Showing posts with label Press Release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Press Release. Show all posts

Friday, January 26, 2018

Around the Tubes: 1/26/2018




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 COVER STORY: The Notorious Lottery Heist and Billions.

- Game Show Network’s one-hour documentary special COVER STORY: The Notorious Lottery Heist, premiering on January 28th at 7:00, will explore the story behind the biggest criminal conspiracy in lottery history. Imagine spending $5 and winning a $16.5 million lottery jackpot. You’d claim the prize immediately. But in December of 2011, this Iowa Lottery winner waited until the deadline was almost up before trying to make an anonymous claim, only to eventually walk away from their life changing prize when told they had to reveal their identity. The lottery commission thought this was highly suspicious and initiated an investigation. It took nearly two years before a crime was uncovered in their own backyard – a conspiracy emanating from inside the lottery itself.

- Oscar nominated actor John Malkovich will have a guest starring arc in season three of the hit Showtime drama Billions, playing Russian billionaire Grigor Andolov. Starring Oscar nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, the third season of BILLIONS will premiere on Sunday, March 25 at 10:00.


Friday, January 19, 2018

Around the Tubes: 1/19/2018




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 Hulu, Eddie Griffin: Undeniable, The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X, CONAN, and Late Night with Seth Myers.

- This week at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Hulu announced: Hulu officially confirms a new order for Catch-22 Limited Series Event from George Clooney, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. ER makes its streaming debut on Hulu today in a new deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. All 331 episodes are now streaming. The Handmaid’s Tale S2 will premiere on April 25th with two new episodes. Hulu picks up March of The Penguins 2: The Next Step to Hulu Documentary slate. Hulu adds a second installment of National Treasure – titled Kiri – to the Hulu Originals slate. All four parts will premiere on April 4th. Fourth and final season of Casual will premiere on July 31st.

- Celebrating his 30-year anniversary in comedy, veteran comedian Eddie Griffin takes to the stage in the hilarious new special Eddie Griffin: Undeniable, premiering on Showtime on Friday, February 9 at 10:00 on-air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed at the Berklee Performing Arts Center in Boston, Massachusetts, Griffin offers his prolific and entertaining point of view on the state of the world, tackling politics, racism, relationships, religion and humanity as a whole. Ultimately reflecting on his long-standing career, he pays tribute to close friends and late comedians Charlie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor (among others) with flawless impersonations. With his quick wit and animated delivery, Griffin does not mince words in this comedy event.


- A historic voice in the 1960s civil rights movement, Malcolm X was and continues to be a fascinating yet controversial figure. During his life, he gave voice to the anger and frustration that African Americans experienced during the tumultuous 1950s and 60s in the United States, gaining a reputation for his fiery rhetoric and spellbinding speeches. THE LOST TAPES: MALCOLM X relives the pivotal years of this trailblazing activist using rarely seen footage and audio tapes, including never-before-seen footage of Nation of Islam rallies and recordings made at the Audubon Ballroom on the day of his assassination. The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X premieres Monday, February 26 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- TBS’ CONAN will travel internationally for the eighth time in three years for CONAN Without Borders: Haiti, a primetime special premiering Saturday, January 27 at 10:00 on TBS. After hearing President Trump’s disparaging remarks about Haiti, O’Brien immediately decided to announce his intentions to visit the island nation. On January 14, he tweeted “Still reeling from @realDonaldTrump’s very negative Yelp review of Haiti, which means I’ll love it. Headed to Haiti later this week to explore and make some new friends. Stay tuned for my report.”

- Jillian Jacqueline: “Reasons” on Late Night with Seth Myers:

Friday, January 05, 2018

Around the Tubes: 1/5/2018




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 COVER STORY: The Press Your Luck Scandal, The Coronation, The Alienist, and The Circus.

- Hulu, Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation today announced a new deal to create and premiere a brand-new version of the iconic family friendly cartoon franchise Animaniacs. Under the two-season straight-to-series order, Steven Spielberg will return as executive producer of the series, with Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series, and Amblin Television Co-Presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank also serving as executive producers. The series marks the first Hulu Original made for families, and with the legacy of these beloved characters, is intended to provide a co-viewing opportunity and experience for families to enjoy together. New episodes are set to premiere on the premium streaming service in 2020.

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today the premiere of its new documentary special, COVER STORY: The Press Your Luck Scandal, premiering Sunday, January 14 at 7:00. Additionally, the original scandalous Press Your Luck episodes featured in the special will air following the show at 8 and 8:30 pm ET. The COVER STORY special will explore the story of Michael Larson, an air conditioning repairman from Ohio who cracked the game board algorithm and walked away with over $110,000 in cash and prizes. There was a one-in-six chance that each spin he took would erase his winnings, but Larson managed to evade the dreaded Whammy and accumulate the record breaking amount. Audiences went wild, but game show producers wanted to know how he did it. Had he cheated? Or did he simply outsmart the smartest minds in Hollywood?

- In partnership with the BBC and Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Smithsonian Channel shares the compelling story of the Crown Jewels and the ancient ceremony for which they are used in The Coronation. On June 2, 1953, after 16 months of planning, The Queen set out from Buckingham Palace to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony that was watched by millions of people throughout the world. A ceremony dating back more than a thousand years was to herald the dawn of a new Elizabethan age. As part of the film, to mark the 65th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Coronation, The Queen shares memories of the ceremony, as well as that of her father King George VI in 1937. The special airs in the U.S. exclusively on Smithsonian Channel on January 14 at 8:00.

- The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills will take visitors inside the opulent Gilded Age of the new TNT series, The Alienist, through multiple costume creations, photography, illustrations, and more from award-winning costume designer Michael Kaplan, the visionary behind the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Blade Runner, Fight Club and Flashdance.
Visitors will have the exclusive opportunity to preview the series’ costumes and other artifacts before its TNT debut on January 22. An unflinching psychological thriller amidst the underbelly of New York City’s “Gilded Age,” The Alienist follows Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl, Rush), a brilliant and obsessive “Alienist” in the controversial new field of treating mental pathologies, who holds the key to hunting down a never-before-seen ritualistic killer murdering young boys. Based on the award-winning, fan-favorite novel by Caleb Carr, with standout performances from Luke Evans (The Girl on the Train) and Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral), The Alienist is a gripping, turn-of-the-century murder mystery like none other: the story of the emergence of the world’s most powerful city that will stop at nothing to bury its darkest secrets.

- Showtime has ordered a third season of the groundbreaking political documentary series The Circus, returning on April 15 at 8:00 on Showtime, with a run of new episodes to air in the spring and another in the fall. Hosted by John Heilemann (NBC/MSNBC, Game Change,), Mark McKinnon, and Alex Wagner (CBS News and The Atlantic), who joins the show as a permanent host this season, The Circus will continue to provide viewers with the same fast-paced, real-time, backstage perspective and eye-catching production qualities for which the show has been celebrated. In the year ahead, the series will explore the stories behind the headlines and pull back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes drama unfolding in Washington and across the country in the run-up to the most consequential mid-term elections in our lifetimes.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Around the Tubes: 12/22/2017




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 Pitch Perfect 3, The Chi, The Path. The Looming Tower, Our Cartoon President. The Numbers on Great-Grandpa's Arm, Little Steven, The Velvet Underground, Culture Club, POV, Silicon Valley: The Untold Story, and Family Feud.

- Now graduated from college and out in the real world where it takes more than a cappella to get by, the Bellas return in Pitch Perfect 3, the next chapter in the beloved series. Featuring a cappella mash-ups and medleys from the upcoming Universal Pictures' film, the soundtrack from UMe/Republic is available on all formats here on December 15. Pitch Perfect 3 hits theaters nationwide on December 22. Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson headline the returning cast of Pitch Perfect 3, the follow-up to summer 2015's blockbuster hit that took the honor of highest-grossing live-action movie-musical opening of all time and a #1 soundtrack debut. The eagerly awaited next chapter is led by series producers Paul Brooks of Gold Circle Entertainment and Max Handelman & Elizabeth Banks of Brownstone Productions. The film is directed by Trish Sie (Step Up All In).

- Showtime is giving viewers an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the highly anticipated new drama The Chi. The series was created and is executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award®, Emmy and Golden Globe® winner Common (Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O) who also serves as showrunner. The Chi explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago. Showtime is releasing The Chi ahead of its on-air debut Sunday, January 7 at 10:00. Consumers can watch The Chi series premiere for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. In addition, the episode is available for free on computers through the SHOWTIME stand-alone service’s website showtime.com.

- Hulu released the season three trailer and key art for The Path. The first two episodes of the 13-episode season will launch on Wednesday, January 17th.


- Check out the behind the scenes featurette and first look photos of Hulu Original Limited Series The Looming Tower. The Looming Tower will premiere Wednesday, February 28 only on Hulu.


- On the heels of the State of the Union address, Showtime will premiere its new animated series Our Cartoon President. Executive produced by multiple Emmy® winner Stephen Colbert and his Late Show executive producer, Chris Licht, this new 10-episode parody will follow the tru-ish misadventures of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and his merry band of advisors and family members. R.J. Fried will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Tim Luecke will serve as lead animator and co-executive producer. Matt Lappin will serve as consulting producer. The half-hour series will debut Sunday, February 11 at 8:00 on Showtime, before the 9:00 season premiere of Homeland.


