Streamageddon

Is Netflix owning Warner Bros. and HBO the worst possible outcome for movies but the least terrible outcome for TV and streaming? Is there any silver lining on this late stage capitalist nightmare? Will we ever be able to just talk about great shows ever again??

We’ll try our best to answer the first two questions, but then the fun part: We’ll talk through all the upcoming shows highlighted in HBO Max’s 2026 sizzle reel (their biggest year yet, they claim!). Then we’ll raise a glass to some of the greatest TV and miniseries of all t...

If the price of streaming has you feeling down low, rejoice! Because we’re here to help you get the most bang for your buck as we compare streaming costs from 2022 to today and make our picks for which services you should add, keep, or cancel.

Plus a show so good we’re wiling to choke down the latest Disney+ price hike to keep watching: We’ve got the skinny on FX’s The Lowdown.

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📺 Review: The Lowdown

We’re back for the fall TV season with the perfect cozy comedy that probably flew under your radar when it premiered last month on Netflix: Each episode of Long Story Short jumps back and forth through time to tell the many stories (both big and small) of one hilarious and relatable Jewish American family. We’ll share some favorite jokes and why we can’t get enough of this fresh adult animation from the creator of another modern animated classic, Bojack Horseman.

Plus we’re taking inspiration from the show and diving into our own streaming history...

The Primetime Emmy Awards are right around the corner, so let’s get excited about the real winners: The (likely) losers! We’re singing the praises of this year’s unsung heroes with a look at the dark horses and snubs (cast of Andor, anyone?) in this year’s Emmys race.

And wouldn’t you know it? One of those dark horses happens to be the second half of our FX-themed summer show swap! Say Nothing is nominated for a writing award and it’s easy to see why: It’s a gripping true-history story of women breaking the g...

Dianne is back! The Sunny gang is back! We are SO back!

Plus we discuss some things that so aren’t back, like:

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📺 Review: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Can Streamageddon save the American Theater? Probably not (despite our best efforts!), but maybe George Clooney can: His one-night-only live broadcast of Broadway’s Good Night, and Good Luck marked another milestone in streaming’s push into LIVE entertainment (and not just sports, we swear!). Guest host Ian Brodsky lends his theater experience as we review the special live stream that aired on CNN and Max (formerly and soon to be known as HBO Max).

Plus: Streaming has finally overtaken TV, but YouTube has finally overtaken everything! The hottest gossip from the WaBroDisco Breakup, a look at Netf...

Are you, like so many characters on The White Lotus, staring off despondently in the distance now that you won’t get your weekly fix of Goggins-fueled water cooler chit-chat, unhinged conspiracy theories, and juicy memes (insert your best “Piper, nnnnoooo!” here)?

Well, good news! There are actually OTHER shows that you can watch! And some of them might even scratch the same itch. (And just what is that itch? We’ll discuss!)

Plus it’s graduation day for Guest Host Ian Brodsky as he takes on America’s favorite challenge: Renewed or Canceled?!

We’ll lear...

“Brother, could you lend me a hand?” (That’s a question we’ll answer in our White Lotus predictions update at the end of the episode! But first…)

The breezy new Netflix comedy Running Point doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a breath of fresh air in a season of tense dramas and cheap thrillers (we’re looking at you, The Night Agent). Guest Host Ian Brodsky has watched the whole season and is here to convince you to spend some time with fun characters who constantly get themselves into (and out of) hilarious jams.

Of course...

We’re phoning it in this week (in a good way) with guest host Ian Brodsky joining Chris to review the premier-slash-return of John Mulaney’s old-school Hollywood talk show meets… talk radio call-in show? We’ll explain what’s going on with Netflix’s latest foray into weekly live programming: Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.

But first!

Dianne is out on a very special assignment so Chris is joined by guest host (and real-life SAG voter) Ian Brodsky to discuss everything from the future of James Bond to Mike White’s extremely specific references. Featuring our predictions for Season 3 of The White Lotus on HBO (uh, yes, we’re going to talk about what’s going on with the “Will They? Won’t They” Brothers).

But first! So much streaming, including:

We’re back with part 2 of our Night Agent extravaganza! But first we’re playing two games that will challenge your TV and Streaming knowledge in more ways than one:

That’s right: It’s all fun and games until...

This week we’re all about Netflix, which is riding high while the rest of the streaming universe is filled with turmoil. The next big pivot is live: From Mulaney to Beyoncé, from the NFL to the WWE and everything in between (the Jake Paul fight is somewhere on that spectrum). Oh, live and price hikes.

We’ll break it all down and then go deep cover on Netflix’s spy hit The Night Agent. Listen for our review this week, and the get ready for the spoilercast next week!

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📺 Review: The Night Agent

The medical drama meets 24 on the new Max series The Pitt, which reunites ER veteran Noah Wyle with ER veteran John Wells to create a show that for legal reasons is definitely not a reboot of ER (we’ll explain!). Lawsuits aside, we’re hooked on this gritty, fast-paced procedural designed to bring some much-needed network flair to the Max app.

