The best shows on Paramount+

Screen OD staff

There are so many streaming services that it’s sometimes hard to keep count. From Netflix to Prime Video and Disney+ to Apple TV+ it can be overwhelming.

Well, there’s another one! But what are the best TV shows on one of the newest, Paramount+, which has arrived in the UK with a back catalogue of some really good TV from its networks that include Showtime and Comedy Central, as well as a number of original dramas and comedy made especially for the new global streaming service.

How can I watch Paramount+?

In the UK, Paramount+ is available as a standalone streaming service through your computer, laptop, tablet or phone, as well as being available as part of a bundle with Sky television.

The standalone subscription for the service costs £6.99 a month or £69.90 for a year.

How do I get Paramount+ free?

As we all know, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And therefore if you want to have all the excellent content on Paramount+ available in your home when you want it, you’ll have to pay. However, there are a couple of ways that you can get access without spending extra money monthly – at least initially.

The first way is to enjoy the 7-day free trial to the service. You won’t have time to watch all the shows on the service in a week – but it’s a good way to see if the service is for you, and it doesn’t cost you anything to try. Of course, you need to remember to cancel, or you may end up paying for a subscription without realising.

The second way to get the service is to be a subscriber to Sky Cinema. People who have access to the premium movie channels from the satellite broadcaster in the UK currently get a free subscription to Paramount+ as part of their package. So if you’re a Sky subscriber, or thinking of signing up soon, this is certainly an offer worth taking them up on.

What are the best TV shows on Paramount+?

Streaming services live and die by the quality of the content that they bring to the table on a regular basis as well as the strength and depth of their back catalogues. The good news is that Paramount as one of the oldest names in the TV and movie scene has a lot of great content at its fingertips, as well as producing some really interesting new drama and science fiction right now.

Here are some of the highlights if you decide to sign up to Paramount+…

The Offer

Based on the fascinating story of the making of The Godfather, one of the most influential and celebrated movies of all time, this excellent series is a celebration of a Golden Age in Hollywood as well as taking the viewer on a visually arresting and truly remarkable journey.

The Offer cast is a very strong one, with Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo and Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt. In our review, you will learn about the way that the movie almost didn’t get made because of many of the production issues that it faced at Paramount Pictures as well as opposition from the Italian American community and the mafia.

If you’re a fan of The Godfather and stories of cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s then this is a series that will immediately appeal to you – but furthermore, even if you just like a compelling story and a great set of performances with a good script, this is the how for you.

I Love That For You

This is a curious backdrop in many ways for a comedy – someone pretending to have cancer in order to keep their dream job in television shopping. Once you get beyond the odd concept (and learn a little more about the backdrop) you will find this to be one of the best comedies that’s around right now.

Starring Vanessa Bayer (who actually had childhood leukaemia) the show tells the story of Julia, a woman who had cancer as a child and found her window to the world by watching TV shopping channels. As an adult, she followed her dream to become a presenter on a TV shopping channel, but as soon as she gets the job she ends up losing it. Desperate to stay in the job, she pretends that her cancer is back – and she not only keeps the job but she is encouraged to play up her struggle to sell more goods. She’s stuck in a situation she can’t get out of, and a thoughtful and at times very funny comedy is born.

Halo

Halo is based on a video game series, and a very popular one at that. It is a military science fiction shooter that follows the story of the Master Chief. The Master Chief is a super-soldier who is trained to fight in a suit of armour called a Mjolnir. He is often accompanied by his fellow soldiers, known as the Spartans. They fight against an alien race known as the Covenant. The Covenant are religious zealots who believe that they are destined to achieve Halo, an ancient artefact that will give them eternal life.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth is a Paramount Plus original series that is based on the novel of the same name. The series follows the story of an alien who comes to Earth in search of water for his home planet. The alien, named Richard, takes on the identity of a human named Tom Newton. As Richard tries to find a way to get water back to his planet, he must deal with the problems that come with being an outsider on Earth. The series is a great mix of drama, mystery, and sci-fi.

Super Pumped

Super Pumped: the battle for Uber is a TV series that charts the foundations and growth of the ride sharing company from the perspective of the co-founder and one-time CEO Travis Kalanick. The show is created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien who are the people behind Showtime hit Billions and is a visually arresting drama that takes you on a high energy journey through the rapid growth of a company that would go on to enormously disrupt transport in cities across the world.

The series stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Travis Kalanick, Kyle Chandler as Bill Gurley, Kerry Bishé as Austin Geidt, Babak Tafti as Emil Michael, Jon Bass as Garrett Camp, Elisabeth Shue as Bonnie Kalanick, Bridget Gao Hollitt as Gabi Holzwarth and Uma Thurman as Arianna Huffington. The first season is also narrated by the legendary film director Quentin Tarantino.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The show is set ten years after the events of Star Trek: Discovery and follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they explore new worlds. The show has great visual effects and exciting action scenes. It also features a great cast, including Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, and Michelle Yeoh.

Cheers

If you’re looking for a feel-good show to watch on Paramount Plus, look no further than Cheers. The long-running sitcom follows the lives of the staff and regulars at a Boston bar, and is filled with witty banter, charming characters, and heartwarming moments. Whether you’re watching for the first time or revisiting the series, Cheers is sure to leave you feeling good. The show features an all-star cast, including Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Kelsey Grammer to name but a few.

Frasier

Frasier is one of the best shows on Paramount Plus. It follows the life of Frasier Crane, a successful psychiatrist who moves back to his hometown of Seattle to take care of his father after he has a stroke. The show is full of funny, relatable, and heartwarming moments. It also features an amazing cast, including Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, and David Hyde Pierce.

South Park

South Park is a satirical animated show that follows the adventures of four friends in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. The show tackles social and political issues with humour and wit and has been praised for its clever writing. South Park is also known for its outrageous humour, so it’s definitely not for everyone. But if you’re looking for a funny and thought-provoking show, South Park is definitely worth checking out. Plus there’s lots of it!

You can find out more about Paramount+ by visiting their official site.