by Russ Austin

Created on: July 17, 2010

The late great comedian/social commentator Bill Hicks referred to Television as "Lucifer's Dream Box."  I'm certainly not against TV but the older I get (I'm 38 going on 90), the less I like to watch it.  There's just not a lot on there that peaks my interest.  Sure, "The Simpsons" and "South Park" are still gettin' it done, but they've been on the 'ol tube for years.  Shows like "M*A*S*H," "Married ...With Children" and "Cheers" are now just re-runs.  So, what could possibly be the best current television series?

In November 2008, VH1 Classic debuted a new series called "That Metal Show."  It's a weekly half-hour talk show that deals with "all things Hard Rock and Heavy Metal."  The show has 3 co-hosts - Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine.  Eddie is a popular Hard Rock/Heavy Metal radio host in New York and on the Internet.  Don and Jim are stand-up comedians.  The 3 co-hosts of "That Metal Show" met several years ago at an Ozzfest show.  Don and Jim had been fans of Eddie and his radio shows before they met.

When it comes to television shows, "That Metal Show" is one of the only things I look forward to watching.  It's nice to see a TV show that focuses on Hard and Heavy music without patronizing it or degrading it.  MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball" is great, but it's a show that focuses on mostly Heavy Metal music videos and is not a talk show.  Eddie, Don and Jim really respect Rock and Metal, and that's important.  It comes through on "That Metal."

Unlike the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame, "That Metal Show" isn't afraid to have guests as diverse as Lita Ford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Damageplan, HELLYEAH), Frankie Bello (Anthrax) and many others.  The show has also had Mike Piazza (former catcher for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers) and Chris Jericho (a popular wrestler for the WWE and the vocalist for "Fozzy") in the New York studio to talk about Metal.

While the majority of "That Metal Show" shows have been taped at VH1 Classic's New York City studio/headquarters, they recently taped several shows in Los Angeles.  Eddie, Don and Jim were presenters at the 2nd annual "Golden Gods Awards" that Revolver Magazine puts together.  It made sense, in more ways than one, to tape some shows in L.A.  After all, that's where a majority of the musicians and artists that are guests on "That Metal Show" live.  The New York shows are great, but there's a certain vibe to the Los Angeles shows that make a great thing better!

Yes, in my opinion, "That Metal Show" is the Best Current Television Series.  There's nothing else quite like it on TV.  It's entertaining, informative and METAL!

For more information on "That Metal Show" you can visit www.eddietrunk.com, www.donjamieson.com, www.jimflorentine.com and www.vh1classic.com.

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