This image released by Amazon shows Riley Keough in a scene from "Daisy Jones & The Six." (Lacey Terrell/Amazon via AP)
This weekend, sit down with Cheddar recommendations for found family feels, fake band drama, small town laughs, and a travelogue about the jewel of the Pacific Northwest.
Rain Dogs - HBO Max
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
It wasn't on my radar, but this dramedy from the UK caught my eye on the HBO Max home page. It's about a single mum and her daughter navigating life after being evicted from their flat. Add in her gay best friend with anger management issues who stands in as the daughter's father figure, and the series seems to be winning the hearts of reviewers who call it a warm and darkly funny story about a found family. The first episode released this week, and I'm looking forward to giving this one a good look.
The trailer is NSFW for language:
Daisy Jones & The Six - Amazon Prime Video
Picked by Growth Associate Keara O’Driscoll
Riley Keough stars as Daisy Jones in this highly-anticipated book-turned-movie that just hit Amazon Prime Video last week. The three-episode miniseries follows a Fleetwood Mac-type of band giving their first (fictional) interview since their final performance, recalling what led to the band's hostile breakup. If you gave the book a try but found it hard to follow due to its writing style, I’d suggest watching it for a better take. It's a Hello Sunshine production (Reese Witherspoon's production company), so if you liked Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere you will for sure enjoy this one.
Welcome to Flatch - Hulu
Picked by Senior News Editor Dina Ross
Welcome to Flatch Season 2 is currently available on Hulu. Not Season 1 ... just Season 2 of the sitcom, but tbh, it's fine to jump in there. Barb Flatch (Jaime Pressly) returns to her namesake town, a sleepy suburb that is a far cry from her beloved Pompano Beach, and is ready to zhuzh things up. The wacky residents of Flatch welcome the platinum blonde, pink-clad babe with laugh-out-loud funny lines. I can't wait to figure out where to watch Season 1.
CityBeautiful - YouTube
Picked by Newsletter Writer Graison Dangor
I recently visited Vancouver for the first time, and apart from the ridiculous beauty of the surrounding ocean and mountains, the city felt pleasant in a way that I couldn't put my finger on. So I was excited when my wife came across City Beautiful, the YouTube account run by urban planning professor Dave Amos. His explainer on how Vancouver was planned to be so relaxed and walkable was endearingly nerdy but also not too in the weeds for someone who, like me, has no urban planning knowledge. He's got dozens of other videos I'm looking forward to. First up: "Should cities expand into the sea?"
For more What to Stream picks, check out our recent suggestions:
The Chinese government brought the sitcom "Friends" back to its streaming services. However, it had instances of LGBTQ+ references left out, after the series had been banned on Chinese streaming platforms for years.
Season 13 "Shark Tank" contestant Tania Speaks secured a $400,000 deal for her Speaks Organic Skincare brand with "Shark" Mark Cuban while also being named one of the best pitches in the history of the show — all at 19 years old. Now 20, Speaks joined Cheddar News to talk about the skincare line, the clean beauty industry, and the moment that host Cuban was moved by her pitch. "I couldn't believe that he got emotional. I'm surprised I held back my tears that long," the young entrepreneur revealed. "It's just amazing for someone else to be inspired by your story, especially Mark Cuban himself."
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
For black history month, Cheddar is highlighting black business leaders who are driving the need for representation forward. On February 10, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted an event called 'Developing the Black-Owned Business Ecosystem.' The virtual event was organized under the lobbying group's two initiatives -- the Equality of Opportunity Initiative, and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The event highlighted the developments needed to develop more black-owned businesses in the U.S. Dr. Anthony Wilbon, Dean of the School of Business at Howard University, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss his experience as a speaker at the event.
While Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans, it's also a time to reflect on how they can be better heard and supported.
Black Americans are still fighting for voting rights, facing more severe impacts from COVID-19, and experiencing gaps in workforce representation and pay. Alexandra Schrecengost, hybrid work expert and CEO of "Virtual With Us" and "Culture With Us,' joined Cheddar News to discuss.
