Awesome TV Shows For Binging?

[Chanel_no5]

You know, I could've sworn we had a thread for this, but if so, I can't find it. I can find plenty of threads re: sneezing in TV shows, but not just plain TV shows that you love and would recommend. So... yeah. We have movies threads, so why not go for the TV shows too? And I'll be annoying enough to post the intro/opening credits, because they're awesome too.  

It is the season for binging shows, so... here are a few that I love and recommend! Now share your favourites! 

Westworld (HBO). It probably wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who sees my fic posts here that I'm totally into this show, but unlike my fics which revolve around Theresa, the character that I personally found hot, the show is way, way more than that. Season 1 is a masterpiece. Season 2 I'm a bit on the fence about, but the first season is simply one of the best things that's ever been made. The acting, oh my God, it's flawless. It's both subtle and in-your-face, often at the same time. Such intricate storytelling. So many details to pick up on. Sci-fi/Western/drama. Existential questions galore. You will at some point during this show have an existential crisis and question the nature of your own reality, I promise.   However, be prepared that the "f-word" is used a lot, if you have a problem with that type of language, this is probably not a show for you. Though you can always give it a chance anyway, it poses some very intriguing questions that we, if we insist on developing artificial intelligence, sooner or later are going to have to bring up for discussion.

 

Stranger Things (Netflix). I was super sceptic when people were raving about how amazing this show was, because I tend to dislike things that most people agree are good. But then I decided I should probably watch it for myself before I have an opinion, and I'm glad I did because it really IS that good. It's set in the 80s and it is so 80s you can get, in the best way possible. The chemistry between actors makes it completely believable, it's clear these people really work well together. Storytelling is smart, acting is amazing, plot keeps moving forward, and there's true bonding between characters. Like, they really CARE about each other, and that's a very refreshing change. And the dialogue flows so well. Season 1 is, as seem to always be the case, better than season 2, but both are well worth watching, and they DO tie things together. If you like shows like X-Files and books like classic Stephen King novels, you're probably going to love this. 

 

 

Haunting of Hill House (Netflix). This is a horror story that manages to be terrifying, intelligent, and surprisingly emotional, all at once. I don't think I've cried so much watching horror, and I don't think I've been so scared watching a heart-wrenching family drama. This series somehow manages to mix it together without missing a beat. Not only that, but the storytelling is very, very smart as well. You know sometimes they show too much, and other times they don't show you enough to put two and two together? Well, this avoids all the common traps. It's just brilliant. And yes, they do use jump scares from time to time, which I normally think is hallmark of bad horror, but even that works in this show. You know, the best word to describe it is wistful. Which isn't a word commonly used in relation to horror, but it's really the most fitting word I can think of. 

 

Big Love (HBO). This one can be tough for some people, but since I'm one of those people it should be tough on, and I LOVE IT, others should give it a chance too. It's about a polygamist Mormon family. The premise would have made me shy away if I had known about it in advance, because I really don't respond well to religion and patriarchal structures. And sometimes it does get a bit much for me to swallow, but I'm from Sweden which is one of the most secularised countries in the world, so I don't have religion around me naturally. In general though, the show is much more of a portrait of human relationships, of conflicts and care, and what surprised me was how much love there really is between these characters. The chemistry is incredible, it wouldn't have worked with other actors or other constellation than this one, I'm certain. I only started watching - honestly - because it happened to be on one night when I was up finishing a glass of wine, and I realised that one of my celebrity crushes plays one of the three wives... then it took about twenty minutes and I was hooked on the show as a whole. 

 

Castle Rock (Hulu/HBO Nordic... not sure if it's available on HBO in all countries). This one does end on a weak note since all the threads are nowhere near tied together, but the road there is amazing and episode 7: The Queen is simply the single greatest episode of a TV show ever made. It's just... listen, I've never been a fan of Sissy Spacek. I know she's regarded as extremely talented, I've just never seen that talent before, I've never been impressed by her in anything. In this, though? Even Meryl Streep couldn't have done it better. If they polished it up a bit, episode 7 could be its own movie, and it really should be. After watching it about five times, I thought I could master the art of watching it without crying. Then came that one line that never fails to break my heart and BAM! Cue the waterworks. This show is based on Stephen King's fictional town Castle Rock and mentions several characters and events that took place in that town - Constant Readers will be familiar with sheriff Alan Pangborn, who is one of the major characters in this season. It's an anthology series, where each season has its own storyline. This first season is smart all the way up to the end where they take the easy way out (in my opinion), but it's worth watching, if so only for episode 7. You need to know stuff that happens in the episodes before to understand that episode though. 

