Streamed & Screened: Movie and TV Reviews and Interviews

If you were looking for something to stream in 2024 there was no shortage of content. But what shows were the best?

In this first of two year-end episodes of Streamed & Screened, hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz go over the best shows of the year, breaking down Bruce's Top 10 list and adding in plenty of other options to catch up on if you need something to watch during the holiday season.

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As movie fans head back to theaters thanks to some huge releases like "Wicked," "Moana 2" and "Gladiator II," we decided to focus this episode on other movies to watch that are flying under the radar but could lead to Oscar nominations.

Demi Moore is getting some buzz for her work on "The Substance." And remember Pamela Anderson from "Baywatch"? She stars in "The Last Showgirl" and could be in consideration for major awards much the same way Mickey Rourke came out of nowhere with "The Wrestler" a decade ago.

Other movies to keep an eye on include "Hard Truths" with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, "Emilia Perez" with Selena Gomez, "The Brutalist" with Adrien Brody and "September 5" with Peter Sarsgaard. Also, be sure to check out "A Different Man" and "The Apprentice," both of which have elevated Sebastian Stan.

In keeping with the theme, co-host Bruce Miller has an interview with Mikey Madison, who stars in another small film with a lot of buzz: "Anora."

And next week we'll dive into another "Nickel Boys," which is getting a lot of buzz for director RaMell Ross. Come back next week for our interview with Ross and more!

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Taylor Sheridan, the creator of "Yellowstone" and its various spinoffs, has yet another new project potentially worth your time.

"Landman" on Paramount+ brings viewers to the world of oil rigs in West Texas. Always able to attract big names, Billy Bob Thornton takes the lead as Tommy Norris. Demi Moore and Jon Hamm also have big roles, while Ali Larter, who has a long list of supporting credits, get a chance to shine as Angela Norris, Tommy's ex-wife.

In this episode, co-host Bruce Miller catches up with Thornton and Larter with a pair of in-depth interviews.

About the show

Patsy Cline was only 30 when she died, but her relatively small catalog of music continues to resonate with music fans for more than six decades.

“Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight” airs Nov. 22 on PBS and features a host of stars singing songs from Cline’s catalog. In advance of that program, co-host Bruce Miller spoke with Cline's daughter, Julie Fudge.

Bruce also got an early preview of "Wicked: Part I," which hits theaters nationwide on Nov. 22 and is expected to be one of the biggest releases this late fall/early winter season as movie fans return to theaters during the upcoming holidays. Despite a few flaws, notably the unnecessary need to split the movie into two parts, "Wicked" delivers and keeps the magic of Oz alive.

About the show

In what has become the standard playbook for a popular television series, "Yellowstone" was given a slightly longer final season that was ultimately split into two parts separated by a year. 

So the final six episodes of Season 5 began dropping weekly beginning Nov. 13 and will conclude the Dutton family saga. Of course, some of the planned spinoffs could extend the narrative in the future.

The show is without Kevin Costner, who departed after the first half of the fifth season. So what does that mean? Host Bruce Miller shares his thoughts as well as interviews with Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton; Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton; and Kelsey Asbille, who plays Monica Long Dutton.

As of this episode's debut, it's still not Halloween and we're weeks away from Thanksgiving. But it's never too early to get into the holiday spirit.

In this week's episode of Streamed & Screened, co-host Bruce Miller shares an interview he had with Tyler Hynes, who adds multiple Hallmark holiday movies to his resume.

Miller and co-host Terry Lipshetz talk about the brand Hallmark has built around the movies and they share some of their favorite holiday movies and shows, as well as a few they'd be fine not watching again (yes, we're talking about the "Star Wars" holiday program).

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Remember Disney's "Wizards of Waverly Place," the tween series that featured a young Selena Gomez?

The show lasted four seasons from 2007-2012 and lives on to a new generation through streaming. And now the program joins the latest series to offer a reboot for new generation with "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place." Gomez serves as an executive producer and will guest star along most of the original cast members. But one original cast member — David Henrie — gets top billing as the star of the new show as he revives his character Justin Russo.

