We're doing this a little early this time because I have visitors this weekend and may well end up doing more...actual living...than watching streaming video. Wow, it really does look ridiculous when I write it down like that.
Here we go with a very sports-centric list:
1) MLB TV: Life is much, much better when your favorite team wins ballgames. It's also a pleasure to flip around and catch the endings of games. It would be great if they put up classic games as added value at some point. Then again, maybe not, because it might affect...
2) YouTube: There's a fantastic channel here that uploaded a slew of old games, including the 300th wins of the likes of Gaylord Perry, Steve Carlton, and Tom Seaver. I like that the sports leagues are (apparently) turning a blind eye to some of this stuff, especially considering ESPN Classic is all but dead and the leagues don't show vintage material on their own networks as much as they used to do.
3) Netflix: I'm sure Orange Is the New Black fans will welcome a new season this weekend, but I am docking Netflix because there was one day this week I wanted a no-muss, no-fuss experience, so I sat down to watch a Cheers episode...and saw an error message that the title wouldn't play.
4) WWE Network: I had a blast watching the Network this week, and it only got better when it uploaded 3 rare Hidden Gems. Kudos to WWE for putting true rarities in that section lately. It is also adding a ton of old Coliseum Video releases. Of course, it was supposed to have all that up when it launched years ago, but who's counting?
5) Pix11: The vintage "Pine Tar Game" special hosted by Jerry Girard is a delight, complete with original commercials, multiple interviews, and Bill White talking to Billy Martin. Bless WPIX for treating this like such a big event back in the day, and bless them for making it available now. It's fantastic stuff and a great watch for baseball fans who remember that event.
6) Hulu: Castle Rock, a new series based on the StephenKingiverse (not to be confused with Steven Universe), is generating discussion but mixed reviews. I enjoyed some classic TV on here this week, and my kids enjoyed prepping for the Teen Titans Go! movie with some of the episodes. Aw, who am I kidding, they didn't need the excuse of prepping for the movie.
7) Filmstruck: I think the frequency of updates has gone down this summer, but I have to rate it when it makes my boy Humphrey Bogart the Star of the Week. I mean, I own most of the movies on DVD, but seeing that still makes me want to resubscribe.
8) Hoopla: If your library system supports this, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. It has an impressive collection of British TV courtesy of Acorn.
9) PBS: The PBS app frustrated me in recent years, but the American Masters on Ted Williams is great, and, all credit to PBS, it was 100% free to stream the day after it premiered on air, with only one commercial at the beginning.
10) Sony Crackle: Last week I mentioned the deal Sony made with Pluto, licensing a host of its movies and TV shows, and I thought it would probably be much easier to watch them there than on Crackle. In the interest of fairness, I watched a movie on Sony Crackle: the original Point Break. Isn't it sad that there is a remake of Point Break?
I give Sony Crackle a spot because I did watch and enjoy the movie, but, oh, lordy, the interface is still awful, and I think it took 3 hours to watch a 2-hour flick because of all the commercials.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Thursday, July 26, 2018
TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows!
This week the winner of our "workplace sitcom" listener poll gets its spotlight. Slap that bass, folks, and get a cup of coffee because it's time for Barney Miller!
Click right here to go to our official website or get the episode wherever you find your podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!
Click right here to go to our official website or get the episode wherever you find your podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Inside that comic book grab bag part 3
So far I've discussed several comics from that $6 grab bag I bought at Ollie's Bargain Outlet, and I haven't found a lot of happiness yet. Let's see if things turn around today as I dip back into it.
Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1 (1986): This comic takes me back to the heady days of black-and-white comics being published by anybody who could speak English. Remember the seemingly endless wave of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parodies? Well, the wave DID end, and I never actually read any of those books...until now.
I got a kick out of this for historical purposes. The issue is as self-referential as it gets, and it IS funny, though it is certainly of its time (see the PLO/hijacking parody). I did laugh at the legal disclaimer on the inside cover, which asks, "Will this statement save us in court if we get sued?"
Sky Wolf (#1 of 3) (Eclipse, March 1988): Kind of a bummer to get a "1 of 3" in a grab bag. Chuck Dixon (script) and Tom Lyle (pencils) bring us this story of international intrigue and adventure set in 1954. It's well done, but...it's only the first part of the story.
I did enjoy the vintage Eclipse house stuff in the issue, like cat yronwoode's editorial asking readers to conduct research about their local comic shops. There are house ads for Scout, The Dreamery, and a Milton Caniff book, plus more.