 

[facet]

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Edited December 1, 2019 by facet
Removed by user.

[Garnet]

Definitely seconding Castle Rock, Stranger Things, and the Haunting of Hill House (just because those are the ones I've seen from your list).

I have... maybe too many to list, but most recently have binged Peaky Blinders, which is good for historical drama. Attractive people in attractive clothes driving attractive cars and being terrible. I have a crush on Annabelle Wallis's nose.  Along the same historical drama notes, but less appreciated, I really enjoyed Frontier because... I don't know. Did you have that one specific period and location of history that you were obsessed with, like ancient Egypt or the medieval ages, or whatever? Mine was 17-18th century fur trade Canada, and this show is that. It's neat, but also like...  if you're into Jason Momoa, well. You're welcome. 

If you're a fan of horror and mind-fucky stuff, I really like Black Mirror even though it upsets me to my core. On a lighter note, Netflix has most or all of the old Twilight Zone episodes up, and that's been strangely relaxing to have on in the background while I do housework, art, etc.

Uhhh let's see. If you have Hulu, Brooklyn 99 was my staple last year and got me through the holidays. Similarly, if you need a palate cleanser after any bad show adventures and/or enjoy British comedy and light fare, The Great British Bake-Off, Taskmaster, and The IT Crowd have all had their runs in our house. 

And lastly, my roommate and I are currently making our way through The Good Place which is hard to talk about without spoiling some things, even in summary but it explores a lot of things about ethics and philosophy in brilliant technicolor and uh. It's good. And funny. And weird.  But you should watch it. 
 

Edited November 23, 2018 by Garblin

[SleepingPhlox]

Huge, huge, huge second to The Good Place.  It has a unique premise and is astonishingly original and has an amazing world that you can get lost in just watching episode after episode but it's light enough that once it's finished, though you want more, it's easy enough to step away from.

Or if you wanted to go really old-school: Father Ted, Men Behaving Badly, and Blackadder.  I think Father Ted in particular has very regional humour but it's something I, at least, can just switch off and enjoy for hours and then step away from.  Blackadder is just something else, I'm struggling to think of any other TV series that has done what it did in the way of going through the different time periods.  The first series was a bit shaky and then it really hit it's stride and then the third and fourth series were something else, man.  But again, it's great for a binge because you can get lost in it for a while and then step away from it.  Which would be my main criteria for a binge-worthy show.

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

the last shows i binged were Game of Thrones, which i doubt anyone hasn't heard of yet so i won't go into too much detail. lots of sex and dragons and fantasy politics; The Magicians, on syfy but also on netflix, which is like if harry potter met the chronicles of narnia and got super grimdark and gritty. it's a rlly fucked up show, but it's also reallllly good; Gotham, which is an origins story of comissioner gordon, various batman villains, and yes ofc batman himself. i like it bc it rlly focuses on side characters and isn't too batman-centric; A Series of Unfortunate Events, on netflix, which follows the story from the bools rlly well. it's about orphans who are plagued by villains and have to survive via cleverness and creativity, and all the adults in it are rlly incompetent and annoying but in a fun to watch way. the show is rlly self-aware and whimsical; and Brooklyn 99 which is a sitcom about police officers in Brooklyn starring andy samberg. even if you're not a fan of cops or cop shows it's really funny and clever, and all the characters are rlly endearing.

