Technologies
Streaming Guide April 2023: You Can Skip These Services This Month
But you should definitely hold on to HBO Max.
Figuring out which streaming services to keep can feel overwhelming, especially when you factor in the added cost of live sports now that Major League Baseball is back. Plus, the costs add up quickly when you want to keep mainstays like Netflix or Disney Plus. But in April there are a few TV shows and movies worth streaming this month, even if that means holding on to a subscription longer than you want to.
Several popular series — like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — are debuting their final seasons in April, while others like Bel-Air and The Mandalorian are wrapping up until the next installment.
Each month, I give advice on which streaming services to cancel or keep based on cost and current content lineup. If you’re thinking about canceling a few streaming service subscriptions, I’d like to offer my strategy: churn like ice cream.
That means you’ll rotate your services. Subscribe for a period, cancel, stream on a different platform, then resubscribe, keeping your favorites in a rotation. Feel free to pick one or two must-haves for the year and treat additional streamers like seasonal add-ons.This helps save money on Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max and others when they don’t have the content you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to shut off autorenewal for your monthly subscriptions. This may not work if you’re sharing accounts with anyone outside your household, but if you can work out an agreement with your streaming partners, try it.
Here are my recommendations for which streamers to keep or cancel for April, based on new TV shows and movies (I didn’t consider live TV streaming services) arriving on each platform. In addition to listing the new releases, I’m going to highlight when finales air so you can choose whether to cancel a subscription mid-month or wait to binge a show. Note that Netflix does not have to be a keeper this month. Hear me out: Beef and Chupa drop early, so you may cancel after watching those titles or wait until next month to watch April’s releases (unless you love Power Rangers).
Your tastes may be different, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. It’s easier than you may think.
April streaming service rotation
| Keep | Cancel | |
|---|---|---|
| HBO Max | X | |
| Hulu | X | |
| Netflix | X | |
| Apple TV Plus | X | |
| Disney Plus | X | |
| Starz | X | |
| Paramount Plus | X | |
| Prime Video | X | |
| Peacock | X |
Why you should keep these streaming services in April
HBO Max: You can watch Succession unless you want to binge it all in May or June. Titans drops its midseason premiere on April 13, but the series finale hits May 11. Barry — the fourth and final season — debuts April 16. Max Original limited series Love & Death, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons, arrives with three episodes on April 27. The show wraps on May 25.
Hulu: Network shows like Snowfall and The Simpsons continue to air. But there’s a standout: Kathryn Hahn fans can watch Tiny Beautiful Things, a new limited series that drops April 7. Other releases include The Good Mothers and Dave season 3 (both on now), Dear Mama (April 22) and Saint X premieres on April 26.
Peacock: New episodes of NBC shows likes The Voice are still streaming, but Peacock original Mrs. Davis, an AI-themed dramedy, premieres on April 20. Bel-Air season 2 runs until April 27, so you can binge the entire season this month or in May.
Apple TV Plus: Ted Lasso continues to air through April, and Tetris dropped on March 31 so you can check it out this month. Schmigadoon! returned on April 7 and Jennifer Garner’s new series, The Last Thing He Told Me, premieres April 14. If you’re not interested in any of these, skip Apple TV Plus. Know that it costs $7 a month and comes with a free seven-day trial.
Starz: If you haven’t already, snag a Starz deal at $3 a month for three months. Start watching the new season of Power Book II: Ghost and binge all of BMF season 2. Mid-month, stream the premiere of Blindspotting season 2 on April 14.
Prime Video: Most of us are already paying for this service, but if you’re a fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, season 5 premieres on April 14. There will be seven episodes in this final installment. If you have a standalone Prime Video subscription and aren’t a fan or prefer to skip the service’s new series, The Power, then cancel this month.
You can watch the final run of The Marvel Mrs. Maisel weekly on Prime Video.
