Nauseating people often claim that it’s not the food that makes a great meal but rather the company that you share it with. And if It’s on Me is any indication, they’re probably right.

Featuring “Chef Boyar-Key” (director/producer Kire Paputts) and his thoroughly intriguing musical sidekick, Larabee, the series sees the pair raid their local dollar store—Dollar Tree Canada, in a great piece of mutually beneficial arts patronage—to try and create favorites like shepherd’s pie and fish tacos.

As you can probably imagine, meat is the major issue. It seems unlikely that even the “Delicious 4-in-1 Pasta & Pizza Seasoning Mix” is ever going to disguise the taste of the off-brand Spam. Nor will the canned peas negate the dire consequences of basing a meal around a foodstuff that is, as we speak, killing an entire country.

But just like those smug folk claim, it really isn’t about the food. It’s about Larabee—an ageless, feathered-haired busker who still, one day, hopes to be a star. 

It’s not the first time that Paputts has used Larabee in one of his productions. He’s a guest on another series that he has going, Chillin’ With Dylan where the host Dylan Harman—who has Down syndrome—manages to find out a little bit of his backstory. As you might guess, it’s not all rosy, but with a Yuletide special of It’s on Me apparently imminent, at least he’s got Christmas dinner sorted.

Screengrab via Made By Other People/Vimeo

In 2015, Tig Notaro has seen both a Netflixdocumentary and an HBO special. In July, it was announced the comedian would be expanding her streaming reach with an Amazon show, and the pilot just got the green light to series. 

Amazon Studios announced yesterday that One Mississippi, a semi-autobiographical series about Notaro returning to Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, after her mother's death, got a series order. The series is co-executive produced by Notaro, Louis C.K., and Diablo Cody, and will star Hotwives of Orlando's Casey Wilson and Transparent's Noah Harpster. 

Amazon also renewed The Man in the High Castle, Hand of God, Tumble Leaf, and Red Oaks for second seasons, and gave the green light to half-hour series Highston (directed by Little Miss Sunshine's Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton) and Z: The Beginning of Everything (starring Christina Ricci) and hour series Good Girls Revolt and Patriot, as well as three new kids' shows. 

Amazon original series Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle were just nominated for Golden Globes. 

Screengrab via Amazon 

With Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu competing for viewers’ time and attention, there’s a good chance Crackle isn’t even on most people’s radar. The Sony-owned streaming service has been around for years, but while it’s gotten some press courtesy of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee webseries, it definitely has yet to find its equivalent of House of Cards or Transparent—an original series that could make Crackle a household name.

Still, Crackle might be worth adding to your rotation, because it’s currently the exclusive streaming home for several classic shows that aren’t available on the “big three.” Here are eight shows that prove why Crackle is more than just that guy with the funny hat who hangs out with Snap and Pop.

1) The Larry Sanders Show

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who was mid-way through binge-watching The Larry Sanders Show when Amazon yanked it from the Prime streaming catalog a while back, and it still hasn’t returned. All six seasons of Larry Sanders available on Crackle is a compelling enough reason enough to check out the service. The Emmy and Peabody Award–winning series stars Garry Shandling as Sanders, a self-absorbed late-night talk show host who doesn’t like people but does like attention. Arrested Development’s Jeffrey Tambor is Hank Kingsley, Larry’s insecure sidekick, and Rip Torn is his unshakable producer Artie. The “show within a show” format opens the door for constant celebrity cameos by folks like Billy Crystal, David Duchovny, and Bobcat Goldthwait, and the supporting cast boasts the likes of Janeane Garofalo, Jeremy Piven, and Bob Odenkirk. If you dig shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Louie, and Arrested Development, the groundbreaking Larry Sanders helped pave the way for them all.

2) NewsRadio

In a perfect world, either Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu would have thrown down some of that subscription money to ensure all five seasons of the underrated NBC sitcom NewsRadio were streaming in perpetuity. As it stands, we’ll just have to make do with the first two seasons available on Crackle (or just go invest in the DVDs). Created by Paul Simms—who previously wrote for The Larry Sanders Show—NewsRadio featured one of the best ensemble casts in sitcom history, including Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Maura Tierney, Vicki Lewis, Khandi Alexander, Joe Rogan, and the late, much-missed Phil Hartman as blowhard news anchor Bill McNeal. Even Andy Dick manages to be charming and non-punch-worthy, and that’s saying something. The show holds up beautifully—far better than, say, Friends—so it’s criminal that it’s not more widely available. If you can make it through the stun gun episode without crying from laughter, you may already be dead.

3) Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

If you’ve heard of Crackle at all prior to this point, it’s probably because of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Created and hosted by Jerry Seinfeld, Comedians features the star… well, in a car… getting coffee… with comedians. Over six seasons, Jerry has shared a cuppa joe with folks ranging from his Seinfeld collaborator Larry David to Mel Brooks, from David Letterman to Sarah Silverman to Louis C.K. and Jon Stewart. Episodes range between 12 and 20 minutes, each featuring a different vintage car as Seinfeld scoops up his guest and heads to a coffee shop or restaurant for coffee. But as with most things, it’s less about the destination as it is the journey—or rather, the often silly, sometimes profound conversations that unfold along the way. All six seasons of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee are streaming on Crackle, and the show’s already been renewed through season 9.

4) Powers

This series debuted on Sony’s PlayStation Network, where it was ostensibly hosted exclusively. Thankfully for those whose curiosity about the show was thwarted by the lack of a PlayStation, Powers’ debut season is available on Crackle in full. Based on the acclaimed comic series created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, Powers is a police procedural drama set in a world where superpowers are real and cops are tasked with taking down people who can throw cars through buildings. Los Angeles Detective Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley) used to be one of those spandex-wearing, car-flinging types, under the alias of “Diamond,” before his powers were stripped away by his nemesis, the psychotic Wolfe (Eddie Izzard). Now saddled with a new partner (Susan Heyward), Walker must deal with the renewed threat of Wolfe, his own inner demons, and an ever-swelling docket full of bizarre cases pulled straight out of the funny pages. Powers will return for a second season on the PlayStation Network—and, presumably, Crackle.

5) The Tick

If you prefer your superhero deconstruction to be a bit sillier, look no further than this one-season Fox adaptation of Ben Edlund’s beloved big blue bug of justice. Patrick Warburton stars as The Tick—no alter ego, simply The Tick—a loud, well-meaning, super-powered doofus in an insect costume who is committed to defeating evil in all its forms. The Tick is perpetually making life difficult for his long-suffering sidekick Arthur (David Burke), and he spends his down time hanging with fellow super-people Batmanuel (Nestor Carbonell) and Captain Liberty (Liz Vassey). In between punching murderous Cold War-era robots and trying to land membership in the prestigious League of Superheroes, The Tick navigates the American judicial system, utterly fails to understand Arthur’s need for personal space, and struggles with notions of mortality (literally—the notion of death doesn’t fit within his simplistic worldview at all). The scripts are whip-smart, the cast is cracking good, and The Tick holds up marvelously as a show that was about a decade ahead of its time.

6) Dilbert

It’s been a while since I worked in an office, so I have no idea if Dilbert is still as omnipresent as it once was. But there was a time when cubicle-dwellers passed Scott Adams’ strip around like revolutionary propaganda, plastering it across every break-room bulletin board and PowerPoint presentation in the land. So, naturally, somebody turned it into an animated TV series. With a cast of familiar voices including That Guy From The Wonder Years, That Guy from Cabin Boy, and That Lady From Suddenly Susan, Dilbert ran for two seasons on the UPN and won a Primetime Emmy before it was downsized by the network. TV vet Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the aforementioned Tick, to name a few credits) served as an executive producer on the ’toon, and it’s a very faithful adaptation of the comic strip, from the art style down to the bleak humor. The show has fallen somewhat into obscurity in the intervening years, but it’s definitely worth watching if you grok Adams’ sense of humor.

7) All in the Family

Crackle has several classic older sitcoms available, but the most exciting of the lot is All in the Family. Developed by TV legend Norman Lear, based on a British series called Till Death Us Do Part, All in the Family followed the lives of the Bunker family for nine seasons between 1971 and 1978. Actors Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton won a shelf-full of Emmys for their portrayals of Archie Bunker, a bigoted, blue-collar WWII vet with a loud mouth and a short temper, and his innocent, sweet-natured wife, Edith. The show had a huge cultural impact thanks to its courage in addressing things most ad-hungry shows wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole, from Archie’s racism to homosexuality, the women’s lib movement, religion, rape, abortion, and the war in Vietnam. Unfortunately, Crackle only has the first two seasons of the show available at the moment, but hopefully more will cycle in in the near future.

8) The Real Ghostbusters

With the Ghostbusters franchise about to stage a big-screen resurrection next year, now’s the perfect time to revisit the original. But as a child of the ’80s, the Real Ghostbusters animated series was as much a part of my formative Ghostbusters experience as the movie itself, so it was a wonderful surprise to find it included in Crackle’s collection. Running from 1986 to 1991, The Real Ghostbusters followed the continuing adventures of Venkman, Egon, Ray, and Winston as they attempt to keep the Big Apple free of bothersome spirits. While none of the movie cast voices his animated incarnation, voice actors Lorenzo Music, Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, and Arsenio Hall all do their big-screen brethren proud. The writing staff included a young J. Michael Straczynski, who would go on to give us such shows as Babylon 5 and Sense8, and the episodes were surprisingly dark, funny, and frightening for Saturday-morning TV. Crackle only has the first two seasons, but those include the show’s best episodes, before a more kid-friendly revamp changed the title to Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters beginning with season 3.

Many comedians explore peculiar relationships with their parents on stage. If they end up landing a television show, there will undoubtedly be an episode about parents. Bill Burr’s new F Is for Family, an animated Netflix original series, might be the furthest we’ve seen a comedian go to make sense of a father who tormented them in their childhood.

The series feels like it’s fueled at least 90 percent by Burr’s attempts to understand something that once made him tear up on stage. For those unfamiliar with Burr's standup, that's not something he usually does. Ever. 

During a 2003 performance at a comedy festival in Aspen, he asked the audience why, when he finally introduced a girlfriend to his father (at the age of 30), did he suddenly turn into the nice, normal human being that Burr had wanted him to be his entire life?

Right from the loading screen, before the very first episode, we get a vague but accurate idea of the character representing Burr’s father. 

“I don’t need a $25 Bible to teach me about God—I almost bled out in Korea! All right! I have met God!” After screaming about the nature of phones, Frank Murphy—Burr’s surrogate for his father—storms away from the dinner table to instead throw some punches at a punching bag in his garage. The garage door is, unfortunately, open. A child on a bike stops to ask if "Billy" can come out to play. Frank responds in perfect harmony with his current mood: 

“GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!!”

Cue the intro, which also doubles as an explainer for how Frank is such a tense individual, or “a complete psychopath,” as Burr describes him in Aspen video. We see a young man graduating from college and launching into the sky—he's free as a bird, and all that jazz. But then that young man is hit in the face by a draft notice from the Army. And then a baby bottle. And then a wedding cake (the order of those seems important). Then glasses land on his face, a beer belly and bald spot appear, and he flies through an utter shitstorm of bills, TVs, lawnmowers, kids’ bikes, picture frames, and his work badge for the fictional Mohican Airways. 

Oh. Now Frank makes a bit more sense.

The audience (and Burr) are ready to be in Frank Murphy’s world and feel his anger, but comedy writing for the stage and for television are very different beasts. Luckily, Burr has Michael Price, who’s served as co-executive producer on The Simpsons since 2003, as co-creator/co-writer of F Is for Family. The raw, crazy, comedy-stage material flows out of Burr’s brain, and Price keeps a check on whether they’ve remembered to write a plot to capture all of it.

Coming in at only six episodes (and about 24 minutes a pop), perhaps this is a test run for Netflix, which recently vowed to double its original television content in 2016. Here’s hoping that F Is for Family gets a second (and much, much longer) season. There’s a good reason that Laura Dern and Sam Rockwell are both regulars on the series: They know great material when they see it. Justin Long is also a series regular, and while his involvement with a project isn't as indicative of its quality as the other two, it’s nonetheless good news for Justin Long fans.

The short season is reminiscent of shows that were given small chances, didn’t squander them, and became truly special programs when bigger chances were offered. (I’m thinking solely of the first season of Parks and Recreation at the moment.) Give the series a shot. It hides its cleverness well, but it’s all over the show—just remember to look for it. 

Screengrab via Netflix

Poehler's Clinton impression was resurrected for a Christmas parody where 2015-era Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) is visited by her past self and Sarah Palin.

It's great to see Poehler's vintage Hillary beside McKinnon's more manic version, one of the standout impressions this season. And of course, who could pass up a chance to bring back Tina Fey's iconic Sarah Palin? She's still practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

Screengrab via Saturday Night Live/YouTube

Hamilton, the hip-hop musical phenomenon that's taken Broadway by storm, got a chance to do more than symbolize its modern politics earlier this month. If you've been having trouble convincing friends that the show is drawing parallels between historical revolutions and equality movements happening now like Black Lives Matter, this is a performance you won't want to miss.

