By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
More than 30 years of experience covering TV technology.
Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, plans to add 225 new TV shows, movies and live sporting events in November. Here’s the four most interesting, in my humble opinion:
Bookie, Season 1 (Max Original)
Sebastian Maniscalco (The Irishman) plays a bookie on the dark side of LA where gambling will soon be legal and gamblers are more psychopathic than ever. Maniscalco is a gifted comedic and dramatic actor so this one definitely sounds interesting.
Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023) (CNN Films/Max Original)
My guess is that many people under 50, perhaps even under 60, are not aware of the bombastic brilliance of Little Richard whose rockin’ tunes Tutti Fruitti, Good Golly Miss Molly and Lucille were copied by everyone from The Beatles to Elvis. While others were credited for changing music in the 50s and 60s, it was Little Richard who showed them how to change it. The CNN documentary examines his work and his life which included being black and gay when either identity could put your well-being at risk.
NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
The NBA this year is holding an in-season tournament beginning November 9 and culminating with the championship on December 3. The 30 NBA teams will be put in five groups based on the win-loss records of last season. Then, each team will play four designated ‘Group Play’ games on ‘Tournament Nights’ which will then lead to knockout rounds, semifinals and the finals. As the sister of TNT, Max will stream three nights of tournament play. (I have my doubts about whether this concept will work, but I’m sure the league is going to promote the hell out of it.)
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023) (HBO Original)
Albert Brooks, the greatest comedian you’ve never heard of. Yes, the man who made some of the funniest films ever, such as Modern Romance, Real Life, Mother, Lost in America and Defending Your Life, will be the subject of an HBO documentary. Longtime Albert pal and director Rob Reiner will direct and converse with Albert about his career. If it’s like anything else that Albert has done, it will be hysterically funny and watched by very few people. But I’ll be watching. (Below a snippet from Albert’s movie, Defending Your Life, with the great Rip Torn as his attorney in the after life.)
Here is the complete list of new titles and sports coming to Max in November 2023:
November 1
Act of Valor (2012)
After the Thin Man (1936)
Aliens (1986)
The Ant Bully (2006)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
The Avengers (1998)
The Bachelor (1999)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Bells Are Ringing (1960)
Black Beauty (1994)
Boys’ Night Out (1962)
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
Brigadoon (1954)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Christmas Cookie Challenge, Seasons 1-5 (Food Network)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Story 2 (2012)
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Diner (1982)
Down to Earth (2001)
Dune (1984)
Elf (2003)
The Fantastic Four (2015)
Fever Pitch (2005)
The Foot Fist Way (2008)
Four Christmases (2008)
Fred Claus (2007)
Free Fire (2017)
Funny Farm (1988)
Get Carter (1971)
Get Smart (2008)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Gran Torino (2008)
Great Expectations (1998)
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Happy Feet (2006)
Happy Feet Two (2011)
Head of State (2003)
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
High Life (2019)
Holiday Affair (1949)
Holiday Baking Championship, Seasons 1-9 (Food Network)
Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown, Seasons 1-2 (Food Network)
Holiday Wars, Seasons 1-4 (Food Network)
Inkheart (2009)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Jack Frost (1998)
John Dies at the End (2013)
Kart Racer (2003)
Killing Me Softly (2003)
Kin (2018)
The King’s Speech (2010)
Legally Blonde (2001)
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)
Legally Blondes (2009)
The Lovely Bones (2010)
Major League (1989)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Mean Girls 2 (2011)
Misery (1990)
Mistress America (2015)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
New Year’s Eve (2011)
Now You See Me (2013)
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Ordinary People (1980)
Paddington 2 (2017)
Paycheck (2003)
The Pioneer Woman: Hometown Stories, Season 1 (Food Network)
The Pirate (1948)
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
The Polar Express (2004)
Predators (2010)
The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
Road House (1989)
Rocky (1976)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky III (1982)
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky V (1990)
Room for One More (1952)
Running on Empty (1988)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
Traffik (2018)
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
Unfinished Business (2015)
Uptown Girls (2003)
Walking Tall (2004)
Wargames (1983)
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
Welcome To Marwen (2018)
Where the Boys Are (1960)
Winter’s Bone (2010)
Winter’s Tale (2014)
November 2
Caught in the Net, Season 2 (ID)
Christmas Cookie Challenge, Season 7 (Food Network)
Expedition Bigfoot, Season 4 (Discovery Channel)
November 3
Border Control: Spain, Seasons 1-3
Scent of Time (Max Original)
November 4
Rebuilding Black Wall Street, Season 1 (OWN)
November 5
Holiday Wars, Season 5 (Food Network)
OWN Spotlight: Oprah & Nicole Avant, Season 1 (OWN)
The Lost Women of Highway 20, Season 1 (ID)
The Mountain Kitchen, Season 1 (Magnolia Network)
November 6
Gumbo Coalition (2022)
Holiday Baking Championship, Season 10 (Food Network)
The Family Chantel, Season 5 (TLC)
November 7
Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown, Season 2 (Food Network)
Building Roots, Season 1B (HGTV)
Fixer to Fabulous, Season 5 (HGTV)
