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Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: What Is 'Loser Core'?

19 October 2026 at 09:30

This week's Out of Touch Guide delves into the musical genre/sub-culture of "Loser Core," a pointed response to overly polished music and Instagram-polished fashion. We also define some slang, so if a young person says you have EBK or nods and says "GiGis" to you, you'll know whether you're being insulted or complimented. And then there's Biddy Blas, Star Wars fandom's newest Glub Shitto.

What is Loser Core and the Loser Core Playlist?

Loser Core is a growing subculture and musical style among young people. The music is influenced by indie, alternative, and lo-fi, with lyrics that tend toward depressing. They're usually about alienation, teen angst, and how hard it is to talk girls. Loser Core is like emo, but more homemade and more hopeless, or like grunge with less anger. Prominent Loser Core artists include Memo Boy and Wifiskeleton. Notable influences include Radiohead and Weezer.

The Loser Core look is anti-fashion: over-size, slouchy hoodies, anime T-shirts, digital watches, and beat-up sneakers. The personality type is alienated nerd with niche hobbies and few friends. So basically, depressed young people who gravitate to depressing music and a slobby look. No matter your age, I'm sure you knew (or were) this type of person when you were 17.

Here's a video that explains it a bit more:

So that's Loser Core, the genre and lifestyle. Explaining the prominence of the Loser Core Playlist is a little more complicated. Created on Spotify by depay178, LOSERCORE is a playlist of 155 songs in the Loser Core genre. Back in June, a TikTok user called @user406398991 started posted AI-generated cartoons to promote the LOSERCORE playlist. The videos feature a recurring cast of characters, are usually about music, and end with a recommendation to visit the LOSERCORE playlist. Here's an example:

The videos started appearing on a lot of people's feeds in October, raising the profile the musical genre and generating reenactment videos like this:

...as well as videos from artists who are confused at their own inclusion on the list, people selling rip-off merch, and people gate-keeping what Loser Core is and questioning the inclusion of some songs on what is becoming the canonical list. Also: a ton of videos asking, "why does this keep showing up on my feed?"

Online chatter about the playlist revolves around the perceived lack of quality of the videos, and why, exactly, someone would spend so much time promoting a playlist on Spotify when you can't monetize the followers it gets.

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It's a good question. There are indirect ways this list could be making someone money—maybe there's a connection between the promotion and the bands on the list who get paid per stream—but I like to think it's just kids who identify with these artists and want other kids to hear what they're into, like people did with zines in the old days. We don't have to monetize everything, right?

What does "EBK" mean?

EBK stands for "Extreme Baller Knowledge." It goes beyond the sports reference to apply to to anyone who has deep knowledge of a subject. It's usually used ironically.

What does GiGis mean? 

Pronounced like the name Gigi, "GiGis" comes from sports by way of gamer culture. The post game pleasantry "good game" has been a staple in sports since forever. Gamers adopted it and shortened it to "GG" in text. So GiGis is a way of saying "good game."

Viral video of the week: Biddy Blas

This week's viral video comes by way of a video game cut-scene. Star Wars: Galactic Racer was released on Oct. 6, and its breakout star has emerged: Biddy Blas. You won't find him in any of the Star Wars movies or TV shows. Biddy is only in this one game, and basically only exists as an opponent to be beaten in a race. But Biddy is too great to go out in obscurity. Just check him out:

Soon after the release of the game, fans dubbed Biddy the "best Glup Shitto (Star Wars background character with a silly name)" and started making memes to celebrate him, like these:

Biddy Blas' popularity is the result of voice actor Richard Summers-Calvert's spirited performance, particularly his reading of Biddy's catchphrase, "scrib doon," (i.e.: "Write that down."). The phrase gets caught in your brain:

and there are so many occasions when "scrib doon" is the perfect thing to say:

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NBA 2026-2027 streaming guide: Making sense of total chaos

15 October 2026 at 07:00

2026 is an especially weird year for watching the NBA.

With the demise of regional FanDuel Sports Networks, and the league’s long-planned national streaming service at least a year away, many teams were suddenly in need of temporary plans for this season. The result is a patchwork of standalone streaming services, free over-the-air broadcasts, and traditional TV options that vary based on where you live.

You might think the NBA would try to help, perhaps with a single page that helps fans sort through all the viewing options, but no. Its website offers “how to watch” pages for only a small handful of teams, and most of those pages carry incomplete information.

So once again, I will do what the league doesn’t, and put all your NBA viewing options in one place.

Watching your local NBA team

If you live in the same market as your favorite NBA team, and want to watch games that are not nationally televised, you have a few possible options:

  • Subscribe to a standalone streaming service for local in-market games.
  • Get local games through a pay TV package that carries them.
  • Watch local games for free with an antenna, if your team is broadcasting them over the air.

