Streaming Video Power Rankings #129

1) MLB TV: Many streamers could see the exciting final weekend of baseball free--legally, that is--because Major League Baseball made it so. Free is always king in these parts. Now, if only the expensive baseball streaming package included the playoffs so that I didn't have to buy a month of...(See #10).

2) CBS All Access: Speaking of free, I quite enjoyed my free month of this service and was watching the heck out of it before the 30 days ended. Well, I miscalculated by a day or so, and thanks to the miracle of auto-renewal, I am getting another month of this. Instead of being angry at myself for paying 10 bucks for a month I wasn't planning on getting, I choose to look at it as getting two months of ad-free service for 5 bucks per.

3) Netflix: I think my experience this week sums up the Netflix Experience: I was watching Argentinean minseries Historia de un Clan when a friend told me about the feature film based on the same true story.

I check, and much to my delight, the movie, El Clan, is also on Netflix! Yay!

A second later, I realize it expires at the end of the month, meaning I have to hustle to get through the rest of the miniseries so I can then follow it up with the movie. Cool that everything was there, not cool that my schedule was beholden to the tyranny of expiration dates.

4) Hulu: Hulu has been rather humdrum lately, and it actually lost a recent series as Designated Survivor moved to Netflix, which is still the big brother. Yet I can't deny that I did a lot of prep for our Battle of the Network Shows podcast this week, checking out episodes of [REDACTED] for the season opener.

5) Prime Video: Debuts a new version of King Lear with Anthony Hopkins. Perhaps more importantly, also debuts a 1962 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Arsenic and Old Lace starring Tony Randall.

6) YouTube: Anyone else know what the heck is going on with this "gamesmaster" business and all these YouTubers? I sure don't, but my kids are into it. I am tempted to exile YT from the rankings this week for deleting one of my favorite music-related channels, but I have to factor in all the time I spent watching old commercials.

7) Pluto TV: It keeps adding to its free hodgepodge of channels, adding some more movie options this week. Hey, also, I just realized Mac and Me is available here on demand!

8) Flmstruck: I really slacked off this week but still found time to check out a few things, and it added a huge Greer Garson collection, a batch of Roberto Rossellini films, and an "Outbreaks" theme that features the likes of The Devils, Things to Come, and The Omega Man.

9) PIX 11: It can go weeks without adding any archival content, but then it goes and uploads a Billy Martin tribute and totally redeems itself.

10) YouTube TV: I just signed up for this to get the MLB playoffs (and maybe a little football while I'm at it), and I am fairly impressed apart from the fact that I found out the free trial is now 5 days instead of 7 days. Buffering was an issue a few times, but the overall price and channel selection is the best value right now if this thing works at all.

5 people I forgot were in "Singles" (1992, Cameron Crowe)

Filmstruck streamed Cameron Crowe's  1992 comedy Singles until the beginning of September, and, whoa, it had been a long time since I had seen it. Revisiting it reveals a movie that is of its time, which is good, but also kind of "dated" in its way. It's an entertaining movie, to be sure, and a valuable time capsule, but there are a lot of sitcom moments like answering machine catastrophes and mistaken identities. I highly recommend checking it out again or for the first time (it is now streaming for free on ad-supported Vudu)

1) Paul Giamatti:  In one scene early in the courtship (oh, how genteel I sound!) of the Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick characters, they are seated nearby a very young Giamatti having a major makeout session (I sound a lot less genteel now) with a young woman. His indignant response to being called out for it is like a mini-classic Giamatti moment.

2) Eric Stoltz: Stoltz plays a mime who gets a ride to a show. Fear not, though, folks: Do you think Cameron Crowe would be foolhardy enough to cast Eric Freakin' Stoltz and waste him in a non-speaking role? Of course he wouldn't.  Of course he wouldn't.

3) Tom Skerritt: In one scene as the mayor who quickly shuts down Campbell Scott's dream project, Skerritt shows how great he was at being an icy prick.

4) Tim Burton: Pretentious filmmaker type who is willing and available to shoot your video (for 20 bucks) at the dating service Sheila Kelley uses. It's an amusing and clever cameo.

