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A seven-part mini-series starring Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet is the ‘most addictive’ show you will watch this year, a TV critic claims. So here’s where to stream it

A TV critic has lauded a programme as the “world’s best mini-series” owing to its 95 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – urging others to binge-watch the entire production in just seven hours.

Luke Eccleston spotlighted the HBO Max series in a video, branding it the “most addictive” thing you’ll ever sit down to see. The show, which first aired in 2021, is an HBO original, featuring a stellar cast including Kate Winslet, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson.

“If you only watch one limited series this year, it has to be this one,” Luke declared on TikTok. “It isn’t just one of the most gripping and addictive dramas that I have seen, but it genuinely might be the best as well.

“Mare of Easttown is a seven-part limited series on HBO Max and honestly, when me and my girlfriend watched this show, we struggled to pause it.”

The drama centres on a young girl who is discovered dead in a river, setting off a murder investigation by local police.

Luke added: “This show is full of dark secrets, twists and turns. Every single episode you think you might know who did it – but genuinely, you will be guessing until the very end.”

The critic rounded off by noting that every single person he knows who has watched Mare of Easttown told him they “absolutely loved” it, adding: “It’s one of the highest-rated shows out there, so get it on your watch-list.”

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A synopsis for the mini-series reads: “A small-town police detective tries to keep her professional and personal lives separate while investigating the death of a teenage mother.

“A young woman is murdered in a small Pennsylvania town. On the case is Detective Sergeant Mare Sheehan, a highly skilled crime investigator. She has spent all of her life in Easttown and knows everybody in it. However, her life is dark and troubled, due largely to the recent death of her son.”

Kate, who is no stranger to stripping off on-screen, was adamant that her ‘normal’ body should not be edited or cut in any way as she wanted her character to look like a real middle-aged woman of today.

“Listen, I hope that in playing Mare as a middle-aged woman – I guess that’s why people have connected with this character in the way that they have done because there are clearly no filters,” the actress told the New York Times at the time of Mare of Easttown’s release.

“She’s a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age and her life and where she comes from. I think we’re starved of that a bit.”

Mare of Easttown also boasts an excellent rating on IMDb. There, it has achieved an impressive 8.4 out of 10 based on 230,000 reviews since its 2021 release.

One recent viewer commented: “I literally watched all 7 episodes in 1 day. Then, after it had all ended, I didn’t know what to do with my life. This series is a masterpiece! The writing is brilliant, the story is so good and the acting is second to none. This is a slow burner that will keep you captivated till the very end. Absolutely amazing.”

A second person enthused: “They never missed anything. Every single possible detail. Nothing happens without a reason. Not even a single word was wasted. Everything had a reason. In today’s world of TV (streaming) and cinema clichés, here is a story so very well told. The writing I think is pitch perfect. All the leads as well as the not-so-leads gave more than one hundred per cent.”

And a third IMDb user added: “Best series I have seen in a while! Quality quality quality from top to bottom. Kate Winslet and the rest of the cast were perfect. Directing was exceptional. The stories and all the themes presented was executed masterfully. The score was probably the weakest aspect of the whole show but still solid.

“The pilot was gripping and sucked me in with its realism. Character development and how they were being fleshed out kept me invested. Can’t believe how much was packed into just 7 episodes.”

Exactly a week after the new Skydance corporation — the product of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger — was officially formed, Hollywood’s newest media giant is already raising streaming prices.

Discovery+, one of Skydance’s new streaming assets, will now cost $6.99 a month for its ad-supported tier, up $1. Its ad-free tier is also up $2, costing viewers $11.99 a month. The prices take effect immediately for new subscribers. Existing subscribers will get 30 days’ notice and see the higher rates on bills dated on or after Nov. 12.

Skydance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The platform first launched in 2021, at $4.99 a month for its ad-supported tier and $6.99 for ad-free. Nearly six years later, the price of the cheapest tier has risen roughly 40%, and the ad-free tier has jumped about 72%. This is the service’s second price hike since January 2025.

The standalone streaming service features tens of thousands of TV episodes from cable networks like HGTV, Food Network and TLC.