This springs from the pages of Airboy, which I never read, so...I can't add much except to say I wouldn't have minded seeing the rest of this mini.
Medic #1 (Double Take, 2015): Part of an ambitious launch of a line of comics inspired by some kind of universe based on Night of the Living Dead, this one didn't make me yearn for any more. I found the art unappealing except for the striking painted cover, and I am sure the story of the ill-fated Double Take venture from ex-Marvel publisher Bill Jemas is more interesting than the product itself.
Kirby: Genesis! Silver Star #2 (Dynamite, 2011): It's competently done, but it's a second issue of a spinoff of a 1980s Jack Kirby effort I knew nothing about. I was a little lost here, but I imagine it's a good read in collected form.
Don't worry, I am saving the best for last. The gab bag hasn't won me over yet, but I have some solid reading experiences coming up in the next installment!
Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1 (1986): This comic takes me back to the heady days of black-and-white comics being published by anybody who could speak English. Remember the seemingly endless wave of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parodies? Well, the wave DID end, and I never actually read any of those books...until now.
I got a kick out of this for historical purposes. The issue is as self-referential as it gets, and it IS funny, though it is certainly of its time (see the PLO/hijacking parody). I did laugh at the legal disclaimer on the inside cover, which asks, "Will this statement save us in court if we get sued?"
Sky Wolf (#1 of 3) (Eclipse, March 1988): Kind of a bummer to get a "1 of 3" in a grab bag. Chuck Dixon (script) and Tom Lyle (pencils) bring us this story of international intrigue and adventure set in 1954. It's well done, but...it's only the first part of the story.
I did enjoy the vintage Eclipse house stuff in the issue, like cat yronwoode's editorial asking readers to conduct research about their local comic shops. There are house ads for Scout, The Dreamery, and a Milton Caniff book, plus more.
This springs from the pages of Airboy, which I never read, so...I can't add much except to say I wouldn't have minded seeing the rest of this mini.
Medic #1 (Double Take, 2015): Part of an ambitious launch of a line of comics inspired by some kind of universe based on Night of the Living Dead, this one didn't make me yearn for any more. I found the art unappealing except for the striking painted cover, and I am sure the story of the ill-fated Double Take venture from ex-Marvel publisher Bill Jemas is more interesting than the product itself.
Kirby: Genesis! Silver Star #2 (Dynamite, 2011): It's competently done, but it's a second issue of a spinoff of a 1980s Jack Kirby effort I knew nothing about. I was a little lost here, but I imagine it's a good read in collected form.
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Don't worry, I am saving the best for last. The gab bag hasn't won me over yet, but I have some solid reading experiences coming up in the next installment!
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Behind the Rankings: DC Universe
In this week's rankings, I give DC Universe the #10 slot despite it not existing. It's coming this fall, though, and it generated some chatter at last week's San Diego Comic Con. I'm not thrilled about the price point--7.99 a month, but to be fair it includes some kind of access to digital comic books--and the early glimpses of originals like Titans doesn't impress me, but as a longtime (if lapsed) DC Comics reader, I just want this to be cool.
A while back, I made some suggestions for classic TV shows that should stream on this new streaming video service. Well, we now know some of--hopefully not all--the content DC will give us at launch. It's more than I would have feared but not as much as I hoped.
Perhaps the big showcase effort as far as classic TV is concerned is the 1970s Wonder Woman series. If this is remastered and uncut, hey, I'm there for Lynda Carter in HD. In that earlier post, I wrote:
I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.
I think Batman streaming in high-def would be a real game changer for a new service like this, and maybe it's still in the works (or maybe even--I can dream--a surprise announcement being held back for launch), but for now, hey, one out of two ain't bad.
The other shows I picked:
The Adventures of Superman: No sign of that here yet, which is a shame.
Lois and Clark: It's not being touted in the publicity for this service, but the released promo pics indicate the entire series will be on the service. Thumbs up, DC!
The Flash (1990): This is included as well!
Filmation cartoons: I don't see anything about these...yet. I still think it's a natural fit considering many of these
Justice League: Also included!
That's 3 out of 5 I wished for, plus, according to that promo pic, "9 seasons" of Super Friends. You can parse that show many different ways--The New Gods know Warner sure confused things with its endless DVD releases--but I think that means the entire run will be there.
All this plus Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series (though I read it may just be some and not all of the episodes) makes a decent package. Is it worth 8 bucks a month? Well, with the originals, it's worth a look-see, I think. However, at 8 bucks a month, I don't think I would have this an automatic purchase every 30 days. Now, the comic book component could blow me away, and with access to a huge back catalog of comics, I might see it a little differently.
