As we arrive at the middle of April, there’s still no better way to spend the weekend (April 17 to 19) than by getting into something new to watch. If Paramount+ is among your quiver of streaming services, then you may find this curated list of suggestions helpful.
This weekend, I’ve mined the service and found a wild historical drama starring Ewan McGregor, a laugh-until-you-cry comedy about a couple of broads in the city, and a globe-spanning adventure.
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A Gentleman in Moscow
Ewan McGregor is locked away in a Russian hotel for 30 years
I love the work of Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Trainspotting) and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), so I was happy to unearth this delightful period drama starring both on Paramount+. A Gentleman in Moscowis remarkable—it somehow manages to make a show confined within the walls of a 1920s Russian hotel feel expansive. But I’ve buried the lede.
In this excellent eight-episode mini-series from 2024, McGregor plays Russian aristocrat Count Alexander Rostov, a man who’s just been sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel during the time of post-Revolutionary Russia. The series spans more than three decades of Rostov’s confinement in the Metropol, and through various stages of Russia’s transformation, as he learns to live a life of purpose through exploration of the hotel and the people he meets, including Winstead’s glamorous actress, Anna Urbanova, and a rotating cast of characters.
Adapted from Amor Towles’ beloved 2016 bestselling novel, it’s a beautiful, witty, and sometimes melancholy exploration of resilience that will have you hooked all the way through. McGregor’s performance as Rostov is inspired, scoring him BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for the role, and the show has a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Broad City
The cult-classic stoner-chick series is all here for your binge
If you’re looking for something unapologetically silly that feels like you’re a part of the inside jokes of two best friends who just get each other in the dumbest ways, then I’ve got 50 episodes of a brilliant show that’s going to have you feeling like they’re your besties, too. Broad City is the critically acclaimed cult-favorite comedy series created by Upright Citizen Brigade alums Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, who play heightened versions of themselves—broke, unhinged best friends trying to get by among the chaos of New York City.
The show originated as a web series before SNL‘s Amy Poehler stepped in to help bring this hysterical “stoner-chick” show to Comedy Central in 2014, where it ran for 5 seasons. Abbi and Ilana’s exploits hit paydirt, and the show rose to fame with memeable catchphrases like Ilana’s “Yas Queen,” Abbi’s obsession with Bed Bath & Beyond, and Abbi’s 1920’s jazz-singer alter-ego Val, who only comes out when she’s blackout drunk.
Broad City is female friendship personified, and the comedic chemistry between Ilana and Abbi is undeniable as they mine comedy gold out of the mundane. It’s easy to see why the show has a near-perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The Amazing Race
The iconic adventure competition series is now in its 38th season
It’s incredible to think that this reality series that started way back in 2000 is still going strong, now in its 38th season. Created by adventure reality pioneers Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster and still hosted by the rugged Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race is the ultimate competition show around the world in which teams of two find themselves navigating unfamiliar countries.
As they travel by plane, train, automobile, bike, foot, and other means of transport to get to each leg’s destination, the teams find themselves facing elimination after competing in often grueling physical and cultural challenges. Team by team, the field shrinks until one remains and claims the prize money at the end.
The drama of The Amazing Race often comes from the emotional and psychological stress that the teams—often made up of friends, siblings, couples, relatives, and celebrities—endure throughout the competition. Season 38 wrapped last December and featured a cast made up entirely of former contestants on CBS/Paramount+’s other iconic competition show, Big Brother. All 38 seasons and 447 episodes are available to stream, which would be an amazing race itself.
Eek out some time this weekend for wee binge of one or more of these series picks on Paramount+. If documentaries are more your thing, we’ve got suggestions for those, and April movies, too.
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If you enjoy CBS offerings, you’ll want to subscribe to Paramount+. You get access to hit shows like Star Trek and Yellowstone, as well as a variety of SHOWTIME content.
