Paramount Plus has quietly become one of the most stacked streaming services in the U.S., with Taylor Sheridan’s ever-expanding TV universe, a revived Dexter, Guy Ritchie’s crime epic MobLand, and all six Rocky and three Creed films now streaming. The problem is finding the right thing for your mood. This guide cuts through all of it.
These are the questions that pop up every weekend when you open the app and stare at the menu. Here are plain, honest answers.
Start with Landman — Billy Bob Thornton leads this Taylor Sheridan oil-industry drama that topped streaming charts across all platforms for multiple consecutive weeks. If crime is more your speed, MobLand (Season 2 just launched September 18) is Guy Ritchie’s signature style translated to television with Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan. Both are immediately compelling from the first episode and avoid the slow burn that makes some prestige TV feel like homework.
Several. Colin From Accounts (final Season 3 dropped September 10, all episodes at once) is an Australian romantic comedy that critics and audiences both love — it was renewed three times and runs about 8 episodes per season, perfectly sized for a Saturday binge. 1883, the Yellowstone origin series with Sam Elliott and Tim McGee, is a single-season limited series with 10 episodes that functions beautifully as a standalone story. For something darker, The Offer (the making of The Godfather, based on producer Al Ruddy’s memoir) has a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and runs 10 episodes.
Most of Paramount+’s best original series — Landman, Tulsa King, Dutton Ranch, Colin From Accounts, Lioness, The Agency — stream on both plans. The catch is Showtime originals, including Dexter: Resurrection, Yellowjackets, and any Premium-gated content. The Essential plan also includes ads, which interrupt episodes every few minutes. If Dexter: Resurrection is on your must-watch list, Premium is required at $13.99/mo. For everything else, Essential at $8.99/mo is genuinely sufficient. Annual billing saves about 37–40% — $89.99/year for Essential vs. $107.88 paid monthly.
You have an embarrassment of riches. Dutton Ranch is the direct Yellowstone continuation — currently sitting at 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and currently the most-streamed show on the platform per FlixPatrol. 1883 and 1923 are the origin prequel series that fill in the Dutton family history. Landman shares Sheridan’s signature writing — moral complexity, big landscapes, sharp dialogue about power and money. Mayor of Kingstown goes darker and grittier if that’s your preference. Marshals follows Kayce Dutton as a U.S. Marshal but has received mixed reviews — worth watching if you want more Dutton storylines, but it’s a different tone.
The Rocky and Creed franchise just landed on Paramount+ this month — all six Rocky films and all three Creed films. These are genuinely crowd-pleasing movies that work for every generation. For TV, Tulsa King (Sylvester Stallone as a mob boss exiled to Oklahoma) is funny, action-packed, and has broad appeal. Mission: Impossible — the entire franchise is on Paramount+ — is the gold standard for crowd-pleasing thriller movies that everyone engages with regardless of age.
Yes. Paramount+ streams live NFL games on CBS — the same games you’d watch on your local CBS affiliate — including AFC playoff games and Super Bowl coverage when CBS holds the rights. You need the Essential plan or higher for live sports. Paramount+ also carries all live UFC fights under the UFC’s current streaming deal, UEFA Champions League soccer, and select NCAA March Madness games on CBS. This live sports access is one of Paramount+’s strongest differentiators over competitors that don’t offer live network sports.
Colin From Accounts is the authentic answer here — it earned near-universal critical praise and a devoted fanbase for being warm, charming, and genuinely funny without manufactured drama. The Australian setting and naturalistic performances make it feel completely unlike American TV. Knuckles — the Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff with Idris Elba — was described by GamesRadar as even better than the films, blending live action and animation in a surprisingly touching road-trip comedy. Why Women Kill is a dark comedy anthology (87% RT critic score) that’s wickedly funny if you like sharp, satirical humor.
Three honest reasons. First: the Taylor Sheridan universe — Yellowstone, Landman, Tulsa King, 1883, Lioness — is exclusive to Paramount+ and has no equivalent on Netflix or Disney+. Second: live NFL on CBS is only on Paramount+; Disney+ has Monday Night Football but not CBS’s Sunday games. Third: Showtime originals (Dexter: Resurrection, Yellowjackets) require Paramount+ Premium and are not available anywhere else. The counter-argument is real — at $8.99–$13.99/mo stacked on top of two other services, it’s a meaningful cost. The annual plan helps, and Walmart+ members already get Essential included with their membership.
September brought the biggest single-month content drop of the year on Paramount+: 121 new titles, two major series launches, and a franchise film collection that alone could fill a weekend.