- When 10-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz, and finding a new life in America. Directed and produced by Emmy® winner Amy Schatz, the short film The Numbers on Great-Grandpa's Arm weaves in haunting historical footage and hand-painted animation to tell a heartbreaking story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before and during the Holocaust. The film, presented with the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, debuts Saturday, JAN. 27 (6:00-6:20 pm ET/PT), International Holocaust Remembrance Day, exclusively on HBO.

- Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul are celebrating the season with a very special holiday single. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight),” is out today, Friday, December 15th, at all digital music retailers and streaming services.

- To celebrate the Velvet Underground’s 50th anniversary, Verve Records/UMe is releasing The Velvet Underground, a limited-edition career-spanning box that collects all four of the pioneering band’s studio albums, Velvets collaborator Nico’s debut LP, Chelsea Girl, and a reconstruction of the fabled “lost” 1969 album, making it available on vinyl for the first time. The six albums housed in a special black slipcase will be pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and feature stereo mixes and meticulously reproduced original cover art. The box will also include an exclusive 48-page booklet, featuring vintage photos, lyrics and a new foreword penned by founding member Maureen “Moe” Tucker. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, the box set, which will be released February 23, is available for pre-order now exclusively at uDiscover.

- Rock Fuel Media is excited to announce the release of Live At Wembley from multi-Platinum and '80s icons CULTURE CLUB. A state-of-the-art DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD package, is out now via Cleopatra Records. The concert will be broadcast on TV in 2018, details of which will be announced soon.


- On February 2, 2018, Zappa Records/UMe will release The Roxy Performances, a definitive seven-CD box set that collects all four public shows from December 9-10, 1973, and the December 8th film shoot/soundcheck, each presented in their entirety for the first time, along with bonus content featuring rarities from a rehearsal, unreleased tracks and highlights from the Bolic Studios recording session. This complete collection, totaling nearly eight hours, documents the Roxy shows as they happened and presents brand new 2016 mixes by Craig Parker Adams from new 96K 24 Bit transfers of the multi-track masters. The set is rounded out with a 48-page booklet that includes photos from the performances, extensive liner notes by Vaultmeister Joe Travers, essays from Zappa family friend, Australian writer Jen Jewel Brown, and American singer/songwriter Dave Alvin, who give their firsthand recollections about the shows, and a selection of archival press reviews. Those who digitally pre-order the box set will receive an instant grat download of “RDNZL.” Culled from the very first show on December 9, the track is a live version of the classic song featuring the never-before-heard 2016 mix that exemplifies the sonics of the new box set. Pre-order The Roxy Performances now.

- Capstoning a year of celebrations for the documentary showcases' 30th anniversary, PBS television series POV is excited to announce its first-ever documentary marathon. Premiering on public television’s WORLD Channel, the binge-worthy marathon will showcase films from POV’s rich and diverse history of character-driven stories over a 24-hour period. Kicking off on New Year's Eve, the marathon will also run 30 films for 30 days on the POV streaming service at pov.org, pbs.org, and the PBS Anywhere app. POV is the longest running independent documentary series on American television. The marathon will also include the television premiere of the film 500 Years by Emmy-nominated and veteran POV filmmaker Pamela Yates, which will broadcast twice on January 1, 2018 at 8/7 p.m. Eastern Time and at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on the WORLD Channel. The film will also begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 1. 500 Years had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

- Just south of San Francisco lies a region that has spawned not just new products but whole new industries, from vacuum tubes to radio, microchips to personal computers, mobile devices, apps and social media. Home to Apple and Facebook, Intel and Google, there is simply no other place on earth that can rival its remarkable record of innovation. A new Science Channel three-part documentary series will provide a comprehensive look at the century-and-a-half history of this fascinating place, and reveal how and why it became such a fertile ground for technological breakthroughs. Silicon Valley: The Untold Story premieres Sunday, January 28 at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. It is produced with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA is serving as the community and education outreach partner on the series.

- Deck the halls with a boughs of jolly with Game Show Network's Fa La La La Feud Marathon! Beginning Saturday December 23rd, gather your friends and loved ones to watch Steve Harvey and the Feud families face off in 4 binge-worthy marathons through New Year's Day. Survey says your family will be filled with holiday cheer!

Saturday, December 23rd:
2:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th:
2:00pm – 1:00am ET
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25th &
Boxing Day, Tuesday, December 26th:
2:00pm – 11:00pm ET
New Year's Day, Monday, January 1st:
2:00pm – 10:00pm ET

Friday, December 15, 2017

Around the Tubes: 12/15/2017




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 Homeland, The Detour, Wu-Tang Clan, Kelsea Ballerini, Herbie Hancock, Full Frontal, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Noticias Telemundo, Kidding, and The Politics of Hate.

- Showtime has announced that the seventh season of the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning hit drama Homeland will kick off on Sunday, February 11 at 9:00. Starring Emmy, Screen Actors Guild® and Golden Globe winner Claire Danes and Emmy and Tony® winner Mandy Patinkin, the cast of series regulars also includes returning actors Elizabeth Marvel, Linus Roache, Maury Sterling and Jake Weber, and joining the cast this season is acclaimed actor Morgan Spector (Boardwalk Empire). The network’s top-rated drama series, Homeland is currently filming in Richmond, Virginia.


- Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll, Daniella Pineda and Laura Benanti. Season 3 finds the Parkers on the lam in Alaska. After months of running, the family finally finds a community of misfits and decides to settle down and start rebuilding their lives. But they’re not out of the woods, as the law isn’t far behind. While Nate and Robin learn to take on new roles in the family, Delilah starts to become a young woman. And Jareb...well he’s still Jareb. Well-intentioned, bad parenting is at its best in the Land of the Midnight Sun. The third season of The Detour premieres on Tuesday, January 23rd at 10:30.


- Revolutionary hip-hop outfit Wu-Tang Clan has joined forces with PledgeMusic to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed second release, Wu-Tang Forever. The group is commemorating the album's debut by offering fans exclusive packages, unreleased content, and limited-edition memorabilia. Fans can pre-order Wu-Tang Forever 20th anniversary packages on the group's PledgeMusic campaign page. The leaders in direct-to-fan platforms, PledgeMusic allows artists to get more personal with their fans, offering pledgers never-before-heard content and items not available anywhere else.

- Tune in Friday, December 15 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Kelsea Ballerini” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. Airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT the one-hour concert was shot live on location at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN in front of an adoring, sold-out crowd on the final U.S. date of her run on Lady Antebellum’s tour.

- When Herbie Hancock’s genre-defying River: The Joni Letters, won the 2007 Grammy® Award for “Album of the Year,” beating out Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters and Vince Gill, it was a victory for musical exploration, inspired musicianship and the kind of creative spirit that the legendary jazz musician has carried throughout his incredible and influential five-decade career. A true milestone, the album was only the second jazz recording to win the top honors in the award’s history, with the first being Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and João Gilberto in 1965, 43 years prior. The musical tribute to the iconic Joni Mitchell, which also won “Best Contemporary Jazz Album,” soared up the charts where it peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200. In celebration of the album’s first decade anniversary, River: The Joni Letters, will be released as a 2CD/digital expanded edition with four bonus tracks on December 15 via Verve Records/UMe with the digital release to follow on December 29. Last month, the album was released on vinyl for the first time in the U.S. Pre-order River: The Joni Letters here.

- No Moore! | Full Frontal on TBS. Alabamians dealt a blow to Republicans by narrowly deciding child molester was a bridge too far.


- TBS will premiere the first five seasons of the Golden Globe-winning and critically acclaimed police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, from Universal Television, beginning with the series pilot on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 7pm ET/PT. The show will air consecutive episodes every Thursday from 7-11pm ET/PT on TBS. Episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will also be available on the TBS app.

- Noticias Telemundo announced special news coverage on the conditions in Puerto Rico three months after Hurricane Maria, airing Wednesday, December 20 on “Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste” at 4 p.m./3 C and “Noticias Telemundo” newscast at 6:30 p.m./5:30 C. This special coverage will be led by “Al Rojo Vivo” host María Celeste Arrarás and Noticias Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart on-site in Puerto Rico, and will also be available via NoticiasTelemundo.com and Noticias Telemundo’s mobile app and Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp properties. “Noticias Telemundo will travel to Puerto Rico to provide a first-hand look at the state of recovery 90 days after the passage of Maria,” said Luis Fernández, Executive Vice President of Noticias Telemundo. “We’ll offer comprehensive coverage, including interviews with Puerto Rican officials, residents and celebrities, plus investigative segments and special reports.”

