HELLO. I have come up with a new project for my Temporary Unemployment, and it is “watching the first episode of every TV show I said I wanted to watch and then couldn’t remember what it was or why I wanted to watch it.” So far I have watched the first episodes of:
Bad Sisters
Never Have I Ever
The OA
Shrill
Shrinking
Sense8
This is to get an idea of which shows we might want to watch while the littles are home for the summer. So far, in terms of “Do I want to watch this with my children?,” I am yes, yes, yes, no, yes, yes. I suspect the children will be no, no, yes, no, maybe, yes.
I am wondering: do you have MORE TV for me to try?? I liked Severance a lot, though I basically had a breakdown over the season two ending (WHO WOULD DO THAT TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING??? I HATE EVERYONE!!!!). I like the British version of Traitors, and want to try the U.S. version ONLY because of Alan Cumming; I like Taskmaster, but have to remember at the beginning of each season that I like it, because at first it is STRANGERS and I DO NOT LIKE THEM, and it takes me a few episodes to LOVE THEM ALL FOREVER. I ended up liking Pluribus, but the first episode I sobbed and freaked out and was a mess: I can handle that stuff in a BOOK, but not VISUALLY, and I wasn’t prepared for it, and I continued to have issues with other episodes, especially when my family argued that the main character was irrational and unlikable and I DISAGREED INTENSELY. I watched an episode of This Is Going To Hurt, and I might want to watch more, but not with the children, and maybe not at all. So many people have recommended The Pitt!! but I don’t want to see a lot of blood/injuries/emergencies/stress. I am also not in the market for shows that are by, for, and about ONLY MEN; if anything, I want the opposite right now. …Though I enjoyed the first episode of Shrinking, which is so far really only about men, so.
Apparently Aaron Sorkin is divisive and indicative; I tend to like his stuff, but Paul tends to hate it; I loved Sports Night, I loved the first…was it six? seasons of The West Wing, before Aaron Sorkin left. I liked Firefly; it was frankly too much for me, but I still liked it. I liked Six Feet Under; it was frankly too much for me, but I still liked it. The Wire was extremely my thing but about ten times as intense and upsetting as I could stand; I only watched…a season and a half, or two seasons, I’m not sure. I watched and liked two seasons of The Good Place. I liked 95% of Letterkenny, but the other 5% I found so repellent I couldn’t tolerate it. I thought Sex Education was brilliant in its way but far far too much for me. Ted Lasso was great except for one character/plotline I found intolerable. I thought Jane the Virgin was fine, and good in certain ways, and dumb in other ways, but I enjoyed the quirk. I liked Queen’s Gambit but found it upsetting. I liked Parks and Rec after the first season (and agree the first season can be skipped). I liked Schitt’s Creek after the first season (and agree the first season is necessary to suffer through). I liked The Good Wife for awhile. I’ve watched two seasons of Bridgerton, but it is much too racy to watch with the kids, and I CANNOT with how often women are passionately slammed against walls and desks and STAIRS??? and so forth); I tried The Gilded Age and it didn’t grab me but I’d be willing to keep trying; I watched and liked two seasons of The Crown. I liked Buffy, and Angel, and Veronica Mars, while acknowledging the soap-opera qualities. I loved Downton Abbey, while acknowledging the soap-opera qualities.
My favorite is to watch a show with multiple seasons that was allowed to continue until it ended correctly, and where viewers agree that it ended correctly. But I am absolutely willing to watch shows in-progress that will probably be canceled because they’re good. My least favorite is to watch the first season of something than only has one season, and the next season isn’t coming out for a couple of years. (I do not understand why it’s going to take so long to get another season of Pluribus.)
I’m here for the recommendations from others and to recommend Slow Horses on Apple TV – similar in ways to enough of your likes that I think you might enjoy it. I would highly encourage you to persevere with the Gilded Age – bit of a slow burn but once it lit up, that was all I could watch or think about or talk about. Anne with an E is charming and family-friendly for your aged kids. Have you seen The Umbrella Academy? Man on the Inside? Ooh, how about Veronica Mars? All excellent choices. As someone who was quite resistant indeed to The Pitt, I can tell you now that I have given in, it is one of the best things I’ve watched in a couple of years and worth doing (Gilded Age is also on that list). It is not as gory or as emotional as I expected. Lastly, as a fellow UK Traitors lover, I vote yes on the US Traitors.
I came here to recommend Slow Horses!
