It really is trick-or-treat time for streaming services this October. There are a handful of excellent treats coming — among them “The White Lotus,” “Derry Girls” and “The Peripheral” — but subscriptions to most services amount to a trick during a month when they really don’t have much to offer.
As streaming prices rise, it’s becoming more important to be choosy. And while this month’s must-have picks aren’t from the cheapest services of the bunch, they can still be had for under $40 in total. Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget, rating the major services as a “play,” “pause” or “stop” — similar to investment analysts’ traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell. We also pick the best content to help you make your monthly decisions. As we’ve mentioned before, consumers can take full advantage of cord-cutting though a churn-and-return strategy — adding and dropping streaming services each month. All it takes is good planning. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month, and keep an eye out for lower-priced tiers, limited-time discounts (HBO Max is offering 40% off an annual deal through Oct. 30), free trials and cost-saving bundles. There are a lot of offers out there, but the deals don’t last forever. Here’s a look at what’s coming to the various streaming services in October 2022, and what’s really worth the monthly subscription fee. Netflix ($9.99 a month for basic, $15.49 standard or $19.99 premium) In the three years I’ve been writing this column, probably the most frequent question I’ve been asked is, “When is ‘Derry Girls’ coming back?” We finally have an answer. After the show’s three-year hiatus, fans don’t have much longer to wait: The third and final season of “Derry Girls” (which aired in the U.K. this spring) lands Oct. 7. Set amid The Troubles of 1990s Northern Ireland, the final seven episodes …