Each year, the theatre nonprofit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA) puts on a two-day competition called Gypsy of the Year. The event allows the casts of current musicals on the Great White Way to show off their skills performing in a context outside of their show. The Hamilton cast went way, way off book with a performance of the musical's popular number "Wait For It," remixed by Kurt Crowley and choreographed by Stephanie Klemons. 

Klemons took the show's modern-day political symbolism and made it literal, beginning with posing the cast in images of struggle and resistance, including the now-famous "Hands up don't shoot" pose popularized after the shooting of Michael Brown last year in Ferguson, Missouri. The result is a haunting a cappella performance, which the Hamilton cast dedicated "To all we have lost." 

In the show, "Wait For It" is a significant number because it ironically represents historical figure Aaron Burr as a symbol of respectability politics—an ideology of working within an unjust social system rather than rebelling, or refusing to wait for it. In this modern context, the new choreography underscores the hopelessness of marginalized voices who have been waiting far too long for equality.

Naturally, they walked away with the award for best onstage presentation.  

According to BCEFA, the nonprofit provides "annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states," and also serves as "the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic." 

BCEFA has had a strong year thanks to the efforts of these and other shows; the 28-year-old organization announced at the event that thanks to the fundraising efforts of shows in the theatre district and on tour, this season of live theatre had raised $4.7 million for AIDS-related health services.

Not bad for a day at the theatre.

Screengrab via BCEFA/YouTube

We knew that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would have a stellar opening weekend at the box office, but no critic, fan, or Jedi Master could have predicted just how big it would be.

The Force Awakens decimated the all-time opening-weekend record with $528 million in worldwide ticket sales from Thursday to Sunday, with $247 million of that coming from North America alone. Those box-office totals broke a ridiculous number of records, including the biggest domestic debut, the biggest December debut, and the biggest opening weekend in more than a dozen countries. It made more than $100 million on its first day ($57 million coming from Thursday sales alone) and netted more than $100 million in pre-sales.

The seventh Star Wars film—which reunites Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker and introduces a new trio combatting forces bigger than themselves—resonated strongly with fans,. As reviews and word-of-mouth spread and fans clamor to see it again, the already mind-boggling number will undoubtedly grow by leaps and bounds.

The last reported domestic total was $238 million, with a worldwide gross of $517 million, both of which fell slightly behind Jurassic World, which earned $524.9 million worldwide its first weekend. But that excluded Sunday’s box-office totals. With those factored in, The Force Awakens soared past Jurassic World.

“It’s bigger than big—it’s bigger than we thought it would be yesterday,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told Bloomberg TV on Monday. “And China has yet to open.”

Iger has a point. Jurassic World’s box-office numbers benefitted from the inclusion of the film's Chinese debut. The Force Awakens beat that record two weeks before its Jan. 9 Chinese opening. Once it premieres in that country of 1.3 billion people, it’ll be even more of an unstoppable Force.

Meanwhile, this is probably a good indicator of what Disney’s accounting offices look like this morning.

Kim Kardashian teased her new app Kimoji to her 55 million Instagram followers on Sunday.

So what else is inside? 

The keyboard is equipped with different sized versions of a few key “kimoji,” allowing users to express themselves more fully when necessary.

Flash someone, or flip them the bird with sparkle and emphasis.

Users can also share bigger moments. And, erm, a bigger booty.

The keyboard also contains a slew of suggestive foods.

Finally, there’s this fun little diverse page of condoms, rainbow hearts, stacks of cash, needles, and baby accessories!

Screengrab via Kimoji

Take a look and plan accordingly. And if you’re curious about the comings and goings on Amazon or Hulu, we’ve got you covered there, too. 

January 2016

Jan. 1

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Almost Famous (2000)

American Psycho (2000)

American Psycho 2 (2002)

The Bourne Identity (2002)

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Coach Carter (2005)

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Corpse Bride (2005)

Coyote Ugly (2000)

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior: Season 1

Four Brothers (2005)

Gladiator (2000)

The Graduate (1967)

Grandma's Boy (2006)

Harriet the Spy (1996)

Heartbreakers (2001)

The Hours (2002)

The Italian Job (2003)

Jackass: The Movie (2002)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version (1962)

The Longest Yard (2005)

The Machinist (2004)

Max Steel: Seasons 1-2

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

The Patriot (2000)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Rambo: First Blood (1982)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Rambo III: Ultimate Edition (1988)

The Rescuers (1977)

Risky Business (1983)

Rocky (1976)

Rocky II (1979)

Rocky III (1982)

Rocky IV (1985)

Rocky V (1990)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Serpico (1973)

Sesame Street: Animals and Nature: Season 1

Sesame Street: Classics: Vol. 1-2

Sesame Street: Cookie and Friends: Season 1

Sesame Street: Creativity and Imagination: Season 1

Sesame Street: Elmo and Friends: Season 1

Sesame Street: Everyday Moments: Season 1

Sesame Street: Music and Dance: Season 1

Sesame Street: Numbers and Letters: Season 1

The Sum of All Fears (2002)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Trading Places (1983)

Trekkies (1999)

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Zoolander (2001)

Jan. 4

Dumbo (1941)

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Pocahontas (1995)

The Aristocats (1970)

The Fox and the Hound (1981)

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

The Tigger Movie (2000)

Jan. 8

The Lying Game: Season 2

Jan. 14

Bad Ink: Season 1

Beyond Scared Straight!: Seasons 4-5

Dance Moms: Collection

Duck Dynasty: Collection

Hoarders: Collection

Intervention: Collection

Pawn Stars: Collection

Storage Wars: Collection

The Kennedys: Season 1

December

Dec. 1

All About Eve

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: Season 1

Batman Begins

Beverly Hills Cops III

Brian’s Song

The Brothers Grimm

The Burbs

Cop Land

Damien: Omen II

The Dark Crystal

Employee of the Month

Forces of Nature

Get Low

The Great Escape

The Guardian: Seasons 1-3

The High and the Mighty

The Hustler

Insomnia

Juice

K-19: The Widowmaker

Labyrinth

Last Night

Left Behind II: Tribulation Force

Left Behind: The Movie

Modern Problems

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Necessary Roughness

The Omen (1976)

Omen III: The Final Conflict

The Paw Project

The Pink Panther 2

R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It

Shrink

Silence of the Lambs

Soapdish

Trek Nation

Two Can Play That Game

Dec. 4

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally

Dec. 6

360 (2011)

The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure

Dec. 9

C.O.G.

Dec. 10

Ultimate Spider-Man: Season 2

Dec. 11

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: Season 2

Rescue Me: Seasons 1-7

Dec. 12

Why Did I Get Married?

Dec. 13

How to Build a Better Boy

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers

Dec. 15

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Dec. 17

Underclassman

Dec. 21

Red Hook Summer

Dec. 24

Una Noche

Dec. 30

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony

November

Nov. 1

1492: Conquest of Paradise

America in Primetime

Bali: Season 1

Balto 3: Wings of Change

Batman & Robin

Best Kept Secret

Best Laid Plans

Changing Lanes 

Cleopatra

Conspiracy Theory 

Death Warrant 

Fargo (1996)

Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon

Funny Games

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide 

Hero and Terror 

House of Flying Daggers 

Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie 

Lunopolis

Move Over, Darling 

Norman

Pajanimals: Season 1

Rudy

Saw

Saw II

Saw III 

Saw IV 

Saw V 

Scream

Secrets of Mary Magdalene

Soul Plane

Stand by Me 

Taking Lives 

The Blues Brothers 

The Core

The Last Waltz

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Three Kings

Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns 

Year of the Dog 

Your Inner Fish 

Nov. 3

Bratz: Good Vibes

Nov. 5

The Perfect Stranger

Nov. 7

Shanghai Noon

Nov. 8

My Hope America With Billy Graham

Nov. 9

The Road

Nov. 10

Bratz: Pampered Petz

Nov. 12

A Girl Walks Into a Bar 

Nov. 13

Stranger by the Lake

Nov. 15

Fleabag Monkeyface: Season 1 

Nov. 16

Teen Beach Movie

Nov. 17

Bratz: Diamondz

Nov. 19

Breaking the Girls

Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus

Nov. 22

Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave

Bel Ami

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

Nov. 24

Art of Flight: The Series

Nov. 27

Burning Man

Leviathan 

Nov. 28

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap

Nov. 29

Romanzo Criminale: Seasons 1-2

Salamander: Season 1

Nov. 30

Jesus Henry Christ

Virginia 

October

Oct. 1

A Nightmare on Elm Street

American Masters: Billie Jean King

Analyze That

Analyze This

Angela's Ashes

Annie Hall

Baby's Day Out

Bandits

Barnyard

Beyond Borders

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman Collection

Buying & Selling: Seasons 1-2

Caprica: Season 1

Charlie Bartlett

Clockstoppers

Cold Mountain

Days of Heaven

Dead Man Walking

Destination Truth: Season 4

Domestic Disturbance

Down to Earth

Ella Enchanted

Hawaii Five-O: Season 11-12

Hotel Impossible: Season 1-2

Interview with the Vampire

Kangaroo Jack

L!fe Happens

L'Auberge Espagnole

Maverick

Nature: Ireland's Wild River

Nature: Leave It to Beavers

Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom

Nature: My Bionic Pet

Nature: Parrot Confidential

Nature: Saving Otter 501

Nature: Snow Monkeys

Nature: Touching the Wild: Living with the Mule Deer of Deadman Gulch

Off Limits Collection: Collection 1-2

Pee-wee's Big Adventure

Plankton Invasion

Restaurant: Impossible Collection: Impossible

Rob Roy

Romeo + Juliet

Saturday Night Live: The 2010s: Season 37

Sid the Science Kid: Season 1

The Beautician and the Beast

The Big Lebowski

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

The Dead Files: Season 1-2

The Devil's Rejects

The Exorcist

The Hunt for Red October

The Phantom of the Opera

The Pioneer Woman Collection: Collection 1

The Producers

The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption

This Is Spinal Tap

Twilight

Twins

Windtalkers

You Got Served

Oct. 4

Wolverine and the X-Men: Season 1

Oct. 7

Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games

Oct. 8

Snoop Dogg Presents The Bad Girls of Comedy

Oct. 9

Crank

Oct. 12

Bratz Kids: Fairy Tales

Oct. 15

Good Luck Chuck

Pinky Dinky Doo: Season 1

Play with Me Sesame: Season 1

Sesame Street: Animals and Nature: Season 1

Sesame Street: Classics: Vol. 1-2

Sesame Street: Cookie and Friends: Season 1

Sesame Street: Creativity and Imagination: Season 1

Sesame Street: Elmo and Friends: Season 1

Sesame Street: Everyday Moments: Season 1

Sesame Street: Music and Dance: Season 1

Sesame Street: Numbers and Letters: Season 1

Oct. 16

Brüno

Chico & Rita

Oct. 20

Freelancers

Oct. 22

Machine Gun Preacher

Oct. 25

Nanny 911: Season 1

Oct. 26

Bratz: Genie Magic

Oct. 27

Alexandria

Oct. 29

America's Sweethearts

Oct. 30

Life in Our Universe: Season 1

Oct. 31

Braxton Family Values: Season 3

September

Sept. 1

Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London 

Better Than Chocolate 

Bratz: Rock Angelz 

Care Bears: Big Wish Movie 

Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 

Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! 

Doomsday Preppers: Season 1-3 

Electrick Children 

FernGully: The Last Rainforest 

Ink Master: Season 2 

Jackie Brown 

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 

Mortal Kombat: The Movie 

Patch Adams 

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie 

Rules of Engagement 

Rumpelstiltskin 

Sarah's Choice 

School of Rock 

She's the One 

Sleepless in Seattle 

The IT Crowd: Series 1-4 

The Lost Boys 

Total Recall 

W. 

Sept. 2 

Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This 

Sept. 3 

Dinosaurs: Season 1-4 

Sept. 4 

Delta Farce 

Sept. 5

Marilyn in Manhattan 

Sept. 7 

Ramsay's Best Restaurant: Season 1 

Sept. 9

Bratz: Friendship Is Always in Style 

Kicking It 

Sept. 10 

100 Below Zero 

Becoming Chaz 

Crash & Bernstein: Season 1-2 

War Witch 

Sept. 13 

High Fidelity 

Sept. 14 

Corky Romano 

Sept. 15 

Best of Teletubbies 

Bratz: The Video: Starrin' & Stylin' 

Coach: Season 1-9 

Spiral: Season 4 

Valhalla 

Sept. 16 

Hank: Five Years from the Brink 

The Slap: Season 1 

Sept. 20 

Reporter 

Sept. 22 

National Geographic: Inside Guantanamo 

National Geographic: The Battle for Midway

Sept. 26 

Indy 500: The Inside Line 

Lethal Force 

Ron White: A Little Unprofessional 

Sept. 27 

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Season 1-2 

My Boys: Season 1-4 

Sept. 28 

Undeclared: The Complete Series 

Sept. 29 

Bratz: Desert Jewelz 

Comic Book Men: Season 2 

Coriolanus 

Sept. 30 

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 

Apocalypse Now 

If I Stay 

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa 

Nebraska 

Saved! 