Here’s a chart showing how those options shake out by market:

NBA TeamLocal channel/RSNPay TV packages with local gamesStandalone options
Atlanta HawksPeachtree Sports Network/WANFDirecTV Choice, FuboFree over-the-air
Boston CelticsNBC Sports BostonYTTV, Hulu Live, Fubo, DTV ChoicePeacock sub required, plus $15/mo
Brooklyn NetsYES NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboYES on DAZN: $20/mo, $120/season, or $200/yr
MSG bundle: $35/mo or $300/yr
Charlotte HornetsWSOC/TV 64DTV Choice, Fubo, YTTVDAZN Hornets: $20/mo or $120/season
Free over-the-air
Chicago BullsChicago Sports NetworkDTV Choice, DTV MySports + MyHomeTeam, FuboCHSN: $20/mo
Bulls/Blackhawks bundle: $30/mo or $350/yr
Cleveland Cavaliers––DAZN Cavs: $20/mo or $120/season
15 games free OTA and on DAZN
Dallas MavericksKFAA/WFAADirecTV Choice, FuboMavsTV+: $15/mo or $125/yr
Free over-the-air
Denver NuggetsAltitude SportsDTV Choice, DTV MySports + MyHomeTeam, FuboAltitude+: $20/mo or $200/yr
20 games free OTA
Detroit PistonsTV20DirecTV Choice, FuboDAZN Pistons: $20/mo or $120/season
Free over-the-air
Golden State WarriorsNBC Sports Bay AreaYTTV, Hulu Live, Fubo, DTV ChoicePeacock sub required
plus $18/mo
Houston RocketsSpace City Home NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboSCHN+: $20/mo or $200/yr
Indiana Pacers––DAZN Pacers: $20/mo or $120/season
22 games free on DAZN, 15 free OTA
Los Angeles ClippersClipperVisionDirecTV Choice, FuboClipperVision: $15/mo or $90/season
10 games free OTA
Los Angeles LakersSpectrum SportsNetDTV Choice, DTV MySports + MyHomeTeamSpectrum SportsNet+: $20/mo or $200/season
Memphis Grizzlies––DAZN Grizzlies: $20/mo or $120/season
15 games free OTA and on DAZN
Miami HeatWPLG Local 10–Free on Local10+ Platinum app
Milwaukee BucksMy24DirecTV Choice, FuboBucks+: $20/mo or $100/season
Minnesota Timberwolves––DAZN Timberwolves: $20/mo or $120/season
15 games free OTA and on DAZN
New Orleans PelicansGulf Coast Sports & Entertainment NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboPelicans+: $15/mo or $100/yr
Free over-the-air
New York KnicksMSG NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboMSG on DAZN: $30/mo or $280/yr
MSG Bundle: $35/mo or $300/yr
Oklahoma City ThunderThunder Gameday NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboThunder+: $20/mo or $109/season
10 games free over-the-air
Orlando MagicMagicTV 27/WFTV–DAZN Magic: $20/mo or $120/season
15 games free OTA and on DAZN
Philadelphia 76ersNBC Sports PhiladelphiaYTTV, Hulu Live, FuboPeacock sub required, plus $25/mo
Phoenix SunsArizona’s FamilyDirecTV Choice, FuboSuns+: $15/mo or $110/yr
Free over-the-air
Portland Trail BlazersRip City TV NetworkDirecTV Choice, FuboBlazerVision: $20/mo or $120/yr
Free over-the-air
Sacramento KingsNBC Sports CaliforniaYTTV, Hulu Live, Fubo, DTV ChoicePeacock sub required, plus $18/mo
San Antonio Spurs––DAZN Spurs: $20/mo or $120/season
15 games free on DAZN, 22 free OTA
Toronto RaptorsTSN–TSN: $25/mo or $250/yr
Utah JazzKJZZ14DirecTV Choice, FuboJazz+ ($20/mo or $125.50/yr)
SEG+ (Utah HC bundle, $175/yr)
Free over-the-air
Washington WizardsMonumentalYTTV, Hulu Live, DTV Choice, DTV MySports + MyHomeTeamMonumental+: $20/mo or $180/yr

Compared to previous seasons, the most notable new entrant in 2026-2027 is DAZN, which has swept in to replace FanDuel Sports Network for 10 NBA teams. If you already subscribe to DAZN for combat sports or international basketball, note that the NBA subscriptions are separate.

Some NBA teams are also turning to free, over-the-air TV for in-market games, either instead of or in addition to standalone streaming options. Consider using an antenna to watch these games instead of getting yet another streaming subscription.

One more note: Several teams still haven’t announced distribution through cable, satellite, or live TV streaming providers. We’ll likely see a few more announcements around the start of the season on October 20, and I’ll update this post accordingly.

Out-of-market NBA games

The situation is much simpler if your team plays in a different market. As in previous years, NBA League Pass lets you watch all out-of-market games for $17 per month or $110 for the season. (The ad-free “Premium” tier, which also supports up to three concurrent streams, costs $25 per month or $160 per season.)

Note that if your out-of-market team is playing against the local team in your area—whether at home or on the road—those games will be blacked out. League Pass also excludes nationally televised games, which I’ll cover below.

Nationally televised games

If you subscribe to a service for local or out-of-market NBA games, it still won’t carry games that air on national television. Those include 100 games across NBC and Peacock/NBCSN, 80 games on ESPN and ABC, and 66 games on Amazon Prime Video.