Henrie, who is also an executive producer, is back as with a new cast. Russo is a married father now who has been living a normal life until called upon to mentor Billie, a young wizard played by Janice LeAnn Brown.

Co-host Bruce Miller talks with Henrie and Brown about the new Disney+ program.

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Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. Dana Carvey and Mike Myers. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Those are just some of the classic combinations of "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" to star during the 50 seasons of "Saturday Night Live."

And with the start of Season 50, the new movie "Saturday Night" celebrates the launch of NBC's iconic late night sketch comedy program.

On this episode, the co-hosts talk about the new movie which Bruce Miller loves and Terry Lipshetz shares his impressions on the start of the new season. They also discuss some of the top performers in the show's history, which include Eddie Murphy, Gilda Radner and Phil Hartman, among others.

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Back in the 1980s, "The Golden Girls" and "Cocoon" were among the notable titles to feature older actors, but those were certainly not the norm, especially on television with limited channels.

Now, in the age of streaming and the need for more content, actors like Jean Smart ("Hacks"), Kathy Bates ("Matlock"), Harrison Ford ("Shrinking") and Ted Danson ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Fargo") continue finding work and remain favorites not only with viewers but with those handing out Emmys. 

In this week's episode, the hosts talk about the continued success these actors and others are finding and the reasons behind the trend.

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The entertainment world lost a number of legends recently, including Maggie Smith of "Downton Abbey" and the "Harry Potter" films as well as actor and musician Kris Kristofferson.

We also lost a pair sports icons who dazzled on television screens in baseball great Pete Rose and basketball defensive legend Dikembe Mutombo.

The biggest film debut of the past week might also be the most disappointing — and a likely contender for worst film of the year — in the Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis." Co-host Bruce Miller took one for the team and sat through the film, with few good things to share.

He does rave, however, about one of this falls new programs, "English Teacher," which is the latest in the really good shows to come from FX. Miller also shares an interview with Jenn Lyon, who has breakout role in the show.

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When it comes to "Grotesquerie," there is a lot of mystery surrounding the horror drama that just premiered on FX with episodes heading to Hulu the next day.

The latest series from Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck," "Glee," "American Horror Story," "9-1-1") features Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in some capacity, but the showrunner and the program's stars are not revealing much.

In this episode, co-host Bruce Miller has two sets of interviews, first with Micaela Dimond and Nicholas Chavez, and then with Courtney B. Vance and Raven Goodwin.

Miller and co-host Terry Lipshetz then talk about the biggest movie in theaters right now, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" that is a bit underwhelming. The hosts also chat about another sequel, "Transformers One."

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It was another big night for "Shogun" during the main event of the 76th annual Emmy Awards. The program set a single season record for most wins with 18, including best drama series and acting awards for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai.

"The Bear" also had a big night with four awards, but was snubbed for best comedy as "Hacks" took that honor. As co-host Bruce Miller mentioned, there has been discussion among insiders that "The Bear" should be a drama, not a comedy. 

"Baby Reindeer" also wone four awards in the limited series category. Miller and co-host Terry Lipshetz share their thoughts, and also look ahead to the future: Can "Shogun" sustain success in a second season? Will "The Bear" become move to the drama category? Can a show like "Only Murders in the Building" finally break out in the comedy category?

And, looking even further ahead, is the new limited series "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez" an early favorite for an Emmy next year? The show debuted this week and looks at the troubled life of the NFL tight end.

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The Primetime Emmy Awards return Sunday and "Shogun," already with 14 Emmys handed out during the Creative Arts portion, is expected to be the big winner in the drama category, while "The Bear" is favored among comedies.

In this week's episode, co-hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz talk about the favorites in the big categories as well as possible spoilers when trophies are handed out.

