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.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 2, 2021

 

The Nevers:  I have been pretty “meh” on this show, but that fight on the river was one of the most innovative fights I have seen in a while.  Unfortunately later in the episode there was the dumb sequence where the guy with the hand gun was able to gun down the singer but could only manage to nick the cop running at him.  I was assuming there would end up being a Touched that could reanimate the dead, but the previews suggest there is a burial.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Umm, so what really happened.  We clearly heard Daniel tell Grace to go to the fishing shed.  The main show just did an unreliable narrator episode making this extra annoying.  And it also split up the group into four different settlements just like this show now has.  Meh.  So did Daniel actually take the guns.  And just how does one man take all those guns while everyone is with him in a meeting? And why did not one bother to ask how Strand got his gun?  Was that gun part of Daniel’s delusion too?  Way too many unanswered questions about this episode.

 

Mare of Easttown:  Well that was a pretty surprising ending.  Now, I am really bad at names and I thought the friend was referring to the dead son being the father.  While researching the math trying to figure out how old the son was, I realize the Sheehan she was talking to was Mare’s ex-husband, which is even creepier.  It also puts a bigger spotlight on that conversation they had about the girl in the middle of the episode.  Yet, didn’t he have that engagement party all night?  Granted old people parties do not last as long as teenaged ones so I guess that party ended by midnight(ish) when the last people say the dead girl.  But the best scene was when Mare just went full spite in arresting the girlfriend in her parent’s restaurant while a befuddled Ralph Bohner looked on.

 

City on a Hill:  Well this season turned on a dime.  After going after each other for four episodes, Jackie is now willing to hunt down who shot Siobhan.  Decoursey is smart not to trust him, but I have a feeling he is going to ask for Jackie’s help eventually.  Then we will get to see what exactly Jackie’s game is because no wat he is altruistic, he is going to need a favor in return.  I would not be surprised if it involves taking down Jackie’s boss so he can stay in Boston.  I really cannot see him going somewhere else.

 

Debris:  Well that is an interesting take on Groundhog’s Day, one where the person chooses to reset the time when they do not have to.  And I think this may be the first time they attempted to be funny with the montage of the different partners.  But I do not understand why they shoved the scene with the divorce in it,

 

Cruel Summer:  I found it interesting that Jeanette and Kate mothers had a reverse relationship with each other back in high school.  At least according to Jeanette’s mom, I believe her as much as I believe her daughter.  As much as I have like these first couple episodes, I do not see how this set up could go very long.  I wonder if they are setting up a future season with the mothers back in high school in the seventies.

 

The mystery of the show seems to be who is telling the truth and Jeanette turned out to be a huge liar this week.  She said she flushed the weed when she did not and she had been going into the house a lot without telling anyone.  But did she see Kate?  That is still the big question. 

 

Supergirl:  There is plenty of competition, but this may have been the single worst episode in the history of the show.  And it is a two part-er.  Meh.  Maybe not center a whole episode or two on the two worst characters on the show.  I hope the blue aliens just put them into their zoo never to be seen again.

 

Big Sky:  So the daughter staged a suicide and is still blackmailing her other brother?  She moved the body.  And how did Ronnie get out of the house with a dead body without anyone noticing?  And why did the sister even open the door if she knew who he really was?  And if the PI’s are not answering the phone, how about calling the police?  So stupid.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  What really drug down the second and third season of the show was that they just rehashed the first season, the only changes being they amped up how tortured the handmaids were.  What gave me hope going into the fourth season was it seemed like they blew up the show.  The Waterford’s were in custody in Canada, and June became a fugitive that no doubt were be hung if she were caught for rescuing all those children.  And then June was captured by the end of the second episode.  Meh.

 

But then she escapes again at the end of the very next episode.  And it was pretty gratuitous to murder all those handmaids that way.  First off, why was the guard shooting at them?  If you did not hang them in the first place because you need more babymakers to replace all the kids you lost, maybe do not murder them.  Maybe at least fire a couple warning shots.  And how was June the last one out of the van by a while, yet was the only one to outrun the trail besides Janine?  Are the other girls really that slow?  And speaking of June running, what was with the weird, rom-com scene of her running back to Nick to kiss him. 

 

And one more question, just who is Serena’s baby daddy?  It has been two years, so my recollection is fuzzy.  But I do remember Fred was shooting blanks; that is why June had to hook up with Nick.  So did she hook up with the American dude?  Could Fred really be the father?  If he actually was not shooting blanks, doesn’t that throw into question of who the father of Nicole is?

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  Oh that TJ twist was cruel.  And I loved it.  I was pretty suspicious why Kendal did not go to vote if she did not have the Life Saver.  Instead of the Life Saver she was instead safe from elimination.  Although hopefully the duos get sent in together in future weeks because getting to pick your partner seems like an unfair advantage.  But double eliminations from here on out will speed things up.  Thankfully, the main show drags on when you eliminate twenty-two players mostly one week at a time.  With only sixteen players left there will probably only are four or five episodes until the final.  But TJ did say he definitely will see Beth and Cyrus again, hopefully that is a good sign we will be getting more seasons of The Senior Tour.

