Around the Tubes: May 22, 2021

            

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting.  This post includes blurbs on Nine Perfect Strangers, Only Murders in the Building, Hip Hop 50, The End, McCartney 3,2,1., Lord Huron, Almost Famous, Glass Animals, BET Presents The Encore, The Warning, Carpenters, The D’Amelio Show, Immigrant.

- This week, as part of the Disney/Hulu Upfront, Hulu announced premiere dates for upcoming original tentpole series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Only Murders in the Building.” Both Hulu Original series will debut this August.

- SHOWTIME today announced HIP HOP 50, a multiyear, cross-platform programming initiative celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Hip Hop in collaboration with entertainment company Mass Appeal. HIP HOP 50 will encompass unscripted series and features, podcasts and digital shorts by and about some of the foremost names in the genre, driven by Mass Appeal partner Nasir “Nas” Jones and Mass Appeal Chief Creative Officer and partner Sacha Jenkins, writer, director and producer of the Emmy^® and Peabody-nominated SHOWTIME series WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN. HIP HOP 50 programming will begin airing later this year on SHOWTIME, running over the next three years and culminating with the 50^th anniversary of the genre in 2023.

- SHOWTIME announced today that the new half-hour dark comedy series THE END, starring Emmy^® nominee Harriet Walter (Succession, The Crown, Killing Eve) and Frances O’Connor (The Missing, Mansfield Park), will premiere with two episodes airing back-to-back beginning Sunday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Produced by See-Saw Films, the 10-part series is a co-production between Sky UK and Foxtel Australia, and was created and written by Samantha Strauss and directed by Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough.

- Hulu announced the Original documentary series “McCartney 3,2,1.”  The six-episode music series event features intimate and revealing examinations of musical history from two living legends, Paul McCartney and super producer Rick Rubin, and hails from Endeavor Content. The series is executive produced by McCartney, Rubin, Scott Rodger, Peter Berg, Matthew Goldberg, Brandon Carroll, Jeff Pollack, Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern with Leila Mattimore serving as co-executive producer. All six episodes of “McCartney 3,2,1” premiere Friday, July 16, on Hulu.  

- Whispering Pines Studios is finally open for all y’all to visit from far and wide…  Lord Huron proudly present their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, LONG LOST, out now via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records. Get Long Lost HERE.  With the record loose upon the world, the boys hit the television circuit. Tonight, they are set to deliver an unforgettable performance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing “I Lied” with Allison Ponthier and tomorrow morning, they take the stage at CBS This Morning: Saturday for a performance not to be missed.

- "Look under your bed—it'll set you free."  With those enticingly enigmatic words, an empathetic, hip older sister bequeaths to her hyper-smart but nerdy 11-year-old brother her Rosetta Stone to life in the late-'60s: a prized trove of expertly curated rock, pop, and folk albums that set into chaotic motion young William Miller's eye- ear- and mind-opening journey in director Cameron Crowe's quasi-autobiographical 2000 ode to rock 'n' roll fandom, Almost Famous.  Two decades later, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe Award-winning film remains one of the sweetest love letters to the genre, one that deftly captured the look, the sound, the feel, the attitude of what rock 'n' roll meant to its creators, its most fervent adherents, its hangers-on and its worried parents during a golden era of pop music. The movie's legacy is celebrated with the first-ever release of all the music that so powerfully fueled Crowe's story, based on his own power chord-driven odyssey from wide-eyed music-loving kid to respected rock journalist to celebrated filmmaker.

- Glass Animals share a collaboration with fast-rising UK popstar Bree Runway on their huge track “Space Ghost Coast To Coast,” taken from their acclaimed third album Dreamland released last year—listen HERE.  Hot on the heels of their endearingly trippy video for “Space Ghost Coast To Coast” released last week—watch HERE—Glass Animals have also been experiencing a huge global rise in support on their single “Heat Waves,” with the original track now surpassing 530 million streams, and the band recently released a version of “Heat Waves” featuring iann dior—listen HERE.

