September 2023 media picks and news
Time for my monthly look at media of interest coming out in September 2023.
Disney+
A full list is available here.
The Little Mermaid (2023), Sept. 6
I Am Groot (Season 2), Sept. 6
Disney classic shorts:
Trolley Troubles, Sept. 5
The Barn Dance, Sept. 8
Bone Trouble, Sept. 8
Mickey’s Kangaroo, Sept. 8
Playful Pluto, Sept. 8
Pluto, Jr., Sept. 8
Max
A full list is available here.
Young Love (Max Original), Sept. 21
Paramount+
A full list is available here.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) (Seasons 1-2), Sept. 19
The Amazing Race (Season 35), Sept. 27
Sports
NFL football, starting September 7 (various networks)
My thoughts
Normally, September marks the start of the traditional fall network TV lineup. However, the Hollywood writers and actors strikes have ensured a normal fall season isn’t happening. Various shows have been pushed back or are on hold until things are resolved. Additionally, the major networks plan on relying on a mix of reality shows and a saved-up catalog of scripted fare, though mostly the former. If you’re a fan of a particular show that’s affected by all of this, you might want to use this time to catch up on TV show and movie back catalogs.
Coming to Paramount+ is the original 1987 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” series’ first two seasons. While the series has been streaming on Pluto TV, this I believe marks the first time the ‘87 series is available on a non-free, on-demand streaming service. You’ll get to see the show that made the Turtles a household name; while some of it’s campy by today’s standards (or compared to later TMNT spin-offs), it’s still a beloved show. It’s also the same show that introduced everyone’s favorite idiot henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady.
Debuting on Max this month is “Young Love,” the spin-off Max Original series based on the Oscar-winning animated short “Hair Love.” If you’re a Max subscriber, hopefully “Young Love” won’t fall prey to being purged by the streaming service’s “90 Day Fiance”-loving owners. Fortunately, if you’re not a Max subscriber, there’s a chance “Young Love” will turn up on DVD or digital video for rental/purchase like some other Max animated shows (“Velma,” “Harley Quinn,” etc.).
Here’s the trailer for “Young Love”.
Sports stuff
America’s most popular sport returns this month, as football season gets fully underway. Fortunately for cord-cutters, it’s the easiest sport to keep track of without cable; all local football team games, as well as many nationally-airing games, are on over-the-air television (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox). Many games can also be seen on basic streaming services:
ESPN+: any “Monday Night Football” airings on ABC
Paramount+: all CBS games (mostly AFC teams)
Peacock: “Sunday Night Football”
Amazon Prime Video: “Thursday Night Football”
Otherwise, if you don’t want to use the above or an antenna, you’ll have to settle for a cable replacement service, such as YouTube TV or Hulu Live. The same goes if you’re a hardcore football fan that wants things like specific out-of-market games, etc.
Image from "Young Love." (Max)