Saturday, February 25, 2017

Streaming Video Power Rankings Week 48 (Special Post-Presidents Day Edition)

Did you all have a nice Presidents Day? I'd like to think  Bill Clinton writes anonymous letters to Netflix every month begging them to add Evening Shade.

1) Hulu: The Golden Girls does not have commercials! Hallelujah! Also, a lot of anime debuted this week, so if that's your thing, go crazy. I am also glad to see FX show Legion showing up here in season, and I want to check out last week's NBC 90th anniversary special, although I would kind of like to skip over the last 20 years and focus on the first 70.

2) YouTube: Just when you think things are all bad these days, remember that someone has a YouTube channel devoted to vintage USFL footage and is uploading Philadelphia Stars "season in review" videos.

3) Netflix: I'm not super thrilled about this week's adds, but a lot of the Ken Burns documentaries have returned. I admit I am curious to see Ultimate Beastmaster, but I am afraid seeing even a few minutes will only encourage them to make more shows like that.

4) HBO Now: I am celebrating HBO another week based on the excellent Veep, a show unlike any other currently on TV. Season 5, which I "bunch of shows at a time" watched on the free preview weekend, was so good that, had I not known the creator had bailed, I really doubt I would have suspected it.

5) Shout! Factory TV: This week's Glen Campbell featured Stevie Wonder--'nuff said. I also saw an intriguing Cavett rerun with Jane Fonda--meaning well, perhaps, but coming off as self-important as the stereotype would have it--and Mort Sahl, who is the most fascinating person out there even after Peter and Henry join Jane.

6) PIX11:  Number 6 with a bullet--and I don't mean the one that shot a "lady cop" as covered in the episode--on the strength of a complete 1982 Action News with original ads (including Carvel and some awesome-looking stage show with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Batman, and Wonder Woman).  The great Ralph Lowenstein is in the anchor chair, and though there is some depressing stuff, you also see a nice sports report and a segment on Vanderbilt jeans.

7) TuneIn: I don't know why I heard the Moonglows' "Hey Santa Claus" in the middle of February, but I'm glad I did. We have to do something about what I see as the continued effort to trick me into hearing Barbra Streisand, though.

8) Days of Dumont: Even channels that purport to show programs with social value today don't show anything like The John Hopkins Science Review.

9) Pub-D-Hub: Quiet week with no update, but they at least told everyone ahead of time there would be no update. It had a technical issue last week, but it responded to me when I asked about it. Finally, it deserves a place if only because of the bizarre commercial for Swanson Frozen Chicken Parts featuring some kid in a Davy Crockett hat pretending to go gaga for some kind of boxed drumstick he finds in the icebox.

10) MLB.TV: It's back, baby! Spring training games, the World Baseball Classic...I won't be watching a ton of that, but I'm glad it's there. I figure I have about a month or so to catch up on all this crap I need to watch on other channels before Pirates season begins.

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