Starting a new tv show has always felt to me like a large commitment, it’s probably why I revisit Brooklyn Nine-Nine at least once a year. If you’re currently struggling to sift through what’s on offer, then look no further. Here is my list of the best ‘bingeable’ shows to watch this winter:
1. gilmore girls (Netflix)
As the show I’m currently watching, and thoroughly enjoying, it felt necessary to kick off this list with a classic that I suspect many of you will have already seen. If you haven’t embarked on this treasure of a show yet, then now’s the time. Twenty-two years old and as good as ever, this show is beloved by many, and for good reason too. It’s loveable, easily investable, and a highly entertaining show that portrays the complexity of all relationships. If anything, it’ll definitely make you feel better about any of your coffee habits.
2. Derry Girls (Channel 4/Netflix).
Maybe there’s a link between great tv, and shows with a title containing ‘girls’, but this is one of my all-time favourites! Set in an Irish Catholic school, these Derry Girls and their families will provide you with an abundance of chuckles that’ll help chase away the wintery blues. Not only will these girls (and James) give you the giggles, but you’ll have goosebumps too! A particular episode in the third and final series will take you on such an emotional rollercoaster, you’ll question whether it was really necessary to have experienced sadness in such close proximity to unbridled joy.
Make yourself a Baileys hot chocolate and enjoy.
3. Grace and Frankie (Netflix).
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. That’s the selling point.
Not convinced? Well, with vibrators, toilets, tax evasion, lawyers living their theatre kid fantasy, and a relatively dysfunctional family, this show is an easy but fun watch. It’s not going to evoke the deepest of emotions from you, but it’s nice, and when it’s getting dark at 4 pm… nice is good.
4. Broadchurch (ITV).
So, when you think of Christmas cheer you probably don’t think of young boys being murdered, and that would be completely fair. However, if you’re looking for ‘bingeable’, then this is it. Olivia Coleman and David Tennant come together to solve one of the best detective dramas ITV has ever produced. Personally, I am prone to googling mid-series and spoiling the ending for myself. I wish I had done that here, maybe I could have saved my mind from being blown, and my heart from being broken.
5. Death in Paradise (BBC).
I recognise I am recommending another show where murder is at the forefront, but I love this show too dearly to exclude it from this list. Join Camille, Dwayne, Fidel and a variety of other detectives and sergeants as they solve the regular killings that must be significantly dwindling the island’s population. The beautiful island of Saint Marie is the perfect place to melt away your frostbite and warm your cockles. I love it and I think you will too!
6. Jane the Virgin (Netflix).
Telenovela meets sitcom in a match made in heaven. There isn’t a single character in this show who is unlikeable, and the storylines are as crazy as they are entertaining. Mix that with the will-they-won’t-they love triangle and an adorable Mateo; Jane the Virgin is the perfect binge-watch. She’s a hefty one too: 5 seasons, 22 episodes per season, 40 minutes per episode. There is nothing about this show that doesn’t hit the mark.
7. The Big Flower Fight (Netflix).
It’s Bake-Off meets flower arranging but on an extreme scale. Honestly, it’s not a masterpiece and it only has one series which is probably for a reason, but it’s a sweet, family-friendly, wholesome show and I thought I’d give it a well-deserved shout-out.
8. Grey’s Anatomy (Disney +).
How can I write a recommendation for binge-worthy shows and not include the mother of all? Grey’s Anatomy is probably the only show that has ever actually reduced me to tears. Multiple times. Yes, it’s slightly ridiculous and the hospital has had blood shortages, plane crashes and has even been blown up… but there’s a reason it keeps going. It is, however, in its final season: season nineteen. So, whatever your preconceptions are, give it a go and I guarantee you’ll get hooked.
Hopefully, there’s something on this list that has piqued your interest and that you’re ready to bundle up with a blanket and get stuck into. If not, maybe just watch all the Harry Potter movies – that’s always been a great solution for me.