57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/8/11

Quote of the Week: She kinda looked like Alanis Morrissette when she was better looking. That’s why she stood out. (Cabbie, The Killing)

Song of the Week: I'm Not In Love – 10cc (as sung by Zach Morris, Franklin and Bash)

Big News of the Week: Start of the Summer Television: The spring television season just ended but summer is almost already in full swing. Here is the shows that will keep me inside when the sun is shining and when they premiere.

Sundays
9:00 – Leverage (6/26 on TNT)
10:00 – Falling Skies (6/19 on TNT; premieres at 9:00 before moving to 10 the next week)

Tuesdays
8:00 - Pretty Little Liars (6/14 on ABC Family)
9:00 – The Nine Lives of Chloe King (6/14 on ABC Family)
10:00 - Covert Affairs (6/7 on USA)

Wednesdays
10:00 – Rescue Me (10:00 on FX)

Thursdays
10:00 – Wilfred (6/23 on FX)
10:30 – Louis (6/23 on FX)


The Killing: It seemed like the assistant guy had a complete personality adjustment in between episodes. It was as if the writers went up to the actor before the episode and say, “oh yeah, we are going to make you a suspect now so we want you to act emotionally stunted so it fits with the story we now want to tell.” Would it been to hard to tell the actor to act a little creepy from the beginning? You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Holy Matt Saresen sighting! I did not see that coming, at least she did not make a u-turn to Tennessee. But I am beginning to fear for Coach Taylor because he has lost his cool multiple times over the past two episodes. He should not even threaten to bench Vince he should have done it after the stunt he pulled at the end of the game with the Panthers and the Oklahoma Tech visit should have put it over the edge. Hopefully Coach can get QB1 under control and quick. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.




Free Download of the Week: Tripping Billies (Live At Wrigley Field) - Dave Matthews Band (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 Each: It is not the 1000 plus albums that Amazon had on sale last month, but during the month of June you can get the new album from Death Cab for Cutie, Kanye West, Alicia Keys and the Shaft Soundtrack, which I hear is a bad mother… maybe I should just shut my mouth and let you listen for yourself.



New Album Release of the Week: The Book of Mormon - The Original Broadway Cast

New DVD Release of the Week: Just Go With It

Video of the Week: I hope you have a half an hour of free time today because there is a new Gathering of The Juggalos infomercial for 2011 has just dropped (of course they waited the week after Saturday Night Live wrapped up their season to release it). This should go without saying, but this video is not safe for work, children, pregnant woman, the elderly, Ass Dan or just about anyone.

2011 Gathering of the Juggalos Infomercial


Next Week Pick of the Week: Covert Affairs, Tuesday at 10:00 on USA: The first season was decent summer fluff (or so I think, I do not remember much of what happened during the first season) so hopefully the second season is as enjoyable (and maybe more memorable).

Around the Tubes - 6/3/11

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 Game of Thrones, Rescue Me, The Voice, Ice Road Truckers, HBO Summer Series, Mancations, concert apps, City and Colour, British television DVD's, The Good Wife, and Mitt Romney.

The eight episode of Game of Thrones airs this Sunday and here is a description of The Pointy End: "The Lannisters press their advantage over the Starks; Robb (Richard Madden) rallies his father’s northern allies and heads south to war." If that is not enough for you, here is a clip from the episode:



- Update your calendars, the seventh and final season of Rescue Me will now premiere on Wednesday, July 13 at 10:00 and will run Wednesday nights.

- In other programming news, in addition to the start of the live episodes of The Voice next Tuesday at 9:00, there will be a bonus episode Wednesday June, 22 starting at 8:00. NBC has also scheduled the season finale for Wednesday June 29.

- The new season of Ice Road Truckers returns this Sunday at 9:00 on History and to celebrate the premiere, there will be a special online chat with trucker Alex Debogorski immediately after the episode airs at 11:00. Head over to Facebook to RSVP.

- Ever Monday this summer starting June 6 HBO will be airing a new documentary at 9:00 for an eleven week run ranging from Bobby Fisher (which is the first documentary) to an undercover sex crime unit in Manhattan. Check out a promo below:



- Just a reminder that this Sunday is the premiere of Mancations on the Travel Channel.