Before the merger, each company maintained its own streaming services, with HBO Max and Discovery+ under Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount+ under Paramount Skydance. The services are currently operating as separate entities. But David Ellison, Skydance’s chairman and chief executive, has said he plans to merge the two platforms into one streaming service. It’s unclear when that might happen, what it would cost, or where Discovery+ fits in. The company has not publicly laid out plans for the service.

Prices for HBO Max currently range between $10.99 and $22.99 monthly. Paramount+ costs between $8.99 and $13.99 a month.

Streaming is one of the biggest open questions for Skydance as it enters a new era. The company is carrying roughly $80 billion in debt and is targeting more than $6 billion in cost savings over three years. Skydance has said those savings will come primarily from technology, procurement, marketing and real estate, and Ellison has said the bulk won’t come from layoffs. Industry observers expect that debt load to add pressure for more price increases across Skydance’s streaming lineup.

This price increase also comes at a time when many streaming platforms are similarly hiking their prices — in part to cover the rising cost of programming and talent. Discovery+ joins platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, Hulu and Disney+ which have all raised their subscription fees in the last year. Prime Video raised the cost of its ad-free add-on in April.

The mobile network has just rolled out Vodafone TV, offering hundreds of channels alongside streaming apps in a choice of affordable monthly subscriptions.

Vodafone has launched a new TV streaming service to rival major brands like Sky. The mobile network has already expanded to the home broadband market and has now gone one step further with the rollout of Vodafone TV.

This new WiFi-powered platform brings together hundreds of TV channels and streaming apps like Netflix and HBO Max from £10 per month – equal to roughly 33p per day. Each Vodafone TV subscription also provides more than 300 video games available to play over a Cloud service without a console.

The entry-level Vodafone TV plan delivers more than 200 live channels and on-demand TV with Freely for £10 per month. The £17 Vodafone TV Essential plan includes the same perks, plus Netflix and HBO Max subscriptions, worth a combined £13.98, at no extra cost.

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Mobile customers can combine Vodafone Entertainment with Vodafone TV Essential to create Vodafone TV Ultimate, which adds Disney+ or Prime Video to the package for a total of £25.50. All this is available through a plug‑in entertainment hub that delivers 4K content without a satellite dish or aerial.

The compact device has Freely built in, which unlocks access to more than 70 live channels and thousands of hours of on‑demand content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and more. Viewers can also stream more than 150 additional live TV channels, while apps like Disney+, Prime Video and DAZN are also available with paid subscriptions.

Get Vodafone TV from £10 per month

from £10

Vodafone

Get the deal here

Vodafone TV delivers hundreds of TV channels plus Netflix and HBO Max from £10 per month.

There’s a caveat, though, as customers must commit to a 24-month contract to secure Vodafone TV, during which time monthly prices will increase by £1.50 each April. This means the £10 subscription will cost £11.50 from April 2027 and £13 from April 2028.

Vodafone TV is available to Vodafone customers with a mobile or broadband plan, including existing customers and those signing up for a new contract. Until October 28, the brand is giving away Vodafone TV Essential free for 24 months when new customers take out Pro Broadband package from £39, saving £408 over the contract term.

Sky is giving away freebies too, with its own TV and broadband bundles, including the Essential TV and 900Mbps Full Fibre Gigafast Broadband. This £35 plan now delivers 12 times faster speeds (vs 75Mbps) at no extra cost.

Elsewhere, Virgin Media’s £32.99 Entertainment bundle includes more than 200 channels and free Netflix, but slower 516Mbps broadband. Announcing the launch of Vodafone TV, the firm’s Consumer Director, Rob Winterschladen, said it brings together customers’ entertainment while helping them cut unnecessary costs.

He said: “Households are dealing with a TV set‑up that’s become far too complicated – juggling multiple apps, long channel bundles and services they often don’t use. Our research shows that more than a third of people haven’t changed their TV provider in the last five years, with the perceived hassle of switching a big blocker and, as a result, they are still paying for features that should be standard.

“Vodafone TV gives customers a smarter alternative: one simple, intuitive experience that brings their favourite entertainment together and helps them cut out unnecessary costs. With Netflix and HBO Max included for £17 per month, it delivers exceptional value from day one.”