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VERRRRRY COOL! Here's the teaser trailer:



Geektyrant has the additional details:

The show brings back classic characters like Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Traveling Matt. “While the Fraggles might be in different parts of the Fraggle Rock caves, they can still find ways to have fun together, with music, silliness, special guests, and of course the help of devices created by the industrious Doozers called the Doozertubes.”

The first episode is titled “Shine On,” and it features new Doozertubes being delivered to the Fraggles’ caves, allowing them to come together for a favorite song “Shine On, Shine On Me.”

The new episodes are being produced by The Jim Henson Company, and executive produced by Halle Stanford and John Tartaglia. It’s explained that “in accordance with the current social distancing guidelines, Fraggle Rock: Rock On! is all shot on iPhone 11s from the homes of the production team and individual artists from all over the U.S.”

Love it! The Fraggles were something that I loved when I was younger (along with the Muppets - Jim Henson could do no wrong in my book). And now these adorable characters are returning to us on the Apple TV+ streaming platform.

Speaking of Apple TV+, a few weeks ago, at the very start of this new social distancing era, my family decided to give the new Apple streaming service a shot. After a couple of evenings on the couch and a few shows watched, I'd say that we are reasonably pleased (so far).

The Morning Show is probably the series that we've watched the most. It is the Jennifer Aniston/Steve Carell/Reese Witherspoon-led series that centers around a Today Show-like morning news program, and the behind-the-scenes goings-on when the male lead (Carell) is ousted for sexual misconduct.

The other program that we've checked out a few episodes of is Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet, a comedy that follows the developers of a highly successful video game as they try to make the game better without driving each other crazy.

But, aside from Fraggle Rock, the Apple TV+ programming that I'm most looking forward to is the upcoming Beastie Boys Story:



A live-action documentary directed by long-time friend of the band Spike Jonze that will premiere tomorrow on the streaming service.

...and you KNOW that I'll be back with a review after watching it, since I'm a life-long fan of the B-Boys.

A little over two years ago my family "cut the cord" from satellite television and went full-tilt into streaming services. I've talked previously about my love/obsession with Disney Plus and we also have a subscription to Prime Video (my most recent win there is The Boys). Additionally, we share a subscription to Hulu and Netflix. One other service that I recommend is Vudu - as they have a large catalog of streaming options (though you have to occasionally sit through a commercial or two).

What a cool concept!

From Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation) comes Upload, a new sci-fi comedy. In the near future, people who are near death can be “uploaded” into virtual reality environments. Cash-strapped Nora works customer service for the luxurious “Lakeview” digital afterlife. When party-boy/coder Nathan’s car crashes, his girlfriend uploads him into Nora’s VR world.

The ten episode run will start streaming on Prime Video on May 1st.

Head nod: /Film

My 13-year-old daughter is simply crazy for the uber-popular Netflix series Stranger Things. There's really no other way to describe it.

And when the above trailer hit the Series of Tubes the other day, my wife got a frantic text from her: "STRANGER THINGS 4!"

I'll be honest; I think that the show is... okay. It certainly has it's awesome moments, and the writing is really good. What I find most compelling is the absolute feeling of nostalgia. When we're watching and I see an old-school McDonald's commercial on the TV in the background of a scene, or hear some Olivia Newton John coming out of a transistor radio, I'm instantly transported back to the 1980s and my childhood.

What's cool about this season four trailer is that it's titled, "From Russia With Love". As a big fan of the James Bond franchise of movies (and books!), that grabbed my attention (even if the nod is lost on my daughter's generation).

Along with the trailer, the Duffer Brothers released a statement:

“We’re excited to officially confirm that production on ‘Stranger Things 4’ is now underway — and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper!” the Duffer brothers wrote in a statement. “Although it’s not all good news for our ‘American;’ he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human…and other. Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything. Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime, pray for the American.”

Interesting. And I'm sure that my daughter will be screaming with both terror and delight when the show starts back up on Netflix later this year or early in 2021.

WHAT.

So, I didn't watch the Big Game on Superbowl Sunday. I'm not a huge sportsball viewer, unless the sportsball is soccer.

Over the years I have become one of those folks who would go to a Superbowl party and hang out with friends, but I was the guy who was tuning-in to the television only when the new/fun/cool/interesting advertisements were on. Remember Bud Bowl? Yeah, I watched them.

But anymore I can watch the best of the ads online. Aside from movie and TV-spots like the one above, my other fave this year was the Hyundai "Smaht Pahk" ad. Simply brilliant.

"Falcon & Winter Soldier" and "Loki" look fantastic. Pretty much what I am expecting; lots of Marvel-ized action and witty interplay between characters.

But "Wandavision"? That is something entirely different (well, at least according to the very short moments from the ad).

That's not to say that it doesn't look interesting. I'm all-in on Disney Plus, so I'm ready to watch anything and everything that they put out there.

The Wife and I (finally) finished season one of The Boys last night. If you're unfamiliar with the Prime Video series or comic, here's a quick summary...

The story of The Boys depicts a bleak world filled with power-imbued superheroes who have become reckless, selfish and hedonistic, leaving citizens in danger. Thus, an angry, ultra-violent Englishman named Billy Butcher puts together his own team of ex-military personnel with black ops experience to watch the proverbial watchmen, calling themselves, you guessed it, the Boys.

So that was the synopsis that I posted prior to watching the series. Now that I've finished the first season, I would add a few things.

This ain't Marvel (or DC). Decapitations, bodies exploding, "heroes" straight-up murdering people. Make no mistake, this is an ultra-violent program. Certainly a far cry from what our superhero genre movies and shows have taught us over the years. The lead hero - a mash-up of Superman and Captain America named "Homelander" - drops F-bombs and downs civilian planes when he's not in the public eye.

BUT, that is what makes the show so compelling. It takes the superhero tropes and flips them upside down. The "supes" (as Billy Butcher calls them) are not all bad - but definitely not all good either. The Boys essentially humanizes superheroes. I mean, let's face it: that's how it would be if these things were real. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely", right?

It's not Good vs. Evil. I think what I find most compelling is that there really are no "good guys" or "bad guys". Sure, the "supes" are doing some bad stuff (sex, power-hungry, manipulation of the public, etc.), but The Boys are definitely not angels in comparison. There is plenty of crime that is committed in the name of revenge.

While the show (and the comic) definitely aims to entertain, I think that there are some underlying philosophical issues with which some of the main characters are grappling.

For instance, Hughie Campbell (ably played by Jack Quaid) is the 'innocent' of The Boys who has been a huge fan of the superheroes (namely A-Train) his whole life. But when his girlfriend is accidentally killed by A-Train, he goes down a very dark path that leads to him murdering another superhero. This conflict between the good side of him that wants nothing to do with The Boys, and the vengeful side of him that wants to dole out justice is a great juxtaposition and Quaid does a excellent job capturing that internal struggle.

I'm not going to give you a detailed synopsis of the first season, as I don't want to spoil anything for would-be watchers. What I will say is that we thoroughly enjoy the show, even though there are some cringe-worthy moments (mostly due to violence).

Onward to season two!

[FYI, the season two trailer is violent too - but not nearly as much as the actual show.]