Figuring out the best way to get both local and nationally televised games is where things get tricky:

Standalone services with nationally televised NBA coverage:

Pay TV packages with nationally televised NBA coverage:

  • YouTube TV carries ABC, ESPN, NBC, and NBCSN, both in its $83 per month base plan and $65 per month Sports plan.
  • Fubo carries ABC, ESPN, NBC, and NBCSN, both in its base plan ($89 per month, plus regional sports fees) and Sports plan ($65 per month).
  • Hulu + Live TV offers ABC, ESPN, NBC, and NBCSN in its $100 per month base plan.
  • DirecTV carries ABC, ESPN, NBC in its Signature packages (starting at $95 per month) and MySports plan ($65 per month), but does not include NBCSN, so you miss Peacock’s Monday night games.
  • Sling Essentials includes ESPN for $20 per month. It also carries local channels (including NBC) in certain markets at a higher price.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide whether to piece together a few different streaming services or try to get most of your coverage through one pay TV bundle. The best option for you will depend on where you live, your willingness to hop between different apps, and how many games you’ll realistically end up watching. Hopefully, all this information will make those decisions a bit easier.

Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice.

The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: Why Are Kids Throwing Fruit in Toilets?

12 October 2026 at 10:00

This week's deep dive into young people culture answers questions you may not have thought to ask, like, "Why are young people throwing fruit in their toilets?" "What does it mean when someone tells me to 'visualize spinning apples'?" "What is glass skin?" and "How can Minecraft help you understand the age of the universe?"

Why are young people throwing fruit in the toilet?

This is a weird one, but young people are throwing fruit in the toilet in honor of the rapper Lucki. Backstory: The Atlanta rapper best known for his track "New Drank" was attending ComplexCon in Los Angeles on Oct. 3 when an entourage vs. entourage tussle with rapper Playboi Carti's crew broke out and Lucki was stabbed.

In response, the hashtag #throwfruitinthetoiletforlucki appeared on Instagram and TikTok, and kids started throwing fruit in the toilet and posting videos like this one:

and this one:

So that's what's happening; why it's happening is a little harder to explain. People posted screenshots indicating the lyrics to Lucki's "Y Not" include the line "When I get stabbed at ComplexCon, throw fruits in the toilet"—but the song doesn't actually include those lyrics and it's hard to imagine many fans bought into it. Some suggested that the trend is a dig at Lucki's lifestyle and weight: a not-subtle suggestion he eat more fruit. Maybe, but I think it's a classic online non sequitur. I don't think anyone is legitimately trying to honor Lucki by posting these videos. It seems like jokers trying to get fans of the rapper to throw fruit in their toilets so they can say, "Look at those weirdos! We tricked 'em into throwing fruit in their toilets!" But it doesn't seem to be working. All the fruit-throwers I've seen seem like they're "in on the joke," which actually reverses the joke. Anyway, Lucki is doing well and expected to make a full recovery.

What does "imagine spinning apples" mean?

The second fruit-related meme trending this week is "imagine spinning apples," a way to insult pretentious dinks online. It's a journey to explain how it came to mean that, so here goes.

Aphantasia is the inability to visualize things. If you can't imagine apples, you may have aphantasia. The idea that some people can imagine apples and some can't is big on 4Chan, Reddit, and other online communities populated by young people who would like to claim superiority over others, but can't do it based on money, attractiveness, or any other traditional measure of preeminence. Despite the actual neuroscience showing a correlation between aphantasia and a slightly higher IQ, these online weirdos decided that having aphantasia means you are dumb, or lack an inner life. Some took it even further and suggested that intelligence can be measured by the number of apples one can visualize and whether you can visualize them spinning.

So memes like this:

and posts like this:

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started showing up as a way of clowning on people who boast about how smart they are using a metric that actually makes them look dumber. It's like bragging about the results of an online IQ test or joining Mensa.

What is "glass skin"?

Glass skin is a beauty trend taking over TikTok. It's based on Korean skin care trends and refers to skin so smooth, luminous, and clear, it seems to shine. How one can achieve this look is debatable, but there is no shortage of videos giving instructions and hawking creams and tinctures that promise to make your skin shiny as glass. Like this one:

I'm in favor of people looking as greasy as they want, but viral "glass skin" videos are not giving good advice—a recent study found that almost 95% of viral Korean skincare and “glass skin” TikToks are misleading, and many can even be dangerous.

What is the "door kick challenge" (and does it exist)?

Reports about the new "door kick challenge" are coming from all corners of the nation, from Portland to Phoenix to West Virginia to California this week.

Here's how West Virginia's Taylor County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff Chris MacQueen describes the door kick challenge: "There is a new trend out that’s either referred to the 'door kick challenge' or 'donkey kick challenge' and what that essentially is, is teenagers late at night are donkey kicking doors and then recording their reactions as they run off. This is absolutely not ding dong ditch."

There's so much wrong with this statement. First, the "door kick challenge" isn't new. Here's a report from 2021 about the supposed challenge. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of similar news stories have been published regularly since, all across the country, a steady drumbeat of warning about this dangerous trend. But it doesn't seem to be real.