- This holiday season, celebrate with MythBusters as Science Channel airs every episode ever of the iconic series in chronological order. This year’s marathon is bigger than ever, starting with the very first myth – “Jet Assisted Chevy,” which premiered in 2003 – and ending with the latest myths from the new episodes MythBusters. The MythBusters Mega Merry-Thon begins Thursday, December 22 at 12am ET/PT to Wednesday, January 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by an all-new episode of MythBusters at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

- Showtime has announced that Oscar, Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Catherine Keener (Get Out) has been cast as a series regular in the upcoming Showtime half-hour comedy Kidding. The series stars Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey in his first series regular role in more than two decades and reunites him with Oscar winner Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), who will direct the project.

- Fresh from his recent success with the controversial 99%, Michael Perlman brings you The Politics of Hate which will be available on iTunes in December and on Amazon in January. The Politics of Hate, which partially benefits the Southern Poverty Law Center, offers the most up-to-date investigation on the rise and interconnection of the far-right across Europe and America and points to the support of Russia while examining Trump’s connection. The film features Christian Picciolini, a former leader of the American Nazi and White Supremacist Movement and the author of Romantic Violence. He candidly explores how he and hundreds of thousands of others are recruited and how he now works through his NGO Life After Hate, to pull people out of hate groups. The film also features Mark Potok from the Southern Poverty Law Center who is one of the world’s most notable experts on extremism. The film is complete with archival footage of the struggle with extremism in the U.S. from the 1920's straight through to Charlottesville.

- A2IM's CEO Richard James Burgess Speaks Out On FCC Net Neutrality Vote: "A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) is extremely disappointed in the FCC's decision today to repeal net neutrality rules. This decision will disadvantage all the small and medium-sized enterprises, including the ones that make up our membership, and will negatively affect innovation. This is a fundamentally anti-democratic action that will have unintended consequences for the American economy for decades to come." - Richard James Burgess, CEO A2IM

Friday, December 08, 2017

Around the Tubes: 12/8/2017




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 Tarantula, The Best of the Dean Marin Celebrity Roasts: Volumns 1-3!, POV, The Trade, Darius Rucker, Cash Cowboys, White Famous, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.


- In a network first, TBS is debuting a full-season binge of the highly anticipated new series Tarantula via the TBS app and TBS.com beginning, Monday, December 4th. The animated half-hour comedy is written and executive produced by Carson Mell (Silicon Valley) alongside executive producers Danny McBride (Vice Principals, Eastbound & Down), Jody Hill (Vice Principals, Eastbound & Down), Brandon James and David Gordon Green for Rough House Pictures, Claudia Katz and Gregg Vanzo for Rough Draft Animation.

- This fall, Dino goes digital with The Best of the Dean Marin Celebrity Roasts: Volumns 1-3! Never before released on any digital platform, the Roastmaster General will be available exclusively on iTunes beginning December 11, with three "Best of" compilation releases priced at $14.99; individual episodes will be available for $1.99 each. The classic TV archivists at Time Life will release additional digital content throughout 2018 and beyond.

- Capstoning a year of celebrations for the documentary showcases' 30th anniversary, PBS television series POV is excited to announce its first-ever documentary marathon. Premiering on public television’s WORLD Channel, the binge-worthy marathon will showcase films from POV’s rich and diverse history of character-driven stories over a 24-hour period. Kicking off on New Year's Eve, the marathon will also run 30 films for 30 days on the POV streaming service at pov.org, pbs.org, and the PBS Anywhere app. POV is the longest running independent documentary series on American television. The marathon will also include the television premiere of the film 500 Years by Emmy-nominated and veteran POV filmmaker Pamela Yates, which will broadcast twice on January 1, 2018 at 8/7 p.m. Eastern Time and at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on the WORLD Channel. The film will also begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 1. 500 Years had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The marathon will begin broadcasting on the WORLD Channel at 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, kicking off with the three-time Emmy-nominated American Promise, which received a top prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. The television marathon will continue until 10 p.m. on January 1, 2018.

- From Columbus, Ohio to Guerrero, Mexico and countless cities in between, the opioid epidemic has ravaged communities on both sides of the border. But what about the lives behind the headlines and statistics? The timely, provocative new five-episode SHOWTIME docu-series The Trade spotlights the crisis through the eyes of those most affected: the growers, addicts, cartel bosses and law enforcement hopelessly caught in its web. Directed and executive produced by Oscar nominee and Emmy® winner Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land) and executive produced by Oscar and Emmy nominee Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), The Trade will world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and debut on Friday, February 2 at 9:00 on Showtime.


- Tune in Friday, December 8 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Darius Rucker” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. Airing at 9:00 the one-hour concert was shot live from the iconic stage of the Apollo Theater in New York City. Darius performs hits spanning his country career---from his first country No. 1 single “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” to his most recent chart topper “If I Told You” off his just released fifth album When Was the Last Time (Capitol Records Nashville)--to crowd favorites from his career as lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish. During the concert, Darius brings Robert Randolph on stage for a duet on their “Love What You Do.” The pedal steel rock star stayed on stage transitioning into an Apollo-only-worth collaboration on “Hold My Hand.” As he celebrates this latest milestone and bucket list moment in his groundbreaking, multi-genre music career, Darius joins series host Ted Stryker for an intimate interview on the stage of the legendary Apollo Theater just before the sold-out show.

- Cash Cowboys, currently airing on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT on POP TV, features Colorado-based family, the Huwas, who are 21st Century Colorado cowboys, as they reclaim areas destroyed by naturally occurring disasters – from hurricanes to floods, tornadoes, fires, and more. A family that has had generations of working on the farm, the Huwas apply their knowledge, skill, values and disciplined work ethic to restore the damaged earth. The heart of the series is all about cowboy culture, and the spirit of the West – just as likely to be riding a five-ton bulldozer as a one-ton rodeo bull, a 200-horsepower excavator as a horse on the range. The show is about big equipment, tough terrain, bucking bulls, mother nature, and extreme deadlines that keep them on their toes. The stakes are high, and there is no room for error.

- Academy Award® winner and executive producer Jamie Foxx, who played an over-the-top, satirized version of himself in the pilot episode of White Famous, will reprise his role for the series’ season one finale airing this Sunday, December 10 at 10:30 on SHOWTIME. The episode finds Floyd Mooney (Jay Pharoah) coming full circle as his life is once again turned upside down due to a viral internet video. As the career opportunities start pouring in, Foxx comes calling to offer Floyd a chance of a lifetime.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today that it has licensed seasons 14 and 15 of iconic game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, with the show to air Monday through Friday at 3:00pm and 3:30pm ET beginning Monday, December 18. In addition, on Sunday, December 24, fans can catch a stacked marathon airing from 9:00am to 2:00pm ET.

- The King of Morocco Mohammed VI, as Chairman of the Committee Al Qods, sent a message to the President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, expressing his "deep concern as well as the inquietude of the people of the Arab and Muslim States" following the information about the decision of President Trump to "recognize Al-Qods as capital of Israel and to move there the Embassy of the United States ".

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Around the Tubes: 11/25/2017




I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Alienist, Wild ‘N Out, Maggie Lindemann, Lady Antebellum, The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, Panama's Animal Highway, and Meth Storm.

- The Alienist opens when a series of haunting murders of boy prostitutes grips New York City. Newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) calls upon criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are joined by Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), a headstrong secretary determined to become the city's first female police detective. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and forensics, this band of social outsiders set out to apprehend one of New York City's first serial killers. The limited series also stars Douglas Smith, Matthew Shear, Matt Lintz, Robert Ray Wisdom and Q'orianka Kilcher. The Alienist premieres across TNT’s television, mobile and digital platforms on Monday, January 22nd, at 9:00.


- For the 10TH SEASON of Wild ‘N Out Nick Cannon and his world class crew of comedians and freestylers will be taking their hit show to Brooklyn! Over the years Wild ‘N Out has curated one of the most impressive arsenals of comedians and entertainers in the game. Mike Epps, Kevin Hart, Kat Williams, Mikey Day, Pete Davidson, DeRay Davis and more all started as Wild ‘N Out cast members. Each episode puts two teams, comprised mostly of seasoned vets, against each other in some of the most hilarious, entertaining and sometimes outlandish games seen on TV. Nick Cannon will lead his team against a celebrity-led squad and the two teams will try to best each other in ridiculous comic throw downs. These throw downs escalate with each act, all gearing up toward the main event: the “Wildstyle battle” to decide who takes home the coveted WNO battle belt. The show premieres on Thursday, November 30th with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 11:00 on MTV.

- Multi-platinum recording artist, Maggie Lindemann continues to prove that she is one of music’s newest pop heroines. The 19 year old artist lands today with her new single “Obsessed” (via 300 Entertainment)— a glittering pop gem infused with tropical synths and saccharine melodies.

- On Friday, November 24, AT&T* AUDIENCE Network will present the broadcast premiere of a special concert and documentary event with seven-time GRAMMY award-winning trio Lady Antebellum via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW. The two-hour show, titled Lady Antebellum: YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR starts live at 8:00 and gives viewers full access to personal interviews and a never-before-seen televised concert packed with their biggest chart-topping hits and new favorites. The show was recorded live at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena--on the last official North American stop of the tour, which spanned over 60 shows this year and coincided with the release of their sixth studio album HEART BREAK.

