Around the Tubes: January 23, 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 Fake Famous, Sublime, A Life Too Short, The Lady and the Dale, Lori McKenna, Your Honor, William H. Macy, and The First Lady.

- HBO’s FAKE FAMOUS, debuting TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), from first-time director and veteran journalist Nick Bilton, explores the industry of social media influencers through an innovative social experiment. The film’s journey into this world is driven by the casting of three people in Los Angeles who all have relatively small social followings and the attempt to grow them into famous influencers. By purchasing fake followers and an army of bots to “engage” with their social media, the newly made “influencers” discover both the wonders and costs of this unlikely, immersive lifestyle.  The documentary will be available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max.

- Z2 COMICS continues to roll out news of some of their most ambitious projects yet, with today’s announcement of the RYAN CADY-written graphic novel chronicling the misadventures of one of the most defining bands of the last three decades, the Long Beach, reggae-punk institution, SUBLIME!  The laid-back Long Beach trio spawned an entire genre—fusing reggae grooves, punk grittiness, ska energy, back-porch folk introspection, and hip-hop swagger.   The SUBLIME: $5 AT THE DOOR graphic novel clocks in at 120 pages and will be released in a standard soft and hardcover editions in comic shops and bookstores alike in June 2021, with a special deluxe edition, and highly limited super deluxe edition available for preorder now exclusively through the Z2 website! Deluxe and super deluxe edition include a special first-time vinyl edition of the Doin’ Time EP, unavailable elsewhere, as well as exclusive prints, Lou-Dog toy and more!

- MTV Documentary Films will debut A Life Too Short, from two-time Oscar® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Tribeca Film Festival winner My Father The Mover from breakout director Julia Jansch on Friday, January 22 at 7:00PM ET on Pluto TV.  An official selection of the 2020 DOC NYC Film Festival’s Shortlist and SFFILM’s DocStories festival, A Life Too Short, produced by two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, directed by Safyah Usmani, co-directed by Saad Zuberi and executive produced by Sheila Nevins and Guy Oseary, examines the startling tragedy behind the killing of Pakistani activist and social media star Qandeel Baloch. A vocal, provocative proponent of women’s rights and freedom of expression, Qandeel challenged conventional ideas with her open exclamations of women’s equality and sexuality.  Her bravery and outspokenness ended in chilling violence that reverberates around the world.  Following Qandeel’s murder, a crucial amendment to Pakistani law was passed, eliminating the possibility for families to forgive the perpetrators of “honor” killings.  The premiere of A Life Too Short will be followed by the award-winning short documentary My Father The Mover at 7:45 PM ET. The film introduces a South African teenager named Alatha whose father calls himself a Mover. Using African dance moves – electronic Gqom beats – he helps kids in Khayelitsha township to transcend hardship and "find their superpowers." The Mover is also a single father, and while he has helped many kids, he still has difficulty getting his own daughter to find her own powers.  But in a tender moment together, that is all about to change.

- This four-part documentary series from Emmy®-winning producers Mark and Jay Duplass (“Room 104”) traces the audacious story of Elizabeth Carmichael, a larger-than-life entrepreneur who took the world by storm with her promotion of a fuel-efficient, three-wheeled car known as The Dale in the middle of the 1970s oil crisis. Liz's promotional zeal thrust her into fierce public and media scrutiny which uncovered a web of mystery and suspicion about the car’s technology and her own checkered past. Co-directed by Nick Cammilleri and Zackary Drucker, THE LADY AND THE DALE mixes animation, archival footage, and interviews with Liz's family members and gender scholars, including Susan Stryker. The result is a probing exploration of family and identity seen through the lens of the rise and fall of a fearless and wily innovator, an extraordinarily resilient woman and a dedicated parent.  The series debuts with two back-to-back episodes SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), with new episodes airing subsequent Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. THE LADY AND THE DALE will premiere on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max.

- Award-winning broadcaster and podcaster, Candy O’Terry and Music City Mentor, Jacy Dawn Valeras have released another episode in their joint podcast project, Country Music Success Stories with Candy O’Terry. The new podcast is a conversation with one of Candy and Jacy's all-time favorite singer/songwriters, multi-award winner Lori McKenna.  Their shared Boston roots shine through this interview with Lori which took place at 95.9 WATD, a local radio station just outside of Boston. At the core of this episode is the connection between an artist and local radio. Lori shares stories of her slow and steady rise in country music while raising her five children in her hometown of Stoughton, MA. and the joy of hearing Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Little Big Town breathe life into her songs. Subscribe to the podcast here and listen on all podcast platforms here.  Listen to an excerpt of the conversation with Candy O’Terry and Lori McKenna about writing the hit song “Humble And Kind” recorded by Tim McGraw here.

- The hit SHOWTIME drama series YOUR HONOR will return with an all-new episode on Sunday, January 31^st at 10pm ET/PT, after a repeat this coming Sunday. The ninth episode will air Sunday, February 7^th at 10pm. The following Sunday, on February 14^th at 10pm, the series concludes with the finale, directed by series star and executive producer Bryan Cranston.