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 

Star Trek Into Darkness 

The Expendables 3 

The Good Guy 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 

The Prince 

The Skeleton Twins 

The Wolf of Wall Street 

Transformers: Age of Extinction 

World War Z 

August

Aug. 1

Bad Girl Island 

Barbershop 

Beauty Shop 

Bulletproof 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 

Digimon Adventure: Seasons 1-3

Driving Miss Daisy 

Face/Off 

Fools Rush In 

Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld: Season 1

Hawking 

Hot Pursuit 

Houseboat 

Inside Fendi

Joe Dirt 

Kiss the Girls 

Pumping Iron 

The Pitch: Season 1

Shooter 

The Fifth Element 

The Longest Day

Titanic 

Unbreakable 

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 

We’re No Angels 

Aug. 6

The Raven 

Aug. 8

Albert Nobbs 

Explorers: Adventures of the Century: Season 1 & 2

Aug. 15

Family Ties: Seasons 1-7

Immortalized: Season 1

The Forsyte Saga: Series 1-2

Aug. 23

Jiro Dreams of Sushi 

Aug. 24

My Fair Wedding: Season 5

Aug. 25

Petunia 

Aug. 27

LEGO Atlantis 

LEGO: Hero Factory: Breakout 

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: King of Shadows 

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Way of the Ninja 

The Moth Diaries

Aug. 31

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: Seasons 1-3

Screengrab via Moviecliips/YouTube

While we’re sad to see content leaveNetflix each month, we’ll always have even more movies and shows to obsess over.

January 2016

Jan. 1

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

Along Came Polly (2004)

American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success (2015)

Angry Birds Toons: Season 1

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009)

Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007)

Catwoman (2004)

The Celebrity Plastic Surgeons of Beverly Hills: Season 1

Constantine (2005)

Forensic Files: Collection 2

Friday Night Tykes: Season 1-2

The Good Road (2013)

House of Wax (2005)

How to Change the World (2015)

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006)

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Journey to Le Mans (2014)

Loins of Punjab (2007)

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Meet the Parents (2000)

Nanny McPhee (2006)

Piku (2015)

Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

The Rundown (2003)

Shout Gladi Gladi (2015)

Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball (2009)

Something New (2006)

Stephen Fry Live: More Fool Me (2014)

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle: Season 3

Swordfish (2001)

The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

Under Arrest: Season 1: “Put Some Clothes On”

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

The Wedding Date (2005)

The Whole Ten Yards (2004)

Jan. 2

30 for 30: Four Falls of Buffalo

I'll Have What Phil's Having: Season 1

Jan. 3

Sofia the First: Season 2

Jan. 4

Blunt Force Trauma (2015)

Training Day (2001)

Jan. 5

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 10

New Girl: Season 4

Jan. 8

Adult World (2014)

Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season 2 *

Tom Segura: Mostly Stories (2015) *

Jan. 10

Dos Hermanos (2010)

El Hombre de al Lado (2009)

Esperando La Carroza (1985)

The Marziano Family (2011)

Rosario Tijeras (2005)

Un Oso Rojo (2002)

Jan. 11

Littlest Pet Shop: Season 4

Jan. 12

The Ladykillers (2004)

Jan. 13

Parks and Recreation: Season 7

Jan. 14

The Testimony (2015)

Jan. 15

Degrassi: The Next Class: Season 1 *

The Last Five Years (2015)

Moonwalkers (2015)

Occupied (2015)

The Overnight (2015)

Sirens: Season 2

Jan. 16

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

Jan. 17

Z Nation: Season 2

Jan. 19

Curve (2015)

Jan. 20

Drone (2014)

Jan. 21

When Calls the Heart: Season 2

Jan. 22

Sharknado 3 (2015)

Jan. 23

Chelsea Does (2016) *

Jan. 25

From Dusk Till Dawn: Season 2

Turbo Kid (2015)

Jan. 28

Frozen Planet (2011)

Frozen Planet: On Thin Ice (2011)

Frozen Planet: The Epic Journey (2011)

The Making of Frozen Planet (2012)

Jan. 29

Ever After High: Dragon Games *

Jan. 31

Words and Pictures (2013)

December

Dec. 1

#DeathToSelfie (2014)

30 for 30: Chasing Tyson (2015)

50 Shades of THEY: Season 1

A Christmas Star (2015)

A Genius Leaves the Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z (2014)

Amnesiac (2015)

Broadchurch: Season 2

CBGB (2013)

Christmas Wedding Baby (2014)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Darkman (1990)

Detectorists: Season 1

I'm Brent Morin *

Jenny's Wedding (2015)

Las mágicas historias de Plim Plim: Season 1

Ray (2004)

Real Rob: Season 1 (2015) *

See You in Valhalla (2015)

Sensitive Skin: Season 1

Starting Over: Season 1

Stir of Echoes (1999)

Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming (2007)

That Touch of Mink (1962)

Tyke: Elephant Outlaw * 

Winning Life’s Battles: Season 1

Dec. 2

Stations of the Cross (2014)

Tangerine (2015)

Dec. 3

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine (2015)

Dec. 4

A Very Murray Christmas (2015) *

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 4 (more episodes)

Dec. 5

A Case of You (2013)

Dinosaur 13 (2014)

Inside Man: Season 3

Dec. 7

Vampire Academy (2014)

Dec. 8

One & Two (2015)

Phoenix (2014)

Xenia (2014)

Dec. 9

Phineas and Ferb: Season 4

Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High and Unemployed Live in Austin (2015) *

Dec. 11

The Adventures of Puss in Boots: Season 2 *

The Ridiculous 6 (2015) *

Dec. 14

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Dec. 15

Drown (2014)

Hart of Dixie: Season 4

High Profits: Season 1

Time Out of Mind (2014)

Dec. 16

Fresh Dressed (2015)

Helix: Season 2

Dec. 18

F Is for Family: Season 1 *

Glitter Force: Season 1 *

Making a Murderer: Season 1 *

Mike Epps: Don't Take It Personal *

Dec. 19

chloe and theo (2015)

Dec. 20

Leo the Lion (2013)

Magic Snowflake (2013)

Santa’s Apprentice (2010) 

Dec. 21

El Señor de los Cielos: Season 3

Dec. 22

Queen of Earth (2015)

Dec. 23

Invisible Sister (2015)

Dec. 24

Dawn of the Croods: Season 1 *

Dec. 25

Black Mirror“White Christmas” Episode

Dec. 28

Maron: Season 3

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Season 5

Dec. 30

Parenthood: Season 6

Dec. 31

Battle Creek: Season 1

Manhattan Romance (2014)

Violetta: Season 3

Nurse Jackie: Seasons 1-7

November

Nov. 1

Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce: Season 1

Idris Elba: Mandela, My Dad and Me

Last Days in Vietnam

Pasion de Gavilanes

Robot Overlords

Seven Deadly Sins: Season 1*

Smithsonian Channel: The Day Kennedy Died

The Last Time You Had Fun

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Engines

Twinsters

Worst Year of My Life, Again: Season 1

Nov. 2

Last Tango in Halifax: Season 3

Nov. 3

Do I Sound Gay?

Julius Jr.: Season 2

The Midnight Swim

Nov. 5

Amapola

Amour Fou

The Runner

Nov. 6

Care Bears & Cousins: Season 1*

Master of None: Season 1*

Nov. 7

LeapFrog Letter Factory: Great Shape Mystery

Nov. 12

Anna Karenina

Nov. 13

Atención Atención: Season 1

Call Me Lucky

John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid*

With Bob and David: Season 1*

Young & Hungry: Season 2 (new episodes)

Nov. 14

Blue Caprice

Dior and I

Nov. 15

Continuum: Season 4

Jessie: Season 4

People, Places, Things

Soaked in Bleach

Tengo Ganas de Ti

Nov. 16

Cristela: Season 1

Nov. 18

Black Butler: Season 3

River*

Nov. 20

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Season 3

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Season 1*

Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso

Nov. 23

The Red Road: Season 2

Ultimate Spider-Man: Season 3

Nov. 24

Liv and Maddie: Season 2

Nov. 25

Gringolandia: Season 3

Home

Switched at Birth: Season 4

Nov. 26

Zipper

Nov. 28

A Perfect Man

Best of Enemies

The Best Offer

Nov. 29

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

October 

Oct. 1

A Christmas Carol

About Alex

Alexander: Theatrical Cut

American Pie

Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics Collection: Collection 1

Batman Begins

Boogie Nights

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Curse of Chucky

Dark Was the Night

Design on a Dime Collection: Collection 1

El Tiempo Entre Costuras

Extreme Homes Collection: Collection 1

Genevieve's Renovation: Season 1

Glass Chin

House Hunters Renovation Collection: Collection 1

Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Rooms Collection: Collection 1

Monkey Thieves: Seasons 1-3

On the Town

Pal Joey

Pepe

Pressure

Property Virgins Collection: Collection 1

Reasonable Doubt

Richard Pryor: Icon

Robin Williams Remembered - A Pioneers of Television Special

Some Came Running

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The Bourne Supremacy

The Devil at 4 O'Clock

The Great Food Truck Race Collection: Collection 1

The Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story

The Nightmare

Throwdown with Bobby Flay Collection: Collection 1

Uncle Grandpa: Season 1 (more episodes)

Vanilla Ice Project: Seasons 1-4

Wakfu: Season 1

White Rabbit

Wild Horses

Worst Cooks in America Collection: Collection 1

Oct. 2

Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy*

La Leyenda de la Nahuala

Reign: Season 2

The Vampire Diaries: Season 6

Oct. 3

Alpha and Omega 5: Family Vacation

Oct. 5

Team Hot Wheels: Build the Epic Race

Oct. 6

American Horror Story: Freak Show

iZombie: Season 1

Last Man Standing: Season 4

The Flash: Season 1

The Originals: Season 2

Tremors 5: Bloodline

Oct. 7

Arrow: Season 3

Flor Salvaje: Season 1

Legends: Season 1

Supernatural: Season 10

Oct. 8

American Heist

Strangerland

Oct. 9

Mighty Med: Season 2

The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show: Season 1*

Winter on Fire*

Oct. 10

Lalaloopsy: Band Together

Oct. 11

Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me

Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Season 3

Oct. 12

Jane the Virgin: Season 1

Oct. 14

Lazarus

Oct. 15

Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery: Season 1

Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Live!

The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Part 1/Part 2

Oct. 16

All Hail King Julien: Season 2*

Anthony Jeselnik: Thoughts and Prayers*

Beasts of No Nation*

Circle - NETFLIX EXCLUSIVE

Some Assembly Required: Season 2*

The Principal: Season 1

Oct. 18

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

Oct. 20

Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered

Marvel's Avengers Assemble: Season 2

Oct. 22

Results

Oct. 23

Hemlock Grove: Season 3*

Oct. 24

Jack Strong

Oct. 25

Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection

Oct. 27

August: Osage County

Manson Family Vacation - NETFLIX EXCLUSIVE

Oct. 28

Chasing Life: Season 2

The Gunman

Oct. 29

Return to Sender

Oct. 30

Popples: Season 1*

September

In addition to its usual round of film favorites, Netflix is adding a full slate of TV favorites in September, including new seasons of The Walking Dead, Parenthood, Portlandia, Gotham, and more.

