1) Hulu: Made a splashy announcement with its news of a Veronica Mars revival, garnered buzz for the latest episode of Castle Rock, and let me watch several episodes of Seinfeld. It's also offering different kinds of original programming like new docuseries Crime & Punishment.
2) WWE Network: Huge week for the Network with Summer Slam, an NXT Takeover, and a big drop of classic content plus a complete WCCW show from 1981 as a Hidden Gem--truly a little something for everyone.
3) Filmstruck: It would be #1 if I had more time to watch it this past week (I only watched The Petrified Forest), what with the additions of a bunch of Lana Turner movies last weekend and Cary Grant this weekend. They are using these Star of the Week categories to get in some more obscure Hollywood classics, too. Also new this weekend: swashbuckler movies and Michael Crichton movies.
My only beef is that all the Bette Davis movies left, but they were there several months, and Filmstruck is open about when titles depart, so I can't get too angry.
4) YouTube: The Real Music Observer continues saturation coverage of the Steve Perry comeback, but I am most excited that user robatsea2009 posted a vintage NBC promo spotlighting Karl Malden in SKAG!
5) Prime Video: Dare I watch Mother! this weekend to see what the fuss is about? And dare I watch Disobedience to see Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams make out? Ok, that one won't be such a sacrifice.
I hadn't noticed Prime added Gidget, but it did, and around here we applaud any addition of 60s TV.
6) PIX11: Thumbs up to the team there for putting up a 1985 interview with Robin Leach to mark the TV icon's passing. "Although money doesn't buy happiness, it sure does help it," says Leach in a chat with Marvin Scott.
7) TubiTV: Because I am still fascinated by and still watching the 2014 Martin Lawrence/Kelsey Grammer sitcom Partners.
8) MLB TV: Hey, Pittsburgh, would it kill you to score a run every now and then?
9) Shout! TV: Props to The Dells for going on an episode of Soul! and turning 1950s Doo Wop classic "Oh, What a Night" into an endless 1970s-style soliloquy complete with a reference to Dolemite.
10) Netflix: I don't like to make these rankings punitive, but, jeez, this week Netflix dumped user reviews and introduced unskippable house ads--two moves unasked for and resented by consumers. You might throw in the surprising cancellation of Joel McHale's and Michelle Wolf's shows, too, but I assume they have detailed viewership data on those.
Far worse may be my unscientific observation that a reputation is building--and not just among grumpy TV critics--that Netflix's "brand" is tons of mediocre crap designed to keep us drooling in front of the idiot box all day but not really being engaged.
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