- BET brings together nine of the most memorable solo artists and girl groups from the 1990s and 2000s to form the ultimate R&B supergroup in the new original series, “BET Presents The Encore.” Shamari DeVoe, Irish Grinstead, LeMisha Grinstead, Nivea Nash, Felisha King, Fallon King, Pamela Long, Aubrey O’ Day, and Kiely Williams have signed on to the one-of-a-kind music experiment to become the next big musical sensation. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, these talented singers turned wives, moms, and entrepreneurs, will move in together, write new music, learn choreography, record an album, and put on a live performance. The catch? The songstresses must achieve this in only 30 days, with none of them knowing who their bandmates will be ahead of time. Faced with fun twists and unforeseen constraints, the ladies will need to stretch beyond their musical and personal comfort zones to succeed as a team. An esteemed roster of music industry experts will drop in each week to prepare them for their big debut and deliver a chart-topping record, including music producer Kosine, choreographer Aliya Janell, songwriter Elijah Blake, and vocal coach Cynnamyn.  Will their artistic differences or egos get in the way of forming a group? Or will these powerhouse women show the world that they still have what it takes to make a major comeback? Only time, and the music, will tell.  “BET Presents The Encore” premieres Wednesday, June 9 at 10 PM ET/PT on BET and BET Her. 

- After amassing 65 million-plus views and over 10 million streams independently, the Monterrey Mexico hard rock trio of sisters The Warning unleash a new single entitled “CHOKE” today via LAVA/Republic Records.  Listen to “CHOKE”—HERE and watch the official music video for the track HERE.  On the single “CHOKE” and working with legendary rock producer David Bendeth (Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin) the band said: “CHOKE is a song about drowning in your feelings and coming to terms with them. Recording it with David Bendeth (while in quarantine!) was an incredible experience and he really worked with us to bring the song to life.”

- The definitive biography of one of the most enduring and endeared recording artists in history—the Carpenters—will be told for the first time from the perspective of Richard Carpenter, through more than 100 hours of exclusive interviews and some 200 photographs from Richard’s personal archive, many never published. CARPENTERS: THE MUSICAL LEGACY is coming to bookstores on October 19th. Pre-order your copy of CARPENTERS: THE MUSICAL LEGACY today, HERE:

- Get ready to get social with “The D’Amelio Show” in our first look teaser!  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, running a budding empire, 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. 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 trying to adjust to life in Hollywood. 

- Hulu has picked up “Immigrant” straight-to-series. The 8-episode, limited series hails from “Pam & Tommy” creator Robert Siegel and star/executive producer Kumail Nanjiani.  “Immigrant” is the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (played by Nanjiani), the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. The series will detail the insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.  The series is written by Robert Siegel and executive produced by Siegel, Nanjiani, Dylan Sellers and Emily V. Gordon as well as Rajiv Joseph and Mehar Sethi who will also write on the series. 

Previewing The Chi: Season Four

 

There was a shocking end to the third season of The Chi.  After rescuing Keisha from her abductor, Ronnie was rewarded with a bullet to his head, a delayed payback from murdering Coogie back in the first season.  That original season was about how the lives of four black men at different stages of their development on the south side of Chicago intersected.  Now half of them are dead.

 

Now there are just Emmett and Kevin left on the show.  But their lives have intertwines with plenty of other Chicagoans in the ensuing seasons to pick up the slack of those that were lost.  Kevin, along with his two best friends Jake and Papa, have grown from boys to almost men.  Jake has two surrogate fathers in his life now, his real life brother who showed up after his other brother died and Douda, a gangsta turned politician, granted what is really the difference?  Emmett finally married his baby momma, except before that happened, he hooked up with his business partner who is now dating his father.  That is some Jerry Springer shirt right there.

 

The third season starts off with a montage set to one of the greatest song ever put on wax.  Well, it is part montage, part promo because all of it turns out to be scenes of what is to come this season as the montage culminates with something very huge happening followed by a “One Month Earlier” title card.  Unfortunately what follows is a very clunky Black Lives Matter plot and a lot of heavy hand scenes that seems like they were added because the writers felt obligated to include it since it was such a big story in the lives of black people in between seasons.  Personally, I would much rather spend time watching Papa record his new podcast.

 

The Chi airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.

Previewing Black Monday: Season Three

 

Black Monday was one of the first casualties of the Coronapocalypse.  But the show was lucky that they had finished filming the season before shutdown and were able to finish editing the season and get the rest of it out by the summer.  Billions, which was airing at the same time still has not finished that season yet.  By the time Black Monday season two ended, big changes had occurred.  Dawn confessed to Black Monday.  Blair announced he was running for the seat his gay lover, who hung himself, used to have.  And we were down one Leighman brother.