Sept. 1

72 Dangerous Animals: Australia: Season 1

Arthur: Season 17

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher (2014)

Battle Creek: Season 1

Blackbird (2014)

Capital C (2014)

Combustion (2013)

Da Jammies: Season 1

Divorce Corp. (2014)

Giggle and Hoot's Best Ever! (2014)

Hamlet (1990)

Hardball (2001)

Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean to Brag (2014)

Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version (1962)

Los hombres también lloran: Season 1

Masters of the Universe (1987)

Mississippi Damned (2009)

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Volume 1

Mouk: Season 1

Our Man in Tehran (2013)

Pandas: The Journey Home (2014)

Person of Interest: Seasons 1-3

Puffin Rock: Season 1 *

Rambo: First Blood (1982)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Rambo III: Ultimate Edition (1988)

Shake the Dust (2014)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Such Good People (2014)

The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl (2005)

The League: Season 6

The Monster Squad (1987)

Up in the Air (2009)

Zathura (2005)

Zoo Clues: Season 1

Sept. 2

Black or White (2014)

Miss Julie (2014)

Sept. 3

Drumline: A New Beat (2014)

Sept. 4

Baby Daddy: Season 4 (new episodes)

Bad Night (2015)

Madame Secretary: Season 1

Melissa & Joey: Season 4 (new episodes)

Sept. 7

Space Dandy: Season 2

Sept. 8

6 Years (2015) 

Love at First Fight (2014)

Sept. 9

Teen Beach Movie 2 (2015)

Sept. 10

Fugitivos: Season 1

Longmire: Season 4 *

Sept. 11

About Elly (2009)

God Bless the Child (2015)

Madame Bovary (2014)

Sept. 12

It Happened Here (2015)

Portlandia: Season 5

The Roughnecks (2014)

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Sept. 13

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 4 (part 2)

Pixies (2014)

Sept. 14

Call the Midwife: Series 4

Sept. 15

Closer to the Moon (2015)

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

Kambu: Season 1

Rubble Kings (2015)

Sin Senos no Hay Paraiso: Season 1

The Bank Job (2008)

The Road Within (2015)

Zoobabu: Season 1

Sept. 16

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Reservation Road (2007)

The Blacklist: Season 2

The Fosters: Season 3

Sept. 17

The Mysteries of Laura: Season 1

Sept. 18

Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015) *

Sept. 21

Gotham: Season 1

The Following: Season 3

Sept. 22

Person of Interest: Season 4

Philomena (2013)

SMOSH: The Movie (2015)

Sept. 23

The Loft (2015)

Sept. 24

Iris (2014)

Sept. 25

Blue Bloods: Season 5

Hawaii Five-0: Season 5

Parenthood: Season 6

VeggieTales in the House: Season 1 (new episodes) *

Sept. 26

The Canyons (2013)

Sept. 27

The Walking Dead: Season 5

Sept. 29

Bones: Season 10

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Monster High: Boo York (2015)

RL Stine's Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (2015)

Sept. 30

Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 12

Leafie: A Hen into the Wild (2011)

Midnight’s Children (2012)

Murdoch Mysteries: Season 4-7

Ned Rifle (2014)

August

With the newest season of Doctor Who, childhood favorite Reading Rainbow, even more Inspector Gadget, and the premiere of Narcos—which stars Game of Thrones fan favorite Pedro Pascal—there’s something for everyone in August.

Aug. 1

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein

Asylum

Back in Time / Cong Cong Na Nian

Beneath the Helmet

Breakup Buddies / Xin Hua Lau Fang

Bride and Prejudice

Casting By

Dancing on the Edge: Season 1

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Season 2

Dear Frankie

Dogs on the Inside

Electric Slide

Enemy at the Gates

Flex is Kings

Lost and Love / Shi Gu

Masha and the Bear: Season 1

November Rule

Odd Squad: Season 1

Outcast

Pants on Fire

Reading Rainbow: Volume 1

Russell Brand: End the Drugs War

Somewhere Only We Know / You yi ge di fang zhi you wo men zhi dao

Sorority Row

The Code: Season 1

The Golden Era / Huang Jin Shi Dai

The Hurt Locker

The Living

The Mind of a Chef: Season 3

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

Utopia: Season 1

Vexed: Seasons 1-2

War

Wing Commander

Aug. 3

Chronic-Con, Episode 420: A New Dope

Aug. 4

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead

Aug. 5

Yellowbird

Aug. 6

Kill Me Three Times

My Amityville Horror

The Look of Love

Welcome to Me

Aug. 7

Club de Cuervos: Season 1

HitRECord on TV: Season 1

Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story

Project Mc2

Transporter: The Series: Season 2

Aug. 8

Doctor Who: Season 8

Aug. 11

Fred: The Movie

Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred

Fred 3: Camp Fred

Two Days, One Night

Aug. 12

For a Good Time, Call...

Leap Year

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Aug. 14

Demetri Martin: Live (At The Time)

DinoTrux

Ever After High Way too Wonderland: Season 3

Ship of Theseus

Aug. 15

Alex of Venice

Aug. 16

Being Flynn

Pariah

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Aug. 17

Lord of War

Aug. 19

Jerk Theory

Real Husbands of Hollywood: Season 3

Aug. 20

30 for 30: Angry Sky

As Cool As I Am

Strange Empire: Season 1

Aug. 21

Grantham & Rose

Transcend

Aug. 23

Girl Meets World: Season 1

Aug. 27

Byzantium

White God

Aug. 28

Inspector Gadget: Season 2

Narcos

Once Upon a Time: Season 4

Revenge: Season 4

Aug. 29

Ride

Aug. 30

Muffin Top: A Love Story

* denotes Netflix Original

Screengrab via Movieclips/YouTube

It’s the least wonderful time of the year. For the last month, nearly every department store across the country has rolled out its annual rotation of the same five Christmas songs, which will be played on a loop either until Santa Claus brings toys to all the little boys and girls or you die of a brain hemorrhage. Numerous research studies have shown that if you play “Christmas Shoes” 20 times in a row, it causes listeners’ heads to explode like the aliens in Mars Attacks.

To make your December a little less agonizing, the Daily Dot put together a playlist of 25 Yuletide tunes that won’t make you regret having ears. Christmas songs generally suck, but these exceptions to the rule prove your holiday season doesn’t have to.

For your atmospheric convenience, they’re bundled onto a Spotify playlist. You’re welcome to skip ahead.

1) Mariah Carey — “All I Want for Christmas Is You”

Acknowledging it is unavoidable: When it comes to holiday music, Mariah Carey’s 1994 hit continues to reign supreme, still a staple of Top 40 stations across the country. It’s a modern holiday classic, a throwback to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound that benefits from Carey’s octave-defying pipes. If there’s anyone who doesn’t like this song, I have yet to meet them. — Nico Lang

2) Wham! — “Last Christmas”

Sure, Mariah Carey fronted the last American classic with her Motown-inspired ’90s jewel. In the ’80s, however, no one came closer than George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The Wham! duo planted a flag on Christmas ’84, and in the subsequent 31 years, the seasonal staple has shown up on the Billboard charts for 11 of them. The earnest dramatism glides on an inescapable synth line and when Michael pipes in with that “once bitten and twice shy” zinger, tears at the office holiday party. “Last Christmas” is workplace despair, layered karaoke, and spiked eggnog. — Ramon Ramirez

3) Tom Waits — “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis”

Tom Waits’ melancholy blues are the perfect antidote to forced holiday cheer. But what makes “Christmas Card” a particularly special song in the Waits canon are the unexpected notes of grace he finds in the story of a prostitute writing an old flame from prison. His darkly comic lyrics underscore a poignant message of redemption: “I'll be eligible for parole come Valentine’s Day.” — NL

4) Elvis Presley —“Santa Claus Is Back In Town”

This side A, track one from the King’s ’57 Christmas record arrives swigging spirits and swerving “in a big, black Cadillac.” Here, Elvis is Santa, and he’s in town for one night only, ladies. The rockabilly cut is held together by a rollicking piano solo, “Heartbreak Hotel” tempos, and at its festive core, some appropriately sentimental and contrived, Bing Crosby-esque background singers. — RR

5) The Magnetic Fields — “Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree”

There’s a reason that the indie Thanksgiving movie Pieces of April enlisted the Magnetic Fields for the soundtrack: Their music is a strangely perfect companion for any holiday celebration. I would recommend “The Book of Love” and “Strange Powers,” but this track from Realism brings the band’s trademark sardonic edge, specifically Christmas-centric line: “All the world is turning prettily/Everyone's awaiting Sandy.” — NL

6) Otis Redding — “White Christmas”

Nothing extrapolates those seasonal blues like muddy keys, throwaway Steve Cropper licks, and Atco Records horns. “May your days be so merry,” Redding sings on this samurai of a cover, released posthumously in ’68, a year after his death. It’s familiar but pointed, building to a frenetic nosedive of howls cruelly cut off by the era’s insistence on three-minute singles. — RR

7) XTC — “Thanks for Christmas”

For something a little more conventionally cheery than Tom Waits or the Magnetic Fields, look no further than XTC’s “Thanks for Christmas.” The new wave band was one of the most critically beloved acts of the 1980s (see: “Senses Working Overtime”), and here they offer up the rare track that both Pitchfork and your grandmother could agree to love. — NL

8) Marvin Gaye —“I Want to Come Home for Christmas”

The best Christmas songs skip the tired process of describing the weather and decorations and bite right into the human experience of traveling and gathered relatives. We know Gaye’s understated and underrated ’72 original features magnetic crooning, but it’s also a beautifully written offering. Inspired by the backdrop of Vietnam, co-author Forest Hairston noticed yellow ribbons tied around trees to honor prisoners of war. Gaye took the baton and sprinted. — RR

9) Aimee Mann — “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”

When it comes to great Christmas songs, Aimee Mann’s catalog is an embarrassment of riches. On 2006’s One More Drifter in the Snow, Mann covers eight Christmas classics—with two original compositions thrown in (“Christmastime” and “Calling on Mary”). The standout is her playful and altogether wonderful duet with Grant-Lee Phillips on this song from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I dare you not to smile while listening to it. — NL

10) The Sweet Inspirations —“Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday”

No one is touching this sublime pair of minutes. The ’69 gem builds its wall with background “oohs,” air-raid trumpets, and a giant hook. Christmas doesn’t deserve soul this urgent and realized. — RR

11) The Pogues — “Fairytale of New York”

This isn’t just one of the greatest Christmas tracks ever recorded. The Pogues’ bittersweet melody is truly one of the great songs of any kind—landing high on Q magazine and NME’s best-ever lists. It wasn’t as big a hit in the U.S., which makes this year the perfect time for American listeners to dive in; it's so unbearably wonderful that listening to it makes me want to hug the first person I see. — NL

12) Boyz II Men feat. Brian McKnight — “Let It Snow”

Before Justin Timberlake was paying homage to their scope and direction with “Dick in a Box,” the original men in tan vests turned cold weather into an opportunity for consensual fireside lovemaking. Boyz II Men’s enduring epic pauses for choral harmonizing at the altar, then immediately dips into intent: “Come over here and help me trim the tree—I want to wrap you up, baby, then you’ll see you’re the only present that I need.” It’s aching, dead serious, and with additional heat from eventual ’90s king Brian McKnight, nearly a diabetic coma brought on by too many ginger snaps. — RR

13) Big Star — “Jesus Christ”

As the fourth track on Third/Sister Lovers, an ode to Jesus’s birthday is pretty jarring when sandwiched between a Velvet Underground cover and “Big Black Car,” a beautifully somber tune about alienation. But if anything, this sweet, strange tune is a reminder of what continues to make Big Star such an influential band four decades after the album’s release. (If you’re unfamiliar with the group, also check out “September Gurls” and “Thirteen.”) — NL

14) Queen — “Thank God It’s Christmas”

Don’t let Freddie Mercury on the mic to drop a Christmas song, because he’ll overload it with zest and art. It’s been a shitty year, he posits, but frankly, my love, it doesn’t matter because we’re huddled together when we most need it. The holiday single was co-written by the band’s perennial secret weapons, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and was an easy cash grab that dueled Wham! on the charts in ’84. But when you have the greatest frontman in rock history, this ship will swim: “Oh my love, we live in troubled days,” Mercury sings expertly because it’s always true. — RR

15) The Damned — “There Ain't No Sanity Clause”

For everyone celebrating a punk rock Christmas this year, there are more than a few must-listens. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” sounds exactly like every Ramones song (which is a good thing), and Alice Cooper’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” is pretty delightful. But my personal favorite comes from the Damned—in which the ’70s Brits give Santa the finger. — NL

16) King Diamond — “No Presents for Christmas”

Danish metal sultan Kim Bendix Petersen used Christmas ’85 as an opportunity for doom. On this thrash labyrinth, Santa has no helpers and the world’s children will wake up sans presents. There is no happy ending. There is, however, lots of awkward lyricism about Western cartoons—Donald Duck, Tom, Jerry. It’s hard, fast, and an unhinged thought experiment that netted falsetto howls and constant shredding. Beyond its quirky countercultural appeal, “No Presents for Christmas” charges up your last-minute drives to the mall—ironically helping mankind produce presents for Christmas 30 years running. — RR

17) The Waitresses — “Christmas Wrapping”

When I mentioned I was writing this to a friend, she immediately replied: “You have to put ‘Christmas Wrapping’ on it.” This was not a request. The song—a perennial favorite more than 30 years since it debuted—inspires such passion for a reason: “Christmas Wrapping” recalls the best of ’80s female-fronted groups like the Go-Gos and Blondie. And that sax is utterly irresistible. — NL

18) Blink-182 — “Happy Holidays, You Bastard”

“It’s Christmas eve, and I’ve only wrapped two fucking presents” is every procrastinator’s reality when the calendar flips to Dec. 24 and you realize Amazon won’t ship in time. It’s an annual reality for America’s creatures of habits, myself included. This 40-second track from corporate, suburban punks Blink-182 is chiefly a throwaway gag from 2001­—a running joke about grotesque sexual acts and panic-stricken nerves. But its holiday angst continues to ring true, and the cage-rattling teen escapism pairs elegantly with the self-inflicted seasonal stress. — RR

19) Sufjan Stevens — “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!”

