There are quite a number of streaming services out there trying to convince us to shell out the money for a subscription, and I tend to cycle through those depending on what sci fi/fantasy shows they currently have available. In this column, I will focus on a different service each with each post and let you know what I am finding that might convince sci fi TV fans it is worth the money.
Currently I have HBO Max for “free” because my cell phone service is through AT&T and they own HBO/HBO Max (and will probably own you and me soon). I can’t tell you that the cell phone service is great (pretty much the same with all of them), but I am loving HBO Max and it would probably be on my permanent list even if I had to pay for it (though it is one of the pricier services at $14.99 per month).
Since DC is under the At&T/Warner Bros. umbrella, HBO Max has plenty of offerings inspired by those comics, as you might expect. The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker was on my must-watch list and I caught each episode of that as they rolled out on a weekly basis. That one was a ton of fun and I am looking forward to the second season when it finally arrives (I discuss the show in more detail at this link). And when I finished watching the first season of that, I found that Doom Patrol perfectly filled the void. It has a similar snarky sense of humor and also offers a deconstruction of the superhero genre and I have three seasons of that one to keep me busy (with a fourth on the way).
For more superhero fun (and a more straightforward entry in that genre), there is the animated series Young Justice. It focuses on the younger heroes, most of whom are former sidekicks, like Nightwing, Robin, Wonder Girl, Aqualad, and more. And while it does have appeal to a younger audience, it brings some surprisingly mature themes into its storylines, and some pretty good sci fi elements. And since it is an animated series, it can bring in any DC character, so it delivers a rather comprehensive collection of heroes. That one is currently in its fourth season and I resumed watching with its second year (I saw the first season back when it was on Cartoon Network).
The first season of The CW’s Superman & Lois is streaming on HBO Max, and I decided to give that one a look as it has received good reviews. I have enjoyed it more than expected (I had grown tired with most of the other Arrow-verse entries) and plan on finishing out the season. I will also check out the live-action DC series Titans as time allows, but I have enough superhero shows on my watch list to keep me busy for a while.
The sci fi entry Raised by Wolves is one that I have had on my list of shows to check out, and I finally got around to watching it. After finishing the first season, I can’t tell you that I love the show, in fact it ended on a very bizarre note. But I do plan on checking out the second season at some point. The second half of the first season of The Nevers is allegedly on the way in the next month or so, and that is one that I am eagerly awaiting as I really enjoyed what I have seen from that one so far.
Among past shows that are available, all of the prior seasons of Rick & Morty are streaming on the service. That is one that I never got into previously, but I am starting to discover why that delightfully insane show has received the rep it has. The critically acclaimed The Leftovers is available and I plan on revisiting that one (I previously caught a few episodes of the first season). And I never got around to watching the final season of the animated fantasy Samurai Jack, so that is one I will get on the list as well.
HBO Max is also the home of the remastered version of Babylon 5. If you have never seen this sci fi classic, I highly recommend it. And if you haven’t seen it in a while, I suggest a rewatch (more on that show at this link). Another gem from the past available here is the supernatural drama Carnivale which is a must-watch genre entry (more on that one at this link). And high-profile HBO shows like Game of Thrones, Watchmen, and Lovecraft Country are available for streaming as well. And if you are looking for some off-the-wall fun, I suggest checking out the absurdly fun animated series Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Of course, there are plenty of movies available including new releases like Dune, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, and Nightmare Alley along with many of the DCEU movies and a large selection from the Warner Bros. back catalog. And for DC fans, most of the direct-to-video animated films are available which in my opinion are often superior to the DCEU live-action movies. You can see all of the television and movie selections for the service at JustWatch.com.
HBO Max costs $14.99 per month (or $149.99 per year), though a cheaper plan is available for $9.99 per month ($99.99 per year) which includes ads and a few less features. If you subscribe to HBO through your cable or satellite provider, then you automatically have access to the ad-free plan. Even though HBO Max is one of the higher cost streamers, I consider it worth the money because it has plenty for sci fi fans and quite a large amount of non-genre content beyond that. I do find the interface to be somewhat clunky, but that is just a minor nuisance. And if you sign up for this service, you will quickly find yourself filling up your watch-list with plenty of sci fi and fantasy entries.
See all the plans and pricing for HBO Max
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Sci Fi TV Update posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
