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April 21, 2022 3:22 pm  #1


"Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

I'm not sure how many Canadians have heard of "AXS-TV," an American cable channel that specializes in rock music documentaries. I don't believe it's available in Canada, which is why a chance visit to its website surprised me - many of its shows are not only posted online with no sign-in (like a U.S. cable provider) necessary, but they seem to work in Canada without a VPN.

One of the shows that caught my eye is called "Music's Great Mysteries," a half hour (well, 22 mins. on the web without spots) weekly doc about some of the odder or unknown stories in pop music. Here's one about Dennis Wilson's potential triggering of the Charles Manson murders, along with some weird stuff involving Post Malone and Faith Hill. 

Here's another episode description: "Did the CIA kill Bob Marley? Is a doppelganger impersonating the real Avril Lavigne? What was the meaning behind Charlie Rich’s insult of John Denver?" That one is online here. 

But perhaps the one I'm most looking forward to - which hasn't been posted yet - aired on Wednesday. It's about John, Paul, George and Jimmie. Who's Jimmie? He's Jimmie Nichol, the drummer who temporarily replaced an ailing Ringo Starr during the Beatles' trip to Europe and Australia in 1964. Hopefully, it will be up there soon. 

If these - and others like them - interest you - the complete season 1 is online here. 

 

April 21, 2022 3:55 pm  #2


Re: "Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

Actually AXS TV is a Canadian owned network and based in the US.  Anthem Sports and Entertainment are the owners and they are headquartered in Toronto. The company is headed up by Izzy's son Leonard Asper.  Anthem owns a few other channels and sports properties in the US along with Game TV and Fight Network in Canada.  Bell had AXE TV on free preview for about three months a few years ago so they must be on cable here as well. 

Initially I liked them but after about a month, I think I had watched everything that was of interest to me.  They had  very long promo breaks which were very repetitive.  Sort of like the Paramount Channel that runs the same promo three or four times in every break. Overall they are pretty slick and have some interesting music oriented programming.  Don't think I would pay for it though.  

 

April 21, 2022 4:01 pm  #3


Re: "Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

paterson1 wrote:

Actually AXS TV is a Canadian owned network and based in the US.  Anthem Sports and Entertainment are the owners and they are headquartered in Toronto. The company is headed up by Izzy's son Leonard Asper.  Anthem owns a few other channels and sports properties in the US along with Game TV and Fight Network in Canada.  Bell had AXE TV on free preview for about three months a few years ago so they must be on cable here as well. 

Initially I liked them but after about a month, I think I had watched everything that was of interest to me.  They had  very long promo breaks which were very repetitive.  Sort of like the Paramount Channel that runs the same promo three or four times in every break. Overall they are pretty slick and have some interesting music oriented programming.  Don't think I would pay for it though.  

From Wikipedia's AXE TV entry:

Canadian carriage:

In the fall of 2006, HDNet became available in Canada on Rogers CableBell Satellite TV and Cogeco Cable;[139][/url] Shaw Cable began carrying the network in April 2007.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AXS_TV#cite_note-140][140][/url] The network would dropped by Bell and Rogers upon its relaunch as AXS TV.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AXS_TV#cite_note-141][141][/url]In August 2020, Canadian sibling GameTV began to air a branded block of AXS TV programming on weekend afternoons.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AXS_TV#cite_note-142][142][/url] In December of that year, AXS reached a new carriage deal with Bell, Alt TV, and Virgin TV.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AXS_TV#cite_note-143][143]
 

Last edited by Media Observer (April 21, 2022 4:03 pm)

 

April 21, 2022 4:11 pm  #4


Re: "Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

Thanks for the update. I looked for it in the Canadian cable listings, but didn't see it. Surprised to hear it's Toronto based. That may explain why it's not geoblocked,

Although it is surprising they would give away their programming online without any sign in required. That Beatles show I mentioned is supposed to air in the U.S. next Wednesday. Not sure about when or if it airs here. 

     Thread Starter
 

April 21, 2022 4:40 pm  #5


Re: "Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

When I had the channel they were on channels 571 and 1571. The station is the same in Canada and US so the Beatles special will run at the same time. Don't know if Rogers carries AXE however.   

 

April 21, 2022 7:06 pm  #6


Re: "Music's Greatest Mysteries" Series Is Free Online - Without A VPN

I just watched the Dennis Wilson segment re Manson. Not well researched. Right at the beginning they make a mistake and say "it was 1968 the summer of love" and it does not get much better after that. The usual clichés about the band being a surf and hot rod group, not noting that the group had abandoned those themes at least 3 years earlier and only revisited those themes once on the single Do It Again between 1965 and 1974.

Summer of Love - 1967


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