I already had a problem at the beginning of the year with deciding I deserve a break after doing a little bit of schoolwork and ending up watching 5 episodes of a show when I planned to watch 1. Since quarantining and doing online classes, my bad habit has gotten even worse. So if you are in need of some new shows to watch or just want to feel better about yourself for not binging as many shows as I have this year, check out this extensive (yet still incomplete) list. If you’re looking for something other than Tiger King and the Outer Banks, I’ve got you!
- Big Little Lies
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Where to Watch: HBO Max
Watch Time: ~14 hours
This show has the cast with the biggest names out of all the shows on this list. Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, AND Meryl Streep all together in one show? Incredible. They won a bunch of awards and they definitely deserve them. This show is full of drama. I did start watching this one with my mom while I was at home during the beginning of the shutdown and depending on the relationship you have with your mom, I might suggest against that because there are quite a few sex scenes. My only complaint would be how long the intro is, but I always just fast-forwarded through it. I can’t wait for season 3 to come out!
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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Where to Watch: Hulu, NBC
Watch Time: ~71 hours
This show has so many funny moments like the video above. Certain episodes are definitely funnier than others. This is a great show to watch when you’re just wanting to relax. It doesn’t take much effort to follow along with the plot. It’s a solid sitcom and has another season coming out sometime next year.
- Dollface
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~5 hours
I’m not entirely sure why I chose to start this show, but if it was any longer of a time commitment, I wouldn’t have finished it. It stars Kat Dennings with Esther Povitsky, Shay Mitchell, and Brenda Song. Maybe if you liked Kat Dennings in 2 Broke Girls (I haven’t seen it, should I watch?) you’d like this? I’m not sure, but it just wasn’t my favorite on this list. It looks like they have a 2nd season coming, though!
- Dollhouse
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~19 hours
This is a pretty good action/sci-fi show. Eliza Dushka who was also in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Bring It On is the star. It reminded me a lot of Stitchers that aired on Freeform, but it came out first. It involves people getting their memories wiped and imprinted to become whatever somebody else wants them to be. Things get a little crazy in season 2, which is probably why there were only 2 seasons, but I really like the idea behind the show.
- Homeland
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Where to Watch: Showtime, Hulu
Watch Time: ~90 hours
This show just finished it’s final season this year, but I didn’t start watching it until after that and I managed to get it done in about a week. If you like other crime/spy shows like NCIS, Quantico, or Covert Affairs, you’ll probably enjoy this too. The show follows Carrie, a CIA agent with bipolar disorder, as she tries to protect national security from various threats over the seasons. Also, if you’re a fan of Criminal Minds, you’ll recognize the actor who plays Gideon is also a main character in this.
- Little Fires Everywhere
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~8 hours
Since they both have Reese Witherspoon, I ended up comparing this to Big Little Lies and I liked that a lot better, but this was a solid show, too.
- Looking for Alaska
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~8 hours
Looking for Alaska is based on John Green’s novel of the same name. I read it in high school and fell in love, so I really don’t know why it took me so long to finally get around to watching this. Once I started, I finished it in a day or two. They do a great job of following the book and I really enjoyed watching this one (I still liked the book better though).
- Make It or Break It
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Where to Watch: Freeform, Hulu
Watch Time: ~35 hours
I just recently rewatched this and so much of it is cheesy and peak ABC Family content. I’m a big fan of gymnastics and have to laugh about some of the skills they show on here, but I still liked it enough to rewatch it all the way through. Watching the final season and specifically the episode that clip is from hit a lot harder after all the news I’ve read about the abuse from Larry Nassar.
- Normal People
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~6 hours
I finished this one in less than a day. I just couldn’t stop watching it. I had to know what was going to happen. The relationships in here aren’t that great, but I guess that’s why they’re “Normal People.”
- One Tree Hill
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~156 hours
I gotta be honest, I started rewatching OTH for the second time THIS YEAR when I was home over the summer. It’s just so good! And I will never skip the theme song. If you can watch this show and not sing along every time the theme song plays, I don’t know if I can trust you. My mom ended up watching it with me while I was home, but we didn’t even make it to the second season before I left. Now, I keep getting updates that she’s still watching it and got my dad hooked, too. So clearly, this show has some range. BUT my mom doesn’t like the most iconic character – B. Davis – which I can’t even understand. Also, I started off as a Lucas girl, but now I think Nathan’s grown on me more.
- Parks and Recreation
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Where to Watch: Peacock, YoutubeTV
Watch Time: ~47 hours
I’m ashamed to admit that just a few months ago I had never really watched Parks and Rec. I’d seen a few episodes here and there, but I’d never actually taken the time to watch it all the way through. Kind of like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it’s a sit-com, easy to watch, and doesn’t require much effort to follow the plot. It’s a great show to turn on and watch while you’re doing other things. I’m a HUGE fan of April and I actually ended up liking this more than The Office. It’s a staple fan favorite for a reason.
- Prodigal Son
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Where to Watch: FOX, Hulu
Watch Time: ~16 hours
This is perfect for fans of Criminal Minds or really any crime shows. The dad was a serial killer and now the son is a profiler. It’s great. 10/10. Just watch it. I can’t wait for season 2 to come out!
- Scrubs
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Where to Watch: Hulu
Watch Time: ~67 hours
Scrubs is another show I started rewatching while I was home. I started it as a show I thought my dad would actually enjoy because he usually just makes fun of whatever I watch and the actors who played JD and Turk started a podcast talking about what was going on while they filmed all the episodes. Turns out, my dad did like it and he ended up watching the majority of it without me. If you liked Psych, you’ll probably like this, too because the sense of humor and relationship between the main characters are very similar.
- Ugly Betty
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Where to Watch: ABC, Amazon Prime, Hulu
Watch Time: ~70 hours
I really enjoyed watching Ugly Betty. I might actually start it again now that I’m thinking about it. You’ve got a girl who doesn’t really fit in finding her place in a fashion magazine and a bunch of friendships and shenanigans along the way. There are so many different plotlines in this show, too. The actor who plays Marc in this also plays a character in Younger which is further down on this list.
- White Collar
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Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Hulu
Watch Time: ~67 hours
Here’s another one for crime show lovers. You’ve got Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey pulling off heists and while helping the FBI catch other criminals. And Hilarie Burton – who was in One Tree Hill – also has a recurring role here. I was reminded about this show by a guy I was talking to for a while and even though we don’t talk anymore, at least I got to rewatch a good show out of it.
- Younger
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Where to Watch: Paramount, Hulu
Watch Time: ~30 hours
I wanted to start watching Younger when it first came out, but I just didn’t have the time in high school with all the different activities I was involved in. BUT NOW, I finally started watching and I’m ready for the next season to come out. I loved Sutton Foster in Bunheads and Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire and the two of them together are great! I’m kind of getting sick of Liza not really knowing which guy to go for, though. I just really want her to end up with Josh.