Missing the NCAA tourney? CBS has classic games this weekend. Plus other viewing options.
Living in Coronavirus Times means many of us have been hunkered down at home all week (extra special love to those who can’t, like healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, delivery drivers and first responders). But even with all this new not-in-the-office time on our hands, the weekend still feels different.
It feels like we should be doing something.
Normally this is where we tell you to get out and take a long walk, breathe some fresh air and wave to your neighbors (from a distance of six feet or more, preferably). But the weather forecast looks rainy for the weekend, so do the best you can there.
And save the projects like cleaning out your closets, organizing your pantry and doing your taxes (deadlines have been extended anyway) for the Monday through Friday grind. The weekend is here to entertain you.
Here are plenty of TV and streaming suggestions:
Watch the NCAA Tournament
Yes, we know it was canceled. But CBS has got you. They will air classic NCAA Tournament Championship games Saturday and Sunday (March 21 and 22) and also next Sunday (March 29), in the time slots they had reserved for 2020 games.
And Saturday’s lineup is P E R F E C T I O N.
▪ Saturday has the 1982 game between UNC and Georgetown at noon, the 1983 game between NC State and Houston at 2 p.m. and the 1992 game between Duke and Kentucky at 4. No spoilers, but OMG, so good.
▪ On Sunday, they have 2008’s Kansas vs. Memphis game at noon, 2019’s Virginia vs. Texas Tech game at 2 and 2016’s Villanova vs. UNC game at 4.
▪ Don’t forget to come back March 29 for the final three games: 1985’s Villanova vs. Georgetown game, 1997’s Arizona vs. Kentucky game and then 2010’s Duke vs. Butler game.
ESPN channels are also airing some classic NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournament games over the weekend.
Go to the movies
We can’t actually go to the movies because all the theaters have closed. But you can stream some movies — new ones!
That’s because some movie studios with movies that were still in theaters are offering them up early for streaming.
The website TechList lists a few of the movies available now, like the spooky Elisabeth Moss thriller “The Invisible Man,” the final chapter of the Skywalker saga “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the controversial Hillary Swank movie “The Hunt” and the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma.”
All of those are available to rent as of today (March 20) via iTunes, Amazon and Vudu. The price tag is steep for a rental, at $20, but that’s more palatable if several people in your household are there to watch (but don’t invite extra people over!).
Vin Diesel’s “Bloodshot” and Margot Robbie’s “Birds of Prey” are set to release for streaming on March 24.
Watch those Oscar flicks
It’s also a great time to catch up on all the recent Oscar winners — all those movies you swore you were going to watch, like “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Judy,” “Joker,” “1917,” “Ford vs. Ferrari” and “Little Women.”
Check streaming sites iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, and Google Play to buy or rent. (Tip: If you have Hulu and can wait a bit, the Best Picture Oscar-winner “Parasite” hits that site on April 8.)
Binge-watch some great TV shows
We posted a list last week of some great shows to stream right now on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+ and CBS All Access. Our readers chimed in with suggestions and we have updated that story today, so there are tons of great suggestions there.
[There’s no basketball and you can’t go anywhere. Here’s a list of great TV shows to binge.]
We’ll add that some interesting new things have popped up this weekend.
“The Banker” (Apple TV+): This new movie starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie is inspired by true events that led two African American businessmen in the 1960s to devise a scheme that helped them pursue success — hiring a white man (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as the face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire. It doesn’t go off without a hitch, though, so there’s some suspense involved.
“Self Made” (Netflix): We also have Octavia Spencer in a four-part limited series based on the life of Madam CJ Walker, a trailblazing African American entrepreneur who was America’s first female self-made millionaire. Walker overcame everything — slavery, racial bias, gender bias, personal betrayals and business rivalries — to build a ground-breaking brand that revolutionized black haircare, while simultaneously fighting for social change. The series also stars Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Garrett Morris, Kevin Carroll and Bill Bellamy.
Also on Netflix this weekend, a crazy true crime documentary series about eccentric (to say the least) big cat owner Joe Exotic, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”
And if you have intersecting interests in soccer and British period dramas, “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes has written and produced “The English Game,” a six-part drama that charts the origins of football and how it reached across the class divide to become the world’s most popular sport.
Travel to the U.K.
If you’re a fan of British mysteries, comedies and dramas and haven’t already joined up with Acorn, this is a great time to give it a try.
The British streaming service has extended its usual 7-day trial for new subscribers to 30 days, so there’s plenty of time to sample shows like “Midsomer Murders,” “Agatha Raisin,” “Manhunt,” “Line of Duty,” “Doc Martin,” “The Good Karma Hospital” and “The Detectorist.”
The service also has shows from Australia and Canada and some foreign language offerings.
Sign up at acorn.tv and use the special code: FREE30.
Check out Showtime
Showtime has also announced a 30-day free trial to new customers.
Viewers who sign up before May 3 can access the network’s original series, documentaries, specials and movies online via the Showtime streaming service by going to showtime.com or the Showtime app, available on all supported devices.
Go to sho.com and click the “Try for 30 days” link.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 2:57 PM.
