Album of Week - BLISS N ESO - {The Moon (The Light Side)}

#RATED - Summer Streamin' 24/25

OK so as of last Friday, it still felt like summer! However here is my definitive ultimate, double summer, six monthly top 84 series. 

HBO, Paramount+ and Apple TV+ did well (as usual), the ABC (Australian) & STAN also did well on the local front. I have to say Disney+ had some damn fine content. While HBO ended up top dog, they also ended up bottom dog.

The Franchise, really came at the wrong time. It was also majorly unfunny. Talk about a misstep.

So as the US network TV drama season winds down, keep an eye on the Post Holiday Blues Streaming 25' series.

So if you want to visit all my previous lists click through the links HERE

1. Somebody Somewhere - Season Three/Series Final 
2. Apple Cider Vinegar - Miniseries (AU)
3. English Teacher - Season One 
4. Landman - Season One
5. Rivals - Season One
6. The Newsreader - Seasons Three/Series Finale (AU)
7. Fisk - Season Three (AU)
8. Black Snow - Season Two (AU)
9. Big Boys - Seasons One - Two
10. Cross - Season One
11. Paradise - Season One
12. Dexter: Original Sin - Season One
13. Grotesquerie - Season One
14. On Call - Season One
15. Optics - Season One (AU)
16. Bump - Season Five/Series Finale (AU)
17. American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez - Season One
18. Squid Game (Korean: 오징어 게임) - Season Two
19. Shrinking - Season Two
20. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - Season One
21. The Sex Lives of College Girls - Season Three/Series Finale
22. Invisible Boys - Season One (AU)
23. American Horror Stories - Season Three (B)
24. Clean Slate - Season One
25. Reacher - Season Three
26. The Office - Season One (AU)
27. The Chi - Season Six
28. Human Error - Miniseries (AU)
29. Tokyo Vice - Season Two/Series Finale
30. Yellowstone - Season Five/Series Final
31. Disclaimer (stylised as DISCLAIMER*) - Miniseries
32. Four Years Later - Miniseries (AU)
33. Hysteria! - Season One/Series Finale
34. How to Die Alone - Season One/Series Finale
35. The Penguin - Miniseries
36. Reasonable Doubt - Season Two
37. Bad Sisters - Season Two
38. It's Florida, Man - Season One
39. Plum - Season One (AU)
40. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
41. Based on a True Story - Season Two
42. Tulsa King - Season Two
43. Last King of the Cross - Season Two (AU)
44. Power Book II: Ghost - Season 4/Series Finale
45. Lioness - Season Two
46. Laid - Season One
47. Last Days of the Space Age - Miniseries (AU)
48. Dating Naked UK - Season One
49. Slow Horses - Season Four
50. Bookie - Seasons One - Two/Series Finale
51. Cruel Intentions - Season One/Series Finale
52. Only Murders in the Building - Season Four
53. Sweetpea - Season One 
54. Severance - Season Two
55. The Agency - Season One
56. Emily in Paris - Season Four
57. The Lake - Seasons One-Two/Series Finale
58. Bad Monkey - Season One
59. The Way Home - Season Three
60. Nacho - Miniseries
61. Territory - Season One/Series Finale (AU)
62. Tell Me Lies - Season Two
63. Silo - Second Season
64. Interior Chinatown - Miniseries
65. Teacup - Season One/Series Finale
66. Get Millie Black - Miniseries
67. Joan - Miniseries
68. Superman & Lois - Season Four/Series Finale
69. Thou Shalt Not Steal - Season One (AU)
70. The Sticky - Season One/Series Finale
71. Snowpiercer - Season 4/Series Finale
72. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol - Season Two
73. Agatha All Along - Miniseries
74. Prime Target - Miniseries
75. School Spirits - Season Two
76. The Old Man - Season Two/Series Finale
77. Extraordinary - Seasons One - Two/Series Finale
78. Cobra Kai - Season Six/Series Finale
79. Nightsleeper - Miniseries
80. Dead and Buried - Miniseries
81. Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist - Miniseries
82. Dune: Prophecy - Season One
83. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - Season One
84. The Franchise - Season One/Series Finale

Post Holiday Blues Streaming 25' - NCIS: Sydney - Season Two

NCIS: Sydney is BACK! Well it did finish yesterday morning, however for me, the best of the slightly longer second run was more like NCIS: Darwin. The final two episodes were based in Darwin with Mango Madness showing the USA the heat of our Top End.