- For nineteen months, American families were glued to their TV screens watching the saga of the kidnapped Patricia “Patty” Campbell Hearst as she turned from an American heiress to the automatic machine gun toting urban guerilla fugitive named Tania. Hear the inside story straight from Patty herself in The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, which features footage of her first interview following her release, first-hand audio tapes of the kidnappers and rediscovered news footage to reexamine the story that held a nation in thrall. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst airs this Sunday, November 26 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Smithsonian Channel’s Wild Wednesday lineup takes viewers on a journey of extremes, from the rugged beauty of South Dakota’s Badlands to the tropical jungles of Panama, to meet some of the amazing animals that call these locations home. While an extraordinary assortment of creatures migrate thousands of miles to escape to warmer weather, others must stick it out through the brutal winter. All of these animals have one thing in common: the struggle to survive. Get a closer look at the challenges these animals face on Smithsonian Channel with the premiere of Panama's Animal Highway on Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00 and America's Badlands on Wednesday, December 20 at 8:00.

- Today, 90% of the methamphetamine consumed in America comes over the border from Mexico in the form of a superdrug called ICE. As drug enforcement agents battle sophisticated cartels, poor, rural users, dealers and families are caught in the middle. Featuring extensive access to law enforcement, Meth Storm tells the story of rural, economically-disadvantaged users and dealers whose addiction to ICE and lack of job opportunities have landed them in an endless cycle of poverty and incarceration, and follows police and DEA agents struggling to stop the cartels. Debuting this MONDAY, NOV. 27 (10:00–11:40 p.m. ET/PT), this timely presentation is both a cautionary tale and a high-stakes drama told from inside the war on drugs. The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Around the Tubes: 11/17/2017



I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Chi, Rachel Platten, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings, Tears For Fears, Survival in the Skies: Space Suits, Ella Fitzgerald, Sigrid, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul, Meth Storm, Megnify, Teyana & Iman, and GSN marathons.

- Showtime has released the full trailer and the official poster art for the highly-anticipated drama series The Chi, created and executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Common (Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O) who also serves as showrunner. The series, which explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago, premieres on Sunday, January 7 at 10:00.


- Tune in Friday, November 10 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special "Rachel Platten" on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.Airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT theone-hourconcert features the multi-platinum, EMMY award-winning pop star Rachel Platten. Shot on location in Los Angeles in ultra high-definition 4K, Rachel performs all the hits and joins series host Ted Stryker for an intimate look at her career.

- Oso Studios and Facebook today announced the premiere of Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings, an original unscripted series on minor league baseball hosted by the comedy icons. The ten-episode digital series debuts on Facebook Watch on Monday, November 20 with new episodes available weekly on Mondays. People can add the show to their watchlist by following the Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s Extra Innings Show Page.

- Following a sold-out summer arena tour highlighted by their triumphant UK return in front of 65,000-plus fans as s pecial guests of The Killers during British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park, Tears For Fears - Roland Orzabal [vocals, guitar, keyboards] and Curt Smith [vocals, bass, keyboards] - close out 2017 with the release of their first career-spanning Greatest Hits album, Rule The World. The collection arrives everywhere November 10, 2017 on UMe. It's available for pre-order at the band's official site now.

- Every day, pilots and astronauts face life-or-death situations when they risk their lives to test the capabilities of physics and science. With limited time, harsh conditions and the pressure of survival, they must do everything they can to make it back on the ground safely. Survival in the Skies tells the stories behind incredible pieces of space and aviation technology, from the invention of the parachute to the development of space suits. The series features stories of the people who created these amazing breakthroughs and the men and women who relied on them when their survival hung in the balance. The premiere episode, Survival in the Skies: Space Suits, airs Tuesday, November 28 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Verve Records and UMe will close out their year-long celebration of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald’s centennial with the ultimate present for her 100th birthday – a completely unreleased live album. More than 60 years after it was recorded, Ella At Zardi’s will finally be released on CD and digital on December 1. WBGO, the global leader in jazz radio, premiered the album’s opening track, “It All Depends on You,” both on the air and at WBGO.org, with an accompanying article. The song, popularized by Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, was never released on any of Fitzgerald’s albums, making this a truly rare performance. Listen at WBGO.

- In the past nine months, Sigrid has gone from unknown to one of the most exceptional breakout artists of 2017. Sigrid’s rise has been unrivaled; from releasing her acclaimed debut Don’t Kill My Vibe EP, which has amassed over 100M global streams – to playing multiple festivals worldwide and being chosen as Apple’s Up Next Artist, all in less than a year. Now Sigrid releases the mighty ‘Strangers’, produced by Martin Sjolie, the dream pairing behind ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’. With lyrics of steel, meandering melodies and stark honesty, ‘Strangers’ embodies the natural, sincere talent Sigrid has become renowned for. Watch the lyric video to the track HERE.

- A concert special from Grammy® Award-winning superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul will premiere on Friday, November 17 at 9:00 on Showtime, on-air, on demand and over the internet. The special was shot over the summer in the U.S. on this year’s Soul2Soul The World Tour. Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul is directed and executive produced by the award-winning Magical Elves production team of Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Katy Perry: Part of Me). The tour documentary includes live performances from their Soul2Soul tour, as well as unprecedented access to Tim and Faith, with never-before-seen interviews and behind-the-scenes footage capturing their unmatched chemistry on and off the stage.

- Today, 90% of the methamphetamine consumed in America comes over the border from Mexico in the form of a superdrug called ICE. As drug enforcement agents battle sophisticated cartels, poor, rural users, dealers and families are caught in the middle. Featuring extensive access to law enforcement, Meth Storm tells the story of rural, economically-disadvantaged users and dealers whose addiction to ICE and lack of job opportunities have landed them in an endless cycle of poverty and incarceration, and follows police and DEA agents struggling to stop the cartels. Debuting Monday, NOV. 27 at 10:00, this timely presentation is both a cautionary tale and a high-stakes drama told from inside the war on drugs. The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

- FOX Sports Films is excited to present Megnify, a new feature-length documentary series, leveraging sports as a lens for examining important cultural stories. The films’ deep explorations of athletes’ on and off-the-field journeys connect to the challenges, change and unity that sports can bring to communities. “This commitment to deeper storytelling – pointing the cameras where they’re needed most -- diversifies our voice and gets audiences thinking about sports in a broader context beyond wins and losses,” says Charlie Dixon, EVP, Content at FOX Sports. “The aim is to create dialogue and hopefully affect change in the communities where these stories are told.” The first documentary in the series is “89 Blocks” (82 minutes) airing Sunday, November 26 on FOX. The film, executive produced by Time Inc.’s SPORTS ILLUSTRATED with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s UNINTERRUPTED, brings an authentic perspective to the story of the East St. Louis High School Flyers football team -- the pride and joy of a complex, at-risk Illinois community. This look at their exceptional challenges and heartwarming triumph during the 2016 season is directed by Emmy winner Josh Oshinsky.

- VH1 today announced the new series Teyana & Iman will premiere Monday, February 19 at 10PM ET/PT. The eight, 30-minute episodes will provide an intimate look into newlyweds Teyana Taylor, a trend-setting singer, dancer, model and actress, and Iman Shumpert, a professional athlete, musician, dedicated father and loving husband.

- Celebrate Thanksgiving with a GSN marathon! Gather the family ‘round to watch game show favorites The $25,000 Pyramid, The Chase, and Family Feud while you're waiting for (or digesting) that delicious turkey.
Thanksgiving Day Marathons, Thursday November 23rd:
8:00am - 12:00pm – The $25,000 Pyramid
12:00pm - 7:00pm – The Chase
7:00pm - 11:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
And the fun doesn't stop once the pumpkin pie has run out - come back on Friday, Nov. 24th and Saturday, Nov. 25th for more mini-marathons including Match Game, Cash Cab, and more Steve Harvey.
Friday November 24th Marathon:
8:00am - 12:00pm – Match Game
12:00pm -11:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
Saturday November 25th Marathon:
11:00am - 4:00pm – Cash Cab
4:00pm - 8:00pm – Family Feud (Harvey)
8:00pm - 11:00pm – The Chase

Friday, November 10, 2017

Around the Tubes: 11/10/2017



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 Shut Eye, POV, Superstition, The Detour, The Mindy Project, The Alienist, Shameless. Foo Fighters, Chuck Berry, N.E.R.D., Billy Idol, Diana Ross, Aly and AJ, Nickelback.

- Check out the official trailer for the second season of the Hulu original drama series Shut Eye. All 10 episodes of Season 2 premiere Wednesday, Dec. 6 only on Hulu.


- Iraq veterans Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, haunted by combat experiences, decided to distance themselves from their demons by taking a 2,700 mile walk from Milwaukee to Santa Barbara, seeking redemption, acceptance and a way to close the deep moral chasm opened by war. That trek is the centerpiece of Almost Sunrise, a new film by director Michael Collins and Producer Marty Syjuco, whose Emmy-nominated "Give Up Tomorrow" aired on PBS in 2012. Almost Sunrise debuts on POV and all streaming devices Monday, November 13, 2017 at 10 p.m. (check local listings).