5) Victor Garber: A young Garber--wait, that was Godspell; this is a not-as-old, pre-Alias Garber--has an achingly sincere moment as the father of the young seatmate a chagrined Kelley gets on an airplane after asking for a spot next to a single guy.

Fall Books Preview (by "preview" I mean "list of stuff I want to read")

Do you like to read? I like to read! Sometimes I think what I really like is getting books and not having time to read them. So I shouldn't be going through lists of upcoming releases and adding items to my ever-expanding wish lists...but I do because I enjoy it. Here is a rundown of some of the Fall books (some already out) that interest me:

Big Game by Mark Liebovich (out now):  A political reporter spent time researching a book on what complete jerks the NFL owners are. Sounds pretty good to me!

Boom Town by Sam Anderson (out now): The story of Oklahoma City, somehow combining history, Big Oil, and the NBA.

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (out now): This guy writes a lot of acclaimed espionage-themed books, none of which I have read yet, and this one sounds very cool.

Hooked on Hollywood by Leonard Maltin (out now): A collection of archival interviews and features covering mostly old-school Hollywood cinema. No-brainer, and it happens to be available at a very nice Kindle price right now.

Scarface and the Untouchable: Al Capone, Eliot Ness, and the Battle for Chicago by Max Allan Collins (out now): The title says it all. Noted mystery/detective novelist Collins delivers an acclaimed nonfiction account of one of the epic crime sagas of the 20th century.

One-Dollar Football by Jeff Pearlman (out now): Pearlman has written some fantastic sports books, and this is his passion project, a history of the dearly departed USFL.

In Pieces by Sally Field (out now): I'm sure she has a lot to say!

Death of the Territories by Tim Hornbaker (September 18): Pro wrestling historian talking about the old territory system and its collapse as Vince McMahon went national with the WWF. I think I would read this in a night or two if I got it.

Grant by Ron Chernow (September 25): U.S. Grant, that is. I still haven't read Chernow's huge Hamilton bio, though (I did read Richard Brookhiser's)!

The Big Fella by Jane Leavy: (October 16): Do we really need another "definitive" Babe Ruth biography? Maybe not, but when Leavy (author of Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle bios) does it, it's worth a read.

My Love Story by Tina Turner (October 16): Remember when I said Sally Field had a lot to say? Well, that X2.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean (October 16): A story of a library fire and "a love letter to libraries"--sounds good to me.

American Dialogue: The Founders and Us by Joseph Ellis (October 16): I wish I had time/made time to read all of Ellis' books.

Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story by Roger Daltrey (October 23): I'm sure HE has a lot to say!

I'll Be There for You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller (October 23): I'm not ashamed to say I am interested in reading an authoritative look at the show Friends. It seems like enough time has passed to get some good candor from the people involved but not so much time that the show is no longer relevant.

Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood by Karina Longworth (Novermber 13): Longworth touched on this material in her excellent You Must Remember This podcast, and I'm delighted that she has expanded it into a book.

Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants by H.W. Brands (November 13): I wish I had time/made time to read all of Brands' books.

Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) by Jeff Tweedy (November 13): Tweedy is an interesting dude, and I expect this to be a compelling read.

Streaming Video Power Rankings #129

I feel like the Emmys should play a big part in these rankings, but I didn't watch the ceremony, and nearly a week later, I feel like everyone has already forgotten about the awards.

1) HBO: Hey, Netflix, you did quite well, but HBO is still around and still way too expensive. We could all expect Game of Thrones to win Emmys, but what a showing for Barry. In addition to its own Emmy dominance, HBO celebrates the premiere of The Shape of Water and the streaming debut of Arli$$.

OK, let's not hold that last one against it.

2) Netflix: I'm still amazed that Netflix got an Emmy for Seven Seconds. Broadcast networks must really be going nuts to see a series like that, one hardly anyone remembers existed, win a huge award (Regina Hall). So Netflix must be feeling pretty good about itself.

