By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, plans to add 167 new TV shows and movies to its streaming lineup in October 2023. Here are the five most interesting, in my humble opinion:
Major League Baseball Playoffs
On October 5, Max will add a live sports tier, called Bleacher Report Sports, which include broadcasts from Turner networks such as TBS and TNT. The first live event will be MLB’s National League Division Series, starting October 7. This will give cord cutters — and Fubo subscribers — a chance to watch Turner’s MLB, NBA and NHL broadcasts without having to subscribe to a pay TV service. The sports tier will be free to Max subscribers until February 29, 2023. After that, it will cost an extra $9.99 a month.
The Gilded Age, season two
The HBO original series, which stars Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector and Christine Baranski, chronicles high society in New York during the boom times of the 1880s. If you like Downton Abbey, and similar fare, this is right up your Jay Gould alley. Rotten Tomatoes gave season one a score of 79 out of 100.
The French Connection (1971)
The 1971 film is one of the most realistic police dramas in cinematic history. Directed with a tight hand by the recently departed William Friedkin (The Exorcist), the film fearlessly shows its lead detective, Detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Gene Hackman), as both hero and anti-hero. You root for Doyle, but you also cringe when he resorts to illegal and sometimes cruel tactics in his relentless search of a French drug kingpin (Fernando Rey). Hackman became a star after the film’s release and we can all thank Mr. Friedkin and Richard Zanuck for that. Richard Zanuck? That’s right. Read this article.
Badlands (1973)
Directed by Terrence Malick, Badlands is a mesmerizing cinematic masterpiece that transcends traditional storytelling. Released 50 years ago, this crime drama captures the essence of youthful rebellion and romanticism amidst a backdrop of violence and chaos. Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek deliver outstanding performances as Kit and Holly, a young couple on a crime spree across the American Midwest. Malick’s poetic direction immerses the audience in a dreamlike atmosphere, blending stunning visuals of the vast landscape with a hauntingly beautiful musical score. Great film from a master director.
NHL & NBA Live Games
As part of the live sports tier, Max will stream more than 60 live NHL regular season games including an Opening Week doubleheader (Wednesday, Oct. 11) with the Chicago Blackhawks visiting the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Colorado Avalanche. There will also be live coverage of NBA Opening Night on Tuesday, October 24, featuring the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns visiting the Golden State Warriors, part of a schedule of 65 live NBA regular season games during the 2023-24 season.
Here is the complete list of new titles coming to Max in October 2023:
October 1
3 Godfathers (1948)
The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
All About the Benjamins (2002)
The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
The Answer Man (2009)
Anthropoid (2016)
Appaloosa (2008)
The Apparition (2012)
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Badlands (1973)
Be Cool (2005)
Bee Season (2005)
Beetlejuice (1988)
The Benchwarmers (2006)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blindspotting (2018)
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
Cesar Chavez (2014)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Control Room (2004)
Critters 3 (1991)
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Daphne & Velma (2018)
Dark Shadows (2012)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969)
Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks, Season 1 (ID)
Father Figures (2017)
Final Destination (2000)
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Final Destination 5 (2011)
The Final Destination (2009)
The Five Heartbeats (1991)
Flashdance (1983)
FLCL: Shoegaze, Season 5
Flight (2012)
Focus (2015)
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
French Connection II (1975)
The French Connection (1971)
Friday the 13th (2009)
Furious 7 (2015)
Get Shorty (1995)
Gloria Bell (2019)
The Golden Child (1986)
The Grey (2011)
Hackers (1995)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)
The Haunting (1963)
Horror of Dracula (1958)
House of Sand and Fog (2004)
The House (2017)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
