Quit teasing me, Hulu!

Perhaps not everyone is as obsessive as me when it comes to checking Hulu Plus each day for new additions (note that I don't say not *anyone*, but not *everyone*), so maybe this won't irritate as many folks as it does me. But I have had it with Hulu teasing me with big pictures and screengrabs of "Seinfeld," images that make me think the show is there. Of course, it ain't available yet; it's "coming July 24," and in the meantime Hulu wants us to check out clips and promos.

I don't want clips and promos. I want full episodes! I have wanted them ever since I read that Hulu acquired streaming rights to the whole series. The initial publicity said the show was coming in June, and I assumed that meant June 1. Unfortunately I made an ass out of me and me, as I discovered weeks later when Hulu said, "Oh, yeah, 'Seinfield' will be here June 24." So I have that date imprinted in my brain, an organ which is already stunted by years of television, but I still get my hopes up each time I see this "Seinfeld" tease campaign on Hulu.

I admit it's refreshing to see such a build for a new show, but enough already! Just give us the episodes. Spend some time promoting something like "Here's Edie" or "Ernie Kovacs"? Granted, you probably spent about $999,950 less per episode, but there are probably people that don't know those shows are even on your service.

Still more shameless self-promotion: New review at ClassicFlix

If you just can't wait for the next TV Time column, I have good news for you:  My review of the brand-new VCI release of "Waterfront Volume 1" is up at ClassicFlix. Don't you dare miss it!

http://classicflix.com/Waterfront-Vol-1-Shows-the-Breezy-Life-at-Sea-r-1764.html

Waterfront, Vol. 1
By Rick Brooks

VCI's latest classic television DVD is a pleasant surprise, not just because Waterfront may be one of the most obscure programs to get a video release in 2015, but because the show is so entertaining. Airing in syndication from 1954 to 1956, this black-and-white half-hour adventure/drama may not be the most sophisticated example of early TV, but it stands out with its blend of action and lighter family-oriented elements.

Waterfront Volume 1 contains 10 of the first 14 episodes, including the debut, "The Skipper's Day." As on its recent "My Little Margie" and "I Married Joan" collections (which I review here), VCI apparently uses 16mm film prints as source (read more)

This Month in Crackle

My Journey Into Amazon Prime will resume soon, though I did not stay on past my free trial, but today I debut a new, possibly recurring, feature. The first of the month brings new movies and TV episodes to Crackle, Sony's free (but with frequent commercial interruption) streaming video on demand service.

What, you forgot Crackle existed? Hey, no shame in that. So did everybody else about a month ago when a huge controversy erupted over "The Interview," it was yanked from its theatrical run, and people speculated that it would end up on sites like YouTube, Google Play, Netflix...and almost nobody, including Sony, mentioned that Crackle existed.

Of course "The Interview" is now available on Netflix Instant Watch, but Crackle debuts its "cyberhacking thriller" this weekend. Jimmy Caan and Kevin Dillon may be no Seth Rogen and Jimmy Franco, but, hey, Sony saved something for its own site!

There are some interesting non-original films debuting today, but I warn you that many of them are only available through February. Watch 'em before they go! Don't be like me and wait till the last minute to see "Drive" when it was on Netflix, have a technical problem, and miss the last half of it. Fortunately, it's now on Crackle again.

Also here are "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters II." "Hitch," and "Hot Fuzz." There's also "The Counterfeiters," which may not star Bill Murray, nor Will Smith, but it DID win an Oscar for best foreign feature. In the "legit classic" category (not an actual Crackle category, but maybe it should be) is "On the Waterfront."

The big thing I check for on Crackle each month is the assortment of 10 new "Seinfeld" episodes. February is an improvement over January in that most of these, leaning heavily towards the first few seasons, haven't been on Crackle in a while. Unfortunately, there are only 7 of them! Even if you count the two-parter (the Keith Hernandez episode) as two episodes, as Crackle usually does, that's still just 8. 8 free instead of 10 free? That's a ripoff! Outrage!

While poking around the TV section, I noticed the first season of "The Jeffersons" is there. SEE the epic adventure FROM THE BEGINNING! Speaking of that, making its Crackle debut is the immortal "T.J. Hooker," with the complete first two seasons now online.

There is also a new assortment of "Sanford and Son"s, basically the entire fifth season plus one from season 4 to make a total of 25. Just looking at the Crackle descriptions reminds you of how absurd the plots became. In "Greatest Show in Watts," one of Fred's tenants (this is when he was running the Sanford Arms boardinghouse) leaves him a elephant. So naturally Fred starts a circus. Why not, eh?

"Steinberg and Son" is a funny look at a show Fred sees that reminds him of his own life...with some obvious differences. It's been a long time since I regularly saw "Sanford" reruns, but some of these I don't remember at all. In "Sanford and Rising Son," Fred and Ah Chew  turn their living room into a Japanese restaurant. I remember Ah Chew, and he's bad enough, but opening a Japanese restaurant at Fred's? And in "The Director," Fred directs a community theater play starring George Foreman! By the way, credit screenwriter on those last two: Garry Shandling.

Yes, the ads are annoying, but the channel runs fairly smoothly since I upgraded my Roku. There's a lot going on on Crackle, even besides "Comedians with Cars." Just because Sony doesn't feel like pushing it doesn't mean you can't give it a shot.

Shameless self-promotion: New article at ClassicFlix

My latest TV Time column is a double review of two 1950s TV-on-DVD releases:
http://classicflix.com/TV-TIME-More-Joan-and-Margie-From-VC…

 

Following the enormous success of I Love Lucy after its premiere in 1951, television viewers saw a batch of other sitcoms driven by female characters that got into equally wacky situations each week. Unfortunately, most of these women...