Plus: Did you already bail on your resolution to budget better? We’re here to help with our first 2025 edition of Add/Keep/Cancel!

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📺 Review: The Pitt

It’s the Streamageddon Streaming Superlatives Spectacular! It’s our annual tradition where we hand out yearbook-style honors to streaming services, shows, stories, and the people who make the things we (mostly) love to watch. This year we’re looking back and looking ahead, making picks for both 2024 and 2025. 🔮

All your favorite categories are here, along with the series and news stories that explain the state of Streaming as we head into 2025: Who was last year’s Life of the Party, and who will take the crown this time around? What were our Biggest Disappointments of the year, and w...

We’re ringing in the holidays with a festive Show Swap, Christmukkah-style! Join us as we wrap up the year in news, discuss what makes a holiday-themed episode work, share some of our favorites, and then exchange our gifts: Reviews of two classic holiday episodes that combine Christmas and Hanukkah with hilarious results.

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🎁 From Dianne: “The Best Christmukkah Ever”

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🎁 From Chris: “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz”

For our 100th episode we’re celebrating one of TV’s hardest working genres: The Workplace Comedy. We’ll discuss the classics, debate the mockumentary format, and marvel at the wide range of characters and stories that fit into this surprisingly versatile genre.

We’re talking about all our favorites, but in the second half of our conversation we’re going to roll up our sleeves and dive deep into two specific workplace comedies: One is riding off into the sunset with its sixth and final season (FX’s What We Do in the Shadows) and the other is rid...

TV legend Ted Danson has reunited with sitcom icon Mike Schur (The Good Place, Brooklyn 99) to infiltrate our hearts in the delightful new Netflix caper A Man on the Inside. Danson plays a widower who goes undercover at a San Francisco retirement community, but can he solve the mystery of the missing jewels without getting too close to his kooky new neighbors? (Or maybe getting close to them is what he needed all along!)

But first!

Saturday Night Live is back for its 50th season and we’re celebrating with an All-Time SNL Cast Draft! Join us as we discuss the latest episodes and then draft competing casts of 14 team all-time greats: Who gets Belushi? Who will anchor Weekend Update? And which legendary cast member did ChatGPT completely forget about?!

But first, in the news:

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📺 Review: SNL at 50

🇺🇸 It’s our Election-Free Election Special! 🇺🇸

You’ve felt your feelings, you’ve cast your vote, now distract yourself from the darkness of November! Join us for a super-sized round of Renewed or Canceled?! and a MEGA show swap of Feel Good Fall Shows that will keep you warm as the nights get longer.

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📺 Shows Recommended:

Marvel’s franchise fatigue seems like the perfect target for comedy, but can the new HBO satire The Franchise overcome the baggage of the subject matter? Is it more of a 30 Rock or a Studio 60?

But first! Big ratings for our favorite new procedurals, trouble in paradise for the Golden Bachelorette, more scoops on the Abbott/Sunny crossover, and a triumphant quarter at Netflix (featuring surprise Mulaney news!).

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📺 Review: The Franchise

The hottest new shows of the fall TV season are old school (and in some cases: Old people!), with CBS and ABC leading the way: We’ll look at freshmen hits Matlock and High Potential. These network detective procedurals have even more in common than meets the eye… but will you be able to crack the case with us?

Plus: Could Agatha All Along usher in a new era of budget-concious Marvel shows? How confusing could the DirecTV/Dish merger get? And what’s the TV crossover of our dreams and how is it actually happening?!?

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Spooky Season has arrived and Disney+ is leaning into it with the long-awaited (and repeatedly retitled) WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along. It’s got a killer cast, but can it shake the Marvel curse?

And speaking of Marvel: We’re assembling our own coven… of shows! Join us as we each draft a team of 6 Marvel shows that we hope Kevin Feige resurrects for another season. Which one of us will assemble the Avengers of Avengers-adjacent characters?

But first, in the news:

It’s our 2024 Emmy Awards Spectacular! Join us as we review the live show and break down the coronation of FX chief John Landgraf (with one hilarious exception!).

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🔗 Links:

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FX cleaned up at the 2024 Emmy Awards, but can they keep the winning streak alive? Could the engine behind Hulu’s premium content even be on track to surpass HBO as the de facto home of prestige TV?

We’re looking at both sides of that equation with a review of the new FX comedy English Teacher and a deep dive into David Zaslav’s latest swerve with Max (coming soon to a basic cable package near you!).

But wait! There’s more:

One of our favorite New York shows is back and… headed to Hollywood?!

We’ll break down the bicoastal mystery in season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, and revisit all 3 seasons of Hulu’s hit comedy: From Tim Kono to Ben Glenroy, we’ll discuss all the ways the show has evolved since its surprising summer 2021 premier. Between its annual consistency and willingness to take big swings, we’re thrilled to hear the show has already been renewed for a season 5.

But first! We’re going down to South Park for some news!

It’s our 2024 Fall TV and Streaming Preview Spectacular! We’ll dish on the shows we’re excited for… and also other shows! That also exist! (Surely someone is excited for all the Citadel spinoffs!)

