HBO Max Adds a Shuffle Button — but It’s Not Like the One on Netflix
variety.comTodd Spangler NY Digital EditorIn the mood to watch “South Park” or “Friends” — but you just want to see a random episode? HBO Max now has you covered.WarnerMedia’s HBO Max this week introduced a new “shuffle” button, a highly requested feature from customers, which gives users the option to play back a random episode of a curated selection of series on the platform.The move comes nearly a year after Netflix officially launched Play Something, which pulls up a TV show or movie based on subscribers’ viewing history or plucked from their watchlist.HBO Max’s version of the shuffle button, by contrast, doesn’t span everything on the service.
Rather, it’s limited to 45 shows, including “Friends,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Looney Tunes,” “Rick & Morty,” “Teen Titans Go!”, and “South Park.” The company says that the HBO Max shuffle button randomizes episodes within a given series because that “give[s] users some context into the content they will be shown.” “With an added element of serendipity, selecting the shuffle button lets you kick your feet up and start watching faster,” according to a WarnerMedia spokesperson.Another difference between the Netflix and HBO Max shuffle-play features: The HBO Max iteration is currently available globally on the desktop (web browser) interface, whereas Netflix’s Play Something is available on connected TV devices and Android phones and tablets.Here’s the full list of series that are currently available with the HBO Max shuffle feature (depending on local country availability): A World of Calm; Adventure Time; Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown; Apple & Onion; Chappelle’s Show; Courage the Cowardly Dog; Craig of the Creek; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Ed, Ed and Eddy; ER; Flight.
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