- William H. Macy is more than just your favorite on-screen character, he’s creating gritty music and badass whiskey. His new single, “Whiskey Dell,” is a marriage of those passions. Under the moniker Willie Creeks, Macy’s inner outlaw, is personally writing spirited tales of fishing in the rugged Rockies while armed with his trusty 1935 Martin ukulele and a glass of whiskey from Woody Creek Distillers. “Whiskey Dell” features a driving kick, floor-rumbling bass, and a feverish energy brought to life through colorful collaboration with some extremely talented musicians. Watch the video HERE and stream the single HERE. 

 

- SHOWTIME has announced that Oscar and Emmy^® nominee and Golden Globe^® winner Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) will star as Betty Ford and Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing) will direct and executive produce the anthology series THE FIRST LADY (w/t), starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series is executive produced by Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash), Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow) and Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church) and created by author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who will write several of the episodes and executive produce. 

57 Channels and Only This is on: January 17, 2021

 

 Shameless:  Yet another Showtime show that features a teacher forking their student right now?  Last decade, Game of Thrones kicked off a decade of shows that features siblings hooking up, is this the new official taboo for this decade between this, Your Honor and A Teacher?  I hope not because I am ready for this topic to die.  Never a good sign when the Milkovichs move next door and that is not the grossest thing that happens in the episode.

 

Your Honor:  I knew last week this was not going to be the finale, because, you know, six more episodes, but it sure seemed like it because of the gangster would have no problem killing a judge.  And he almost did, but the thing that saved him was the judge knew his son was going to be arrested. Kind of a cheap play to extend the episode. 

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  Last week’s musical selections were not great but they corrected that this week with an influx of nineties music.  And it seemed like I was not the only one who thought the workplace was turning into a bit of a sausagefest.  But if Zoey poached three chicks from the fifth floor, isn’t that place a sausagefest now?

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  So that makes Natalie the second people in two seasons to come on the show pregnant.  Though Melissa last season made it all the way to the finals without realizing.  And with her took the only female Gold Skull with her while three dudes had one.  Guess it is going to be much easier for the females to make it to the finales, but the dudes are going to run out of Gold Skulls soon unless someone who already has one gets sent in next.  Hopefully Fessy just keeps getting thrown in after all the Gold Skulls are passed out.

 

Search Party:  That new dude is extremely annoying.  Really everyone is extremely annoying this season.  Portia is the only entertaining part of the show so far.

 

Wandavision: They have been saying this show is going to be weird for a while but I still was not prepared for it.  I wonder if they are just going to continue doing a new decade every episode or if they will speed thing up.  Hopefully by episode five, Vision gets sent off to live with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Aire.

Around the Tubes: January 16, 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 United States vs. Billie Holiday, Rick and Morty, Vice, Women in Blue, Boss Level, Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler, and Sasquatch.

- Hulu announced that the streaming platform has acquired the U.S. rights to Lee Daniels’ THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLIE HOLIDAY, which will debut as a Hulu Original film on Hulu on February 26, 2021. Sierra/Affinity will continue to handle international sales on the film.  The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar® nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy® nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLIE HOLIDAY unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life. Screenplay Writer Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement. NAACP Image Award® Nominee Trevante Rhodes and Emmy® Nominee Natasha Lyonne co-star along with Garrett Hedlund, Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey.

- Wubba-lubba-dub-dub! From creators Justin Roiland (“Adventure Time”) and Dan Harmon (“Community”), go on an intergalactic journey across the multi-verse with the release of Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 boxed set from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 2, 2021.  Get ready to binge on one of cables #1 watched comedies - and follow the misadventures of America’s favorite crazy scientist and his grandchildren with this outrageous boxed set which includes all 41 episodes from the first four seasons of the award-winning series, along with copious special features, including audio commentary, deleted scenes, “Inside the Episode” segments, numerous featurettes, past animatic sketches, and more. For a limited time, fans who purchase the set will receive an exclusive poster from the series. Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 is priced to own at $79.99 SRP for the DVD ($89.99 in Canada) and $89.99 SRP for the Blu-ray ($99.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). Rick and Morty also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

- SHOWTIME announced today that season two of the award-winning documentary series VICE will premiere Sunday, March 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The season will consist of 15 episodes, eight of which will air weekly on Sundays leading to a midseason finale on April 25. The remaining seven episodes will air this fall. Known for delivering immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflicts, civil uprisings and more, VICE returns with a new slate of groundbreaking stories from its team of global correspondents, taking on a range of issues from police brutality in Nigeria to the continued shockwaves of President Trump’s foreign policy in Iran and Yemen. And in the U.S., VICE will continue its fearless exploration of the racial reckoning underway in the country. Watch and share a glimpse of season two here: https://youtu.be/2vmDDm5yyPA.

- 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.

