The guide has some really really good suggestions. It comprises of a wide encompass of genre, so it definitely has something for everyone! I found some really wonderful gems in this guide and my watchlist has gotten so much longer!!

Informative if you want to cut cable! Would Recommend this an informative guide
Thanks to Net Galley for advanced copy!

When you start this book have a yellow highlighter handy. You’ll need it
Streaming – or rather “binge streaming” – is now the way I, and many of mu friends, spend their evenings. Not only movies, but made for streaming series, are all the rage. There are major services like HBO Max ($15.99/month) to Apple+ ($4.99/month) and many in between. If you have Comcast cable you get Peacock for free and if you are lucky enough to have your local library subscribe to Kanopy (30,000 free films) I’m jealous. (Philadelphia dropped that service – and Hoopla – because it cost them so much).

Anyway there are some great series out there but also some “dreck” . And, yes, liking a series is subjective. I like Nordic mysteries but some don’t like subtitles. And I’m not a fan of sci-fi and fantasy.

So where to look? This 420-page paperback is a great start. Author Aaron Barnhart has compiled over 1,000 “recommended shows” and while you may not share Barnhart’s taste, it’s a great start.

I opened the book and read the introduction which describes the services. The prices are already out of date because of changing prices but they are in proportion to one another. The first 300+ pages are in Alphabetical order. Then there are curated lists as well as “if you liked this….” Recommendations. And a full index in the back. Once I got past the intro I pulled out a yellow highlighter and marked the shows or films that I had not seen already and sounded interesting. I’m STILL going through the book. From that point on I’ll sort them by content provider and then chose a provider for a month, subscribe and watch and then move to a different provider for the next month.

Obviously as shows are added the book will lose some of its value but think of it as a magazine or newspaper that you read to get the NEWS.

I’m glad Barnhart compiled this in “analog” form. It’s hard to “highlight” similar lists online

Steve Ramm
“Anything Phonographic”

I confess that I am fascinated by, and a bit addicted to, streaming TV. I have every popular service as well as a few obscure ones like Britbox and Wondrium. However, I still find myself frequently at a loss to find a great show to watch. I hate to complain but finding the right show can be downright intimidating. The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV can help.

The Guide begins with a comprehensive and cogent description of how to cut the cable/satellite cord. Each streaming channel’s target market and price is described. Cord cutting can save a significant amount of money over the course of a year.

Part II contains descriptions of over a thousand recommended films and series. In the back of the book, the shows are listed by channel so if you just have Hulu, you can find something that way without channel envy.

However, the best part of Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV is saved for the end of the book. Curated lists by topic and genre are the perfect way to find shows similar to what you have already enjoyed.

Just as with the old Leonard Maltin movie guides, there is an inherent issue with publishing a book with a topic as changeable as streaming channel’s movie lists. Hopefully, this book will update annually or bi-annually to keep its content current. For now, grab the excellent Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV to up your streaming game. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Quindaro Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I honestly was ready to be heavily disappointed by this book but luckily there was some interesting information in this book. The book starts off by telling you a little history about television and how streaming has affected the television world. The book then goes on to list almost any show you can think of with a little blurb about it and then what streaming platforms it can be found on. Unfortunately, the main downfall of this book is that it can quickly become out of date with shows leaving certain platforms randomly. I do think people who prefer a physical copy to leaf through, reminiscent of the old tv guides, will want to pick up this book.


I received this book for free in exchange from Netgalley for a honest review.

This is a great book that reminds me of those video guides they used to release every year about what movies to watch. This one is based on streaming services and lists thousands of shows and where to watch them. It also goes into the costs and merits of each service. The book assumes you're going to subscribe to a boat load of channels and we don't, but I still found a lot of shows to look up.

This book was very fun to read. It reminds me of the old Entertainment Weekly issue that used to come out every fall. But now that new shows are out almost daily, this type of book is necessary! Great read but was bummed that some really great shows were left out (e.g. Dexter). Highly recommend.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I don't know that this book needed to be printed as all of this information is on the internet and easy to access.

