Sunday, March 24, 2019

Streaming Video Power Rankings #154

1) Tubi TV: It really is happening! Universal series like The A-Team, The Bionic Woman, and Magnum P.I. are showing up here. The deal was announced just a few weeks ago, and it's good to see it going into effect so soon. Fingers crossed for Kojak and Quincy, everyone.

2) DC Universe: I watched a while lot of DCU last week since my trial period was expiring, but I was a little surprised at how unceremoniously it ended. When I canceled, there was no attempt to lure me back--no discount, not even a "Are you SURE?" screen. Just, OK, see you. On one hand, I appreciate the ease of terminating it. I was a little surprised they were so cavalier about it, though.

3) Hulu: Quiet week for Hulu, bit it's a quiet week all around. Right now I'm just hoping Disney, which now has primary control, doesn't screw up a service that has improved year after year.

4) Netflix: I can't pretend to know anything about The OA or that it was getting another season, but it's back, along with a biopic based on the Motley Crue book The Dirt, a tome so sleazy I had to put it down for a while. Also debuting: a lot of foreign series and (noooooo) a reality show about real estate sales.

5) YouTube: I really don't know what the 1985 Miss Hollywood Pageant is, but I appreciate that someone posted the whole thing (apparently), and I may well end up watching it.

6) The CW: I may be wrong on this, but I think the commercial load on here is smaller than it is in the CW on demand versions I got on YouTube TV.

7) Criterion Channel: This upcoming SVOD service launches April 8 but generated excitement this week with a list of its special programming selections planned for its debut month. It looks like it will replicate the spirit and curation of Filmstruck, and it will be licensing titles from a wide variety of sources. That's the good news. The bad news is 11 bucks a month is probably too expensive for this kind of service...but we'll see what it offers when it premieres.

8) Pix 11: The cool "Only in New York" true crime series continues this week with a look at the 1987 Joel Steinberg case. These mini-docs combine modern perspectives with archival WPIX footage.

9) Philo: I will be exploring this "Sling without news and sports" (gross oversimplification, but not totally off base) service more in the coming weeks, but it's getting a lot of attention from cordcutters disgusted with DirectTV Now's latest price hikes.

10) Ed Wood Channel: This new Roku channel looks as low budget as it gets, but isn't that appropriate? At least you get a big batch of Ed Wood movies all in one spot.

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