Tag: streaming

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Streaming: 6 Documentaries to Binge after Tiger King

Tiger King’s roar is inescapable. The breakout Netflix docuseries about illegal big cat breeders and other eccentric characters has been the streamer’s top title since it debuted last month, inspiring mullet-themed memes and Twitter talk about who should play Joe Exotic in a forthcoming limited series. (If you don’t know who Joe Exotic is, he’s the owner of a private zoo who is currently in prison for trying to hire a hitman to kill the activist who wanted to shut him down.) Whether you’ve already binged Tiger King or have zero interest in its garish world, what can’t be denied is the popularity of documentary filmmaking across platforms. From true crime to family mystery to adorable guide dogs in training, there is a subject for everyone.

Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened and Fyre Fraud

Streaming on: Netflix (Fyre) and Hulu (Fyre Fraud)

The Fyre Festival was such a debacle it produced not one, but two, documentaries exploring how the influencer-touted music festival on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma descended into what has been described as a “millennial Lord of the Flies.” Which one should you watch? The Netflix doc offers a more vivid account of what transpired, but Hulu’s version, which presents the fiasco through a cultural lens, boasts an interview with co-founder Billy McFarland, who went to prison for six years. In other words, why not just watch both? For Ages: 15 and up

The Jinx        

Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO Now

This masterful six-part series chronicles the bizarre existence of Robert Durst, the disquieting, possibly homicidal heir to the Durst empire in New York City. Just consider how many people close to him either disappeared or wound up brutally murdered: his wife, Kathie, who vanished in 1982; his friend, Susan Berman, who was killed in 2000; or his neighbor Morris Black, who was murdered and dismembered in 2001. Durst is currently on trial for Berman’s murder in Los Angeles thanks to new evidence uncovered by the filmmakers. For Ages: 15 and up

Pick of the Litter

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

This heart-tugging, six-part series follows six pups – Paco, Pacino, Raffi, Amara, Tulane and Tartan – as they endeavor to become guide dogs for the blind. Not surprisingly, their journey is no bag of chew toys as they and their trainers face an intensive process marked by both triumph and disappointment. You’ll find yourself cheering on the dogs – as well as fully appreciating the work done by the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization. For Ages: 6 and up

Cheer

Streaming on: Netflix

Forget the big guys on the field – this six-part docuseries finds as much ferocity and anxiety on the sidelines. Another pop culture mega-hit for Netflix, the filmmakers follow five members of Navarro College’s cheer squad as they journey from Corsicana, Texas, to Daytona, Florida, to compete against other athletes in the National Cheerleading Championship. If you’re expecting something light (a la Bring It On), expect to be surprised – and enthralled. For Ages: 13 and up

Three Identical Strangers

Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime

What begins as a wildly-entertaining true story – identical triplets, separated at birth, are reunited by chance as adults only to become talk-show-circuit celebrities – turns into a much more provocative, emotional exploration of fate and self-determination as they and the filmmakers untangle the twisting mystery of why they were separated as newborns. For Ages: 13 and up 

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Streaming: Five Children’s Shows Parents Will Enjoy Too

Television has always been a babysitter. But with schools shuttered and adults working remotely, it’s now more like a co-parent. Good news: in this era of Peak TV, the quality of children’s television programming has never been higher. So much so that there is an abundance of shows all members of the families can enjoy beyond such timeless fare as Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh. Here are five of them:

Forky Asks a Question 

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

The handmade toy from Toy Story 4, Forky stars in this 10-episode series (each installment runs three or four minutes) in which he asks his toy friends for the answers to life’s simple questions. Like, what is money? And, what is time? Okay, maybe not so simple – yet the series manages to break it all down with humor and heart for Forky’s young fans. FOR AGES: 4 and up

Ask the Storybots 

Streaming on: Netflix

Have you ever wondered why you need to brush your teeth? The StoryBots – Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop and Bo – answer this and many more questions children always ask. In addition to the charming characters, the high-energy, award-winning series illuminates with music, videos and celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno and Snoop Dogg. FOR AGES: 3 and up