- Superstition centers around the Hastings family, owners of the only funeral home in the mysterious town of La Rochelle, Georgia. The family also acts as the keepers of the town’s dark secrets and history. Known for its haunted houses, elevated graveyards, odd townsfolk, and rich history of unusual phenomena, the town is also a “landing patch” for the world’s darkest manifestations of fear, guided into the world by an ancient, mysterious malefactor. XLrator Media’s Barry Gordon and MVPTV’s Mario Van Peebles (“Roots,” “Bloodline,” “Hand of God,” “Empire,” “Lost”) will produce, and Van Peebles will also write, direct and star in some of the episodes. Joel Anderson Thompson (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Boomtown,” “House M.D.”) has been tapped as showrunner and Laurence Andries (“Alias,” “Six Feet Under,” “Supernatural,” “The Pacific”) will executive produce. Episode 104 - "Through the Looking Glass" - Airs Friday, November 10 at 10:00 on SYFY.

- Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll, Daniella Pineda and Laura Benanti. Season 3 finds the Parkers on the lam in Alaska. After months of running, the family finally finds a community of misfits and decides to settle down and start rebuilding their lives. But they’re not out of the woods, as the law isn’t far behind. While Nate and Robin learn to take on new roles in the family, Delilah starts to become a young woman. And Jareb...well he’s still Jareb. Well intentioned, bad parenting at its best in the Land of the Midnight Sun.


- In the series finale of The Mindy Project, Streaming 11/14, Mindy’s fertility practice is in danger and Annette’s (Rhea Perlman) upcoming surgery looms large. While Mindy and Danny (Chris Messina) wait for word on the surgery, Mindy attends Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) and Tamra’s (Xosha Roquemore) dream wedding, where she and the rest of the Shulman gang try to find their own happy endings.

- Twenty-three years after its original release, Random House is republishing the Anthony Award-winning international bestseller, The Alienist, by Caleb Carr, available in bookstores nationwide on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The novel sold millions of copies after spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list. Turner's TNT will tap into the critically-acclaimed novel with the eagerly anticipated premiere of its original series, The Alienist, which is slated to premiere on Monday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 across TNT platforms.

- On the heels of Sunday’s eighth season premiere, which delivered 50 percent year-over-year growth, Showtime has given a ninth season order to Shameless. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

- Multi-Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters delivers an electrifying, historic performance at the famed Odeon of Herodes Atticus from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, in the latest installment of Landmarks Live in Concert for THIRTEEN’s Foo Fighters – LANDMARKS Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special. Captured this past July, Foo Fighters – LANDMARKS Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special premieres nationwide Friday, November 10 at 10:00 on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS OTT apps.

- Geffen/UMe will pay tribute to the immortal spirit of Chuck Berry, who would have turned 91 last month, with the ultimate vinyl version of his landmark greatest hits compilation, The Great Twenty-Eight, as it celebrates its 35th anniversary, with The Great Twenty-Eight: Super Deluxe Edition. On December 15, the album will be released as a limited edition five-disc box set on ‘Chess Blue’ vinyl, limited to only 500 copies worldwide and available exclusively via UDiscoverMusic.com. A wide release standard black vinyl edition will be available next year on January 26, 2018.

- The beats of “Lemon,” the surprising new single from Pharrell Williams’ N.E.R.D. band, are now freely available for all music-makers to play and adapt in ROLI’s NOISE app. Breaking the mold of the traditional soundpack, “Lemon by N.E.R.D” is a “Studiopack” that deconstructs the song into easy-to-use sonic elements that anyone can build back up and take in their own creative direction. Simply touching the screen of a smartphone or tablet brings the song’s sounds to life. Explore the pack today in NOISE, the free music creation app from ROLI.

- There are many who would agree that classic jazz from the 1950s and '60s sounds best when played on the medium it was originally intended for - namely, the vinyl LP. With that in mind, UMe is proud to present three vinyl box sets via Verve Records focusing on key albums from three of jazz's biggest and most influential stars from its golden era: singers Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington, together with tenor saxophone sensation, Stan Getz. Available December 8, each box set contains five of the artists' most popular and enduring albums mastered on 180-gram vinyl, and presented in authentic period sleeves that reproduce the original artwork. For those who prefer CD, the collections will be available on December 15.

- UMe and punk rock icon Billy Idol celebrate several of his best-loved works with newly remastered vinyl reissues of Idol’s first two solo LPs, Billy Idol and Rebel Yell, plus the expansive double-LP greatest-hits collection Idolize Yourself: The Very Best of Billy Idol. Each release is available beginning November 3rd on high-quality vinyl with faithfully reproduced iconic original album art.

- Diana Ross’ NEW album release, Diamond Diana: The Legacy Collection, is a memorable music journey that celebrates her iconic legacy. The 15-song collection contains some of her biggest hit recordings of her career and will be released digitally on November 17 through Motown/UMe. Diamond Diana: The Legacy Collection also includes as a special gift to her fans an exciting new dance club remix of her #1 hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

- Today, the duo arrive with Aly and AJ's staggering next installment, I Know, a glittering ode to friendship. From the opening moments, we're greeted with effortless vocals layered over saccharine synths that build to a climactic finish, complete with booming 80's-inspired 808 drums. "I Know" is the second song from their forthcoming EP, "Ten Years," due for release November 17, 2017, their first musical release in a decade. Their new direction is startlingly honest and a bold statement sonically. With their signature sound at the core of each track, the duo have experimented with wistful synths and breathy vocals that are teaming with a restless energy that is impossible to ignore.

- After a nearly seven-year absence from Las Vegas, multi-platinum, chart-topping rock band, Nickelback, is returning to Sin City for an impressive five-night run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Monster Truck will open all five shows. The limited run is made even more special with the announcement that these shows will be the only North American dates scheduled in 2018. Nickelback released their highly anticipated ninth studio album Feed The Machine, which debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard charts and recently completed a packed 45-city tour this past summer. Following their Vegas run, Nickelback will embark on the International leg of the Feed The Machine Tour throughout the remainder of 2018 (dates to be announced soon). The Las Vegas shows are scheduled for February 23, 24, 27 and March 2 and 3, 2018. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. PT.

Friday, November 03, 2017

Around the Tubes: 11/3/2017


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 POV, The Librarians, Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials, Lavell Crawford, Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis, The Wallflowers, Fuse, Cimorelli, Winsanity, and The Secret World of Animal Sleep.

- Iraq veterans Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, haunted by combat experiences, decided to distance themselves from their demons by taking a 2,700 mile walk from Milwaukee to Santa Barbara, seeking redemption, acceptance and a way to close the deep moral chasm opened by war. That trek is the centerpiece of Almost Sunrise, a new film by director Michael Collins and Producer Marty Syjuco, whose Emmy-nominated "Give Up Tomorrow" aired on PBS in 2012. Almost Sunrise debuts on POV and all streaming devices Monday, November 13, 2017 at 10:00 (check local listings).

- TNT is moving the launch of its hugely popular fantasy series The Librarians to a new date. Season four will now have a one-episode premiere on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 8:00. Based on TNT's hit movie franchise, The Librarians centers on an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth and John Harlan Kim star in the series as protectors of the world's mystical treasures, with Emmy® winner John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. Noah Wyle (Falling Skies, ER) recurs in seven of twelve episodes this season as Flynn Carsen, the role he played in TNT's hit movie trilogy.

- Bob Hope, America's greatest entertainer of the 20th century, is celebrated in Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials, the most complete collection of his television specials ever assembled! The TV DVD archivists at Time Life have selected the very best of Hope's 250 network specials spanning five decades, many in support of the U.S. Armed Forces, for this ultimate boxed set. Celebrating the legendary and beloved entertainer's legacy, this one-of-a-kind collection is packed with comedy, music, dancing, movie stars, and, of course, Bob's memorable monologues all perfect for wholesome family viewing. Across 19 DVDs, fans will find more than 37 hours of specials, including 20 that have not been seen since their original broadcast. Available in stores November 14.

- Lavell Crawford is Home for the Holidays in his new one-hour stand-up comedy special premiering Friday, November 3 at 10:00 on Showtime on air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed at The Pageant in his hometown of St. Louis, the endearing funnyman taps into his family experiences growing up poor, offering his hysterical take on a multitude of holiday-related topics such as Black Friday, Christmas lists, “Trick or Treat,” BBQs on the 4th, homemade Easter outfits, Mother’s Day guilt and his family’s rendition of a Disneyland vacation.


- On Sunday, November 12 at 9:0, Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis airs on Smithsonian Channel, recounting the events of July 30, 1945, when the ship was sailing west towards the Philippines, after completing a secret mission delivering atomic bomb parts to an island in the Pacific. At 12:14 a.m. two torpedoes hit the ship, causing approximately 300 men to go down with it and leaving about 900 floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats, lifejackets, food or water. By the time the survivors are spotted by accident, four days later, only 317 men are still alive. Make it out Alive: USS Indianapolis offers an exclusive interview with Edgar, who speaks about his experiences from that day and the challenges he faced.