In 2006, Sufjan Stevens ignited an ongoing debate among the prolific indie folk singer’s massive fanbase: What’s the best track from Songs for Christmas? The five-disc box set—recorded over as many years—leaves listeners an absurd amount of choices, from the upbeat “Put the Lights on the Tree” to “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” There’s no right choice, but if I had to save one single from a fire, it would be the achingly romantic “Christmas in the Room.”

Note: If that weren’t enough, he released yet another set in 2012. I’m convinced Sufjan Stevens hates his fans and wants us to argue forever. — NL

20) !!! — “And Anyway It’s Christmas”

Was your sonic palate molded in the early or mid-2000s? Was your hipster-chic iPod certified because dance punks !!! rested atop its clickwheel library? Do you get nervous and relate to content about visiting conservative family members at the holiday break? If so, this sentimental geek single should be embedded slang. If not that’s even better, because this pummeling rhythm transcends its narrow market. — RR

21) Julian Casablancas — “Christmas Treat”

Julian Casablancas’ post-Strokes career has gifted us with plethora of catchy gems. Released shortly after “11th Dimension,” this cover of a song from a 2000 Saturday Night Live skit might not reach the blissful heights of Phrazes for the Young, but it’s undeniably good. It’s further proof that the former rock frontman has a great ear for pop songs—no matter the season. — NL

22) The Sonics — “Don’t Believe in Christmas”

The essential ’60s garage-rockers pack a gripping keys solo, rollicking chants, and pointed skepticism into this flyover jam. “Don’t believe in Christmas,” goes the chorus. “Cause I didn’t get nothing last year.” It’s dissent with all the depth of a Twisted Sister anthem, yes, but it also makes you want to hurl a shot glass at the jukebox with its primal freakouts. Wreck the halls. — RR

23) Dengue Fever — “Little Drummer Boy”

In our previous music roundup, I extolled the virtues of Cambodian pop, and if you haven’t checked out Dengue Fever since then, here’s another chance. The indie psych-rock band brings the Khmer sound to Christmas, putting a fresh and quietly radical spin on a song I’ve always hated. — NL

24) Kanye West feat. Cam'Ron, Jim Jones, Vado, Pusha T, Musiq Soulchild, CyHi Da Prynce, Teyana Taylor and Big Sean — "Christmas in Harlem"

Five years ago, Kanye West attacked pop with constant singles—15 of them released every Friday from August through December, for free. This was the one about Christmas, and oh boy did it knock. — RR

25) Saint Etienne — “I Was Born on Christmas Day”

One of the things that unites nearly every song on this list is that you could listen to it any time of the year, and “I Was Born on Christmas Day” is no exception. The track is no less joyous or danceable than the band’s signature disco-tinged tunes (like “Last Days of Disco” and “Last Days of Music”). And if putting this on your Spotify list impels you to check out the British group’s triumphant (and criminally underrated) 2012 record Words and Music, so be it. — NL

With Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu and HBO Now all at our fingertips, it can be impossible to keep track of what to watch or when it’s available.

Here’s the update for what’s coming soon to Amazon Prime and Hulu in the coming month. (Note: You’ll find Netflix’s own coming-soon list over here, as well as our curated picks over here.)

January 2016

Amazon

Jan. 1

Bone Tomahawk

I'll See You In My Dreams*

Annie (2014)*

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Paper Planes

Miracle on 34th Street

The Da Vinci Code

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Taps

An Affair to Remember

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Dazed and Confused

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Thundercats: Season 1

Jan. 4

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Margin Call

Serpico

Jan. 5

1408

Jan. 8

Hot Tub Time Machine

Jan. 9

Goodnight Mommy

Jan. 11

All Creatures Big and Small

Jan. 13

The Missing

Jan. 14

The Second Mother

Jan. 15

Just Add Magic: Season 1

Jan. 16

Frank Miller's Sin City

Spare Parts

Jan. 22

Mad Dog: Season 1

Jan. 23

Mortdecai

Jan. 26

Man of Tai Chi

December

Amazon

Dec. 1

Something's Gotta Give

Bedazzled

Hoffa

River of No Return

Monkey Business

The Details

Dec. 9

Meet Me in Montenegro

Dec. 11

Transparent (season 2)

Dec. 12

Interstellar

Tumble Leaf (season 2)

Cutie and the Boxer

Dec. 19

Selma

Dec. 26

The Gambler (2014)

Dec. 27

Pusher

Stick Man

Dec. 30

Black Beauty (1994)

Curly Sue

Free Willy

Mozart in the Jungle (season 2)

Hulu

Dec. 1

Superstore (episodes 1-3)

Hunter x Hunter: (season 1a)

11 Blocks *

A Game of Honor *

A Very Wompkee Christmas 

After Words *

Alone for Christmas *

Amigo Undead *

Anarchy Parlor *

Animals *

Apocalypse Now

Black Mama, White Mama 

Black Rain 

Blacula

Blow Out 

Bravetown *

Bringing Out The Dead *

Charlie Bartlett 

Chasing Amy *

Christmas is Here Again 

Cockneys vs. Zombies *

David Beckham: Into the Unknown *

De-Lovely 

Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang *

Dr. No

Echoes of War *

Friday the 13th 

Friday the 13th—Part II

Friday the 13th—Part III

Friday the 13th—Part IV: The Final Chapter

Friday the 13th—Part VI: Jason Lives

Friday the 13th—Part VII: The New Blood 

Friday the 13th—Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Good Morning, Vietnam *

Good Will Hunting *

Growing Up and Other Lies *

Hammett 

Helicopter Mom *

Jessabelle *

Kiss the Bride 

Lost Christmas *

Love Is a Gun 

Lulu on the Bridge

My 5 Wives *

Nightlight *

Nobody’s Fool 

One From the Heart 

Paper Planes *

Pieces of April 

Popeye

Santa Claws *

Scream, Blacula, Scream 

Six Days Seven Nights *

Small Town, Saturday Night 

Step Into Liquid *

Tetro 

The Care Bears Movie 

The Christmas Bunny 

The Crying Game *

The Harvest 

The Hunters *

The Hybrid *

The Lance Armstrong Story: Stop at Nothing *

The Longest Yard

Tim Tebow: On a Mission

Tomorrow Never Dies

Vampire in Brooklyn

Wish You Well *

Young Sherlock Holmes 

Dec. 2

Rocket Jump: The Show premiere

A Fistful of Dynamite

Dec. 4

The Wiz Live!

Selector Infected WIXOSS (season 1)

La Promesa (season 1)

The Who Live in Hyde Park *

Dec. 5

Scott & Bailey (season 4)

New Tricks (season 11)

Dec. 7

Man Seeking Woman (season 1)

The Millionaire Matchmaker (season 8)

Dec. 8

Telenovela: (episodes 1-3) 

Stolen *

Dec. 9

Killing Season *

Dec. 10

The Angel’s Share

Daft Punk Unchained *

Dec. 11

Michael Buble’s Christmas Special

Free! (season 2, dubbed)

Jermaine Fowler: Give ’em Hell Kid *

Dec. 12

Interstellar

Spring Breakers *

What If *

Dec. 13

Listen to Me Marlon *

Dec. 14

Vampire Academy *

Dec. 15

Drunk History (season 3 finale)

Dec. 16

The Voice: (season 9 finale)

Craig Ferguson: Just Being Honest 

Dec. 17

The 6th Day *

The Mirror Has Two Faces *

Dec. 18

Deutschland 83 (season 1)

The Seven Five *

Welcome to New York *

Dec. 19

Selma

Dec. 23

Boulevard *

Dec. 24

Una Noche 

Dec. 26

CSI (series finale)

The Gambler

Dec. 27

The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs *

Dec. 28

Love & Hip Hop Hollywood (season 2 finale)

Dec. 29

Doped: The Dirty Side of Sports

Dec. 30

Moonbeam City (season 1 finale)

The Only Way is Essex (season 16)

Dec. 31

Penn & Teller: Fool Us (season 2 finale)

Wild Card

Dean Smith *

HOOPS U *

Iverson *

November

Hulu is now available with a commercial-free option. Here's what is coming to Hulu for November:

Available Nov. 1

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

From Russia With Love (1963)

Goldfinger (1964)

License to Kill (1989)

Live and Let Die (1973)

The Living Daylights (1987)

Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

Moonraker (1979)

Never Say Never Again (1983)

Octopussy (1983)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Thunderball (1965)

A View to a Kill (1985)

Adventures In Babysitting (1987) (*Showtime)

Another Stakeout (1993) (*Showtime)

Apartment Troubles (2014) (*Showtime)

Arachnophobia (1990) (*Showtime)

Beloved (1998) (*Showtime)

Celtic Pride (1996) (*Showtime)

Cocktail (1988) (*Showtime)

Cool Runnings (1993) (*Showtime)

Crazy/Beautiful (2001) (*Showtime)

Dangerous Minds (1995) (*Showtime)

Delivery Man (2013) (*Showtime)

Dick Tracy (1990) (*Showtime)

Evita (1996) (*Showtime)

Exists (2014) (*Showtime)

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) (*Showtime)

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) (*Showtime)

Judge Dredd (1995) (*Showtime)

Keeping Up With The Steins (2006) (*Showtime)

Let Us Prey (2014) (*Showtime)

Mighty Joe Young (1998) (*Showtime)

Mindhunters (2004) (*Showtime)

Need For Speed (2014) (*Showtime)

The Other End of the Line (2008) (*Showtime)

Out of Sight (1998) (*Showtime)

Play It to the Bone (1999) (*Showtime)

Rushmore (1998) (*Showtime)

Ruthless People (1986) (*Showtime)

Scar Tissue (2013) (*Showtime)

Stakeout (1987) (*Showtime)

Superstar (1999) (*Showtime)

The Fifth Estate (2013) (*Showtime)

The Heavy (2010) (*Showtime)

The Honeymooners (2005) (*Showtime)

The Jackal (1997) (*Showtime)

The Joneses (2009) (*Showtime)

Three Men And A Baby (1987) (*Showtime)

Turner & Hooch (1989) (*Showtime)

Waterworld (1995) (*Showtime)

What About Bob? (1991) (*Showtime)

Wooly Boys (2001) (*Showtime)

Zoolander (2001) (*Showtime)

Furthest From the Wild (2014)

Gold (2014)

Available Nov. 2

Pound of Flesh (2015) (*Showtime)

Around the World in 80 Days (2004) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 3

Ink Master: Season 6 Finale (Spike)

Tattoo Nightmares: Season 3 Finale (Spike)

Bettie Page Reveals All (2012)

Safelight (2015) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 4

The Westbrooks: Series Premiere (BET)

Calendar Girls (2003) (*Showtime)

Rampart (2011) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 5

Miss Representation (2011)

Silent Grace (2001)

The Truth (2010)

Sand Sharks (2011)

11 Blocks (2015)

Boston Kickout (1995)

Abuse of Weakness (2013)

Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1997)

Bicycling with Moliere (2013)

Big in Japan (2014)

Cupcakes (2013)

Futuro Beach (2014)

Lilting (2014)

Love is the Devil (1998)

Paris-Manhattan (2012)

Rufuge (2012)

Set Fire to the Stars (2014)

The Amazing Catfish (2013)

The Empty Hours (2013)

The Missing Picture (2013)

Troy’s Story (2005)

Jesse James Presents: Off Road Racing Around the World (2011)

Pirate for the Sea (2008)

The Reef 2: High Tide (2009)

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy (2015)

Poltergeist of Borely Forest (2013)

Run, Hide, Die (2012)

Hellbound? (2012)

David and Goliath (2015)

Pandas: The Journey Home (2014)

Mysteries of the Unseen World (2013)

Dislecksia: The Movie (2012)

Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll (2014)

Icon (2005)

My Santa, My Dad (1998)

Way Out West (1937)

Addicted (2002)

The Thing on the Doorstep (2014)

The Fighter’s Ballad (2010)

Misfits (2015)

The Disappeared (2012)

The Little Things (2010)

Breach (2007)

The Dark Side (2015)

Pretty Rosebud (2014)

Shadows on the Wall (2015)

A Journey into the Holocaust (2014)

Get a Job (2011)

The Ballad of Shovels and Rope (2014)

Chasing Ghosts (2015)

My Dad’s a Soccer Mom (2014)

The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding (2007)

Saving Westbrook High (2013)

So Undercover (2012)

Garfield’s Thanksgiving (1989)

Scorpions (2015)

Bernie (2011) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 6

My Dad is Scrooge (2014)

Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? (2015) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 7

Masterchef Junior:Season 4 Premiere  

World’s Funniest: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)