Coming back to recommend Heartstopper and What We Do in the Shadows, and to publicly shame myself for recommending Veronica Mars, which you’d mentioned in your post.
The only still airing shows I watch are Only Murders in the Building and Abbott Elementary. This last season of Abbott Elementary was “off” in a way I don’t want to bother figuring out and I haven’t decided if I’ll watch the next season. I enjoy every episode of Only Murders now, but there was a bit of a learning curve for me to get into it, and I do think the first seasons are better characterization wise then the more recent ones.
I’m currently rewatching seasons 5-8 of Brooklyn Nine Nine, which is the only seasons available on Netflix for some reason.
Yes to Brooklyn Nine-nine! Run, don’t walk, to watch this
Paul and I loved Only Murders in the Building! I loved Abbott Elementary but everyone in my household kept making fun of it and I got mad and we stopped watching it; I should go back to watching that on my own. We all loved Brooklyn Nine Nine.
WHAT? Made fun of Abbott Elementary? WHAT?
I loved Starstruck and Sort Of on HBO, and Aculpulco on Apple.
Basically I like feel good shows about very average people trying to make good decisions and not always succeeding.
I recently binged ‘Colin from Accounts’ and loved it. Its 2 seasons with a big cliffhanger and we have to wait awhile for season 3.
I second Slow Horses – It was fantastic. The Other Bennett Sister was also nice – but I suspect it may be one that your family declines to join in on.
Ooh how about All Creatures Great and Small? It’s soooooo cozy.
We’ve been watching Deadloch and absolutely loving it. Just started season 2 which I would be anxious about since season 1 was so good, but trusted friends have assured me it also ends really well. The sense of humor is exactly my thing, I always love a murder mystery, and I love that the main characters are all unglamorous middle-aged women. It’s got that “small town cast of very distinctive characters” thing that Schitt’s Creek has, where even the people you might have found annoying at first end up being lovable in their way (most of them.)
Deadloch is so good! Also My Lady Jane.
If you try Deadloch, you will probably hate a main character until episode 4 or so. And even then it’s a LOT of swearing and sexual references. But I liked it anyway.
Deadloch is so good! Such a unique show. If someone described the premise (odd couple plus odder third wheel Australian lesbians solving a murder mystery) I would have been skeptical. Ok, maybe I wouldn’t have but it’s an unusual premise and the show totally delivers. I think the second season is even better than the first. Seriously though, everyone is a lesbian.
US Traitors isn’t as good as UK Traitors. Mostly because it’s D-list reality celebrities who come in with existing relationships and alliances. eg Bravo Housewives. The host is ok – he’s just super extra over the top as a character. I much prefer the UK version and Claudia. There is going to be a regular people US version and that should be better. UK Celebrity was nicer because they were playing for charity vs the US celebs playing for themselves.
I like to watch Great British Sewing Bee and Great Pottery Throw Down on Roku channel.
– I see Man on the Inside was already suggested.
– The Residence (I’ve watched both of these with the kids)
– Dead to Me, The Americans, Catastrophe are all a little older, but good
I used to watch a lot of TV in the background while working from home.
Ooh, as a family we’ve also enjoyed Wednesday, Wandavision, and Agatha All Along.
I liked Dead to Me! Paul and I loved Wednesday, but the kids didn’t and we couldn’t figure out why; we think it might be that they’re too close in age to the characters, so they felt cringe/annoyed instead of entertained by them. We liked Wandavision.
I agree with the earlier comment about the Pitt. I am truly an empath and found the first season so intense as to be nearly unwatchable. But also wonderful! So for the second I told myself, it’s just a show. And either that works, or they dialed the intensity down, as this season was easier to watch. It is so amazing! And fits your criteria of not only about men, plus it is so culturally inclusive!
And okay, Swistle, I have to know, with Ted Lasso about to return for season 4, who/what was the character plot line you found intolerable???
Nate!! I loved him at first, and hated his arc!
Ooh, I do agree. Though the actor was amazing in the role throughout.
I think perhaps even the writers felt, what are we doing, as they brought the arc back around.
As much as I love Ted Lasso, and think it’s one of the best shows ever, there were lots of odd storylines that seemed to be quickly (or fairly quickly) reconsidered: Rebecca and Sam, Shandy, Jack, KJPR, etc. Very interested to see what unfolds with Season 4.