Then we’ll channel the dark arts of streaming to transform our excitement into buying advice in a special Fall installment of Add? Keep? Cancel! (The segment where we spend your money for you!)

📺 Featuring:

Netflix was looking for some Game of Thrones magic when they hired D.B. Weiss and David Benioff to helm a western adaptation of the Chinese sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem, and they were rewarded with a surprise nomination for Best Drama at next month’s Primetime Emmys. Does it stack up against the competition? (Hint: We’ve got some problems with 3 Body…)

☀️ But first: We’re looking back at the summer in streaming!

We’re less than a month away from the Primetime Emmys and one show is poised to sweep the Drama categories with a big pivot (and an even bigger renewal): It’s the FX not-so-limited series Shogun. We talk about the big 2-season renewal, its awards chances, and the shocking series-turned-season finale. (We’ll have some follow-up about the season 2 plans next week, too!)

But first: It’s America’s favorite unlicensed game show! RENEWED OR CANCELED?!

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📺 Review: Shogun (S1 Rewind)

The Star Wars franchise sent Disney+ into hyperspace when the service launched with breakout hit The Mandalorian, but the sci-fi cornerstone of Disney’s streaming play has struggled to replicate the unstoppable force of Grogu and Mando.

Enter The Acolyte, which has been review bombed for all the wrong reasons… but also might be burdened with some pretty serious storytelling problems. We revisit the series after finishing the full season and debate what worked, what didn’t, and whether the show would’ve succeeded as a Rogue One-style standalone movie (especially with so much riding on the upcoming...

Peacock failed to stick the landing in Tokyo, but will the 2024 Paris Olympics be the comeback story every young media executive dreams of??

But first: News from SNL ahead of Season 50, and Sportspocalypse breaks down the value of Venu.

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📺 Review: Summer Olympics 2024

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🔗 Links:

Everyone is suddenly rewatching the iconic HBO comedy Veep but with 7 seasons available to stream where should you start? Relax, because we’re here to be your tour guides through the halls of almost-power.

But first: Bundle Watch! Sportspocalypse! And with The Olympics kicking off we ask the eternal question: What’s the deal with Peacock?!

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📺 Rewatch: Veep

It’s hot out, so why not stay inside with two of the most influential (and bingeable) shows from the mid-2000s? It’s a Summer Show Swap that pits one of Dianne’s favorite series against one of Chris’s. Which side will you take?

Julio Torres (Los Espookys) is back on HBO with a new 6-episode series that blends sketch comedy with a surreal narrative about a lost oyster earring, a concerning mole (or maybe it’s just a birthmark), and Julio’s struggle to find a new apartment without providing his “proof of existence."

We’ll take you on our dream-like experience watching the first three episodes, featuring guest stars like Aidy Bryant (in a wild informercial bit), Jaboukie Young-White (as a influencer confronted by The Algorithm), and Tilda Swinton (as the voice of water). But first!

In a shocking twist of events the Paramount Death Watch is back! We’ll discuss Shari Redstone’s last-minute decision to kill the Skydance deal and what comes next for the beleaguered home of CBS. Will a new buyer swoop in? Will Warner chief David Zaslav make a move? And what’s all this talk from Paramount’s three-headed CEO about a possible joint venture with another streamer? Will Paramount+ and Peacock team up for a new Hulu (a Nulu, if you will)??

Then we’re dusting off our Jedi robes and heading to Disney+ to discuss the intrig...

Did streaming break the box office? It sure seems like it, with attendance and ticket sales in a perpetual slump, layoffs plaguing juggernauts like Pixar, and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claiming that he could’ve made the Barbenheimer without a theatrical release (we disagree, Ted!). We’ll break it all down and preview this weekend’s new Netflix movie Hit Man, which Dianne saw during its brief theatrical run.

But first! Summer also means it’s time for a parade of new streaming shows you’ve probably never heard of! Can you pick the real shows from the ChatGP...

Season 3 of the Max Original Hacks just wrapped and it’s so good we can’t figure out why it’s not on HBO already. It’s a sharp, laugh-out-loud comedy reminiscent of Barry, Veep, and Silicon Valley, and the best part is that it just keeps getting better.

Whether you’re new to the show or a diehard Deborah Vance fan, we’ve got you covered with both an introduction to the series and a full season 3 review.

But first!

The fallout from Season 1 of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout is still going strong, with ratings juggernaut Nielsen declaring the show a much-needed hit for the #1 streaming service that also sells toilet paper.

We’ve finished the full season and are ready to dish on all the twists and turns, whether the binge model worked for us, and what we expect (and hope for) in Season 2. Plus we revisit our predictions and grade our TV Tarot!

But first!

It’s a new era at Netflix: Ads, sports, and live specials galore! We’ll dig deep into the big strategy shift, including our review of John Mulaney’s limited-run live talk show Everybody’s in L.A.

