After working hard all semester, Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to completely lay back and relax. The holiday guarantees good food and chilly weather that make the perfect conditions for hanging on the couch all weekend and watching a great show. As much as I wish it was longer, Sunday always comes too soon, and it’s time to go back to Conn. So the trick is finding a show that is short enough that it can be finished in five days. Luckily, I have a very short attention span, so I watch tons of bite-sized shows. These are five of my favorite shows that fit right in for your Thanksgiving binge watching.
Dash & LilY
Dash & Lily came out in 2020, and immediately cemented itself as one of my holiday season classics. Now, it doesn’t feel like Christmas if I haven’t watched Dash & Lily yet. It is the definition of feel good TV. Dash & Lily is a coming of age story about two teens who have never met, but leave each other dares in a notebook they stumbled across in the Strand Bookstore. Watching the two complete their dares is so fun and it’s impossible not to root for them to get together. Plus, Nick Jonas makes a surprise appearance!
Commitment Level: 8 episodes, 3 hours and 50 minutes
Where to watch: Netflix
The queen’s gambit
There may be a theme to this list in that I only took two classes in November of 2020 and had lots of time to watch TV, but The Queen’s Gambit is another great show that came out that semester with excellent fall vibes. The show is set in the 1960s and has amazing fashion and set pieces, but also shines in its storyline. If you vaguely remember all your friends going through a chess.com phase about two years ago, it was because of this show. It fully strips chess of its nerd title and portrays it as this cutthroat game full of intense knowledge and politics. With the recent scandal in the chess world, now might be the perfect time to watch (or rewatch!) The Queen’s Gambit. If you need any more convincing check out my full review of the show.
Commitment Level: 7 episodes, 5 hours and 46 minutes
Where to watch: Netflix
Heartstopper
Earlier this year, Netflix released Heartstopper. I had seen some press about it, but hadn’t given it much thought until my roommate insisted that I needed to watch it. I was instantly hooked and watched it three times in less than a month. It’s that much of a comfort show. If you haven’t heard of it, Heartstopper is based on a graphic novel and is the most adorable queer love story. It is incredibly British, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and the story is so heartwarming it’s impossible to watch it and not be filled with joy.
Commitment Level: 8 episodes, 3 hours and 54 minutes
Where to watch: Netflix
The Sex Lives of College Girls
I am firmly of the opinion that Mindy Kaling is not capable of creating a bad show. The Sex Lives of College Girls brings in the hilarious dialogue you would expect from one of her shows and combines it with struggles that feel real to college students. The show follows four roommates and does a great job of balancing their four separate plots while bringing them together as important parts of each other’s story. The show is set at the fictional Essex College and filmed at Vassar, so it certainly has the small liberal arts college vibe Conn students all know and love. Now is the perfect time to watch season one as the new season comes out Friday November 17.
Commitment Level: 10 episodes, 4 hours and 51 minutes
Where to watch: HBO Max
Starstruck
While I also love the DCOM starring Sterling Knight of the same name, Starstruck the TV show is an underrated sitcom that you need to know about. It follows Jessie, your classic 20-something protagonist living in London, who on New Year’s Eve drunkenly hooks up with Tom Kapoor, a famous actor. She leaves the next morning thinking she just has a cool story to tell, but over the course of a year, we see Jessie and Tom cross paths time and time again. Jessie is very confident, hilarious, and obnoxious (in an endearing way) and the show sprinkles in its serious moments of Jessie trying to sort out her life mixed in with its comedy. There are two seasons of Starstruck out, but, truthfully, I have only seen season one. However, season two is definitely on my watch list and will probably be the show I binge this break.
Commitment Level: 12 episodes, 4 hours and 18 minutes (6 episodes per season)
Where to Watch: HBO Max