Streaming Video Power Rankings #163

If you're wondering why Shout! Factory TV is never on this list anymore, it's because the Roku channel hasn't been fully functional for months. Word is they are working on it and have a stripped-down version up now while they figure it out. Fortunately, a lot of their good stuff is available on Prime and on Tubi.

Here we go with 10 channels that do work on Roku!

1) Watch TCM: If I get access to this at my own place again, I may never leave the house. My girlfriend and I had a great time watching the short subjects on here. Who know a Technicolor dramatic adventure of the Royal Canadian Mountain Police could be such a riot?

2) Boomerang: I am having a blast watching the old toons on here, but I had committed to getting only a month. However, I kept an open mind in case they added something awesome for June that would make me change my mind. Well, the good news is Boomerang added 3 new shows this week. the bad news is, it's Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner Is a Monkey, and Codename Kids Next Door--new series that don't interest me. I'm glad to see Boomerang adding stuff, though, and not constantly removing it like DC Universe does.

3) Pub-D-Hub: I actually spent an hour of my life listening to a podcast explaining the structural channels of Pub-D-Hub...and I loved it! I got an explanation as to why the content adds are less frequent now (partly it's because of the work they put into revamping the channel due to Roku's changes), and, hey, I just like that they put it out there.

4) Roku Channel: An impressive set of additions for June, including the entire run of Tales of Wells Fargo, some of Just Shoot Me (Not my cup of tea, but not overexposed elsewhere), and movies like Die Hard, Gravity, Unforgiven, and Platoon.

5) Netflix: Not a lot interests me in the new originals--oh, how I wish David Letterman had better  guests--but there is a nice little batch of older movies coming this weekend, particularly from Warner Brothers (like Network and Cabaret), and I got some value from the old TV.

6) Prime Video: Expect this to rise in the ratings if Good Omens is any good, as I plan to watch some of that soon. In the meantime, I finally started Bosch (so far, so good), and I got back into Real People. Why? Uh...maybe I will have an answer in another item or two.

7) Hulu: It debuted a Dr. Ruth documentary, but I am all about Brooklyn Nine-Nine right now.

8) NBC: Still don't have a good excuse for watching more Real People. However, this makes me humble and prevents me from being judgmental about NBC's free app, which added a bunch of stuff recently--much of it reality programming from its family of cable channels. Now, I don't have any interest in that sort of thing, but plenty of people do, and so kudos to NBC for making it available. And who am I to judge after watching not only Real People, but also--on this very app--Charles in Charge.

9) DC Universe: It really should be higher this week in the wake of a successful Doom Patrol season and strong reviews for the debuting Swamp Thing, but it's very disappointing that no other new material is coming in June. There just isn't enough here for the average person (unless they are really into the digital comics) to get this each month at the current pricepoint.

10) MLB TV: I have a semi-formal rule to rank MLB whenever it shows the Pirates as the free game of the day, even when the Buccos lose, so MLB squeaks in here again.