 

Season three starts off with Dawn in prison, hustling while reading Shawshank Redemption (natch).  Mo has taken to producing jazz music in the old Jammer Group office after leaving Wall Street (or kicked off depending on who you ask).  Blair is a freshman congressman with an unfortunate historic office.  And there is a surprising Leighman brother replacement. 

 

The episode titles in the first season referred to the number of day until Black Monday.  They dropped that for the second season, but numbers are back for season three: the season premiere is entitled “Ten!”  Next week is “Nine!”  What are they counting down to?  It is not explicitly said, but one character does talk about heading to the nineties while the second episode features some nineties references like lyrics to a 1992 Ice Cube song.  So I guess we can assume that is it until proven otherwise.  Personally I look forward to the fourth season with Mo sporting a Kid n Play style flattop.

 

Black Monday airs Sundays at 10:00 on Showtime.

Previewing Flatbush Misdemeanors

Showtime is getting into experimental comedy game.  After the very broad comedy of Black Comedy comes Flatbush Misdemeanors.  Based on a short film of the same name that had a budget of zero dollars, the television show is also created, written, and stars Kevin Iso (High Fidelity) and Dan Perlman (That’s My Bus!).  Dan plays Dan, a teacher while Kevin plays Kevin, a painter who has to deliver food to make money because you have to be either dead or famous to make money and crashes in Dan’s apartment after moving back to Brooklyn.

 

It is an experimental comedy because it is one where the writers do not feel obligated to put in at least one joke a minute for better worse like more traditional comedies.  So the show is reminiscent in that way.  The show follows a four act structure; well the first episode does get a fifth act that is designated solely by the surprise emoji. 

 

The two leads mostly play it straight while they surround themselves with a few more outlandish characters (well, I did laugh when it was revealed that Kevin plays chess by himself).  The funniest is Dan’s new step-dad Kareem (played by Kareem Green) who keeps trying to get Dan to call him dad.  Then there is the local petty criminal Drew (played by, you guessed it, Hassan Johnson) that keeps entertaining himself in Kevin and/or Dan’s business.

 

Flatbush Misdemeanors will probably be enjoys by those who prefer their comedy more experimental like Hulu's Ramy, but those who want their comedies to have jokes that come fast and furious may want to stick with Black Monday.

 

Flatbush Misdemeanors airs Sundays at 10:30 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 15, 2021

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  When the promo looked like is was going to be a flashback I thought, well, I guess there will not be many, if any, songs this week.  But they cleverly worked in plenty of music despite Zoey not having powers (I thought maybe the flashback would reveal Mitch had that power too).  The best had to be the weird battle between Max and the man-bunned Leif.  And how could have guess Tobin worked there before anyone else?  But that seemed very unprofessional for the therapist to say the story was a love story about her and a dude that is not her current boyfriend that happens to also be in a different relationship.

 

The Nevers:  I was wondering why the cop was talking to the press like it was someone we should know.  Except there was no reason for him to know her.  Or was she supposed to look like someone on the show previously?  Was the person who died the press lady and the crazy lazy convinced her to switch places with her?  If so, how?

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Happy Mother’s Day everyone.  Geez.  But a pretty stupid episode.  I could not understand why none of the evil doers brought guns while looking for Morgan, or why Morgan was able to murder everyone except the one guy I remembered from last episode even though he was able to stab through the chest.  Seriously, why let him walk away?  But then the guy returns with a gun?  Why not bring it with you in the first place?  Why leave it in the car?

 

Good Girls:  I am no legal scholar, but how can a councilman be able to go over federal agents to convince the district attorney to not press charges?  And why is this case going to a district attorney?  If it is a federal crime, shouldn’t a US attorney be presiding over the case?

 

Mare of Easttown:  That dude who kidnapped that girl looked pretty big, kind of like Mare’s ex-husband.  But it is weird that they just low-key mentioned that the first kidnapping victim had a kid, but the grandma cancer patient had to get a babysitter to pay the ransoms.  Just when you thought her life could not get worse, she turns out to be a single grandmother with cancer and a missing daughter.  But who is looking over that kid when she is at work?  Who is the baby daddy?  Is that who usually takes that kid?

 

City on a Hill:  Well that was a stupid plan.  Why not surprise him in a building with limited exits instead of a wide open street where there could be potential bystanders?  So now that he is dead, do we go back to Decourcy and Frankie feuding?  Granted Decourcy will have to repay a favor first.

