Stream On This Week: An Addictive British Comedy Favorite Returns, and Two Major Final Seasons Begin

Welcome to the latest issue of Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that answers the eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching? (Subscribe here!) We’re looking at all the new and recent releases from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more for ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and streaming recommendations from this week’s special guest: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie composer Brian Tyler!

This Week’s Picks

Taskmaster “Series” 21 (TV)

Created by: Alex Horne
Featuring: Greg Davies, Alex Horne, Amy Gledhill, Armando Iannucci, Joanna Page, Joel Dommett, Kumail Nanjiani
Streaming on: YouTube

The beginning of a new season of Taskmaster is always a good time for newcomers to discover Taskmaster. This madcap British comedy series has recently gotten some more traction with American viewers, thanks to being freely distributed on YouTube and the occasional inclusion of contestants who might be more familiar to us: Accordingly, this new season launches, with Kumail Nanjiani and Veep creator Armando Iannucci in the cast, both of whom prove very game to play the show’s very strange games. It sometimes feels like a hard show to explain properly, so all I can say is that if you enjoy watching grown adults be extremely silly on camera, you’re in for a treat. Look forward to new episodes every Thursday for the next ten weeks!

Hacks Season 5 (TV)

Created by: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky
Cast: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo return alongside Robby Hoffman, Tony Goldwyn, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Jane Adams, Lauren Weedman, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Luenell, Angela E. Gibbs, Caitlin Reilly, Christopher Briney, Leslie Bibb, Cherry Jones, Ann Dowd
Streaming on: HBO Max

I haven’t really processed yet that this is the last season of this Emmy-winning favorite, especially because in its first few episodes, Hacks Season 5 is more vibrant, confident, and funny than ever. At the end of Season 4, legendary comedian Deborah Vance (and by extension, her loyal ally Ava) suffered a major professional setback, and Season 5 is all about Deborah reclaiming her legacy and perhaps achieving even greater glory. It’s very sad to see this one go, but it feels like it’s going out on its own terms, and on the best possible note.

The Boys Season 5 (TV)

Developed by: Eric Kripke
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jensen Ackles, Daveed Diggs
Streaming on: Prime Video

Speaking of final fifth seasons! I’ve seen every episode of The Boys Season 5 except for the series finale, and it remains a fascinating look at the way power corrupts, albeit much more of a downer than it was in the past. (It’s a good thing the show’s ending, because at a certain point it starts feeling like they’re running out of characters to kill.) The satire is sharp as ever, especially the uncomfortable ways in which our reality echoes this one, and I always appreciate its willingness to go where more squeamish shows might dare to tread.

Freaky (Film)

Directed by: Christopher Landon
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Misha Osherovich, Celeste O’Connor, Alan Ruck
Streaming on: Peacock

Remember how in 2020 there were a bunch of movies released that have since slipped entirely from our minds (along with most of our memories of lockdown)? Every once in a while, lately, I’ve been revisiting those quasi-lost titles, because there were some really fun movies in the mix — such as this horror-comedy about a serial killer and teenage girl who end up swapping bodies. Over the past few years, Kathryn Newton’s really established herself as a comedy powerhouse and she’s stellar here, and Vince Vaughn really embraces the assignment of playing a teenage girl (who’s not a straight-up ditz).

Blast From the Past

The home screens of streaming services are always packed with the latest new releases, but we don’t spend enough time appreciating how much good library content is streaming across all of these platforms. Each week, Stream On will spotlight one less-than-new favorite (must pre-date the founding of Consequence, so 15 years or older) that deserves attention from modern-day eyes.

Malcolm in the Middle (TV)

Created by: Linwood Boomer
Cast: Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, Catherine Lloyd Burns
Streaming on: Hulu, Disney+

Celebrating this 2000-2006 TV show here is a not-so-stealth way to mention that yes, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is streaming now on Hulu, and it’s a pretty charming revival of the original series. Stars Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, and Bryan Cranston will tell you that they really wanted the show’s return to recapture what made the series so fun back in the day, and if you revisit the early seasons, you’ll see a pretty clear tonal connection between the past and now. Some things change, but some things don’t: Malcolm is still the smartest member of his family, Lois is still the toughest, Reese is still up to no good, and Hal’s bumbling antics are still hilarious.

A Special Guest Recommends!

Liz isn’t the only person in the world capable of suggesting stuff for people to watch… So each week, Stream On will now feature picks from a special guest! Said special guest could be literally anyone from the world of entertainment — actors, writers, directors, musicians, or anyone else Liz thinks might be watching something interesting.

This Week: Brian Tyler!

Who Are They? If you’ve ever watched a Formula 1 race, a Taylor Sheridan show, or one of countless other projects, then you’ve heard the music of Brian Tyler. Some of his credits from just the last two years include Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Yellowstone, Nuremberg, Transformers One, and Fast X — his newest project is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a bright and fun score that features some inventive nods to the classic game themes. When Consequence celebrated TV Theme Song Week back in 2023, he had some fascinating things to say about the art of composing for the small screen, and it’s a pleasure to have him picking for us today!

What Do They Recommend? Brian has so much passion for his pick, a true modern classic we don’t talk about nearly enough, if you ask me:

Arrival (Paramount+, Kanopy, MGM+) is a stunning piece of science fiction. The novella, Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, the inspiration for Arrival, has long been an incredibly important piece of literature for me, and I even had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Chiang as a kid. It is awe-inspiring to watch director Denis Villeneuve’s vision on-screen, one with the gripping power of a gargantuan, sci-fi epic and the subtle tenderness of its grounding love story. He accomplishes telling a story of massive scale, but told within intimate space, which is a difficult feat to master. The cinematography and production design are gorgeous, almost in a minimalistic, brutalist way.

Most of all, I love that this film explores how we connect with one another on an atomic level, even when differing language is a barrier. And, of course, the score delivered by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson is a chilling and beautiful amalgam of otherworldly sound design and synth spaces that works perfectly to convey the tone of the film. I think it’s definitely worth the watch and I highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to Brian for this pick! The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is raking in coins now in theaters.

One Last One Before Bed

Finally, let’s spotlight a movie or TV show that’s not only great, but won’t take up too much of your time: Think of this section as the answer to the question “What’s something I can watch before hitting the hay, that won’t keep me up too late?” The only rule is that it has to be less than 95 minutes if it’s a movie, or less than 30 minutes an episode if it’s a TV show. Otherwise, sky’s the limit!

Samuel (TV)

Created by: Émilie Tronche
Streaming on: Netflix

A French production translated into English for Netflix, Samuel features extremely short episodes, all around four minutes, told from the point of view of the titular 10-year-old, whose life and times are rendered in stark yet evocative black-and-white animation. There’s almost an existential quality to Samuel’s musings, and the animation style reminds me a bit of Kate Beaton’s work (complimentary). It’s a curious little show, with a lot of raw sweetness to it.

We’ll be back next week with more picks — in the meantime, stay safe out there, or better yet stay inside, where it’s definitely safe, and there’s so much film and TV to watch. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!