Also quick note to you or anyone considering Man on the Inside — I liked it and found Ted Danson delightful but as someone whose mom died of Alzheimer’s, there were some triggering parts. (And as Alzheimer’s is in so many books and shows any more, I’m rarely triggered!) Maybe because Ted’s character reminded me so much of my dad after he lost my mom.
Exact same for me! I wondered if it was Nate. Inexplicable!
Agree – The Pitt is so good. I have an empath teenager who can’t handle dark stuff at all but LOVES The Pitt more than anything; it is just good, realistic (well sort of!) story telling. Plus – I seem to remember you kind of like hospitals (and how things work behind the scenes in various jobs). I think you would like it.
How about Parenthood? I didn’t realize quite how much I liked it until it ended and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Or the version of Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. I was also highly entertained by Palm Royale (I love Carol Burnett!!) but have only seen the first season so far.
Yes, we loved Sherlock!
Oooh, I have been wishing for this very blog!! It was your readers who suggested Ted Lasso (a long time ago!) and I really liked it! (Please share the story line that you found intolerable – I am so curious.)
My husband and I are re-watching Scrubs, and I am finding it really easy/watchable. I forget how it ends though, so can’t comment on if it ends well! All of these evenings in front of the TV are in preparation for the Scrubs REBOOT!! :)
I had a love/hate for The Studio…but now find myself waiting/hoping for another season!
Big Scrubs fan from back in the day- in my opinion the final season (or was it final two seasons) after the show moved networks to ABC were NOT GOOD. But the first 6 seasons are faves of mine!
It was Nate. I disliked his plotline and felt they did him wrong.
Ah yes! Agree!
I wonder if you would like to pick up The Good Place again? It ended beautifully, in my opinion.
The Bear is stressful but very good.
I agree with Slow Horses and TheResidence.
Somebody, Somewhere is a magnificent gem.
While I think about other recommendations, I wanted to mention that Sense8 is great but has a few quite intense sex scenes – something to consider when planning family viewing.
Hacks! Absolutely love Hacks so very much.
Andor (Disney+) is mind-blowingly good, and would make excellent family viewing. Beef season 2 (Netflix) is also great, but almost too exciting.
If you can cope with subtitles, there’s a Japanese series on Netflix called Asura about four sisters, set in the late seventies, which is a total joy, revolving around family life and relationships, and I think it would be right up your street. In a similar vein, there’s The Makanai (also Netflix) about two young friends who take up jobs in a geisha house. Cosy and domestic but fascinating.
Then there’s a great Korean series on Netflix called Extraordinary Attorney Woo, about an autistic female lawyer. It’s very optimistic.
Have you tried K-dramas? Crash Landing on You would be a good place to start. They are definitely soap opera-y, but not in a way that bothers me.
I LOVED the K-drama It’s Okay, That’s Love. I also watched Boys Over Flowers, which was much sillier but I still enjoyed it to some extent.
Crash Landing on You was a surprising crowd pleaser in my household. Like, I knew it would be a hit with my 15 yr old daughter who loves romantasy and k-pop, but my husband loved it too. I ended up enthusiastically watching the entire thing twice. The only problem is, we couldn’t find any other k-dramas with the same magic to follow it up.
I want to add a recommendation for Derry Girls. I don’t normally love watching adult actors play idiot teenagers, but the writing and acting are hilarious. It might make an excellent palate cleanser if you’re watching something gut-wrenching and need a break.
I loved Derry Girls! I love the accents and also it’s set in “my” era so I recognize a lot of everything.
Oh, if you loved Derry Girls, might I recommend “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast”? The woman who created Derry Girls has also created this show, you will see some of the same actors, and it’s almost like you’re seeing Derry Girls grown up/middle-aged (if middle aged is maybe late 30’s? which I guess to me it’s not since I’m firmly passed that!). I loved it! Netflix I believe. I don’t know if a second season will be in the works, but I hope so!
Others have already recommended Brooklyn 99, which I heartily co-recommend.
The Comeback came out years ago, starring Lisa Kudrow — whom I had kind of written off as “just” Phoebe from Friends, when in reality she is a magnificent actor. I believe there is a NEW SEASON of The Comeback now, and I am eager to rewatch the earlier seasons in preparation.
Making It was a reality/competition show starring Amy Poehler that ran for two or three seasons, and was darling and delightful in the vein of The Great British Baking Show. My kiddo and husband loved it as well.
Have you seen St. Denis Medical? I think it’s adorable and charming, and it’s a good family show.
