Self imposed quarantine got you down? Here’s 26 of my favorite shows of the moment to help that isolation fly right by!
Suddenly, my superpower of being able to binge an entire series in usually just a couple of days has finally come in handy–and it only took a global pandemic to make it so!!
A COUPLE OF THINGS:
a) This post is part of an ever evolving list of my favorite television shows, documentaries, and limited series that consistently made me laugh out loud, cry, be super fuqqin angry, and super sad and super happy all at the same time.
b) For more of what to watch, check out my previous posts here:
In Honor of the 2018 Emmy Noms Here are the Shows You Need to Binge ASAP
What to Watch
c) Also, it’s late, but it comes at a BRILLIANT time. If you are even the slightest bit tuned into pop culture, there’s a good chance you’ve watched a lot of these already. At the very least “Fleabag”. If not, you’re in luck–you’re why I did this so study up, kid!
I did started writing this eons ago but wanted as complete of a list as possible for viewers of all flavors. Plus I just, I don’t know, got distracted? However, now with that virus hanging around and canceling plans left and RIGHT, I thought the time never more appropriate.
Get those streaming subscriptions ready and dive right in to these wholly entertaining series:
FLEABAG – (AMAZON PRIME)**
Absolutely hilarious. Absolutely real. Just fucking amazing to be honest. Nominated for a whopping 11 Emmys, this show is pure gold, people. It’s filling the void in my soul that VEEP left and for that I am ever grateful. I have loved Phoebe Waller-Bridge since I watched the seriously-robbed-with-only-one-season-though-i-know-the-whole-purpose-of-the-show-is-very-fleeting-and-temporary-so-it-makes-sense-“Crashing”. At the time I didn’t realize what a badass she was and I am actively obsessed with her to make up for lost time.
She is absolutely GENIUS. The show will take you on a ride that only your sense of humor will bail you out of.
It follows 4 catholic girls & one English catholic boy who attend an all girls school in Derry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom during the end of The Troubles. It’s cool because that’s a conflict I didn’t know much about / couldn’t really imagine what it would’ve been like, and this show, while obviously not a documentary lmao, sheds light into what normal life would’ve been like for Northern Irish Catholics. Plus it’s stupid funny. It only takes like two episodes to grasp the pentameter and pronunciation and you’re like golden.
It’s the show everyone was talking about. First of all, if my high school experience was anything similar to this, I can’t even imagine the kind of boring person I would be now–i mean srsly what is left?! But this show is so brutal and honest and uncomfortable at times and completely uplifting for a moment and completely devastating–it’s quite the ride in every way but it’s worth it.
I couldn’t find a poster that would work so I had to use this pic of the billboard lmaoooo. However–I really enjoy this series! Right now we’re only 4 episodes in but I’m into it. It’s a lighthearted space show which is nice because the galactic genre has always been so heavy. Not nearly as funny as VEEP but you can certainly pick up the similarities in the writing. Definitely worth climbing aboard and giving it like at least a two episode trial.
Talk. About. Drama. And also, Gwyneth Paltrow is so good in general but like damn good in this as a billionaire mother (the role she was born to play in real life anyway). I also love that they never reference the fact that like in addition to doing all these extra curriculars and being hell bent on becoming the president and having a perfect grade point average and an enormous amount of money, he can also sing like really well, and he does a few times through the season. It’s definitely worth a spin.
So, I’m giving HULU an extended spin and I am srsly into it. I love Zoe Kravitz so it didn’t take much convincing at ALL to click play on this show. I love it. It’s beautiful. It’s lonely. It’s healing? It’s raw. It makes me want to move to New York and be aloof and make therapeutic playlists. But it also makes me think of my 5 top heartbreaks and, well, really I maybe only have one?
So I have no idea how many episodes Apple+ will let you watch without finally giving in and getting a membership, but so far I’ve watched 3 episodes of this bad boy and I’m hooked. I will say I’m not head over heels for Reese Witherspoon’s character, but legit I’ll love anything Jennifer Aniston does. The writing is solid, it’s all very believable and shot well…And I love the insights and position the show is taking on the whole scandalous world of morning talk show men and their shortcomings–and how they deal with them.