Guy Ritchie directs this original crime epic starring Tom Hardy as the fixer caught between London’s most dangerous crime families — and Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren as a power couple whose elegant exterior barely conceals what’s underneath. Season 1 became one of the surprise hits of the year, described as a barrel of fun by critics and audiences who went in with low expectations. Season 2 continues weekly with new episodes each Friday. This is not a slow-burn prestige drama — it moves fast, looks incredible, and Hardy is extraordinary in it.
The third and final season of the Australian romantic comedy that critics have been calling one of the best shows on any streaming platform. Created by and starring Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer as two strangers whose connection begins when a dog is hit by a car, Colin From Accounts ran 100% on Rotten Tomatoes when it first launched and maintained an exceptional reputation through two seasons. The full final season drops at once — meaning you can watch all of it in a single sitting if you start on a Friday night. Don’t wait on this one; it’s already the rare show that people regret finishing.
All six Rocky films starring Sylvester Stallone and all three Creed films starring Michael B. Jordan arrived September 1. Tom’s Guide called Creed “possibly the best movie in the Rocky franchise aside from the original.” For a Saturday afternoon movie marathon, this lineup is essentially unbeatable — you can run the whole Drago storyline from Rocky IV through Creed III in one sitting, or save Rocky I and II for a genuinely great double feature. These films hold up extraordinarily well as sports drama, and the Creed trilogy especially works for viewers who have never seen a Rocky film.
Argo, Ben Affleck’s Best Picture-winning thriller about the CIA’s effort to extract six American diplomats from Tehran using a fake movie production, is the rare film that works as both serious historical drama and a genuinely gripping thriller. Tom’s Guide called it “supremely rewatchable” with Alan Arkin and John Goodman providing the film’s most memorable performances. Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan’s WWII evacuation film — is one of the most technically accomplished war films ever made and an overwhelming experience on a good TV. Both are available now; Dunkirk may rotate out before the end of the month.
These are the series that justify a subscription on their own. Each recommendation includes honest information about what the show actually is — not a marketing summary.
Dexter: Resurrection — The Sequel That Worked
Premium Plan Required · Michael C. Hall · Season 1 Complete · Season 2 in ProductionMichael C. Hall returns as Dexter Morgan in the continuation set after New Blood, and — unusually for a franchise revival — it actually works. The show received praise for recapturing what made the original Dexter compelling while moving the story forward with real stakes. Uma Thurman, Peter Dinklage, Neil Patrick Harris, and Krysten Ritter all join the cast. The catch: this requires the Premium plan, not Essential. T3 described it as “the show that made me pay for Paramount+” — high praise from a publication that reviews everything across streaming. All of Season 1 is available now. Start from the beginning of the original Dexter series if you haven’t; if you have, this is where to go next.
Landman — Taylor Sheridan’s Most Talked-About Show
Both Plans · Billy Bob Thornton · Season 1 Complete · Topped All Streaming ChartsSet in West Texas’s oil industry, Landman follows a company fixer (Billy Bob Thornton) navigating dangerous territory between corporate executives, roughnecks, and cartel interests. It topped the Samba TV streaming chart — beating Netflix and Amazon — for multiple consecutive weeks, which doesn’t happen without the show being genuinely compulsive. Sheridan’s writing is at its sharpest here: morally complex characters, sharp dialogue, and a world most viewers know nothing about. Unlike Yellowstone, you don’t need any prior Sheridan knowledge to start here — it’s a standalone story. The entire season is available to binge.
Dutton Ranch — The Yellowstone Continuation That’s #1 Right Now
Both Plans · Luke Grimes · Currently Airing · #1 on Paramount+ ChartsSet after the events of Yellowstone Season 5, Dutton Ranch follows what happens to the family after the events of the finale. It has already surpassed Marshals on streaming charts to become the most-watched show on Paramount+ according to FlixPatrol data — a sign that the core Yellowstone audience is highly engaged. It’s new enough that you don’t need to have seen everything prior, though the show rewards familiarity with the Dutton family. If Yellowstone was your show, this is your next show. New episodes are dropping weekly.
Tulsa King — Stallone’s Most Surprising Late-Career Move
Both Plans · Sylvester Stallone · 4 Seasons · Renewed · Crime Comedy-DramaA New York mob boss, Dwight Manfredi, is exiled after 25 years in prison to the one place nobody would send him: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stallone brings genuine warmth and unexpected humor to a role that could have been a caricature but instead becomes the show’s greatest asset. It is funnier than you expect for a crime show, and smarter than its premise suggests. Four seasons are available — all of it streaming now. Paramount+ official coverage calls Tulsa King “one of the best gangster TV shows ever,” which oversells it slightly, but it is consistently entertaining and genuinely original. Best for: Friday night with a group who can’t agree on something too heavy.
