Laura is the senior writer and Smartphones section editor responsible for managing software updates and smartphones section. She is very passionate about Gadgets & Technology and always looking around to use them in an innovative way in daily life. She reviews Gadgets & Applications to tell users about their optimum use to get the most out of in which they’ve put their time and hard earned money.
Email:laura@mrperiodical.com
Stan streaming service will move into sports streaming in 2021
Stan will start streaming Super Rugby, Super W, The Rugby Championship, including the Bledisloe Cup, Wallaroos games, Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, Mitre 10 & Currie Cup, plus SANZAAR Union home games live and ad-free on Stan
Nine and Stan has announced that Stan will launch its live streaming capability in 2021 with a new partnership with Rugby Australia. In 2020, Channel 10 and Fox Sports (Kayo and Foxtel) had the rights which are due to be passed over to Nine and Stan in 2021.
This new partnership between Stan and Nice will kick off in 2021 with Super Rugby, Super W, The Rugby Championship, including the Bledisloe Cup, Wallaroos games, Shute Shield, Hospital Cup, Mitre 10 & Currie Cup, plus SANZAAR Union home games live and ad-free on Stan. Rugby fans will also be able to relive the greatest moments of Australian Rugby with access to an extensive library of games available on Stan.
Stan currently has around 2 million streaming subscribers so this deal will no doubt see a huge life in volumes going into 2021.
The Indian Premier League has now reached the business end of the season, with the finals already underway.
IPL 2020 has been a unique event in more ways than one, thanks in large part to the competition taking place outside of India (UAE) for the first time. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the standard of cricket has been as high as ever, even without those passionate Indian supporters.
Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore are the four teams still in with a shout of reaching the final on Tuesday, November 10th. However, three key games will be played prior to that at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, to determine who those finalists will be. The first game of the finals series was the Qualifier 1 (Friday 6th), which saw Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians defeat Marcus Stoinis’ Delhi Capitals. The winner of this game advanced straight to the final, whilst the losing team will get second chance via Qualifier 2 (Monday 9th). An Eliminator (Saturday, Nov 7th) will be the all or nothing game between David Warner’s Hyderabad and Virat Kohli’s Bangalore. The winner of this one advances to Qualifier 2 to face the losers of Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 will then face the winner of Qualifier 1 in the IPL final on Tuesday, and it’s very difficult to predict which of these talent-packed teams will make it? You can watch every game from this year’s IPL finals series with Foxtel and Kayo. Check out the live fixture times below –
Qualifier 2 – Dehli v Hyderbad- Monday Nov 9th, 12.50am (Foxtel / Kayo) Final – Mumbai v TBC – Tuesday Nov 10th, 12.50am (Foxtel / Kayo)
New Zealand have named four debutants in their matchday squad for their second Tri-Nations clash with Australia. Loose forward Akira Ioane will start in the number six shirt, with Ardie Savea moving to number 8.
The three other rookies set to make an impact from the bench are Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua, and the promising Crusaders duo of Cullen Grace and Will Jordan.
The second game of this year’s Tri-Nations competition will take place this Saturday between Australia and New Zealand, with the Wallabies hoping to avenge last weekend’s record 43-5 loss. Dave Rennie’s men were left licking their wounds after a mauling that included 23 points from Crusaders’ first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga alone. The two sides head to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium this weekend, where a win would put Australia level on points at the top of the Tri-Nations table, with Argentina yet to play a game. The Wallabies certainly have the squad to be more competitive with the All Blacks, as highlighted by October’s 16-16 draw. Captain Michael Hopper is still considered one of the best flankers in the game, and the likes of Nic White and Reece Hodge look good in attack. But a youthful and at times fragile defence is the area that will need the most work if the points flow from the men in black are to be stemmed. The problem is, that same defence will be facing a second weekend up against the best-attacking rugby team on the planet. As well as the aforementioned Mo’unga, New Zealand also possess the likes of Rieko Ioane, TJ Perenara and the Barrett brothers, a formidable attack if there ever was one! Australia will have to be at the top of their game for a whole 80 minutes on Saturday, and who knows, by the end, they could still be in will a shot at the Tri-Nations title. What is certain, however, is that it’s going to be a cracker! You can catch this game live on free to air with Channel Ten.