I’m not in the business of lying so I will be upfront and say it’s a touch slow. However, it is a) fucking gorgeously costumed, wonderfully set, beautifully filmed, incredibly acted–I mean come on it’s Dame Helen Mirren playing my third fave historical figure, Catherine the Great–What more could you as a human want or need? PLUS it’s in English which is a plus considering the Amazon series I posted about in version 1 of Here are the shows you need to binge ASAP” was in Russian, German, and French.
Carlee and I are OBSESSED with this pinnacle of Food Network programming. 13 middle-school-aged children compete for the title of Kid’s Baking Champion by baking the challenge of the week: ie, splatter paint cakes, desserts that look like main course food but it’s all sweet and delicious, macarons (dude this just kills them all) and so much more. It’s hilarious. Everytime one of those awkward kids makes a mistake and starts crying I just fuqqin lose it.
But honestly, kudos to them because they are just like using their brain and their taste buds to create shit and I’m still, at 26 years of age, referencing the back of the chocolate chip bag to figure out how the fuqq to make cookies.
Well, really, all I have to say is that this shit is crazy on like every single level. Absolutely, without a doubt, hands down a must watch! It’s literally got everything–intrigue, drama, violence, sex, food, Italians–so many Italians. And also, it’s so simple. Like the whole thing–so simple, so easy to overlook.
I found this particularly interesting because it’s insight into a political dynasty that’s very real, I mean the 2000 election was the first I remembered experiencing, and what a moment that was for the Bush family you know what I mean–everyone was involved in that–Jeb, George Sr. I legit thought they were just like some family from Texas and that is all she wrote. But let me just tell you–nope.
You know I just can never get enough of anything having to do with the royal fam, and especially in these Megxit times, my interest is certainly PIQUED! It’s not revealing anything I didn’t already know, but new people talking about it, new video clips, etc. It airs every Sunday at 9:00 Central.
Initially, I did not believe I would really be into this show–the dad isn’t one of my preferred actors, I don’t like uncomfortable situations in TV shows and I really can’t stand when people are bullied on TV and it’s passed like being funny, you know? I am all about the humor if everyone’s in on it. Anyway, with that all being said, I gave it a spin and had it on in the background while I was doing some menial tasks and actually quite enjoyed it. Admittedly I have only finished season 1 and then switched shows but I’ll make my way back ’round.
I’m going to throw this out there and say that this is probably exactly what it’s like in the houses of televangelists and those in charge of the megachurches. Sometimes I can’t handle it but other times I’m into it. Plus it’s just so comical to me because it’s so like Oklahoma christians.
I mean, the cast. Reese Witherspoon in late 90s prepware; Kerry Washington serving nonstop unobstructed views of her collar bones. Planned communities. I wasn’t like 100% convinced I really wanted to watch a show with such an intensely boring yet definitely smoldering underlying story line but I’m into it.
Okay I related to this show on another level. Coming from a real estate family, one day my job will be to collect some rent on the rentals we have–yes, lil ol’ frail ass ol’ me going around like plz sir will you pay me your rent haha oh you don’t have it oh I’ll come back? idk– Traditionally, this was seen as the Lord of the Manor’s job, the man of the family. Anne Lister (a real-ass bad ass woman) decided she would take on the role of collecting rents for her family’s inherited home, Shibden Hall. Things get a bit more prickly when she decides to take a wife–this is 1832 England, after all. We stan this trailblazing lesbian Lord.
A little fucked up but so good. I am including this even though it’s featured in ‘the shows you need to binge ASAP” because I wanted to make sure people didn’t forget about it because season 2 dropped! It’s dark but so is the world, you know? . This is one of those shows where the ambiguous ending of Season 1 left was honestly perfect. It could’ve completely ended there or continued on, and, in my v humble opinion, they extended the story line beautifully with the addition of Bonnie.