 

[Rook]

@SleepingPhlox  @Q Both wonderful suggestions from both of you 

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

I 2nd Q's rec.of The Magicians though I'm a season behind in it. I just finished Peaky Blinders which is about a family of gansters in 1920s England. It is insanely good. @Garblin is correct about the people, clothes and cars too. (And Annabelle's nose)

Edited November 24, 2018 by Kaze wo Hiku

[Zwee]

BIG agree from me with the suggestions of Black Mirror, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place and The Great British Bake Off. Just really really good stuff for all different reasons.

I just finished binge-ing the first season of The Sinner on Netflix and it's SO good. Every episode is better than the last! You get more and more clues as the puzzle starts to come together, the acting is great and the characters are really intriguing.

Also, the Netflix show Bodyguard was surprisingly good! SO suspenseful, action-packed, plus Richard Madden from GoT is hot and his accent is endearing as hell.

And I can't help but always recommend The Office because it's like the ultimate comfort food except it's TV. Funny and great and awkward and surprisingly emotional and I just really love it.

[forestdaze]

currently binging: People Just Do Nothing- a mockumentary sitcom of these English failed MC's running a pirate radio station. sooooooo so so so so funny!

The Office

Parks and Recreation

Peep Show

Nathan For You

Peaky Blinders

The Good Place

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Arrested Development

Twin Peaks

Broad City

Difficult People

Billy on the Street

Reno 911!

Archer

Futurama

The Simpsons

Comedy Bang! Bang!

The IT Crowd

X-Files

Twilight Zone

Babylon Berlin

 

if I repeated any it's just because they're the right answers. 😝

[Kicker]

Woah! People on this thread like some good shows! Holy moly. I agree with a lot of aforementioned titles, but I'm going to try not repeat anything anyone else has said:

- Nirvana The Band The Show

- Twilight Zone

- Better Call Saul (You do not need to watch Breaking Bad to understand it) (Breaking Bad gets more recognition >:^( but this is the superior show)

- Bojack Horseman

- Mr Robot

- Freaks and Geeks

- True Detective

- Twin Peaks (and by the way, everyone in that cast is crazy attractive)

- Nathan For You

- Aaaannnddd this is kind of embarrassing but I watch We Bear Bears to fall asleep

[Chanel_no5]

Oh man, I forgot about "The Twilight Zone"! How could I forget about "The Twilight Zone"?? Although, it's not available on Netflix in my country, so I can't watch it currently, but DAMN that's a good classic! "The Outer Limits" is good too, it's similar style, not quite as good but definitely not bad.

I've also stumbled across a weird little gem on HBO that's called "Dimension 404". It's kind of Twilight Zone-ish for the digital era, it's both cheesy and stupid but also strangely appealing. I may have binged the entire season in one night.  

"Star Trek: Voyager" is a classic show that I used to love as a teen, and I recently found it on Netflix and binged it happily. It's a bit cheesy in places but it still holds up. And yup, I still have a crush on Captain Janeway. Funny how some things never change…  

I very, very much recommend the 80s sitcom "The Golden Girls", starring Betty White, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty and Rue Mcclanahan. It's so funny, and thought-provoking, and smart, and just in case anyone thinks "can't be any funny to watch little old ladies go about their lives, that has to be boring" - they're so funny and witty and they got away with plenty of dirty jokes just because they were "innocent little old ladies". Definitely give it a shot! Some parts are a bit outdated (like the awful stage décor and fashion), but it's so worth a watch.  

I used to be a massive "Criminal Minds"-fan, but I lost interest after they got rid of most of my favourite characters, so... I quit altogether after season 11, but I lost most of my interest at the end of season 9 when Blake left. Up until then, I loved the show completely.

I also used to love "The X-Files", but I felt the show jumped the shark somewhere around season 5, and it definitely couldn't carry losing Mulder. I didn't like the most recent episodes, the reboot seasons, at all. But the early seasons... hell yeah, they were awesome!  

10 hours ago, Kicker said:

Aaaannnddd this is kind of embarrassing but I watch We Bear Bears to fall asleep

Dude, I still watch cartoons, especially those from my childhood. Like Disney's "The Gummi Bears", "Darkwing Duck", um... "Rainbow Brite"... ( ). 