We’ll try to explain the appeal of this one-of-a-kind live show, highlight some of our favorite segments, and recommend the best episode to check out (EARTHQUAKES!). From David Letterman to Conan O’Brien to John Mulaney interviewing David Letterman: We’re taking a full-circle journey through a very specific sub-genre of late night… that just might be the perfect fit for...

Join us in the Wasteland as we spend the entire episode discussing the latest prestige video game adaptation: Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout.

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📺 Review: Fallout

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

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🔗 Links:

It’s been 2 years since the “Netflix Correction” and we’re here to correct the record: How did Netflix become the sole survivor of an industry-wide crisis kicked off… by Netflix itself? We’ll take stock of the changes that helped solidify Netflix’s place at the top of the streaming food chain and what that means for the future of the little guys.

And speaking of little guys: Peacock! Comcast is eager for their streamer to offset the never-ending losses in their cable TV division, and guess what? It might be working?!

Plus it’s the most jam-p...

This week we’re playing hide and seek with the ever-talented Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) in the new Netflix original series Ripley. He’s a conman traipsing through the black-and-white vistas of the Italian coast (let’s call it shabby chic) in this prestige adaptation of the classic novel.

But first!

It’s our Spring Streaming Spectacular featuring our favorite show of the year-so-far: FX’s Shogun (streaming on Hulu!). We’ll share our thoughts before digging into spoilers, plus:

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📺 Review: Shogun

Spoilers:

Show Stats:

Netflix rescued the 30 Rock-infused Peacock comedy Girls5Eva and it’s a comeback we can get behind… even if we’re worried no one is watching. The show has more jokes in a single song than an entire season of Emmy-winning comedy The Bear but, like so many Peacock comedies, has struggled to find an audience. We’ll give you plenty of reasons to binge the 22 episodes now streaming on Netflix…

But first!

TV is back and so are we! After a half-season delay (due to last year’s strikes) CBS and ABC are back with their hit sitcoms Ghosts and Abbott Elementary. Despite the extended hiatus both shows are entering their third seasons with a ton of momentum and a stacked (and growing) ensemble. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a brand new viewer: We’ll tell you what you need to know to dive into two of our favorite comedies.

Plus: Jon Stewart is back on The Daily Show and bringing in the highest ratings the show has se...

Hihi, this week we’re going undercover with Donald Glover and Maya Erskine on their new Amazon Prime Video original Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It’s inspired by the 2005 blockbuster Brangelina action rom-com, but this new darkly comedic martial thriller has more in common with FX’s The Americans than the title suggests…

…and speaking of FX: Peak TV prognosticator (and veteran FX chief) John Landgraf is back with his annual tally of scripted originals and an ominous prediction. With the number of new series in decline, is the era of Peak TV is truly over? (He’s only predict...

We’re closing the case on our Cozy (and/or Spooky) Winter Mysteries Tour with this winter’s buzziest, prestige-iest detective show: HBO’s True Detective: Night Country. Premiering a decade after the original season— with a whole new creator and showrunner— it’s a show that poses the question “So, like, what is a True Detective, man?” [Insert your best McConaughey voice here.]

But first! Will cartoon villain David Zaslav ruthlessly murder Coyote vs. ACME… again?! Can Taylor Swift save Disney+? Can hastily retooling a Moana streaming series as Moana 2 save Disney’s holiday box office? Can anyone explain w...

It’s week two of our Cozy Winter Mysteries Tour and we’re headed to the south of France for vintage cars, red wine, and a whole lotta Clive Owen (literally) in Monsieur Spade.

But first! The Marvels hits Disney+ just as new questions plague the future of the MCU’s streaming plans (RIP our beloved She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law) and we try to unravel Max’s decision to give arch-rival Netflix the keys to Carrie Bradshaw’s kingdom.

All that plus a thrilling installment of BUNDLE WATCH. It’s an episode of Streamageddon you can’t afford to miss...

The streamers have decreed: Winter is time for cozy mysteries and hard-boiled detective hijinks! We’re investigating this intriguing trend, starting with a review of Hulu’s new series Death and Other Details, starring Mandy Patinkin and a slew of beautiful people who will make you go “I think I know them from something!”

But first!

Whoops, we accidentally predicted the future too well in our last episode! So we’re back to catch up on the doom and gloom at Paramount+, the mass hysteria surrounding Amazon Prime Video’s turn to ads, and more news from the past month.

Then we’ll make the case for why Marvel’s new “Spotlight” series Echo breathes new life into their struggling TV formula… if you can make it through the first 25 minutes of franchise-mandated flashbacks.

Plus it’s a new year, so it’s time to get your streaming house in order. We’ll help you bud...

It’s our Second Annual Streaming Superlatives Spectacular! Featuring your favorite yearbook-inspired awards plus a host of new categories generated by the true star of 2023: ChatGPT.

Plus we predict which streaming service won’t survive the new year (spoiler alert: the headlines already indicate we might be right!).

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🏆 The Categories:

🥇 Round 1: The Extremely High School Superlatives

The holidays are here but we’re cursed with more streaming news for you!