Miller also has an interview with Jeff Bridges and Amy Brenneman about the second season of "The Old Man," which premieres Sept. 12 on FX and will be available on Hulu the next day.

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One of the biggest movies during this sluggish weekend at movie theaters was "Reagan," the life-spanning look at former President Ronald Reagan starring Dennis Quaid in the title role and Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan.

Co-host Bruce Miller shares his disappointment in the film that simply covers too much ground, while he and co-host Terry Lipshetz reflect on previous films about presidents (real and fictional).

Bruce also has an interview with Leah Thompson of "Back to the Future" fame and Schuyler Fisk, the daughter of Sissy Spacek, who talk about their new Hallmark+ series "The Chicken Sisters," based on the book of the same name. The show premieres Sept. 10.

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Whether it's the current hit "Abbott Elementary" or a classic like "Saved by the Bell," schools have provided a setting for a lot of television shows over the years.

FX has a new program coming Sept. 2 called "English Teacher" that stars series creator Brian Jordan Alvarez. Alvarez plays Evan Marquez, a high school teacher in Austin, Texas, who has to deal with the personal and professional dramas that come with teaching.

On this week's episode, the hosts discuss favorite shows in an educational setting and Bruce Miller shares part of an interview he had with Alvarez.

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It was another big week for a franchise this weekend as “Alien: Romulus” premiered and took the top spot at the box office. While the film came nowhere near “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the film topped $40 million domestic, a respectable number for an R-rated movie.

Co-hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz both saw the film and shared their thoughts on where the film fits with the others in the franchise that began back in 1979 with “Alien.”

Another horror movie is about to drop, this time on Netflix. The Deliverance, directed by Lee Daniels, got a limited release in theaters and will drop on the streaming service on Aug. 30. The film stars Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Mo'Nique, and is inspired by a true story.

PBS continues to produce programs highlighting the geniuses of Hollywood, and the next is “Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames” that premieres Aug. 27. We have an interview with Lesley Ann Warren, who talks about her experience with Edwards.

Finally, if you watched “Tiger King” — and who didn’t watch it? — then you’ll want to catch the latest documentary from Eric Goode, “Chimp Crazy” on HBO and Max. The four episodes that began dropping weekly on Aug. 18 look at the people raising chimpanzees in captivity, and the efforts by PETA to stop them.

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The news out of Disney's D23 gathering was big, although perhaps a bit unsurprising considering the next wave of releases are new additions to franchises.

The next "Star Wars" series, "Skeleton Crew" is on the way in December and fans got an early look at the 2026 fim "The Mandalorian and Grogu."

The title for 2025 third installment of "Avatar" was revelead: "Avatar: Fire and Ash." And a number of animated favorites are returning with new additions for "Toy Story," "Zootopia," "The Incredibles" and "Frozen." But first, "Moana 2" coming later this year.

There's a bit of a controversy brewing and Hollywood power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively dominate the box office with "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "It Ends with Us." Some fans have compared the two coming out around the same time as this year's "Barbenheimer," but the films aren't quite "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie."

Co-host Terry Lipshetz plans to hit the movies this weekend for the latest installment in the "Alien" franchise: "Alien: Romulus." And Bruce Miller has an interview with The Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan, ahead of the new season of "Cesar Millan: Better Human, Better Dog."

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It seems like a lot of shows are good at keeping us waiting. That's the case with HBO's "House of the Dragon," which just wrapped its second season — with a cliffhanger, of course — and the third season likely won't be back until 2026. The first season premiered in 2022, so it looks like we're on pace for the fourth and final season to come in 2028.

Co-host Terry Lipshetz gives his thoughts on the series after he and Bruce Miller talk about the ongoing Olympics in Paris, and also shares his frustration over shows taking too much time between seasons. While AppleTV+ has a second season of "Silo" coming soon, there are much larger gaps for upcoming second seasons for "Shrinking" and "Severance."

Bruce also talks about the new movie from M. Night Shyamalan, "Trap," and the mixed success the director has had from the breakout "The Sixth Sense" to the more disappointing "The Happening."