- The summer season has just begun so that means it is time to go out to your local concert hall to see a show. And Appitalism.com making it easier including top apps like Concert Finder (free for Android) where you can find specific artists or browse what concerts are going on in a particular city or Concert Rat (free for iPhone) which lets you live blog text and photos from your music event.

- Fans of City and Colour should head over to Grooveshack where they can stream the band’ s new album Little Hell before it is released June 7. Look out for the band this summer at Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits.

- Acorn Media has a new batch of British television show set to hit American shelves this month including New Tricks Season 4, Robin of Sherwood, Set 1, Agatha Christie’s Marple: The Pale Horse, Wired, Under the Hammer, Weapons Races, George Gently Series 3, and The Far Pavilions.

- Is The Good Wife’s Alan Cumming the first post-Jewish Jewish politician on television? In Tablet magazine, Rachel Shteir examines the subject.

- In this week’s random political press release of the week, the Tea Party has launched a Stop Romney campaign because, “On issues like gun rights, gay rights, abortion, immigration, and health care, Romney has flipped more than John Kerry flopped.” This message has been brought to you by the good people of WesternPAC.org. But my favorite part of the press release is how they patted themselves on the back for supporting candidates that had “impressive primary victories” all of which lost in the general election. So enjoy another four years of Obama because you would rather nominate nutjobs like Michelle Bachman then someone who could actually beat Obama.

If You Feel Just like a Tourist in the City You Were Born Then it’s Time to Go

When John Mayer released his last album I panned it because nobody wants to hear a concept album about dating Jennifer Aniston. And a first listen to the new Death Cab for Cutie album Codes and Keys, one could make an argument about Zooey Deshanel, the quirky actress that lead singer Benjamin Gibbard married since the release of their last album Narrow Stairs. Gone are the stalkery songs and tales of woe which are replaced by positive songs and grand views of the future.

First single You Are a Tourist could very well be about Gibbard’s feelings about his previous moodier songs and may be the “villain in the story you have written.” And for a guy who made a song about a Twin Size Bed sound so depressing he turned around in short time to make a real peppy song about a different inanimate object on Portable Television. While Stay Young, Go Dancing is their most upbeat and hopeful song to date by far.

Lyrics are not the only drastic change for Codes and Keys as the band when for a decidable less guitar-based sound for the new album(save riff-tastic You Are a Tourist). With more focus on piano, keyboards, and drum beats, this album has a more electronic feel (though not as electronic as Gibbard’s side project The Postal Service) but still manages the warmth that some electronic acts lack. The only song missing the wall of sound of the rest of the album is Stay Young, Go Dancing which ends the album with an acoustic guitar and well placed strings.

But is hard to wonder if this would have been a better album if Ben never met Zooey. Here is hoping Ryan Adams’s eventual concept album about Mandy Moore bucks this trend.

Song to Download – Stay Young, Go Dancing

Codes and Keys gets a on my Terror Alert Scale. Note the $5.00 price in the Amazon widget below which is what the album will be priced at all this month.

When I Was Young I Didn’t Think About it and Now I Just Can’t Get it off My Mind

The good people over at Simon and Schuster were nice enough to send me over a copy of So Much to Say: Dave Matthews Band 20 Years on the Road (look for my review next week to coincide with the book hitting bookshelves) and in honor of the book’s release, this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame is the band’s unreleased gem known as The Lillywhite Session.

Naturally So Much to Say dedicated a whole chapter to the time period. As legend has it, the Dave Matthews Band went into the studio with longtime producer Steve Lillywhite and recorded a batch of songs only to ditch them to go back on the road. When the tour was over, instead going back to the Lillywhite songs, Dave hooked up with Alanis Morrisette producer Glen Ballard for an album of much tighter and poppier songs the band had ever done called Everyday. Months after the released, songs from The Lillywhite Session hit file sharing site where anyone could hear the album that might have been.

Mortality has never been a shy subject for the band, but Before these Crowded Streets took a decidedly darker turn from their previous work and The Lillywhitte Session took them deeper into the rabbit hole with songs like Grey Street, Digging a Ditch, Big Eyed Fish and maybe their saddest song to date Grace Is Gone. The latter of which Dave himself references to as the sad bastard song and still is in my repertoire of songs I go to when I am in my drunken sad bastard mood.

