Are you a responsible citizen who’s helping to flatten the COVID-19 curve by remaining at home? If so, I applaud you – far too many people aren’t taking this seriously enough, and it’s only going to make the virus spread more rapidly.
As someone who needs a lot of alone time for my mental health, I have watched a lot of great TV shows in the last year or two. I posted a longer list to my Instagram, but I thought I’d narrow the list down to the ones I truly love and are the first shows I recommend to friends and family.
If you like shows about the FBI or CIA, then check out the following:
- Criminal Minds: follows the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit as they work to catch serial killers. This show is great for binging because there are so many seasons! Watch the first 12 on Netflix.
- Designated Survivor: The President and most of the cabinet is killed in a terrorist attack at the State of the Union address. A low-level cabinet member is catapulted into the POTUS role and must adjust to being the leader of the free world. Available on Netflix.
- Homeland: This is my current show and I love it! This plot is difficult to explain without giving too much away, but it follows a CIA agent (Claire Danes) and revolves a lot around the war on terror. Available on Hulu.
- Mindhunter: Set in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Follows two FBI agents who study serial killers – they interview some of the most infamous killers in the world. Watch on Netflix.
- Blacklist: A wanted criminal becomes an FBI informant, handing over criminals from his blacklist to be captured. Available on Netflix.
- Dexter: A Miami blood spatter analyst (whose sister is a cop) is secretly a serial killer – but he only kills bad guys. Watch on Netflix.
For true crime series, these two are my favorite:
- American Crime Story: Produced by Ryan Murphy (one of my favorites), both seasons are phenomenal. The first follows the OJ Simpson murder trial and the second is about Gianni Versace’s Assassination – both are great to watch if you’re my age or younger since we don’t remember either event! Available on Netflix.
- The Act: Tells the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the 2015 murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who had Munchausen Syndrome and kept Gypsy Rose confined to a wheelchair her entire childhood. Available on Hulu.
If you’re crazy like me and LOVE watching scary things alone, these are for you:
- The Haunting of Hill House: Possibly the best horror series I’ve ever seen – just as good if not better than most horror movies. I started watching and couldn’t stop. I finished the whole series in 24 hours! It’s about a family growing up in a haunted house and how that effects them as adults. It also has one of the best depictions of sleep paralysis I’ve ever seen. Watch on Netflix.
- American Horror Story: A favorite of mine for ten years now. Directed by Ryan Murphy. Each season has a different story but many of them subtly intertwine and feature the same talented cast members. I recommend watching in order from season one, but that’s not necessary. Season one and four are my favorites.
If you’re a history buff (or an anglophile), then watch these:
- The Tudors: I find British history so fascinating, especially during Henry VIII’s reign. This follows his reign, including all of his wives, and is extra sexy to spice up the story a bit! Watch on Netflix.
- The Crown: The Crown is one of my favorite shows of all time. It follows Queen Elizabeth from the early days just before her coronation through the late 70’s, with future seasons set to cover the next generations. It’s a great way to learn more about her and British history. Watch on Netflix.
- Outlander: Outlander is a fictional story about a British woman in post-WWII Scotland who accidentally travels back in time to 1743. It’s an incredible love story that is sure to make you cry. Watch the first few seasons on Netflix and then watch on STARZ.
In case you couldn’t tell by my aforementioned recommendations, I definitely watch more dramatic shows. Here are some others I love:
- Game of Thrones: I resisted for so long. Finally, at the beginning of 2019, I decided to watch GoT. It was so worth it! It takes a while to get the storylines and characters straight, but it’s an incredible show with amazing action scenes. Watch on Hulu or HBO.
- The Handmaid’s Tale: This show is a favorite of many, and for good reason. It’s based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel about a near-future theomony that overthrows the government and forces all women who are able to bear children to give birth to children for the elite. It’s dark and sad, and especially spooky to watch during Trump’s presidency, but it’s an incredible story. Watch on Hulu.
- Good Girls: Good Girls is a combo of drama and comedy. It’s about three suburban moms who rob a grocery store to make ends meet and end up in a life of crime. It’s smart and witty and all around entertaining to watch. Watch on Netflix or Hulu.
- You: You season two was released late last year and had a ton of buzz. If YOU haven’t watched yet, YOU should! It took me a few episodes to really get into it but then I was hooked. It makes you think twice about what you put on social media and who you let into your life. Watch on Netflix.
- Four Weddings and a Funeral: I haven’t heard anyone talking about this show! It’s a miniseries based on a 1994 British rom-com of the same name. It follows four American friends who reunite for a London wedding, but drama ensues. It’s a great story. Available on Hulu.
- End of the F***ing World: This Netflix original follows two 17-year-olds, one who’s convinced he’s a psychopath, who embark on a road trip. They end up murdering someone and are trying to survive as fugitives.
And out of the few comedies I have watched, these are my top choices:
- Broad City: RIP. This is one of my favorite shows, and one of few that can actually make me laugh out loud. It’s about two Jewish American women trying to “make it” in New York. It’s hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. Watch on Hulu.
- Weeds: Weeds is both dramatic and a comedy about a suburban California widow who turns to selling drugs to make ends meet. The cast is amazing and each season is wholly entertaining. Watch on Netflix.
- Pen15: If you’re a 90’s baby, you MUST watch this show. It stars two comedians playing tweens in the year 2000. It’s absolutely hilarious watching these grown women act alongside children. It’s filled with nostalgia and will dig up memories you didn’t even know you had. Watch on Hulu.
- Schitt’s Creek: I’ve yet to watch the last and final season, but this show is great. It’s a heartwarming story of how a wealthy family is left broke and with nowhere to live but Schitt’s Creek, a town they bought years earlier as a joke. Eugene Levy and Dan Levy star alongside an incredible cast. Watch on Netflix.