Streaming Video Power Rankings #132

Many people appreciate Halloween-themed content this time of year (the time of year being Halloween; I could have phrased that more artfully), but I recognize that some might actually prefer a respite from all the black cats, goblins, and limb-sawing (sorry, I don't like to get into current events on this blog) that runs rampant in October. to you non-horror hounds, I apologize for the extra credit I will give certain channels the next few weeks. I am not a huge Halloween guy, but I respect the channels that try to please those who are.

1) YouTube/YouTube TV: What I *really respect* is free, though. On one hand, I was furious that I essentially missed an entire game of the National League Championship Series due to the global YT outage. On the other hand, they gave me a free week for the inconvenience, which really helps me get over it. If the Pirates were in it, I'd still be ticked, but this certainly makes me feel better.

2) CBS All-Access: I have to admit I am picking the most interesting episodes, but the more I see of the original Hawaii Five-0, the more into it I get. For a series I always assumed was "just" a procedural (not that there's anything wrong with that), it has a good lineup of fairly off-kilter stories. That's goof for All-Access because this new crop of CBS shows is not nearly as interesting.

3) Netflix: Netflix is really cranking out the original series this month, adding new sesasons of Making a Murderer, Daredevil, and premiering a Toni Collette series called Wanderlust (about which I have heard very little)--and that's only on Friday, and that's not even all of it. Yet the cancellation of Luke Cage totally overshadows the generally well received Daredevil season. People are increasingly fascinated by these cancellations of Netflix series.

My kids remain on a totally YouTube jag (this Project Zorgo thing has captivated the youth of America), and that combined with my baseball watching made this one of the lesser-watched Netflix weeks in my household.

Hey, does anyone think Netflix is gaming its recommendations to make itself look better? For example, I don't recall seeing Monty Python as a suggestion until after I started watching it. I wonder if every now and then they see someone has only seen an episode of something and try to slip a recommendation in so we think, "Hey! I was just gonna start watching that! They really know me!"

4) WWE Network: It's under-delivering on classic content overall this month but is coming in strong again with its Hidden Gems, such as this week's upload of The Last Battle of Atlanta, a rare complete house show from the non-WWF territorial days.

5) Pub-D-Hub: I made my annual payment for Pub-D-Hub Gold, and though the team may have slowed down a tick in recent months, I still give it a high recommendation. You can get a lot of this stuff on other free Roku channels, yes, but without commercials? With options to set a playlist and build a queue? I think not. Plus the Hub has added its traditional Halloween section, loaded with movies, TV, cartoons, and commercials in one convenient spot.

6)  Hulu: Quiet week in terms of originals, but the new Fall TV is here (I think that's a plus) and the news that Married with Children arrives next month proves Hulu is serious about dominating 90s reruns. Other series available now include: Mom, The Bernie Mac Show, and Younger.

7) Pix11: This week's archival add is a complete newcast from the night of the 1987 stock market crash--not necessarily something we want to relive, but compelling viewing nonetheless.

8) Prime Video:  I think The Romanoffs is already considered a disappointment, but it's interesting that Amazon is releasing episodes each week rather than all at once. More to the point, Prime added a bunch of old British crime movies, some high-profile hits like the Burt Reynolds The Longest Yard, and the original Addams Family.

9) HBO: I have to give it credit for making a movie about Herve Villechaize, and not just because of my hope that a Herve renaissance leads to Crackle bringing back Fantasy Island (and earning a spot in these rankings)!

10) Filmstruck: This classic movie service put an interesting spin on Halloween with Japanese horror classics, super-old "scary" cartoon shorts, and a Terrence Fisher collection with a half-dozen Hammer films.