The standout track of The Lillywhite Session, and quick live performance staple, was Bartender. If there is one thing the band does best is sweeping epics that they can jam on for over ten minutes such as Warehouse and Two Step, and Bartender is where it all came together in a sweeping ode to a priest stand in that serves beer on the side. By the time the track hits the midway point, Mathews is wailing vocally like a one man choir before giving way to LeRoi Moore, one of his finest moments in the studio, who take the song home before ending it with a sweet pennywhistle.

The songs of The Lillywhite Session would later be revived a year later as the band convened in the studio but without Steve Lillywhite this time around for the proper release the appropriately titled Busted Stuff which despite sharing nine songs sounded lighter and more hopeful in spirit (thanks in part to new songs Where Are You Going and You Never Know). Grace Is Gone got turned into full country bar tune, a couple minutes were shaved from Bartender, Kit Kat Jam was stripped of lyrics, and JTR, Sweet Up and Down, and Monkey Man were cut from the final version. Though Dave Matthews Band songs are never fully realized until they are road tested for an entire summer, the release of Busted Stuff must have been cathartic to the band and fans alike after the tumultuous two years from the start of The Lillywhite Session to the release of Everyday, to the leak of the unfinished tracks.

Previewing Franklin & Bash

One could argue that you can judge a lawyer show by its cases and in the first season of Franklin and Bash the lawyers will take up cases like death by vagina (the defendant in question being Justified’s Natalie Zea which begs the question who would be against that kind of death?), a woman who thinks she was fired from a men’s magazine for being too attractive (despite barely being a five), a Robin Hood in the form of Jason Alexander (Listen Up) who has a change of heart when his terminal diagnosis turns out to be not as terminal as he thought), and Bash’s ex-girlfriend’s current fiancée asking him to get him off on a solicitation charge (yes, woman twenty-five to forty, Zack Morris will go head to head Dawson Leery, start rummaging for your old Tiger Beat issues now).

And what better way to start a series that a scantily clad guest star Mircea Monroe (Nobody’s Watching) trying to sell you mattresses on a video billboard (do not worry ladies, Zack Morris shows much more skin than Mircea later in the episode). Naturally a car accident happens and Franklin and Bash were staking out the intersection for just an occasion. Breckin Meyer (Road Trip) is the quick witted Franklin while Zack (Dead Man on Campus) plays the suave Bash.

Their ability to win unorthodox cases catches the eye of Malcolm McDowell (Easy A), the senior partner at a big law firm that brings the duo in and gives them free reign to continue taking on their typical cases. And since every man child needs a straight laced antagonist, Franklin and Bash has McDowell’s nephew at the firm, Reed Diamond (Journeyman) who just so happened to have dated Garcelle Beauvais (Wild Wild West) who Franklin just so happens to also have eyes for.

Along for the ride are Franklin and Bash’s associates from their pre-big time days are Dana Davis (Prom Night) as the duo’s paralegal slash private investigator and Kumail Najiani (Michael and Michael Have Issues), their researcher and writer who has come down with a case of agoraphobia and never leaves Franklin and Bash’s apartment which used to serve as their law office until their upward mobility.

Neither of the two characters really add much to the story while Diamond and Beauvais seemed as if they were written straight from the stereotype character handbook and McDowell is not always convincing as the aloof boss while Meyer and Morris do not have the strongest comic rapport, and some the writing is not that clever (the resolve of the Natalie Zea case is practically slap your head stupid) yet there is plenty to laugh at, as this was originally developed for TNT’s less serious sister station TBS. Maybe because it is summer and bar is considerably lower in terms of quality, Franklin and Bas is a good summer escape.

Aside from the previous mentioned, there is a slew of notable guest stars stopping by the law offices the first season and TNT’s press releases hypes the appearances of Fred Ward, L.A. Law’s Harry Hamlin, Tom Arnold, Beau Bridges, Tommy Chong, Kathy Najimy, and Trisha Helfer. What the press release does not tell you is the show will also be graced by Tomas F. Wilson. Yes, Biff Fracking Tannen. And since he is playing McDowell’s spiritual adviser, here’s hoping he will be making more stops by the show.