I've looked through TikTok's doorkickchallenge hashtag and similar places on other video platforms, and I can't find any evidence of any young people "recording their reaction" to kicking a stranger's door or mentioning the challenge in a "you should try this too" kind of way. There are plenty of videos of people kicking doors, but they're all shot from doorbell or security cameras, presumably posted by homeowners, and we have no idea who is doing the kicking or why. They could be stalkers, robbers, or angry because they left their keys on the coffee table. So there is no discernible trend or challenge, beyond the trend of more people having doorbell cameras.

The cop's last point, that "this is not ding dong ditch," is debatable. Ding dong ditch dates back to the early 1800s, and I can't find any evidence that the game has changed since then, or that more kids are kicking doors instead of ringing doorbells. No one keeps stats on it, but it seems reasonable to assume that kids today do dumb things as often as you and your friends did dumb things. That's where the safe money always is.

If police departments want to warn the public about a truly deadly trend, they could look at the number of adults who shoot teenagers on their porches. Then they could hold a press conference warning about the "murdering children for ringing your doorbell" challenge.

Viral video of the week: "Running Minecraft Until It Beats Itself"

Looking at the volume of AI-generated brainrot that floods video-sharing platforms makes it easy to conclude that young people are not able to visualize apples spinning. But the counter evidence is out there, too. Like this week's viral video: "Running Minecraft Until It Beats Itself." It's a video about a kids' video game, but on a deeper level it's a video about deep time, evolution, the second law of thermodynamics, and more.

This video runs a simulation of a Minecraft world to prove that if you have the right starting seed and leave Minecraft running long enough with no input, the winning condition (the dragon being slain) would happen even if there was no player, by chance. You'd have to run your PC for a billion years instead of playing Minecraft for 100 hours, but it would happen.

The idea that anything that could happen will happen if enough time passes isn't new, but it's hard to grasp the concept of time scales so vast. This video uses a relatively simple model (that viewers understand intimately) to make the billions of years imaginable.

I have no doubt that the seven million people who have viewed this video (and played Minecraft enough to understand the implications) grasp the concept of a billion years better than the people who haven't: A billion years is about how long it would take for an Enderman to randomly drop a carved pumpkin on two snow blocks and for the resulting snow golem to lead a creeper to blow up next to the walls around the end portal so Endermen could randomly carry enough blocks from the Overworld to The End to make piles high enough that randomly moving snow golems would throw enough snowballs to destroy all seven crystals that protect the Ender Dragon.

Review: 4-hour Musk documentary feels like two different films

11 October 2026 at 14:10

Elon Musk is a very familiar figure to Ars readers, given his massive influence (for better and worse) on the technology sector over the last 20 years. Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney's latest biographical documentary—simply titled Musk—covers a lot of well-known ground and challenges the carefully crafted public image of Musk as a visionary tech titan.

Gibney's documentary presents Musk as more of a Gilded Age confidence man, rejiggered for the 21st century: an investor cosplaying as an inventor whose real genius is pumping stocks and dazzling investors and the public alike with visions of a high-tech utopian future. The film is bound to push all the right outrage buttons, whether one is a Musk fan or a detractor—which makes it very much a product of the peculiar social media-driven era in which we live.

Gibney has been making documentaries since the 1980s, covering such varied subjects as Jimi Hendrix, Hunter S. Thompson and gonzo journalism, WikiLeaks, Scientology, Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes (the subject of another forthcoming documentary, You Can See Everything, featuring comedian Nathan Fielder), Boris Becker, The Sopranos creator David Chase, alleged Russian interference in the US 2016 presidential election, the opioid epidemic, and cyclist Lance Armstrong. He snagged his first Oscar nomination for 2005’s Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature two years later for Taxi to the Dark Side.

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Prime Video unveils Blade Runner 2099 full trailer at NYCC

11 October 2026 at 10:50

We got our first look at Prime Video's new sci-fi series Blade Runner 2099 in July at San Diego Comic-Con. With the show's premiere roughly six weeks away, the streamer unveiled the full trailer this weekend at New York Comic-Con. Co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) joined showrunner Silka Luisa (Shining Girls) onstage for the big reveal.

As Luisa described the show during the NYCC panel Saturday night:

We are 50 years after [Blade Runner] 2049 and, bad news, the worst has happened. The replicant uprising that has been bubbling up in the films has taken place and the humans have lost. So the creations have surpassed their creators. And the series, the big question it asks is, ‘What happens when our time as a species ends?’ 2099 is taking place at a junction point when one species is ending and a new one is rising. The first film, something I loved about it, was that it was looking at mortality on a micro level. Roy Batty and the other replicants were fighting for more life. This show asks that same question but on a macro level. Mankind—what happens when we realize our time is running out? And are we going to accept that loss? Can we hold on to our humanity during it?

Yeoh stars as Olwen, the dying Replicant, while Schafer plays Cora. The cast also includes Hugo Hamlet as Buster Friendly, as well as Dmitri Abold, Lewis Gribben, Katelyn Rose Downey, Daniel Rigby, Johnny Harris, Amy Lennox, Sheila Atim, Matthew Needham, Tom Burke, and Maurizio Lombardi—all in as-yet-undisclosed roles.