New series this weekend include Maniac, reuniting Emma Stone and Jonah hill. I mean, everyone loves Emma Stone, right? And Jonah Hill...Well, Emma Stone seems to like him, so he can't be all bad, I guess. I saw some ads for The Good Cop  with Tony Danza and Josh Groban, and, so help me, it looks entertaining. Plus there's a documentary about Quincy Jones, and I sure hope it's 90 minutes of him rambling and dissing other celebrities.

3) Amazon Prime Video: I was pleased to see the love for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,  but perhaps more importantly, something called A Few Conversdations with Dabney Coleman just showed up. Also, random old movies from Sony and MGM keep showing up here.

4) YouTube: Tommy Wiseau's The Room (not to be confused with Jean Renoir's The Room) is now streaming officially on YouTube. 'Nuff said.

On the off chance that isn't 'nuff, last week the awesome Super 70s Sports Twitter account posted a photo of Burt Reynolds doing commentary in the CBS booth for a bowl game. A few clicks later, and I discover it's the Sun Bowl, and the complete broadcast is on YouTube. Life...is good!

5) Hulu: An also-ran at the Emmys, and is anyone talking about The First? Fortunately, I go there for stuff like Seinfeld and more classic TV.

6) CBS All Access: I think season 2 of Happy Days  is new here, and the fact that this service is quietly increasing its library bodes well. Plus the show page says, "Watch from the beginning," which is annoying as anything if it's only this one season, but will be nice if it means the whole run is coming. I also note the series--well, the token 12 episodes or whatever--is no longer on Hulu. Hmm...

I have one more week of my month trial, and I am enjoying what I am seeing. I did regret watching the end of a boring Indy/Washington game just to hope the CBS feed would switch to the Steelers game. Oh, it DID switch, and that's why I regretted it: I had to watch the sad resolution to that one.

7) Filmstruck: I can't say I'm thrilled about Debbie Reynolds being Star of the Week, but I admire the scope of the collection and the variety it represents. Plus I finally saw Night Moves with Gene Hackman, some prehistoric film animation, and an old episode of Studio One.

8) CBS Sports HQ: I only got a quick look on Saturday night, but it was valuable: scores and highlights with no fuss. This is a nice destination for cord-cutting sports fans,

9) NBC: I had way more fun than I should have watching an old Charles in Charge guest-starring the great 80s icon Jerry Levine, who was in Teen Wolf and...hey, wait. How was this guy not in like hundreds of movies in the eighties? I mean, he has a fine career and is a prolific broadcast TV director now, but, wow, I would have thought he was in everything.

10) Britbox: I have never subscribed, but I took a look at the offerings the other day. It's quietly assembled a decent lineup of new and vintage programming, I like the emphasis on "panel shows," (like a new one featuring Alan Davies), and a new sitcom with John Cleese should count for something.

Hazel: The Early Years "George's Niece"

It's been a while since we visited the Baxter residence, and I wish I could say we are coming back strong, but, no, George's Niece (November 16, 1961) is a gentle episode. It's nice. It has some very nice moments.

Dadgum it, though, I come to Hazel to see George. Well, Hazel, too, but preferably interacting with George. This episode delves into the extended Baxter family, namely snooty sister Deirdre (Cathy Lewis) and her daughter Nancy (Davey Davison).

Deirdre normally has "go away heat" with me, to invoke a pro wrestling term, but she at least gets some moments of redemption in this episode. Yes, eventually she can stop looking down her nose at Hazel long enough to give George's niece the attention she craves. Hazel even chokes up at this scene:

However, let's go back to the beginning and what is really important: the state of Mr. B's hand. Long-time readers are familiar with my theory that George injured himself in an underground pit fighting tournament. Well, we now see that the right hand is no longer wrapped up, but only that middle finger is bandaged:

Now that we have that out of the way, what else is notable about this episode? Well, it scores a strong 8.3 rating on IMDB, which indicates many viewers enjoy it more than I do. I think the sentimentality of it is appealing. There is a charming scene with Hazel and Mrs. B in which the two reminisce about Missy's own teenage days. It's nice to see them openly show the affection they have for each other and give us a reminder of the bond they share.