Pinky and the Brain

Streaming on: Hulu

A rarity aimed at both grade-school-age children and their skeptical parents, this 1990s-era cartoon fuses lightning-speed slapstick with clear-eyed cultural satire. Brain, if you didn’t know, is the arrogant, scheming lab mouse out to conquer the world. Too bad he’s always being (unintentionally) foiled by his less-than-brilliant sidekick, Pinky. The result probably isn’t as ingenious as Brain would think it is, but for families, it will do just fine. FOR AGES: 6 and up

Beat Bugs

Streaming on: Netflix

Songs by the Beatles – performed by such present-day artists as Pink – embellish the adventures of five young bugs as they forge ahead through life’s problems. Adults will appreciate how Beatles’ lyrics are smartly stitched into the dialogue while their children will relate to themes of friendship, loyalty, and resilience. FOR AGES: 3 and up 

Muppet Babies

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

A reboot of the 1980s animated series, which starred young versions of such classic Muppets like Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo the Great, this series follows the exploits of the titular toddlers. Granted, their misadventures may occur from the safety of their playroom, but when their wild imaginations get the best of them (and they usually do), the gang needs to rely on their problem-solving skills to save the day. FOR AGES: 3 and up 

 

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Streaming: The 5 Best TV Shows You Should Finally Binge 

The 5 Best TV Shows You Should Finally Binge 

So much content, so little time. Until now. With social distancing giving everyone a lot more downtime at home, why not use it to binge a classic TV series you may have missed when it originally aired – or always wanted to revisit but never got around to? Thanks to the vast catalogs curated by the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and others, it’s almost certainly available to be streamed. And if you don’t have a favorite already in mind, here are five picks to consider.

The Sopranos 

Streaming On: HBO GO, HBO NOW, Hulu, Amazon Prime

Like The Godfather, the time has been kind to David Chase’s mafioso drama about a New Jersey crime kingpin and his clan. Considered one of the finest television dramas in history – if not the finest – it’s powered by James Gandolfini‘s explosive performance as Tony Soprano, a mobster in crisis seeking therapy with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). What follows is a turbulent miracle of violence and recrimination punctuated by bursts of jet-black humor. FOR AGES: 18 and up

Lost 

Streaming On: Hulu

To appreciate Lost, consider how far ahead of its time it was in 2004. Here was an expensive serialized thrill ride that inspired a rabid fandom, stoked pop culture debate, raced with cinematic action and veered wildly down avenues of science fiction and theology. It looked like nothing else on the air at the time – and now resembles much of what’s new to binge. The premise: after crash landing on a mysterious island, the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 encounter everything from polar bears and phantoms to mad scientists and time travel. For ages: 13 and up.

Futurama

Streaming On: Hulu

Just because this science-fiction spoof from Matt Groening never enjoyed the blockbuster success of his other animated creation, The Simpsons, doesn’t mean it lacks for witty, weird pleasures. Set in the year 3000, it follows the misadventures of a 20th-century slacker stranded out of time. Along the way, he encounters robots, floating heads, intelligent crustaceans and the one-eyed girl who steals his heart. FOR AGES: 12 and up

 

Curb your Enthusiasm 

Streaming On: HBO NOW, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, Hulu

Considering Curb just wrapped it’s 10th (and one of its best) seasons, what better time to revisit the entire misanthropic catalog of awkward truths and cringing laughs? As a fictionalized version of himself, Seinfeld co-creator Larry David discovers social aggravation wherever he goes in his West Los Angeles neighborhood. And for fans of Seinfeld who missed it, Curb’s seventh season is as close to a proper Seinfeld reunion as you will ever see. FOR AGES: 18 and up

 

Mad Men 

Streaming On: Netflix

Like The Sopranos, Mad Men follows an alpha male anti-hero in an existential crisis. But whereas that mob drama is as beefy and swaggering as Tony Soprano, this series set in 1960s New York is as sleek and inscrutable as its chain-smoking ad man, Don Draper (Jon Hamm). Despite its multitude of Emmys and place in pop culture, Mad Men was, relatively speaking, always a niche show, enjoying solid but unspectacular ratings. This means for many people, its immaculate style and shattering drama are yet to be discovered. FOR AGES: 14 and up

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Tech News: Streaming Wars… What To Watch And What Is The Price?