 

Manifest:  One of my running jokes is question just how the blind chick on In the Dark always has straight from a shampoo commercial hairstyle and I thought of that when Mick was doing that raid.  Seriously, why the long glorious hair that can easily blow into your face why going into a raid.  How about a ponytail or a bun?  But anyway.  At least we are done with the three shadowy figures; none of them were particularly strong actors. But kind of silly that Olive was able to decipher that they would all perish if they did not all pass their trials.  At least I got a good laugh at how stupid that scene was.  But was this all a set up that all the 828’ers have to pass trails for all of them to survive their death dates?

 

The Blacklist:  I feel like I missed something.  I remember the last episode ended with Red’s hook up breaking her skull on the end table as Red tended to her while Lizzie still has the gun.  Lizzie just let Red leave.  And at what point between when the hook up found out Red was a wanted man and dying did she have time to tell her daughter to go into hiding.  But I finally figured out what is going to end this death feud between Red and Lizzie.  She is finally going to realize how bad her new partner is, maybe even find out he was really the secret Russian asset, and go back to the FBI and Red to stop him.

Around the Tubes: May 1, 2021

         

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

- Based on The New York Times bestselling book by author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort's director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.  The series stars Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Samara Weaving, Melvin Gregg, Asher Keddie, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Manny Jacinto.

- New Zealand’s platinum sensation BENEE drops the music video for her song “Happen To Me”—watch it HERE. “Happen To Me” stands out as the fan-favorite track from her critically adored full-length debut album, Hey u x.  The gothic visual finds BENEE at the center of the table during a surreal The Last Supper-style royal feast. She sits on a throne alone as guests enjoy medieval delicacies. As she flips through tarot cards, she turns over the death card only to be greeted by a man on a pale horse before finally disappearing from the table. As the song grapples with her own fear of death, the video personifies this existential struggle. Over a soundtrack of hummable guitar and lithe synths, she confesses, “I think about these things too much. My mind likes to wind itself up. And I don’t get a lot of sleep. ‘Cause what if they happen to me?” Ultimately, BENEE upholds what has become a tradition of captivating and cinematic videos with “Happen To Me.”
- Welcoming friends into the mysterious embrace of Whispering Pines Studios today, Lord Huron uncover a new single entitled “I Lied” [feat. Allison Ponthier]. It’s the latest tune to be shared from their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, LONG LOST, out May 21^st via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records.  Pre-order Long Lost HERE, listen to “I Lied” HERE, and watch the official music video HERE.
- 19 year old Molly Burman made a striking first impression with her debut single proper, "Fool Me With Flattery", arriving as she did a fully formed prospect last month. Today, she follows up that significant promise with a further slice of empowering, woozy slacker-pop in "everytime". Listen and watch its accompanying video HERE.
- Unconventional pop star Ali Barter has released her new EP Chocolate Cake. Following on from singles "Twisted Up" and "You Get In My Way", the 4-track EP is out now on Inertia Music / [PIAS]. Alongside its release is a lyric video for the title track, made with the same creative team for her previous singles, We Made That. Watch and listen HERE.  The Chocolate Cake EP was written across both hemispheres. Barter engaged in writing sessions in Los Angeles and Nashville before the crushing reality of COVID-19 jeopardized her first US tour and forced her back home to isolate in Melbourne. The EP was rounded out remotely with the help of creative minds Harlan Silverman, Lost Boy, K-Flay, who co-wrote the EP title track, Brandon James and lockdown buddy/ husband Oscar Dawson.
- SERGIO MENDES & FRIENDS: A CELEBRATION, a joyfully tuneful salute to the pioneering Brazilian musical artist – producer, composer, keyboardist, vocalist – and Oscar®-nominated songwriter will make its world premiere as part of special programming on PBS stations in June 2021 (check local listings). This program, presented by WNED PBS, was created especially for PBS and is derived from the forthcoming feature documentary Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy by acclaimed filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs John Lennon, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, and The Happy Days of Garry Marshall). The deal was negotiated by WNED PBS and the film's distributor Brainstorm Media.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 25, 2021

  

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  The show was on a string of great episodes since I came back from hiatus but this felt like one of those pre-hiatus episodes.  My problem with those episodes is there seemed too much screen time without Zoey.  I did not care about Maggie’s business and I do not care about what seems to be a new gambling problem.  Just fast forward to where Zoey helps her.  Though Zoey seems to be having a problem with helping lately, this week I just kept getting annoyed with her trying to get Emily to talk when clearly Emily just wanted to blow off some steam.  Let get get her dance on, then talk it out later.

