As we head into the end of June, and we await the new crop of movies and shows from Paramount+ (a new season of , yes please), documentary hunters will still appreciate that the streaming service still has a deep, deep well of content to pull from.This weekend leans a little harder on the true-crime genre (Paramount+ has tons of them), and I've pulled a couple, including the decades-long fight of a woman who grew up blamed for the death of her baby brother, and a creepy case of online obsession gone horribly wrong.To lighten the mood considerably, I also came across a rollicking doc about the creation of one of the most dissected songs in American history (hint: there's a Chevy and a levee).
3 Burden of Guilt: Haunted by Lies A woman's lifelong guilt vindicated How would you feel if you lived your life thinking you were responsible for the death of an infant, but were also haunted by the fact that you weren't? is a chilling three-part docuseries on Paramount+ about a woman who's faced that exact scenario—blamed for the death of her four-month-old brother when she was too young to remember, only to discover that he had actually been murdered.Burden of Guilt centers on Tracyraquel Berns, who was just shy of two years old in December 1971 when her baby brother Matthew died of severe head injuries in their home in suburban Atlanta.The blame was squarely put on Berns, who was accused of throwing Matthew from his crib.
The supposed accident resulted in an upbringing of guilt, silence, abuse, and evasion whenever Berns would ask about it.But as an adult, and spurred by her lifelong suspicion that something wasn't right, Berns' investigation into the medical records revealed that there was enough there to reopen the case.Based on the podcast of the same name, is built around a candid and emotional interview with Berns, with compelling and supporting interviews with childhood neighbors, prosecutors, and forensic experts.
It also used archival footage, photos, and recreations to drive the story home.Burden of Guilt Documentary Release Date February 4, 2025 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Number of Episodes 3 Powered by Expand Collapse 2 The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie Chevy’s, levees, and good 'ol boys As a Canadian, I always imagined that every American secretly and inexplicably is born with the words to Don McLean's 1971 epic anthem tattooed in their DNA, just waiting to be activated randomly at karaoke.I have no proof of that, but the song is so legendary that Weird Al made a whole Star Wars song out of it and Paramount+ has an excellent documentary you can watch where McLean himself unpacks the whole thing—and it's a great watch.
is the definitive behind-the-song documentary for , a song that was inspired by the infamous 1959 plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P."The Big Bopper" Richardson—an influential event on the then-teenage McLean, who immortalized it in the song as "the day the music died." Quiz8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeName that hit Paramount+ seriesTrivia challengeFrom the frontier to the final frontier — can you identify Paramount+'s biggest shows from just a clue?DramaSci-FiComedyWesternStreamingBegin01 / 8WesternThis Taylor Sheridan drama follows the Dutton family as they fight to protect their Montana ranch — the largest in the United States — from developers, politicians, and rival landowners.What is it called?A1883BTulsa KingCYellowstoneDMayor of KingstownCorrect! Yellowstone debuted in 2018 and became one of the most-watched cable dramas in American history before moving to Paramount+.
Kevin Costner stars as patriarch John Dutton, and the show sparked an entire universe of Taylor Sheridan spin-offs.Not quite — the answer is Yellowstone.While 1883 is also a Taylor Sheridan show set on a ranch, it's a prequel following the Dutton ancestors heading west.Yellowstone is the flagship series centered on the modern-day Dutton family in Montana.Continue02 / 8Sci-FiThis Paramount+ Star Trek series stars Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as a retired admiral who is drawn back into action to protect a mysterious young woman.
What is the show called?AStar Trek: Strange New WorldsBStar Trek: PicardCStar Trek: DiscoveryDStar Trek: Lower DecksCorrect! Star Trek: Picard ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023 and concluded with a beloved final season that reunited the full cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.It was widely praised as a fitting send-off for one of Trek's most beloved characters.Not quite — the answer is Star Trek: Picard.Strange New Worlds features Captain Pike and a young Spock, while Discovery follows the USS Discovery through different eras of Trek history.
Lower Decks is an animated comedy set on a lesser starship.Continue03 / 8ComedyThis long-running animated comedy series, now exclusive to Paramount+, is set in the fictional Colorado mountain town of the same name and follows four foul-mouthed fourth-grade boys.Name it.ABeavis and Butt-HeadBFuturamaCSouth ParkDThe SimpsonsCorrect! South Park has been on the air since 1997, making it one of the longest-running animated series in television history.Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a massive deal with Paramount+ and Comedy Central through 2027, including exclusive streaming specials called 'Paramount+ Events.'Not quite — the answer is South Park.
Beavis and Butt-Head does have a Paramount+ revival, but South Park is the flagship animated franchise for the streamer.The show's exclusive streaming home is Paramount+, where all 26-plus seasons are available.Continue04 / 8WesternThis Taylor Sheridan prequel series follows the Dutton family's treacherous 1800s wagon train journey from Texas to Montana, and stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton.What is the title?A1923B1883CBass ReevesDLawmen: Bass ReevesCorrect! 1883 premiered on Paramount+ in December 2021 and stars real-life country music couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill alongside Isabel May as their daughter Elsa, whose narration drives the story.
The show was a massive hit and helped establish Paramount+'s reputation for prestige drama.Not quite — the answer is 1883.While 1923 is also a Yellowstone prequel set in the early 20th century starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, 1883 specifically covers the original westward journey of the Dutton family in the late 1800s.Continue05 / 8Sci-FiOriginally airing on Syfy and later moving to streaming, this critically acclaimed sci-fi drama reimagined a 1970s series about humanity's android-like enemies hunting down survivors of a nearly destroyed human fleet.What is it?AThe ExpanseBBattlestar GalacticaCCapricaDKilljoysCorrect! The reimagined Battlestar Galactica, developed by Ronald D.
