With the huge amount of streaming services available these days, it can take a real effort to stand out from the crowd. And unless you're one of the big three or four, you have to ensure you have some quality programming on offer.
Paramount+ is one of those services hovering just below the likes of Disney+ and Apple TV+ (themselves just below Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in scale), so it has to try extra hard to give us alternative viewing options. It helps that it's the streaming home of Star Trek, Yellowstone and South Park, but did you know there's plenty else to binge too?
That's why we've been taking a look in the back end of the service's catalogue to find some real hidden gems you might not have heard about but should. And here are our three favourites.
Twisted Metal
Based on the iconic 1990s video game series and set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Twisted Metal is a high octane action-comedy series starring none other than the latest Captain America himself, Anthony Mackie.
He plays John Doe, a talkative outsider with amnesia as he embarks on a dangerous mission to deliver a mysterious package. Er, that's it.
However, this leads to him encountering gangs of violent marauders, eccentric killers, and the infamous clown, Sweet Tooth, along the way. It's like a Mad Max but with dark humour, stylised violence and explosive vehicular combat to mirror its source material.
Twisted Metal is far from Shakespeare and will never run the risk of winning awards, but If you are in the mood for big, loud and stupid fun that absolutely does not take itself seriously, then you'll probably get a kick out of this one.
Alternatively, be old like me, grab your original PlayStation and load up the classic game to play on a your 27-inch, 4:3 CRT TV.
The Agency
The Agency (previously called The Agency: Central Intelligence, for some reason) is a gripping espionage drama with huge production values, a killer script and an all-star Hollywood cast. This includes Michael Fassbender and Richard Gere, so surely it was a big hit on its 2024 release.
Sadly, this wasn't the case.
Despite everything in its favour, the show turned out to be largely forgotten. It received very little press attention at the time, so slipped into obscurity far too quickly.
But that's not to say you shouldn't check it out now. Indeed, with a second season on its way, there's arguably never been a better time.
It features storylines ripped directly from real-world headlines, and explores the moral ambiguity, geopolitical intrigue and human cost of lies and secrecy.
Tight storytelling, grounded performances and a realistic portrayal of modern spycraft make the show a thrilling look behind the curtain of US intelligence operations. And it's absolutely worth your time to watch
Brotherhood
Set in Providence, Rhode Island, Brotherhood is a dark, character-driven drama that explores the complex relationship between two Irish-American brothers on opposite sides of the law.
Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) is a straight-laced state politician trying to keep his moral integrity, while his brother Michael (Jason Issacs) is a violent and notorious gangster returning from exile. The show dives into themes of loyalty, corruption and power as the brothers' lives become increasingly intertwined.
With layered storytelling, gritty realism and strong performances (especially from the outstanding Issacs), its three seasons and 29 episodes present a nuanced portrayal of family and ambition in a morally grey world.
Sadly, Brotherhood was originally, criminally overlooked in favour of other gangster shows of its time. Now's the time to make up for that.