A while back, I made some suggestions for classic TV shows that should stream on this new streaming video service. Well, we now know some of--hopefully not all--the content DC will give us at launch. It's more than I would have feared but not as much as I hoped.
Perhaps the big showcase effort as far as classic TV is concerned is the 1970s Wonder Woman series. If this is remastered and uncut, hey, I'm there for Lynda Carter in HD. In that earlier post, I wrote:
I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.
I think Batman streaming in high-def would be a real game changer for a new service like this, and maybe it's still in the works (or maybe even--I can dream--a surprise announcement being held back for launch), but for now, hey, one out of two ain't bad.
The other shows I picked:
The Adventures of Superman: No sign of that here yet, which is a shame.
Lois and Clark: It's not being touted in the publicity for this service, but the released promo pics indicate the entire series will be on the service. Thumbs up, DC!
The Flash (1990): This is included as well!
Filmation cartoons: I don't see anything about these...yet. I still think it's a natural fit considering many of these
Justice League: Also included!
That's 3 out of 5 I wished for, plus, according to that promo pic, "9 seasons" of Super Friends. You can parse that show many different ways--The New Gods know Warner sure confused things with its endless DVD releases--but I think that means the entire run will be there.
All this plus Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series (though I read it may just be some and not all of the episodes) makes a decent package. Is it worth 8 bucks a month? Well, with the originals, it's worth a look-see, I think. However, at 8 bucks a month, I don't think I would have this an automatic purchase every 30 days. Now, the comic book component could blow me away, and with access to a huge back catalog of comics, I might see it a little differently.
Monday, July 23, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Brown Sugar
I think this series identifying classic TV shows that would make good fits for streaming video services is coming to a close. It's time to dig deep this week with a look at Brown Sugar, billed as "Like Netflix, only blacker," and not an outlet that focuses on television. I tried it out last summer and wrote about it here.
It does have Get Christie Love, though, last I checked, so it's not like it doesn't have any vintage television. In fact, Brown Sugar could really distinguish itself by scooping up some TV that isn't currently available everywhere else. The backbone of the channel is its extensive Blaxploitaiton library, but much of that (like the MGM films) is non-exclusive and frequently available elsewhere. These 5 shows are not!
1) Frank's Place: I'll be honest--I didn't watch enough of this back in the day to testify as to whether it is really as brilliant as everyone said it was. I'd love to find out. It had a short run on BET years ago, but I don't think anyone has bothered airing reruns since then, even with the rise of cable nets like Aspire and TV One and diginets like Bounce. One season, 22 episodes--a nice, tidy package for a streamer and a solid bit of prestige for Brown Sugar to go alongside the likes of Disco Godfather and Hell Up in Harlem.
2) Room 222: Speaking of prestige, how about a spot for one of my favorite series of all time, one that tragically tanked on DVD (perhaps in part due to subpar-looking source material) but which won several Emmys in its 1969-1974 run? Aspire shows reruns, but let's face it, who gets Aspire?
3) The Flip Wilson Show: This early 1970s variety show was a huge hit its first two seasons but has been largely forgotten. It's dated, yes, but so what? Laugh-In is also dated, and it's streaming on Prime Video. I'd love to see full hourlong versions of the series on Brown Sugar, but I'd settle for the half-hour cutdowns that circulated on the original TV Land and Aspire.
4) Shaft: These 7 TV movies that aired on CBS in the 1970s are an obvious fit with Brown Sugar's aesthetic, Warner Archive Instant streamed them before that cat split, man, and Warner already licenses some of its movies to this service. So, come on, Brown Sugar, make this happen...SUCKA!
5) Amos and Andy: Well, you have to admit, this would give Brown Sugar some publicity.
In all seriousness, this show is not quite what its toxic reputation indicates, but then again I'm a white dude, so I can't judge how offensive it is for everyone. I do wonder, though, if people knew nothing about the show's history and just sat down and watched the TV episodes, what would the reaction be?
The series' legal status is in doubt, and CBS wants nothing to do with it, anyway, so...you know, maybe this is a non-starter. Maybe we should replace it with...
5) That's My Mama: An amusing Clifton Davis sitcom that has been seen in reruns over the years and is complete on DVD but would still be a nice addition for a streaming video service looking to add something that doesn't suffer from rerun fatigue. Crackle streamed this for a while but isn't doing anything with it right now. It certainly wouldn't be as controversial as Amos and Andy.