We also preview James Cameron's latest project, "OceanXplorers," which is coming to National Geographic on Aug. 18. The miniseries will feature six episodes and the latest project for the Oscar-winning "Titanic" director. Bruce has an interview with Aldo Kane and Eric Stackpole, who talk about the series.

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For two weeks every four years, we find ourselves watching sports we'd never otherwise watch.

On this week's episode, co-hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz talk about the 2024 Paris Olympics, including the opening ceremonies, the storytelling, gymnastics and swimming, and all the celebrities.

Bruce also offers his review of "Deadpool & Wolverine," and Terry, who is typically anti-Marvel Universe, promises he'll give it a shot.

Terry also shares his thoughts on the new HBO Sports miniseries "Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose" as well as "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants."

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After taking a week off so co-host Bruce Miller could catch up with Hollywood's finest in Los Angeles, the show returns and breaks down the Emmy Nominations.

"Shogun" and "The Bear," a pair of hits for FX, appear to be the favorites in the drama and comedy categories, respectively. But is "The Bear" really a comedy? There's a lot of buzz among voters that it's misplaced. And then there is the Netflix hit "Baby Reindeer," which appears to be the favorite in the limited or anthology series category.

We also have an interview with Mark Umbers in advance of the third season of "Hotel Portofino," which premieres July 28 on PBS.

And, of course, the biggest movie right now is "Twisters," the sequel to the 1996 film "Twister" that stands on its own and is just as good. Co-host Terry Lipshetz took his family to the IMAX theater and was blown away.

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Movie theaters saw a boost in attendance recently, but when you look at which films are leading the way, one thing is obvious: established franchises and sequels are dominating the competition.

Ready. Set. Binge! "The Bear" is back for season 3, with all 10 episodes dropping on June 27. 

Co-host Bruce Miller has already previewed the season, and offers spoiler-free insights (other than we get to see more of Chicago).

Miller also has an interview with Lily Gladstone, who talks about her "new" movie "Fancy Dance." No, this isn't the result of her success in "Killers of the Flower Moon." Just like the Fx/Hulu series "Under the Bridge," this was one of several projects filmed in a short period of time, and "Fancy Dance" premiered at Sundance on Jan. 20, 2023.

He also share an interview with writer/director Erica Tremblay and offers up some other independent films to watch for: "Thelma" and "A Sacrifice."

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This week we seem to have something for everyone. 

First, co-hosts Terry Lipshetz and Bruce Miller talk about the return of "House of the Dragon," which recently began Season 2 of the "Game of Thrones" prequel on HBO/Max. And yes, we're off to a bloody start.

The Emmy nominations will be out soon, and one interesting possibility will be the documentary series "Telemarketers," which aired on HBO in 2023. We have an interview with directors Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern, who dive into the dark side of the telemarketing industry.

Finally, Apple TV+has a new animated series coming June 28 that stars Jeanine Mason and Teri Hatcher. We have interviews with both stars.

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The Television Critics Association announced the nominees for the 40th annual TCA Awards and one of the shows with a lot of nominations and buzz is the Netflix limited series "Baby Reindeer."

The show is based on a real-life stalking situation comic, creator and star Richard Gadd lived through and leads co-hosts Bruce Miller and Terry Lipshetz into a discussion about the price of fame.

Disney+ released its latest "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte," and the hosts have mixed thoughts about the program starring Carrie-Anne Moss, who is no stranger to sci-fi franchises having starred in "The Matrix" films.

Finally, we look at some of the shows highlighting the TCA Awards nominations beyond "Baby Reindeer," including "The Bear," "Hacks," "Reservation Dogs," "Ripley" and "Shogun." We also talk about how FX (16 nominations), Netflix (16) and HBO/Max (13) continue to dominate the various awards as network programming continues to struggle.

Speaking of HBO, "House of the Dragon" season 2 drops Sunday, June 16. More on that soon!

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