Plus we review the first two episodes of Nathan Fielder’s The Curse. (You might not want to listen to that part with the kids…)

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📺 Review: The Curse

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 11:52) 🚨

The holidays are here and Bob Iger is celebrating by stuffing Hulu into the Disney+ stocking (some exceptions may apply). We’ll prepare you to answer your relatives’ streaming questions with everything you need to know about the historic level of Disney synergy sweeping the nation:

Plus, updates from every corner of the...

Streaming bundles are all the rage these days! From Verizon’s new Netflix/Max deal to Instacart’s groceries and Peacock combo (a real thing, we swear!). Join us as we navigate the murky waters of the great big Bundle-verse and who knows? Maybe you’ll find a bundle of joy along the way.

Plus we’re revisiting this fall’s strike-fueled hit: The Golden Bachelor. And stick around at the end for our discussion of everything that went wrong (and right!) with The Marvels.

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📺 Review: The Golden Bachelor (Season Finale)

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Epi...

We’ve got sizzling Thanksgiving episode stuffed full of news, gossip, and… America’s favorite game show?!

Our long national nightmare is finally over!

(Are we referring to the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike or the Loki finale? You’ll have to listen to find out!)

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📺 Review: Loki Finale

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes of Loki, also the last Ant Man movie, also probably some other Marvel stuff (starting at 20:49) 🚨

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🔗 Links:

It’s a big week for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (but please don’t make us call it that), and we’re celebrating with a deep dive into Loki ahead of this Thursday’s finale that seems destined to set up the next phase of Avengers mayhem (whether we like it or not).

We’ll be back in your feeds next week with our thoughts on the season finale, but that’s not the only Marvel-ing in the news: After months of reshoots and delays The Marvels hits theaters this weekend and promises to reunite us with some of our...

1990s Pacific Northwest radio icon Dr. Frasier Crane is back, but is the new Boston-set reboot of Frasier really listening to what viewers want? We’ll share some of our favorite classic Frasiers and compare them to the new Paramount+ reboot (which, like the sherry at a Bean Town bar, we found… questionable).

But first!

We’re celebrating the end of the WGA strike with a tribute to some of the most emotionally manipulative creative fiction on TV: The Golden Bachelor.

But first we’re wrapping up the big strike settlement, catching up on the return of late night TV, and sharing our streaming advice for YOU in an autumn edition of Add? Keep? Cancel?!

Join us as we bravely enter the Bachelor-verse, even though we’re generally Bachelor-averse!

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📺 Review: The Golden Bachelor

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

The rumors are true… Fall is here! And we’re celebrating with an Oktoberfest-themed German show swap: Babylon Berlin and Deutschland 83.

Plus: Is this the future of cable?!

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📺 Review: Babylon Berlin

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

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📺 Review: Deutschland 83

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

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🔗 Links:

We’re teaming up and uncovering all the secrets inside the House of Mouse: From the drama over Bob Iger’s bathroom (really!) to the mysterious disappearance of ESPN and other Disney-owned channels for Charter and Spectrum cable customers. (We even have the latest details on the last-minute deal they struck on Monday!)

Plus: Why is Comcast eagerly moving up the Hulu sale? What does Brian Roberts know that we don’t?? And is it the identity of Ben Glenroy’s killer?!

Yes, we’re also digging into season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, which just...

We’re back from our hot streaming summer vacation and ready for a sweaty (and depressing) streaming fall! We’ll summon some laughs with our review of FX stalwart What We Do in the Shadows (wrapping its fifth season this week!) and try our best to conjure some good news after a bleak August.

But first! Get excited for a surprise round of Renewed or Canceled?! (Discouraging Vibes ONLY Edition) and a deep dive into the existential questions plaguing the streaming universe:

We’re sharing life lessons this week with our favorite episodes of HBO’s How To With John Wilson (now in its third and final season) plus the inaugural edition of our new segment that helps you make the most of your streaming budget: Add / Keep / Cancel (like F@%& / Marry / Kill, but for streaming!).

But wait, there’s more! Because we’re digging into the Animayhem at Hulu, and playing America’s favorite game— with a twist! Yes, it’s a special all-animation edition of Renewed or Canceled!

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📺 Review: How To With John Wilson

🚨 Light...

We’re swapping shows and spending a night streaming in each other’s shoes:

But first! In the predictably apocalyptic news:

We’re gathered in the Streamageddon war room with a clear-eyed (panicked), sober (not), and thoroughly researched (hastily googled) analysis of the shocking double strike that seems destined to paralyze TV and streaming productions for months to come. In less than 40 minutes we promise to (maybe) explain:

Hollywood is in turmoil but what does that mean for your fall streaming?! We’re digging into the upheaval with a super-sized round of Renewed or Canceled?! that will leave you screaming… and then apologizing to the people around you for screaming (tell them to subscribe!).

Then we’re digging into the show of the summer: The Bear.

Join us for some hospitality, won’t you?