Some tantalising streaming telly, and where to find it… Let Barnhart and his companions be your guide to a shed load of streaming channel favourites with reviews straight from their hearts.

When I was a kid in Scotland and running the risk of sounding like a real oldie – rather than in my prime – our telly watching choices seemed supereasy to make when compared to today. Back then my gran complained that we’d get square eyes with our telly habits. This was despite telly as we knew it, consisting of three channels and therefore three choices, as we didn’t have a video player.

My parents had three daughters of different ages, personalities and varying tastes in telly. And the only time, we three girls possibly probably agreed on which channel was to watch was weekly and this was when certain Primetime soaps such as Dallas (1978-91), Dynasty (1981-89) and their spin-offs were shown. We often agreed to disagree on what to watch on our TV, especially at Christmas.

Then in Britain in 1982, a new free sparkly terrestrial channel – nattily named Channel 4 – began airing. Later still, the offers of even more TV to watch came with those satellite or cable TV channels and on-demand services. In the present day, finding something good to watch on the telly is even more of a minefield.

Nowadays, there is a seemingly never-ending variety of streaming channels and on-demand TV with an oversaturation of TV and film choices. Kids and adults have a never-ending list of questions before they reach for the remote control. These questions include… what streaming channel is it on? What shows / films (etc) are on offer? And where can I find a series about…?

Luckily, Aaron Barnhart and his companions have skillfully answered all those questions in The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV (2022). In his book of just over 400 pages, Barnhart and his companions easily meet every streaming newbie or seasoned TV streamer’s need and desire in this essential, must-have guide.

Barnhart has compiled a guide and directory of at least 1000 entries of this television based content and added so much much more. He tells us about the essentials of streaming and many streaming companies. This is along with reviews, guides, lists and recommendations to over 1000 entries of this television content… and as the cliche says there is something for everyone.

The book starts with a foreword from one time TV Guide compiler, Tim Brooks. Barnhart then adds his editor’s note and personal acknowledgements pages. The book is then divided into three unique sections. Part one tells about the history of streaming TV, how to “cut the cord” from cable TV and ways you replace cable television with streaming services. Here Barnhart adds an extensive reference guide to many of these streaming services.

Part two provides individual entries in an intensive compilation of over 1000 shows, series and more. Usefully it also informs you which streaming services are streaming this content. Part three completes the book with curated lists of recommended series and shares lists with favoured original shows from each service. This is followed by a lengthy index where you can reference individual content by using entertainers’ names.

The foreword – from Tim Brooks, a former compiler for those TV Guide books and television executive – stresses that this book has an American slant. But don’t let that deter you as many of these streaming services and their content are not exclusive to this country. Brooks endorses this book’s content stating; that this book comes with serendipitous timing as,

“it seems like we have – what?- more TV than stars in the sky or grains of and on the beach”.

Brooks adds this “flood of programming” is now a “tsunami” since the inception of streaming services. As a film and TV blogger, I agree with his appraisals of this medium. I often have difficulties in knowing where I can find good content to review in line with my then wishes. Brooks endorses Barnhart as the perfect man to compile this book, as he explains that Barnhart has been a writer on all things television for over three decades.

Barnhart in his editor’s notes and Acknowledgements pages gives thanks to his many collaborators – from a wide variety of sources – for the book’s content. He prefers to use the title “curators” to describe these individuals rather than “critics”. His reasons for this are that – due to the never-ending content provided by those streaming services – his collaborators’ tasks were,

…imposing order on chaos, hand-selecting things to watch on what was worthwhile and appropriate for various tastes and time constraints.

This definition beautifully answers the dilemma that many a reviewer of this medium has when faced with this tidal wave of content. Barnhart adds his thanks to the Primetimer contributors who added their views and these curators include those television viewers who shared their thoughts on the Primetimer forum.

