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.
Paramount+ is still a relatively new streaming service and it is one that I have had on an annual rotation the last few years. It is currently the go to location for the Star Trek franchise with four new shows active and more on the way. It will also shortly be the only streamer that has the prior Star Trek TV shows as those have been disappearing from Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu over the past few months.
I typically re-up my subscription for about a two month period to catch shows of interest that have wrapped up their most current seasons. I started off with Star Trek: Discovery (a show that I have remained disappointed with) and The Twilight Zone revival (which was actually quite good though sadly cancelled after only two seasons). Last year I added Star Trek: Picard to the list and enjoyed that one even if it did get off to a rough start. This year I will probably re-up in June so that I can start watching the new Captain Pike series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and catch up with Picard Season 2. I’m also interested in checking out Halo The Series, and I never did watch any of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Also of interest on Paramount+ is the procedural with supernatural leanings Evil. The first season of that show (which aired on CBS before switching to a streaming exclusive) failed to grab me and I gave up after about four episodes. But I have heard good things about it, especially its second season, so I will give it another look. I may also check out the reboot of The Stand, but I have a hard time seeing how it can stand up to the ’90s version (more on that one at this link). I will also probably give Star Trek: Prodigy a look.
Among the past TV shows currently available on Paramount+, the pickins’ are pretty slim. There is not too much for sci fi fans beyond the older Trek entries, though you will find a few shows of interest like Jericho, Twin Peaks, and the original Twilight Zone. As far as movies go, there is a decent selection from the Paramount back catalog, but it is by no means exhaustive. All of the Trek films are available for streaming and there are some older sci fi classics like the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1953’s The War of the Worlds, and The Angry Red Planet. You can see all of the television and movie selections for the service at JustWatch.com.
This service will be a must-have if you want to stream any or all of the Star Trek shows, but for me it is one that I pick up for a couple of months at a time to watch some of the newer stuff and maybe revisit some older shows and movies. With plans starting at $4.99, Paramount+ is affordable, but you will need to review the lineup to determine if you will get your money’s worth by sticking with the service for more than a couple of months at a time.
See all the plans and pricing for Paramount+
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.
