The Rise of Streaming Services and the Cost of Entertainment
In a world where streaming services are becoming as common as television itself, HBO Max has entered the scene with its own unique offerings. Launched on Thursday, it promises to be the new home for top series from the United States, along with movies from Warner Brothers. However, access to the latest releases, including Oscar-winners such as One Battle After Another and Sinners, depends on your subscription plan and how much you’re willing to pay.
The options available can be overwhelming. For those who subscribe to Sky Q, Disney+, Paramount+ and Netflix come as part of the package, though they are basic in nature. This means that in some cases, you may encounter ads, have limited access to content, or face download restrictions and device limits.
This raises an important question: how much are we paying for television, and what exactly do these streamers provide? None of them offer Irish news content or local arts coverage, and while sports programming is gaining importance, it’s often focused on international leagues like Spain’s La Liga, rather than domestic matches such as the clash between Kerry and Cork.
For those who rely on other TV providers or Saorview, the cost of subscribing to just the basic service on major streamers can add up quickly. If you were to sign up for Disney+ at €8.99, Netflix at €10.99, Apple TV+ at €9.99, Prime at €6.99, Paramount Plus at €5.99, and now HBO Max at €5.99, you’d be paying a staggering €48.94 per month, or €587.28 a year.
That’s a significant amount of money, and you would want to be sure there’s plenty worth watching. The main challenge with so many choices is that unless there’s a specific show you’re interested in, you might spend an hour or more trying to decide what to watch, only to end up going to bed anyway.
HBO Max and Its New Series
HBO Max is particularly interesting because episodes of shows already aired will remain on Sky Atlantic, but new episodes and new series will be shown on the platform. One of these new series is The Pitt, set in a busy Pittsburgh hospital and already a hit in the US. It’s another medical drama, similar to Grey’s Anatomy, St. Elsewhere, and House, and stars Noah Wyle, who previously played a role in ER.
The unique aspect of The Pitt is that each episode covers an hour of the goings-on in the same 15-hour shift. Whether or not you become invested in the characters will ultimately determine if you stick with the show. However, Wyle’s central performance, a faultless ensemble cast, the ever-present threat of an axe hanging over the hospital, and a grittier feel than what we’re used to make this a compelling watch for now.
The first series of The Pitt has landed in its entirety, over a year after it debuted in the US, and the first two episodes of the second series are already available. However, the show is currently among re-runs of Friends (a show I believe will always have a place in our hearts), The Big Bang Theory, Succession, and Game of Thrones. For now, there seems to be little reason to pay extra for this content.
Reality TV and the World Cup
As the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were crashing out of the World Cup on Thursday night, two Irishmen faced a similar fate in their respective reality TV shows. Conor Galvin from Cork was sacked in The Apprentice, which came as a surprise, as I had tipped him to win the whole thing. Meanwhile, in the final of MasterChef The Professionals, Mark O’Brien from Dublin was fired in a different way – he prefers open and outdoor cooking, but it wasn’t enough to see off the challenge from Gareth Baty.
Both men, along with third finalist Luke Emmess, presented food that was so exquisite, it made me hungry even after I had already eaten. However, Gareth’s meticulous presentation made the result almost inevitable. This series has been enhanced by the addition of Matt Tebbutt from Saturday Kitchen to the judging panel of Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti, making his one-and-done appearance all the more baffling. A shame, indeed.
A Surprise on Sky One
It’s too late for this newspaper’s deadline, so indulge me for a moment and go back a week to talk about Sky One’s Saturday Night Live, the British version of the revered American show. Despite its formidable reputation, I found it wholly undeserved, so my expectations were low. What a surprise to find myself laughing a lot. Keep in mind that the episode last week was the first, so huge resources were thrown at it, and last night might not have been as good. The US version made stars of the likes of Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and Tina Fey, who hosted here. If it doesn’t do the same for Jack Shep, who hilariously impersonated Princess Diana and later popped up as a dancing foetus, I’ll eat my hat.
Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic Journey
Finally, we were treated – if that’s the word – to Ronan Keating’s Wild Atlantic journey on the BBC. The ‘way’ is missing, and the second episode this week was a weird mix of travelogue and reminiscence, particularly about Ronan’s brother Ciaran, who tragically died in a Mayo car crash in 2023.
The problem is that the travelogue bit is a well-worn path, with not enough to make it different – this is the type of telly tourists watch on a plane as they come here for the first time.
But despite all that, the Irish? Well, we’ll probably get hooked on The Pitt.