The Salvation (2014) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 8

Prophet’s Prey (2014) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 10

The Awesomes: Season 3 Finale (Hulu Original)

Sweat Inc.: Series Premiere (Spike)

Available Nov. 12

Vikings: Complete Season 3

Available Nov. 13

The Secret of the Nutcracker (2007)

What If (2010) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 14

Listen to Me Marlon (2015) (*Showtime)

Play it Forward (2015) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 16

Black Ink Crew Chicago: Series Premiere (VH1)

Steven Universe: Season 1 – New Episodes (Cartoon Network)

5 to 7 (2014) (*Showtime)

Available Nov. 18

Chicago Med: Series Premiere (NBC)

Available Nov. 20

Sailor Moon Crystal: Season 1 Premiere (English dubbed)

Naughty and Nice (2014)

Available Nov. 26

I Love Kellie Pickler: Series Premiere (CMT)

Available Nov. 27

Tokyo Ghoul: Complete Season 1 (English dubbed)

12 Dog Days Till Christmas (2014)

Available Nov. 28

Spymasters – CIA in the Crosshairs (2015) (*Showtime)

October 

Amazon

Oct. 1

The Other Son

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 

Someone Like You

John Carpenter's Vampires

Max Dugan Returns

Nell

The Impostors

The Fly

Light It Up

March of the Penguins

Pee-wee's Big Adventure

The Secret Garden

Astro Boy

Chicago P.D. Season 3

Jurassic World 

Oct. 2

Blacklist Season 3

Dr. Ken Season 1

Sleepy Hollow Season 3

Bones Season 11

Oct. 5

Family Takeover Season 1

Bar Rescue Season 6

Oct. 6

American Horror Story: Freak Show 

Ardor 

Tremors 5: Bloodline 

Cartel Land

Testament of Youth

Pixels 

Oct. 7

Alpha Omega 2

Alpha Omega 3

The Flash Season 2

iZombie Season 2

Oct. 8

American Horror Story: Hotel 

Couples Therapy Season 6

Arrow Season 4

Supernatural Season 11

Oct. 9

Red Oaks

Ridiculousness Season 11

Colony Season 1

The Vampire Diaries Season 7

The Originals Season 3

Final Girls 

Oct. 10

Undateable Season 3

Oct. 12

The Walking Dead Season 6

Oct. 13

Fargo Season 2

Oct. 14

Chicago Fire Season 4

Bark Ranger 

Oct. 16

Nathan For You Season 3

Oct. 17

Truth Be Told Season 1

Oct. 19

Penny Dreadful Season 2

Oct. 20

The Vatican Tapes

Terminator Genisys 

Oct. 21

Sweat, Inc. Season 1

Oct. 22 

First Kiss Season 1

Oct. 23

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

While We're Young 

Oct. 27

Black Ink Chicago Season 1

Supergirl Season 1

Oct. 28

Curious George Season 9

Oct. 29

Tom at the Farm 

Oct. 30

Danny Collins 

Oct. 31

Grimm Season 6

Hulu

Oct. 1

Chicago P.D.: Season 3 Premiere (NBC)

Alaska: The Last Frontier: Complete Season 4 (Discovery)

Cake Boss: Next Great Baker: Complete Seasons 2 - 4 (TLC)

Deadly Women: Complete Season 8 (ID)

Fast N’ Loud: Complete Season 6 (Discovery)

Gator Boys: Complete Season 6 (Animal Planet)

Hoarding: Buried Alive: Complete Season 8 (TLC)

How Do They Do It?: Complete Seasons 7 & 8 (Science)

Leah Remini: It’s All Relative: Complete Season 1 (TLC)

Long Island Medium: Complete Season 7 (TLC)

My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding: Complete Season 3 (TLC)

My Five Wives: Complete Season 1 (TLC)

My Strange Addiction: Complete Season 5 (TLC)

MythBusters: Complete Season 16 (Discovery)

Say Yes to the Dress: Complete Season 12 (TLC)

Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta: Complete Seasons 5 & 7 (TLC)

Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best: Complete Season 3 (TLC)

Street Outlaws: Complete Season 3 (Discovery)

Tanked: Complete Seasons 7 & 8 (Animal Planet)

Toddlers & Tiaras: Complete Seasons 7 & 8 (TLC)

Who Do You Think You Are?: Complete Season 5 (TLC)

Yukon Men: Complete Season 4 (Discovery)

3 Geezers! (2013)

666: The Beast (2015)

A Touch of Unseen (2014)

Addicted (2014)

All Is Lost (2013)

Altergeist (2014)

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Avenged (2013)

Bandits (2001) (*Showtime)

Ben Stiller’s Comedy Roundtable #2 (2013)

Billy Mize & The Bakersfield Sound (2014)

Blair Witch Project, The (1999)

Blood Simple (1985)

Blue Chips (1994)

Cantinflas (2014)

Carrie (2013)

Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies (2015)

Cat's Meow, The (2001) (*Showtime)

Cesar Chavez (2014)

Come Out and Play (2013)

Craig Ferguson: Does This Need To Be Said? (2011)

Dear White People (2014)

Defiance (2008)

Demons (2015)

Devil's Rejects, The (2005) (*Showtime)

Donovan's Echo (2011) (*Showtime)

Doomsday Book (2012)

Dragonheart (1996) (*Showtime)

Dukale's Dream (2015)

Expendables 3, The (2014)

Fightville (2011)

Fish Tank (2009) (*Showtime)

Flashdance (1983)

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy (2015)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

Girl Most Likely (2013)

GLOW (2015)

Hannah And Her Sisters (1986)

Hard Ride to Hell (2010)

Harsh Times (2005) (*Showtime)

Hercules (2014)

Hooked Up (2013)

Hugo (2011)

Hunger Games, The: Catching Fire (2013)

I Am I (2013)

I, Frankenstein (2014)

In A World… (2013)

Infernal (2015)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2013)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)

Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty, Sexy, Funny (2014)

Jim Breuer: And Laughter for All (2013)

Jim Breuer: Comic Frenzy (2015)

Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional (2012)

Jim Norton: American Degenerate (2013)

Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate (2015)

Joe (2014)

Justin Beiber: Never Say Never (2011)

Katy Perry: Prismatic World Tour (2014)

Kids for Cash (2013)

La Repetition (2001)

Labor Day (2013)

Last Play at Shea (2010)

Lewis Black: Old Yeller – Live at the Borgata (2014)

Liar’s Autobiography, A: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman (2011)

Lisa Lampanelli: Back to the Drawing Board (2015)

Little Jerusalem (2005)

Love or Whatever (2012)

Lunarcy! (2012)

Men, Women & Children (2014)

Miles To Go (2012)

Monkey Shines: An Experiment In Fear (1988)

Most Wanted Man, A (2014)

Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Nebraska (2013)

Noah (2014)

Pain & Gain (2013)

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2013)

Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time (2014)

P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour (2013)

Please Be Normal (2014)

Poltergeist of Borley Forest (2013)

Primal Fear (1996)

Private Parts (1997)

Psycho Beach Party (2000)

Pulp Fiction (1994) (*Showtime)

Rabbit Hole (2010)

Rise of the Footsoldier (2007) (*Showtime)

Riviera (2005)

Robocop (2014)    

Run, Hide, Die (2012)

Russell Brand: Messiah Complex (2014)

Serendipity (2001) (*Showtime)

Shelter (2015)

Skeleton Twins, The (2014)

Skipped Parts (2000) (*Showtime)

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)

Swimming Upstream (2003) (*Showtime)

Tales from the Hood (1995) (*Showtime)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

The Breakup Girl (2015)

The Butterfly Tattoo (2009)

The Cutting Room (2015)

The House at the End of Time (2013)

The Inkwell (1994) (*Showtime)

The Innkeepers (2011)

The Last Keepers (2013)

The Program (2015) (*Showtime)

The Quitter (2014)

The Ravine of Goodbye (2013)

The Story of Luke (2012)

They Came Together (2014)

Tom Papa: Freaked Out (2013)

Tony: London Serial Killer (2009) (*Showtime)

Transformers: Age Of Extinction (2014)

Vanish (2015)

Weapons (2007) (*Showtime)

Who Bombed Judi Bari? (2012)

William Shatner’s Get a Life (2012)

Wolf Of Wall Street, The (2013)

World War Z (2013)

You're Next (2013)

Young Hunters: The Beast of Bevendean (2015)

Oct. 2

Bones: Season 11 Premiere (FOX)

Sleepy Hollow: Season 3 Premiere (FOX)

Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) (*Showtime)

I Am Giant: Victor Cruz (2015) (*Showtime)

Oct. 4

Saturday Night Live: Season 41 Premiere (NBC)

The Good Wife: Complete Season 6 (CBS)

The Affair: Season 2 Premiere, Episodes 201 & 202 (*Showtime)

Homeland: Season 5 Premiere (*Showtime)

Oct. 5

The Lovers (2015) (*Showtime)

Oct. 6

American Horror Story: Freak Show: Complete Season 4 (FX)

The Eric Andre Show: Complete Season 3 (Adult Swim)

Oct. 7

Casual: Series Premiere (Hulu Original)

The Flash: Season 2 Premiere (CW)

iZombie: Season 2 Premiere (CW)

Oct. 8

Arrow: Season 4 Premiere (CW)

Supernatural: Season 11 Premiere (CW)

Oct. 9

The Vampire Diaries: Season 7 Premiere (CW)

The Originals: Season 3 Premiere (CW)

Oct. 10

Undateable: Season 3 Premiere (NBC)

Reign: Season 3 Premiere (CW)

Prophet's Prey (2015) (*Showtime)

Oct. 12

America’s Funniest Home Videos: Season 26 Premiere (ABC)

Doc McStuffins: Complete Season 2 (Disney Junior)

Oct. 13

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Series Premiere (CW)

Jane the Virgin: Season 2 Premiere (CW)

Oct. 14

Chicago Fire: Season 4 Premiere (NBC)

The Jim Gaffigan Show: Season 1 Finale (TV Land)

Oct. 17

Truth Be Told: Series Premiere (NBC)

Camp X-Ray (2014) (*Showtime)

Oct. 18

Basketball Wives LA: Season 4 Finale (VH1)

Oct. 23

Hunger Games, The: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank (2014) (*Showtime)

Oct. 25

American Dream / American Knightmare (2015) (*Showtime)

Oct. 28

Wicked City: Series Premiere (ABC)

Oct. 30

Why Horror? (2014) (*Showtime)

Oct. 31

Grimm: Season 4 Premiere (NBC)

September

Amazon

Sept. 1

Little Giants

Maya the Bee

Private Parts

Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows

The Blair Witch Project

Desperately Seeking Susan

Hannah and Her Sisters

Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Lord of Illusions

Popeye

The Crucible (1996)

The Swan Princess (1994)

Hannibal Rising (2007)

Anywhere But Here

Sept. 3

Stuart Little

Sept. 4

Dear White People

Hand of God (season 1)

Sept. 5

Gabriel

Extreme Movie

Deli Man

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

Sept. 10

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

Sept. 12

Men, Women & Children

Sept. 16

A Smile Like Yours

Sept. 18

From Prada to Nada

Sept. 21

Halloween (2007)

Serendipity

Sept. 30

Grimm (season 4)

Hulu

Sept. 1

Elementary: Complete Seasons 1 – 3 (CBS)

The League: Complete Season 6 (FX)

Lovesick (2014) *

The Hunters (2013) *

Tooken (2015) *

Sept. 2

Willow Creek (2013) *

Sept. 3

Celebrity Wife Swap: Season 4 Finale (ABC)

Alien Rising (2015)

All The Wrong Reasons (2014)

American Ghost Hunter (2015)

American Made Movie (2013)

Amigo Undead (2015)

Antidote (2014)

Backwater (2013)

Black Widow (2008)

Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity (2014)

Brush With Danger (2014)

Buddy Hutchins (2015)

Camembert Rose (2009)

Coral Reef Adventure (2003)

Cut! (2014)

Demons (1985)

Digging to China (1997)

Doppelganger (2003)

Freebird: The Movie (1996)

Home Is Where the Heart Is (2014)

Hunted (2013)

Hurricane on the Bayou (2006)

Kane's Kitchen (2015)

Lord Montagu (2015)

Love Triangle (2013)

Muffin Top (2014)

Mysteries of Angels and Demons (2015)

Neil Simon's London Suite (1996)

Nfinity Champions League Volume 2 (2015)

Please Please Me! (Fais Moi Plaisir) (2009)

Rhymes with Banana (2012)

Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90) (2014)

Such Good People (2014)

Sunflower (2006)

That Guy Dick Miller (2014)

The 10 Year Plan (2014)

The Badger Game (2014)

The Last Keepers (2013)

The Whistle Blower (2014)

Treehouse (2014)

Vincent (1981)

Wes Craven Presents Don’t Look Down (1998)

Zero Tolerance (2014)

