I was going to start this guide to Paramount+, the latest streaming service to arrive in the UK, by counting how many platforms we now have access to. But honestly, I got bored — the list is too exhaustive, the choice too overwhelming.
There’s the big four, of course — Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Disney+ — not to mention the service every terrestrial channel offers, from BBC iPlayer to All 4 to ITV Hub. But then there’s the underliers, with much less hype but some excellent shows on offer: StarzPlay, Now, Discovery+. Even BritBox has some decent offerings.
With all those to choose from, do we really need another streaming service? According to American entertainment company ViacomCBS Networks International, the answer is an emphatic yes.
Paramount+ has been available in the US since 2014 (previously called CBS All Access and relaunched last year), but since the streaming world exploded in popularity, Paramount has decided to expand. Launching today, the streaming service is home to exclusive series and movies you won’t be able to watch anywhere else, as well as plenty of other content.
How much does it cost?
There’s just one tier of payment for Paramount+, which costs £6.99 per month. Or if you’re unafraid of commitment, you can save £13.98 if you buy an annual subscription at £69.90. There’s a seven-day free trial for new users, too.
Those who already pay for Sky Cinema can get part of the new platform for free. It’s a selective number of new shows and movies, but that’s better than nothing, right? Anyone who has Sky Q or a Sky Glass TV has the full Paramount+ experience included in their subscription (though you still need to be signed up to Sky Cinema). The offer doesn’t extend to Now customers, despite it being Sky’s streaming service.
How can I watch?
Like any streaming service, you can watch Paramount+ on your computer or laptop via your internet browser.
Otherwise, the app is available on Apple, Amazon, Google, Roku and Samsung devices.
What TV shows will be available?
There’s 8,000 hours’ worth of TV and movies to get stuck into on Paramount+ as of today, but many of those are of content from ViacomCBS’s other brands — MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Included in that list are Yellowstone, Yellowjackets and American Rust.
Most exciting are the original series that will arrive with the launch:
Halo (Original)
What: Based on the 2001 video game of the same name, this bombastic war drama takes place amid a centuries-long battle between humans and aliens. Don’t worry if you haven’t played the game, this is a standalone series which requires no knowledge of what the X button does.
Who: Pablo Schreiber, Natascha McElhone, Jen Taylor
When: Episodes 1-3 streaming today. New episodes every Wednesday.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Original)
What: A new addition to the already crowded world of Star Trek. Commanded by Captain Pike, the USS Enterprise sets out on a mission to uncover new worlds in the galaxy. He is of course flanked by Star Trek stalwarts Science Officer Spock and Number One.
Who: Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck
When: Episodes 1-3 streaming today. New episodes every Wednesday.
The Offer (Original)
What: A behind-the-scenes dramatisation of what it took to get 1972’s iconic gangster flick, The Godfather, made. While director Francis Ford Coppola usually gets all the credit, this limited series focuses on legendary producer Albert S Ruddy.
Who: Miles Teller, Juno Temple, Matthew Goode
When: Full box set streaming today.
Mayor of Kingstown (Original)
What: Not to be confused with the excellent HBO series Mare of Easttown, this series follows the McLusky family, powerful players in a town where the US prison system is a thriving business. After an unexpected tragedy, Mike finds himself leader of their criminal enterprise.
Who: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest and Kyle Chandler
When: Full box set streaming today.
1883 (Original)
What: A prequel to Yellowstone (also available on Paramount+), this series charts the Dutton family’s journey through across the Great Plains towards the end of the 19th century. Leaving behind their life of poverty in pursuit of the American Dream, the family are heading towards Montana in a detailed version of the tale of Western expansion.
Who: Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill
When: Full box set streaming today.
Queen of the Universe (Original)
What: Produced by the team behind Drag Race, this reality series is a singing competition between 10 talented drag queens from around the world. Every week they’ll perform for the star-studded panel of judges, hoping to win a $250,000 (£204,270) prize. Representing the UK is La Voix.
