Quibi Reviews: Survive, When the Street Lights Go On, & Flipped

Quibi, the latest attempt to switch things up in the streaming market, is here.

The mobile-only streaming service has launched, and it promises to deliver big stories in chapters.

It's perfect for those who find it difficult to keep up with standard length TV shows.

Quibi is home to a bunch of scripted and unscripted series, and in this article, we'll focus on the scripted side of things.

All of the shows launched with three chapters today, meaning that there is just under 30 minutes of these shows available to stream.

We'll start with Survive because it has got to be one of the most anticipated new shows out there.

Survive is the story of a young woman named Jane (Sophie Turner) whose plane crashes on a remote snow-covered mountain and she, along with Paul (Corey Hawkins) must do everything in their power to stay safe.

The early promotional materials would certainly make people think it's the next Lost or Manifest, but there is so much more to the show than that.

Jane has been battling mental health, and coming from a family filled with tragedy, she is ready to end it all.

The series begins with her in a facility to help her battle her urge to kill herself. There's undoubtedly a better story that could have been told from following the colorful characters in the facility.

But, because Quibi wants to tell a lot of story in a small amount of time, it burns through the facility storyline in quick succession, to get Jane to the plane, and prepared for the insanity that follows.

Indeed, the show is action-packed, but it is also filled with convincing acting from Turner as this struggling young woman.

There's a lot about her we don't know, and I can't shake the feeling that her journey is going to be filled with even more tragedy.

Unfortunately, the storylines get little time to breathe, but that could be attributed to the way Quibi wants us to consume the content.

Survive -- 3.5/5 stars

When the Street Lights Go On is the best show on the drama side. Murder mysteries have been done to death on the small screen, especially ones that appeal to teenagers.

In recent memory, the sole murder mystery aimed at teenagers that has been a success is Elite. All of the other shows tend to be bursting at the seams with filler and red herrings.

When the Street Lights Go On could be described as Quibi's iteration of the series. The central murder is interesting, and the bite-sized episodes allow for the mystery to hit all of the beats with ease.

The script here is filled with the level of wit you would expect, but there is also enough darkness to keep viewers tuned in for every single beat.

The acting is another strong point. Chosen Jacobs is riveting as the teenager who finds the bodies in the woods following the murder.

Charlie is a teenager who watches the madness unfold from his bicycle.

Kristine Froseth, who is coming off widely praised turns on Looking for Alaska and The Society is great in her recurring role.

When the Street Lights Go On -- 4.5/5 stars

On the comedy front, Flipped delivers witty scenes, backed up by some first-rate acting from Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson.

It focuses on a down on their luck husband and wife who aim to become home renovation experts after losing their jobs.

But there's a wild twist in the tale when they find themselves kidnapped by cartel members and forced to renovate their homes.

The series is inspired by Chip and Joanna Gaines, and it uses the format of Quibi to its full advantage.

The bite-sized approach works well here because the situations the characters find themselves in has a shelf life. Not one of the early episodes is too much or too little.

This should have been the flagship show that got all the promotional muscle because it will probably be the most successful.

Flipped -- 5.0/5 stars

The one thing that's clear from browsing the 24 programs available is that they wanted to cater to most people.

That's why there are also shows like Chrissy's Court and Gayme Show, which appear to be more for casual TV viewers.

While Chrissy's Court might seem like a Judge Judy wannabe, the show struggles from the get-go. Guest appearances by Chrissy's husband and daughter makes the show tough to get on board with.

It's fun, but Gayme Show manages to hit the nail on the head when it comes to the laughs. Unfortunately, there's not much more to say about that one.

Quibi launched today -- April 6 -- in the U.S. with an international release to follow. The cost comes in at $4.99 per month, including ads, and $7.99 without.

Whether the service will be a success in the long term, I don't know. It depends how people take to the small episodes.

Flipped proves that the format can work, but it will come down to the show itself.