The Best TV Shows To Binge During Quarantine
With a constant slew of peak TV out there, we end up spending 90% of our time cocooned on our couches trying to land on something to watch but thanks to crippling human indecisiveness, we end up rolling over, admitting defeat and napping instead.
Those who have lost an entire month to Netflix, say aye. What else is there to do in these dark turbulent times but watch Carole Baskin riding round her meow meow kitty cat lake on her menacing bicycle?
With a constant slew of peak TV out there, we end up spending 90% of our time cocooned on our couches trying to land on something to watch but thanks to crippling human indecisiveness, we end up rolling over, admitting defeat and napping instead.
If this is you, we’re here to make the selection process a tiny bit easier. These are the shows totally worth watching during quarantine.
Sex Education
A refreshingly open coming-of-age dramedy about a sexually repressed teen called Otis who lives with his mum, Jean, a sex and relationships therapist. It handles the trials and tribulations of the birds and the bees with pure nuanced genius, but the real magic of the show goes beyond erectile dysfunction and wayward dildos. Expect to bash out both seasons within a week.
Suits
The legal drama, the bromance, the corruption, the Tom Ford suits and Megan flaming Markle. It’s plain to see why this recipe just works. Should you binge all eight seasons in five days? It’s advisable.
The Office
Pure mockumentary joy. The Ricky-Gervais fronted series is set at a dysfunctional paper company and follows the day-to-day troubles of the firm’s uninspired desk jockeys. There’s an eternal debate about which version is better, the original UK version or the US spinoff starring Steve Carell. Watch both. You decide.
Tiger King
Where do we even start? It’s a seven-part docuseries about a gun-carrying redneck man with a mullet (his words) who breeds wilds cats and wants to kill a woman on a bicycle who also breeds wild cats. His name is Joe Exotic and he’s married to two men. That’s right, he’s in a throuple. She’s called Carole Baskin and vehemently denies feeding her husband to a tiger but the world and its memes disagrees. And absolutely all of that is true. Once you start watching it, you won’t be able to stop. You could not make this stuff up.
Mindhunter
Here’s something to keep you on your toes! Mindhunter follows two FBI agents carrying out research on serial killer profiling in the 70s and the complications that come with it.
Killing Eve
Now in its third season, Killing Eve follows Eve Polastri, the spy tasked with hunting down a prolific female assassin, Villanelle. We never thought we’d be rooting for a murderous psychopath but here we are. Jodie Comer does that to you. One minute you’re panicking, the next you’re throwing your head back and chortling all over the place. It’s dark, quirky and down-right hilarious.
Big Little Lies
Based on Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley star in this highly addictive series about three mothers in Monterey, California, each dealing with their own daunting secrets. A strong female cast, a gripping plot and an almighty t-w-i-s-t. You won’t be left disappointed.
You
What looks set to be another charming run of the mill meet-cute in a bookstore quickly escalates into one hell of a binge-worthy psychological thriller. Get ready to shout “buy some f*cking curtains” at the screen multiple times. Two seasons right there for the taking. Thank you, Netflix.
Gossip Girl
Sometimes you just need to zone out with some YA guilty pleasure viewing and this teen drama ticks all the boxes. XOXO.
Making A Murderer Part 1 & 2
This American crime documentary follows the case of Steven Avery, a man who is freed from prison after being wrongly convicted of rape, only to find himself arrested for another heinous crime. But did he do it? You’re in for quite the ride with this one!
Friends
If the phrase, ‘we were on a break’ goes right over your head, now’s your chance to redeem yourself. This is the show that gave us Smelly Cat, a beef trifle, pivot and smell the fart acting. It’s not just an iconic TV series, it’s a way of life.
Gavin & Stacey
Oh, my Christ! If you haven’t seen this BBC series then, are you ok hun? Starring Ruth Jones and James Corden, it’s one of the nation’s most loved box sets and with good reason. Hop to it!
Normal People
Come through BBC, this is the essential lockdown viewing we needed. Based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel of the same name, Normal People follows the intoxicating on-off romance between Marianne, a bookish loner, and Connell, a popular kid whose mum works for Marianne’s family. The casting’s magnetic, the music is everything and the sex scenes are steeped in the kind of real life awkwardness we live for. In short, this is one adaptation that does live up to the book. What a beautiful bit of television.
Breaking Bad
It’s kind of a big deal. Lots of episodes to get stuck into, a must-watch for anyone who can cope with the shouting at the TV moments it brings. Themes: Drug dealing, money laundering, deception.
The Killing
One for any murder lovers. Set in the US, The Killing follows the working relationship of two detectives, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder, and the case of a missing teen. You may be inclined to think you’re strong enough to watch one episode per evening but you’d be categorically wrong.
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Sissy that walk! Queens compete for $100,000 and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar in this Emmy-winning show hosted by the mother of all drag mothers, RuPaul.
Orange Is The New Black
Since the first series aired back in 2013, OITNB has solidified itself as a long-standing Netflix fave.
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange Is The New Black: My Year In A Women’s Prison, the drama follows the life of Piper Chapman, played by Taylor Schilling, as she adjusts to life on the inside. As the seasons unfold, we learn more about her fellow inmates, their backstories and their lives before they were banged up. Binge your way through all seven seasons of it asap.
After Life
Two seasons of heartbreaking brilliance! After Life follows the story of Tony, a bereaved journalist, as he tries to navigate a life without his wife. Ricky Gervais will have you in tears and stitches just minutes apart. A touching exploration of grief, depression and friendship all packaged into 20-minute episodes – just enough time to pull yourself together ahead of the next one.
Too Hot To Handle
This is the kind of train-wreck television we deserve right now. Beautiful horny singletons – check. A tropical retreat – check. Ill-fitting swimwear – Check. The catch? None of them are allowed to get jiggy with it. Not even a quick peck behind a palm tree or a sly spoon between the sheets. If they do, the all-seeing all-knowing robot (like Alexa only creepier) will rat them out and they’ll kiss bye bye to the $100,000 prize fund.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Set in the 1950s, Midge Maisel is a housewife turned stand-up comedian with a larger than life personality. If you love your escapism wrapped in vintage clothes, look no further than this show.
