New on streaming in April 2022

April 2022 is a subpar month for new-to-streaming 1970s and 1980s TV show adds. It may be one of the weakest in recent memory. Let's focus on the positive, though, on what we have instead of what we don't have, and I think we are due for some surprises in May.

Before we get to the positive, actually, let's name the major services that, to my knowledge, are giving us practically nothing (that I am aware of) in April:

*Netflix
*Prime Video/IMDB TV
*Hulu (they really aren't trying anymore)

*Disney Plus
*HBO Max
*Peacock
*Paramount Plus

That's a lot of streaming to come up empty, not even mentioning services like Starz and Showtime, for whom any new old show addition is a big surprise. Apple Plus is celebrating a holiday at the end of the month by adding It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown on April 29.

Here is what I did find:

Roku Channel added Columbo, and we're big fans here, so thumbs up for that. I believe the series remains on Tubi and Peacock.

Crackle has been giving us a lot of hidden gems (and trash) lately, and the only really new thing I notice for April is the 1986 mini-series Shaka Zulu. Yet that was added in February, I have learned, so it doesn't count. I don't want to criticize Crackle too much, though, since it has done so much over the past year or so. It is concentrating on its BBC acquisitions like Sherlock this month.

Shout! Factory TV is promoting ALF, but it already added that, and as far as I know, it's the same syndication cuts that have circulated for years. So nothing exciting here for April.

Pluto TV has been fairly quiet lately, but The Facts of Life makes it triumphant return to streaming, though only seasons 3 and 4 for now. I guess they will rotate through that series again for a while.

Tubi has been killing it and licensing from all different kinds of places, but it's a lesser month for the free streamer. However, it did add The A-Team (Suddenly that one is all over the place) and T.J. Hooker. The latter has been bouncing around and on services like Roku Channel and Crackle, but I think only one or two seasons at a time, the way other Sony action series like Starsky and Hutch and Charlie's Angels are being licensed. Tubi has the whole series, so to my knowledge, this is the first service to go full-on Hooker.

That may not sound like much, but in a sparse month, let's try to appreciate it. I do think May will be better, and Tubi has been adding series after  the beginning of the month without advance notice, so maybe they will have something else soon.