Hey all you cool cats and kittens, get ready to toss a coin to your Witcher - there's some news from the streaming realm!

If you raised an eyebrow at the genre-blending sentence above, you wouldn't the only one; I did the same as I was writing it. While the announcement that Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher is on its way isn't terribly shocking, I will say that I did a double-take at the headline that Tiger King season 2 was on its way also?

If you're unfamiliar with the documentary, some might argue that you're better off. It came out right at the beginning of quarantine, so myself and my other cooped up friends hung out on Discord and decided to watch it together out of morbid curiosity. I honestly couldn't tell you if this was a good idea or not, simply that it was a thing that occurred.  It was certainly...interesting...to say the least.

The reason Season 2 seems so off to me is that Season 1 felt pretty concluded. Joe Exotic is in jail, his assets were liquidated, and life moved on. But, you know, this is television and a studio like Netflix isn't about to let something that was so profitable go to waste.

Moving on from Tiger King, let's zero in on the stuff that makes gamers excited. If you watched season 1 of The Witcher and enjoyed it, then you were probably excited to see the first look at Season 2 back in July.

Recently, Netflix released a few more teasers, giving us another look at Geralt and company. I personally have not read any of the novelizations or played any of the Witcher games, so my sole exposure to the franchise has been through this show. I really loved season 1 - and to be frank, I'm a huge Henry Cavill fan, so that doesn't hurt - and can't wait to see where the show goes when season 2 drops on December 17th.

Netflix also confirmed already that Season 3 for the show is on its way as well, so it looks like even after this season is over we'll get our fill of adventure after another (hopefully not too long!) wait.

It feels like streaming services are always coming out with something new - I mean, honestly, I guess they have to - so in that vein it's impossible to cover everything. But there's one more announcement from this past week that piqued my interest, and that is Netflix's Arcane series. 

Based on the League of Legends game, Arcane will release in three "acts" starting on November 6th. Vi, one of the playable characters within the game, will be voiced by Hailee Steinfeld and will be the main protagonist of the series. I really like the animation style and think this might be a fun watch, regardless of whether or not you're into the League of Legends lore.

One more announcement - and frankly, I saved the best one for last. I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's work, and his Sandman series is no exception. Netflix released the very first trailer look at the show, and when I tell you that I shrieked when my friend sent me the trailer, I'm being honest.

It's a good season for TV! What are you looking forward to watching?

Are you a fan of podcasts?

On Monday, the satellite radio company SiriusXM announced that it reached a deal to acquire Stitcher from E.W. Scripps to the tune of $325 million. Stitcher is a pioneer in podcasting that provides a popular one-stop platform for creating, monetizing, and distributing podcasts to listen via its app and other platforms. 

Stitcher brings its own mobile listening app (which was acquired for $4.5 million in 2016) to the table. It also operates the Midroll Media network for podcast advertising (acquired for $55 million in 2015). Stitcher's original podcasts run on multiple content networks as well.

SiriusXM already purchased another podcast management platform called Simplecast last month, and with this latest acquisition it has become clear that they intend to devote quite a lot of their resources and efforts to podcasting.  This deal will move thousands of podcasts to SiriusXM, including popular titles like Freakonomics Radio, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, LeVar Burton Reads, and many more.

In a press statement released Monday, SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer said, "The addition of Stitcher is an important next step as we continue to develop and strengthen our offering in the fast-growing podcasting market. With Stitcher, we will expand our digital audio advertising presence and look to generate new ways for creators to find and connect with their audiences. Stitcher has a talented team with deep experience in the podcast space, and we look forward to working with them to better meet the needs of creators, advertisers, and listeners."

The company boasts that combining Stitcher with their already robust satellite radio audience and Pandora (which they acquired in 2018), they will have "the largest addressable audience" in the United States for digital audio. 

What are some of your favorite podcasts? Do you have a podcast of your own? Share with us in the comments!

Over the last several months, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to quarantine in their homes, causing an increase of use for  entertainment streaming platforms. Today, Disney announced that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be coming to Disney+ two months earlier than intended. Appropriately, the release is scheduled for May 4th, a widely celebrated holiday among geeky circles called "Star Wars Day." Now everyone with a Disney+ account can watch the entire Skywalker saga to honor the holiday.

If you're a fan of The Mandalorian, there's another treat in store for May 4th: a new documentary series detailing the show and how it came together. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is eight episodes long, with each chapter exploring a different facet of the show through interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and round table conversations with producer Jon Favreau.

According to the show's description, "topics this season include the film making process, the legacy of George Lucas’ Star Wars, how the cast brought the characters to life, the series’ groundbreaking technology, the artistry behind the show’s practical models, effects, and creatures, plus the creative influences, the iconic score, and connections to Star Wars characters and props from across the galaxy."

This isn't the first time since the lockdowns started that Disney has released a film early. Last month, Frozen 2 dropped three months ahead of schedule, and the Pixar film Onward arrived on Disney+ on April 3. Other studios have put cinematic releases out for purchase or rental earlier than would be normal as well, such as Warner Brother's Birds of Prey or DreamWorks' Trolls World Tour.

What have been your favorite early releases to watch lately?