The only place to watch all six Tri Nations games in 2020 is with Foxtel and Kayo Sports. Kayo currently has a 14 day trial, so you can catch this weekend’s game, along with New Zealand v Argentina next week, for free! Australia v New Zealand – LIVE: Friday 7th November, 7.45pm – Ten/Foxtel/Kayo.
Zac Efron, who’s currently enjoying his newfound residence in Australia, has also signed up for a project with Stan, with production kicking off in South Australia this month. In addition to Efron, Stan Original Film ‘Gold’ will also feature award-winning actress Susie Porter (Ladies in Black, The Second) and AACTA Award-winning actor and filmmaker, Anthony Hayes (Animal Kingdom, War Machine), who will also direct the film based on the screenplay he co-wrote with Polly Smyth.
This marks Zac’s first project since arriving in Australia earlier this year. The announcement also comes hot on the heels after Stan recently revealed their plans of ramping up their slate of local and internationally produced Stan Original TV series and films. ‘Gold’ is among the latest original productions that have been giving the green light, which includes Eden, Bump, Dom and Adrian: 2020, After The Night, and A Sunburnt Christmas.
The movie’s plot is set against the backdrop of a vast, unique, and unforgiving landscape. It is mainly a thriller about greed and the lengths people will go to get their hands on a massive fortune. Two drifters travelling through the outback end up stumbling across the biggest gold nugget ever found, and their dream of immense wealth and greed instantly takes hold. They then hatch a plan to protect and excavate their bounty, leaving one man to secure the equipment needed, while the other remains on location and must endure the harsh desert climate, preying wolves and intruders — while also dealing with the creeping doubt that he has been abandoned to his own fate.
“This is an exciting, gripping and timely tale about greed, humanity, who we are, what we’ve done to the world and where we are heading if we aren’t careful. To have Zac Efron as my main man on this film is an absolute gift and to see what he is creating already is like nothing we’ve seen from him before. I can’t wait to deliver this bold, visceral and cinematic film to audiences all around the world,” says co-writer and director Anthony Hayes.
The Stan Original Film ‘Gold’ will premiere on Stan and in cinemas in 2021. The film will be released in cinemas through Madman Entertainment with Altitude FIlms handling worldwide sales of the films.
The ladies of Atlanta are back with season 13! The new season premieres on Monday, December 7, same day as the US, on FOX ARENA at 1:30pm. If you can’t tune in, you can catch the primetime encore later that day at 8:30pm AEDT or simply watch it On Demand.
Returning housewives include Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, and Kenya Moore. Joining them are Drew Sidora — actor, singer, and housewife — as well as Marlo Hampton and Tanya Sam, who are friends of the cast, alongside new friend LaToya Ali.
Catching Up With the Housewives of Atlanta
There’s been a lot of happenings in the lives of your favourite housewives that you need to catch up on before tuning in to the premiere. First stop is Cynthia Bailey, who’s working towards making her dream wedding come to life amidst all the obstacles brought about by COVID-19. She’s determined to walk down the aisle despite some tensions rising between her and her fiance, plus the fact that her sister is currently living with them at home, leaving no private time for the bethrothed couple.
On the other hand, Kenya Moore’s fairytale romance continues to be on the rocks after a difficult year. This leaves her undecided about her future but in the meantime, she’s focused on maintaining her relationship with her daughter, Brooklyn, and looking for some help and guidance with her developing friendship with newcomer LaToya Ali.
Kandi Burruss is still on an upward direction with her restaurant empire, especially since she and Todd are preparing to open an upscale steakhouse in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Porsha Williams is trying to make big difference by tirelessly lending her voice and efforts to the Black Lives Matter movement. Newcomer actress-singer Drew Sidora is the new housewife in town, ready to make waves and spice things up.
If you want to catch up on what happened in season 12, you can stream every episode of the previous season available On Demand.
One of the most talked-about shows in the US makes its return for two special episodes on BINGE. HBO’s Euphoria is back with two special bridge episodes on Monday, December 7, which would serve to connect the events of the first season to season 2. You can watch it exclusively as it is fast-tracked from the US only on BINGE.
According to BINGE executive director Alison Hurbert-Burns, Euphoria is “one of the biggest hits of the year and has established a huge cult following here in Australia. It’s consistently one of the most popular titles on BINGE.” True enough, this HBO Original series burst onto the scene with its powerful, albeit controversial, take on the reality of a group of high school students as they navigate through drugs, sex, trauma, identity, social media, love, and friendship and has since captured a solid audience in Australia with its gripping storyline and exceptional acting from the cast.