Hazel misses interacting with a teenage girl so much she is eager to help out Nancy as she and Deirdre move into town. Ah, the innocence of the 1960s! It's quaint hearing Hazel talk about staying up and listening to Missy talk about her dates...and to then see her do the same with Nancy.

Other highlights for me: Hazel singing fans can enjoy a few bars of "HE'LL Be Coming Round the Mountain." Unfortunately, Deirde's phone call interrupts the staircase serenade.

There's the weird notion of Hazel fixing up her own nephew with George's niece. Can you imagine the two families joining together? I don't mean to be as snobby as Deirdre, but it just seems like an odd possibility.  Worlds colliding!

Nancy will return in Hazel, but I don't think she marries Eddy Burke, even though, gosh, she sure is in love with him in this episode. And, gee, he KISSES her!

Streaming Video Power Rankings #128

Special shout-out to everyone dealing with Hurricane Florence, many of whom may not even have power this weekend. Believe me, I know how fortunate I am to be able to sit on my duff and watch streaming video in the comfort of my own place.

That said, it was a tremendous week for streaming, with tons of high-profile shows debuting and even a brand-new service launching a few days early. Let's get to it:

1) NBC: The mantra around here is, "New old stuff rules." So when I see that the NBC app (apparently the shows aren't available on the web) has added The Equalizer, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Incredible Hulk, I give them extra credit. The first two weren't around anywhere else, and only half of the third was already on Hulu, so this is a great development. Also note that none of these shows appeared on NBC, which is embracing the "Universal" part of its library.

2) NewsOn: This aggregator on Roku collects newscasts from local stations around the country and makes it free and easy to watch them. It's a great service that is especially valuable in times of national disasters and emergencies.

3) Amazon Prime Video: I'm not even really interested in new series Forever, but I have watched a lot of Prime this week. I didn't mention Netflix debuting Black Panther last week, but that was because the highlight for me was Wait for Your Laugh, a charming documentary about the amazing Rose Marie:

I also enjoyed The Disaster Artist, and checking out recommendations after watching that led me to a bunch of, "Hey, that's on Prime!" finds.

4) YouTube: Apart from my kids getting hooked on some kind of running storyline involving a bunch of prominent YouTubers, I went down a rab-Burt hole the other day. There is always a fascinating undercurrent of hostility to Burt Reynolds, even sometimes when he is in "charming and self-deprecating" mode on Late Night or The Tonight Show. But my journey began with this gem: Burt denying he has AIDS (to Rona Barrett, no less) on Entertainment Tonight:

5) Netflix: I vowed last week to start getting back into the Netflix originals, and indeed I did, but, bam, then Netflix goes and dumps new seasons of Bojack, American Vandal, and a new show with Norm McDonald, which I intend to watch even if the obnoxious home page is trying to force me to do so.

6) Filmstruck: I sure do love Filmstruck, which gave me Advise and Consent  and Cleopatra Jones this week, then added a ton of James Mason...and Citizen Kane. Freaking Citizen Kane (and other movies with cinematography by Gregg Tolan)--come on!

7) CBS All Access: It enabled downloading/offline viewing of many of its programs this week, which is a cool move. Plus it threw up an assortment of old Murphy Brown episodes. I watched a couple, and it hit me: Yeah, I never did like Murphy Brown and probably never will. Still, credit to CBS for adding even a limited assortment of a series that isn't streaming anywhere else.

8) Hulu: Sean Penn has a new series on here, and that's a pretty big deal, right? I just have some kind of instant "UGH!" reaction when I see he's in something, so this will have to have great reviews to get me to check it out.

In other news, Hulu is adding a ton of Discovery shows, and that does nothing for me, but I'm sure some people are excited. Similarly, good timing to add The Haves and the Have Nots from OWN now that it's been in the news lately.

9) MLB TV: Well, at least it's a chance to see the young guys. That's what we tell ourselves when our teams aren't playing meaningful games in September.

10) DC Universe: It debuted a few days early on Roku, and it looks pretty good. I'm curious how the comic-reading experience looks on a TV, and I wish the Filmation cartoons and a few other things were available, but overall there is some cool content. Enough for 7 bucks a month? I'm not sure about that, but it does look worth a try.