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Streaming For A New Generation

5 Essential Shows To Watch On Streaming

All the streaming networks are vying for your time and with plenty to choose from you may just miss some of the ones you know you want to watch but keep forgetting to hit that play button. Well, we here at Screen One are here to give that nudge in the right direction with a selection of 5 shows that currently you should do absolutely everything to watch if you haven’t already.

5 Essential Shows To Watch On Streaming on Screen One
5 Essential Shows To Watch On Streaming

5. The Classic Cult Series – The Adventure Game (Britbox)

If you were a child of the 80’s you would most likely remember on a Saturday after Multi Coloured Swap Shop, the inhabitants of Arg toying with a trio of TV celebrities of the time, with some lateral thinking and logic puzzles as they traversed the various games to grab the crystal that powered their intergalactic time machine.

From the coloured shape board at the beginning to the alien inhabitants (Moria Stuart BBC Newsreader, Ian Messiter, Charmain Gradwell, Christopher Leaver among others) The Adventure Game was a forerunner to shows such as The Crystal Maze, Knightmare and Fort Boyard. It’s also the blue print for the modern day panic room on a grander scale. Only a combination of a few episodes from Seasons one and two are available currently. Originally there were four seasons with episode highlights featuring Paul Darrow (Avon from Blakes Seven), Richard Stilgoe (Lyricist, Presenter), Graham Green (The Goodies), Keith Chegwin (Popular nudist and children’s presenter who also happened to be the worst ever contestant).

4. The Amusing Whodunnit – Only Murders In The Building (Disney+)

One of the finest comedy duos of the last few decades has been actors Steve Martin and Martin Short, from The Three Amigos to Father of The Bride, plus their Netflix comedy special, Martin and Short are a irrepressible duo who are absolute gold anytime they share screen time together. In their latest foray, they are joined by Selina Gomez, Nathan Lane (The original Timon from the Lion King), Sting (The singer not the pro wrestler) amongst others in this fantastic tale of Real Murder Podcast fans, who start their very own one, when one of their neighbours turns up dead.

Some brilliant twist and turns along the way, with some great cliffhangers add up to a rather fun series to binge on. Season two has already been greenlit and we for one can’t wait to watch the further adventures of our intrepid trio.

https://youtu.be/-V1rQdXXXyI

3. All Out Action – Reacher (Prime Video)

Coming at you like a double barrel shotgun blast, author Lee Child eponymous hero (Don’t call me) Jack Reacher leaps from the pages of the first Reacher novel The Killing Floor to your own living room as the no nonsense former MP now living off the grid, stumbles into a small town farrago of trouble when he steps off the bus. One of the best novels of Child’s series, it wastes no time of grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and dragging you into Reachers world and non nonsense response. Playing Reacher is larger than life actor Alan Ritchson (DC’s Titans, The Hunger Games, Smallville) is as physically imposing as the character on the pages of the books.

The series is the first ever Prime Video show to top the Nielsen ratings and within two days of it hitting the streaming service season 2 was commissioned. Of course this isn’t the first time Reacher has graced our screens, the big screen version starring Tom Cruise in two movies (Jack Reacher & Never Go Back) which while were designed as star vehicles for Cruise to get them made, he wasn’t exactly the version of Reacher from the books that fans wanted. However, Ritchson has pretty much erased all memories with this series.

2. The Homage & What Happened Next – Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Originally starting life out on the doomed YouTube Red platform, Cobrai Kai is set 34 years after the events of the Karate Kid movies. Unfortunately Pat Morita has passed on so there’s no Mr Miyagi, but the story picks up with what happens to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his original nemesis Jonny Lawrence (William Zabka), focusing mainly on Lawrence and his struggles to come to terms with the outcome that many years ago, the show shifts focus and incorporates their offspring and a new generation of feuding dojos.

Now in it’s fourth season, Cobra Kai is one of those rare shows that has just got better and better as it has gone along. If you’re a fan or remember the original film trilogy you will get much more out of this series as various characters are brought back (Martin Kove’s fearsome Sensei Kreese, Yupik Okumoto Daniels foe, Chozen in KK Part II, the delightful Elisabeth Shue as Daniel and Johnnys girlfriend Ali, who they mostly fought over in the original and the terrifying Thomas Ian Griffith as the ponytailed villain Terry Silver, to name but a few) and nods to the various movies, series producers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg have loving re-created the world of the ‘miyagi-verse’ while introducing new stars who are already impacting Hollywood and beyond (Peyton List, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser & Courtney Henggeler). It’s a brilliantly balanced mesh of martial arts, comedy and drama that simply is unmissable.

1. Heartwarming Fish Out Of Water – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Jason Sudekis created the character of Ted Lasso, the moustachioed American football coach drafted into the fictional AFC Richmond (Whose ground is the actual home of Premiership team Crystal Palace) with more than a passing resemblance to The Simpsons Ned Flanders after a series of promos were created for NBC about the Premier League. The folksy Lasso, brings his charm and always chirpy persona to the ailing club, who’s boss (Hannah Waddingham) is seeking to tear it down as revenge for her philandering ex-husband (Anthony Head), but is eventually won over by Lasso’s charms and buoyant nature.

The culture clash comedy is simply wonderful stuff, you instantly warm to all of the characters and feel part of the journey. With a superb cast; Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, Girlfriend of one of the players, Brett Goldstein as the Roy Keane inspired Roy Kent, the senior statesman of the team who’s best years are behind him. Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Lasso’s long serving friend and assistant coach and Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, the clubs Enfant terrible of the team, but the most talented. Temple and Goldstein are the shows MVPs, Temple in particular who is at her career best here.

With a third season currently being filmed, it’s about time you checked out what all the fuss is about, but be warned, from the moment the end credits roll on the season two finale, you will be yearning for the third series and it could be a wait as filming is not due to finish until June 2022.

So there you have it. The 5 most essential streaming series to watch right now. Agree with us? Disagree with our choices? Well let us know in the comments below or join the conversation with our online community on our social platforms.

5 Essential Shows To Watch On Streaming on Screen One
5 Essential Shows To Watch On Streaming

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