It does have Get Christie Love, though, last I checked, so it's not like it doesn't have any vintage television. In fact, Brown Sugar could really distinguish itself by scooping up some TV that isn't currently available everywhere else. The backbone of the channel is its extensive Blaxploitaiton library, but much of that (like the MGM films) is non-exclusive and frequently available elsewhere. These 5 shows are not!
1) Frank's Place: I'll be honest--I didn't watch enough of this back in the day to testify as to whether it is really as brilliant as everyone said it was. I'd love to find out. It had a short run on BET years ago, but I don't think anyone has bothered airing reruns since then, even with the rise of cable nets like Aspire and TV One and diginets like Bounce. One season, 22 episodes--a nice, tidy package for a streamer and a solid bit of prestige for Brown Sugar to go alongside the likes of Disco Godfather and Hell Up in Harlem.
2) Room 222: Speaking of prestige, how about a spot for one of my favorite series of all time, one that tragically tanked on DVD (perhaps in part due to subpar-looking source material) but which won several Emmys in its 1969-1974 run? Aspire shows reruns, but let's face it, who gets Aspire?
3) The Flip Wilson Show: This early 1970s variety show was a huge hit its first two seasons but has been largely forgotten. It's dated, yes, but so what? Laugh-In is also dated, and it's streaming on Prime Video. I'd love to see full hourlong versions of the series on Brown Sugar, but I'd settle for the half-hour cutdowns that circulated on the original TV Land and Aspire.
4) Shaft: These 7 TV movies that aired on CBS in the 1970s are an obvious fit with Brown Sugar's aesthetic, Warner Archive Instant streamed them before that cat split, man, and Warner already licenses some of its movies to this service. So, come on, Brown Sugar, make this happen...SUCKA!
5) Amos and Andy: Well, you have to admit, this would give Brown Sugar some publicity.
In all seriousness, this show is not quite what its toxic reputation indicates, but then again I'm a white dude, so I can't judge how offensive it is for everyone. I do wonder, though, if people knew nothing about the show's history and just sat down and watched the TV episodes, what would the reaction be?
The series' legal status is in doubt, and CBS wants nothing to do with it, anyway, so...you know, maybe this is a non-starter. Maybe we should replace it with...
5) That's My Mama: An amusing Clifton Davis sitcom that has been seen in reruns over the years and is complete on DVD but would still be a nice addition for a streaming video service looking to add something that doesn't suffer from rerun fatigue. Crackle streamed this for a while but isn't doing anything with it right now. It certainly wouldn't be as controversial as Amos and Andy.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Streaming Video Power Rankings #120
I didn't run a few posts I planed to this week, and I wish I had a good excuse, like I was watching TV all week, but no, it was boring, old real-life stuff. Fortunately, the weekly power rankings are here, they're clear, and we're used to it!
1) Netflix: Back on top despite Captain Underpants bombing with one of my kids (the other was enjoying it until she turned it off). It looked decent from the 45 seconds I saw and 10 minutes I sort of heard.
Netflix gave us an odd grab bag of original series this week, like Dark Tourism, but I am making an effort to really take advantage of my membership--why should the kids have all the fun--and got into shows like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. And Netflix wants me to watch Lost in Space (the reboot), and I almost started, but then I thought, hey, I can get back into season 2 of the original Star Trek and watched that instead.
2) YouTube: The highlight for me this week is this vintage CBS special about comic strips:
However, I also enjoyed some great old commercials and a vintage news report on the death of Natalie Wood. I should mention, too, that my kids watched a ton of wacky "eating gross foods" videos on here. Overall, YT got a lot of streaming time at Cultureshark Tower this week.
3) Hulu: Speaking of the kids for the third consecutive entry, they enjoyed them some Teen Titans Go! and after I saw the new trailer for Titans (see #10), I got a new appreciation for the cartoon. I would like to see a little more classic TV added, though, since new TV is a bit is a little slower going in the summer.
4) PIX11: It didn't add much, but I got a kick out of catching up on some of the archival content it did add in recent weeks. The reopening ceremony for the Statue of Liberty is a highlight and comes complete with a newscast including Jerry Girard's sports.
5) WWE Network: This week's hidden gem is a fun one: A non-televised tryout match pitting The Rock (billed as Dwayne Johnson) against Chris Candido, but the real treat for me was rewatching Starrcade '85. I may or may not renew this new week; we'll see what the next big catalog drop is.
