For decades satellite and cable companies maintained a large customer base by offering channels families couldn’t get anywhere else.
Then came the streaming era which provided more alternatives and more content at a significantly lower price.
But those same services began promoting objectionable content, and countless families fled.
Don’t fret. There are now plenty of family-friendly alternatives. This month we look at one of the best: Frndly TV.
It bills itself as “the most affordable live TV streaming service,” a tagline that holds true with a basic non-HD plan and various HD plans which include DVR service.
All plans come with more than 35 channels, and most are family-friendly.
No sports or news
The service comes at a reasonable price so there must be a catch, right? Well, sort of.
There are no sports or news channels, meaning you can’t watch Sunday Night Baseball, Monday Night Football or the latest in politics.
Then again, your blood pressure might benefit from skipping some of that!
My family gave Frndly TV a try in recent weeks and has watched it every day.
For fans of family-friendly movies, there’s Hallmark and Hallmark’s competitors, GAC Family and UPTV.
The latter two, if you’re curious, produce content every bit as good as Hallmark.
Many options
For fans of classic television there are MeTV, the Dove Channel and Hallmark Drama.
For lovers of mysteries there’s Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
If you enjoy history, try History or Military History.
If weather documentaries are your thing, give the Weather Channel a try.
There are also channels for outdoorsmen, game show fans and lovers of westerns.
Frndly was launched in 2019 by a former Dish Network executive who wanted to offer a limited bundle directed at families.
Mind you some titles on Frndly aren’t necessarily family friendly.
But with multiple kid-friendly channels, a cloud-based DVR with unlimited storage and an impressive price tag, Frndly TV is one of the best options for today’s families. Visit FrndlyTV.com.
Worth watching
- Prehistoric Planet (Apple TV) — What if a nature documentary had been recorded during the age of the dinosaurs, and Sir David Attenborough was around to narrate it? That’s the idea behind Apple TV Plus’ new five-part series “Prehistoric Planet,” produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit and voiced by Attenborough.
- The Story Behind The Story (TBN) — Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame examines unique moments from world history while searching for spiritual lessons. In Episode 1, he tells the story of Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-born American actress who helped win World War II thanks to her knowledge of radio frequencies. This new series is well done and inspiring.
- The Repair Shop, Season 5 (Discovery Plus) — Furniture restorer Jay Blades and a crew of experts use their talents to repair nearly everything under the sun — a wind-up panda bear toy, an old ship’s wheel, an antique clock, an antique stool and more.
It’s as entertaining as it is educational.
- Benjamin Franklin (PBS) — This four-hour, two-part documentary examines the life of one of the most significant figures in the founding of the United States.
It is directed by Ken Burns, the filmmaker behind “Civil War” and countless other landmark projects.
The documentary is available on all PBS streaming platforms, including PBS.org.
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