UNIVERSAL MONSTERS CHANNEL COMING TO FREEVEE

Recently announced by NBCUniversal is an agreement with Amazon's Freevee and Xumo Play for a dedicated Universal Monsters streaming channel. The classic TV series, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS and a host of others are also on board.

From Syfy.com:

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS CHANNEL AND MORE COMING TO FREEVEE AS NEW NBCU FREE TV PACKAGE

NBCUniversal announced 30 new free channels coming this summer.

By Matthew Jackson |  June 29, 2023 | syfy.com

For cord cutters and streamers who still want some of that traditional TV experience of channel surfing and finding something fun to watch, free ad-supposed streaming TV (FAST) is a wonderful, often surprisingly robust alternative. Now, NBCUniversal is preparing to give you much more of this particular way to watch, complete with channels specifically for genre nerds.

On Thursday, NBCU announced a new partnership with Xumo Play and Amazon Freevee to bring more than two dozen new channels packed with NBCU vault material to the Freevee platform this summer. The channels range in subject matter from unscripted TV to news and sports to classic shows of all genres pulled from NBCU's vast archive of programming, and they'll be available to watch completely free, any time.

“NBCUniversal is in the enviable position of owning a vast array of iconic shows that are not part of our broadcast and cable networks to curate a valuable portfolio of FAST channels,” Matt Schnaars, President, NBCUniversal Content Distribution, said in a press release. “These channels, with content from some of the most recognizable brands in television, will find an immediate audience in the growing FAST ecosystem, and create value for NBCUniversal, our distribution partners, and our advertisers.” 

So, what kind of programming are we talking about? Well, if you're a genre fan, you'll want to pull up Freevee and look for the new Alfred Hitchcock Presents channel for episodes of the classic anthology from the suspense legend, as well as the Universal Monsters channel for all things Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and more. Then there's the Universal Action channel for classic shows like Knight Rider, the Universal Crime channel for Columbo and beyond, a whole channel for Murder, She Wrote, and much more. 

So, how do you watch these new offerings? Well, all you need to access Freevee is an Amazon login (no Prime subscription required) and you can watch through the Freevee app or on your web browser. So, if you're looking to check these channels out, make sure you've got Freevee access and keep an eye out for the content to drop this summer.

THE DEVIL IN THE SKY -- A PORTENT?

This week, a sight appeared in the morning sky that was luckily photographed and shared with the world. The photos, of course, went viral, and stories about the phenomenon multiplied like rabbits.

The event was a solar eclipse. . . but it wasn't to be just any solar eclipse. Greek amateur photographer and astronomer Elias Chasiotis flew from Athens to a town in Qatar where he knew the eclipse would be visible. When at sunrise it finally occurred, he was awed by the sight.

"The sun rose from the sea in two pieces," Chasiotis explained. The effect was shocking -- the fire-colored halves resembled two horns! Moments later, another effect occurred which looked surprisingly like two fangs suspended over the water. The event included a period when the shape took on the form of the Islamic symbol of the Crescent Moon.

The irony of it all was that the occurrence happened in the Persian Gulf. Just five days later, Iraqi backed insurgents attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. Exactly a week later, IRGC head Qassam Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike.

Stunning Sunrise Photos Show ‘Devil Horns’ During Solar Eclipse
The right time, the right spot and the right phenomenon landed one photographer a photo set of a lifetime
By Nina Lin | January 9, 2020 | 10:52 pm | nbcnewyork.com

Photographer and amateur astronomer Elias Chasiotis was in place to watch Dec. 26's annular solar eclipse when he captured stunning photos of a sunrise that resembled red devil horns.

Chasiotis, who knew the eclipse would be visible from Qatar at sunrise, flew to the coastal city of Al Wakrah from Athens to capture the "ring of fire" rising from the sea.

"I was so anxious because the sky was hazy and there was scattered, thin cloudiness," Chasiotis told NBC. "Finally, the sun rose from the sea in two pieces."

The "pieces," sporting flared bases as a result of an inferior mirage, resembled horns.

A mirage effect caused by light bent by warm air within the Earth's atmosphere is known as the Etruscan Vase effect, according to NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, so-called because of the resemblance to the flared base of the vase. It was the result he had waited for.

"The sight was magical," Chasiotis said. "I was thrilled!"

"The annular phase was to follow in some minutes, but unfortunately the sun was hidden behind the clouds," he said. "The main parts was missed, but this sunrise was the most stunning sunrise I have ever seen."

Minutes later, he captured another perfectly timed photo – a golden curve arching above a flying plane.

2020 will see two solar eclipses: an annular eclipse will be visible across eastern Africa and southern Asia on June 21 and a total eclipse will be visible in the southern tip of Chile and Argentina on Dec. 14.