- On November 3, Interscope/UMe will celebrate the 15th anniversary of alt-rock stalwarts The Wallflowers’ fourth album Red Letter Days with a 2 LP vinyl reissue. Two versions of the album will be made available on wax: standard-weight black vinyl, and a special limited edition on semi-transparent red vinyl with black smoke marbling.

- Tuesdays are Fusedays… On Tuesday, November 7 beginning at 10:00, tune in to Fuse to catch the epic one-hour season six finale of Big Freedia Bounces Back as Freedia takes over Las Vegas. Can Freedia outrun the drama she left behind in New Orleans before it threatens to ruin Freedia’s reputation and show? Plus, don’t miss the series premiere of Trivial Takedown featuring two back-to-back new episodes. YouTube sensation GloZell battles it out against comedian Chico Bean to identify music and pop culture icons at 11:00 while Romeo Miller goes head-to-head to with singer Lizzo at 11:30 to determine who will be the music and pop culture trivia champion. After, enter the world of Social Frabric at midnight where clothing, culture, and style weave a fascinating story about who we are. In the premiere episode, designer Kyle Ng meets up with soul singer Mayer Hawthorne to uncover why, when it comes to hats, the fedora is king. And at 12:30am, Ng takes viewers on a vibrant and colorful journey across the globe to examine plaid, a pattern that crosses cultures and continents.

- A vocal harmony group consisting of 6 sisters (ages 17 – 27), Cimorelli has gone from homeschooled kids living in a small town outside of Sacramento, CA to touring the world, winning a Teen Choice award, and accruing over 4 million subscribers on YouTube with over 1 billion views. This past Friday, October 27th, Cimorelli released their new album Sad Girls Club, a collection of songs that are a reaction to fan letters which voiced experiences with depression, eating disorders and domestic discord

- The all new Winsanity, hosted by actor Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), will return for a second season airing weeknights at 5:00 starting Monday, November 27. Winsanity, which debuted in June 2016, was watched by nearly 13.5 million viewers during its initial 40-episode run. Changes to the show in season two include a new set, as well as a new format, with two contestants (instead of one) competing against each other for the $10,000 prize. However, the show continues to offer the opportunity for prizes to be won not only by the contestants but also by the studio audience.

- Siestas are key, especially in the fast-paced lives of some of the world’s most active animals. The fascinating sleeping habits of the animal kingdom hint at a complexity humans are only just beginning to unlock. From birds that take micro-naps mid-flight to dolphins who half-snooze while underwater, Smithsonian Earth examines the myriad ways animals sleep with the new animated, short-form series, The Secret World of Animal Sleep. Narrated by journalist and science communicator Cara Santa Maria, this new series offers a captivating glimpse into the way animals restore energy and get ready for their next day or night on the prowl – all through a series of beautiful picture-book, hand-drawn animations. The premiere episode, Sleepless on the Savanna, is now available for free at SmithsonianEarthTV.com/Sleep. The five additional episodes will be available on Smithsonian Earth tomorrow, November 3rd.

- After carrying Indiana by 19 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election, President Trump now has greater disapproval than approval among Hoosiers, says the Old National Bank/Ball State University 2017 Hoosier Survey. In the telephone survey of 600 adult Hoosiers, only 41percent of respondents approved of the job Trump is doing as president, compared to 45 percent who disapproved. Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, is considered a red state. “These survey results add to the evidence that the president’s approval has slipped a great deal since January,” said Chad Kinsella, a political science professor and survey analyst at the Bowen Center for Public Affairs, which conducts the annual public opinion survey.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Around the Tubes: 10/27/2017


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 SMILF, Marvel’s Runaways, Lionel Richie, The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst, Origin of Everything, Conan, Polar Bear Town, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and Ray Donovan.

- Showtime is giving viewers an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the network’s new half-hour comedy SMILF. The series, created, starring and executive produced by Frankie Shaw, is based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name. At the end of the episode, Showtime is offering fans a sneak peek of an exclusive scene from the season eight premiere of the network’s No. 1 comedy Shameless. Showtime is releasing SMILF early, ahead of its on-air debut Sunday, November 5 at 10:00, following the 9 p.m. ET/PT season premiere of the SHAMELESS. Consumers can watch the SMILF series premiere for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. In addition, the episode is available for free on the Showtime stand-alone service’s website showtime.com.

- Hulu has released the trailer for Marvel’s Runaways. The first three episodes of the 10-episode season will premiere on Tuesday, November 21st.


- On December 8, Motown/UMe will release three historic albums on vinyl from one of the most successful solo artists in Pop/R&B crossover history, Lionel Richie. This mega-platinum album triple-play — 1982’s Lionel Richie, 1983’s Can’t Slow Down, and 1985’s Dancing On The Ceiling — sealed the recent Kennedy Center Honoree’s legacy as one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the modern era, in the wake of his 1982 departure from the lineup of one of Motown’s biggest artists of the Seventies, the Commodores.

- On February 4, 1974, 19-year-old Patricia “Patty” Hearst was kidnapped from her Berkeley, California apartment. Because she was the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, Patty’s kidnapping left authorities confounded and the American public glued to its television screens watching the saga of an abducted American heiress unfold. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst tells the inside story, without interviews or narration, utilizing Hearst’s own voice recordings, footage of her first interview following her release and first-hand audio tapes of the kidnappers. In addition, rediscovered news footage allows viewers to experience all of the confusion, fear and absurdity that held a nation in thrall for 19 months. The Lost Tapes: Patty Hearst premieres Sunday, November 26 at 9:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- The newest episode of PBS Digital Studios' Origin of Everything, focuses on an urban legend we've all heard: tainted Halloween candy. How many times did your mom warn you about that razor blade in the apple? Well turns out, there's a pretty interesting backstory to these legends and we're here to share. The episode also dives into the origins of trick or treating for candy. Why do we encourage kids to show up at strangers houses, begging for candy and, more importantly, what does the answer have to do with V for Vendetta? Check out the new episode here.

- TBS's late-night series Conan is heading back to New York City for the second year in a row for a week of shows from Harlem’s Apollo Theater Monday, November 6 – Thursday, November 9. Conan from the Apollo will run in conjunction with The 14th annual New York Comedy Festival which runs November 7 – 12, 2017. During the week in New York City, Conan will feature the following guests:

Monday, November 6: Stephen Colbert
Tuesday, November 7: Keegan-Michael Key and comedian Jon Dore
Wednesday, November 8: Features comedian Jack Whitehall
Thursday, November 9: The cast of Daddy’s Home 2: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow and Linda Cardellini

- Every fall, approximately 10,000 tourists from around the world descend on the tiny, isolated town of Churchill, Manitoba. Known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World,” visitors gather in Churchill to see the annual migration of more than 1,000 polar bears that pass through town. Smithsonian Channel’s docu-series Polar Bear Town follows this extraordinary intersection of humans and the “Lords of the Arctic,” as they collide in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways. This three-episode second season premieres Wednesday, November 22 at 8:00.

- Showtime is developing a television series adaptation of The Kingkiller Chronicle, executive produced by Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Grammy® and Emmy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), with acclaimed producer John Rogers (Leverage, The Player) serving as showrunner. Miranda will also compose music for the series, which is based on Patrick Rothfuss’s global bestselling contemporary fantasy trilogy. Produced by Lionsgate, The Kingkiller Chronicle will be executive produced by Rogers, Miranda, Rothfuss, Robert Lawrence (Clueless, Die Hard with a Vengeance) and Jennifer Court (The Player).

- Showtime has ordered a sixth season of its hit drama series Ray Donovan, starring multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight in his Golden Globe winning role. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Around the Tubes: 10/20/2017


I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Alienist, War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend, The Chi, Muddy Waters, Foo Fighters, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson, Baboon King, Lions Unleashed, Tiger on the Run, Trivial Takedown, Five Points, and Your Honor.

- Turner's TNT will take viewers into the darkest corners of New York City during the Gilded Age with the eagerly anticipated series The Alienist based on the Anthony Award-winning international bestseller by Caleb Carr. Set in 1896 amidst a backdrop of vast wealth, extreme poverty and technological innovation, this psychological thriller stars Daniel Brühl (Rush), Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train), Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) and Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker). The Alienist is slated to premiere on Monday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 across TNT platforms.


- War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend will premiere on HBO on Monday, November 13 at 8:00. Beginning on Veteran’s Day, Saturday November 11, two days prior to the official HBO Debut, the documentary will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and affiliate portals. Synopsis: From executive producer Channing Tatum and director Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) comes a deeply personal documentary that highlights the intimate relationship between U.S. Special Operations soldiers and their K9s that serve together as human/animal teams in combat. Less than 1% of all military K9s are selected for Special Operations. Layka, Mika and Pepper serve side by side with their handlers on the front lines. Dedicated, fearless, highly-trained, these canines and Special Operations forces are cut from the same cloth and forged to be human-animal teams under the most grueling selection courses known, in order to develop an unbreakable bond and lethal fighting capability. Communication travels up and down the leash in a nameless language. This is a world where the two-legged and four-legged warriors are considered equal members of a team. A team built on loyalty, sacrifice and love that blurs the line between human and animal.