Who: Graham Norton, Leona Lewis, Trixie Mattel, Michelle Visage
When: Episode one streaming today. New episodes every Wednesday.
iCarly (Original)
What: A reboot of Nickelodeon’s beloved noughties sitcom about a young vlogger, Carly Shay. Now in her twenties and an influencer, Carly still relies on her friends to help her navigate her blossoming career and the complications of family life.
Who: Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress
When: Full box set streaming today.
The First Lady (Exclusive)
What: A dramatised look at the East Wing of the White House, run by three generations of America’s First Ladies — Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt. Despite their different time periods and different political views, their experiences of being married to the President have surprising similarities.
Who: Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Gillian Anderson
When: Full box set streaming today.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Exclusive)
What: Inspired by Walter Tevis’s 1963 novel and a sequel to the film that established David Bowie as a movie star in 1976, the series also follows an alien who lands on Earth at a pivotal moment in human history. He sets out to find a brilliant scientist, who knows the secrets to saving his almost extinct species.
Who: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Bill Nighy
When: Episodes 1-3 streaming today. New episodes every Wednesday.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (Exclusive)
What: The rise and almost epic fall of a Unicorn tech company is explored in this drama. We follow boss Travis Kalanick as he faces being ousted from his own company, a corporate nightmare startlingly similar to that explored in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed.
Who: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Uma Thurman, Kyle Chandler
When: Episodes 1-3 streaming today. New episodes every Wednesday.
All Star Shore (Exclusive)
What: A “party competition” reality show, whatever that means. Celebrities (if you can call them that) from various reality shows go head to head in a series of party challenges, including “Party Pong” and “Shots and Found”, on the sunny shores of the Canary Islands.
Who: Joey Essex, Chloe Ferry, Vanessa “Vanjie” Mateo
When: Two episodes streaming from Thursday 30 June. New episodes every Thursday.
What movies will be available?
Paramount Pictures has been making movies since 1912, so you can only imagine the back catalogue the new streaming service has to offer. As well as releasing a batch of old favourites every month, Paramount+ will also be home to original movies, which can’t be found anywhere else.
The first original movie is Jerry and Marge Go Large, starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Annette Bening (American Beauty) as real-life couple Jerry and Marge Selby, who gamed the system to win $27m (£22,017,150) on the lottery.
The second is an addition to the beloved canon of stoner comedy, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, which will be streaming from 24 June. Promising to “sit atop all future lists of the Dumbest Science Fiction Movies Ever Made”, the animated movie will see Beavis and Butt-Head undergo training at a space camp.
Among the older movies streaming in June are:
- South Park: The Streaming Wars (2022)
- South Park: Post Covid (2021)
- South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid (2021)
- Paw Patrol (2021)
- Grease (1978)
- Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
- Star Trek (2009)
- Star Trek: Generations (1994)
- Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
- Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
- Jack Reacher (2012)
- Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021)
- Flashdance (1983)
- Castaway (2000)
- Mean Girls (2004)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Footloose (1984)
Is it worth your money?
If you’re a Star Trek fan, then absolutely. But otherwise, it all depends on what your viewing habits are like.
Those looking for a streaming service with a wealth of exciting new movies might be disappointed. While you’d miss out on the few original films, I’d say that £6.99 a month is a lot for the few movies you probably already own on DVD anyway.
While Disney+ has the family market in a chokehold, Paramount+ does also have a lot to offer parents and their kids, thanks to the Nickelodeon content. It’s something other streaming services haven’t really capitalised on — but they don’t have the Paw Patrol movie to show off about.
Paramount+ really comes into its own when it comes to drama, however. The First Lady and The Man Who Fell to Earth are well worth a watch, and there are some exciting additions on the way in July that I’m not allowed to tell you about yet. TV lovers who want to stay up to date with the best new dramas from across the pond (I count myself in that cohort) will get a lot of bang for their buck.