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Review: Fine, let's talk about Digger

7 October 2026 at 09:01

I found the trailer for Digger intriguing, starring a nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise and giving off strong Dr. Strangelove vibes. Plus, it is four-time Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s (Birdman) first English-language film since 2015’s The Revenant. Those elements quickly moved it near the top of my "must-see" list even if details about the actual plot were lacking. Given Iñárritu’s pedigree, the film seemed poised to be prime Oscar bait.

(Major spoilers appear below the gallery. We'll give you a heads-up when we get there.)

By now it's clear that Digger is on track to be one of the biggest bombs of the year instead, racking up a mere $20 million globally its opening weekend, against a $125 million (possibly more) budget. It has sharply polarized critics and audiences alike, with some appreciating Iñárritu's bold, creative swings and others finding the film practically unwatchable.

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The Top 10 TV Series Right Now, According to Streaming Data

2 October 2026 at 18:00

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Streaming in September was eclectic. The top 10 most popular TV shows of the month, according to data from JustWatch, include opposite takes on international espionage—Lioness's "everything is at stake" blockbuster vibe versus Slow Horses' darkly funny, morally ambiguous style.

Other series burning up the charts: spy-adjacent action show Reacher, a couple of sports comedies named after their main characters (Ted Lasso and Chad Powers), a dystopian sci-fi drama (Silo), a superhero show (Lanterns), and stories of criminals and cops (Furious and The Gentlemen). There's even a horror comedy (Widow's Bay). You could say there's something for everyone.

Lanterns

Topping the streaming charts this month is DC's TV revamp of Green Lantern, in which experienced Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) trains the new guy, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), on how to wield the mysterious and powerful Green Lantern Ring. It's a reserved, neo-noir style take on the comic mythos, as the heroes investigate a series of murders tied to an extraterrestrial threat. Lanterns is pulling in a 92% fresh ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, so it's definitely worth a stream. Stream Lanterns on HBO Max.

Ted Lasso

Season four of Ted Lasso sees the title character, played by Jason Sudeikis, returning to the UK to take on a new challenge: coaching the Lady Greyhounds, AFC Richmond's second-division women's football team. This multiple Emmy Award-winning series still has all the heart, humor, and positivity of the original run. Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.

Reacher

Reacher actor Alan Ritchson is a great action star. Dude's the size of a house, but he uses his brains as much as his fists, and his "independent ass-kicker" lifestyle makes for great TV. Season four sees our morally uncompromising, giant-sized hero witnessing a supposed suicide, then finding out it's tied to a conspiracy so huge that world governments are involved. If you like your TV action-packed, you're probably already watching Reacher, but if you're not, get on it! Stream Reacher on Prime Video.

Lioness

If you like action, international espionage, and incredible performances, Lioness mashes them all up into a must-watch series. This cast is without lightweights, including Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, Emmy nominee Michael Kelly, and executive producer and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman. Season 3 dives into a hidden network of dangerous foreign operatives, personal betrayals, and a high-stakes war that could define everyone's lives. Stream Lioness on Paramount+.

Slow Horses

Apple TV's Slow Horses delivers a more realistic, nuanced take on espionage by detailing the lives of the losers of British Intelligence. Instead of chiseled good guys and gals saving the world, the agents of Slough House are a team of dysfunctional, troubled souls trying to do the right thing (usually) in a morally gray world. Just like real agents. Their leader, gruff, obnoxious Jackson Lamb, is played to perfection by Gary Oldman. Slow Horses has an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score over its first five seasons, and season 6 is setting new records. Stream Slow Horses on Apple TV+.

Furious

In Furious, Emmy Rossum plays Alice Black, an FBI agent and former NYPD homicide detective investigating a series of murders that point to a female serial killer bent on offing the wealthy assholes who victimized her when she was a sex trafficked. If that's not a killer premise for a TV show, I don't know what is. Critics agree: Furious has a 99% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Stream Furious on Hulu.

The Gentlemen

Director Guy Ritchie's series is set at the point where the remnants of the British aristocracy meet the nation's gangsters and lowlifes. Theo James plays Eddie Horniman, aka the Duke, whose inherited family estate is barely paid for by profits from a drug-dealing operation. If you like hard-edged action, British wit, and a stylish gangster vibe, this is the show for you. Stream The Gentlemen on Netflix.

Widow's Bay

This series from Apple TV has won unanimous praise from both critics and audiences. It's a rare horror-comedy that manages to be genuinely scary and really funny. In the island town of Widow's Bay, literally everything seems to be haunted, cursed, or otherwise beset with unspeakable evil, but Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) wants to bring tourism to the island anyway, so he ignores the sea hags, fog monsters, and serial killer ghosts surrounding him in an effort to drum up new business. The great Stephen Root plays Wyck, an old-timer who's always there to remind everyone that time is short and everyone is doomed. Stream Widow's Bay on Apple TV+.

Chad Powers

Chad Powers is a sports comedy that's actually funny. Glen Powell stars as Russ Holliday, a former college football phenom who nuked his own career before he even got to the NFL. Instead of giving up, he dons a disguise, adopts the name "Chad Powers, and tries out for a failing college team. It works, but leads to outrageous complications as the jock tries to hide his deceit. Stream Chad Powers on Hulu.