Franklin and Bash airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream episodes after they air on TNT.tv. You can also download Franklin and Bash on iTunes. Fallowing the show will be the remaining episodes of season two of Men of a Certain Age (see my preview here).

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 5/28/11

Quote of the Week: Real men don't lift weights. Real men fender bench. (Billy Riggins, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Sort of Revolution – Fink (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Jeff Conaway: It is a shame that the lasting image we will ever have of Jeff Conaway is him in the wheelchair stammering around Celebrity Rehab and not as the immortal Kenickie. As the late great Rick James would say, “Cocaine is a hell of a drug” and Conaway joins James on the list of why you should not abuse it.


The Killing: Early in the season I assumed we were going to get a new suspect a week and move on to a new one. But focusing on the teacher as the prime suspect for five straight episodes only to clear him as a do-gooder really hurt the show creatively. If the killer ends up not connected to the Muslim church it will diminish the season on a whole. That is almost half the season on a false lead. You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Modern Family: Though not as good as the Community clip show, Modern Family came up with a clever way to look back at the season. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Friday Night Lights: Holy Jason Street sighting! But where was the JD McCoy sighting? Did he and papa (and the coach) hightail it out of town after the loss last year? But this episode was restraint of lack thereof. I am surpised that Tami did not just start whaling on the TA when she realized who it was. And I do not remember a time in the series when we have seen Coach Taylor as mad as he was when yelling at Vince after the game. I will be shocked if Vince does not get benched for at least a quarter in the next game for the stunt he pulled. And the Luke / Billy sitcom continues to bring the balance to the show with a bunch of laugh out loud moments. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Sad Song – The Cars (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Blu-Rays under $10 (Office Space, Major League, Blazing Saddles)

New Album Release of the Week: Codes And Keys - Death Cab for Cutie

New DVD Release of the Week: Drive Angry

Video of the Week: Despite the holiday weekend, there will still be a new Game of Thrones Sunday at its usual time at 10:00 on HBO. Here is a preview of You Win or You Die.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Franklin and Bash. Wednesday at 9:00 on TNT: The unofficial start of summer is Monday and that means the summer television schedule starts up this week. Network is shoveling its usual unwatchable reality shows (seriously, Love in the Wild?!?) and scripted leftovers. Cable is also getting things started soon with returning favorites and a few newbies including the quirky lawyer show which TNT fleeced from its sister comedy station TBS. Look for my full review of the show next week.

Around the Tubes - 1/14/11

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 Curb Your Enthusiasm, Switched at Birth, Love Bites, Fox Movie Channel, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Indy 500, and True Blood.

- Curb Your Enthusiasm is returning to HBO July 10 at 10:00 and here is the first trailer for its eighth season:



- In honor of their new show, ABC Family will be launching the Switched at Birth: Hunt for the Code, an online scavenger hunt game starting next Tuesday. To enter the game for a chance to win $4,000 and full rules, head over to ABCFamily.com.

- Love Bite was originally on the fall schedule but got pulled when one of the stars got pregnant, and now the show will now air during the not so plum summer slot of Thursdays at 10:00. No word yet if Friends with Benefits will ever see the light of day, but if Perfect Couples and the Paul Riser Show both made it to air first it is not a good sign. But anyway. Below is a featurette for Love Bites.

Love Bites Featurette


- Sci-Fi fans will want to check out The Fox Movie Channel Twitter Sweepstakes to win 14 films including Alien and Independence Day. All you have to do is follow them on twitter @FoxMovieChannel then go to the sweepstakes page at foxmoviechannel.com.

- I just looked at the extended forecast and currently it is set to hit the nineties here in Northeast Ohio on Memorial Day and if you need to escape the heat this holiday, HDNet will be airing Jim Henson’s classic films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth digitally remastered starting at 8:00. This will be the first time this millennium the films will air on television.

- This year would have been Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday and in honor of the occasion Dan Wheldon will drive the Bryan Herta Autosport / Curb Agajanian #98 car with the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration seal on the nose for this Sunday’s Indy 500.

- The new season of True Blood is right around the corner but if you are still going through withdrawal, check out the poster below which will point you to the new website: TBwithdrawal.