Alligators. Mid level marketing. Pyramid Schemes. Pelicans. Water parks. Splashercize. Kool Aid. I think those pretty much sum this series up, and I am totally into it not even kidding. It’s a touch slow, but it’s honestly so honest about the world of product peddlers. And especially in this day of Instagram pyramid scheme wanna be influencers every other tap of our screen, it is pretty relatable.
When you think classic American luxury, only one name comes to mind. Ralph Lauren. With ‘Very Ralph’ we get a glimpse into the iconic Americana world of Ralph Lifshitz and the brand he built as Ralph Lauren. From US Polo Association to Polo, to Polo Ralph Lauren, to Ralph Lauren, to Green Label, to Black Label, to Purple Label. The advertising campaigns that watch like films–home films from the family beach house in The Hamptons. He has never shied away from having people of color wear his gorgeous garments in his international ad campaigns—something i think is iconically american at its most true center? So good.
This is what we’re made of you guys. A very interesting lil series about tastemakers and game changers in the fashion world from this side of the Atlantic. It’s also very, very interesting to see how politics and war and religion and sex all combine in textiles and what we collectively go through as a people is then directly reflected in what we put on our bodies!! v interesting.
YOU – (NETFLIX)
I’ll say it: i’m normally way more of a comedy bitch, but something about a nice cocktail of dayquil, nyquil, a steroid pack, and some other medicinal components put me in a weird mood and I decided to indulge myself in a more stalkery reboot of Dan Humphreys. Let me tell you: I. was. enthralled. First of all, sure, Beck is cute but let’s be honest, that long wool tweed coat & her friendship with Peach are the best parts about her. And season 2?! Some next level shit, truly. I kind of think I’d fall victim to him pretty quickly too…(I’d love the attention to detail).
Normally I cannot handle scary things especially real-life scary things, so this was a bit left field for me as far as binging choices go. HOWEVER, when danger calls thrice, see if they’ll call a fourth and then definitely say yes. And there we were, 4 calls. So, I fuqqin answered. It’s insane. There are twists. There are turns. (and i’m not just talking about the stabbing technique of the asshole who killed cats and a PUPPY and also a human. A must watch, if only to realize the power of a few hundred websurfing wannabe Sherlocks doing daily post-work Pope & Associates-level intel-gathering.
So, it’s kind of got the energy of Barbara Strisand in “Meet the Fockers” mixed with that Charlie Bartlett movie from a few years ago, and then poured over a steep glass of the British Isles to be honest. It’s exactly the same and yet a lot different than I expected it to be but funny and I definitely enjoyed it. 8/10 would recommend.
DAVE – (FX on HULU)
First of all, Lil Dicky’s “Earth” was one of my favorite releases of 2019. Second of all, I was a lil unsure that i’d be into the show since i tend to lean toward series with strong female leads. However, it’s really, really good actually. It’s funny, a lil poignant in its own way, and is like a pretty interesting mockumentary-type series about a c-level celebrity. I don’t really understand how they are doing the rollout but there are a few (like 4 maybe?) episodes available to binge now.
Not going to lie, it took me a couple go-rounds to actually get invested…or really to even like it but sometimes it is literally so funny and those moments gave me the faith I needed to tune in repeatedly. Like an actually funny ‘Big Bang Theory’?
And, last but certainly not least,
It is…so stupid. Occasionally, so intensely hilarious. It’s absolutely worth a spin of like two episodes and you’ll be more or less hooked to find out if they are, in fact, police officer-doctors or doctor-police officers. Plus the cast is honestly kind of a who’s who of off the wall comedy shows. If only they were in charge of soling this COVID crisis–we’d honestly probably be in the same boat but at least it would be funny.
So, okay, there you have it! Now that the ever expanding streaming universe is spitting out entire solar systems of new series, don’t fear–there’s enough streamable content to last us through this time of social distancing!
Stay healthy in there, okay?
-chasertheprince