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📺 Review: The Bear (Season 2)

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 2, Episode 10 (starting at 34:46) 🚨

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Black Mirror is back, but in a truly shocking twist: One of us has never watched it! We’ll rewind time to 2011 and compare the original season 1 premier (“The National Anthem”) with the star-studded season 6 kickoff (“Joan is Awful”). Plus: Chris shares some of his favorite episodes from past seasons (no spoilers!) to help you find the perfect Black Mirror entry point for everyone in your streaming life.

But first! A dizzying trip through the headlines:

BREAKING NEWS: Less than 12 hours after we said “yeah but they probably won’t fire him this week…” CNN CEO Chris Licht was driven to a beautiful farm upstate by WaBro Disco CEO David Zaslav. The Hollywood Reporter has a full obituary of the Chris Licht era.

We also apparently summoned the cancellation of I Love That For You on Showtime, so rest assured: We’re back from vacation and more cursed than ever before!

Join us for a trip through the latest strike news, the existential cringe at CNN, and some shows on MAX that you’l...

The fall TV lineup is taking shape and it’s looking bleak if you’re a fan of… scripts. We’ll have the latest on the WGA strike, plus some big reveals from the biggest streamers:

Speaking of ads, we’re diving into the FAST-paced world of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV with Amazon Freevee and the charmingly odd original series Jury Duty.

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📺 Review: Jury Duty

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 33:00) 🚨

The Writers Guild of America is on strike demanding a more equitable deal for streaming rights and we’re here with the entirely biased news and analysis you deserve as a true connoisseur of streaming. Coincidentally (really!) we’re reviewing the $300 million Russo Brothers spy series Citadel that just premiered on Amazon Prime Video. (Spoiler alert: We think there are better ways to spend $300 million.)

Plus:

You might lose sleep over this meaty episode, because we’re digging into the 2 hottest new shows on Netflix this week: The Night Agent and BEEF. They’re both dominating dominating the charts, but they couldn’t have less in common. We’ll tell you why we’re obsessed with both of them and what their success says about Netflix’s ever-evolving strategy.

Speaking of Netflix… We picked apart the news from the company’s Q1 earnings call and (spoiler alert for your old roommates!) learned that the password crackdown is coming for U.S. customers any day now. But in...

HBO Max is dead! Long live HBO… and, uh… Max! Just separately! But together! Also House Hunters is there! MAX!

(Don’t worry, we’ll explain.)

But first! Join us as we cruise through the week’s other big streaming stories sipping champagne with Conor and the gang (like the HBO loving coastal elite we know you are):

See that “Explicit” content rating? That can only mean one thing: The final season of Succession is here and we’re dissecting the first episode (F-bombs and all) before sharing our predictions for the show’s ultimate winners, losers, and slime puppies. 🥰

But first! It’s a big week for Disney news: There’s a royal showdown in Florida, Mickey snubs the Metaverse, and personnel shakeups rock Marvel. But the real drama in the house of mouse? It’s the fate of Hulu, which might turn out to be a victim of its own success…

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📺 Review: Successi...

Duration: 00:52:16

After over a decade off the air the comedy Party Down is back, but can it still serve the laughs? (First you’re going to have to figure out how to give STARZ your $3 to tune in, but we’ll get you caught up in meantime!)

Plus: Peacock doubles down on the success of Poker Face by reminding us that they’ve got plenty of Monk to tide you over until season 2 of the Natasha Lyonne hit. Oh, and maybe they’re threatening to kill off Monk in a new Monk movie? No biggie.

Speaking of movie...

There’s the threat of a writers strike looming over Hollywood, so this week we invited the new Bing chatbot to join us in the hopes of befriending our new cloud-based creative overlords. Take it away, Bing!

"Hello, this is Bing. Welcome to Streamageddon, the podcast where we review everything streaming and TV. In this episode, we’ll take a look at two mid-season network sitcoms: Not Dead Yet on ABC and American Auto on NBC.

"But that’s not all. We’ll also check in on the guest hosts at The Daily Show, discuss the impe...

Rian Johnson’s Poker Face is a sly new case-of-the-week detective series anchored by Natasha Lyonne’s performance as Charlie Cale, a woman on the run with one special skill: She can always tell when someone is lying. Oh, and everywhere she goes someone seems to die. Thankfully the lie thing usually helps her solve the murders, so it all works out in the end!

The series is arguably Peacock’s first bonafide hit, but is it any good? We unpack the pros and cons of the show’s throwback format: Inspired by classics like Columbo and Law & Or...

This week we’re coming at you with a double feature of deja vu starring a pair of reboots: Night Court (NBC/Peacock) and That 90s Show (Netflix).

Do these spiritual successors capture the essence of their original runs? And honestly, should they? The original Night Court was horny on main years before we even had a term for it, and That 70s Show thrived in the cynical heyday of early 2000s Fox.

Join us as we discuss the many challenges involved in successfully rebooting any show— but especially comedies!— and how we draw the line b...

Finally, a show that answers the age-old question: “What if The Mandalorian let us see Pedro Pascal’s face and had a sidekick who can talk?”

