Recently, streamers such as Hulu and HBO Max have been killing the game with their new content. With so many shows it is hard to keep up and know which ones are actually worth watching.
However, thanks to my inability to watch one television show at a time I was able to compile a list of some of the best newcomers that can hopefully appeal to a vast group of people. All featured shows are easily “bingeable” since they only have 1 completed season or are currently airing episode to episode.
- “How I Met Your Father”
“How I Met Your Father” is the continuation of the hit sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” which ended in 2014. This new iteration of the series follows a new group of friends in New York City navigating their careers, friendships and pursuit of love.
The cast is led by Disney icon Hillary Duff and features actors like Francia Raisa and Kim Cattrall. It is the perfect television show to watch if you can’t commit to lengthy episodes or heavy drama.
Something else that is incredibly refreshing about this new show is the representation on screen.
Not only does the main cast consist of people of color, but it also includes a character who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community. With its combination of comedy, drama and romance, “How I Met Your Father” is a cute watch that anyone can enjoy.
2. “Fresh”
If you are in the mood for a movie night, “Fresh” is the perfect new movie to watch. Although it is presented as a story about a young woman’s trouble with finding love, the narrative quickly takes a hard right about 30 minutes into the movie.
The shocking twist creates an even more captivating experience than what you thought you’d signed up for.
Daisy Edger-Jones and Sebastian Stan have so much chemistry together in this film and do an amazing job at honing into their characters. Not a spoiler, but after watching this film it is clear that Sebastian Stan gravitates towards a very specific type of male character. Overall, the film is jam packed with content that is sure to appeal to a vast majority of viewers.
3. “Abbott Elementary”
Quite possibly one of the funniest shows streaming right now is “Abbott Elementary.” This series takes on the form of a documentary style comedy, like “The Office” or “Parks & Rec,” and follows the day to day life of teachers in an under-funded elementary school in Philadelphia.
The cast is led by Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti and Sheryl Lee Ralph. This dynamic cast delivers some of the funniest content that I have seen in recent years.
There is not one episode that will leave unsatisfied or crying on the floor from laughter. Especially in the tough times that we live in presently, “Abbott Elementary” is a great show to put on to feel happiness and positivity.
4. “The Sex Lives of College Girls”
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” follows four freshman roommates through their first experiences in college. The television series was creating by Mindy Khaling and is already expecting season 2.
This series explores important relatable experiences such as assault, sexual identity, body positivity and finding oneself in a new environment.
As a woman in college, I found this series to be very comforting to watch especially, since I could see myself in a lot of the messages that would conveyed throughout the first season. The show does a great job at balancing both humor and drama, and it makes an important note not to glorify the college experience by depicting the difficult times as well.
It is clear that this show was made for the modern young woman and I have to say it was one of my favorite series that have recently came out.
5. “Station Eleven”
This hidden gem on HBO Max was released in late 2021, during the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. I say this to preface that “Station Eleven” is a story about the world after a deadly disease wipes of a majority of the population. The aftermath of this occurrence is where the show places most of its emphasis, showing how civilization is no longer what it used to be.
Despite the show relating so similarly to problems in our world today, there is an enormous amount of hope and love that doesn’t make the subject uncomfortable to sit through. With that being said, the story is supported by beautiful direction and cinematography, along with a tremendous cast that carries the narrative from beginning to end.
The story is truly about found family and the bonds that are created which I believe is a universally relatable subject. Although the episodes are lengthy, it is a limited series so the 11 hours of watching is not so much when placed in perspective compared to other shows.
I hope that you will give any of these new streaming shows (and movie) a watch. Another great thing about each of these pieces of media is that they are all led by female characters. This is a quality that is most important to me and should be to other as well because the success of these shows illustrates to industry officials that female led content is desired as well as profitable.