Part one of this book outlines the history of those streaming services from the 1990s and the early days of YouTube to the present day. This history outlines how streaming services evolved from then a rental DVD company to providing paid and subscribed on-demand content. The demand for streaming services peaked during the pandemic lockdowns. It is now a global phenomenon with over 200 million subscribers for Netflix alone.

Barnhart provides a handy reference guide to many of those streaming channels – such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Britbox and Peacock – and tells more about these services individually in short summaries. Barnhart adds more information on these companies providing information about their websites, pricing, content and he lists many of some of their more prolific original series. This section also provides information about the hardware you’ll need to make the switch to streaming from cable.

This section gave me some interesting insights into a whole spectrum of streaming channels and provided noteworthy series from each. As I now live in Finland, I was happy to see the inclusion of streaming channels available here such as Netflix, Apple TV and Disney plus. On a side note, I was also delighted not to have the added quandary of these other additional streaming channels which are available elsewhere. This was a complete contrast to my childhood self in Scotland who always envied the Americans and their cable TV for their television schedules and choices.

Part two adds an essential and extensive A to Z compilation to a wide range of those programmes and content. Each individual entry outlines the show in bite-sized chunk reviews describing the plot content, the years this production originally aired, and where to find it in those streaming channels. There is a useful key that explains the terms and abbreviations used in this section.

There is a wide range of genres, new and older shows and with those all-important plot summaries and cast lists. As a subscriber to just three streaming services – Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus – I was happy to add a few new shows to add to my to watch, review and even my to avoid list. Now, I know which streaming channel to find them on and as an entertainer blogger I would easily suggest this as a must have book for every reviewer.

Many of these entries indicate if the content won awards and this information appears to be gleaned from a variety of critic’s institutions. This was a helpful addition in the quest to select some of those (apparently) better series from this “tidal wave of programming”. There are also useful summaries of the programme indicated in bold if you want a quick read before selecting your watch. The programme also adds if it is a streaming original or a network series and comments with quotes from the viewers’ forum, giving their thoughts.

The third and final part of this valuable book ends with useful lists – to cater for every want and whim – where the best content of these channels is listed. This section then concludes with essential recommendations for your next watch in each of the more prolific streaming services. These lists list content in alphabetical order and include those for “Very British Drama”, “Political and Social Dramas” and many more and cover a wide range of genres in subcategories.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for the more discerning – or confused – viewer who like me and spends far too much time changing from one series to the next one, even during the first episode. I often discover my initial enthusiasm wanes after series two begins after a perfectly plotted, executed then concluded series 1 ends. And in this vein, this guide separates the corn from the chaff with its always honest reviews.

This compiled guide really is a book for all seasons (and shows) and is aptly subtitled as The Painless Way to Find Your Next Great Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Other Popular Streamers. It’s a book that I’d hope is updated regularly with a yearly addition, due to the now seemingly never-ending choices.

I’d suggest it to anyone with any amount of streaming services from one to much more. This book is an exemplary reference tool for all the family, where the creme de la creme of TV can be found in those useful alphabetical reviews, compilations and lists. Now, where did I put my remote control… ? I feel a telly binge coming on…

My thanks to both NetGalley and the group Primetimer for an advanced copy of their book on the world of streaming.

I am old enough to remember antennas on televisions and on the house for watching all six channels of television. I remember getting a slightly illegal cable box that had 50 channels, than 62 and going wow. Add on a VCR allowing me to tape shows while watching another, or not even being home, then DVR's. And now I am old enough so that I can buy a smart antenna for my smart television so I don't have to get cable. What a wonderful time to be alive, but a confusing time with this new technology, and after that what will you watch? And where?