Colin From Accounts — The Best Show Nobody Told You About
Both Plans · Australian · Final Season Now · Romantic Comedy · Drop Everything for ThisTwo strangers are connected when a dog is struck by a car outside a bar. What follows is a romantic comedy that avoids almost every familiar convention of the genre — it’s sharply funny, genuinely romantic, and almost uncomfortably honest about what early adult relationships look like when both people are slightly chaotic and trying to pretend they aren’t. Created by and starring the real-life couple Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, the authenticity shows in every scene. The third and final season dropped September 10 with all episodes at once, making this the perfect weekend binge. Critics gave it near-perfect scores across all three seasons.
The Offer — The True Story Behind The Godfather
Both Plans · 10 Episodes · 95% Critics on Rotten Tomatoes · Limited SeriesBased on producer Al Ruddy’s firsthand memoir about the chaotic, against-all-odds production of The Godfather — a film that nearly never got made, was blocked by the Mafia, rejected by the studio, and cast against almost everyone’s instincts. Miles Teller plays Ruddy with enough charm that you root for him even when you know how the story ends. The show works whether or not you’ve seen The Godfather, though obviously better if you have. 95% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. It is one of the most underseen good shows on Paramount+ and one of the best arguments for the platform’s original programming ambition. Ten episodes; watch it in one weekend comfortably.
Paramount+ has a deep movie library — decades of Paramount Pictures films plus recent additions and originals. These are the ones worth your two hours right now.
Argo (2012) — Best Picture Winner · Just Added
Both Plans · Ben Affleck · Political Thriller · Oscar Winner for Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted ScreenplayCIA officer Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck, who also directs) creates a fake movie production to extract six American diplomats hiding in Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. What makes Argo exceptional is how it balances genuine historical tension with a darkly comic Hollywood subplot featuring Alan Arkin and John Goodman. The film is tightly paced, incredibly well-acted, and ends in a sequence that is genuinely pulse-raising even when you know the outcome. Just added to Paramount+ in September — do not miss it before it rotates out.
Dunkirk (2017) — Christopher Nolan’s WWII Masterpiece
Both Plans · Christopher Nolan · WWII · One of the Greatest War Films Ever MadeThe evacuation of 400,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, told in parallel from three perspectives — soldiers on the beach, a civilian sailing to help, and a pilot in the air — each on a different time scale. It is relentlessly intense without a frame wasted on exposition. No film since Saving Private Ryan has conveyed the physical and psychological reality of wartime quite like this one. Just added in September — it will likely rotate out. If you have a good sound system or good headphones, use them; the sound design is part of what makes Dunkirk exceptional.
Creed (2015) + Rocky Franchise — The Complete Run
Both Plans · All 9 Films · Michael B. Jordan · Sylvester Stallone · Just AddedThe entire Rocky–Creed universe landed on Paramount+ this month: all six Rocky films and all three Creed films. Creed is a genuinely excellent sports drama — Tom’s Guide called it “possibly the best in the franchise aside from the original” — that works completely as a standalone even if you’ve never watched a Rocky film. The three Creed movies together form a strong trilogy with Michael B. Jordan and Stallone. For a weekend marathon, the suggested viewing order is Creed I, II, III — then Rocky I if you want the beginning. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon when you want something crowd-pleasing and emotionally satisfying.
Mission: Impossible — The Complete Franchise
Both Plans · All Films Streaming · Tom Cruise · Best Action Franchise in DecadesThe entire Mission: Impossible franchise is on Paramount+ — the best action movie series of the last 30 years and one of the few franchise runs that actually got better with each film. Fallout is widely considered the peak, with stunt work that is genuinely breathtaking even on a home screen. These films are crowd-pleasing without being brainless, and they reward attention to character continuity across the series. For a franchise marathon weekend, watching the films in order from Mission: Impossible (1996) through the most recent entry is a remarkably enjoyable 13+ hour experience. Best crowd-pleaser on the entire platform for mixed groups.
