Skip to main content

Between the Streams: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ wraps, ‘Flatliners’ remake, Netflix vs. cable

DT’s weekly entertainment show, Between the Streams, is your guide to all of the hottest, most important, and (of course) dumbest new developments in streaming and entertainment, providing a handy recap of the week that was, and a preview for what’s ahead. Follow us here every Friday at 2 p.m. PT, or add us via RSS, iTunes, or Stitcher at the links below to take BtS on the road!

badge_itunes-smallest   stitcher-smallest   rss-smallest

This week is another dismal one at the box office as we head into the weekend, with a number of duds — not the least of which is Scarlett Johansson’s attempt at yet another raunch-com about killing a stripper. But that doesn’t really matter because, let’s face it, TV is freaking awesome right now. And frankly, if you’re not watching The Handmaid’s Tale, you’re doing it wrong.

Hulu’s first real home run original, which just concluded its first season, is one of the most fascinating dystopian dramas to hit the airwaves in years. The storyline reaches at the heart of one of our greatest fears, the loss of a fair and functioning democracy, and the fact that it’s brilliantly shot and loaded with superb performances doesn’t hurt either. Given that this Elizabeth Moss-led powerhouse just finished its first run, we’ll spend some time at the top of the show talking about just how compelling it really is, as well as pondering some of the other great dystopian stories from the world of entertainment.

Of course, we can’t ignore the box office completely this week, so we’ll guide you through the muck, which includes an apparently mediocre shark thriller, a seemingly forgettable psychological thriller from Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, and the reportedly middling 2Pac biopic All Eyez On Me. See what they did there, with the “Z” in “eyes?”

Thankfully, there are plenty of other new developments in the world of entertainment to ponder this week, including the addition of ginger queen-bee Jessica Chastain to the latest installment in the ever-sprawling X-Men franchise, X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Chastain is reportedly playing the villain in the new film, which will serve as the sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse. A consummate actress who brings it to every role she takes on, Chastain should add some welcome clout to the franchise after Apocalypse’s relative stumble.

But that’s just a small part of what we’ll be discussing this week. We’ll also get into the Flatliners remake (which looks a lot like the Flatliners), a new Netflix series, a sneak peek at the latest Game of Thrones season, Hulu’s new interactive comedy, and much more.

So tune in at 2 p.m. PT, or take our podcast on the road via the links above!

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
Everything coming to PBS in November 2024
Rachel Shenton and Nicholas Ralph in All Creatures Great and Small.

There are no new British dramas premiering on PBS in November, but there's more than enough programming to see you through the penultimate month of 2024. Ken Burns is premiering his new documentary, Leonardo da Vinci, about the world's most famous Renaissance man, artist, and inventor. And PBS has several other documentary and nature programs slated to run throughout the month.

PBS' non-partisan coverage of the 2024 presidential election will culminate on Tuesday, November 5. But if you're really missing your British dramas, there are encore presentations of All Creatures Great & Small and Call the Midwife coming as well.

Read more
What’s new on Amazon Prime Video in November 2024
A man stands in front of a caution sign.

James Patterson's Alex Cross character is getting a third chance in live-action this month on Amazon Prime Video. Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry have previously portrayed the titular detective character. Now, Black Adam's Aldis Hodge steps into the role. The new Cross series is Prime Video's biggest debut in November, but far from the only noteworthy addition. There are a lot of new additions to the streamer's movie lineup, including The Godfather trilogy, Silver Linings Playbook, and the unconventional vampire film Abigail.

Additionally, Prime Video is rebooting Cruel Intentions as a drama series, which has the potential to be another big hit for the streamer. And aside from Die Hard, there are only a handful of Christmas titles coming this month. We can appreciate a little restraint, especially since December will likely be a very different story.

Read more
What’s new on Disney+ in November 2024
A masked Ryan Reynolds covers his mouth as Hugh Jackman glowers in a still from the movie "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Thanks to Disney's big summer at the box office, Disney+ gets to bring home the second-highest-grossing movie of the year in November. Deadpool & Wolverine is making its streaming debut on November 12, but it's not the only noteworthy new addition to Disney+. If you've ever loved the Star Wars and Indiana Jones themes of John Williams, then you should watch the new documentary Music By John Williams, which is available on Disney+ as of November 1.

A really charming Christmas-related animated short, An Almost Christmas Story, is arriving on November 15, while Beatles '64 adds yet another Beatlemania documentary to Disney+ on November 29. On that same date, Disney is also celebrating the 60th anniversary of Mary Poppins this month by releasing a special documentary about one of Walt Disney's personal favorite films. And finally, Disney gets to capitalize on the release of Wicked by bringing Oz the Great and Powerful to Disney+ near the end of November.

Read more