 

Cruel Summer: So Kate thought she saw Kate at the dunk tank and thought it was Jamie, someone of a completely different height, weight, and gender?  Well that certainly helps Jeanette’s case of mistaken identity.  But I am waiting for things to pick up, after three strong episodes to start; the next two have sort of dragged.  They need more scenes of Kate confronting Jeanette, but it was Kate that ducked away from Jeanette this episode.  And those stupid trigger warning are starting to get very spoilery.  These millennial need to grow the fork up.

 

Supergirl:  I did not think things could be worse than Brainiac 5 and Dreamer going back in time episodes, but this stupid everyone manifests their fears may have actually been worse.  Okay, I did laugh at Brainiac 5 being afraid of balloons.

 

Big Sky:  I always that that wig was so bad; no way that it is fooling anyone.  It turns out it did not, the girlfriend did know he was a sex trafficker.  And did not care?  Okay, I could see a murderer being attracted to another murderer, but shouldn’t sex trafficking cross the perverable line, even for murderers? But it looks like the wrapped up the other plotline with all the male heirs dead.  Congratulations to the daughter?  But I am not sure if the family farm is going to be worth much anymore.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  So Janine survives the train only to be buried by rubble two episodes later?  But I guess we did not see the body so I guess she may have survived.  But what was Moira doing in Chicago?  And doesn’t mass bombing a city minute before a ceasefire defeat the purpose of a ceasefire?  Would people who would give aid to Gilead really think, well, that did get that mass murdering in before the deadline, so that is okay?

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  Last week I mentioned how few people in the final who actually won an elimination and it ended up being fewer than I expected since two people that went home had won previous eliminations.  So that is just four of the twelve finalists saw the Arena.  Yeah, it is definitely time to institute the rule that you have to win an elimination to run TJ’s final.  Poor Kendal, wins three of the seven dailies, and goes into three of five possible eliminations.  Thank you Yes for calling out Nehemiah for claiming everyone needs to warn their stripes and they pick the only female that already went in multiple times.

 

Manifest:  It is sad that the white single teenage female is the most interesting part of this show. But why is Olive hooking up with the la tech and mad that the other chick is doing the same?  Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?  And where has that dude been?

 

The Blacklist:  So evil dude asked the Russian spy if he or Reddington was M13 and he whispers something to him that makes evil dud go after Lizzy.  Wait, is Lizzy M13?  What could he have possibly said to make him react like that?

Around the Tubes: May 15, 2021

           

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting.  This post includes blurbs on Olivia Rodrigo, Panic, Lavelle Crawford: The Comedy Vaccine, Temptations, Joy Oladokun, Haerts, Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande, Ida Maria, Glass Animals, Armchair Expert, The Great, Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible, and Los Angeles Lakers..

- Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, today announced that 2021’s break-through artist Olivia Rodrigo has been named their first LIFT artist of 2021, and has released a live performance of “deja vu,” shot on film.  WATCH "DEJA VU (LIVE PERFORMANCE) | VEVO LIFT"  Vevo’s LIFT program connects today’s up-and-coming and most relevant artists to audiences around the world through music video content. Launched in 2011, Vevo's artist development program shines a spotlight on the world's freshest new talent. Vevo LIFT alumni include the likes of Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Halsey, Khalid, Jorja Smith, YUNGBLUD, and more. 

- The official trailer and first-look episodic images for season one of Panic are available now. The ten-episode Amazon Original series will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, May 28, 2021 in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

- Lavell Crawford returns for his third SHOWTIME comedy special LAVELL CRAWFORD: THE COMEDY VACCINE, premiering Friday, May 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. In the hour-long special filmed at the Tempe Improv in Arizona, Crawford reflects back on a tumultuous year of living through a global pandemic with an added punchline. From the panic of looking for toilet paper to attending virtual church services and wearing masks, Crawford brings levity to the many shared lifestyle changes we’ve experienced during a life in lockdown while also touching on his own quarantine frustrations with whimsical banter.  To watch and share the trailer from LAVELL CRAWFORD: THE COMEDY VACCINE, go to: https://youtu.be/O5nNnUZGgsw.

-  Motown/UMe is pleased to announce the kickoff of the 60^th Anniversary celebration of the legendary, Grammy Award-Winning Temptations. The Temptations are one of the most revered and prolific musical institutions of all time. Motown luminaries, The Temptations, are today, one of the most iconic, bestselling brands in the entertainment world. With Otis Williams, the founding and sole surviving member of The Temptations, their popularity is ever-increasing and their track record of continuing to sell decades worth of history-making music is breathtaking.