The next few years will be marked as “revolutionary” for anything in regards to entertainment and television. Almost every big television platform is going to launch their own streaming service to compete with the three largest tech giants: Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Here’s what you need to know about the new and existing players in a game of the television Streaming Wars!

 

Netflix

Price: $8.99 for its basic plan, $12.99 for standard, and $15.99 for premium

What it offers: Netflix is arguably the streaming king of them all thanks to an expanding archive of content and global subscriber base that is 150 million strong. Netflix’s library includes its original series such as “Stranger Things,” “The Witcher” and “The Umbrella Academy,” plus original films like “Always Be My Maybe” and the Oscar-winning “Roma.” It also has comedy specials from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Netflix Originals like Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, upcoming films from Martin Scorsese and Michael Bay and series from Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy — two of television’s most successful producers. Netflix is losing beloved classics like “Friends” and “The Office” to competitors, but it’s now the exclusive global streaming home to “Seinfeld” starting in 2021. So, yes, Netflix may have competition waiting at the gates, but it’s still synonymous with streaming.

 

Apple TV+

Price: $4.99 a month or a free year when you purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac or Apple TV.

What it offers: Apple TV+ may be short on content, but it undercuts many of its streaming competitors in price with its $4.99 monthly fee (and you get a year free when you buy a new Apple product from Apple or licensed retailers). Apple TV+ also includes content from some heavy-hitters in Hollywood. There’s “The Morning Show,” a series about the news industry starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell (CNN’s Brian Stelter is a consultant on the project, for which his book was used as background). Apple also struck a multiyear deal with Oprah Winfrey in June of 2018 to create documentaries and a book club.

 

Disney+

Price: $6.99 or $12.99 when bundled with ESPN+ and commercial-supported Hulu

What it offers: Disney+ is the exclusive home for some of the most popular franchises in Hollywood for a low price. While Apple is promoting names like Oprah, Disney+ has brand names like Star Wars and Marvel. There are multiple series from Marvel, a few original Star Wars series including “The Mandalorian,” Pixar films and shorts, Disney animated classics, and documentaries from National Geographic. The service is also the exclusive home to all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons” — TV’s longest running primetime scripted series. Much of Disney+ caters to children, but that’s still a lot of content for $6.99 – about half of what Netflix charges for its standard plan.

 

HBO Max

Price: $14.99 a month

When does it launch?: May 2020

What it offers: HBO Max’s best selling point is it’s variety. The upcoming service from WarnerMedia, which also owns CNN, has content for all ages — Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network and “Sesame Street” for the young and HBO series, TNT and TBS for adults. All 23 seasons of “South Park” will also be exclusive to the service. For cinephiles, HBO Max offers Warner Brothers’ deep film library, The Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies. The service will also have television favorites such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “The Big Bang Theory.” The iconic “Friends,” which Warner Bros. had licensed to Netflix, is coming home to WarnerMedia and will live exclusively on HBO Max for five years starting in 2020.

HBO Max has also successfully courted J.J. Abrams in a wide-ranging production deal with WarnerMedia, as well as Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon, who will produce original films for the service.

 

Hulu

Price: $11.99 without ads, $5.99 with ads

What it offers: Hulu has the Emmy Award winning “The Handmaid’s Tale,” current television episodes available on-demand (the day after they air), and is now fully controlled by Disney. The service, which has 28 million subscribers, has greenlit a bunch of new series including “The Dropout,” a limited series about rise and fall of Theranos CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, that stars Kate McKinnon as Holmes, as well as two new live-action Marvel series, “Ghost Rider” and “Helstrom.” Hulu is a big part of Disney’s streaming strategy along with ESPN+, which the company plans to bundle together.

 

Peacock

Price: TBD

When does it launch?: April 2020

What it offers: Do you like to laugh? Well, NBCUniversal has the streaming service for you. Peacock will offer a full lineup of comedy hits including “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” (both of which will be exclusive to the service) “30 Rock,” “Cheers,” “Frasier” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Every season of “SNL” will be available on Peacock and there will be reboots of classic series like “Saved by the Bell” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Peacock will have blockbusters from Universal Pictures such as the “Fast & Furious” series and classics like “Jaws” and “Back to the Future.” Universal, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation will also create original films for the service, and Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore will star in original series as well.

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