I’m canceling Paramount Plus for these 3 streaming services instead

Paramount Plus app on the Apple TV home screen
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Now that the voyages of the Enterprise-D (and its original crew) have come to an end with the conclusion of Picard season 3, I’m beaming off Paramount Plus. I'll be back in June, of course, when the voyages of the original NCC-1701 resume with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. 

As much as I loved the first season of the renewed Beavis & Butt-Head, the second season of the two teens from Texas (launching appropriately on 4/20) aren’t enough for me to continue shelling out $9.99 per month or $4.99 for the ad-supported version. To paraphrase a Scottish chief engineer, it just doesn’t have the power to keep me around. 

Yes, before you ask: I’m all caught up on 1883 and 1923 — the two prequels to Yellowstone — so I know everything there is to know about the Dutton family’s history in Paradise Valley. And we don't need Paramount Plus for the rest of Yellowstone season 5, either. While its spinoffs are there, it's a Peacock show, confusingly enough. Plus, Yellowstone isn't even slated to return until this summer, though at this point, it isn’t clear exactly when, or even if Kevin Costner will return.

But that's just the peak of the mountain for why I'm leaving Paramount Plus.

A not-so fatal attraction to Paramount Plus' other programming

My daughter will definitely be annoyed with my canceling Paramount Plus. Paw Patrol, currently airing its 9th season, is one of her favorite shows, but we’re trying to cut back on the amount of TV she watches, so removing the primary conduit for the adventures of Chase, Marshall, Skye et al. is no big loss for me. 

Also premiering at the end of April on Paramount Plus is the TV adaptation of Fatal Attraction, starring Lizzy Caplan, Amanda Peet and Joshua Jackson. I think Caplan is a great actor (I only recently discovered Party Down, and my wife and I quickly binged all three seasons), and Peet is no slouch herself, but it’s going to be tough to compete with the iconic performances of Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. 

I was never a big Grease fan — John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John notwithstanding — so the prequel Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, which premiered on April 6, wasn’t exactly the one that I wanted.

While I watch the occasional soccer match — and I’m a big fan of Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham — I’m not spending my free time watching the Champions League or Serie A, so neither of those are a compelling reason for me to stay, either.

Where I’m spending my streaming money on this month

(L to R) Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong in front of a "Welcome to Schmicago" sign in "Schmigadoon!," premiering April 7, 2023 on Apple TV+.

(Image credit: Apple)

My wife and I have wildly divergent tastes when it comes to what to watch, but three other streaming services are currently enough for all the TV we need. There are even a few shows we’ve been watching together, with two musically-inclined series that have brought us together on the couch. 

The first is Schmigadoon season 2 on Apple TV Plus ($6.99 per month). This homage to Broadway musicals has some of the wittiest lyrics this side of Spamalot and The Book of Mormon. 

This season — Schmicago — pays tribute to the musicals of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, with not-so-subtle references to Chicago, Sweeney Todd, and Hair, among others. And, it has a packed cast, including Jane Krakowski, Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming. 

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in Ted Lasso season 3, standing in front of a white-board.

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

I’m also using Apple TV Plus to watch Ted Lasso season 3. My wife, however, ditches AFC Richmond's adventures to fire up Hulu for Abbot Elementary season 2, which is also a fantastic show.

The second series we’ve been watching is Daisy Jones & The Six, a faux rockumentary (frockumentary?) based on the novel by the same name. Inspired by the real-life drama of Fleetwood Mac, this 10-part series follows the rise and implosion of a 70s-era rock band. 

Riley Keogh and Sam Claflin sing into a microphone in Daisy Jones and the Six

(Image credit: Lacey Terrell/Prime Video)

Led by Riley Keough (Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, who’s got some real singing chops of her own), it’s a great look at the music of that era, with a soundtrack to match. Because it’s on Prime Video, we get to see it as part of our Amazon Prime subscription. The final episode aired at the end of March, but we’re just getting around to the series now.

Outlook: There's only so many streaming services you need

With so many streaming services, it’s easy to subscribe to so many that you end up paying as much, if not more than you would for a regular cable TV subscription. So, each month, be sure to look ahead at what you’re subscribed to, and if it’s worth the price. 

Our streaming editor suggests just setting a reminder to comb through your streaming device each month to go app by app, to make sure you're not forgetting anything. This way, Paramount Plus won't beam my cash up until the next Trek begins.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.

Read more
Prime Video app on a phone; Disney Plus app on a phone
I would definitely cancel Prime Video and Disney Plus this month — here's why
(L to R) The Hulu, Disney Plus logos
I would definitely cancel Hulu and Disney Plus this month — here's why
A TV with the Netflix logo sits behind a hand holding a remote
I would definitely cancel Netflix this month — here's why
A TV with the Netflix logo sits behind a hand holding a remote
I might finally cancel Netflix this year — here's why
Computer with logo: Netflix , HBO MAX, APPLE TV PLUS, NETFLIX, PRIME VIDEO are online video streaming services
The best streaming services to subscribe to right now
Netflix, HBO, Prime logos on tablet
3 best streaming service bundles that are actually worth it — save up to $29 with these discounted prices now
Latest in Streaming
Jeffery Dean Morgan as Negan and Lauren Cohan as Maggie in "The Walking Dead: Dead City" season 1
Netflix finally got one of the best ‘Walking Dead’ spinoffs — and now’s the perfect time to binge it
Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes Tiffin in "Picture This" now streaming on Prime Video
Prime Video top 10 has 3 must-watch movies — including a bubbly romcom starring 'Bridgerton's' Simone Ashley
(L-R) Josh Hartnett as Cooper and Ariel Donoghue as Riley in "Trap"
Netflix top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
(From L to R) Rohan (Nik Dodani), Josh (Brandon Flynn), Dorothy (Edie Falco), John (Dean Norris), and Liddie (Lisa Kuthrow) in The Parenting
Max top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler sit in the grass on Yellowstone season 5
'Yellowstone' series finale now available on Peacock — here's how to stream it now
The Residence; Severance; Good American Family
5 top new TV shows to stream this week on Netflix, Hulu and more (March 17-23)
Latest in Opinion
A close up image of the Apple Wallet app
iOS 18.4 adds a new way to track your spending — but I think Apple can go even further
A person plugging a coaxial cable into the wall
I finally added internet to my kitchen and all it took was my old cable TV wiring — here’s how
Apple Intelligence on an iPhone screen
Apple analysts sound alarm on Siri delay — here’s why
samsung galaxy s25 edge mockup at galaxy unpacked
Galaxy S25 Edge is overhyped — I want Samsung to make this phone thinner instead
iOS 18 logo show on iPhone.
My favorite iOS 18.4 feature is ambient music — here's how to activate it
The Creator poster
Prime Video is about to lose one of my favorite sci-fi movies of the past 5 years — stream it before it’s too late