- From acclaimed filmmaker Joe Carnahan comes BOSS LEVEL, an action-packed drama starring Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson and Naomi Watts. The clock is ticking, get in on the thrill Friday, March 5, only on Hulu!  Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) uncovers clues about a secret government project that could unlock the mystery behind his untimely death. In a race against the clock, Pulver must hunt down Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), the powerful head of the government program, while outrunning skilled ruthless assassins determined to keep him from the truth in order to break out of the loop, save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) and live once again for tomorrow.

- Rekindling their undeniable chemistry once again, singers, songwriters and producers Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler return today with a new single “this is how you fall in love” out now—listen HERE!  “this is how you fall in love” heralds the arrival of their forthcoming EP, brent ii, releasing February 5^th. Pre-order/pre-save HERE. Additionally, they unveiled the song’s official music video, watch HERE. “this is how you fall in love” is a smoothly harmonious song that brings Jeremy and Chelsea’s strongest vocals to the table in what they describe as “the kind of song to slow dance to at your wedding.”

- Hulu has announced Sasquatch, a three-part documentary series from Duplass Brothers Productions and Director Joshua Rofé, which investigates rumors of a bizarre twenty-five year old triple homicide said to be the work of a mythical creature, will launch exclusively as a Hulu Documentary this Spring.  Synopsis: While visiting a pot farm in Northern California in 1993, investigative journalist David Holthouse heard a story that still haunts him: On a nearby farm three men were torn limb from limb in a savage Bigfoot attack. Sasquatch follows David as he revisits the Redwoods twenty-five years later, in search of any evidence that might lead to the truth of what happened that night. As he pulls at the threads of this story, he’ll be taken down a path that’s far more terrifying than anyone would have imagined. 

 

The Twenty-Five Best Movies of 2020

 

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Knives Out

3. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

4. Ready or Not

5. Shazam!

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home

7. Hamilton

8. John Wick

9. Palm Springs

10. The Nice Guys

11. Zombieland: Double Tap

12. Alita: Battle Angel

13. Baby Driver

14. Widows

15. Parasite

16. The Grand Budapest Hotel

17. The Invisible Man

18. Lady Bird

19. Toy Story 4

20. What We Do in the Shadows

21. Wonder Woman 1984

22. Anna

23. John Wick: Chapter 2

24. Run

25. Mary Queen of Scots

The Twenty-Five Best Music Videos of 2020

 

1. Ice Cream - BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez

2. State Of The Union (STFU) - Public Enemy feat. DJ Premier

3. Boyfriend - Selena Gomez 

4. Joke's On You - Charlotte Lawrence 

5. Sad Girl Summer - Maisie Peters 

6. Fight The Power: Remix 2020 - Public Enemy feat. Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Jahi, YG, and Questlove

7. Man from the Magazine - HAIM 

8. No Save Point  - Run The Jewels 

9. 34+35 - Ariana Grande 

10. cardigan - Taylor Swift 

11. Czar - Busta Rhymes 

12. Kool - BENEE 

13. Forget - Nikki Yanofsky 

14. Don't Wanna - HAIM 

15. Bathroom Floor - Maddie & Tae 

16. My Own Soul’s Warning - The Killers 

17. positions - Ariana Grande 

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

19. Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers 

20. Supalonely - BENEE 

21. Moral of the Story - Ashe 

22. The Man - Taylor Swift 

23. The Steps - HAIM 

24. willow - Taylor Swift 

25. Feel The Way I Want - Caroline Rose 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 10, 2020

 

Your Honor:  So is next week the series finale next week because the fifties mob boss is not forking around.  Dude blew up the house of the people he thought carries out a hit on his son; he does not seem like a guy who would have problems taking out a judge.  Or is fifties mob boss actually going to take the time to figure what exactly went down before administering his own type of swift justice?

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  Oh how nice to have the show back.  I have been calling Jane Levy the Emma Stone of television since her Suburgatory days so I was really giddy when Mo called Zoey, “a sad Emma Stone Halloween costume.”  But I will say the songs were a bit lacking in the premiere.  Hello Dolly was fun and grand, but I did not even know what song that new guy was singing.  But is the love triangle now over?  Simon did sing a lust song so there is still a flame.  I really hope Zoey does not go back and forth all season.  But there really is much of an option for Simon.  Joan just left, the other two women on the show are married or recently widowed.  Maybe the new guy should have been a woman to break up the sausagefest at Sparkpoint.  But I guess there is always Ava Price two floors up.  Oh yeah, I guess there is always Mo.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I have always found Nelson boring but I am beginning to feel bad for him.  Last season he went home late, going into elimination so his body Corey did not have to.  Now he got blindsided by someone who he thought was a friend, such a close friend he went to Corey’s gender reveal party (wait, did Corey knock up yet another chick).  I really hope Fessy keeps getting thrown in until he loses.  Maybe he can go in against Josh and have them eliminate each other some how.  Oh, and that drone challenge sucked massively.

 

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)