The series streams on Paramount+ in Australia, where back in February, the series was renewed for a third season. Most CBS shows were all renewed early, with rumour of the next season being a longer 22 or so full TV season run.

We kick off season two with Mackey (Olivia Swann) confronting Colonel Rankin but he collapses after an apparent heart attack. 

For allowing Niemus to escape, Mackey and Dempsey (hunky Todd Lasance) are suspended from active duty by NCIS Special Agent Ken Carter and the AFP respectively. 

Jackson (hunky Sean Sagar) is placed in charge of the NCIS team. During the course of their investigation, Penrose (William McInnes) discovers that the comatose Rankin was fitted with a pacemaker that doubled as a listening device which was remotely detonated when he tried to expose the people he was working for. 

While analysing his bank transactions, Penrose finds that Rankin was working for an unidentified party who had hired Utkin to assassinate Niemus. 

Mackey and Dempsey secretly assist their colleagues and discover that Niemus had triggered Rankin's heart attack. 

Niemus attempts to kill Rankin but is lured into a trap and captured by Dempsey and Mackey. Following Niemus' capture, Dempsey and Mackey are reinstated in the NCIS team. While the comatose Rankin is officially declared dead, the NCIS team resolve to find the true mastermind.

Season two does have some random episodes, including a truly bizarre vampire episode. That one could easily be skipped. For reference that's episode eight, Blood Is Thicker Than Vodka.

The Aussie procedural stars Olivia Swann as Michelle Mackey, Todd Lasance as Sergeant Jim "JD" Dempsey, Sean Sagar as DeShawn Jackson, Tuuli Narkle as Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel as Bluebird "Blue" Gleeson & legendary William McInnes as Roy "Rosie" Penrose.

Whilst the show is super cheesy, it's an easy watch with a far amount of solid action. The final two episodes in the Top End were by far the most consistent.

I'll be interested to see how season three turns out. Particularly if they supersize the episode count. Currently around 8-10 episodes they mostly keep things tight. I do worry about more filler episodes (like this seasons vampire one) if the episode count grows too much.

Staying with Paramount+ tomorrow for the third season of Yellowjackets.

Final (for now) Friday Flash(back) - Ball Park Music - Like Love

Film Influencer 2025 - Drop

My first film back on Aussie soil is, Drop.

A new thriller film directed by Christopher Landon, and written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach. 

Starring Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Ben Pelletier, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, & Travis Nelson.

Drop had its premiere at the SXSW & has received positive reviews from critics. So a first date/thriller film anyone?

Violet (Fahy), a widowed mother, is on a date with Henry (Sklenar) when she is terrorised by a series of anonymous messages to her phone. The caller instructs her to tell nobody, and follow increasingly malicious instructions, or her younger sister, Jen, and her son, Toby will be killed, culminating with her being told to kill Henry.

The title is a reference to the AirDrop feature on Apple's iPhone, which allows you to share pictures and videos with other phones within your proximity.

With a 90 minute run, Drop keeps you guessing in this modern/tech bro whodunnit where everyone in the vicinity is a suspect or victim. 

I enjoyed this bit of escapism. It was a fun escape from returning to work after three awesome weeks away in beautiful Japan.

Japan to Sydney, what a culture shock!

If you like me, needed a midweek film, Drop is totally a vibe.

I do love the thriller genre, I also like the violence is very limited in this film. There is some intense family violence, but no gore like other Blumhouse pictures.

Drop is a modern day, app hell. From dating apps, to tracking apps and more apps. Fuck our phones right?

3 Stars

Post Holiday Blues Streaming 25' - Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue - Minseries

Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue was a binge I started on my trip to Japan. The first two episodes were addictive AF!

Like an old school whodunnit, this thriller television series created and written by Anthony Horowitz was top notch.