- Showtime will kick off 2018 with the premiere of its new one-hour drama series, The Chi, created and executive produced by Emmy® winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Common (John Wick 2, Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O). Reid also serves as showrunner. The series, which explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago, will premiere on Sunday, January 7 at 10:00.


- Few pieces of art have been as influential as Muddy Waters’ seminal debut album The Best of Muddy Waters, a humble piece of vinyl released by an upstart label in 1958 that served as The Big Bang for rock ‘n’ roll and the ensuing half century of modern popular culture. On November 10, Geffen/UMe will celebrate the forthcoming 60th anniversary of Waters’ first album by reissuing The Best of Muddy Waters on vinyl in original mono for the first time in 30 years while also making it available for download and streaming for the first time ever, giving new and familiar listeners a reminder of the bluesman’s truly incandescent music. Preorder The Best Of Muddy Waters here.

- Multi-Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters delivers an electrifying, historic performance at the famed Odeon of Herodes Atticus from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, in the latest installment of LANDMARKS Live in Concert for THIRTEEN’s Great Performances. Captured this past July, Foo Fighters – LANDMARKS Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special premieres nationwide Friday, November 10 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS OTT apps.

- For the first time, all of Fitzgerald and Armstrong’s classic duets are in one place: Cheek To Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings, a new 4CD and digital set will be available November 10. Part of Ella 100, Verve Records/UMe’s yearlong celebration of Fitzgerald’s centennial, the 75-track collection gathers their three timeless Verve albums – newly remastered versions of Ella and Louis, Ella and Louis Again and Porgy and Bess – along with all of their Decca singles, live recordings from Jazz at the Hollywood Bowl, recorded as a warmup for Ella and Louis, plus several alternates and false starts from the Decca and Verve eras, illuminating their craft and good humor. Cheek To Cheek also includes unreleased material: “The Memphis Blues,” with Bing Crosby, from his radio show; several takes of Armstrong’s solo showcase, “Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess;” and an instrumental mix of “Red-Headed Woman.” The comprehensive collection is rounded out with extensive essay by Ricky Riccardi, the world’s leading authority on Armstrong, plus detailed annotations and rare images from the archives. Preorder Cheek To Cheek here.

- Twenty-five years after THE SIMPSONS’ “Homer at the Bat” originally aired, America’s favorite family once again forays into America’s favorite pastime. In advance of the network’s 20th year broadcasting the World Series, FOX Sports today announced that a comedic “Simpsonized” documentary, Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson, will air adjacent to regional NFL broadcasts on Sunday, Oct. 22 on FOX. The World Series presented by YouTube TV begins Tuesday, October 24 on FOX.

- In the wild, survival of the fittest is the only strategy that prevails, proving across all species who is most fit to be on top. Smithsonian Channel’s new Wild Wednesday lineup showcases the battles these animals must face to prove their dominance and protect themselves, their family and the land that they live on. Whether on the outskirts of the Ethiopian highlands or navigating through villages of India, all three predators learn how to adapt in the new environments where they are placed. Explore these incredible stories on Smithsonian Channel with the premieres of Baboon King on Wednesday, October 18 at 8:00, Lions Unleashed on Wednesday, November 8 at 8:00, and Tiger on the Run on Wednesday, November 15 at 8:00.

- Fuse has announced a Tuesday, November 7 premiere date for Trivial Takedown, a new original pop culture game show based on the popular UK series Blink. Each episode of Trivial Takedown will feature two celebrity contestants competing head-to-head to identify music and pop culture icons, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. The series will debut with back-to-back episodes beginning at 11:00p and 11:30p, before resuming its regular 11:00p Tuesday night slot. Fuse will provide a mobile-web based second screen experience of this highly interactive fast-paced game that provides fans with the opportunity to test their own music and pop culture knowledge with live polls, trivia and on-screen leaderboards. This season features some of today's hottest celebrities, musical artists and a cast of influencers including rapper Kid Ink, Flula Borg, Frankie Grande, GloZell, Mamrie Hart, Omarion, Brittany Furlan, Gina Brillon, Romeo Miller, Tim Delaghetto, Justine Marino, Kingsley, Ayo & Teo, Sevyn Streeter and Chico Bean.


- Facebook has just announced that Indigenous Media and Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street have brought together an award-winning team to produce Five Points, an original dramatic series created and written by Adam Giaudrone (Being Mary Jane, Black Lightning) for Watch, Facebook’s new platform for shows. Five Points is about five students at a South Side Chicago high school who each experience a life changing event from a different point of view. It will take each of their unique perspectives to understand the truth. The ten-episode series begins production this week.

- Showtime has made a series commitment to Your Honor, which will be executive produced and written by BAFTA winner Peter Moffat – whose Criminal Justice served as the basis for The Night Of – and executive produced by Emmy Award nominees Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife). Liz Glotzer (The Good Fight, BrainDead, The Shawshank Redemption), Alon Aranya and Rob Golenberg (Hostages, Betrayal) of Scripted World will also serve as executive producers. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Around the Tubes: 10/13/2017


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 SMILF, Castle Rock, Scared Famous, Shut Eye, Street Science, Marvel’s Runaways, I Love You, America, and Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film.

- Showtime has released the trailer for the upcoming comedy series SMILF, created, starring and executive produced by Frankie Shaw and based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name. Shaw also wrote the pilot. The new eight-episode, half-hour SHOWTIME comedy is a raw, honest look at the life of a 20-something single mom from quadruple threat Shaw. SMILF will premiere on Sunday, November 5 at 10:00, following the 9:00 season eight premiere of the Showtime hit series Shameless.


- A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King's best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. The series stars André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Sissy Spacek, Billy Skarsgård, Jane Levy and Scott Glenn.


- VH1’s new competition series Scared Famous, featuring Redman as the “Master of Scare-a-Monies,” premieres Monday, October 23rd at 9:00. Please click to see the supertrailer…if you dare.

- Check out the official teaser trailer for Hulu's upcoming second season of Shut Eye starring Jeffrey Donovan, KaDee Strickland, Isabella Rossellini and Angus Sampson. All episodes premiere Wednesday, Dec. 6 only on Hulu.


- Kevin Delaney, known to millions as the science expert on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, is back to build, execute, and nail the science behind larger-than-life experiments when a new season of Science Channel’s Street Science returns. Combining scientific method with humor and curiosity, Kevin brings mind-blowing experiments out of the lab and onto the streets to show how relevant science is to our everyday lives. The second season of Street Science, comprised of 14 half-hour episodes, begins on Wednesday, November 15 at 10:00.

- Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe – their parents. The 10-episode series premieres Tuesday, November 21st.


- From inciting treason to telling poop jokes, Sarah Silverman has created her fair share of online chatter. With I Love You, America, she's looking to connect with people who may not agree with her personal opinions through honesty, humor,genuine interest in others, and not taking herself too seriously. While it's great to connect with like-minded people, Silverman feels it's crucial, now more than ever, to connect with un-like-minded people. I Love You, America comes to Hulu from Funny or Die and is executive produced by Sarah Silverman, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Amy Zvi, Gavin Purcell and Joe Farrell.


- niversal Music Enterprises is set to release, for the first time, a double-vinyl LP edition of Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film, the 2001 soundtrack which accompanied the release of his acclaimed motion picture on October 6th. In addition to its standard black-vinyl release, the anniversary LP will also be released in a limited colored-vinyl edition that will be available exclusively through the online retailer, uDiscover.

Friday, October 06, 2017

Around the Tubes: 10/6/2017


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 Future Man, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Seal, Belly, new Hulu acquisitions, Ill Behaviour, Secrets of the Underground, No Bombings in Beirut, What on Earth?, Black Sabbath: The End of the End, Entre Nos: Part 1, and Let’s Make a Deal.

- Check out the official trailer for Hulu's upcoming comedy series Future Man starring Josh Hutcherson! All episodes premiere Tuesday, Nov. 14 only on Hulu. Thank you!


- In the last decade of a career that spanned half a century, Johnny Cash capped off his musical legend with a breathtaking final act, recording a series of raw, stripped-down albums with producer Rick Rubin. Those albums reestablished Cash as a vital artist, while adding a remarkable closing chapter to his incredible body of work. Available November 3, the Unearthed vinyl box features a pair of cloth-bound books housed in an LP-sized black cloth slipcase. One book holds the nine LPs, while the other is a gorgeous 60-page coffee table book that incorporates Sylvie Simmons' extensive liner notes, drawn from five days of interviews at Cash's home in Tennessee, as well as Cash and Rubin's comments on every song on the set, plus a copious selection of photographs from the recording sessions, including some of the last photos ever taken of Cash. Preorder Unearthed now.

- Elton John today announces the forthcoming release of ‘Diamonds.’ Released on November 10th through UMe, ‘Diamonds’ is the ultimate greatest hits collection from Elton John and will be available on 1CD, 2CD, 3CD limited edition boxset, 2LP heavy-weight gatefold vinyl and digital formats. Kicking off with the ever-stunning ‘Your Song,’ this definitive collection brings together all the landmark hits of one of the greatest song books of all time, including ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time),’ ‘Candle In The Wind,’ ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,’ ‘Sacrifice,’ ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight.’