Match your Friday night mood to the right show or movie before you open the app and spend 20 minutes scrolling.
| Your Mood | Best Show Pick | Best Movie Pick | Episodes / Length | RT Score | Plan Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone fan | Dutton Ranch | Argo or Dunkirk | Ongoing weekly | 85% audience | Essential or Premium |
| Crime thriller night | MobLand S2 | Dunkirk | Weekly new eps | 77% critics | Essential or Premium |
| One-weekend binge | Colin From Accounts S3 | Creed (trilogy) | ~8 eps · full drop | 95%+ critics | Essential or Premium |
| Family / all ages | Tulsa King | Rocky / Creed | 4 seasons · complete | 87% critics | Essential or Premium |
| Prestige drama fan | Landman or The Offer | Argo | 10 eps each | 80–95% critics | Essential or Premium |
| Dexter fan | Dexter: Resurrection | Mission: Impossible | 10 eps · S1 complete | 71% critics | Premium Only |
| Light, funny mood | Colin From Accounts | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | ~8 eps per season | ~100% critics | Essential or Premium |
| Action / stunts | Special Ops: Lioness | Mission: Impossible Fallout | 8 eps per season | 97% (Fallout) | Essential or Premium |
Put on Tulsa King. It requires no prior knowledge, each episode moves fast, Stallone is actually funny, and you can start from episode one and decide by the end of the first episode whether you’re in for more. It is the most genuinely entertaining show Paramount+ has for someone who wants to relax without feeling like they’re doing work. If you want a movie instead, go straight to Mission: Impossible Fallout — it’s two and a half hours that feel like ninety minutes.
Colin From Accounts is the answer. It has enough humor that people who don’t like romance won’t feel trapped, and enough genuine emotional stakes that people who don’t love pure comedy will stay engaged. The Australian setting and naturalistic tone give it something to talk about afterward. If you both liked Yellowstone, Dutton Ranch is the safe joint pick — you already know you like the world and the characters. For a movie, Argo threads the needle beautifully between thriller and dark comedy and is essentially the perfect two-person Friday night film.
The Rocky / Creed franchise is the rare film series that bridges generational gaps naturally — parents who grew up on Rocky I through IV and young adults who discovered the franchise through Creed. Start with Creed if the kids are older teens; it stands completely on its own. For slightly younger kids, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2 are both streaming and are genuinely fun rather than just tolerable for adults. For a show, Tulsa King is appropriate for teens and adults and light enough to talk through.
The Taylor Sheridan universe gives you months of content if you go in order: 1883 (Yellowstone origin, complete), then 1923, then Yellowstone proper (5 seasons), then Dutton Ranch. That’s roughly 60–70 hours of television that all takes place in the same world and rewards viewers who go in order. Alternatively, if you want something completely different, start Dexter from the very beginning (all 8 original seasons are streaming) and work forward to Dexter: Resurrection — that’s probably 80+ hours of a single character arc. Both require the patience for a long journey, but both reward it.
The main exclusions on Essential are Showtime originals, most notably Dexter: Resurrection and Yellowjackets. Everything else that’s been recommended in this guide — Landman, Dutton Ranch, Tulsa King, Colin From Accounts, The Offer, 1883, Lioness, Argo, Dunkirk, Mission: Impossible, Rocky/Creed — streams on the Essential plan with ads. The ads interrupt roughly every 12–18 minutes on the Essential plan and you cannot skip or fast-forward them. If that bothers you — especially for films — upgrading to Premium at $13.99/mo or paying annually at $139.99/yr is worth it. The annual plan math: $11.67/month effectively, versus $13.99 monthly.
Prices increased in January 2026. Annual billing still saves substantially over month-to-month. Here’s what each plan gets you.
- Essential ($8.99/month · $89.99/year): Ads included. Full access to Paramount+ originals, live NFL on CBS, live UFC, all Paramount films, UEFA Champions League. Does NOT include Showtime originals or Dexter: Resurrection. Walmart+ members get this plan included at no additional cost.
- Premium ($13.99/month · $139.99/year): No ads on on-demand content (live TV still has ads). Adds the full Showtime library — Dexter: Resurrection, Yellowjackets, and all current and back-catalog Showtime series. Supports offline downloads and simultaneous streams. Effective monthly cost on annual plan: $11.67.
- Student discount: Verified students get 50% off any plan through December 2026 — Premium for $7/month. Verify via SheerID.
- Military discount: Up to 25% off through ID.me verification for active military and veterans.
This guide reflects Paramount+ programming and pricing as of September 2026. Content availability, pricing, and plan structure may change — always verify current information at paramountplus.com before subscribing. Rotten Tomatoes scores cited are from publicly available data at the time of writing. This guide is independently produced and has no commercial relationship with Paramount or Paramount+. Streaming availability is subject to regional restrictions and licensing agreements. Some titles require the Premium plan and are not accessible on Essential.