never get.  Number one right now is what ever happened to James McAvoy?  Is he just not going to be in this season?  Lyra went into the gap after him and he just disappeared.
 
 
A Teacher:  My favorite scene in this show, okay, the only one that I probably did not hate was when the FBI chick from Mr. Robot said the student did not look old enough to be buying alcohol.  C’mon, that dude looks like he is pushing thirty.  Him looking way old enough to buy beer is what keeps this from being the worst show of the year.

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I know we are in the middle of a pandemic, but c’mon, they really could not find anyone else besides Josh to fly to Iceland for a chance to win a million dollars?  They were able to get an Olympian, a WWE wrestler, a bunch of people from European shows I never heard of, but they still had to call Josh to fill out the cast?  It is a shame this episode did not happen a decade ago because that CT eats Josh whole and spits out the bones.  But what was LeRoy thinking?  After Fessy wimped out what was obvious a physical competition against someone half his size, LeRoy wimps out against probably the second weakest guy there.  There are only five skulls going out to dudes this time, might want to get one sooner than later.  I really hope TJ sends people home skull-less this season to teach people not to wait.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: December 20, 2020

 
Shameless:  I would have never thought Carl’s boring first day at work would be so entertaining.  Unfortunately none of the other storylines this week were.
 
 
Your Honor:  Just a lot to unpack here with someone so stupid about stealing a car he runs a red light, dirty cops torturing a kid yet no one asked why he does not need an inhaler, the dog is still trying to get that blood covered rag that he inexplicably was able to get under that table, a judge stripping a seventeen year old in court, all this seems like it is going to start a gang war, just straight up bird murder for no apparent reason, but really all I want to talk about is that the kid turned out to be forking his hot teacher.  And they were doing it before school?!?  Somehow that is already infinitely more interesting than A Teacher.
 
 
His Dark Materials:  Just what does Snake Dude do in the real world that he is able to just amass that much valuable artifacts?  And he can just shut down the park with security at a moment’s notice?  Granted not the best security if he is just letting anyone in with any actual ID.
 
 
Big Sky:  I did all the eye rolls when a silly fly fishing memory mad the PI think that there may be a basement only to come back shortly after the girls were moved.  And why did no one think to check for DNA in the creepy shipping container that was underground for no apparent reason?  But as stupid as that was, another random epiphany lead the PI to the diner where she shockingly shot Drew Carey’s brother right between the eyes.  Killing off what was presumably the main character was shocking enough butt to follow that up a couple episodes later by killing off the big bad was just as shocking.  If only anything in-between was entertaining.  So what happens now?  They have to get the creepy partner, but how long could that take, an episode or two?
 
 
A Teacher:  So not only do we not get to see the arrest, we do not even get to see prison time?  Ugg.
 
 
The Flight Attendant:  The gay best friend turned out to be in the CIA?  I guess that makes the scene where Cassie took him to the wake funnier.  Though, maybe instead of hooking up with the help, maybe he should had spent more time following her because she almost got herself caught.  And maybe he should have followed up on the shredded stuff she stole.  But I guess that was an FBI matter and as we know they do not really talk with each other.  But Cassie helping the CIA may make the second season interesting.  Unfortunately every show that has gone past its source material does not really have the best track record.
 
 
The Mandalorian:  Sooooo, is that it for this show?  That was my first impression, it does not seem like there is a show without Mando and Baby Yoda.    So with Yoda to go train with Luke and… um, Ben Solo, there does not really seem like a way to get those two back together unless Jedi Adolescent Yoda and an older Mando are traveling around the galaxy.   Bu then was the Book of Boba signaling that Boba will be the focus of season three as the show transitions into a sort of anthology about different Mandalorians?  There was a lot of debate after the show whether that was a tease for a spin-off or season three  and surprisingly no word from Disney yet.

Around the Tubes: December 19, 2020

  

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 Ultimate Playlist of Noise, Shameless, Woman in Blues, Desus and Mero, Bob Marley, Noah Kahan, Kid Cudi, The Virtual Night We Stole Christmas, Nova Miller, Yellowjackets, and The D’Amelio Show.

- While 2020 may have us cooped up at home, Hulu’s THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF NOISE trailer will bring you some much-needed adventure and appreciation for all things in life as Marcus and Wendy set out to record a bucket list of favorite sounds before Marcus faces losing his hearing. The Hulu Original film premieres on January 15 on Hulu.

- As the acclaimed series SHAMELESS kicks off its 11^th and final season, SHOWTIME will give fans the chance to say a long goodbye to the beloved comedy with an all-new SHAMELESS HALL OF SHAME series. Beginning on Sunday, December 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the six-episode series will feature new, original SHAMELESS scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character’s journey over the prior 10 seasons. The first episode will feature Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher), showcasing their unique relationship and its evolution from a teen fling into a loving, complicated marriage. New episodes of SHAMELESS HALL OF SHAME will be interspersed throughout the 11^th and final season of SHAMELESS, which premiered on Sunday, December 6. 