A couple of older procedurals that I *loved* — and which star fantastic women — are Judging Amy (about a family court judge) and The Closer (about a homicide/major crimes unit in a police department). I am not sure if they are streaming anywhere, but probably are available via the library and they are such soothing shows in which everything horrible is resolved and justice prevails over evil.
Speaking of fantastic women characters, did you ever watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? Maybe not a good one to watch with the kids (but your kids ARE older than mine, so maybe fine?) but sharp and hilarious.
This Is a Gardening Show is a recent discovery of mine, and it has very short episodes. Silly and charming and educational.
Did you watch Catastrophe when it came out about ten years ago? A fling results in pregnancy and the couple decide to stay together. It’s hilarious and uncomfortable and heartwarming. And Sharon Horgan is A TREASURE.
The Decameron is a single-season show about the bubonic plague in 1300s Italy. It was weird and funny and dark. Speaking of weird shows, Miracle Workers was also bizarre and compelling and funny.
Okay, I watch WAY too much TV. But, counterpoint, there is so very much excellent TV to watch!
Somebody, Somewhere on HBO Max is hilarious and earnest and lovely. It only has three seasons and is close to perfect as a show can get. I would have watched more seasons, but I think it ended well and at the right time.
Oh my goodness how did I forget about Somebody Somewhere?! I think I need to rewatch it. It had a Schitt’s Creek feel to me but even better imo
THIS! Somebody Somewhere is beautifully done, fun and funny and also touching.
Also The Four Seasons (Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Will Forte) was short and sweet and very good, IMO.
I also like Nobody Wants This with Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. It’s got good characters and is a sweet romance without being racy.
My husband and I are loving the Scrubs reboot!
Did you ever watch Mad Men? That’s my #1 suggestion. I’ve rewatched it a ridiculous amount. So good.
You reminded me I need to sub for Pluribus (and then immediately unsub) because I activated an appletv trial specifically for Pluribus and then totally forgot about it and got hit with the 1st monthly charge. Dust in the wind.
I second Mad Men! I watched the first season back in the day and didn’t keep going. I started it again from the beginning around Christmas and am almost finished with it, and I love it SO MUCH. I think I just wasn’t old enough for it at the time it first aired, ha. It is such a good character drama, but also often laugh-out-loud funny. There is so much change and growth for both male and female characters.
The Scrubs reboot is really great, and I second the rec of St. Denis Medical. Also, not a series, but the best thing I watched lately was the one-off Muppet Show that aired in February, my face hurt from smiling so much! I think it’s available on Disney+ but also probably on YouTube.
I agree with the recommendations to watch Heartstopper. If you like soapy heartwarming shows set in high schools that aren’t too intense, I just finished watching XO Kitty with my 13 year old and it was fun and made me feel like I was warding off my own cultural out-of-touchness a little.
I can’t tell if you only watched one episode of Bad Sisters because you didn’t want to watch a second, and I can’t remember if I liked the first episode, but I liked the whole series more than I have liked most things in the last ten years. The sisters are funny, I feel like I am learning about Ireland. There is also “How to get to Heaven from Derry” which is great if your main problem with Bad Sisters is you wish it could be a little more unhinged.
If you like Bridgerton ok but don’t need a sex scene every 15 minutes or for the men to be quite so rakish, and you haven’t watched Queen Charlotte, you should watch Queen Charlotte. It has the bonus of not being exclusively focused on the romantic lives of women under age 25.
You might also like the Law According to Lidia Poet, or at least I really liked the Law According to Lidia Poet and think more people should. It is in Italian with subtitles, so that might be a barrier for some, but there are great costumes and very pretty men and the murders aren’t too grisly and refreshingly different gender dynamics and I felt like I was learning about 19th century Italy.
Oh also North of North and Reservation Dogs. (I seem to like a lot of shows that fall into the “I felt like I was learning about ____ and also it was funny,” category. But it’s a good category!)
I’ve started Margo’s Got Money Trouble and I’ve really enjoyed the first few episodes. I really enjoy The Pitt—it goes to show that basic TV shows can be really good. I agree with the recommendation above for Starstruck. I found the ending really satisfying in a way that surprised me (I didn’t really like the ending, but I also I did, it was weird). Trying on Apple TV is also really good. I’d put in a plug for seasons 3 and 4 of Bridgerton….I thought it was less crazy sex in those seasons. I need to start Shrinking. My Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s around the time it came out and I wasn’t sure I could watch it.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is excellent! I will say that for family viewing, you do need to be aware that Elle Fanning’s boobs are their own character in the show. Also, if you haven’t read the book, I cannot recommend it enough. Rufi Thorpe is a “shut up and take my money” author for me. I’ve read everything by her and it’s all great.