- Emerging singer, songwriter and musician Joy Oladokun joined forces with Grammy Award-winning artist Maren Morris for her new song, “Bigger Man,” out today. Listen/share HERE. Written by Oladokun, Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, the track is the latest unveiled from Oladokun’s highly-anticipated forthcoming major label debut album, set for release on Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records.

- Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert, the German-born, New York-based duo HAERTS are sharing their latest chapter “Days Go By” HERE from their upcoming third album Dream Nation which comes out next week, May 21st via AntiFragile Records. The single comes with a filmed live version which was shot at Valentine Recording Studios in North Hollywood HERE.

- Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan returns with his new single entitled “Part of Me” out now via Republic Records—listen HERE.  The introspective anthem reflects a natural progression for the artist. Noah’s signature storytelling and evocative lyrics shine over upbeat guitar and production by his frequent collaborator and Grammy Award-winning producer Joel Little (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Shawn Mendes, Jonas Brothers, Khalid). The momentum of the verses crashes right into the all-too-relatable hook as he confesses, “I don’t miss you. I miss the way you made me feel.”

- Ariana Grande just made history again. The GRAMMY® Award-winning and record-breaking multiplatinum superstar has emerged as The First Artist To Simultaneously Land Three Songs in the Top 10 of the Billboard Pop Airplay Chart and The First Artist To Simultaneously Land Three Songs in the Top 10 of the Mediabase Top 40.  These entries include blockbuster singles “positions,” “34+35,” and “pov”—available on her 2020 album, Positions. Additionally, for a second consecutive week, Grande and The Weeknd currently hold the #1 Billboard Hot 100 spot with “Save Your Tears”.

- The opening to "Dirty Money" will immediately grab listeners and confirm that this indisputable viking punk Queen Ida Maria has retained the same rebellious attitude that got her in the game, while referencing the lifestyle of an industry's enabling that took her out of the game for a brief time.  Featuring a punk blast of garage guitar, 'Dirty Money' carries the high-energy punk-pop Ida's been widely acclaimed for with cheeky lyrics that are sugar-coated with a highly addictive chorus, addressing much more serious topics that are frustrating to her. Ida's personal experiences with greed and corruption are detailed with a racket of petulant screams, among them "Pay me all your Dirty oney/I'm your favorite monkey/watch me go!!!"

- Glass Animals today release the endearingly trippy video for their single “Space Ghost Coast To Coast,” taken from their acclaimed third album Dreamland released last year—watch HERE. The UK band has experienced a huge global rise in support for their single “Heat Waves,” with the original now surpassing 500 million streams and climbing up the Top 40 Radio Chart, and the band recently released a version of “Heat Waves” featuring iann dior—listen HERE.

- Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) announced today a multiyear exclusive license agreement with one of the world’s most listened-to and shared podcasts, the award-winning Armchair Expert podcast, co-hosted by actor, filmmaker and comedian Dax Shepard and Emmy-nominated producer and personality Monica Padman. In addition to bringing the widely-popular podcast to the Spotify platform exclusively, the deal also covers a first look with Armchair Umbrella Network. All existing and new episodes of Armchair Expert, which is produced by Rob Holysz, Padman and Shepard, will remain free and available exclusively on Spotify starting July 1st.

- Hulu announced that Gillian Anderson will be joining the cast of the second season of Emmy, SAG, Golden Globe and WGA-nominated series “The Great.”  Gillian Anderson (“The Crown,” “Sex Education,” “The Fall” and “The X-Files”) will join the cast of Hulu’s critically-acclaimed Original comedy series “The Great” in a two-episode appearance as Catherine’s (Elle Fanning) mother, Joanna.  Joanna is a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the “maestro of marriage” for her abilities to arrange high profile partnerships for her daughters. She has heard rumors of her daughter’s coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine’s eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Johanna has more sinister intentions to save her family’s reputation. 

- SHOWTIME Sports has announced the title and premiere date of the upcoming documentary KEVIN GARNETT: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, chronicling the career of one of the NBA’s all-time greats. The film will premiere on Friday, July 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and will include scenes from Garnett’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut this Saturday. To watch and share a teaser of the upcoming documentary, go to https://youtu.be/RErHyWLzTN8.