Silo

Apple TV's Silo continues to track the downward spiral of the dregs of humanity, who are all living together underground in a cavernous edifice that goes all the way down. If you've been wondering how things got so bad, this season goes back in time to reveal the source of humanity's near-demise. (Unsurprisingly, humans are to blame.) You can stream Silo on Apple TV.

The Top 10 Movies Right Now, According to Streaming Data

2 October 2026 at 09:30

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The most-streamed movies in September, according to JustWatch, include a couple of early Halloween treats: low-budget, high-scare horror flicks Backrooms and Obsession both made the top 10. If you like more gentle supernatural stories, 1990s classic Practical Magic made the charts too. You could also check out best-actor-ever favorites Robert De Niro in The Whisper Man and Dustin Hoffman in Tuner. So there's something for everyone.

Backrooms (2026)

Director Kane Parsons' analog horror breakthrough is proof that atmosphere, mood, and a fascinating story is scarier than CGI monsters every time. Based on the viral YouTube series of the same name, Backrooms tells the story of Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a store owner who discovers a labyrinthian liminal space in his furniture shop's basement. Renate Reinsve plays his therapist, who thinks it's a delusion, until she goes downstairs for a visit. A hit with critics—Backrooms is sitting at 87% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes—and audiences, Backrooms is a delicious early Halloween treat for horror fans. Stream Backrooms on HBO Max.

Practical Magic (1998)

Released to streaming to coincide with the sequel's release in theaters, Practical Magic is a beloved supernatural rom-com finding a new audience in 2026. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman play Sally and Gilly, sister-witches cursed with losing any man they ever love. Sally's romantic interest appears in the form of Aidan Quinn playing a detective investigating the disappearance of Gilly's abusive boyfriend. Can love, magic, and the power of sisterhood break the family curse? With a little help from '90s nostalgia, you bet they can. Stream Practical Magic on HBO Max.

Obsession (2026)

Director Curry Barker is still in his 20s, but his debut theatrical feature is the kind of horror film that changes the entire genre. Obsession is a classic "be careful what you wish for" story that feels fresh thanks to its talented young cast, unpredictable plot, and careful pace. Michael Johnston plays a young man too scared to tell his crush how he feels, so he wishes she'd fall in love with him instead. The result is a nightmare embodied by Inde Navarrette, whose portrayal of the villain/victim is at once harrowing, terrifying, and heartbreaking. Obsession is the best horror movie I've seen in years. Stream Obsession on Peacock.

Mayday (2026)

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh play Cold War enemies brought together when Reynolds' plane crashes in the Russian wilderness. Branagh is ex-KGB, but he's always been a secret fan of America, so he helps Reynolds escape the USSR. Like the best bro-coms, Mayday is powered by the charisma of its stars, and you won't find any actors alive with more rizz than these two. If you like 1980s-style buddy action/comedies, Mayday is the right stream for you. Stream Mayday on Apple TV+.

Project Hail Mary (2026)

In this crowd-pleasing sci-fi flick, Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who is blasted into the firmament in a last-ditch effort to save the world. Grace is the only person on Earth who might know how to protect the sun from a cosmic infection that threatens all life, but he's definitely not an astronaut and doesn't see himself as a hero either. Will he rise to the occasion and learn something about his inner strength and resilience while saving us all from death? My money is on, "yeah, probably." Stream Project Hail Mary on Prime Video and Fubo.

Supergirl (2026)

You shouldn't mess with a superhero's dog. Milly Alcock plays Kara Zor-el, AKA Supergirl, who traverses the galaxy hunting for Krem of the Yellow Hills (played by Matthias Schoenaerts). He shot Krypto the superdog with a poison dart, and justice must be administered. If you want a grittier take on the super-people of Krypton with some deep-lore DC universe building, look no further than Supergirl. Stream Supergirl on HBO Max.

The Whisper Man (2026)

Based on the novel by Alex North, The Whisper Man stars Robert De Niro as Peter Willis, a retired detective who returns to the game to solve a grisly cold case. A copycat is mimicking the crimes of the notorious Whisper Man, a serial killer Willis captured years before. This intense thriller is built around De Niro's powerful performance and a twisty plot that will keep you on the edge of your couch. Stream The Whisper Man on Netflix.

Tuner (2026)

You wouldn't think the life of a piano tuner would be exciting until you see Tuner. Leo Woodall plays Niki White, whose quiet life is turned to 11 when he learns he can use his ears for cracking safes as easily as tuning Steinways. Desperate for cash, White joins up with hardened criminals, and things go haywire. The excellent cast of this smart, tense thriller includes Dustin Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu. If you like suspense in the style of Hitchcock, check out The Tuner. Stream Tuner on Paramount+.

The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu sees Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his adorable baby Yoda pal pitted against Imperial warlords and the Hutt Twins. It's classic Star Wars: a lone hero and his companion doing heroic things while facing impossible odds. Packed with cliff-hanger action and colorful characters, The Mandalorian and Grogu is pure fun in movie form. Stream The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+.

Toy Story 5 (2026)

Pixar is so good at what it does, it can even make the fifth movie in a series about ratty old toys into art—not just art for kids, but art that's palatable for parents, too. In Toy Story 5, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang face a toy's most terrifying enemy: technology. Toy Story 5 asks if there's a place for action figures and Mr. Potato Head in a world where screens are the only thing kids care about. Stream Toy Story 5 on Disney+.