Yes, this week we’re streaming a different -ageddon: It’s the kind of armageddon that puts the “fun” in fungal… but is it any good? We’re reviewing the pilot of HBO’s The Last of Us in order to find out!

On the way we’ll discuss the latest streaming news and TV’s rich history of post-apocalyptic fare (and not-so-rich history of live action video game adaptations).

But...

We love a good storytelling gimmick and this week we’re sharing our favorites (and least favorites) as we unpack the new Netflix heist series Kaleidoscope.

Plus we answer all your burning questions, like:

But first it’s a surprise round of America’s favorite game: Renewed or Canceled?! Play along as Dianne guesses the fate of these...

We’re stuffing your stocking with a spoiler-packed bonus episode about this holiday’s streaming hit: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

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📺 Review: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

🚨 Spoiler Alert: Full Movie 🚨

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We saw the latest Knives Out mystery in theaters and we have spoiler-free thoughts to share to help you get excited to stream it on at home!

We’ll discuss Netflix’s latest experiment with a hybrid theatrical/streaming strategy, plus the other mysteries plaguing the streaming universe, such as…

It’s a case only Benoit Blanc can solve, but unfortunately you’re stuck with us instead!

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📺 Review: Glass Onion

🚨 Extremely light spoilers sta...

It’s kill or be killed (or just, like, have a so-so vacation) in the explosive finale of The White Lotus in Sicily! We’ll dish out the details, including the results of our White Lotus Murder Bracket in less time than it takes to drive to Taormina.

Plus: Will HBO Max drop the HBO and go all-Max all the time? Can you even trademark the word “Max” and does this mean people named Max will be signing up for “Max’s Max”??

But that’s not the only madness brewing in the streaming universe this week, becau...

2022 was a wild year for streaming and we’re here to crown the winners (and a couple of losers) in our First Annual Streaming Superlative Spectacular!

Which news story captured the essence of streaming in 2022? Which characters were the best couple? Who was best dressed? Which show was the life of the party? Who gave us the best finale? And who delivered the biggest disappointments of the year?

We’ll answer those questions (and more!) but don’t worry: No spoilers, just superlatives!

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🏆 Winners:

Has franchise fatigue doomed the excellent Andor to streaming obscurity? Or is the hype cycle about to go to hyperspace as viewers binge the full season? We’ll dissect the data then unpack our favorite moments from season 1 (don’t worry, we’ll warn you before we get to the spoilers!).

But first! Is a Fraiser reboot still a reboot if only Frasier returns? Where do we draw the line between reboot, spin-off, and spiritual successor? And if reboots are all the rage can someone do us a favor and reboot Whose Line Is It Anyway? before the se...

Disney’s board is bringing Bob Iger out of the Disney Vault and we’re stockpiling the hot corporate goss like limited edition Beauty & The Beast DVDs in 2002. It’s like if Succession had a PG rating… and we’re loving every minute of it!

But don’t worry, because we’re still thankful for Peacock’s latest shenanigans (somebody pardon this bird, STAT!) and our beloved Hulu. Yes, little Hulu. The stepchild of the Great Big Bob Breakup. What will happen to poor Hulu??

… We might not have the answer to that question, but we do have a glowi...

Ciao! And welcome back to another season of sexy potential murder victims (and Jennifer Coolidge victims) on HBO’s breakout hit The White Lotus (now with extra Sicily!). We’re sharing our thoughts on the season premier, discussing why expectations for the show might be unrealistically high, and making our predictions for this new installment of Mike White’s excellent anthology series.

But first we’re unpacking three strange news stories you might’ve missed:

Death pays us a visit as we go on a spoiler spree with a full season review of Hulu’s killer Steve Carell/Domhnall Gleeson drama FX’s The Patient (…on Hulu).

But don’t worry! We promise not to sneak up on you with any spoilers, because there’s plenty to talk about first:

We’re taking a bite out of spooky season by doing the scariest thing imaginable: Trying a new streaming service! 😱

Join us as we explore the haunted halls of AMC+ with a truly terrifying game designed to test your undead knowledge (because like half the shows on AMC+ are Walking Dead spin-offs). If you dare survive this hair-raising trial you’ll be treated to our surprisingly enthusiastic review of Interview with the Vampire, which is so good it just might lure you into subscribing…

BUT FIRST:

We’re smashing our way through season 1 of She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law in this spoiler-packed Rewind Review!

BUT FIRST:

(*Seriously, we have everything you need to know about Netflix’s new “Basic with Ads” option that you will undoubtedly be forced to sign up for when they crack down on that password you’ve been sharing with your ro...

Generational comedy works best when the writers understand the generations involved, but does Hulu’s new Hollywood satire Reboot deliver on the pilot’s surprising twist? You’ll have to listen to our review of the first there episodes to find out!

Plus all the news you didn’t know you needed to know:

After months of speculation the new season of Saturday Night Live is here and we’re ready to share our unsolicited thoughts and feelings like a certain purple McDonald’s mascot. Yes, those nine absences in the opening credits were a shock (don’t worry, Cecily Strong will be back!), but… guess what? They kind of owned it! And one of the new guys got the Pete Davidson slot on Weekend Update! And then, there were the sponsored sketches…

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, because this special edition of Streamageddon kicks off with BREAKING-ish NEWS in the late...

