Are you confused by all the TV viewing options and which remote does what? More importantly, what might you be spending on all these subscriptions? Many of us are thinking these thoughts. But grab the latest Consumer Reports magazine, which has an excellent compare-and-contrast feature on gaming the cable and satellite players to get maximum TV for less money.
Their takeaway is that Hulu + Live TV is a terrific deal that includes ESPN+, Disney+, and 75 live and on-demand channels. In addition, Hulu is home to many series that I recommend, including “The Bear,” “Welcome To Wrexham,” “Life & Beth,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Shoresy,” “Letterkenny,” and “Reservation Dogs,” and loads of other great FX shows, documentaries, and movies. Finally, don’t forget that streamer Paramount+ (“1883”) and Showtime are bundled together now, too.
Also, check out Evoca TV if you are on a tighter budget and need your live TV local news and many other channels. Evoca’s receiver works great with a standard TV antenna and your internet connection.
Get to know the “free” content streaming all-stars like Amazon’s Freevee, Peacock, Pluto TV, Sling Free, Roku Channel, Vudu, Xumo, and Tubi.
Crisp air, the ubiquitous pumpkin-flavored foods, bulk-bagged candy, and the back-to-school schedule are all part of a Boise fall, plus a slew of new and returning TV. Make sure to include the recommended network and streaming events below that are worthy of your time.
Saturday, Oct. 1, 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT
“The Offer” star Miles Teller (cast in “Top Gun” Maverick”) will make his hosting debut along with three-time musical guest Kendrick Lamar. The first three SNL shows in October feature three first-time hosts — Teller, Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), and Megan Thee Stallion. Additionally, NBC announced four new featured players: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker.
Sept. 30 On Demand and Streaming
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Showtime’s archive-led documentary “Nothing Compares” boasts unseen footage of Sinéad O’Connor. It will be available to stream for Showtime subscribers on Friday, Sept. 30, ahead of its on-air premiere on Sunday, Oct. 2.
O’Connor exploded on the scene in 1987 with her debut album, “The Lion And The Cobra,” and her subsequent sold-out tour was the hottest ticket. Directed by Kathryn Ferguson, “Nothing Compares” — named after the Prince-penned cover she so artfully claimed as her own with a haunting video — charts O’Connor’s meteoric rise in fame. Then her contrarian personality, unresolved anger, and the infamous 1992 “SNL” moment where she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II changed her career’s course.
The film will focus on O’Connor’s words and deeds from 1987 to 1993, as Showtime promises that “the film presents an authoritative, richly cinematic portrait of this fearless trailblazer through a contemporary feminist lens.” Included is a new interview with O’Connor herself. Showtime adds, “Intimate first-hand contributor interviews add to the tapestry with additional insights from contemporary artists, musicians and social commentators introducing broader themes of Irish history, politics, and global activism, all the while reflecting on O’Connor’s artistry, impact, and legacy.”
The film has won various awards, including Best Irish Documentary at Galway Film Fleadh, the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Aegean Film Festival, and the Audience Award at Docs Ireland.
The following programs are available to view via PBS.org and the PBS Video app on the day of premiere:
“The House that Norm Built”
Monday, Oct. 3, 9 p.m. ET
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After more than four decades, master carpenter and pioneer of the home improvement television genre, Norm Abram, is officially leaving the show. However, he will be sent off in style in this one-hour tribute special about Norm’s 43-year career, and boasts classic moments, archived footage, interviews, and memories from celebrities, friends, and his on-camera and behind-the-scenes work peers.
“Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom”
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 10 p.m. ET
Harriet Tubman was the conductor of the Underground Railroad who risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. She escaped north to Philadelphia in 1849, covering more than 100 miles alone. Once there, she became involved in the abolitionist movement and, through the Underground Railroad, guided more than 70 enslaved people to freedom. Born in Dorchester County, Maryland, 200 years ago, 2022 is her bicentennial.
Emmy Award-winning actor Alfre Woodard narrates this film. Actor Wendell Pierce voices abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m.
“Rebuilding Notre Dame” follows engineers, masons, and timber workers taking on the restoration project of Notre Dame and restoring Paris’s iconic cathedral.
“Shipwreck Hunters Australia”
Six episodes reveal a unique team of adventurous divers, underwater filmmakers, and maritime archaeologists on the hunt for long-lost shipwreck secrets.
Led by an obsessed salty captain, every episode shows the team on an epic expedition to a remote location off the vast coast of Western Australia. The unique wildlife of the coastal waters is featured, as are the landscapes that sprawl around the shores of this diverse continent.
Also streaming on discovery+
“Be My Guest with Ina Garten”
Sunday, Oct. 9 at noon ET/PT
New York Times bestselling author Ina Garten opens her East Hampton home in the second season of her series “Be My Guest with Ina Garten” for great conversation, food, and visits to some of her favorite local spots. Ina hosts ‘1883” star and music legend Faith Hill, actors Nathan Lane and Emily Blunt, and Chef Marcus Samuelsson.
These new episodes of “Secrets of the Dead” tell the untold and intriguing stories of iconic and lesser-known historical moments. In “Archaeology at Althorp,” archaeologists explore beneath the Spencer family estate in search of Olletorp, an Anglo-Saxon village dating back 1,000 years. Althorp, the childhood home and final resting place of Princess Diana, is currently the home of Diana’s brother, Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer.
April Neale is a film and television critic and a member of the Critics’ Choice Awards – Film, Documentaries, and Television, Hollywood Critics Association, Television Critics Association, The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and GALECA and has covered entertainment since 2003. Talkback on Twitter @AprilMac.