Previewing Men of a Certain Age: Second Half of the Second Season

If the first season of Men of a Certain Age was discovering your flaws and the start of the second season was correcting those flaws, the last half of the season, starting Wednesday June 1, is about regression. Two thirds of the cast are back to old habits before the end of the second episode back. Needless to say the regressions do not end well with one turning violent while the other leads to one of the funnier moment in the show.

In fact the third episode back (airing June 15) may be the most entertaining episode of the show to date thanks to two scenes that will make you laugh so hard you may have to rewind the episode you were laughing so hard. One bit with Owen and a catcher during an office softball game hit very close to home for me because I had the exact same situation. As for the other titular men, it seems both Terry and Joe run into every past flame they have during the run of the show in these last six episodes that close out the season.

When the show returns Wednesday, Joe is spending extra time with his former bookie who is about to undergo chemo. Terry seems to be at a crossroads in his relationship with Erin. And Owen gets an indecent proposal from a rival dealership but it would be too spoilery if I told if he ends up rolling in a bed of money sometime this season.

Men of a Certain Age airs Wednesdays at 10:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can download Men of a Certain Age on iTunes.

I Want My Music Television - 5/25/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

The Story of Us – Taylor Swift



One of the fun games to play whenever Taylor Swift releases a new album is guessing who the songs are about. Joe Jonas was the rumored target of The Story of Us and I wonder if the ironic thick black glasses on the dude in the video all but confirms it because Joe has been seen wearing a similar pair lately. And the preverbal other woman does kind of resembled Camilla Belle, the rumored subject of Better than Revenge. I am really too old to have written this paragraph.


When I’m Alone - Lissie



It is a shame we did not get more scenes in the bingo parlor. But is still another great song from Lissie.


Carousel - Vanessa Carlton



It look like Vanessa Carlton’s transformation into Stevie is almost complete, just a dye job and a voice drop to be complete.


Sister Wife - Alex Winston



Sometime all it takes for me to check out a new video is its name. Such is the case with Sister Wife from newcomer Alex Winston where I wondered if the song was actually about polygamy and it turns out the answer is a resounding yes. And the video is so absurd I just had to keep on watching.

He’s Going to Tell Them About... Eh, Nevermind

There was a lot of chatter after the abysmal Lost finale that people were going to swear off network sci-fi shows indefinitely. But I am a glutton and went ahead and signed up four months after the Lost letdown for The Event (and No Ordinary Family, and The Cape). One byproduct of the travesty of the Lost finale is that I would no longer let a heavily serialize show give me false of being a grand, transformative television show.

Say what you will about The Event, it did aim high, throwing an alien invasion, government cover up, and a love story complete with plenty of time jumping that put Lost’s flashbacks to shame, for better or worse. But the time jumping faded away quickly for a more linear approach which is a shame because when done right (most notably the first season Lost and least notably the last season of Lost) it can bring about great character exploration, and when dealing with characters that seem not to age The Event could have benefited from sticking with it. Of course the time shifting could have answered long lingering questions that I no longer care about to brainstorm.

The shift in the timelines was not the only thing that changed as the show went along as I am pretty sure what the event as presented in the title changed in the writers’ minds a couple time. Silly me wrongfully said in my Preview of The Event series premiere that the event happened within the first hour. By the second episode I realized what I thought was the event was not actually The Event. Then when the show returned from a four month hiatus, the promo monkeys all but confirmed that the extinction of the human race was The Event. But in the finale, Simon clearly stated that The Event was, um, something that I am not sure I can explain without re-watching it a couple times. But he did definitely said The Event.

You have to take writers at their words when they say they have their series mapped out with benchmarks they want to hit but the problems with most sci-fi shows that have failed miserably in the Lost era and beyond is those benchmarks are clearly too far apparent. Then there are too many episode in-between where you just yell at your television screen, “Just get there!” Certainly the closing scenes of the season were visually stunning with an entire planet entering out orbit, but by the point it happened very few people were around to care. Had this happened in, say, the sixth episode instead of the twenty-second, you would have a much compelling story. Instead it took six episodes just to get Sophia to escape Inostranka.