6) The Roku Channel: This free channel is gaining momentum and solely gearing up to be a real contender. It has added live news feeds to its assortment of movies and TV shows, and while it will have to add content more often to be a frequent stop for me, it's worth a regular look-in.
7) Pluto TV: This other free channel (free is great!) announced a deal with Sony to add "more than 200 movie and classic TV titles." The news is light on specifics, but this is welcome news that bolsters Pluto's growing on-demand library. Bewitched is one show mentioned, and this reminds me that I would rather watch it on Roku Channel or on Pluto than on Sony's own free streamer, Sony Crackle. That's not a good thing for Sony Crackle. This news is fantastic for Pluto.
8) Amazon Prime: I didn't get to see much on here except Dojo Pro, an intriguing take on pro wrestling with a fresh format. I'm grateful that the Jaws movies are here, though, considering I just started listening to the Inside Jaws podcast.
9) Shout! Factory TV: I said it before, and I will say it again: One of the more underrated TV shows of the 1990s is 1997's The Weird Al Show. Only thing is I think when I said it before I got mixed up and said it was one of the more underrated shows of the 1980s. Anyway, in 2018 the goofy comedy is streaming here on Shout!
10) DC Universe: OK, OK, so this technically doesn't exist yet, but it's on the way, and it finally has a pricepoint, some original footage (that Titans trailer), and, yes, BUZZ! I don't like the pricepoint, I don't care for the original footage, and I want more programming detail and less buzz, but I still give DC a spot this week.
1) Netflix: Back on top despite Captain Underpants bombing with one of my kids (the other was enjoying it until she turned it off). It looked decent from the 45 seconds I saw and 10 minutes I sort of heard.
Netflix gave us an odd grab bag of original series this week, like Dark Tourism, but I am making an effort to really take advantage of my membership--why should the kids have all the fun--and got into shows like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. And Netflix wants me to watch Lost in Space (the reboot), and I almost started, but then I thought, hey, I can get back into season 2 of the original Star Trek and watched that instead.
2) YouTube: The highlight for me this week is this vintage CBS special about comic strips:
However, I also enjoyed some great old commercials and a vintage news report on the death of Natalie Wood. I should mention, too, that my kids watched a ton of wacky "eating gross foods" videos on here. Overall, YT got a lot of streaming time at Cultureshark Tower this week.
3) Hulu: Speaking of the kids for the third consecutive entry, they enjoyed them some Teen Titans Go! and after I saw the new trailer for Titans (see #10), I got a new appreciation for the cartoon. I would like to see a little more classic TV added, though, since new TV is a bit is a little slower going in the summer.
4) PIX11: It didn't add much, but I got a kick out of catching up on some of the archival content it did add in recent weeks. The reopening ceremony for the Statue of Liberty is a highlight and comes complete with a newscast including Jerry Girard's sports.
5) WWE Network: This week's hidden gem is a fun one: A non-televised tryout match pitting The Rock (billed as Dwayne Johnson) against Chris Candido, but the real treat for me was rewatching Starrcade '85. I may or may not renew this new week; we'll see what the next big catalog drop is.
6) The Roku Channel: This free channel is gaining momentum and solely gearing up to be a real contender. It has added live news feeds to its assortment of movies and TV shows, and while it will have to add content more often to be a frequent stop for me, it's worth a regular look-in.
7) Pluto TV: This other free channel (free is great!) announced a deal with Sony to add "more than 200 movie and classic TV titles." The news is light on specifics, but this is welcome news that bolsters Pluto's growing on-demand library. Bewitched is one show mentioned, and this reminds me that I would rather watch it on Roku Channel or on Pluto than on Sony's own free streamer, Sony Crackle. That's not a good thing for Sony Crackle. This news is fantastic for Pluto.
8) Amazon Prime: I didn't get to see much on here except Dojo Pro, an intriguing take on pro wrestling with a fresh format. I'm grateful that the Jaws movies are here, though, considering I just started listening to the Inside Jaws podcast.
9) Shout! Factory TV: I said it before, and I will say it again: One of the more underrated TV shows of the 1990s is 1997's The Weird Al Show. Only thing is I think when I said it before I got mixed up and said it was one of the more underrated shows of the 1980s. Anyway, in 2018 the goofy comedy is streaming here on Shout!
10) DC Universe: OK, OK, so this technically doesn't exist yet, but it's on the way, and it finally has a pricepoint, some original footage (that Titans trailer), and, yes, BUZZ! I don't like the pricepoint, I don't care for the original footage, and I want more programming detail and less buzz, but I still give DC a spot this week.
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