- Hulu announced that a new expansive, nine-part Original docuseries chronicling the history of the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise will join the Hulu Originals lineup. The project comes to Hulu from Lakers’ CEO and controlling owner Jeanie Buss, Emmy^® Award-winning director Antoine Fuqua, in association with Fuqua Films, as well as Haven Entertainment and Los Angeles Media Fund.  The series details the past four decades of the Lakers, and contains colorful and emotional new interviews from over 35 people within the organization, including the Buss family, legendary coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, and NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and team captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among numerous other current and former players. Also featured are interviews with a range of high-profile fans and a treasure trove of archival footage featuring never-before-seen interviews with the Lakers late owner, Jerry Buss.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 9, 2021

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  People kept giving grief to Zoey about her costume, but were we supposed to know who Rose was supposed to be?  She just looked like someone practically dressing for a race in colder weather.  The internet claims she was Victoria Beckham that almost makes sense if Max was David Beckham but I do not really equate Posh Spice with a black puffy coat with a hoodie.  I guess I only think of her in little black dresses.  Sure that would be the best attire for a seven mile run, but I am not sure a little black dress would rank in the bottom ten worst things to run a race that we saw.

 

But to be honest, I would not have much of a problem with Max going to New York even permanently.   I am just ready for the love quadrangle to end anyway possible.  I was hoping Rose would end things, but Max and Zoey are still going at it with lingering resentment from their relationship ending.  Which is a shame, because I have really enjoyed Rose in the little we have seen her.  But hey, at least Tobin is getting some and Leif is not being weird about it.  Well, other than that weird jumping up and down, arms clenched in plain view of the office.

 

The Nevers:  So no Touched that can bring someone back from the dead.  Though I think the crazy lady admitting to hanging out in the dead girl’s casket.  But that twist at the end would have landed much better had I known who that chick was.  They have done a pretty bad job making us care for most of them and in some cases given a reason to even remember them. 

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Did I miss something?  Last week I vaguely remember someone talk about catching up to Alicia as they look for the people who were tagging everything.  Then all of the sudden this episode starts with Alicia and her group already in the taggers headquarters.  Then the dude I barely remember is seeing his brother he thought was dead and then killing him.  And why is Alicia still there?  Why couldn’t she light the match and join the rest of them?  Whoever edited this episode needs to be fired.

 

Good Girls:  Ugg, Rio knows.  Of course he knows.  He has to figure out everything just to keep him on the show.  Except the show would be much better if they just brought in a new big bad every season.  Haven’t the writers ever see Buffy or Justified?  Well, I guess the secret service agents are not long for this world.

 

Mare of Easttown:  Yeah, the priest did it.  Not the priest they were questioning, but Mare’s cousin.  The other priest is just covering for him by dumping the bike.  Sure, this hurts my theory that the most famous person always does it and it is super weird that they cast Guy Pierce just to be a red herring booty call.  Also weird: Mare all the sudden being a dirty cop.  Bad look at the captain to look the other way.  How is the baby mamma just going to let that slide?  Doesn’t Mare have to at the very least give up custody to keep her quiet?

 

City on a Hill:  Ooo, Deep Cover: great song.  I was wondering if they were trying to signal he was undercover or even possibly a snitch.  But since he got shot by the end of the episode, it looks like they were just playing a great song.  But after how many people that kid had killed now, it would be hard for them not to pin Siobhan’s shooting on him no many how alibis his mother give him.  Yet I have a feeling he will go free or at the very least avoid the law so Decoursey will need Jackie to enact his vengeance.

 

Debris:  Yeah, this definitely did not need to be two episodes.  I was fun for an episode but it really dragged on during the second one.  Not to mention it was extremely obvious once they started communicating threw time and space the answer to solve everything was obviously both twins needed to jump at the same time.

 

Cruel Summer:  We finally got the scene I was assuming that would happen for a while: Kate and Mallory becoming friends united in their hatred of Jeanette.  Now we have to wait and see if my early prediction that Malory gave Kate the necklace is correct.  It was weird that the show ended with the rape crisis number even though there was no rape in the episode.  I guess we are supposed to assume that is why the dude would kidnap a teenage girl, but I am not sure the vice principal has it in him to do that.  Kate seems to kind of dominate him, scratching and he is the one that always scurries away.  Though, if not for sex, why exactly kidnap her? 