 

[Selene]

Bringing this thread up again because I'm looking for something that's a feel-good bingeworthy show. Something fun and more on the lighter side. Or a cosy mysteries thing like "Father Ted", "Poirot", or "Miss Marple".

Shows I know that have been mentioned already and which I'd count into this category would be "Father Ted", "Blackadder", and "The Golden Girls" (to give you some idea what I'm looking for).

Any recommendations?

Edited January 14, 2019 by Selene

[March Hare]

I whole-heartedly recommend Bones, Lucifer, and Full House (yes, the original nineties show, it's on Netflix).

[doggo]

On Netflix, I really liked Godless. A mining town that has lost all it's men, an aftermath of a train robbery etc. I liked the series because it broke so many stereotypes in one go, it was a very satisfying watch. Obviously it's not perfect and there's still too much of men yapping to eachother and sometimes one needs to suspend some belief too, but I did enjoy it a lot.

Seconding strongly Peaky Blinders. I think it's one of those shows that get better season by season, and that is damn rare!

Not sure where can one see this, but if you have the chance, Babylon Berlin. Definitely the coolest version of the whole 1920's thing I've seen. It's almost constant visual eye candy and has a great plot. They have it all - the flappers, the (trotskyist) communists, the rising nazism, the crazy Berlin decadence... all in this seething soup. Watch this if you have the chance.
 

Edited to add a link: looks like this sports a well earned 8.4 score on IMDB. Also has, like, the coolest dance scenes This is the Weimar Republic story I've wanted to see for so long:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4378376/

Edited January 15, 2019 by doggo

[Mash]

Definitely another vote for the Office.

One of my favorite things about that show is that I can enjoy it by just listening to it. I don't have to pay my full attention, which is sometimes convenient if my music is a bit stale and I want something else in the background.

[doggo]

Currently binging on Dogs of Berlin, it's on Netflix. This is so good! A really good detective story, all the different people from different backgrounds getting tangled in all sorts of trouble. Characters and settings not too tidy and perfect. Really bloody well written. I especially love the stuff about the Turkish rap-scene and obviously the football stuff because I love German football and the game-night feeling is just so perfect ❤️ And yeah this is also helping me as I'm in process of writing a fic that takes place in Berlin  

[Sneesee]

You on Netflix. Just super creepy, but done in a neat way, lots of twists and turns you don’t quite see coming. Highly recommend!

Superstore on Hulu. If you have ever worked retail, then you will love this show, I promise. Hilarious!

Shameless on Netflix, the American version. The later seasons get kind of dark, but the first couple of seasons are amazing!

i would like to second The Haunting of Hill House and Stranger Things.

[Melody]

How to Get Away with Murder is fantastic. (Canadian Netflix)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Rupauls Drag Race (Canadian Netflix)

Lucifer (Canadian Netflix)

Scandal (Canadian Netflix)

Atypical (Canadian Netflix)

Stranger Things (Canadian Netflix)

 

[Rook]

MERLIN (FROM BBC IS ON NETFILX

THE ROOKIE (Staring Nathen Fillion) ON ABC

[SleepingPhlox]

"You" on Netflix is seriously gripping.  I started watching it because someone at work said it was really good and I ended up blasting through it.  I recommend it with caution though, some people will have issues with some of the themes, it's tough going sometimes but DAMN it knows how to keep you hooked.

[Yuurei]

I recently binged Russian Doll on Netflix. It's only 8 episodes and stars Natasha Lyonne. It's super good and very entertaining (and moving).

 

[Reader]

1 hour ago, Yuurei said:

I recently binged Russian Doll on Netflix.

I heard it got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

~~~

I binge-watched Altered Carbon in like two days. I’m so ready for the second season! 

[matilda3948]

I burned through the first season of "The Good Place" in one weekend. It's charming and smart.

Also, huge fan of "Killing Eve." It's funny and dark and addictive. Season 2 comes out in a few months and I can't wait!

[Coffee Mug]

Sneaky Pete (Amazon) created by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), he’s also the bad guy all through Season 1. 

[Esstrosa]

Breaking bad and better call Saul one you start watching you can stop till you finish it