#TheRoundUp By Enzer - No. 65

HOT ON TV

Not a single day has gone by without me tuning in to watch The Young and the Restless and feeling like I'm watching the series pilot of a promising series that will stand the test of time.

Enzer's World (E.W.)'s Outstanding Soap-Opera for The 7th E.W. Year is the American soap, The Young and the Restless, not because it's one

of the few remaining soaps on American television with a global reach, but because it's OUTSTANDING; it's that simple. 

The producers of the show work hard to continuously reinvent the series, and it shows, through its immensely captivating plot-lines and characters, both old and young cast members, legendary and novice performers, as well as popular Hollywood actors and actresses. 

There are a few soap-operas in the world of television which are of high quality; The Young and the Restless is indeed one of them. 

A few new shows caught my attention these past weeks. First up is Ryan Murphy's outrageously entertaining Netflix series cleverly titled (once again), The Politician. The show is about a teenager who eats, sleeps and breathes politics and wastes not a single day working towards becoming the next president of the U.S. 

And it's just not that one-sided! 

No, a lot comes into play, making his journey to the top a hell of a ride. The first season was not bad; I'm looking forward to the second. 

Then there's the other highly publicized Latino Romantic Dramedy (the first being Grand Hotel), titled The Baker and the Beauty. 

This series is interesting because it presents a non-conforming socio-normative setting which is so 2020. However, the series might suffer the same fate as Grand Hotel which got canceled after just one season, therefore it is best that I try by all means to not 'fall prey' to the writers' enticement; I guess you should too. 

The second and latest season of Sex Education on Netflix got me hooked. The series follows a group of High Schooling Brits whose lives begin to get complicated by this thing called SEX. The show has in many ways explored teenage-hood with such a gratifying angle; it's hella funny too. 

Have you heard?

Reality TV will never be the same again with the advent of Netflix's newest dating series, Too Hot to Handle. Though it sometimes seems like an offshoot of the popular Love Island series, the show has succeeded at making a mark in our hearts and minds, somehow. Its fast-paced nature and the challenges set for the contestants make it a contender for the reality television series of the new decade prize. 

It's also safe to say that the silliness does outmatch the lessons.

And then came along a mesh of reality television genres. Yes, I am talking about The Bachelor franchise's newest series, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart. You should've seen my face when I found out that all the singles are singers and that they'd have to sing (well) in duos with partners of their liking to progress. 

Lord, now that was unexpected. 

HOTTER:

Multiple television shows have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic making some of our favorite American Spring awards shows an unrealistic expectation. But that's not a secret anymore, right?

This means that highly anticipated awards shows such as the iHeart Radio Music Awards and the Billboard Music Awards are off-the-menu. 

Who knows, the American Summer season might be off too. #SadFace

Anyway, over at The Voice USA, Nick Jonas seems to be settling in well with the rest. Maybe it's just me, but I'm really enjoying the current season, as it is. I usually get bored by the staleness of the audition rounds, which are then followed by the mediocre live shows. But this year, ladies and gentlemen, is a good year, across the board. 

Empire disappointed me!

I expected fireworks from the series finale but all I got was a lousy ending to a groundbreaking series which millions worldwide had invested in for so long. What was that? Do the writers of the show lack that much creative skill? Maybe they'll be a movie release? I hope so because that which they showed us a few weeks ago, that which they claimed to be a series ending, was a series blunder. 

How to Get Away with Murder had the most beautiful ending. The series finale wasn't perfect per se, but the writers made me appreciate their work so much that I feel like binge-watching the show from it's incredible first season all the way to the so-so series finale. However, if you do decide to watch the series finale, then be prepared for the unexpected. 

Other shows to catch: Dynasty; Riverdale; Boomerang (BET); Katy Keene.

WEB TV: 

Wadiwa Wepa Moyo, a well-produced web-drama series is without a doubt an amazing story. I for one, am impressed by the high caliber of acting (both formally and non-formally trained) and how influential the series has become, and not only to youngsters. #AMustWatch.

Check out all of E.W.'s TV Moments right now! Simply type in #EWTVMoments into your Twitter and/or Facebook search bars and all of the selected videos will appear on your screen. 

A.I. UPDATE:

How amazing are those live performances (from home) by the American Idol finalists this year?

Superb!

Who would've thought that such magnificence could come out of the current COVID pandemic? 

Those performances got me excited like a happy dog, such that I began to believe that the next superstar is among that group of finalists. 

We'll just have to wait and see if that is so.  

E.W. GLOBAL:

Muvhango is a long-running South African soap-opera on SABC 2 which delves into the lives of the Venda Monarch and all those connected to him. 