- Filmed from 2017-2020, WOMEN IN BLUE follows Minneapolis’ first female police chief Janeé Harteau, as she works to reform the Minneapolis Police Department by getting rid of bad cops, retraining the rest, diversifying the ranks and promoting women—who statistically use less force than their male counterparts—into every rank of leadership. The film focuses on four women in Harteau’s department, each trying to redefine what it means to protect and serve. After a high-profile, officer-involved shooting forces Chief Harteau to resign, the new, male chief selects only men as his top brass. The women left behind continue to fight to police differently and to rebuild community trust.  WOMEN IN BLUE offers an unprecedented view into the inner workings of the MPD, chronicling a department—and a community—grappling with racism and a troubled history of police misconduct long before an MPD officer killed George Floyd in May of 2020. The film reveals the limitations of police reform through incremental change and asks questions that apply well beyond the city of Minneapolis. Could increased gender equity and more women —especially Black women — contribute to greater public safety?  WOMEN IN BLUE will broadcast on PBS television series Independent Lens series on Monday, February 8, 2021.

- SHOWTIME has announced that DESUS & MERO, the network’s first-ever late-night talk show, will return for season three on Sunday, January 31 and will continue to air weekly on Sunday and Thursday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT from New York City. Each episode of DESUS & MERO features co-hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero giving their take on the day’s hot topics and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more, with past guests including President Barack Obama, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Missy Elliott, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Beastie Boys, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and David Letterman.

- As the year's celebrations commemorating the legendary Bob Marley's 75^th birthday continue, yet more incredible collector edition items and activations have been announced and released for December and January 2021.  On January 29, 2021, the highly acclaimed Songs of Freedom: The Island Years, an extraordinary 6LP set, as well as a 3CD set, will be re-released worldwide. A limited-edition color 6LP set featuring two red, two green, and two gold vinyl LPs will also be available.  Streamlined to the period of Bob Marley's emergence and stardom, with rare tracks on vinyl for the first time outside Jamaica, Songs of Freedom: The Island Years is available to listen to or pre-order HERE  In addition to Songs Of Freedom, twelve limited-edition Bob Marley vinyl LP's pressed exclusively at the legendary Tuff Gong International headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, will be available on January 22, 2021. The Jamaican pressings will include nine original studio albums, two original live albums, plus the world's best-selling reggae album, Legend, all individually numbered along with a highly-desirable Tuff Gong stamp. Catch A Fire, The Wailers' debut album, will be available in its original Jamaica-recorded version, with two extra tracks from the sessions and some tracks with longer fades. Originally recorded in Jamaica, Catch A Fire was eventually released with overdubs and a mix overseen by Island founder Chris Blackwell at the label's London headquarters. Produced entirely by Bob Marley & the Wailers and mixed by longtime Marley associate Errol Brown, this Jamaican version will be on vinyl for the first time. The limited-edition albums were pressed at Tuff Gong's newly refurbished vinyl pressing plant, which re-opened in summer 2020 and will have an annual capacity of 250,000 units. Dave Cooley mastered each album at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.  To view the full list of the limited-edition Jamaican LPs, click HERE.  Pre-order HERE.

- Noah Kahan releases a live performance video of his latest single, “Pride” feat. mxmtoon—watch it HERE!  “Pride,” which features vocals from songstress and internet sensation mxmtoon and production by chart-topping artist and producer Alexander23, has amassed nearly 3 million Spotify streams to date. Idolator praised the song as a “relatable, deceptively catchy tune,” while Variance Magazine said, “The track displays Kahan’s renowned relatable songwriting craft by taking his personal experiences and lyricizing them.”

- Kid Cudi released his highly anticipated new video for “HEAVEN ON EARTH” (THE RAGER, THE MENACE PT. 2). Directed by Nabil, the video is part 2 of the narrative short film featuring music from his new album MAN ON THE MOON III: THE CHOSEN. The video premiered exclusively on Cudi’s Official YouTube Channel. Watch video here! “She Knows This,” was the first of the two-part narrative short film from his album, also directed by Nabil [Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Dua Lipa].