Moore, aired from 2004 to 2009 and is widely considered one of the greatest sci-fi dramas ever made.It's available on Paramount+ and used its Cylon-versus-human premise to explore themes of politics, religion, and what it means to be human.Not quite — the answer is Battlestar Galactica.Caprica is actually a prequel spin-off set before the Cylon war, while The Expanse is a celebrated sci-fi series that aired on Amazon Prime.
Battlestar Galactica is the flagship reimagined series available on Paramount+.Continue06 / 8DramaThis Taylor Sheridan crime drama stars Sylvester Stallone as a New York mob boss who is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and forced to build a new criminal empire from scratch in unfamiliar territory.What is it called?AMayor of KingstownBJoe PickettCTulsa KingDLawmen: Bass ReevesCorrect! Tulsa King premiered in 2022 and marked Sylvester Stallone's first lead role in a television series.The show blends crime drama with fish-out-of-water comedy as Stallone's character Dwight Manfredi navigates an unfamiliar city with no existing criminal connections.Not quite — the answer is Tulsa King.
Mayor of Kingstown is another Taylor Sheridan show, but it stars Jeremy Renner as a power broker in a Michigan prison town.Tulsa King is the one that brought Sylvester Stallone to television for the first time in a lead role.Continue07 / 8Sci-FiThis Star Trek series on Paramount+ is set aboard the USS Enterprise before the events of the original series, featuring Captain Christopher Pike and a young Spock on episodic adventures.Name the show.AStar Trek: DiscoveryBStar Trek: ProdigyCStar Trek: Strange New WorldsDStar Trek: EnterpriseCorrect! Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuted in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim, praised for returning to the episodic storytelling format of classic Trek rather than the serialized approach of Discovery.
Anson Mount plays Captain Pike with charm and gravitas, and the show quickly became a fan favorite.Not quite — the answer is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.Star Trek: Discovery is set in various time periods and follows a more serialized story arc.Prodigy is an animated Trek series aimed at younger audiences, and Enterprise is an older prequel series from the early 2000s.Continue08 / 8DramaThis Paramount+ series stars Jeremy Renner as a powerful fixer and power broker in a Michigan city where the local economy revolves entirely around a massive prison complex.
What is the show called?ATulsa KingBMayor of KingstownCYellowstoneDThe Good FightCorrect! Mayor of Kingstown premiered in 2021 and was created by Taylor Sheridan alongside Hugh Dillon.Jeremy Renner plays Mike McLusky, a man who brokers deals between criminals, prison officials, and law enforcement in a city defined by incarceration — a gritty and intense examination of the American prison system.Not quite — the answer is Mayor of Kingstown.Tulsa King is the Taylor Sheridan show starring Sylvester Stallone, not Jeremy Renner.
Mayor of Kingstown features Renner in one of his most dramatic and physically demanding roles, filmed largely before his serious snowplow accident in 2023.See My ScoreChallenge CompleteYour Score/ 8Thanks for playing!Try Again With a first-person interview with McLean, combined with vintage footage, clips from the recording sessions, and more, the story behind the song's massively analyzed meaning unfolds.The 93-minute doc also brings in some of music's biggest names to share what the song meant to them, including Garth Brooks, Brian Wilson, and even "Weird Al" Yankovic.The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's "American Pie" PG Documentary Music Release Date July 8, 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH RENT BUY Cast Don McLean, Garth Brooks, Peter Gallagher, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Harvey Mason Jr., Jade Bird, Jencarlos Canela, Maffio, Brian Wilson, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Austin Brown, Rob Lundquist, Adam Rupp, Tim Foust, Adam Chance Runtime 94 minutes Director Mark Moormann Producers Dave Harding, Spencer Proffer Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Ctrl+Alt+Desire A cam-girl obsession ends in murder Rounding the list off with another excellent true-crime series, is a shiver-inducing three-parter about an online obsession that spiraled into one of Florida's most disturbing family murders.
In January 2019, 29-year-old Grant Amato, a former nurse from a town just outside Orlando, shot his father, mother, and brother, execution-style, then staged the scene as a murder-suicide.Why? An unemployed and depressed Amato had developed an all-consuming infatuation with a Bulgarian cam model named Silvie, on whom Amato spent roughly $200,000 of his family's money before his parents demanded he stop and seek help.But the obsession had gone well past rationality and sanity, and Amato ultimately chose his fantasy over his family’s lives.
Convicted on three counts of first-degree murder, Amato is serving life without parole.But what sets apart from other true-crime series is its access.Director Colin Archdeacon spent four years building a relationship with Amato, who narrates much of it from prison while insisting he’s innocent.
The series, made up of three 47-minute episodes, adeptly weaves those jailhouse conversations with trial footage, and Archdeacon even tracks down the elusive Silvie.Ctrl+Alt+Desire TV-MA Documentary Crime Release Date 2024 - 2024-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Network Paramount+ Producers Barak Goodman, Susan Zirinsky, Terence Wrong, Zachary Herrmann, Dorin Razam-Grunfeld Seasons 1 Powered by Expand Collapse True crime and an American anthem True crime is the most popular and in-demand genre of documentary in the world for a reason—the stories are fascinating, dark, and often too unbelievable to be real.Paramount+ has loads of them, including the ones above.
For a palate cleanser, though, it's hard to beat the story behind .But, if none of these picks are your thing, feel free to head to the streaming section of How-To Geek for more ideas on what to watch.Paramount Plus Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams 3 Live TV Select live sports (NFL on CBS & UEFA Champions League) Price Starting at $8/month or $60/year Stream on Paramount+ Expand Collapse
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