In the Kitchen with Abner and Amanda, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
Ismael’s Ghosts (2018)
Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror, Season 1 (Travel Channel)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Jumanji (1995)
Just Wright (2010)
Kate & Leopold (2001)
The Last Stand (2013)
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
The Letter (1940)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Love Jones (1997)
Meet Dave (2008)
Meg 2: The Trench (2023) (Starting 9/29)
Men at Work (1990)
The Mod Squad (1999)
The Mummy (1959)
The Neverending Story (1984)
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter (1991)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Oracle (2023)
Out of the Past (1947)
Paper Towns (2015)
Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary II (1992)
The Phantom of The Opera (2004)
Pleasantville (1998)
Poltergeist (1982)
Pootie Tang (2001)
The Pyramid (2014)
Ranch to Table, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring (HBO)
Rock of Ages (2012)
Roger & Me (1989)
Running Scared (2006)
Scream (1996)
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream 3 (2000)
Skin (2019)
Small Soldiers (1998)
Son of the Mask (2005)
Soylent Green (1973)
Spartan (2004)
Species (1995)
Species II (1998)
Species III (2004)
Speedway (1968)
Spinout (1966)
Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)
Teen Spirit (2019)
Teen Titans Go!: Welcome To Halloween, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1993)
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007)
Tom and Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers (2014)
Trick ‘r Treat (2009)
Upgrade (2018)
Valerie’s Home Cooking Season 14 (Food Network)
Warm Bodies (2013)
The Weekend (2019)
What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Season 10 (The CW)
Whose Streets? (2017)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Oct. 3
Hostage 911, Season 1 (ID)
Oct. 4
Bering Sea Gold, Season 11B (Discovery Channel)
Ghost Adventures: Devil Island, Special (Discovery Channel)
Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America, Season 2 (Science Channel)
Oct. 5
BattleBots, Season 7B (Discovery Channel)
Oscar’s Handmade Halloween (Max Original)
Our Flag Means Death, Season 2 (Max Original)
Oct. 6
90 Day Fiance Pillow Talk: Before The 90 Days, Season 6 (TLC)
Bugs Bunny Builders: Hard Hat Time: Haunted Garage (Cartoon Network)
Deane’s Dynasty (Max Original)
HGTV Urban Oasis Special (HGTV)
Oct. 7
Jessica’s Big Little World, Season 1 (Cartoon Network)
Makeover by Monday, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
Ready to Love, Season 3C (OWN)
MLB Playoffs
Oct. 8
90 Day Fiance, Season 10 (TLC)
Last Stop Larrimah (2023) (HBO)
Teen Titans Go!: Haunted Tank, Season 8 (Cartoon Network)
October 9
The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime (ID)
Oct. 10
No Accident (2023) (HBO)
Street Outlaws vs. The World (Discovery Channel)
October 11
Opening Week NHL doubleheader with the Chicago Blackhawks visiting the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Colorado Avalanche.
Crimefeed (ID)
Ghost Adventures, Season 20C (Discovery Channel)
Oct. 12
Doom Patrol, Season 4 (Max Original)
Frankelda’s Book of Spooks (Max Original)
October 14
Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Season 5 (Food Network)
October 15
Naked and Afraid, Season 9C (Discovery Channel)
October 16
Wardens of the North (Animal Planet)
October 18
Good Bones, Season 8 (HGTV)
October 19
Candy Cruz (Max Original)
Peter & the Wolf (2023) (Max Original)
Teenage Kiss: The Future Is Dead (Max Original)
October 20
Beach Cottage Chronicles, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
Cabin Chronicles: Renovation (Magnolia Network)
Cuquin
First Time Fixer, Season 5 (Magnolia Network)
October 22
aka MR. CHOW (2023) (HBO)
October 23
30 Coins, Season 2 (HBO)
Justice League: Warworld (2023)
Oct. 24
Live coverage of NBA Opening Night featuring the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns visiting the Golden State Warriors.
Restoration Road With Clint Harp, Season 4 (Magnolia Network)
Silent House (2012)
Supermarket Stakeout, Season 5 (Food Network)
Oct. 25
Bargain Mansions, Season 5 (Magnolia Network)
Strange Evidence, Season 7 (Science Channel)
The Murder Tapes, Season 6A (ID)
Oct. 26
The Haunted Museum, Season 2 (Travel Channel)
Oct. 27
A Time to Kill, Season 4A (ID)
Diary of an Old Home, Season 3 (Magnolia Network)
Adult Swim Smalls, Season 5 (Adult Swim)
Oct. 28
Mecha Builders (Cartoon Network)
Oct. 29
The Gilded Age, Season 2 (HBO)
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
