If you don't have plans on stepping out this weekend because COVID concerns are sticking around or it's just too darn hot out there, perhaps you'll be bowing down before King James in the reboot of the Looney Tunes/NBA mashup Space Jam: A New Legacy on HBO Max (despite the lackluster reviews). But if you're looking for something else to stream, Cheddar's digital team might have a few suggestions to get you through the weekend.
Note: Spoilers possible. Proceed with caution.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Starz
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
As writer and showrunner Courtney Kemp would say, “Power never ends.” Premiering this Sunday is the second spinoff of Starz’s hit television series Power, titled Power Book III: Raising Kanan. The spinoff, a prequel to the Power series, is set in 1990s southside Jamaica, Queens and will track the origin story of rapper 50 Cent’s character, Kanan Stark. If you’re new to the Powerverse, no need to go back to the previous series to catch up but you should be prepared for a rough ride, centered around a savage family of criminals in the drug business. Starring in the series are a number of fresh faces including Mekai Curtis and Hailey Kilgore as well as some familiar ones like Omar Epps.
Gunpowder Milkshake
Netflix
Picked by Copyeditor Mike Nam
Need a cool, smooth streaming snack? Netflix's Gunpowder Milkshake offers up a stylish, vibrant action film performed by some top notch leading ladies. Marvel's Nebula, Karen Gillan, kicks off the blood-drenched, neon-noir-ish gunplay as an assassin rescuing a young girl with the help of her killer mom Lena Headey and some "librarians" played by Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino, and Michelle Yeoh.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Season 1, Episode 12
Disney+
Picked by Copyeditor Mike Nam
For more family- friendly fare, Star Wars: The Bad Batch continues with episode 12 of its inaugural season, Rescue on Ryloth, where the turncoat clone warriors crossover with a previous animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, as they aid young ace-pilot-to-be Hera Syndulla, whose parents have been arrested by the Empire.
Black Summer Season 2
Netflix
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
In most cases, you'd be excused for skipping over the latest zombie TV series. They are a dime a dozen, and it's hard to tell what's good and what's just padding out the horror sections of streaming platforms. But Black Summer, which last month released its second season on Netflix, is a notable exception. The show, helmed by action director John Hyams and producer Karl Schaefer , forgoes exposition and extended dialogue scenes in favor of a near-constant string of nail-biting set-pieces. Each episode is a lean, mean horror-thriller: no build-up or delayed gratification, just incident after incident. In a classic example of showing and not telling, the characters come to life through their actions, rather than endless, half-whispered dialogue. Come for the thrills, stay for the almost elemental portrayal of survival and struggle.
The Kominsky Method
Netflix
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
When I'm only three years behind in my streaming playlist that's not too bad, and I am grateful I've finally had time to get around to The Kominsky Method on Netflix. It's dark, it's hilarious, and it's very, very bingeable. You need Hollywood royalty like Alan Alda and Michael Douglas to pull off this kind of humor about things we, as humans, unfortunately have to deal with at times: death, addiction, medical emergencies — fun stuff like that. After getting through a crazy day, it's just the kind of entertainment I need. And luckily at this point, I have three seasons ahead of me!
It was 'game on' for sports bettors in the state of New York, as mobile betting kicked off on four major betting operating platforms Saturday. This comes at an exciting time for sports fans with some of the biggest NFL games of the season right around the corner. Cam Rogers - Host of Lock It In with Cam Rogers, Betting Analyst at the Bleav Podcast Network joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The United States purchased over 600,000 doses of a monoclonal antibody treatment from Glaxosmithkline and Vir Biotechnology, bringing the total worldwide doses purchased to 1.7 million. This comes as the country attempts to ramp up treatment options as cases of the omicron variant continue to surge. Dr. Asha Shah, Director of Infectious Diseases at Stamford Health joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Former wide receiver for the New York Giants, Victor Cruz has partnered with Krystal Restaurants, a popular burger chain in the South, to bring the franchise to his home state of New Jersey. Cruz and Alice Crowder, CMO of Krystal Restaurants, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the venture. The five new locations will be known as "Victor Cruz's Krystal," decked out with memorabilia from his football career, with the former player explaining how "hands-on" he plans on being. "You never know, OK? You might walk in and Victor Cruz will be flipping a burger back there, and you might be getting it directly from the source," he said.
Max Bichsel, vice president at Gambling.com Group joins Cheddar News to talk about the growing sports betting industry, New York legalizing mobile betting, and 2022 predictions for the sector.
Cody Roark, NFL analyst at Pro Football Network joins Cheddar News to talk about NFL playoff predictions and which teams have a shot at the Super Bowl.
Mario Stefanidis, Vice President of Research at Roundhill Investments, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down the implications of the Take-Two deal to purchase Zynga, as the gaming giant looks to become a major player in mobile gaming.
Covid cases have started to spike again across the nation, and this time they seem to be hitting some of our youngest and most vulnerable - school-aged children. School districts across the nation - including the country's largest public school system in New York City- are all grappling with what to do as teachers and students alike continue to miss school in droves.
Katie Honan, reporter for the New York City-based non profit news organization, The City explains how educational leaders across the country are handling covid demands from both teachers and parents alike.
For the first time since September, Bitcoin fell below $40,000 early Monday. The currency's average short-term price has now dipped below its average long-term price, which is known by a rather dramatic term, a death cross. According to analysts, the indicator appears to be a result of mounting concerns of faster liquidity withdrawal by the US Federal Reserve. The crypto slump also follows a week of rough trading for equities overall. CEO Snickerdoodle Labs and Co-Founder of the Stanford Future of Digital Currency Initiative, Jonathan Padilla, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Throughout this pandemic, we witnessed a mass exodus of women in particular, from the workforce. A number of women say an increase in home and child care responsibilities forced them to make a decision they never thought they would; to simply quit their jobs. Many others had the decision made for them and were laid off. In fact, we did a LinkedIn poll today where 29 percent of women said their careers took a back seat. Reporting Fellow at Type Media Center and Author of "Work Won't Love You Back" Sarah Jaffe, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
David Bowie's entire catalog of songs has officially been sold to Warner Music Group by his estate for an estimated $250 million. This means the group now has the full rights to almost all of David Bowie's recordings. But Bowie, just the latest music mega deal. Just last month, Bruce Springsteen sold his entire catalog to Sony Music Entertainment at what in fact maybe be the biggest transaction ever for a single artist's body of work. In addition, John Legend also cashed in by selling rights to his songs from 2004 to early last year. Culture Correspondent at NPR, Anastasia Tsioulcas, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