Marvel releases one last VisionQuest trailer

1 October 2026 at 14:04

With its premiere just two weeks away, Marvel Studios has dropped one last trailer for the limited series, VisionQuest, which will complete the trilogy begun with WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

(Spoilers for WandaVision and Agatha All Along below.)

As previously reported, Marvel’s streaming TV portfolio has kind of been all over the place: a handful of hits, a few misses, and a bunch of middling offerings. One standout was WandaVision, followed by an excellent sequel (of sorts), Agatha All Along. VisionQuest will complete the trilogy. Vision (Paul Bettany) died in Infinity War, but WandaVision resurrected an all-white version whose memories were restored in the finale. We finally get to learn what happened afterward.

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What it costs to stream the top 100 TV shows of this century

1 October 2026 at 07:00

If you have five years, four months, and $1,138 to spare, you might be able stream every one of The New York Times‘ top 100 TV shows of the 21st century.

As you’d expect from any authoritative listicle, The Times‘ plaudits have prompted plenty of debate about the honorees and snubs. It’s also a reminder of how much great TV already exists, and how much time you could spend watching critically acclaimed shows from the past instead of trying to keep up with the present.

With that in mind, and with a little data-sorting help from AI, I set out to determine the most efficient ways to stream them all. Here is what I found:

What’s available where

To determine where each show is available to stream, I relied on data from JustWatch and developer tools from The Movie Database (TMDB), which let you slice and dice the data in different ways.

Let’s start with just a list of the top 100 shows and where you can stream them.

An interactive, sortable version of this chart is available here →

#ShowStreaming serviceFree options
1Breaking BadNetflix—
2The WireHBO Max—
3Mad MenHBO Max, AMC+Plex (Season 1)
4SuccessionHBO Max—
5FleabagPrime Video—
6Game of ThronesHBO Max—
7VeepHBO Max—
830 RockHulu, Peacock—
9Curb Your EnthusiasmHBO Max—
10AtlantaHulu—
11The Office (U.S.)Peacock—
12Arrested DevelopmentNetflix—
13GirlsHBO Max—
14Friday Night LightsPrime Video, Paramount+—
15Six Feet UnderHBO Max—
16The Office (U.K.)HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, BritBoxHoopla
17The AmericansHulu—
18I May Destroy YouHBO Max—
19ChernobylHBO Max—
20The CrownNetflix—
21The White LotusHBO Max—
22LostHulu—
23The ComebackHBO Max—
24DeadwoodHBO Max—
25The LeftoversHBO Max—
26Black MirrorNetflix—
27Better Call SaulNetflix—
28Band of BrothersHBO Max—
29Key & PeeleParamount+Hoopla (Seasons 1-2), Pluto TV (Seasons 1-2)
30SeveranceApple TV—
31SurvivorParamount+, Hulu (Seasons 1, 12, 15, 40-42)Pluto TV (Seasons 25-26, 31), Tubi (Season 1)
32AndorDisney+—
33EnlightenedHBO Max—
34Schitt’s CreekHBO Max, Hulu—
35True Detective (Season 1)HBO Max—
36The PittHBO Max—
37Battlestar GalacticaParamount+Pluto TV
38HomelandNetflix, Hulu—
39WatchmenHBO Max—
40AdolescenceNetflix—
41LouieDirect purchase (ad-free)Direct purchase
42HacksHBO Max—
43Peaky BlindersNetflix—
44BoJack HorsemanNetflix—
45Happy ValleyBritBoxHoopla
46Broad CityHulu, Paramount+—
47Twin Peaks: The ReturnParamount+Pluto TV
48House of CardsNetflix—
49Normal PeopleHulu—
50Parks and RecreationPeacock—
51The Good PlaceHulu, Prime Video, Peacock—
52Downton AbbeyPrime Video, Peacock, BritBox, PBS Passport—
53Stranger ThingsNetflix—
54The BureauParamount+, AMC+ (Season 4)—
55InsecureHBO Max—
56Nathan for YouHBO Max, Paramount+Pluto TV (Seasons 1-2), Hoopla (Season 2)
57I Think You Should LeaveNetflix—
58Chappelle’s ShowParamount+ (Seasons 1-2)Hoopla, Tubi (Seasons 1-2)
59PEN15Hulu—
60Peep ShowHulu, BritBox, Prime Video (Seasons 2-3)Plex, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi, Prime Video (Seasons 4-9)
61RuPaul’s Drag RaceParamount+Pluto TV (Seasons 1-15)
62Slow HorsesApple TV—
63The Thick of ItBritBox, Peacock (Seasons 1, 3-4)—
64Anthony Bourdain: Parts UnknownHBO MaxPlex (Seasons 1-2, 4-10), Roku Channel (Seasons 1, 4-8), Pluto TV (Seasons 1-5)
65Mare of EasttownHBO Max—
66The RehearsalHBO Max—
67The Handmaid’s TaleHulu—
68OzarkNetflix—
69Anthony Bourdain: No ReservationsHBO Max, Discovery+, Hulu (Seasons 1-2, 5, 7), Disney+ (Seasons 1-2, 5, 7)Roku Channel, Pluto TV (Seasons 1-6, 8)
70The ShieldHulu, Prime Video—
71Beef (Season 1)Netflix—
72Squid GameNetflix—
73BarryHBO Max—
74The BearHulu, Disney+—
75Ted LassoApple TV—
76Somebody SomewhereHBO Max—
77Modern FamilyHulu, Peacock—
78It’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaHulu—
79The Good WifeParamount+Roku Channel
80How To With John WilsonHBO Max—
81The Queen’s GambitNetflix—
82Better ThingsHulu—
83JustifiedHulu—
84Planet EarthHBO Max, Discovery+—
85The Great British Baking ShowNetflix (Seasons 5-7)Roku Channel
86ShogunHulu—
87Reservation DogsHulu—
88DexterParamount+Roku Channel (Season 1)
89Baby ReindeerNetflix—
90Eastbound & DownHBO Max—
91CatastrophePrime Video—
92The Night OfHBO Max—
93Station ElevenHBO Max—
94The DiplomatNetflix—
95HouseHulu, Prime Video—
96Halt and Catch FireAMC+Roku Channel (Season 1)
97CommunityHulu, Peacock—
98The OANetflix—
99Gilmore GirlsHulu, Prime Video—
100ScandalNetflix, Hulu—

