This week on What to Stream Right Now, we’re delving into the deepest parts of the cosmic unknown and watching some pretty iconic science fiction. But that’s about where the similarities end for these two. As always, make sure to check out our previous episodes if you’re not a fan of the sci-fi genre.

2001: A Space Odyssey – Dir. Stanley Kubrick (1968) IMDb

Let me preface this by saying 2001 is my favorite film of all time. However, Stanley Kubrick’s only Oscar winning film is just that… a film. This is not a “flick” or a “movie” for the faint of heart. At a running time of 160 minutes (most of those minutes without dialogue), many would claim that 2001 is purely an experience; specifically, an experience that any film or sci-fi fan simply must endure.

I understand that I’m not doing a great job pitching this to you, but it really is a ground-breaking classic for a reason. First of all, the special effects are unlike anything done before or since and they still hold up incredibly well today. At times, it’s really difficult to not feel as though you’re travelling along to Jupiter with the astronauts and HAL. Secondly, all of the lunar sequences were done BEFORE anyone had ever stepped foot on the moon. No one had even seen Earth from space at the time this movie was made, Kubrick and team pulled it off seamlessly. I don’t have a third point, but if you haven’t seen this film on the big screen, your TV or computer screen will simply have to suffice. Carve out a few hours tonight, pop some corn, and watch a masterpiece of cinema.

DOCTOR WHO – Eight Season (2005 -) IMDb

Like I said, the similarities end at the genre for these two. Where 2001 is a little slow and lacks speaking characters, DOCTOR WHO is about as wild and talkative as a TV show can get. And it’s amassed such a cult following that it’s been airing on BBC for over 50 years! In fact, you can watch many of the original episodes on Netflix as well, but we’re talking about the revised series from 2005 to today.

Since its resurrection, fans have seen 3 Doctors come and go and are now enjoying their 4^th as he continues to battle aliens and save the galaxy in season 9. The show has grown steadily in popularity, not just in America but all around the world and has become something of a cultural icon as of late. Perhaps you’ve seen some 1960s British Police Boxes everywhere you look or maybe you were wondering what that weirdo wearing a fez was thinking and why are people saying “Allonsy!” all the time??? Because Doctor Who, that’s why. Anyway, the show can be really bad when it’s bad, but can be out of this world amazing when it’s not really bad. Again, I’m not great at pitching, but give it a shot and let us know who your favorite Doctor is! I bet it’s Tennant.

This week on What To Stream Right Now we’re discussing a movie and tv show about geniuses! Because who doesn’t want to be one…

GOOD WILL HUNTING – Dir. Gus Van Sant (1997) IMDb

Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon) is a young janitor at M.I.T, but as you could probably guess, he’s also something of a math genius. However, he can’t seem to find direction in his life and looks to psychologist Sean Maguire (played by the late Robin Williams) for help. They form a unique relationship, which quickly transforms into a wonderful friendship.

I watched this film for the first time shortly after the death of Robin Williams, because I had heard from numerous people that this was one of his most endearing roles. And even with the vast number of amazing films he’s been in, that statement isn’t necessarily far from the truth. Both Williams and Damon give some of their best performances in this film. Williams’ performance even snagged him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It’s simply a touching story that’s well directed and well written. Damon and Ben Affleck, who also has an amazing role, wrote GOOD WILL HUNTING together, winning them their own Oscars at the ages of 27 and 25, respectively.   Luckily for you, you’ll only cry a few times while watching this, but I promise it has a happy ending!

SHERLOCK – Three Seasons (2010 -) IMDb

It goes without saying, but this genius is much less heart warming than good ole, Will Hunting. BBC’s SHERLOCK stars Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, Star Trek Into Darkness) as the title character and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit trilogy, Fargo) as his trusty “sidekick”, Doctor John Watson. But unlike other Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adaptations, this variation is set in modern day London. That one simple twist in the narrative proves to be the most important piece of creating a refreshing and entertaining series from the stories we all know and love.

Steven Moffat created the show along with actor/writer Mark Gatiss, so you can be sure to enjoy Sherlock’s witty cynicism if you’ve ever enjoyed a more recent episode of DOCTOR WHO. Along with that, Sherlock plays as an interesting counter part to our beloved, Doctor. Both characters seem to figure impossible things out through intellect and intuition, but where one is whimsy and alien, the other is grounded in reality and functions solely on the basis on fact. With that being said, the series can certainly be enjoyed by anyone, including people who don’t like Doctor Who (but why don’t you???). Each season has only three episodes and each episode is 90 minutes long, so you’re essentially watching a bunch of little movies. This makes the show seem far more special than other shows, but unfortunately once you get caught up, you’ll still have to wait until 2017 for the next season.

That’s it for this installment! Feel free to share this article on Facebook and twitter! Make sure to check out episodes 5 and 4 if you feel like you haven’t spent enough time on the couch today already!