Speaking of exceptional acting, Zendaya even took home the Emmy award this year for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria. With season 1 setting the foundation for this remarkable show, viewers can expect a more captivating second season from this HBO Original series.
As a treat to the viewers, BINGE will deliver two special episodes upon its premiere on December 7. While waiting, you can also look back on season 1 of Euphoria on BINGE for only $10/month. New to BINGE? Sign up for a 14-day free trial and start streaming Euphoria and many of the world’s best shows.
With new shows popping up here and there, it’s sometimes easy to forget some good old TV that’s still worth rewatching — or even watching for the first time ever. We’re talking about some underrated, but critically praised, shows that kind of went under the radar because of more talked about and hyped shows.
If you’re a Foxtel Now subscriber and find yourself at a loss on what to watch or check out, you may want to give these shows a try. We’ve rounded up 5 of the best underrated shows that you can start streaming right away. Don’t have a Foxtel Now account yet? No problem there as well. You can sign up for a 10-day free trial and start streaming instantly.
1. Strike Back
This one’s for the action aficionados. Based on the novel of the same name by a former Special Air Service (SAS) turned novelist Chris Ryan, Strike Back follows the story of John Porter, a discharged British special forces soldier, who’s then called back to service to thwart an international terrorist plot. It’s your good old military-terrorist show that’s packed with all the twists, turns, and plotlines that are realistic enough and aren’t too much of an overkill. With 8 seasons of this show, you have more than enough shows to binge watch whenever you want to. That’s more than 70 action-filled episodes that should leave you well satisfied.
You can stream full seasons of Strike Back when you subscribe to the Drama Extra pack.
2. Deadliest Catch
With 16 seasons and Emmy awards under its belt, Deadliest Catch is without a doubt one of the most exciting nature reality shows to binge-watch. It features fishermen experiencing deadly dangers and uncertainty in the Bering Sea aboard fishing vessels that hunt for Alaskan king crab, snow crab, and bairdi crab. Given its title, this should give you an idea of how thrilling it can get because the people involved in this show are facing real and imminent danger in their line of work — and in fact, some are saying this is the deadliest profession in the world. Definitely not your typical day of fishing, we reckon.
You can stream all 16 seasons of Deadliest Catch with the Docos pack.
3. World On Fire (Drama Extra Pack)
Starring Game of Thrones alum Sean Bean and award-winning actress Helen Hunt, World On Fire is a British war drama that follows the hidden lives of ordinary people from Poland, France, Britain, Germany, and the United States during World War II. What makes this historical drama so engrossing is how it switches its scenes between various locations in Europe — mainly in France, Britain, Germany, and Poland. Each of the characters featured here may have different backgrounds, but what unites them is their struggle to survive during these very difficult circumstances.
Stream all 7 episodes of the first season of World On Fire on Foxtel Now Drama Extra pack. A second season has also been confirmed by the BBC.
4. Burden of Truth (Drama Extra Pack)
Anyone miss Lana Lang? In Burden of Truth, Kristin Kreuk is lawyer Joanna Hanley, who is suddenly brought back to her hometown because of a mysterious illness that seems to target high school girls. As she gets drawn back to family drama in her hometown, she’s also pulled into the shadowy world of hackers, activists, and political movements. Not long after, she then becomes the target, which forces her to come to terms with the ghosts of her past. It’s an interesting take on small town drama and suspense, which make for an easy yet great watch for law drama addicts.
Start watching all 3 seasons of Burden of Truth with the Drama Extra pack. A fourth season has also been confirmed.
5. What We Do In the Shadows
Despite having a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, What We Do In the Shadows remains to be one of the lesser hyped comedy shows around. Trust us, though, ‘cause this one’s bound to crack you up with its dark humour and the seamless chemistry among the characters. Speaking of characters, WWDITS is mainly a horror mockumentary about the lives of three vampires: Nandor, Colin Robinson, and Nadja, and their everyday struggle to keep up with daily life as they reside in one apartment in New York. You’d also be pleasantly surprised to see some familiar faces appearing in some of the episodes as well. Did we also mention that Taika Waititi is one of the writers for this show?
Access episodes from the first 2 seasons of What We Do In the Shadows with the Essentials Pack.
