I’ve decided to watch every episode in chronological order. Going back to the beginning and seeing the program evolve is so fascinating. It is clear to me that Martha Stewart is a highly intelligent person who loves to learn and then share that information with others. She has had so many people on her program who have also shared their knowledge and I can only imagine what that has done for these people and their businesses. She shines a spotlight on a massive variety of things which only someone as truly curious as herself could do. Martha, as a person, inspires me to learn and do. She inspires me to stay organized, efficient and to make things beautiful. If I lived in New York, I’d be working at her company for sure because I appreciate the company’s level of quality and creativity. What her and her team put out into the world is a bright star compared to the other offerings of the media.

As a nearly lifelong Martha fan, just the very idea of this app brought tears to my eyes. After completing the free trial however, I will not be continuing my membership.. All the amazing Martha content appears to be here, but the interface is total garbage. The layout is lazy. The themed playlists make little sense. Access to individual seasons is buried beneath these playlists. Full season access to the live Martha show is not available. The search tool results are inconsistent at best. Easy controls and 15s forward and back buttons (like the ones in literally every other application that plays video) are missing here too. Martha and the company were always head of the curve on everything tech. While I suppose the argument could be made they still are by just the existence of this app, this should be so much better. This app could reflect what made Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia the cultural game changer it was. Instead, it appears someone who doesn’t care about the content just dumped more than 20 years worth of magic into a clunky application that needs a lot of work.

What’s not to like about an archive of the best homemaking, gardening, DIY and cooking advice ever made. What really makes these shows stand out is the absence of constant chatter. In scenes where Martha is doing things by herself, it’s refreshing to just have moments of silence while she works. No music, no sound effects, no constant banter with guests. The old theme music is so nostalgic tool. Too bad these weren’t shot on film or HD video because fine detail is lost in the old standard. Delightfully free of commercials and other distractions. Enjoy these while you can as there’s always the threat the rights might be licensed to some cable channel that pumps in an hour of commercials for every hour of content.

I love this app because I can rewatch Martha Stewart shows that I watched when I was younger and learned so many things from her then. I rewatch those now and use some recipes that have not used in a long time and some crafting ideas that I haven’t done for years and now enjoy again. With Martha Stewart, you never stop learning from her. She was always the most excellent guide and the most excellent teacher. I have just never stopped learning from her. From every day things, gardening, recipes, food, information, tips instructions crafting. From holidays to every day things. I love Martha Stewart and I love this app.