- CUMULUS MEDIA has partnered with NoCap and #HAPPENS to keep their annual Christmas concert tradition alive by producing a virtual, multi-artist live recorded concert, THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS, featuring live-streamed performances from Glass Animals, Wallows, Cold War Kids and special surprise guests. THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS, celebrating its 8th year and usually held live in Chicago, will now be streamed globally via NoCap starting December 23^rd at 6PM PST / 9PM EST through Christmas Day. This year’s event benefits PROJECT SHINE and VolunteerMatch, the world’s largest volunteer engagement network, with a dollar from every ticket sold being donated to volunteermatch.org. Tickets are on sale now at: http://thenightwestole.nocapshows.com/.  Headlining THE VIRTUAL NIGHT WE STOLE CHRISTMAS will be Glass Animals from London, England, playing songs from their new album Dreamland as well as fan favorites. This theatrical live production is a must-see event. Dave Bayley, Glass Animals lead singer, songwriter and producer said: “This is a memoir in the form of a song cycle, inspired by sonic maestros from Brian Wilson to Timbaland, and it holds nothing back.” Their 2014 hit Gooey is a platinum-certified viral streaming hit with hundreds of millions of streams. Their current single Heat Waves is Top 15 on the Alternative Radio charts.  Sharing the bill are Wallows and Cold War Kids.

- It's the season of giving and today, Nova Miller, the Princess of Christmas, is gifting fans with the glimmering music video for her festive bop, "Only When it Snows," directed by Nikko LaMere - watch here. The ebullient music video for "Only When It Snows" pulls viewers into Nova's winter wonderland, complete with sparkling backdrops, snow-covered scenery, extravagant costumes, and spirited choreography that culminates into a festive visual perfectly suited for spreading the holiday cheer. 

- SHOWTIME has given a series order to the survival drama YELLOWJACKETS. Created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), the one-hour drama series stars Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Oscar^®, Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping), Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable). Jonathan Lisco (Animal Kingdom, Halt and Catch Fire) joins Lyle and Nickerson to serve as executive producer and showrunning partner. Produced for SHOWTIME by studio Entertainment One (eOne), Karyn Kusama (Destroyer, Girlfight) executive produces and directed the pilot. Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer. Production will start early next year in Vancouver, Canada for a 2021 debut on the network. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.  “YELLOWJACKETS is a genre-bending, riveting story told across time periods, exploring the journeys of these women at two of the most formative times in their lives,” said Winograde. “We have an unbelievable cast, led by Juliette, Christina, Melanie and Tawny, in a series that’s going to leave you on the edge of your seat with every episode.”

- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH returns for its sixth season on Sunday, January 10th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME just ahead of the crucial Georgia run-off elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The first half of season six will consist of eight episodes. Prominent political strategist and commentator Jennifer Palmieri will join season six as a co-host along with John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark Mckinnon. Palmieri was a guest contributor for season five which had its finale on Sunday, Nov. 8^th.  Jennifer Palmieri was Communications Director for the Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign and White House Communications Director for President Obama. She is the author of number-one New York Times bestselling book, Dear Madam President as well as her new book She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World.  

- On Saturday, December 26th at 3 PM ET, Live For Live Music, in partnership with HeadCount, presents Georgia Comes Alive, a one-day virtual music festival to promote voter participation in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections by supporting local grassroots organizations like Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda and CivicGeorgia. Starting today, fans are encouraged to visit GeorgiaComesAlive.com and donate to the cause. Those who make a donation of any size in advance will receive an email with a link to the stream on the day of the show.  Today, five new acts were added to the already power-packed line-up. Additions include Nathaniel Rateliff, Phil Lesh & Friends, Grouplove and Houndmouth as well as a performance by R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills featuring Big Something. The virtual event, powered by Nugs.net and Plus1, is the latest from the team behind Democracy Comes Alive, Quarantine Comes Alive and Justice Comes Alive, which collectively raised close to $300,000 for various charitable causes and garnered nearly two million views. Like its predecessors, the event aims to direct this momentum toward the critical Georgia Senate runoff elections in January. 

- Hulu announced today The D’Amelio Show, a new eight-episode docuseries following the reigning family of social media, the D’Amelios. With a combined social media footprint over 250 million followers, The D’Amelio Show will give an authentic look at the reality of this family as Charli, Dixie, dad Marc and mom Heidi as they navigate their sudden rise to fame, all the while still staying true to their family values. The D’Amelio Show is expected to debut on Hulu in 2021.  From relative obscurity and a seemingly normal life, to overnight success and thrust into the Hollywood limelight overnight, the D’Amelios are faced with new challenges and opportunities they could not have imagined. Charli, who at 16 became one of the biggest celebrities with over 150 million followers combined and #1 on the TikTok platform in less than a year, has the world at her fingertips and is working to balance fame and family life with dancing, relationships, making new friends in LA and battling the naysayers online. Her sister Dixie, is now 19 and experiencing her own overnight rise to fame with over 78 million followers combined, one of the fastest growing YouTube channels and ranked within the Top 10 Most Followed Creators on TikTok. Rather than attending college in Alabama, Dixie is now pursuing a music career in LA. For mom Heidi and dad Marc, raising teenagers is hard enough before adding in a cross-country move, supporting their daughters’ dreams and doing the best they can to stay close as a family and protect their girls from the dark side of fame, while also finding their place in the spotlight.