Prime VideoCancel these after watching what you want
Netflix: While you may find good reasons to keep Netflix right now — like watching older titles — you can save money if nothing here interests you or after you watch new releases at the top of the month. Here’s what’s coming:
- Mo’Nique: My Name is Mo’Nique comedy special (on now)
- Beef (on now) — Comedy-drama series from A24 with Ali Wong and Steven Yuen
- Chupa movie (on now)
- Hunger — Thai thriller film about a street food cook who winds up working for a cutthroat chef (on now)
- Cocomelon season 8 (April 10)
- Florida Man TV series (April 13)
- The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (April 14)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (April 19)
- The Diplomat (April 20)
- Sweet Tooth season 2 (April 27)
- Firefly Lane season 2, part 2 (April 27)
Paramount Plus: You can keep streaming Rabbit Hole after its March debut or wait to binge it. April additions include Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (on now) and a Fatal Attraction TV series (April 30). Some of you may want to cancel this service now that March Madness is over, or if you’re not digging Rabbit Hole.
Disney Plus: The Mandalorian’s season 3 finale streams on April 19, but if you only have Disney Plus for this show, then cancel it after it ends. Other releases include The Crossover (on now), a TV series based on a book. The Owl House series is ending with season 3, so watch the first of three episodes on April 9. Rennervations from Hawkeye star Jeremy Renner debuts on April 12, and Disney’s new original film, Peter Pan & Wendy, lands on April 28.
Pack it up after Baby Yoda’s tour is over in April.
Disney PlusSave more money by waiting it out
If you’re not someone who routinely gets FOMO, then a smart method is to wait until the bulk or all episodes of your favorite series land on a platform. That way, rather than pay for a service for two or three months to cover the six- to 12-week run of a show, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for one month. And then repeat the cycle again.
For example, there will be 10 weekly episodes of Succession season 4 on HBO Max. The finale drops around late May, so all episodes of the Roy family’s dysfunction will be available to stream at that time. Though it premiered on March 26 and runs through May, why pay for three months when you can wait to stream it in full anytime in June? The same practice can apply to Rabbit Hole’s eight-episode run and 12 episodes in season 3 of Ted Lasso.
Kiefer Sutherland as John Weir in Rabbit Hole.
Marni Grossman/Paramount+Note how much you’re paying per month for each streaming service, and do the math. Apple TV Plus is $7. Netflix is $7 to $20 (until account-sharing fees kick in), Disney Plus is anywhere from $3 to $11 depending on bundles, HBO Max costs $10 or $16, Hulu starts at $8 and Starz runs $9. The others have a base rate of $5 per month. To avoid paying the most, you can check out deals for streaming services here: Best Streaming Service Deals From Verizon, T-Mobile and More and Best Streaming Service Deals on Hulu, Peacock, Disney Plus and More.
Should you decide to churn, set yourself a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel. We’ll see you in May for another streaming rundown.
Technologies
Pope Francis’ Funeral: How to Stream Live or Watch the Replay
Here’s how to stream the pope’s funeral very early Saturday, and what you can expect to see during the service.
After a week of global mourning for Pope Francis, who died on Monday at age 88, the pope’s funeral will be celebrated on Saturday . Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City (which is very, very early if you’re tuning in from the US or Canada), and he will be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The Vatican will be livestreaming the papal funeral and procession, though not the burial, on its YouTube channel as it happens. The funeral will also be televised live on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, as well as on streaming services like Disney Plus, Hulu, Peacock and Paramount Plus. Due to the time difference, it seems likely that many interested North American viewers will catch it when it’s replayed later on Saturday. Numerous networks will rebroadcast the service later that day.
If you choose to stay up, or get up early, here’s when the live broadcast of the pope’s funeral will air in your time zone in the continental US on April 26:
- ET: 4 a.m.
- CT: 3 a.m.
- MT: 2 a.m.
- PT: 1 a.m.
The papacy of Pope Francis was notable for the progressive reforms he brought to the Roman Catholic Church. He appointed more than half of the current College of Cardinals and attempted to foster more positive attitudes toward members of the LGBT community and migrants worldwide.
What to expect from the funeral
The funeral will follow many rituals, though not all traditional protocols will be followed. Most popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, but the AP reports Francis chose the St. Mary Major Basilica to reflect his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome).