Sept. 4

Mistresses: Season 3 Finale (ABC)

Rookie Blue: Season 6 Finale (ABC)

Ping Pong: The Animation (Dubbed): Complete Season 1

Soul Eater Not! (Dubbed): Complete Season 1

Hamatora the Animation (Subtitled): Complete Season 1

Sept. 5

St. Vincent (2014) *

Sept. 8

The Awesomes: Season 3 Premiere 

Echoes of War (2015) *

Sept. 9

Extreme Weight Loss: Season 5 Finale (ABC)

Zero Punctuation: Season 9 Premiere (Defy)

Sept. 11

Beauty & the Beast: Season 3 Finale (CW)

BlazBlue: Alter Memory (Dubbed): Complete Season 1

The World Is Still Beautiful (Subtitled): Complete Season 1

CrackerJack (2013)

Sept. 14

Teen Wolf: Season 5 Finale (MTV)

La Banda: Series Premiere (Univision)

A Season with Notre Dame Football: Series Premiere *

Sept. 15

The Mindy Project: Season 4 Premiere 

Dancing with the Stars: Season 21 Premiere (ABC)

Another Period: Season 1 Finale (Comedy Central)

Freedom (2014) *

Sept. 16

Difficult People: Season 1 Finale

Why? With Hannibal Buress: Season 1 Finale (Comedy Central)

Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris: Series Premiere (NBC)

Sept. 17

South Park: Season 19 Premiere (Comedy Central)

Sept. 18

Camp X-Ray (2014) *

Noragami (Dubbed): Complete Season 1

Last Hours in Suburbia (2012)

Sept. 20

Bar Rescue: Season 4 Finale (Spike)

Sept. 21

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta: Season 4 Finale (VH1)

Sept. 22

Castle: Season 8 Premiere (ABC)

Gotham: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)

Minority Report: Series Premiere (FOX)

Scream: Season 1 Finale (MTV)

The Voice: Season 9 Premiere (NBC)

Blindspot: Series Premiere (NBC)

Sept. 23

Dancing with the Stars: Results: Season 21 Premiere (ABC)

Fresh off the Boat: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)

The Muppets: Series Premiere (ABC)

Scream Queens: Series Premiere (FOX)

Sept. 24

Black-ish: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)

Modern Family: Season 7 Premiere (ABC)

Nashville: Season 4 Premiere (ABC)

The Goldbergs: Season 3 Premiere (ABC)

The Middle: Season 7 Premiere (ABC)

Empire: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)

Rosewood: Series Premiere (FOX)

Law and Order: SVU: Season 17 Premiere (NBC)

The Mysteries of Laura: Season 2 Premiere (NBC)

A Wicked Offer: Season 1 Finale (CW)

Lip Sync Battle: Season 1 Finale (Spike)

Sept. 25

Grey's Anatomy: Season 12 Premiere (ABC)

Hot to Get Away with Murder: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)

Scandal: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)

Heroes Reborn: Series Premiere (NBC)

The Player: Series Premiere (NBC)

Sept. 26

Last Man Standing: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)

Shark Tank: Season 7 Premiere (ABC)

Sept. 28

Blood & Oil: Series Premiere (ABC)

Once Upon a Time: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)

Quantico: Series Premiere (ABC)

Bob's Burgers: Season 6 Premiere (FOX)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3 Premiere (FOX)

Family Guy: Season 14 Premiere (FOX)

The Last Man on Earth: Season 2 Premiere (FOX)

The Simpsons: Season 27 Premiere (FOX)

Sept. 30

Beyond the Tank: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD: Season 3 Premiere (ABC)

Grandfathered: Series Premiere (FOX)

The Grinder: Series Premiere (FOX)

Candidly Nicole: Season 2 Finale (VH1)

August

The sweat, the chafing, the heat. Ack. August is the perfect time to settle in with a few of TV’s best curmudgeons. 

Hulu blesses us with the debut of original series Difficult People (Aug. 5), the new comedy starring Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner; the return of the Hotwives franchise (Aug. 18); and Mr. Mom (Aug. 1).  

Hulu

Aug. 1

8 Heads in a Duffle Bag

Another Woman 

A Bridge Too Far 

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex 

Mr. Mom 

Aug. 2

Basketball Wives LA: Season 4 premiere 

Aug. 4

Bachelor in Paradise: Season 2 premiere 

Aug. 5

Difficult People: Series premiere 

Aug. 6

Mr. Robinson: Series premiere 

A Wicked Offer: Series premiere 

America’s Next Top Model: Season 22 premiere 

Job or No Job: Series Premiere 

FÉMININ/FÉMININ: Season 1 

2Survive 

52 Tuesdays 

American Ghost Hunter 

Angel, Alien and UFO Encounters from Another Dimension 

Anomaly 

Another Kind 

Antiviral 

Betelnut Beauty 

Bicycle 

Blood and High Heels 

Dangerous Affairs 

Dark Tarot 

Eye for an Eye 

Ferocious Planet 

Flash Gordon 

Freedom 

From Dust 

Fun Size Horror 

Hello! How Are You? 

Iceland Aurora 

Kandote 

Ladies of the House 

Moses: Man of God 

My Amityville Horror 

Nero: The Obscure Face of Power 

Once More With Feeling 

Peace After Marriage 

Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies 

Sharpshooter 

Still 

Ten Nights of Dreams 

The Architect 

The Big Fix 

The Mother Grain 

The Party Is Over 

The Poseidon Adventure 

Two Guys 

Walking Man 

We Are Young 

Xtra Credit 

Aug. 7

The Next Step: Season 2

Aug. 8

Doctor Who: Season 8 

Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories: Season 1 

Aug. 10

You’re the Worst: Season 1

Aug. 12

Catfish: Season 4 finale

The Next Step Reality: NYC: Series premiere 

Startup U: Season 2 premiere

Aug. 13

Kevin From Work: Series premiere 

Errors of the Human Body 

Aug. 14

Nobunagun: Season 1

Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!: Season 1 

Aug. 18

Hotwives of Las Vegas: Season 2 premiere 

Aug. 20

Itakiss: Season 1 

Aug. 21

Mr. Pickles: Season 1 

Gallagher: Totally New

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Season 1 

Aug. 25

Switched at Birth: Season 4 premiere 

Aug. 27

Hot Package: Season 2 

Aug. 28

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 15 

Kevin Hart Presents: Keith Robinson—Back of the Bus Funny 

Amazon Prime 

Aug. 1

Olympus: Season 1 

The Patriot

The Longest Day

Unforgiven

Aug. 4 

Erased 

Aug. 6 

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Seasons 1-8

My Best Friend’s Wedding

In the Line of Fire

Aug. 7

A Most Violent Year

Aug. 12

Gett: Trial of Viviane Amsalen 

Aug. 15

If I Stay 

Aug. 16

Misery Loves Comedy 

Aug. 20

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl 

Aug. 22

Timbuktu

Aug. 23

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter 

Aug. 28

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Amazon Instant

Aug. 1

The Descendants 

Aug. 3

The Killing: Season 4

Strike Back: Season 3

The Knick: Season 1

Aug. 4

Teen Titans Go!: Season 3

A La Mala

Alpha & Omega: Family Vacation

Little Boy 

The Casual Vacancy

Aug. 7

Dark Places 

The Runner

The Amazing World of Gumball: Season 7

Aug. 10

Episodes: Season 4

Aug. 11

Where Hopes Grows

Lalaloopsy: Band Together 

The Hunting Ground

Mad Max: Fury Road

Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom!

Poltergeist Activity

72 Hours

Aug. 14

Documentary Now!

Fort Tilden 

Cop Car

People, Places, Things

Aug. 17

Homeland: Season 4

Aug. 18

Vendetta

Skin Trade

Kantemir

The Love Letter

Aug. 19

Hack My Life: Season 2

Aug. 20

Six Degrees of Everything: Season 1

Aug. 25

The Age of Adaline 

Iris

Queen & Country

Aug. 26 

Public Morals: Season 1

Aug. 28

Zipper

Aug. 31

House of Cards: Season 3

* Hulu titles with an asterisk are only available with the additional Showtime premium subscription.

Screengrab via Hulu

The trailer for season 7 of Jerry Seinfeld's webseries Comedians in Cars Getting Coffeehas all the celebs and old convertibles you might expect at this point, but it also teases something big: President Obama is going to be one of the guests.

The first two minutes of the preview lull you into a state of comfort with familiar faces like Steve Martin and Will Ferrell, but once you think it's over it hits you with a shot of the White House and the president's unmistakable voice. 

Season 7 premieres Dec. 30, and the first six seasons of the series are available to watch both on the Crackle app and the series website.

Screengrab via Crackle/YouTube

If the staying power of the Star Wars fandom and Disney’s astronomical marketing push didn’t guarantee a brand new life for the franchise, its success at the box office certainly did.

In order to celebrate the momentous occasion of The Force Awakensbreaking nearly every opening weekend record, Jimmy Fallon got the cast of the first six Star Wars movies to sing “Stayin’ Alive.” It wasn’t a live rendition like that great a cappella rendition of the movie’s iconic theme, but thanks to some clever editing, Fallon got the job done.

With a Sith Lord, the Force, and a Rebellion taking on the Galactic Empire, performing a song about staying alive through it all is just as easy as you’d think. Just wait for the exasperated "no’s" at the end.

The chronically sleep-deprived will go to any lengths to put their racing brains at ease, to spend the following day in a rested, normal state of mind. The worst will jump from treatment to treatment, only to discover that binaural beats are just annoying and Ambien just makes children’s shows better. It’s possible they’re fighting an unwinnable battle: Some research shows that some people are congenitalinsomniacs, with their genes and the woes of evolution dooming them to late nights that are simply unavoidable.

Drew Ackerman proves that research wrong.

Some research shows that some people are congenital insomniacs.
Drew Ackerman proves that research wrong.

When Drew started the Sleep With Me podcast two years ago, he realized that, after a slew of prior creative ventures, he’d at last discovered his voice as a performer: He was boring. Armed with nothing but his own voice, he could ensure a complete lack of dead airtime with a remarkable ability to drone on (and on and on) about utterly meaningless drivel. The podcast is a mixture of real, written stories that Ackerman’s outlined and tangents woven into them that are 100 percent stream-of-conscious ramblings.

The result is something that can put any semi-recumbent human wearing headphones to sleep within 20 minutes. Tops.

A lifelong insomniac myself, I put Sleep With Me to the test: I listened to it on headphones while lying in bed at night for five nights in a row. The result: overwhelming success. But don't take my word for it—take a look at the show’s iTunes ratings, which are filled with insomniacs praising the podcast’s effectiveness. Of the show’s 696 iTunes ratings, only a handful are not the full 5/5. 

As “Dearest Scooter,” Ackerman essentially tells bedtime stories, with each episode’s story taking place in one of the strange worlds he’s created and expanded through sheer will. Take the storyline of Game of Drones—Game of Drones, SWM’s take on Game of Thones, is described on one episode by: 

How far can an arrow travel through your dreams if you are in a flash frozen state creating by a “Black Magic Woman”? Why don’t we ask the Blackfish, the Bear and the Maiden Fair.

The Daily Dot sat down with Ackerman to discuss the show’s writing process, goals, and future.

When did you first decide to start doing the podcast? Did the idea evolve along the way, or did you know right off that this was the format?

I'm pretty shy and introverted—but I've always been good at making up stories. So if we were sitting around or something, it'd be like “Oh! Give me some more...” and I'd make up a story, and it’d usually be silly—not great, but it’d be amusing.

So that was one part of it, and then the other part was just going back to when I shared a room with my brother, and we used to tell each other stories to help each other fall asleep. So I thought about it, and I thought “maybe I could do a podcast”…

And then I had been writing something with these two other guys, and it totally imploded, but I at least learned through that to be consistent about setting aside time [to write], because I was at least somewhat committed to it.

When that fell apart, I realized I still had that time set aside. Maybe I should just start that podcast? I thought I could figure out how to do it, so I started doing it. I didn’t plan it out, from a production standpoint. I listened to some podcasts, and read a bunch of stuff on the Internet and YouTube, and then I just started doing it. I didn’t have any following, so I didn't have to worry about anyone's expectations. I had nothing to lose by putting it out there.

I had more to lose by trying to be a perfectionist and get it right. So I just started doing it, and as I’ve been doing it, and I’ve been tweaking it and learning little by little.

Have you written more for each episode as it’s progressed, or has the format become natural enough to you that you can just write maybe one word and know all the stuff that it means?

I definitely write more now, for the serial stories. I’m more focused, and I spend more time. I finish one, and then I have a week until I record the next one, so I have a week to write an episode.