The cost to stream everything

Cost calculator for top nyt shows
An interactive cost calculator is available here.

Jared Newman / Foundry

To figure out the total cost to watch all these shows, we first need to sum up how many are on each streaming service:

Service or bundleShowsAd-supportedAd-free
Disney+ and Hulu bundle26$13/mo$21.99/mo
HBO Max35$11/mo$18.49/mo
Netflix20$9/mo$20/mo
Paramount+11$9/mo$14/mo
Peacock8$13/mo$20/mo
Apple TV3$15/mo$15/mo
Prime Video8$9/mo$14/mo
BritBox5$11/mo (ad-free)$11/mo
AMC+2$8/mo$11/mo
Roku Channel4$0/mo$0/mo (w/ ads)
Hoopla3$0/mo (ad-free)$0/mo
Louie1$30 (ad-free)$30
Total99/100$98/mo + $30$144.49/mo + $30

Should you pay upwards of $98 per month for access to all these shows? Of course not, because there aren’t enough hours in a day to watch even a tiny fraction of what’s available. If you really wanted to work your way through the list, you’d want to space out the subscriptions based on how much viewing time you’d realistically need.

To figure that out, we’ll calculate how many hours of New York Times-approved, 21st-century TV each service has to offer, based on data from JustWatch. To factor in time spent watching commercials on ad-supported services, we’ll use August 2026 data from Ampere (via Business Insider). We’ll assume Roku Channel and Tubi have similar ad loads, since data for the former is not available:

ServiceEstimated hrs. (w/ ads)Hrs. (ad-free)
Disney+ / Hulu Duo1,5491,337
Paramount+1,3701,164
HBO Max922863
Netflix594570
Peacock144133
Apple TV7878
Prime Video6159
Roku Channel5656 (w/ ads)
AMC+2523
BritBox1818 (ad-free)
Hoopla11
Louie2222
Total4,8424,325

Given that the average American watches 2.5 hours of TV per day, here’s what it would cost to get through each service’s critically acclaimed catalog, one show at a time:

OptionAd-supported (est.)Ad-free
Disney+ / Hulu Duo$273 for 21 months$396 for 18 months
Paramount+$171 for 19 months$224 for 16 months
HBO Max$143 for 13 months$222 for 12 months
Netflix$72 for 8 months$160 for 8 months
Peacock$26 for 2 months$40 for 2 months
Apple TV$30 for 2 months$30 for 2 months
Prime Video$9 for 1 month$14 for 1 month
Roku Channel$0 for 1 month$0 for 1 month
AMC+$8 for 1 month$11 for 1 month
BritBox$11 for 1 month$11 for 1 month
Hoopla$0 for 1 month$0 for 1 month
Louie$30 for 1 month$30 for 1 month
Total$773 for 71 months$1,138 for 64 months

Note that you can combine Disney’s services with HBO Max, and Peacock with Apple TV for additional savings. I’ve counted them separately here because it’s cheaper that way if you’re just plowing through each show one at a time.

Of course, these calculations will change drastically based on how much TV you tend to watch per day:

  • At one hour per day ad-free, it’ll take 12 years and 4 months and will cost $2,654 to watch all 100 shows. With ads, it’ll take 13 years and 10 months at a cost of $1,770.
  • At four hours per day ad-free, it’ll take 3 years and 7 months and will cost $751 to watch all 100 shows. With ads, it’ll take 3 years and 11 months at a cost of cost $509.
  • Got eight hours to watch TV every day? It’ll take 2 years and 2 months and will cost $437 to watch all the shows without ads, or 2 years and 4 months at a cost of $302 with ads.

You might also want to exclude shows you don’t care about or ones you’ve watched already. Here’s a little tool for calculating the cost and time commitment based on your own habits.

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