This week we’re chasing the cure for Star Wars ennui (like regular ennui, but backwards you say it)… and thankfully it’s easily accessible on the streaming app that's steadily consuming the galaxy as we know it: Disney+

Yes, we’re completely obsessed with the 3-episode premier of Andor and everything it does right in a cinematic universe that has done so much wrong (say some!) as of late. Where else can you find a show brave enough to combine Star Wars with Blade Runner with… the thrilling reality of statistics-based policing and the corrosive effect it has on...

We don’t want to alarm you, but this week we find ourselves trapped inside a cursed mirror… and loving every minute of it!

That’s because we’re talking about the one-of-a-kind comedy Los Espookys, which just returned to HBO and HBO Max for its second season after a terrifying 3 year hiatus.

Plus we’ll explain why rumors of Warner Bros. Discovery’s demise are nothing to worry about, then discuss why we’re worried that Warner Bros. Discovery is doomed anyway (at the hands of Comcast?! The horror!). And speaking of horror: We’re going to unpa...

We don’t know our hobbits from our harfoots (really!), but that won’t stop us from reviewing THE MOST EXPENSIVE TV SHOW EVER.

Yes, we’re journeying to middle-earth to discuss the first three episodes of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It’s a show that promises an epic story, sumptuous visuals, and even more rings than the movies!

Does this big budget prequel deliver? How is anyone supposed to remember all these character names? And can we stop ourselves from comparing it to House of the Dragon?

But...

Pick up some pork buns and chain your ankle to the floor because we’re digging into a delicious drama this week with the intriguing short-form limited series The Patient now streaming via our favorite FX: FX on Hulu.

Speaking of favorites: It’s about time we made our case for the emotionally satisfying— if imperfect— season finale of Peacock’s The Resort.

All that plus dwarves, trolls, and the ancient history of a mystical land known as the CW!

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📺 Review: The Patient

🚨 Spoiler Alert for Episodes 1 and 2 (starting at 36:10) 🚨

We’re going big and going green this week with a review of Marvel’s first streaming comedy, She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law, plus a deep dive into Hulu’s pending “Peacockalypse” and a Rewind Review of the green streamer’s hit comedy Only Murders in the Building.

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📺 Review: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law

🚨 Spoiler Alert for Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2 (starting at 48:16) 🚨

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📼 Rewind Review: Only Murders in the Building

🚨 Spoiler Alert for ALL EPISODES (starting at 1:19:50) 🚨

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🔗 Lin...

Duration: 01:34:01

This episode isn’t TV. It’s HBO.

… Max.

Plus: We all scream for Yahoo Screen, home of your favorite streams.

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📰 News:

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📺 Review: House of the Dragon

🚨 Spoiler Alert for Episode 1 (starting at 28:54) 🚨

Ed. Note: The episode was re-posted due to an editing issue. Apologies if it appears in your feed twice!

It’s summer vacation season here in the northern hemisphere, which means it’s the perfect time to get lost in a great book by the pool. But why do that when you can find a missing teenager’s 15-year-old cell phone and drag your spouse on a booze-fueled vigilante investigation all across the Yucatan peninsula instead?

If that sounds exhausting, don’t worry! It’s actually the plot of the new Peacock original series The Resort and...

It’s summer vacation season here in the northern hemisphere, which means it’s the perfect time to get lost in a great book by the pool. But why do that when you can find a missing teenager’s 15-year-old cell phone and drag your spouse on a booze-fueled vigilante investigation all across the Yucatan peninsula instead? If that sounds exhausting, don’t worry! It’s actually the plot of the new Peacock original series The Resort and once the mystery gets going it’s anything but exhausting to go along for the ride. We’ll discuss the first three episodes...

This week is all about classic sitcom shenanigans as we devote an entire episode to the state of the network sitcom (plus our usual Netflocalypse-of-the-Week). We’ll investigate the mysterious resurgence of network sitcoms that suddenly seem to be haunting the streaming landscape with our review of one of last season’s most successful new shows: The CBS comedy Ghosts.

But don’t look behind you, because there’s another show looming in the shadows this week… and it’s the BBC’s Ghosts (boo!). We’re comparing the original UK pilot with the US remake and picking apart th...

We’ve spent weeks practicing this podcast so we can anticipate every possible outcome of our review of the new HBO series The Rehearsal. The show marks Nathan Fielder’s return to the experimental reality-TV-influenced comedy he pioneered on Comedy Central’s Nathan For You, but don’t worry if you’ve never heard of him! We’ll get you caught up and share our thoughts about ethical quandaries inherent in Fielder’s work.

Plus: Netflocalypse! Serial killers! And our rewind review of Ms. Marvel season 1!

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📺 Review: The Rehearsal

🚨 Spoiler Alert for Episode 1 (starting at...