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A Good Value Value in Streaming …

edited January 2022 in Off-Topic
Can’t help sharing Marquee TV - little known in the U.S. This service is based in London, UK and provides assorted programming related to the classical performing arts - including many of Shakespeare’s plays. Even at the normal $89 per year I’d probably subscribe. But at the current special rate of around $63 it’s a steal.. I thought initially I’d watch a lot of plays - and do some. But it’s often on during the day for the exquisite classical music - be it a concert by the London Philharmonic or a ballet performance at the Royal Opera House. Wouldn’t want a steady diet of it. But, at what works out to about $5.50 a month - pretty cool.

Tip: If you decide to subscribe it’s best to call your CC provider and let them know first, as some credit card companies will reject charges originating internationally. PayPal does work better - but you lose the discounted price.

Would be happy to hear others’ streaming experiences. Nothing stands out to me as that great. I get Disney, ESPN, ESPN+. Rent or purchase an occasional movie thru Amazon Prime. Didn’t care for NETFLIX. Broadway.com is good, but not enough offerings to interest me longer than a year. If Broadway.com still has “Jesus Christ Superstar” it’s worth the cost of a one month subscription alone!

I have a free year of Apple TV. Not too enthralled. Probably won’t renew. The Morning Show with Witherspoon & Aniston is great for about the first 8 episodes than deteriorates at the end of the run. But - that’s saying a lot!

This should pull up the $62.99 Marquee offer: https://welcome.marquee.tv/

Comments

  • I share your opinion of Netflix. Years ago when they started my wife subscribed to the DVD rental setup, and the depth and variety of programming was truly remarkable. She stopped subscribing some years back, and I hadn't thought much about them in the interval.

    A few months ago I opened a trial subscription, thinking that it wold be good to have access to all of that great programming. Forget it.

    The former extensive programming, including many of the great TV programs and series, are nowhere to be seen. Nothing much but a wasteland of crap movies, as far as I'm concerned. Cancelled after one month.
  • Concerning Amazon Prime programming, they do have some decent stuff for "free"... "free" meaning included in the Amazon Prime setup. However some of that "free" programming is very ephemeral... here today, gone tomorrow.

    For example, I happen to like most of the old "Star Trek" stuff, of which there were three or four decent series which originally were broadcast over five to seven seasons (years). I didn't watch much TV back then, so didn't see them when originally broadcast.

    Over the past couple of years on Prime I've watched several of those series, some even twice. (Covid has lent itself to streaming binges.) Currently, I was watching season five (of seven) of the "Starship Voyager" series. Until last night, that is.

    I had just finished watching episode 17 of series 5, and was waiting for episode 18 to start. Imagine my surprise when, instead of episode 18, a notice appeared informing me that if I wanted to watch any more Voyager programming I would now have to pay for it.

    A quick check showed me that as of 10:00 PM last evening ALL of the Amazon StarTrek programming was now on a fee per view basis. So much for that. I suppose that I should be grateful that at least they let me finish episode 17 instead of cutting me off in the middle of that.
  • edited January 2022
    Yes - As I’m sure folks know, you can Google “Best free movies for Amazon Prime members” and get a decent list. Some have been very good. At the usual $3.99 for a 48 hour rental, the fee-for-view ones aren’t exactly cheap. But they have virtually everything under the sun.
  • @hank- When we were working we didn't watch all that much TV, and now we would like to look at some of the better TV series that were broadcast years ago. Would appreciate any suggestions you might have as to where that type of content might be found.

    Mrs. Old Joe has just subscribed to Marquee. For many years she attended the SF ballet and also many Bay Area theater groups, as well as movies from time to time. Additionally, we had season tickets to the SF Symphony for some thirty years, and also frequently attended great programs at the SF Jazz Center.

    All of that had to stop due to Covid, so when I showed her the Marquee site she was delighted. Thanks so much for that suggestion.

    Continue to take care- OJ
  • edited January 2022
    @Old_Joe,

    Great to hear somebody else is enjoying Marquee. I lean heavily toward stuff from the Russian Bolshoi, of which there is plenty. The music is exceptional. It’s amazing that a country that has lived for centuries under iron fisted dictators could unleash the type of creativity evident in some of the classical music by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff - names Mrs. Old Joe will easily identify with.

    For New Years I purchased for $15.00 Rachmaninoff‘s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor …” The concert is exceptional. And that one number alone runs for about 15 minutes! (“Purchasing” just makes something available in Amazon’s cloud for whenever you choose to view - whereas “renting” allows use for only 48 hours).

    Link to above concert: https://www.amazon.com/Rachmaninov-Piano-Concerto-No-minor/dp/B00T013ZCU

    “Would appreciate any suggestions you might have as to where that type of content might be found.”

    Geez: Try Amazon. Just filter to / select: “Prime Video” at the top of the page and than type the in the show you’d like to view or own. If you buy them, they remain in your library indefinitely.

    Last winter I began wading thru The Mary Tylor Moore Show. You get a full season for about $10.00. And they’re yours to keep indefinitely. The first 2-3 seasons are by far the best. Amazing supporting cast. As years went by her drinking and family problems, including apparent suicide of a son (which she disputed), took their toll. I can see the decline. Possibly the writing deteriorated as well. But Azner and Knight performed at a high level to the end - actually getting better.

    The “Chuckles the Clown” show has been cited as one of the better ones. Have linked a 5 minute clip. I guess this is from season 3 or 4. Seems to me the show ran for around a decade.

  • @hank- Thanks again!
    OJ
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