Aaron Barnhart in his book The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV: The Painless Way to Find Your Next Great Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Other Popular Streamers has done most of the work, and I guess watched, or had his people watch almost everything out there, so you don't have to. The book begins with a history of broadcast television, the transition to first cable, then into streaming services. There is a section on how to cut the cord from cable, figure what you like and need, and how to go about it, highlighting both the technology, and the specific services. The rest of this is a guide of what to watch, listed alphabetically and where to find them. These include, movies, broadcast, streaming exclusives, foreign services and rarities.

The guide is written well and is very helpful and packed with information. I enjoyed the history of streaming almost as much as I did finding shows I didn't know I had access to. The cord cutting section is explained well with a listing of equipment needed, and sites for more information. The show information is alphabetical, listing the streaming service the show is on, the cast, years and episodes, a quick line or two to test a reader's interest, followed by a more comprehensive listing with behind the scenes, production or interesting tales about the show with viewer comments to fill it out.

Sure a lot of this information is online, but you have to go site to site to find it, and it is nice to have all this information in one place. Call it old school, but it works. Heck, we are putting antennas back on televisions and calling it progress. So don't diss a book of show descriptions. Recommended for parents, dating couples and everyone who has or shares a streaming service and yet like to ask people, so what are you watching. A highly enjoyable, and useful book, that I will be happy to gift to a lot of people.

I was interested in reading this book because we're considering 'cutting the cord' should decent, reliable internet ever come to our rural neighborhood. There's an overwhelming amount of info about various streaming services out there and this book broke the info into understandable chunks.
This book is well organized, lists costs (at the time of publication) and what types of shows that you may find.
The author even gives a brief history of how streaming services came into existence.
I received an Advance Review Copy from netgalley. All opinions are mine.

If you have yet to ditch your cable bill, this book is for you!! A true step-by-step guide to getting the most bang for your buck without the excessive fees of cable. I've been streaming for a few years so a lot of this wasn't new to me. That said, I did learn about some free television apps that offer programs and movies which I wasn't aware of. Also, I wasn't aware that some apps incorporate multiple networks which I'd been paying for separately (check out Philo!!). Always good to learn and this is a quick, well organized planner for all questions about streaming television, the hardware used for it, and all the benefits it can bring while saving you money.

Title: The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV: The Painless Way to Find Your Next Great Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Other Popular Streamers
Series: N/A
Author: Aaron Barnhart
Genre: Non-fiction, Technology
Publisher: Primetimer
Release Date: May 22, 2022 (Amazon has May 3, 2022)
Format: Kindle (read), Paperback
Pages: Unknown
Source: NetGalley
Cover: The cover on NetGalley does not match the cover on Amazon. The cover shown on this page is from Amazon, my preference between the two. Colorful, Busy. But very eye-catching.
Description: Streaming on our TVs is great except — the scrolling. ARGH! The endless strolling. This guidebook is meant to greatly reduce your scrolling by providing information on “TV series, limited series, original movies, specials and docuseries—all recommended by Primetimer staff and contributors for streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+, Showtime, Apple TV+, Epix, BritBox, AMC+ and other popular platforms” of critic-and-fan-recommended shows PLUS some money-saving tips.

Review:
To Scroll or Not To Scroll? That isn’t even a question when it comes to streaming on our TVs. You are scrolling.

Personally, I scroll a lot because I like many different TV & movie genres and dislike just as many if not more. I can spend an hour easily scrolling through all my options to add selections to my “Watchlist”. Anything that will aid in reducing that time is worth me checking out.

The first section, “Part I — The Cord Has Been Cut”, covers the move from cable to streaming. And a fascinating section it is. The author provides what started when, who bought out what as well. What each did to contribute to what we have today. I know it sounds sorta dull; it isn’t.

If you have not moved to stream shows on your TV, Barnhart provides a numbered To-Do List of how to determine what streaming services and hardware you will need based on what YOU watch. It’s the kind of thing I wish I had done when I started streaming about five years ago. I’ll be re-reading this section as there is much I haven’t picked up by just “using” stream tv in the last half-decade. Oh, there is info on how to save money too.

For me, the “meat” of the book was Part I.