His funeral will be less elaborate than those of other popes per his own wishes. Francis simplified papal funeral rites last year, permitting his burial outside the Vatican, and emphasizing his role as a bishop rather than as pope (the pope is also the Bishop of Rome).
Previous popes were buried in three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead and one of oak. Francis requested to be buried in a single wooden, zinc-lined coffin and not to be placed in an elevated bier as other popes were.
The coffin will be taken from St Peter’s Basilica and placed on a dais in St Peter’s Square, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will lead the service. After the service, the coffin will return to St Peter’s Basilica before it is carried across the River Tiber and to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial. The ceremony is estimated to end around 2 p.m. local time, or four hours after it begins.
Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will be the first of nine Masses held daily at St. Peter’s until May 4. This is an ancient tradition of the Catholic Church that observes nine days of consecutive mourning. According to Vatican News, a different group of mourners will participate each day, though the Eucharistic celebrations are open to everyone.
Who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral?
Hundreds of people, including world leaders and royals, are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.
US president Donald Trump confirmed on his Truth Social Platform that he and first lady Melania Trump will be at the funeral. This will be Trump’s first foreign trip in his second term. He is expected to have a seat in the third row, though the Vatican has yet to release an official seating chart. It is tradition for the first row of seats to go to Catholic royalty, and the second row to non-Catholic royals.
Prince William, who is attending on behalf of King Charles, will sit in the second row, which is reserved for non-Catholic royals. Former president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, devout Catholics, will also attend the funeral.
Conclave: What happens next to choose the new pope
After Pope Francis’ funeral, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will vote on his successor in an assembly of cardinals known as a conclave.
There are many matters for the cardinals to settle before the conclave begins, but once it does, it can take days or even weeks to conclude. Two-thirds of the cardinals’ votes are required to elect the next pope. The conclave occurs behind closed doors and the vote tally is never made public.
Read more: Where to Watch Conclave, the Vatican Thriller About Electing a New Pope
Look for the white smoke
The ballots are burned after each round, and chemicals are added to the flames to produce black smoke if there’s no majority. When a new pope has been selected, the chemicals will be added to the flames so they produce white smoke. Crowds gather in St. Peter’s Square to watch for the results.
If you’re fascinated by the process, you can watch a dramatized version of the events in 2024 film Conclave.
In the movie, Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who spearheads the election of the next pope while investigating rumors about potential candidates. The film is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and is completely fictional — though it does represent some of the events of how actual papal conclaves take place. In March, the film won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
You can stream Conclave on Amazon Prime Video, or rent it for $6 on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube or Google Play Movies.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 26, #685
Hints and answers for Connections for April 26, #685.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle features a lot of short words, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. That purple category requires a lot of thinking — probably most people will solve it only by solving the other three and having four words left over. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Rainbow.
Green group hint: San Fernando ____.
Blue group hint: Think Robert.
Purple group hint: Mixed-up hue words.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Tint.
Green group: Valley.
Blue group: Bobs.
Purple group: Color anagrams.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is tint. The four answers are color, hue, shade and tone.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is valley. The four answers are dale, dell, glen and hollow.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Bobs. The four answers are Dole, Hope, Marley and Ross.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is color anagrams. The four answers are Dre (red), Gary (gray), genre (green) and lube (blue).
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 26, #215
Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 215, for Saturday, April 26.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Connections: Sports Edition is tough today. The purple category theme threw me because of one phrase I didn’t know. And let’s hope you’re familiar with college coach surnames. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Try to achieve.
Green group hint: Move through it.
Blue group hint: Sideline bosses.
Purple group hint: Like a carton.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: What one strives for.
Green group: Room to run.
Blue group: College football coaches.
Purple group: Box ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is what one strives for. The four answers are aim, goal, objective and target.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is room to run. The four answers are gap, hole, opening and space.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is college football coaches. The four answers are Day, Lanning, Smart and Stoops.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is box ____. The four answers are lacrosse, office, score and seat.
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