Operation Undercover (ID)
Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School (2023) (HBO Original)
November 8
A Chestnut Family Christmas (2021) (OWN)
A Christmas For Mary (2019) (OWN)
A Christmas Fumble (2022) (OWN)
A Christmas Open House (HGTV)
A Christmas Stray (2021) (OWN)
A Gingerbread Christmas (Food Network)
The Great Holiday Bake War (2022) (OWN)
A Sisterly Christmas (2021) (OWN)
Artfully Designed, Season 2 (Magnolia Network)
Baking Christmas (2019) (OWN)
Buying Back the Block, 2 Specials(HGTV)
Candy Coated Christmas (Food Network)
Carole’s Christmas (2019) (OWN)
Cooking Up Christmas (2020) (OWN)
Designing Christmas (HGTV)
Feds, Season 1 (ID)
First Christmas (2020) (OWN)
Fixer to Fabulous: Holiday Surprise, Season 1 (HGTV)
Fixer Upper: The Hotel (Magnolia Network)
Food Network: White House Thanksgiving (Food Network)
Help! I Wrecked My House, Season 4 (HGTV)
Holiday Crafters Gone Wild, Season 1 (HGTV)
Home Town: Ben’s Holiday Workshop, Season 1 (HGTV)
Home Town: Christmas in Laurel, Season 1 (HGTV)
House Hunters: Ho Ho Home (HGTV)
Macy’s Thanksgiving Cake Spectacular, Season 1 (Food Network)
My Lottery Dream Home: Holiday Extravaganza, Season 1 (HGTV)
One Fine Christmas (2019) (OWN)
Our OWN Christmas (OWN)
Santa’s Baking Blizzard, Season 1 (Food Network)
Surprising Santa Claus (HGTV)
The Big Holiday Food Fight, Season 1 (OWN)
Turkey Day Sunny’s Way, Season 1 (Food Network)
Ultimate Hanukkah Challenge, Season 1 (Food Network)
Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge, Seasons 1-2 (Food Network)
You Were My First Boyfriend (2023) (HBO Original)
November 9
My Sesame Street Friends, Season 4 (Max Original)
Rap Sh!t, Season 2 (Max Original)
Sesame Street, Season 54 (Max Original)
November 11
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023) (HBO Original)
The Craftsman: Preserving the Last Higgins Boat (Magnolia Network)
November 12
American Monster, Season 9A (ID)
Kids Baking Championship: Sweets-giving (Food Network)
OWN Spotlight: Oprah & Courtney B. Vance & Dr. Robin Smith (OWN)
November 13
Love Has Won (HBO Original)
November 14
Fear Thy Neighbor, Season 9A (ID)
How We Get Free (2023) (HBO Original)
Real Time Crime, Season 2 (ID)
Teen Titans Go!: WB 100th Anniversary Special & Intro Special (Cartoon Network)
November 15
Buddy vs. Christmas, Season 1 (Food Network)
Buddy vs. Duff Holiday, Season 1 (Food Network)
Expedition Unknown, Season 8B (Discovery Channel)
House Hunters International: Volume 8 (HGTV)
White House Christmas, 1998-2021 (HGTV)
White House Christmas Special, 2022 (HGTV)
November 16
The Dog House: UK, Christmas Special (Max Original)
Julia, Season 2 (Max Original)
November 17
Killers of the Cosmos, Season 1 (Science Channel)
Tom & Jerry Snowman’s Land (2022)
November 19
Teen Titans Go!: Wishbone
The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown, Season 1 (Food Network)
November 20
Ice Age America, Season 1 (Science Channel)
November 21
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Exposed: Crimes Gone Naked, Season 1 (ID)
Road Rage, Season 1 (ID)
November 22
The Intern (2015)
November 23
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Elmo Saves Christmas
Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023) (CNN Films/Max Original)
Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol
November 24
Let Us Prey, Season 1 (ID)
The Lives of Felix (Las vidas de Fèlix)
November 27
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Season 12 (Adult Swim)
Kids Baking Championship: Reindeer Games (Food Network)
The Garden: Commune or Cult, Season 1 (Discovery Channel)
November 28
Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 1G
South to Black Power (2023) (HBO Original)
November 29
Help! My House is Haunted, Season 4B
Her (2014)
Street Outlaws: Farmtruck and AZN: Down Under, Season 1 (Discovery Channel)
November 30
Bookie, Season 1 (Max Original)
Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays (Food Network)
Max Live Sports In November:
November 1
NHL: Buffalo Sabres* at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
NHL: St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche*, 9:30 p.m.
November 6
College Basketball: 2023 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas
Women: USC vs. Ohio State, 2 p.m.
Men: Oregon vs. Georgia, 4:30 p.m.
Women: Colorado vs. LSU, 7:30 p.m.
Men: USC vs. Kansas State, 10 p.m.
November 7
NHL: Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m.
NHL: New Jersey Devils at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m.
November 8
NHL: Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m.
NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
November 14
NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets, 7:30 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder, 10 p.m.
November 15
NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m.
NHL: New York Islanders at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.
November 16
2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal (Home Leg)
U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 8:30 p.m.
November 20
2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal (Away Leg)
Soccer: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Trinidad & Tobago, Time TBA
November 21
NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m.
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.
November 22
NHL: Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
NHL: Vegas Golden Knights* at Dallas Stars, 9:30 p.m.
November 24
2023 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown
Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres, 6 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild, 8:30 p.m.
November 28
NBA In-Season Tournament Group Play
Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.
November 29
NHL: Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m.
* Denotes the event may not be available in the local market of the teams.
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