 

But I do have one more prediction: the gunshot he heard in the first episode was Kate shooting the VP.  The whole shootout they talked about on the news was overblown or possibly a cover-up.  She even killed him with the gun the dude’s dad used on himself (though I am not convinced he committed suicide, I think the VP may have staged it; though that hurts my theory that dude does not have it in him to do stuff like that; but hey, what is a mystery show without spitballing some silly theories).

 

Supergirl:  Speaking of episodes that did not need a second one. This show needs less Brainiac 5 and Dreamer, more.  Though by the end of the second episode, I realized I liked young Kara and Alex than their grown up versions.  Especially Alex.

 

Big Sky:  Does the sister want to die?  If both of your brothers are stone cold murderers, maybe you should tempt the murderers with the knowledge that you know.  Speaking of dumb people, why was Ronald taking his girlfriend and his daughter with him to bury her dead sister?  The guy is supposedly a mastermind that has been able to evade the police this long, but he is going to be caught by a ten year old?

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  I do not think I have witnessed a dumber escape plan ever than locking yourself in a milk car.  Pretty lucky that someone ambushed the train and that the car was able to be opened from the inside.  But Fred is really the father?  Way to establish he was shooting blanks back in the first season.  I fear this is just going to be the stupid plot devises to get the Waterford’s back to Gilead.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  I laughed when Kendal was trying to argue that it was better to have her puzzle upside down than to fix it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized she had a point.  If all the pieces were in the right order, why should it matter if it were upside down?  Unless there were rules they did not tell us, there was no right way to do the puzzle as long as they are all fitting together.  But big twist coming next week, that is it and then the finals start after that.  Unfortunately thanks to the last promo, we know two of the contestants that will be in the Arena.

 

With two less people that will get eliminated last week, that means twelve people in the finale.  Geeze. Maybe they should have been doing double eliminations this whole time.  Nine of the remaining fourteen contestants have not even been in the Arena.  So at the very least, seven of the twelve finalist will have made it to TJ’s Final without winning an elimination.  Or maybe they should have institute the Gold Skulls they have been doing recently on the main show.  Granted that would just be Kendal, Nehemiah, Alton, Anessa, and Mark right now.  Add the two winners from next week then subtract one since we know at least one of those people is going in again this week and a six person final seems more reasonable.

 

Manifest:  So Noah’s Ark time traveled like 828?  Alrighty.  Way to steer into the absurdity.  Yet not as absurd as Jared dating the Major’s daughter (they are definitely learning what happened to her mom by the end of the season), that the new girl looks like she is going to Single White Female Olive, or that anyone thinks they are going to get all the 828’ers in the same lifeboat.  It may be prudent just to kill everyone off who are not following the callings.  Though the callings may frown on that.

 

The Blacklist:  Why was Lizzy acting like that in the car?  Why she trying to overact like Red?  Is she turning into the person she hates the most?  Is that what this season is about?

Around the Tubes: May 8, 2021

          

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting:

- Pearl Jam has once again made history, releasing a digital collection of music from a staggering 186 live shows that includes 5,404 individual tracks. Spanning two decades of shows, this gargantuan drop consists of the most sought-after bootlegs from fan favorite tours during 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2013. The release is sure to appeal to the band’s diehard fan base while also giving access to a new generation of Pearl Jam fans in the streaming era.  Check out the release HERE.  Continuing to engage those diehard fans worldwide while also appealing to fans who may not be familiar with the band’s tenured live history, Pearl Jam also launched the immersive live web hub, Deep, on Deep.PearlJam.com. By accessing this hub, fans may search their favorite shows by category and listen to fan-curated playlists, including “Best of” Tours, “Covers”, a politically charged playlist “Know Your Rights” & many more. Deep will enable easier discoverability across the catalog and allow newer audiences to experience the best of the band suited directly to their personal preferences. Each live bootleg on Deep has the added bonus of show descriptions written by Ten Club superfans adding a personal fan story to each and every record. 

- Buckle up! Check out the new red band trailer for Hulu’s Original Film PLAN B. Directed by Natalie Morales in her directorial debut, follow Sunny and Lupe on their hilarious quest. The Hulu Original film premieres on May 28 on Hulu.  After a regrettable first sexual encounter, a straight-laced high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her slacker best friend (Victoria Moroles) have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America's heartland.

- Multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and author Jann Arden announces her livestream event, Jann Arden On Stage, set for May 20 at 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT.  Widely known for her numerous hit songs and many laughs, Jann Arden will perform some of her biggest hits and share first-time performances of her interpretation of Paul McCartney’s “Lavatory Lil” and a cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.” Tickets for Jann Arden On Stage are on sale now at JannArden.com with additional options that will give fans access to an exclusive VIP meet & greet, limited edition commemorative merch, and more.

- GRAMMY® Award-winning, multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, Anthony Hamilton returns with a new single and music video entitled “You Made A Fool of Me.” Get it HERE via his own label My Music Box in partnership with BMG.  The song came to life during a recent studio session between Hamilton and legendary GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and the second hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Jermaine Dupri [Mariah Carey, JAY-Z, Aretha Franklin], and is co-produced by longtime Dupri collaborator, Manuel Seal. Together, the song’s writers Hamilton, Dupri, and Seal, along with Ramon Montgomery, nodded back to Hamilton’s biggest tune and rekindled “the emotions people felt from ‘Charlene’.” 

- Platinum selling, chart topping, pop singer and songwriter Conan Gray returns new track “Astronomy” today. Stream the track HERE, watch the lyric video for the track HERE, and later today watch the official music video HERE at 12 noon EST.

- The official music video for emerging singer, songwriter and musician Joy Oladokun’s new song, “sorry isn’t good enough,” is debuting today.  Watch/share HERE.  Her first release since signing a joint partnership with Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records, “sorry isn’t good enough” is from Oladokun’s highly-anticipated forthcoming major label debut album. Of the track, Billboard praises, “Singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun is ready for a new era of her career. On ‘Sorry Isn't Good Enough,’ the rising talent trades in her soft, acoustic musings of the past for some excellent pop production—complete with slamming drums, keyboard riffs and an enchanting melody, the track treads new ground in Oladokun’s career. But one thing certainly remains, and that’s the star’s songwriting; taking a half-hearted apology and using it as fuel to her fire.”  

- A new era of hope, survival, and prosperity comes calling with the release of CRASH OF THE CROWN, STYX’s new studio album, which was written pre-pandemic and recorded during the trying times of the pandemic.  The legendary rockers--James “JY” Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals)--will release their 17^th album June 18 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which will be sold as clear vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and on digital platforms. Fans can pre-order it here and at Styxworld.com starting Thursday, May 6.

- American Documentary is proud to announce the national broadcast premiere of PBS alumnus Loira Limbal’s (Estilo Hip Hop) second feature documentary, Through the Night, premiering THIS MONDAY, May 10, 2021 on PBS at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) and at pov.org as part of the program's 33rd season. The film will also be available to stream for free at pov.org until June 10, 2021.  An official selection at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival as well as at DOC NYC and AFI DOCS, Through the Night is an intimate cinema verité portrait of three working mothers whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center in New Rochelle, New York: a mother working the overnight shift as an essential worker at a pediatric hospital; another holding down three jobs in order to support her family, and a woman who, for over two decades, has cared for the children whose parents have nowhere else to turn.

- POV returns to PBS in July with its 34th season, a slate of films that reaffirm public media’s vital role as a platform for the people and in sparking national dialogue. America’s longest-running documentary series’ newest season follows artists, activists, elders, comedians, frontline workers and politicians across the globe as they navigate their personal stories and the larger histories under which they take shape.  The season kicks off with writer and comedian CJ Hunt’s directorial debut, The Neutral Ground, on July 5. All films are accompanied by educational resources and will be available to stream on all PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App. Premieres continue through fall 2021, with primetime specials in early 2022. 

- All-time boxing great and 2020 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Floyd “Money” Mayweather will make his return to the ring as the undefeated, 12-time, five-division world champion squares off in an exhibition bout against social media sensation and pro boxer Logan “The Maverick” Paul, headlining a blockbuster SHOWTIME PPV event on Sunday, June 6. The anticipated clash pits superstars from two different worlds in a must-see showdown for sports and entertainment fans around the globe.  The event is presented by Mayweather Promotions, Fanmio and Mavathltcs and will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The pay-per-view event also will feature a pair of intriguing professional boxing showdowns, as WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal and two-division world champion Badou Jack meet in a 12-round rematch in the co-main event. Plus, former unified super welterweight champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd returns to the ring to face Luis Arias in a 10-round bout.