Self Isolate: So this is rough, right? Some of us go on constantly about how we don’t have enough free tine, and now that we’ve finally got it, we’re at a total loss.
Well, never fear! Streaming services to the rescue (this is not a sponsored post btw – hey Disney Plus, we see you). Honestly though, in situations like this, thank god for the millions of hours of streamable content we have at our fingertips.
Here’s our pick of totally bingeable shows to devour over the next few weeks.
Gossip Girl
The trails and tribulations of a group of overprivileged teens on New York’s glittering Upper East Side. It was a smash hit when it first aired 2007 and launched the careers of Blake Lively and Penn Badgely. It’s unashamedly silly and dramatic, almost a high-budget telenovela. It’s also wonderfully, nostalgically early noughties – you can’t swing a Vera Bradley tote bag without knocking over ten paparazzi. All six seasons of twenty, 45-minute-long episodes (!) are currently on Netflix UK.
Come Dine With Me
Right, now, hear us out. Come Dine With Me is the ultimate veg-out, forget-your-problems-and-melt-into-the-sofa show. It’s also perhaps one of the most hilarious shows ever made? Screw Ross and Rachel’s lame fights on Friends, I’d much rather see Kevin from Slough’s hapless attempt at chicken parm. And you can ONE HUNDRED per cent guarantee that either while or after he’s making it, he’ll say “winner winner, chicken dinner!” The has spawned some incredible television moments, including this incredibly awkward ending. It’s on 4oD. We’re not sure how many episodes but it’s basically an infinite amount.
VEEP
Written and directed by the geniuses behind acclaimed UK political satire The Thick Of It, VEEP sends up American politics in a similar way and, unusually, is even more bold and outrageous than the UK version. Lines like “you just flew two fucking planes into my career” will shock you joyfully out of any self-isolation funk. It follows Vice President Selina Meyer, played in a career defining role by the irresistable Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She won six – SIX – consecutive Primetime Emmys for the role. All seven seasons are on Sky.
Sugar Rush
Quintessential Channel 4 dramedy viewing here, with the brilliant Sugar Rush, which first aired in 2005. A charming cast, hilarious script and breezy Brighton setting make for excellent binge-worthy viewing. It’s a coming-of-age story of young love between teenager Kim and her best pal and absolute icon, Sugar. There are loads of great satellite characters too, most notably Kim’s mum Stella, who’s a dysfunctional mess in the best possible way. Both seasons available on 4oD.
Ally McBeal
This show was completely ridiculous. It’s a show we all vaguely remember from our childhoods/early adulthoods because it was somewhat of a cultural phenomenon in the 90s. Calista Flockheart became a sex symbol after her portrayal of short-skirted, duck-lipped Boston lawyer Ally McBeal. The show charts her mental breakdowns and many romantic conquests, and her supporting cast are impressive to say the least; it contains, among others, Lucy Liu, Portia Di Rossi, Robert Downey Jr and 30 Rock’s incredible Jane Krakowski. All 112 hour long episodes (!) are on Amazon Prime.
Schitt’s Creek
One of those recent sleeper hit sitcoms that’s been given unprecedented exposure by Netflix. It originally aired on CBC (Canada’s answer to the BBC) and has since enjoyed a committed international fanbase. It details the lives of a family of rich New York socialites who, after financial ruin, are forced to move to the last remaining thing they own – a town in the sticks called Schitt’s Creek. It’s got a gentle but irreverent sense of humour, some great queer storylines and a star turn from the incredible Catherine O’ Hara.
Pokemon – Indigo League
Pure nostalgia! The first ever animated series of the trend the took over (and is STILL taking over) the world. Follow Ash and his friends Brock and Misty as they explore the wilderness and dice with the evil – and as it turns out, SUPER CAMP – Team Rocket! It’s all on Netflix UK.
30 Rock
Arguably one of the best sitcoms ever made, Tina Fey’s acclaimed NBC show sends up the world of television in a sunnily meta way. It’s light, fresh and witty, a great tonic if you want to forget the worries of the world. You will also become obsessed with the character of Jenna Maroney. All seven seasons are on 4od and Sky. Dive in!
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