 

Click through to read, and tell 'em Cultureshark sent ya!

Earlier this month, stories circulated about British shows leaving Netflix at the end of the month. Then it was clarified that only BBC shows would leave, and then only certain BBC shows.

It rang familiar since the same thing happened last year at this time. By the end of the month, Netflix and the Beeb renewed their deal, apparently for another year. Now the year is up, hence shows are expiring. It's all very confusing because many people can't distinguish between BBC British shows and non-British shows, and I can't blame them because that info isn't always evident.

Variety reports movement in the situation, but the report is a little deceptive. Let's break it down. Full credit to Variety, and you can get the article and everything else right here.

Fans of British television can rest easy. Following numerous reports that Netflix and the BBC were parting ways, the streaming service has clarified that many of its most popular Brit series are staying put.

Uh-oh! Notice that word "many"? It's subtle, but I think that'll be relevant later.

In response to headlines that beloved series “Doctor Who,” “Luther,” the original “The Office” and more were going to be dropped from the service at the end of the month, a Netflix spokeswoman tells Variety that such reports were false.

"Such reports were false"...in that those particular series are not leaving.

Among the shows that will still be available on Netflix are classic and current “Doctor Who” series, “Luther,” “Top Gear” seasons 17 through 20, “Torchwood,” “Wallander,” “Keeping Up Appearances,” and the original “Office” and “House of Cards” series.

Rest easy, British TV fans!

The deal in question did not involve series including “Sherlock,” “Happy Valley,” “The Honorable Woman,” “Call the Midwife” or other series not up for renewal. These series will remain on Netflix.

Rest easier, British TV fans! This is the kind of clarification media outlets should provide as soon as they report on expiring series, not after they report it.

Actually, this kind of thing is why Netflix is so vague about when contracts expire and when shows are leaving. As much as I despise not having that information as a consumer, I can understand the value of keeping the info close to vest. For one thing, it calls attention to the quantity of programming disappears from the service. For another, people get antsy at the thought of their specific favorites leaving, and it leads to some bad pub for a while. Negotiations could be ongoing, and it might hurt leverage for Netflix if an outcry occurs, which might in turn make it hard to retain the shows. That said, I still want more info, not less, and I'd at least like to know if there's a chance shows will be retained.


Here’s a list of BBC series staying on Netflix’s service:
Classic “Doctor Who”
“Doctor Who” seasons 1 through 7
“Copper” seasons 1 and 2
“House of Cards” trilogy
“Keeping Up Appearances” season 1
“Luther” seasons 1 through 3
“Monarch of the Glen” seasons 1 through 6
“North & South”
“Robin Hood” seasons 1 through 3
“The Buccaneers”
“The Office” U.K. seasons 1 and 2
“Top Gear” seasons 17 though 20
“Torchwood” seasons 1 through 4
“Wallander” seasons 1 through 3

This is what we like, specifics! Conspicuous by its absence is "Ripper Street," a show I saw some online comments about. Well, as far as I know, it is staying, too, but in looking it up, I learned that its third season was commissioned by Amazon Prime UK, has not been on Amazon Prime US (and in fact, seasons 1 and 2 are not on Prime, either, but are still on Netflix), and will air on BBC America in 2015. Does this mean season 3 will stream on Amazon Prime US, or will Netflix get it after the BBC America run? I don't know, and I don't expect Netflix to issue press releases trumpeting that fact, but I include it to illustrate how difficult it is to follow this kind of thing. Streaming services are way less transparent than broadcast or even cable networks about programming.

Let's get to the kicker at the end of the "Variety" article:

Fans should plan to enjoy “Fawlty Towers,” “Blackadder,” “MI-5″ and “Red Dwarf” before Feb. 1 when they will no longer be available.

Hey-ohhh! Nice little kick to the gut at the end there. So "such reports" weren't ALL wrong, eh, Netflix? it looks like some of the iconic series that fans fretted about vanishing really are vanishing. And where will they go? Will they go anywhere? Who knows?

Well, I know. All 4 of these series are on Hulu Plus. It would be nice if "Variety" mentioned that--you know, as a service to its readers who are looking for information, as opposed to regurgitating some PR from Netflix. I also think it's disingenuous to imply that no British shows are leaving Netflix at the end of the month, only to tack on a bit at the end that, oh, by the way, some of those shows you love? Yeah, they are leaving.

Rolling Stone's Best of 2014 issue

Don't worry, this isn't gonna be a big rant about injustices or idiocies scattered throughout the issue. No, I just want to point out two things that amuse me in this one (the one with Seth Rogen on the cover and a decent interview with him and a really good one with Chris Rock inside).

1) You have to love that their top two albums of the year are by U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Don't give up the dream, "Rolling Stone!" Hey, I'm serious about this. As a guy whose musical taste is based largely on what he grew up listening to, I like that 'RS" still waves the banner for classic rock.

Actually, what amuses me more is not #1 and #2, but the album slotted at 19: Jackson Browne's "Standing in the Breach." Jackson Browne? They also throw him a bone and give him #33 on the list of the year's top singles.

2) A letter from a reader, reproduced here in its entirety:

Great interview with one of my favorite people ["Checking In With Jon Stewart", RS 1222]. Stewart's tiresome Springsteen worship aside, we are truly lucky to have him holding up a mirror to ourselves--even when it looks ugly.

So someone loves Jon Stewart, loves the interview with him, yet feels the need to devote about a sixth of this letter to a slam on his "Springsteen worship."