And since the writers took too long to make anything interesting happen, we will not get a second season where there was going to be a lizard baby born to Layla and Sean. C’mon, you knew that storyline was coming from miles away, long before she broke the news to the father. But at least the serioes did not last long enough where all the characters met up in a church in purgatory.

The Event gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Feed Your iPod vol. LXI: I Will Follow You into the Dark

Death Cab for Cutie is known for soaring melodies and lush arrangements, but one of their best is the stripped down I Will Follow You into the Dark. But with a song that is about a love so strong they would accompany them into the afterworld, an acoustic guitar is really all you need. Hopefully Codes and Keys, out next week, is filled with songs this good.

I Will Follow You into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 5/22/11

How I Met Your Mother: Whatever happened to Ted’s friend from Ohio that was getting married? I always assumed that was the wedding that was hyped to be the wedding Ted met the mother was that one (best laugh of the episode, if not the season was when Future Ted said that the chick that got the flowers was the mom). I really have no desire to see a married Barney, but I have a feeling he will not be getting married at that wedding as it will be to the British chick but will realize he loves Robin so he does not go through with it. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Event: We actually got two pieces to the puzzle from the beginning of the series, but it was a little too late as the show will be not back next season. But we did learn that Sophia’s people “were here first” and the token hot chick was former CIA that went rogue. And I guess we can assume that the parchment Sean has is actually from when Sophia’s people where here originally. I wonder what, if anything we will learn from next week’s series finale. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Castle: Early in the episode when the group was talking about a possible third dirty cop, Captain Montgomery gave a look that gave me pause, thinking he was it. I actually talked myself out of that being the case until the big reveal. But I do not understand why they killed the other two cops, but not Montgomery. I wish they would do more than two of these Beckett’s mother episodes a season because it is sometimes hard to remember what is going on. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Modern Family: Does anyone actually have Middle School graduations or is that just something that happens on television? If so I feel cheated because I did not have a graduation from middle school or grade school. I did learn I have a little Pritchett in me because I laughed hysterically at Cameron for both of his pratfalls. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



The Big Bang Theory: Ever since the first season I have assumed that the writers will have run out of ideas the episode where they get Sheldon drunk and hooks up with Penny. Never did I ever think she would get drunk and hook up with Raj. This very well may have been a jump the shark moment. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.

Friday Night Lights: Those Julie scenes were really hard to watch this week (sans when Buddy tried to hook her up with Buddy Jr.) and I just weep for her even if she brought all of this on herself. I also fear that the Vince / daddy situation with the gang banger is going to end in blood before all is said and done. But I do like where the Luke / Billy (great speech this week) is going. Only in Texas do they have toilets in their back yards and practice their chipping with charcoal. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Also check out my season reviews of Survivor: Redemption Island and Chuck.

Best of the Week - 5/21/11

Quote of the Week: Wack ‘em if they ever got out of line. That’s smart; Reagan smart. (Casey, Chuck)

Song of the Week: Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice (as sung by Raj, The Big Bang Theory)

Big News of the Week: Networks Unveil their Schedules: I talked about the five shows I most want to see and what I will be watching next fall. Here some other thoughts on the schedules of the big four (and The CW). Click on the title to be taken to a promo of the show.

The Sing-Off (Mondays at 8:00 on NBC): I am glad NBC took my advice and made The Sing-Off a weekly show, but two hours seems a little cumbersome (I know NBC is in trouble, but why are all their reality shows an unnecessarily two hours long?). At least the show should up it’s credibly now that the Pussycat Doll is not available as a judge. Since there are down a judge, may I suggest Sara Bareilles.

Last Man Standing (Tuesdays at 8:00 on ABC): So Loretta McCready goes from the best show on television to this? I put the over / under on the number of episode it takes before she called up Raylan Gibbons looking to be rescued by him at three.

Ringer (Tuesdays at 9:00 on The CW): There is a lot of talk of Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to get WB roots but let’s face it she is a horrible actress and unless her words are written by Joss Whedon, she is unwatchable. And if The CW was taking other network’s leftover’s, why did they not take NBC’s Wonder Woman to replace the departing Smallville?

Revenge (Wednesdays at 10:00 on ABC): There seems to be a lot of new shows that made me go, that would make for a good idea for a movie, but I do not see how they stretch it into a television show. Revenge tops that list. Sure Amy Abbott may get me to tune in, but where exactly does the show go after she exact her revenge.