“Part II – 1,000+ Shows, Movies and Specials Recommend by Primetimer” was more difficult for me to view because I’m reviewing an electronic ARC (Advanced Reader Copy). In the completed copy, it will be very valuable because it instead of you scrolling, then clicking to see the synopsis, etc., that information has been collected for you.

I looked up a show that I hadn’t bothered to scroll/click my way into the details — “The Beast Must Die” and found the following:

The age info: TV-14
The dates it was on: 2021-Present
The ‘channels’ where it is available: AMC+, BritBox, 5 episodes
What kind of show/series & the cast: Anthology series (thriller) with …. cast listed
Synopsis with some key info. It’s not just a copy of what you’d see on your TV: “Better-than-average British prestige detective series …” … “An adaptation of the 1938 novel by Cecil Day-Lewis” “At just 5 episodes, this series doesn’t flag at all.”
More unexpected into: “Unrelated to the 1974 horror whodunit of the same title.”
Before I read the above, I wasn’t all that interested — obviously, since I’d never delved any deeper than the “cover picture” and the title. Now I am. Not every show has as much information, especially in the last two bullets.

Next, I picked a show that I really like.”Midsomer Murders” (20 seasons) and it is not listed. Other shows off the air are in the book such as “Mary Tyler Moore” and “Seinfeld” and those went off the air long before Midsomer which is still shown on IMDBtv.

The author in “viii” which appears after the Foreward states “This isn’t my book. At least, it’s not entirely my book. The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV would not have happened without the contributions of many others… Behind this book is a large database of television shows and movies that managing editor Mark Blankenship, Brianna Westervelt, Jed Rosenzweig and I built from scratch. … I am indebted to these Primetimer editors and contributors whose analysis and reviews were the basis for many of the entries in Part II.“

SOoooo — Humans picked the shows. They just didn’t happen to pick some of the ones I watch and have watched.

Rating: 4 stars. Part I, unless you have loads and loads of streaming knowledge, is extremely useful. Part II is handy but only if the show you are searching for *is* in the book. In doing this review I looked up 10 different shows and only 2 of them were listed. But, I’m in the “senior citizen” category of TV watchers so not finding some was not surprising even though they are current and I am watching them via stream TV. I’m still scratching my head over the missing “Midsomer Murders”.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of The Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV via NetGalley from the publisher, Primetimer. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

#ThePrimetimerGuideToStreamingTV #NetGalley

Just what I needed! After two years of the pandemic, I was convinced that I had explored everything there was on television. Along comes this book, and I now have enough ideas to keep me busy for two more!
Not only what shows to watch, but great information on different streaming platforms, and on how to "cut the cord" on cable. And with cable tv now costing around $200 a month, I can really use this information.
Super easy read, super easy to understand, very informative.
A great resource!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

This book was a boon to my TV-obsessed self. I got some pretty great recommendations from this book. Each and every TV show and movie were beautifully categorized with details about everything from the number of seasons and episodes to the awards won and the ratings.

This book is a great tool for understanding the changes in the television/entertainment industry and for considering if you're about to cut the cord OR you've already cut the cord and you're figuring out how to maximize your viewing while minimizing the dollars spent. Additional great info includes a where to find section that outlines so many series/movies/etc and which service is carrying them as of now.

This book is essentially a version of my beloved Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, but for the streaming era. Since the previous tome hasn't been updated since 2009 (!), The Primetimer Guide is my new go to resource.

Thank you for this free eARC,
I really found it interesting and it was easy to note whis shows or movies I could watch on which platform

I was looking forward to read this book because my expectations was that it will be decriptive,informative without making it look like a phonebook. Unfortunately it did, hence I got bored really quickly scrolling to find the TV shows that I want to watch.

This is super helpful! The guide gives a lot of useful information about streaming services, as well as where to find specific shows. This is great to find not only shows on cable, but original streaming app shows! I've already taken note of so many recommendations given in this book that sound interesting.