Sometimes there are occasions to dive into shows with 5+ seasons, 22 episodes per season at 42 minutes per episode—but sometimes, you want to really get into a show without feeling like the world is leaving you behind.
All of the series on this list are the equivalent of a 100-calorie snack: guilt-free, finished too soon…and you’re gonna end up having more than one. Each show has a total runtime of 15 hours or fewer, so a Beginner Binger could watch it in a week, an Intermediate Binger in a weekend, and an Advanced Binger in one day. Half of the shows are on Netflix, and the other half I would suggest if you have…other methods of watching TV.
1. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015)
Duration: ~6 hours (including movie!)
Venue: Netflix
Renewal Status: Pending after Season 1
Genre: Comedy
A prequel to the 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, First Day of Camp is part parody, part American Pie-esque crude humor, part Oo-ing at the unusually high number of famous actors. The film it’s based on was the first feature film many of the actors were in, including Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, and Bradley Cooper. If the film (also on Netflix) speaks to your sense of humor, you’ll like the strangeness of the show.
2. Hit & Miss (2012)
Duration: ~6 hours
Venue: Netflix/Amazon Video
Renewal Status: Ended after Season 1
Genre: Drama
Chloë Sevigny plays a contract killer who grapples with her occupation, her newfound children, and her identity as a transgender woman. It’s dark, steady-paced, and suspenseful, and its premise makes you question the representation on every show ever. In terms of episodes, it is the shortest show on this list, but a testament to the beauty of the miniseries genre.
3. Master of None (2015)
Duration: ~5 hours
Venue: Netflix
Renewal Status: Likely Renewed for Season 2
Genre: Comedy
If you like Broad City or Parks and Recreation, you’ll like Master of None. Though the title may give the impression that it’s a gritty drama about a white male FBI agent, it’s actually a quirky comedy about an Indian American male commercial actor, played by Aziz Ansari. Funny, brutally honest, and enjoyable even if you didn’t like Tom Haverford from Parks and Rec, Master of None provides the college student with an insight to what life as a 30-something millennial might be like.
4. Sense8 (2015)
Duration: ~15 hours
Venue: Netflix
Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
Genre: Science Fiction/Drama
Eight (ridiculously attractive) people born on the same day become mysteriously linked and must run from a mysterious organization while dealing with their personal dramas in crime and love. Their senses become connected, so they can see each other, feel each other’s emotions, fight each other’s fights, fall in love with each other—you’d have to see it yourself to understand. The Wachowski siblings (known for writing/directing The Matrix and V for Vendetta) created Sense8, which is equally as compelling as their previous works but with more sex and beautifully choreographed fight scenes.
5. Sherlock (2010-)
Duration: ~14 hours
Venue: Netflix/Amazon Video
Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 4
Genre: Drama
You’ve heard the hype, you know the name “Benedict Cumberbatch” (it’s hard to forget), but for whatever reason, you have yet to see Sherlock. Take my word for it, there’s a reason Sherlock is the 5th highest rated TV show of all time on IMDb. Its cinematography, acting, characters, storyline, and editing are some of the best TV has to offer, and combined are the reason thousands of non-Brits across the world proudly own products with the Union Jack. As a bonus, if you watch it, you will no longer have to deal with friends and strangers who feign shock when they find out you haven’t seen it.
6. Cucumber (2015), Banana (2015)
Duration: ~11 hours
Venue: Amazon Video (censored US version)
Renewal Status: Ended after Season 1
Genre: Comedy/Drama
These two shows are paired because they feature many of the same characters. Fans of Russell T Davies (who wrote and produced Doctor Who, Torchwood, Queer as Folk, among other shows) will value the frank nature of the two shows, the dark humor, and the refreshing themes. Cucumber follows Henry and Lance after their relationship of nine years struggles to stay afloat; it’s a poignant tale of attraction and heartbreak. Each episode of Banana follows a new love story, with at least one for everyone to relate to. Most of the characters in both shows are LGBTQ, some are LGBTQ characters of color, and while the main character of Cucumber is a white middle-aged gay man, Banana balances the generation gap with younger LGBTQ adults.
7. My Mad Fat Diary (2013-2015)
Duration: ~12 hours
Venue: DVD on Amazon
Renewal Status: Ended after Season 3
Genre: Comedy/Drama
MMFD is what you wish MTV shows were like. Enviable friend groups, realistic real-world problems (depression, body image issues, toxic friendships, etc), a romance for the ages, and moments that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh-cry. My friend and I have watched the entire show in one sitting, so it is completely binge-able.
8. Please Like Me (2013-)
Duration: ~13 hours
Venue: Amazon Video
Renewal Status: Pending for Season 4
Genre: Comedy
Perfect for college aged people who are a little weird, unsure of their future, average (and dealing with that), and who appreciate Australian comedy, or want an introduction to Australian comedy. Many of the shows on this list capitalize on relatable themes, but Please Like Me makes the un-relatable relatable because it’s that funny. As in, you like the lead character from the first scene.
9. Carmilla (2014-)
Duration: ~8 hours
Venue: YouTube
Renewal Status: Pending for Season 3
Genre: Science Fiction/Drama
The lesbian vampire romance you didn’t know you needed. Based on the Irish novella about the eponymous female vampire who seduces a human woman, Carmilla is great for theatre nerds, shippers of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time, and fans of U by Kotex (the show’s sponsor. Because periods, blood, vampires. You know). Also great for Tumblr nerds, as the series has a significant cult following.
10. In the Flesh (2012-2013)
Duration: ~9 hours
Venue: Amazon Video
Renewal Status: Cancelled/Pending after Season 2
Genre: Science Fiction/Drama
If you love The Walking Dead, or don’t want to commit 60+ hours to catching up, In the Flesh is for you. The lead character Kieren is 18 years old, pansexual, has/had depression—and rose from the dead. In this zombie show, the focus is less on ripping bodies apart, more on ripping prejudice apart through classic science fiction allegory. Quick note on the status of the show: BBC Three was recently downsized, which led to the cancellation of In the Flesh. However, fans are pushing for it to be picked up by Netflix or adapted into a film (we’re dedicated!).
‘Tis the season to add shows to your IMDb or Netflix List. Treat yourself over holiday break and watch some shows with family and friends (or more likely in bed by yourself with snacks handy). Happy binging!