Staring early March, concluding over the weekend on Stan. This might be my first MGM+ title I have watched.

So what's the drum? Following an air disaster, nine strangers are marooned in a Mexican jungle. However, when they start dying one by one, the survivors must solve the mystery of who is killing them off.

The tight six episode limited season stars Will & Grace's Will, Eric McCormack as Kevin Anderson, David Ajala as Zack Ellis, Lydia Wilson as Sonja Blair,  Jan Le as Amy Maclean, Adam Long as Dan Maclean,  Siobhán McSweeney as Lisa Davies, Peter Gadiot as Carlos García Méndez, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Travis Davies, Ángel López-Silva as Captain Gabriel Vega & Sebastián Capitán Viveros as second lieutenant Ignacio López.

As we get through the six episodes more and more bodies appear in Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.

They arrive at the morgue, where the twists and turns come a plenty.

The finale offers a how did it, along with a why did it, with a pretty inclusive ending for a limited series, however it gives the viewer a bit of a, make the ending up yourselves.

This was addictive, easy viewing. I was hooked. I will 100% be taking more notice of MGM+ programming from now on. Most previous titles for now can be found on Stan in Australia.

Post Holiday Blues Streaming 25' - Rescue: HI-Surf - Season One

Rescue: HI-Surf wrapped it's lengthy season one whilst I was off chasing cherry blossoms. So it was an easy pick to finish the final two episodes upon my return. Was there a cliffhanger? HELL NO!

Well unless you count someone driving off into the sunset, after a party? Like they literally just drove off as they left a dull party or had an early start tomorrow.

The party they left was fine, the episode was run of the mill, but nothing for me to scream at Shameless (USA) producer to write/create a second run.

Rescue: HI-Surf was originally piloted for HBO Max in 2021, the series was then picked up by FOX,  premiering last September. FOX originally planned to air an episode of Rescue: HI-Surf following its coverage of Super Bowl LIX in February.

However (this is where we should question if a second season is coming) last November, FOX pushed the episode back to its normal time slot, and announced that it would air the third season premiere of The Floor in the post-Super Bowl slot instead. Way harsh!

However the new series for the 2024-2025 season, did premiere last September, following NFL coverage, before moving to its regular Monday-night time slot the following day.

Starring Arielle Kebbel, Adam Demos (Aussie), Robbie Magasiva (Wentworth legend), Kekoa Kekumano, Alex Aiono, Zoe Cipres, Tessa de Josselin, Andrew Creer, Ethan Rich, George Mason, Kekoa Scott Kekumano, Arielle Kebbel, Shawn Hatosy and Ian Anthony Dale

So is Rescue: HI-Surf, just a revamp/reworking of Baywatch? Well yes and no. The 19 episodes, follow a team of lifeguards in the North Shore of O'ahu, Hawaii.

It looks amazing, the male lifeguards are HOT! Particularly, Kekoa Scott Kekumano as Laka Hanohan.

Aside from the eye candy, with Binge losing all HBO content, almost overnight. Is this remaining US series worth watching on Binge? Yes and no. It looks great (both the beaches, scenery and the men) but honestly the character development has been noted for being rather lacklustre.

If the guys weren't good looking, they would be DAMN boring.

With limited series announced for the return of the 2025-2026 TV season on FOX so far, I suspect this might be given another shot. Even with a potential reboot of the show this may have been inspired by, Baywatch.

Here is what is currently set to return to FOX from September this year:

Bob's Burgers—Renewed for a sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth season on April 2, 2025.

Doc—Renewed for a second season on February 26, 2025.

Family Guy—Renewed for a twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh season on April 2, 2025.

Hell's Kitchen—Renewed for a twenty-fourth season on March 26, 2024.

Krapopolis—Renewed for a third season on March 1, 2023 and a fourth season on July 25, 2024.

Murder in a Small Town—Renewed for a second season on January 16, 2025.

Next Level Chef—Renewed for a fifth and sixth season on February 27, 2025.

The Simpsons—Renewed for a thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth and fourtieth season on April 2, 2025.

Universal Basic Guys—Renewed for a second season on May 13, 2024.