The Stakes Have Been Raised. Now What?
After a major change to one of the biggest elements of the American medical system, hospitals across the country are struggling to prepare.
The coronavirus epidemic is pushing every aspect of American life—from schools to the grocery store—to the brink. So how can we as a country navigate the next few months? What are the big issues, and what lies ahead?
What's happening right now: If there is one thing Americans have plenty of, it's choices. When it comes to television, it seems like cable and streaming services have only increased in variety since the last time I visited this section. The average American in 2009 spent a whopping 2.3 hours watching television every day, and while that number dropped significantly in recent years, it's back up with an additional 20 minutes a day thanks to streaming services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the most popular streaming services more important than ever. We use them to keep up with the news, shop for essentials, and hang out with family. And we want to make sure we're watching the content we're interested in—without having to navigate through dozens of programs, shows, and genres. So we've compiled this list of the best streaming sites available, sorted by category, to give you one place to go for all your streaming needs.
Our picks: "Stream" has become a misnomer. As streaming becomes more popular, it's become less important to wait for the TV season to start, and that's a great thing. As more shows come out earlier than ever, we no longer have to wait years for new series to hit their stride. The first episodes of shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Great British Baking Show, and Star Trek: Picard are easily available to stream, and I plan on keeping up with them even though the seasons are over. I expect a few others will join the ranks as well.
Even though series like Scandal are ending this year, ABC has made its entire streaming library available for free. So if you've caught up with everything from the Housewives franchise to How to Get Away with Murder, this is the time to do it.
If you love watching older series, this is the place to go. This subscription service has been around for a while, and they have the rights to a ton of older series from the classic days of television. I'm usually way too lazy to sit and watch an entire season of TV in one sitting, and this will likely be my new favorite thing to do in quarantine.
This company has been around since the golden age of TV. You can access all their older programming, too, including a ton of shows from the 1970s and 1980s. I'm pretty sure I spent a decade of my childhood watching shows like The A-Team and The Brady Bunch.
What's next: While Hulu still has a lot of great new content (you've got four seasons of Rick and Morty in the works), it's more about their originals than their old shows. HBO Max is currently the go-to source for more recent series, and I'll likely be in a binge-watching spiral for the next few months as well.
What's happening now: I never thought I'd say this, but it's nice to see new original shows come to Netflix when they're available (especially after Amazon Prime's disastrous attempt at streaming shows). Their first original show, the nostalgic reboot of Wet Hot American Summer, is still in early days, but already it's proven to be surprisingly addictive. And it's not the only one. They're launching two more original shows this summer, and the next season of Black Mirror won't premiere until July (and that means we have no idea when it will launch, let alone if it will still be around at the end of the pandemic).
What's next: I'm already excited about the third season of Stranger Things. I didn't think it would be a good idea to watch every single new series Netflix had when they were all launching at once, but it sure is nice to have options now that we've cleared those. I'm also looking forward to what the team at Amazon has in store, and HBO Max has been making a lot of noise lately.
What's happening now: It might be difficult to believe, but Netflix was already one of the most popular streaming services available. The COVID-19 pandemic has only solidified its status as the most popular service around. Not only is Netflix the first thing I turn to when I want to binge-watch a TV series or movie, I expect to continue streaming until the end of this pandemic.
The service has been around for a while, and it's already produced an amazing variety of shows. A few classics include Friends, The Office, and of course the original Arrested Development. What's more, Netflix is also currently in production of three new series: The Witcher, Kingdom, and an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
What's next: The original content isn't the only reason I watch Netflix so much. The service has been producing all-new shows for years, and they've just recently turned their attention to the streaming business. A few years back they produced Bright, and I loved it so much that I'm already jonesing for the next one (in my defense, that was during the holidays, so the urge is even stronger this time of year). I also love seeing what shows are being added each month, and don't expect that to change during this pandemic.
What's happening now: Amazon Prime is, without a doubt, the best video streaming service around. And that's partially because Amazon owns the library. While most of their movies are older (though you can use the Amazon Prime service to watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for free), their Prime series are brand new and always coming out. Amazon Prime offers everything from stand-up comedy to cooking shows to action movies, and if you're looking for something new to watch, it's the perfect option.
I'm not expecting that to change during the pandemic, which is saying something for Amazon since it's not even their main focus. Amazon is currently getting slammed with orders for everything from toilet paper to hand sanitizer. Instead of being the main choice for streaming services, it seems more like a part-time obsession.
What's next: Amazon is currently working on a few shows for later this year, including a fantasy take on Sherlock Holmes. They also have a new season of Red Oaks set to launch later this month, and they're currently working on new shows like Dark Tower. While you might think it's too soon for new TV content, I'm guessing we'll still see a few new shows coming in the next few months.
If you only have one streaming service, you're missing out. So how can you handle all the options available in this post? Have one that just focuses on the classics like I do, or put one of these together to serve as a little bit of everything.
What's happening now: I have no idea what's going to happen with Crunchyroll after the pandemic ends. But I do know that's it's one of the best options for streaming anime series. The company has been around for years, and they've slowly built a library of almost 800 hours of content, which includes the more recent Dragon Ball Super and Pokémon. There's also a nice mix of shows based on other franchises, including Harry Potter and Kingdom Hearts.
It seems like a perfect blend for the streaming service because it has the shows you're expecting, and it's still fresh enough that you don't feel like you've watched every possible series at this point. It's also got a few old series that have just recently been announced, including a return to Cowboy Bebop and Monkey Thieves.
While Crunchyroll is the best option I've found, there's no shortage of similar services. Some of my favorite alternatives include Hulu, Funimation, and Anime Strike. And if you're looking to fill some anime gaps, Netflix and Disney are both starting their own series based on beloved anime franchises like Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon.
What's next: While we don't know yet what Crunchyroll will be like after this pandemic, we do know that most series will eventually return. I'll be keeping my eyes on these as more and more shows begin production, but expect at least a few of my favorites to remain in the back of my mind.
What's happening now: Disney+ is the streaming service that has made Netflix so much less interesting. Disney already owns a majority of streaming options, so they've been pretty quiet this year with their original shows. And that makes sense, because there's no shortage of great stuff available.
Disney has a variety of shows from their own catalog, and they have a lot more programming than Netflix. A few of my favorites include Phineas and Ferb, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the original Star Wars saga, and Star Trek. There are also a lot of series you probably already know, from The Mandalorian to The Simpsons.
What's next: What if