H8R (Wednesdays at 8:00 on The CW): In this year’s installment of “Seriously, they canceled Veronica Mars for this crap” goes to H8R where “celebrities” confront people who talk smack about them on the internet. No word on when my episode where I get ambushed by The CW executives for hating on H8R airs.

And my prediction of first show canceled goes to I Hate My Teenage Daughter.

Bonus Big News of the Week: The ten year old version of myself would be remised if I didn’t wish a melancholy happy trails to the Macho Man Randy Savage who suffered a heart attack while driving yesterday.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Don't Give Up On Me Now – Ben Harper (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Over 1,500 Albums $5 Each Through May: Only one more week to get these albums for $5. Here are some Greatest Hits selections worth picking up from The Steve Miller Band, John Mellencamp, The Temptations, and David Gray.



New Album Release of the Week: Torches - Foster the People

New DVD Release of the Week: Gettysburg: Director's Cut (Blu-ray Book Packaging)

Video of the Week: Too Big to Fail is not the only HBO debuting next week. How to Die in Oregon will air Thursday (5/26) at 8:00. The documentary looks at the controversial Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes physician aid-in-dying for some terminally ill patients. Below is a promo:



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Event, Monday at 9:00 on NBC: Poor The Event, it was probably doomed from the start. I guess when you name your show The Event, it is probably a good idea to clue the audience in on what The Event is in the first episode. I did not even realize what The Event was until NBC started airing ads for the midseason premiere, granted I am not entirely sure if the potential extermination of the human race actually is The Event named in the title. Oh well. After the series finale, NBC can bring on the Playboy Bunnies.

Around the Tubes - 5/20/11

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 Too Big to Fail, When Aliens Attack, Area 51 Declassified, The Sing-Off, Rescue Me, Johnny Carson, and TBS and TNT Upfront news.

- Remember how the taxpayers had to shell out billions of money to banks because they were Too Big to Fail, well three years later they are now even more bigger to fail. HBO takes a look at the banking crisis with Too Big to Fail based on the Andrew Ross Sorkin book of the same name and features Oscar-winner William Hurt. seven-time Emmy-winner Edward Asner, Billy Crudup, Emmy-winner Paul Giamatti, Topher Grace, Matthew Modine, two-time Emmy-winner Cynthia Nixon, Michael O’Keefe, Bill Pullman, three-time Emmy-winner Tony Shalhoub and two-time Emmy-winner James Woods. Too Big to Fail airs this Monday at 9:00, check out a promo below:



- Just in time for the anticipated TNT series Falling Skies next month, the National Graphic Channel is premiering When Aliens Attack this Sunday at 8:00 which shows via CGI what would realistically happen if we were really invaded by aliens. Check out a clip below. Then at 10:00, the channel will stick with the alien theme with Area 51 Declassified which interviews more than 50 scientists, pilots and engineers.

Most Powerful Gun in the World


- The Sing-Off is airing earlier this year from its previous pre-Christmas slot, but do not worry, you still have time to grab your friends from the barbershop and tryout for this Fall’s season by going to singoffcasting.com.

- Rescue Me is returning for its final season Tuesday July 12, here is a promo:

Fade Away


- Fans of Johnny Carson will want to head over to MemoryLane.com which just added an exclusive collection of skits and monologues from his tenure on the Tonight Show. And if that enough classic videos for you, the site also recently added 1,001 classic television commercials

- In the midst of the network Upfronts, TNT and TBS had their own this week. Some highlights include Mary McDonnell getting her own The Closer spin-off entitled Major Crimes after The Closer finishes up its last twenty-one episodes this and next summer.

TNT is launching The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery featuring original movies set to debut in November; six are currently set to air.

Brian Austin Green and Harold Perrineau are teaming up for The Wedding Band about, wel, the title pretty much sums it up. Look for it to premiere summer 2012.

Also ordered foe 2012 is Perception starring Eric McCormack as a neuroscientist who works on criminal cases.

While over at TBS, recently acquisition Conan O’Brien has two series currently in development for the network while sidekick Andy Richter is developing a modern day take on The $10,000 Pyramid.