I’ve also been enjoying The Maid (trigger warning for domestic violence), the Pitt, the Bear and All Her Fault.
OH OH OH! heated rivalry! it’s the first season of something that only has one season! it’s only about men! i wouldn’t personally want to watch it with my children bc it’s full of sex! AND YET i really think you might enjoy it. it’s very well written and well crafted and the lead performances are INCREDIBLE, and it’s a romance novel broken in 6 episodes so it’s a very satisfying arc.
I loved it SO MUCH but absolutely could not watch it with my kid (or my sister, honestly). Not really any more sexually graphic than something like Games of Throne, but….yeah.
Second this. Some of the best TV episodes ever.
We’ve been watching Shrinking and the female characters come out a lot more as it goes along! The shows treatment of Liz really annoyed me at the start but after a few episodes they handle her a lot better, for example.
As a Brit it’s so interesting to hear you say that about Taskmaster, as the cast is always made up of popular comedians – maybe one or two that aren’t as well known, but generally they’re the same people you see on all the other panel shows etc. Kinda fascinating to imagine going into each series blind in that way!
I’m a bit hesitant to make recommendations because you’ve named a few I’ve loved and didn’t similarly love them wholeheartedly, but here goes:
The Pitt
Department Q
Cardinal (a crime drama that is so well done but almost seems too real)
Sex Education
Heartbreak High (but if you think Sex Education is too much, hooboy this might not be for you)
Shrinking
Margo’s Got Money Trouble (I liked the book and the series is good so far – great cast!)
Resident Alien
Bad Sisters
I’m just putting all the ones that popped into my head as favourites in recent years, regardless of if they were already mentioned.
Heartbreak High is a lot of sex but it is a very different kind of a lot of sex than Sex Education. Heartbreak High is mostly “whelp, there they go getting naked again” in a very 80s kind of way (which makes sense because I guess it is actually a next generation spin off of an old teen soap), while Sex Education is more “let’s explore the full range of unexpected things that human beings might get up to in a way that might lead to some super awkward family discussions.” Both are fairly light hearted – Heartbreak High a little bit less so, but in a melodramatic 80s way not the “let’s think about everything horrible in the world as intensely as possible” kind of way that seems to be more popular now.
I recently watched an older series, The Big C, and I loved it. I like to wait until the show is over so I can binge all the seasons
I think you would love Ludwig – British crime drama (with some comedy) but not terribly gory. The lead “detective” is an awkward logic puzzle maker who stumbles into solving crimes and discovers he is good at it because of his logic skills. I won’t give more away but it is a bit quirky and although they are solving murders it is not dark and grisly (more like Agatha Christy style than horror).
I can vouch for this show. And in the vein of charming British shows, I loved Ghosts UK and Detectorists. We Are Ladyparts is also very good.
But take my recommendations with a grain of salt. I tried to get people to recommend shows to me on FB recently with a list of shows I liked (not as extensive as yours) and I was surprised how many people didn’t seem to understand the assignment. I think it’s because they had not watched the shows I was referencing. There are SO MANY shows that with some exceptions, there doesn’t seem to be as many that are cultural touchstones as in the past. Reading your list made me think about that, because I’d only watched a few (Severance, Buffy, Angel) and I could be as off as my friends were
I loved Detectorists!
Have you watched Small Prophets? It’s by the same people and I think you might love it. It is only 6 episodes, though.
YES. I DID love Ludwig!
First a warning of sorts, I enjoyed the OA although it made me uncomfortable at points BUT it ends on a cliffhanger because of it’s cancellation. So watch at your own risk. I still think about it though, it had a very intriguing premise.
And some suggestions.
I love, love, love Fisk on Netflix. It may not be everyone cup of tea humor wise but I think if you have liked Schitt’s creek there’s a good chance you’d like it (quirky characters, a little bit heartwarming.)
If you haven’t watched Fleabag on Amazon that that’s another recommendation, but there is some sex scenes that might not be comfortable to watch with some family members (they are nothing like Bridgerton though.)
Fleabag is amazing but CONTENT WARNING for the VERY FIRST SCENE in ALL CAPS because MY MOM WAS SCANDALIZED.
