Boxing clever
With the advice to avoid all non-essential contact with other people, here’s a full round up of what you can watch from the comfort of your own sofa
YOU don’t need me to tell you that we’re all going to be spending a bit more time at home over the coming days, weeks, or even months as we battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of twiddling your thumbs and worrying about what’s going on, you could use the time wisely.
That’s right, you could catch up on some of the best TV shows and films ever made. Here’s a round up of some of the best streaming services out there – both free and paid for. All have apps that run across iOS and Android unless stated...
PAID DISNEY+
DISNEY+ is a compelling offering, which launches next week in the UK (Tuesday, March 24). It will feature some exclusive shows and films, but also host the back catalogue of some massive franchises – Disney, obviously, but also Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. That’s an impressive line-up – and Disney says there will be more than 1,000 shows, films, and exclusives available.
Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian has been a smash hit in the US, and there’s also the chance to re-watch all those Pixar classics, like Up!
£59.99/year (£49.99/year if you sign up before launch day, March 23).
APPLE TV+
APPLE TV+ is, of course, available only via the AppleTV app – which is not available on Android, but can be downloaded to some smart TVs.
You can, of course, watch across all Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV. There is only exclusive content here, and Apple has made a handful of excellent shows that cater for all tastes across all age groups.
The Morning Show is the headline hit, but the heartwarming tales of immigrant success in the US told in Little America are my favourites.
£4.99/month (Free for a year with the purchase of a new Apple device).
NOWTV
YOU know the drill with NowTV – it’s more or less everything Sky offers, but without a contract. You can get passes to watch the various channels and box sets, which means it’s by far the best way to watch. The only thing that annoys me about NowTV is that Sky has not updated its Apple TV app since October 27, 2015! It still works, but it’s starting to creak badly…
The access to Sky Atlantic gives you some of the best TV out there at the moment, and some absolute classics. You could, for example, kill a lot of time watching all six series of The Sopranos. Current new shows include some more Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the third series of the utterly perplexing Westworld.
Entertainment pass £8.99/ month; Cinema pass £11.99/ month; Sports pass £9.98/day, £14.98/week, £33.99/month.
STARZ PLAY
GOING under the radar a bit, Starz is a great little channel with some excellent shows you can’t see anywhere else. You can subscribe through the Apple TV app and via Amazon Prime Video, but you can also download the app standalone.
MUBI
MUBI is a fantastic app for lovers of the unusual – it’s all cult classics and under-the-radar independents. One new hand-picked film goes up every day.
Just to give you some idea of the diverse films available, the new film posted as I write today is Sun In The Last Days Of The Shogunate, a 1957 Japanese classic...
£9.99/month, £99.99/year.
BRITBOX
BRITBOX is the place the old BBC and
ITV shows go when they’ve outlived their useful lives on the free streaming platforms both broadcasters have. There are some crackers on the rosta, too.
Those of a certain age will always think of Robbie Coltrane as Cracker – and the classic Nineties crime drama is all on Britbox. That’s worth the entry fee alone.
£5.99/month.
NETFLIX
IF you don’t know about
Netflix, then you probably shouldn’t even be reading this. It’s about the only one of the steaming services you could describe as essential, with a huge number of first-class shows.
We’re about halfway through the new series of Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul at the moment. Breaking Bad is also available in full on Netflix.
From £5.99/month.
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
PRIME Video is great value as it comes with Prime membership on top of free delivery of Amazon items and other perks.
FREE
UKTV PLAY
UKTV is the home for three great channels, and it’s hard to understand how they do it for free… until you see how many ads they show. Worth persevering if you like Dave, Drama, and Yesterday.
ALL4
ALL4 offers access to Channel 4’s live stations, but there’s also a lot of old stuff to stream, too.
I reckon it might have been the greatest TV show ever made, with an astonishingly high standard throughout its 15 series run – yes, you can watch all of the classic medical drama ER on All4 for free. That should easily get you through to Christmas. There are 331 episodes (which is almost as many Emmys as the show won during its run).
BBC IPLAYER
LIVE BBC channels and recent hits all feature on the BBC’s streaming app. It’s the essential free app.
This Country is a modern classic, but you can also use this app to keep up with the news – the BBC News channel is streamed 24/7.
ITV HUB
ITV’S version of the iPlayer does almost exactly the same thing, but for ITV shows, obviously.
MY5
MY5 is useful not just for 5’s content, but there are few other channels worth visiting via the app, too – most notably the Smithsonian channel, which offers some of the best documentary work out there.