- Today, British soul legend Seal releases new song “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” from upcoming album Standards available November 10 via Republic Records. An artist who’s been at the top of his game throughout his 30-year career, Seal’s 10th studio album breathes life into iconic hits, paying tribute to legends including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Listen to “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” HERE.

- 90's alt-rock group Belly are back - hitting the studio for the first time in more than twenty years for their third album, NameTBD. Through their exclusive PledgeMusic pre-order campaign, launching today, the beloved band is inviting fans to take part in their creative process with sneak peeks into the studio, limited-edition merchandise, special experiences, and much more. Fans can pre-order the album in digital, CD, or vinyl form now on Belly's campaign page. The leaders in direct-to-fan platforms, PledgeMusic allows artists to get more personal with their fans, offering pledgers behind-the-scenes content and items not available anywhere else.

- Hulu announced a new agreement with the Disney-ABC Television Group for the exclusive U.S. subscription video-on-demand rights to all episodes of iconic sitcoms Boy Meets World, Home Improvement and Dinosaurs. The deal will mark the long-awaited SVOD debut of the complete libraries of hit series Boy Meets World and Home Improvement. In addition, all episodes of fan favorite Dinosaurs, from The Jim Henson Company, will also become available to stream in SVOD exclusively on Hulu. All titles will begin streaming on Hulu September 29th. The series will join hundreds of episodes of previously announced hit shows from America’s favorite Friday night lineup from the 1990s on Hulu – including Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Perfect Strangers and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper – and the agreement will make Hulu the exclusive subscription streaming home to the largest collection of series from the original “TGIF” lineup with the addition of Boy Meets World and Dinosaurs. All series launch exclusively on the service beginning September 29th, just in time for the 30th Anniversary of Full House and the 25th Anniversary of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

- Showtime has acquired the BBC series Ill Behaviour, a six-part comedy thriller about the boundaries of friendship and the lengths taken to preserve it. Starring Chris Geere (You’re the Worst), Lizzy Caplan (MASTERS OF SEX) and Tom Riley (DaVinci’s Demons), Ill Behaviour focuses on Joel (Geere) who uses any methods, conventional or otherwise, to save Charlie (Riley) when Charlie announces that he is abandoning chemotherapy treatment for his cancer. Written by Sam Bain (Peep Show) and directed by Steve Bendelack (Friday Night Dinner), Ill Behaviour makes its Showtime debut on Monday, November 13 at 10:30.

- Using cutting-edge technology to investigate and uncover the world’s most fascinating subterranean mysteries, the Science Channel series Secrets of the Underground, is set to return for a second season. Explorer, adventurer biologist and tech fanatic Rob Nelson and his new co-host, geophysicist Stefan Burns, will dig deep into some of the world’s most notorious underground legends including the long-rumored Nazi Gold Train, America’s Atlantis, the Lost Temple of Jerusalem, Nikola Tesla’s buried master plans, and more. The new season, featuring eight one-hour episodes, premieres Saturday, October 28 at 10:00.

- From the man who pioneered stand-up comedy in the Middle East, Nemr: No Bombings in Beirut is a unique comedy event like no other, premiering Saturday, October 7 at 11:00 on Showtime. Filmed both in Lebanon and in the United States, No Bombings in Beirut is an hour of uproarious comedy that will leave viewers inspired as they witness the refreshing reality of a world they were told never existed. Journeying from his early days in the U.S. to his later years in Lebanon, Nemr touches on childhood, family, relationships, religion, war and the power of perspective while being able to laugh at our shared experiences. As Nemr explains, “We are at our finest when our paths cross.”


- Thousands of satellites orbit Earth, capturing images of our planet in unprecedented detail and revealing areas that have, until now, remained a mystery. These images, used by platforms like Google Earth, have uncovered baffling new structures and phenomena, many of which defy explanation. Science Channel’s top rated series What on Earth? uses state-of-the-art imaging technology, expert analysis from leading scientists, and hands-on investigation to search for answers to these mysteries. What on Earth? returns for its fourth season on Tuesday, October 17th at 9:00.

- Showtime will air Black Sabbath: The End of the End, a film showcasing Black Sabbath’s final concert, making its world television premiere Saturday, October 28 at 9:00. Black Sabbath: The End of the End captures the farewell performance by the Grammy®-winning band’s Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler in their hometown of Birmingham, England on February 4 at the Genting Arena – the culmination of their 81-date sold-out “The End” world tour.

- Riding on the success of Entre Nos: Part 1, comedians Vladimir Caamaño, Frankie Quiñones and Shayla Rivera will take the stage in the 30-minute stand-up comedy show Entre Nos: Part 2 when it premieres on Friday, October 13th at 9:30 exclusively on HBO LATINO®. In the hilarious English-Language special, the three comedians are joined by host and comedian Ben Gonzalez at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre for a laugh-out-loud night of stand-up. Directed by Joke Yanes and Adolfo Nowake, Entre Nos: Part 2 will air across all of the channel’s platforms including HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand® and affiliate portals.

- GSN announced earlier it will celebrate the work of TV icon Monty Hall with a 6-hour marathon of Let’s Make a Deal on Sunday, October 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Around the Tubes: 9/29/2017


I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Islands and the Whales, Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild, Drop the Mic, The Librarians, Hulu, Blood Ivory, Air Disasters, The President Is Missing, The Affair.

- The Faroe Islands are where the North Atlantic meets the Norwegian Sea, found on a map in a triangle between Iceland, the United Kingdom, and Norway. It is there, among the eighteen rocky and majestic islands formed by volcanoes and oceans, that this visually stunning and evocative documentary The Islands and the Whales takes place. And it is there that the global forces affecting whaling converge in dramatic fashion. The Islands and the Whales has its national broadcast premiere on the PBS documentary series POV (Point of View) next Monday, October 9, 2017 (check local listings). POV is American television's longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 30th season.

- Starting October 24, Tuesday nights on TBS will be fueled by hip-hop, comedy and culture with the reboot of a classic game show, Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild airing at 10:00. Immediately following, the new celebrity-led rap battle contest Drop the Mic, based on the wildly popular segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden, is hosted by Method Man and Hailey Baldwin and will premiere at 10:30.




- Season four of TNT's hugely popular fantasy series The Librarians is slated to launch with a two-episode premiere on a new night, Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 8:00. Based on TNT's hit movie franchise, The Librarians centers on an ancient organization dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth and John Harlan Kim star in the series as protectors of the world's mystical treasures, with Emmy® winner John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. Noah Wyle recurs in seven of twelve episodes this season as Flynn Carsen, the role he played in TNT's hit movie trilogy.


- Following a groundbreaking licensing agreement that marked the streaming debut of iconic series Will & Grace, Hulu and NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution today announced a new agreement that will make Hulu the exclusive SVOD home to all episodes of Emmy Award winning comedy series, 30 Rock, beginning October 1st, as well as add hundreds of episodes of shows for the whole family to Hulu. In addition to bringing the complete library of the critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning comedy series from creator and star Tina Fey - 30 Rock - to a new streaming home, the new deal includes a full suite of premium programming that will become available to stream on Hulu: Parenthood (early 2018), There's Johnny (new show with Tony Danza), Made in Chelsea (first 13 seasons later this year), and Face Off (first 10 seasons early 2018).

- iscovery’s Animal Planet and Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW), a U.S. nonprofit that employs U.S. Veterans to protect endangered wildlife teamed up for Blood Ivory, a historic and exciting documentary series that premiered Tuesday, September 12, 2017. VETPAW was founded in 2012 by Ryan Tate , a former post 9-11 Marine who saw what was happening to elephants and rhinos in Africa and realized that like himself, U.S. Veterans trained on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan in counter-insurgency warfare are remarkably well suited to re-purpose those skills in the battle to save African endangered species.

- When a plane crashes, the world is left wondering what happened. Amid the tragedy of lost life and confusion surrounding these catastrophic accidents, experts are there to determine what went wrong and how these disasters can be prevented in the future. Smithsonian Channel’s popular and long-running series Air Disasters follows the stories of these fatal crashes and the investigators on the scene who must search for the clues in the aircraft’s final descent. The premiere episode, Air Disasters: High Rise Catastrophe, airs Sunday, October 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

- Showtime announced it has acquired the rights to adapt into a series The President Is Missing, based on the highly anticipated novel by President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson set to be published in 2018. In the book, President Clinton and Patterson tell the startling story of a sitting U.S. president’s disappearance, with the level of detail that only someone who has held the office can know – generating a powerful, one-of-a-kind thriller. Though fictional, the story brings to life the pressures and realities of the most important position in the world.

- Showtime announced that Sanaa Lathan (American Assassin, Shots Fired) will recur on the network’s Golden Globe®-winning drama series The Affair. Lathan will play Jenelle, the tough-as-nails principal of the charter school where Noah (Dominic West) teaches, who intrigues him. She’s got a lot to prove to her school's oppositional administration and faculty, who seem to fight her at every turn. The Affair will return for its fourth season on Showtime in 2018.