Instant Picks of the Week 1/8/2016
Gone are the days of scrolling mindlessly through your queue! No longer will you have to sift through the vastness of what’s coming to the instant viewing wastelands this month! Whether you’re looking for a stellar film or an exciting new show to binge, Instant Picks of the Week brings you the hottest releases in film and television on instant viewing platforms that we know you’ll love, or at the very least not despise.
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA Season 10 (Netflix)
A dumbfounding beer drinking contest, an appearance on FAMILY FEUD, and a fantastic tribute to BIRDMAN, this season of IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY proves the gang is further off the deep end than ever before. For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to catch this season when it aired, it’s finally available to binge in all of its glory. What makes this season particularly remarkable is how desperately Dennis clings to some semblance of normalcy as the rest of the gang fully capitulates to lunacy. In a lot of ways, this is one of the darkest seasons of the show, but long-term fans also know that means it’s one of the funniest. Catch up or refresh your memory in preparation for season 11 as it begins. [Carter Moon]
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (Netflix)
“A reality TV show where everyone is really nice and supportive of each other” doesn’t sound like a pitch to get the money on the table, but THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW is the palate cleanser American television has been waiting for. I can say without reservation that this is the most pleasant gosh darn show on television. Gone are the overwrought traumatic backstories and “villains” created through selective editing. Instead, contestants sip tea while they wait for their creations to finish proofing, we periodically cut away to little wild lambs and horses roaming the countryside, and each person crowned “Star Baker” at the end of the week gets to wear a little silver Sheriff badge the following week. Still, the show is far from boring with the scientific precision required to bake some of the more complicated dishes. It’s interesting because of the skillful bakers themselves, not because of any manufactured drama. It’s a far cry from the frantic CHOPPED and downright evil CUTTHROAT KITCHEN, but a surprisingly refreshing departure nonetheless. [Kate Brogden]