 

The Nevers:  Why exactly are most of the Touched ladies?  So all we met is the doctor and the three eyed raven?  Maybe the singer will expose more.  But if the three eyed raven followed the electricity lady, did he just let her get captured? Then his mother is evil?  And just what did she do to the Italian chick?

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  So last week John is ready to die but decides he wants to live only to be shot.  Then this week, Ginny is ready to die, get a reprieve, only to be shot.  Way to recycle plot.  But why didn’t Ginny get in the car with her hostages?  Did she want to stay in the middle of v shootout where people wanted to kill her?  And where did those mask people come from and how were they able to find Morgan?  And how did Morgan escape on foot.  And how did everyone find his hidden compound so easily?  They had the entire pandemic to write these episodes and yet they seem sloppier than usual.

 

Good Girls:  Getting caught robbing a jewelry store so the Secret Service will pay you seems like a really bad plan.  But is grandma the real boss or was that just a term of endearment?  Or both?

 

Mare of Eastown:  This was one of the first times I remember they actually gave an episode to a victim on one of these dead girl shows.  That actually got me to care that she is now dead.  But it seems almost obvious that Guy Peirce did it.  Not that anyone I assume did it after one episode ever turns out to be correct.

 

City on a Hill:   I wonder Siobhan knows her client is very guilty.  I guess it helps us as the viewer tthat we know for sure.  But sometimes lawyers do not care either way.  If only Decourcy could get a confession.  But he could not even get the chick that killed Jimmy to turn informant when she was the one that actually pulled the trigger.

 

Cruel Summer:  From the trailer I thought this show was going to be a mystery show about who adducted Kate but then they answered that question by the end of this first episode.  So then I thought the mystery was going to be who was lying, Kate or Jeanette.  But then Kate admits she was lying about something in the chatroom.  Now I guess the mystery is just what exactly is Kate lying about, and if she is lying about Jeanette, just how did she get the necklace?  I do have a sinking suspicious the old friend is involved somehow.

 

But man, did this show move at a breakneck speed.  Those two closing shots to each of the episodes were just epic.  I just hope they do not move too fast and just run out of plot like the first season of Homeland.  Or turn into The Affair and constantly give us multiple points of view of the same scenes.  But after two episodes I am definitely hooked.  This show is also doing a very good job scratching that nineties nostalgia itch.

 

Debris:  Um, what happened to the chick from the beginning?  They just found her and then were back to look for daddy.  But I do not sure happened to the dude that was helping them, he was clearly shot point blank in the check, but when they got to the car, he was bleeding from the neck.

 

Supergirl:  What a shameless rip-off of Ghostbusters.  I am deeply offended by that.

 

Big Sky:  What is wrong with family, first the mother bites her daughter over drugs.  Then one brother goes all Cain over the other one.  But at the show did not make us wait to figure up what the now dead son and his father were cryptically talking about.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I cannot remember a time when a musical supervisor buried someone like they buried Fessy this episode.  First they play Boys Don’t Cry while he pouting on a rock.  TJ guilts him to help his partner then disqualifies them after he eats more bull testicles. Then the music supervisor twists the knife by playing Karma Chameleon for the guy who kept dragging his female partners all season only to lose because he was pouting like a little boy, refusing to complete a checkpoint.  I do not know how Fessy comes back from that (though, unfortunately he is rumored to be on the next season).  CT wearing Johnny like a backpack is still the greatest Challenge moment of all time, but this montage may make it into the top five.  Oh yeah, and speaking of CT, he won again.  Meh.  And what was with that end credits scene?  What challenge was TJ activating twenty-four hours later?  Was that supposed to be a teaser for the Senior Tour?  Does that mean they are continuing the spy theme into the next challenge?  It was just confusing.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  When the trailer came up with TJ telling someone, “Hope to see you never” I thought for sure that he was talking to Beth.  Well, I was close; Beth was in the Crater when Arissa decided to go off on everyone.   But another pretty entertaining daily challenge, even the elimination looked interesting, why do all the ones on the original show look so boring or overdone?

 

Manifest:  I always wondered how the doctor was able to cover up a murder.  I think this was the first time they mentioned he knew.  I guess he was the one that got the garbage truck to pick the body up.

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:  People have been saying Sharon was the power Broker since she showed up but I never bought into that theory because it never really made much sense.  She was so strong in her convictions she was willing to become a traitor in her country’s eyes just to do the right thing but now she is funding actual terrorist?  Well that turned out to be the case and everything she did makes no sense.  Unless another popular theory is true: who we are seeing is not the real Sharon but a Skrull and this is setting up the upcoming Secret Invasion show.  Maybe her pulling off the face was a huge Easter Egg.

 

The Blacklist:  So Lizzie rams Red’s girlfriend’s car and all of the sudden they are share a cabin close?  And why not set her up in the cabin and lure Red there?  And why is Red’s girlfriend fighting an armed assailant? Considering Lizzie has been gone for so long, I was expecting more in her return.  But there she is with Red an easy target, and I am sure they will figure some stupid reason why she does not kill him.