Luke Bouma

Fifty-four years ago today, on September 4th, 1972, a freshly rebuilt game show stepped onto CBS daytime television and began a run that would outlast nearly every other program of its kind. The host that afternoon was Bob Barker, already a familiar face from years of Truth or Consequences, and the series carried the temporary […]

Pluto TV has launched a new around-the-clock linear channel devoted exclusively to the Netflix crime drama Narcos, giving free streaming viewers nonstop access to the series that chronicled the rise and fall of major Latin American drug cartels. The addition arrived this week as the Paramount-owned service continues to grow its slate of themed 24/7 channels aimed at fans of specific popular titles.

TiVo has begun notifying customers of a significant change to one of its longest-standing and most popular DVR features. Starting November 2, 2026, the current version of SkipMode that allows users to jump over commercial breaks with a single button press on the remote will no longer be available. The company is instead preparing to […]

The Federal Communications Commission has asked a federal district court to throw out a First Amendment lawsuit brought by ABC and its parent company Disney, arguing that the network failed to show that an accelerated review of its television station licenses amounts to retaliation for protected speech.

One hundred eight years ago today, on September 4, 1918, Paul Harvey Aurandt was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The boy who would become one of the most recognizable voices in American broadcasting entered the world as the son of a police officer and a determined mother who would raise him after tragedy struck the family when he was only three years old. His father, Harry Harrison Aurandt, was killed during an encounter with criminals. His mother, Anna Dagmar, supported her children by renting rooms in their home while young Paul developed a fascination with radio, even building his own receivers as a child.

Thirty-one years ago today, on September 4, 1995, Xena: Warrior Princess first hit American screens and quickly became a cult favorite. Lucy Lawless starred as the formidable Xena, with Renee O’Connor as her devoted partner Gabrielle. Mixing high-octane action, mythic fantasy, and quiet feminist themes, the series earned a lasting spot in television history and […]

Pluto TV has removed Kids Mode from its service following a recent application update, ending a feature that many families relied on to restrict the free streaming platform to youth-appropriate programming. The mode previously limited the interface so that only children’s channels and on-demand titles appeared, creating a filtered environment for younger viewers without requiring a paid subscription.

Cord cutters navigating the shifting landscape of free and low-cost television had a packed week of developments that touched classic broadcast networks, popular streaming hardware, a collapsing sports platform, and one of the largest ad-supported apps. The four stories that stood out between late August and early September 2026 illustrate both the resilience of nostalgia-driven […]

A compact Philips DVD player, now on sale for $59.99, is perfect for those with large collections of standard-definition DVDs. The DVD player plays standard DVDs and upscales them via HDMI to 1080p, so older titles look sharper and cleaner on modern high-definition televisions instead of appearing soft or stretched. You can find the Philips […]

Fifty years ago today, television changed course when The Muppet Show first hit the air on September 5, 1976, opening with Mia Farrow as its inaugural guest. Jim Henson’s wildly original variety series unveiled a riotous troupe of endearing, anarchic puppets who quickly grew into household names, mixing razor-sharp comedy, genuine warmth, and boundless invention. […]