It might be time for a rewatch because I just remembered Fleabag hits up some older lady for advice and now I am Older Lady Age Group. <3
Fleabag! Fleabag! Fleabag! It’s so so good, and even though there are only two short seasons, it’s perfect and I’m glad they didn’t continue. I don’t want to say too much and ruin it. I watched it alone the first time (which I recommend), then made my husband watch it after we watched Schitt’s Creek together, which I wouldn’t have expected him to like. But he did and I said, you’re watching Fleabag. It’ll pass.
Bad Sisters is similar but also different, and I couldn’t STAND the tension sometimes but I just had to know what the characters would do.
FISK is the best! So weird and dry.
Everwood! It ends correctly, and so few do.
Friday Night Lights (season 2 is rough, the rest is perfect.)
Crazy Ex Girlfriend.
I see someone mentioned Catastrophe, I have to second it. It’s the first show I think of to recommend, the late great Carrie Fisher in a supporting role, so fun and funny, six episode seasons, it’s perfect.
I wouldn’t watch Catastrophe with my family but I would watch The Durrells in Corfu on PBS with them, if they would, which they wouldn’t ha! Mostly our kids don’t watch tv with us, but this show is so good, so interesting. Josh O’Connor is in it, it’s got beautiful scenery, based on a memoir, I think, just great.
I love Traitors US! I haven’t watched the UK one or Australia and I am a Bravo person but I just love it. I love Alan Cumming, I think it’s great.
I think you’ve talked about Ru Paul’s Drag Race before, but this show is great, especially in early seasons. We also really like Great British Baking Show, but we watch it when it’s on, like as appointment television, with our kids. We like to pick a contestant to cheer for and it makes for a fun rivalry.
I just started Rooster on HBO, which is a) a little male and b) a Bill Lawrence show which really skews male to me, but I do like three strong female actors on it and it’s funny with short episodes and some favorite actors.
I second the Comeback, lord child Lisa Kudrow is a genius.
If you haven’t watched Mad Men, I really recommend following it with Tom and Lorenzo’s costume commentary. It’s incredibly interesting and specific and really added to the enjoyment for me.
We just started Margo’s got Money Troubles and I like it a lot! Nick Offerman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, all just terrific. I think you liked this book right?
My husband and I really liked North of North on Netflix. It’s a short season but it reminded me of Northern Exposure, which I also loved.
Did you ever see Enlightened on HBO? Ugh, it’s so good and I think just one season. Mike White did it and is in it and it is fantastic!
I have zero tolerance for most violence.
Things I watched with my 18 year old – Heartstopper, Shrinking, Abbot Elementary, Ghosts.
I loved it SO MUCH but absolutely could not watch it with my kid (or my sister, honestly). Not really any more sexually graphic than something like Games of Throne, but….yeah.
Kim’s Convenience is cute!
Georgia and Ginny!
I’m taking all the notes in these comments. I am not really much of a TV watcher – we end up rotting our brains on YT most nights, so I’m far from being above it.
My husband and I LOVED Fisk on Netflix. It’s a hilarious lawyer-y fish out of water type show from Australia and I think there’s been another season released that we haven’t seen b/c we haven’t circled back to Netflix yet on our streaming services cycle.
We’re currently watching Margot’s Got Money Troubles and since I’ve read the book and my husband hasn’t, it’s interesting to get his take when I know what’s coming.
I wish I had time to go through everyone’s suggestions but I just don’t right now so I’ll throw mine in and plan to come back. Firstly, I am so with you on only being able to stand so much pain in my entertainment so do with that info what you will. 1) Go back and finish the Good Place. Trust! 2) Shrinking does get much better, gender-wise, so stay with it. So good! 3) Rooster is Steve Carell’s latest (on HBO) and I love it intensely, despite not generally being crazy about Steve Carell. Also it’s a Bill Lawrence so if you like Ted Lasso and Shrinking (or if you liked Cougartown and/or Scrubs, you’ll like it; a lot of actor crossover and that’s my favorite thing) There’s a slightly older one I ran across recently called Somebody Somewhere (Prime, I think?) and it’s so good! I don’t know how I originally missed it or why no one talks about it but I highly recommend! A little intense but not TOO much and also very funny. Finally, because you liked Sports Night and West Wing I have to mention The Newsroom. Another Sorkin with addictive characters to love:)
I haven’t seen anyone mention Shameless or Shoresy, so I will highly recommend both. The former is much more of a time commitment than the latter, but both have excellent acting and writing. And I will +1 the recommendation for North of North, which just finished filming its second season.