The series is E.W. Global's Outstanding Soap-Opera for The 7th E.W. Year mainly because it's of exceptional production quality. Another differentiate is that the series is appealing to more than just the perceived niche. 

Other soap-opera's to catch: Shortland Street on TVNZ 2 (E.W. Global Plus' Outstanding Soap-Opera for The 7th E.W. Year); Getroud Met Rugby; Scandal!; Imbewu: The Seed; The River on 1Magic; The Queen on Mzansi Magic.

Family Feud South Africa, is a brand new South African version of the popular American series which has also been adapted in a few known markets (Canada, New Zealand, Australia). The show is not only refreshingly entertaining but is also hosted by veteran TV host, Steve Harvey himself. And it's always fun to play along with the competing families.

THROWBACK:

All My Children was a daytime series that aired for more than forty years on American television and worldwide. The series is known for showcasing actresses such as Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), who became a household name throughout and after her run on the show.

 I wasn't a devout fan of the soap-opera, but then again, who am I to under-appreciate classic television. 

It probably is close to impossible to binge-watch the show, so I guess a few of the last seasons are worth your time. 

Sunset Beach, which was on the air for three seasons, is a classic soap-opera one could #TOTALLY binge-watch right now. The show had by far the best villains who did the most unthinkable to get what and/or who they wanted. And the ending is the best conclusion of any known soap-opera (arguably).

Honorable mention: Passions (long live Passions!)

SPEAK OUT

#Quotes

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."- RALPH WALDO EMERSON 

"The most destructive criticism is indifference."- EDGAR WATSON HOWE

"Either you run the day or the day runs you."- JIM ROHN 

"Attitude is your acceptance of the natural laws, or your rejection of the natural laws." - JIM ROHN 

"Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." - NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

"To flee vice is the beginning of virtue." - HORACE

"Love is a dynamic entity that gently places wings on your soul and allows it to soar." - FADEGE JEAN

"Good words do not last until they amount to something." - CHIEF JOSEPH

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." - HARVEY MACKAY

"All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs." - ANTHONY ROBBINS

MUSIC SPOT

THESE ALBUMS ROCK!:

The London Sessions (Tiesto)

Songs We Like: God Is a Dancer (with Mabel); Ritual (with Jonas Blue, Rita Ora); Jackie Chan (with Dzeko ft. Post Malone,

Preme). 

Album Name: Even I could've thought of that. 

Future Nostalgia (Dua Lipa)

Songs We Like: Don't Start Now; Physical; Break My Heart.

Album Name: Mmm, I guess so. 

Mala Santa (Becky G)

Songs We Like: Mala Santa; Sin Pijama (with Natti Natasha); Mayores (with Bad Bunny).

Album Name: Lol.

BUZZING MUSIC VIDEOS OF NOW:

1) Stuck with u (Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber)

View all of E.W.’s top music videos right now by simply typing in: 

‘MUSIC SPOT #SongOfTheDay’

…into your Twitter Search Bar (and then click ‘Search’) and all of the tweets will appear on your screen.

For new music videos, cover versions, classics, lyric videos, acoustic versions or live performances type in:

‘MUSIC SPOT #FreshVideo’

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #CoverSongOfTheDay’ 

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #Classic’

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #LyricVideo’ 

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #Live’

FLICK PICK

The Thing About Harry is a television movie about a young gay guy who comes to the realization that soulmates do exist, and that he doesn't have to look that far for his. It's a great romantic comedy for a date night.

Another movie worth checking out is Steam Room Stories: The Movie. This somewhat raunchy film explores the lives of a group of queer pals who hang out at their favorite gym's steam room to catch up and find solutions to some of their problems. The quirky humor coupled with extremely well-toned bodies makes for great viewing time. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Who's tagging E.W. on Twitter?:

NEW ON E.W.!

The E.W. Queer Facebook page is now active! So, don't forget to check it out sometime. 

THE E.W. RECOGNITIONS

The 8th Annual E.W. Independent Online Recognitions Period 2020 is COMING SOON! 

This June and July will see the culmination of an incredible E.W. Year featuring an eclectic mix of content, personalities and the all-important restructured categories.   

Keep following E.W. for the latest updates. 

E.W. DAY 2020

E.W. turns 8 this June! 

Though it's been a challenging year, E.W. recorded a more than 100% spike in reach and engagement statistical figures. 

Thank you for always choosing E.W. Let's celebrate this milestone, together on June 23rd 2020. 

'til next time

>>>Totally Unbiased<<<