Dubbed as ‘The Most Important Documentary of the Year,’ David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet has earned rave reviews for how well it showed our planet’s diminishing biodiversity over this well-loved natural historian’s lifetime. It was informative as it was emotional to journey through the 93 years of Sir David’s life on Earth, having seen first-hand the scale of human’s impact on the environment.
Of course, the main goal of this documentary is to be able to open the eyes of viewers — like you and me — to the harsh cold realities of our natural world. If you were moved by this special, then you might want to keep the momentum going with other nature documentaries that are just as inspirational and informative.
Netflix certainly has a good selection of these modern-day docs and we’ve handpicked a couple of the best ones that you can add to your watch list.
1. My Octopus Teacher
The title might seem a little absurd but give this one a chance and you’ll find yourself completely moved and perhaps, even emotional. This Netflix Original Documentary follows filmmaker Craig Foster as he captures over 300 days that he spent with a wild common octopus.
It all began when Foster started free-diving in False Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa back in 2010. He met this young female octopus and ended up following her to her den and tracking her movements for months. The whole film shows their day to day interactions, from the octopus defending herself against sharks to her mating with another octopus, and her eventual death after that. Viewers are privy to how Craig ends up gaining the octopus’ trust and allows him inside her world and her life under water.
It’s a mesmerizing and spellbinding documentary that would definitely give you a whole new perspective on this intelligent species. It’s also heartwarming to see how Craig relates his connection to this octopus to his real-life relationships, particularly with his son. And don’t say we didn’t warn you, but you may shed a tear or two in the end.
2. Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis
While a lot of nature documentaries focus on the crisis of wildlife extinction, another issue worth giving our attention to is our imminent water crisis. This is exactly what the Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis is all about.
Narrated by Liam Neeson and featuring Matt Damon and Jaden Smith — both of whom are involved with non-profit sustainable water organizations — this documentary is an honesty yet hopeful insight into how humanity can adopt new technologies and innovations in order to re-think how we manage our water systems and supply. Viewers will get to see how various strategies across are utilized to build a more sustainable future for mankind’s water supply.
3. Mission Blue
Despite being released back in 2014, the same issues featured here in this documentary are still the very same issues we’re dealing with to this day: water pollution, overfishing, and of course, climate change.
Mission Blue follows the work of Dr. Sylvia Earle, a remarkable marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, and the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In this particular doco, she’s seen on a quest to protect the ocean from serious threats like toxic waste and overfishing. Not only are her efforts truly commendable, but they are just as awe-inspiring, especially for those who are not fully aware of the real threats that our oceans are facing each and every single day — and how we should all get involved in protecting it in whatever way we can.
4. A Plastic Ocean
On a related note, A Plastic Ocean also dives deep into the threat of human waste and garbage polluting our seas and zeroes in on plastic and its long-term adverse effects.
This documentary follows a team up between journalist Craig Leeson and diver Tanya Streeter, plus an international team of scientists and researchers as they travel around twenty locations around the world to investigate plastic pollution’s environmental impact. It’s an incredible eye-opening look into how our daily choices greatly and directly affect our environment. This is something that a lot of people tend to turn a blind eye to but watching this documentary can certainly persuade people into making better choices with even the most mundane part of our daily living.
5. Our Planet
Considered as one of the most groundbreaking nature documentaries ever made, Our Planet provides a raw look at our planet’s natural beauty and how climate change threatens each and every living creature within their own respective habitats. Also worth mentioning? It’s narrated by none other than Sir David Attenborough himself as well.
This series features eight episodes, each of which focuses on a specific habitat: One Planet, Frozen Worlds, Jungles, Coastal Seas, From Deserts to Grasslands, The High Seas, Fresh Water, and Forests. From the music, to the visuals, to the narration, Our Planet gives a holistic view of the world that we live in yet not know much about. From day to day activities and interactions of animals to seeing how impactful climate change can be, Our Planet is a true must-watch documentary for those who are keen on seeing more of the various parts of this world that we don’t get to see much of, if not ever. Fair warning though — some scenes may be hard to stomach, but are necessary in painting a real image of what it’s like right now.
It’s still not confirmed whether or not Netflix will confirm Our Planet for a second season. But regardless, even this one season is more than enough to show a beautiful yet grim image of our wildlife’s future in the coming near future — and what we can do as human beings to stop it.