Hmm, I can’t tell from your list if you would like some of these or not, because I haven’t seen some of the things you’ve watched. But here goes:
– The Rookie. I love Nathan Fillion. Cop show, lots of strong female characters
– Castle. Again, Nathan Fillion. Author shadows detective. Fairly humorous.
– Brooklyn 99 – so funny. Cop/detective show comedy. Best characters
– Lucifer – detective show, Lucifer shadows a detective. Interesting take on religion. I quite enjoyed it.
I agree with your take on Nate, but I did like that they brought him back around in the end. The character I really didn’t like was Jack.
I also am 100% with you on Schitt’s Creek and Parks & Rec. I must have tried to watch Schitt’s Creek at least 6 times before I managed to get through the first couple of episodes. I just kept turning it off and saying “I cannot watch these people, they are AWFUL!” In the end, I loved them!
We are watching Young Sherlock (on Prime) with the kids, and all of us are enjoying it! Apparently the main actor who plays Sherlock is a Gen Z heart throb. I don’t have that same feeling when we finish an episode of Sherlock as when I finish one of The Bear or The Pitt and immediately want to keep watching another and another until I pass out, but I definitely look forward to watching it!
I agree with so many of the above recommendations! Fleabag might be my favorite television show ever (although a bit much at the start!) and The Resident is an excellent, funny mystery show – if you liked Only Murders I think it’s a sure thing. Also, Riot Women is a British show that is great, about menopausal women who start a band.
My favorite is Call the Midwife on Netflix. New episodes are on PBS. Perfect for you and Elizabeth to watch together, but not for the boys. I believe Season 1 is set around 1955. It is about a group of midwife’s and nuns who work in the east end of London.
My favorite shows of recent times:
– Our Flag Means Death
– Reservation Dogs
– The Good Place
They’re all over now and ended well, and have 3-4 seasons each. I cannot even describe how much I loved Our Flag Means Death; I had to read a bunch of fan fiction about it after watching it because I wanted to spend more time with those characters.
Poker Face
Acapulco
Palm Royale
You posted about a birdsong on blue sky and I’m wondering of it might be a white throated sparrow. They pass through the midwest briefly on their way north right around now, so you don’t hear them often, but now is the time. They have a few different versions of their song, so listen to a few clips to see if one sounds like yours.
Allie mentioned you mentioning birdsongs. There is an app I use called MerlinBirdID, you can have it “listen” and identify all the birds who are singing and talking around you.
Also, I have a nest of baby robins under my deck right now.
Another vote for Our Flag Means Death, Russian Doll, and Attorney Woo!
Big Love
Young Victoria
The Diplomat
Homeland (there is one terrible season…)
The Beast in Me
English and played by humans:
– Umbrella Academy (but only the first 2 seasons, ignore the existence of anything after that)
– Sweet Tooth
Would you consider trying out animation and/or shows with subtitles? If so:
– Under the Queen’s Umbrella
– Love is Blind: Japan (and Japan only)
– The Full-Time Wife Escapist
– Midnight Diner (really really nice)
– Avatar: The Last Airbender followed by Avatar: The Legend of Korra
If you’re willing to dip a toe into anime, I would recommend:
– RAINBOW: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin (serious)
– Death Note (serious)
– Gosick (serious-ish)
– the Ōoku
– the Apothecary Diaries
– Kotaro Lives Alone
– Usagi Drop (wholesome)
– My Happy Marriage (wholesome)
Multiseason
Person of Interest
Killjoys
Wynonna Earp
Pushing Daisies
Ghosts
Foundation
For All Mankind
Longmire
White Collar
Battlestar Galactica
Babylon 5
The Twilight Zone
One Season or mini series
Murderbot
Mrs. Davis
The River
Wonderfalls
Reality art competitions
Blown Away
Making It
The Great Pottery Throwdown
A Cut Above
Our Flag Means Death
What We Do In The Shadows
Killing Eve (ONLY the first season and the first part of the second)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel
Bob’s Burgers
Antiques Roadshow (my favorite show of all time!)
I’ve read through your post and the comments about three times, because I am sure that I must have overlooked mention of This is Us, because it is utterly perfect, has finished, has exactly the right ending and I do not know anyone who didn’t love it wholeheartedly.