I have a day job, so over those seven days, when I have time to write, it’s usually on the train or on the bus to work. If I don’t feel like writing, or I’m not focused on daydreaming, there’s a huge downside to that, come the seventh day when I have to do the show… The less prepared I am to do the show—it doesn’t have to be scripted, but I have to have a foundation to give me a sense of comfort. Otherwise, I feel terrified, and it just becomes a lot more work to keep myself calm and stay with the story, and I might procrastinate, and then I get more anxiety.

Before the podcast, I was trying to write some Web comedy with a couple other people and then trying to write screenplays in my spare time, and it’s a lot of work. Trying to re-write it, and trying to follow through… At some point, you find your voice, and I think in the Web comedy writing, I found a little bit of my voice. But then the podcast, and being boring, oddly enough, and going on these tangents, it’s like “OK, this is my voice.” I mean, I have people listening, and it’s working. I’m not making any money off of it or anything, but it’s putting people to sleep, and there’s people who are listening to stories, and I’m following through on it, so it’s weird to say, but that’s pretty successful, you know?

Having a lot of episodes that are released on a regular basis is a huge part of calling any podcast a success.

When I first got into it, there were still people, even two years ago, who were like “Oh yeah, podcasting is about to blow up!” or “There’s all these people making money!” But the podcasts that were making money, they’d been making them for so long, like Nerdist, Marc Maron, they’ve been making podcast for four or five years, you know? So I was like, “If I can make it to two years, then I can reassess and figure out if there are other options.” It’s one of those things that takes a lot more work and time, but the time goes by kinda fast. Or at least it’s felt like it for me.

I noticed that if I listened to a podcast while driving, it wouldn’t make me sleepy whatsoever—I would just be laughing at the story being told, and it was just hilarious. But if I put on headphones and laid in bed, I’d be laughing for about 20 minutes, and then BAM, I was just asleep. I think it’s really cool that the podcast can accomplish both.

It’s funny, but headphones can add this element to podcasting. You can listen in the car, and that’s great, and that’s [one] context. But headphones add this level of intimacy, and I think that’s like part of the element that helps people fall asleep.

Yeah, headphones take something from being an environmental sound to being your entire auditory system.

That’s one thing I always think about. Like, with the listeners, they don’t know me, and they’re listening to me in their headset in their bed, and that’s why I take it pretty seriously—that takes a real leap of faith, to be like “I’m going to listen to this odd man and go to sleep to him,” especially the first few times. When I can win those people over, where they let down their guard, it really feels satisfying to win their trust.

Illustration by Max Fleishman

BY SAM GUTELLE

James Franco has been working with multichannel network Maker Studios for more than a year, and their partnership is finally beginning to bear fruit. On Dec. 21, Franco released four new webseries—two on his Facebook page, and two on his YouTube channel.

The four series were all co-developed by Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions and Maker Studios. The two released on Facebook both cover nonfiction topics: The first, Studio 4: Acting Competition, is a self-explanatory reality series in which students at Franco’s Studio 4 acting school compete for a role in the actor and filmmaker’s next film. The second series goes inside Studio 4, where it sits in on a masterclass Franco presented. His topic: how to shoot a perfect sex scene.

On YouTube, Franco’s work takes a more scripted tone. In The Ultimate Evil, he spins a thrilling crime tale based on the Son of Sam murders in the 1970s. The most engaging of his four new series, however, is Winesburg, a series of short films that are all set in the same town. Here’s the first episode of that series, which features Winesburg’s telegraph operator as its central figure.

Franco and Maker’s collaborative efforts were first announced at the 2014 Newfronts, which occurred more than 18 months ago. “Maker let me play in a playground of sounds stages, creative teams, technology teams and more—truly experimenting in content creation which is very rare in the entertainment industry,” said Franco. “Love them, or hate them, I’m really excited about these shows—and can’t wait for even more to come with Maker in 2016.”

The “even more” Franco refers to is a pair of shows, titled LA Series and CAMP, and a film called Tenn. Those projects will all arrive over the next year, so Franco and Maker’s creative odyssey is just getting started.

Screengrab via Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and to celebrate, the band's YouTube channel partnered up with Erina Takahashi and James Forbat of the English National Ballet for something a little more highbrow than the car scene in Wayne's World. 

Clocking in at six minutes long, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has always been tough to dance to, but it turns out ballet is the perfect medium for addressing all the twists and turns the song takes. What better pairing for a guitar solo than a bunch of very hard-looking one-footed spins?

Party on. 

H/T Mashable | Screengrab via Queen/YouTube

If you want to live a little more like YouTuber Connor Franta, he's got a lifestyle website for you. Franta launched CommonCulture.co this week, the site he's been building by uniting a variety of products and ventures.

Franta has already dabbled in building the Common Culture brand over the past year, launching limited-edition coffee and forming Heard Well, his music label that's found commercial success packaging compilation albums curated by digital stars. 

With the launch of his site, Franta brings all his ventures under one umbrella, with the addition of new apparel.

"On Common Culture you'll find coffee, clothing, and compilations," he joked in his video announcement. "So many Cs!"

Franta has been hinting at the broader expansion since 2014, and now he promises more of everything, plus a variety of products under his label. If you're looking for a last-minute gift for a Franta fanatic this week, look no further.

Screengrab via Connor Franta/YouTube

With releases from some of the best in the business, 2015 has been a huge year for dance music. Artists like Skrillex and Diplo (collectively known as Jack Ü), Dillon Francis, Flux Pavilion, and others are pushing the envelope of the genre more than ever.

At the pinnacle of quality and popularity, you’ll find the best of EDM—15 tracks that define the year, all available for streaming on Spotify.

1) Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are Ü Now (feat. Justin Bieber)”

Justin Bieber—long despised in the dance community—has turned his image around by working with dance music legend Skrillex, and “Where Are Ü Now” was the first step in that long process.

Upon its release on Feb. 27, the song took off, peaking in July when it went Platinum and hit No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 100 (and No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic chart). It later took home Best Collaboration of 2015 at the MTV European Music Awards.

2) Flux Pavilion & Matthew Koma – “Emotional”

British producer and popular dubstep label Circus Records co-owner Flux Pavilion achieved mainstream success in 2010 with the single “I Can’t Stop,” but 2015 finally saw the release of his first studio album.

The most popular track on his debut album Tesla is a collaboration with American singer and songwriter Matthew Koma titled “Emotional.”

The track quickly rose to be Flux’s third most-listened-to track of all time (sitting at 380,000 plays) on Spotify, just below “I Can’t Stop” and “Do or Die.” It’s also accumulated over 1 million plays on YouTube across popular channels such as MrSuicideSheep, Trap City, and others.

3) Major Lazer – “Powerful (feat. Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley)”

Major Lazer returned in 2015 to release the trio’s third studio album, titled Peace Is the Mission. The fourth single from the album was “Powerful,” a collaboration with mainstream English pop singer Ellie Goulding and Jamaican reggae singer Tarrus Riley called “Powerful.”

The track had mild success in the United States, hitting No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100, but in Australia, the track managed to take seventh on the overall music chart (and first in dance) over the summer.

Between consistent radio play and its role as the main promotional theme of Major Lazer’s Mad Decent Block Party, “Powerful” became a veritable summer anthem. It’s also Major Lazer’s second most popular track on Spotify, coming in at 56.5 million plays.

4) Dillon Francis & Skrillex – “Bun Up the Dance”

After an immensely successful 2014 that saw the release of his debut album Money Sucks, Friends Rule, Dillon Francis said he wanted to return to his roots in moombahton for a short EP this year. Francis debuted some of these songs on tour, notably at Lollapalooza and CounterPoint Music Festival.

The result was August release This Mixtape is Fire. The EP’s third single, a collaboration with mentor Skrillex called “Bun Up the Dance,” returns Francis to the heavy dance music style that made him so popular in the early 2010s.

That style has been well received by fans, who’ve tallied almost 4.5 million plays of the track on Spotify.

5) Jauz & Ephwurd – “Rock the Party”

“Rock the Party” by Jauz and Ephwurd (later revealed to be a collaborative project between popular dubstep producer Datsik and Bais Haus) dominated the festival circuit of 2015.

The song is currently sitting at just under 1 million plays on Spotify alone and held the No. 1 spot on Beatport’s top 100 for several weeks after its July release on Spinnin’ Records.

6) Dillon Francis & Calvin Harris – “What’s Your Name”

“What’s Your Name” was another track from Dillon Francis’s This Mixtape Is Fire. Its premiere at Go HARD Toronto left fans anxiously awaiting the rest of the release, so when it officially dropped in August, it quickly became a Spotify favorite. The track currently has 2.7 million plays on Spotify, and it sits at No. 3 in Francis’ most popular tracks.

7) Madeon & Passion Pit – “Pay No Mind”

French house wonderboy Madeon signed his first record deal with Sony Music for his debut album Adventure, and he put out a series of singles throughout late 2014 and early 2015 to promote the album. The first of 2015 was “Pay No Mind,” a collaboration with American indietronica band Passion Pit.

The song has over 12 million plays on Spotify. Its music video has two million views on the artist’s YouTube channel.

8) Major Lazer – “Lean On (feat. MØ & DJ Snake)”

Featuring an upbeat and tropical beat produced by Diplo, Jillionaire, and Walshy Fire (collectively Major Lazer)—as well as French producer DJ Snake—the trio’s first single of the year became an anthem for all of 2015. The track also features bone-chilling vocals from popular Danish singer MØ.

It’s had airplay on Friday Night Football and the Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, making it one of the most mainstream Major Lazer tracks ever, in addition to their most popular.

9) Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”

Mainstream media latched onto Calvin Harris thanks to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, but the Scottish artist was quietly preparing for the biggest release of his career. And in October, he dropped “How Deep Is Your Love,” a collaboration with English producer trio Disciples and uncredited vocals from Norwegian singer Ina Wroldsen.

The track has tallied over 222 million plays on Spotify since its release, as well as gotten remixed by DJ Snake, the artist best known for producing “Turn Down for What.”

10) Zomboy – “Game Time (Barely Alive Remix)”

For his “Resurrected” remix album, Zomboy enlisted the talents of American dubstep duo Barely Alive. The group has had an incredible 2015 under the guidance of dubstep legends Dodge & Fuski and Astronaut and put out its first album on the Disciple Recordings label this year, earning compliments from Skrillex himself.

Barely Alive’s remix of “Game Time” quickly replaced 2011 favorite “Game Time” as a favorite in DJ sets.

11) Hermitude – “The Buzz (feat. Mataya & Young Tapz)”

Australian duo Hermitude released its first major album Dark Night Sweet Light in 2015, filled with chill trap tracks like “The Buzz,” which has 7 million Spotify plays to date.

The single, which features Mataya and Young Tapz, has seen particular popularity in Australia.

12) Diamond Eyes – “Stay With Me (feat. Christina Grimmie)”

Diamond Eyes tracks “Animation” (a collaboration with Polish legend Xilent) and “Stay With Me” have gotten global attention already. But the beauty of Diamond Eyes’s music is in his voice, which is truly showcased in this duet with Christina Grimmie.

The 2 million plays it’s received on YouTube are well-deserved; this song is incredible.

13) Seven Lions – “A Way to Say Goodbye (Puppet Remix)”

After a successful Monstercat debut in 2014, Puppet returned this year to remix Seven Lions’ “A Way to Say Goodbye.” The notable difference from the original is a much more upbeat progression in the bridge of the song. This song is perfect if you’re driving on long roads with the windows down… as long as you ignore the heartbreaking lyrics.

14) Kill the Noise & Dillon Francis – “Dolphin on Wheels”

Kill the Noise has always been a favorite. From “Recess” with Skrillex, “Thumbs Up (for Rock ‘n’ Roll)” with Feed Me, “Narcissistic Cannibal” with Skrillex and KoRn, and “Dill the Noise” with Dillon Francis, the former drum ’n’ bass producer’s dubstep and electro alias has taken off since 2011.

Now with his latest album, Kill the Noise looks to redefine dance music. And this collaboration with Dillon Francis does just that. The song samples a YouTube video of a boy talking about his “dolphin on wheels” as well as dolphin chirps for the drop.

15) Excision & Pegboard Nerds – “Bring the Madness (feat. Mayor Apeshit) [Noisestorm Remix]”

Excision has been a household name for dance music fans since 2008. Similarly, Pegboard Nerds have pushed the envelope for dubstep music since its 2012 remix of Krewella’s “Alive.” Together with vocalist Mayor Apeshit for “Bring the Madness,” the two are almost unstoppable.

Irish producer Noisestorm managed to outdo himself for his drum ’n’ bass remix of “Bring the Madness,” mixing dubstep with fast DnB for an incredible track.

Music fans are getting an early Christmas present from the Beatles this year.

Starting on Christmas Eve, the Beatles’ discography will finally become widely available to stream online. Billboard first reported the news last week, citing sources who had knowledge of the negotiations. Now the streaming services and the Beatles official social media accounts have made it official. 

The Beatles discography will be available starting at midnight local time, so while places like New Zealand already have access to it, the rest of us will have to wait a few more hours.