6. Kiss the Ground
From the ocean and the seas, we now take a closer look at our land and how we can make it more sustainable for the future. Kiss the Ground features science experts, as well as celebrity activists like Woody Harrelson, as they unearth the ways through which creating a more sustainable soil can unlock the key in balancing the climate, replenishing water supplies, and basically feeding humankind.
This nature documentary features a global movement called “Regenerative Agriculture,” and asks the question: Is our soil the Earth’s climate change savior? According to the directors, Regenerative Agriculture “is a way to use the planet’s own natural systems to rebalance our climate while meaningfully supporting the farmers and ranchers we all rely on every day.” This documentary goes in depth in showing how adopting this system may as well be the answer in renewing our planet’s ecosystems and pretty much tell the world that the answer was just right under our feet all this time.
7. How to Change the World
Another moving documentary that’s worth watching to get people moving is How to Change the World. It gives a close look into the efforts of an eclectic group of young pioneers who set out to stop Richard Nixon’s nuclear bomb tests in Amchitka, Alaska, eventually capturing the whole world and giving birth to the famed Greenpeace environmental organization.
How to Change the World gives viewers a peek inside this group of friends’ determination in standing up for what they believe is worth fighting for. It shows the earliest days of the Greenpeace and how these guys ended up improvising their way into creating this massive global green movement. Grainy footage aside, this documentary is an inspiring look into how a movement is born and how even a small group’s vision can move the whole world.
The stoic space bounty hunter from a galaxy far, far away, returns with long awaited season 2 on October 30. With every other major show and film getting a delayed release, it’s quite exciting that we get to have this Disney Plus overnight phenomenon come back right on schedule.
So what can you expect from this season, who’s in it, and how can you watch The Mandalorian season 2? Here’s everything we know so far:
What to Expect in Season 2?
Based on the ending of last season, we saw Mando (Pedro Pascal) and The Child (Baby Yoda) narrowly escape Imperial Agent Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), and a bounty droid named IG-11 (voiced by Taika Waititi) helped in the escape, which pushed Moff Gideon to be momentarily thwarted. However, it was then revealed that he’s in the possession of the Darksaber. As for Mando, he was last seen jetting out into space to figure out the mystery of his new companion.
So what’s in store for season 2? As expected, Gideon would still mostly likely be trailing behind Mando and Baby Yoda. Mando will continue to search for Baby Yoda’s home — where that is, remains a complete mystery — and might have to scour the outermost parts of the galaxy to find The Child’s true family as seen in the trailer.
Speaking of trailer, you may just want to check out this official teaser trailer for season 2 to get glimpses of what you can expect in this new season:
Who’s in Season 2?
Of course, The Mandalorian wouldn’t be there if there’s no the Mandalorian himself. Pedro Pascal is back for season 2 and will be once again joined by Gina Carano as trooper-turned-mercenary Cara Dune. Carl Weathers is also back as Greef Karga, and Giancarlo Esposito is back as Moff Gideon. Rounding up this list of returning characters is fan-favourite baby Yoda.
There are some talks of guest stars and surprise appearances that are set to happen this season, although of course, we’ll have to wait and see who’s truly confirmed or not. So far, Disney has unveiled Timothy Oliphant as Cobb Vanth, who’s said to appear alongside “Terminator” alum Michael Biehn. Actress Rosario Dawson is also said to appear as “Clone Wars” character Ahsoka Tano, who is known to be Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice.
How to Watch The Mandalorian Season 2
To start watching season 2 of The Mandalorian, you’ll simply have to subscribe to a Disney+ account. Unfortunately, however, Disney Plus has stopped providing a 7-day free trial offer in Australia and in other countries where it’s live.
A subscription to Disney+ Australia costs $8.99/month. You also have the option of signing up for a whole year for only $89.99 and save $17. Both packages give you the exact same offering when it comes to content, devices, streaming quality, and number of simultaneous streams. If you compare Disney+ to other Australian streaming providers, you’ll also find it to cost much less than the likes of Stan and Netflix.
Is there a Season 3 for The Mandalorian?
To answer this simply — yes, there are plans for season 3 but Disney has yet to give it an official green Baby Yoda thumbs up. Chalking it up to COVID-19 halting production for several months, Favreau was able to get a head start on the script for season 3.
Despite not having an official green light, a third season seems very imminent given the success of the show and all the potential storyline that the show could possibly explore. On top of that, Disney also has more live-action Star Wars spin-off TV shows that are yet to come, which includes a storyline based on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) from “Rogue One” and another one that includes Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.
