I’ve been watching a weird mix of stuff lately. Thought I’d share what’s been keeping my interest and would love to know what you’re watching too. I have not been able to sit down and watch movies– I don’t have the attention span for it at the moment. Mike and I tried to watch a few at the beginning of this and we both gave up on it. Between figuring out what to watch and then having to commit for two hours at a time, we were over it.
BY MYSELF:
Gilmore Girls: This is not my first time watching the series, but I’ve been putting it on the background while I needlepoint. It’s comforting to watch. Though now I have a LOT of thoughts about the show… namely everyone needs a therapist.
Little Fires Everywhere: This was a limited series based on the book of the same name. Honestly loved it. I thought they did a great job with casting, particularly the kids. They were fantastic.
Defending Jacob: This is an Apple TV series. It’s not amazing but I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s also based on a book, though when I started it I thought it was a Jodi Picoult book (House Rules) so I was surprised when the plot was not what I remembered, ha. They’re releasing episodes every Friday. At first I wished they’d release all of them at once, but now it’s become something to look forward to on the weekends. Mike usually works out in the garage or outside for a while during the day so I get a couple of hours where I feel “alone” in the house and watch it!
Normal People: Another limited series based on a book (okay, I’m sensing a theme, 🧐). I LOVED Normal People the book. Like, LOVED IT. But here’s the thing, people either love the book or hate it, from what I have polled there is no in between. Hulu did this series and they did the book justice. I am enjoying it as much if not more than I loved the book. I’m watching it in small increments because I want it to have my undivided focus, so no needlepointing or anything like that, and it’s just… so good. I had a similar-esque relationship in college with someone for years so some parts hit a little too close to home and I have to take frequent breaks for that reason too.
Naked and Afraid XL: My friend Maddie got me hooked on this one. It’s a GREAT show to put on when you’re doing something else because in true reality show fashion, they replay the same scenes frequently to build drama. It’s so good though? I was skeptical but it’s even better than the original, which I used to watch years ago. I couldn’t survive in the wilderness for a hundred reasons (hell, I wouldn’t even have the stomach to sleep in our backyard because of the foxes and bugs!), but here I am watching every episode thinking about what survival item I’d bring, how’d I’d hunt, what shelter I think would be best. The social dynamics make this show 10x better than the original. Big groups of very hungry people in the wilderness? What could go wrong.
WITH MIKE:
Mike and I eat dinner together every night and then usually watch one episode (or two) of a show together afterward.
McMillion$: This is on HBO and really entertaining. It’s a great story and they do a great job of building it up. We blew through this and had to force ourselves to make it last longer by only watching one episode at a time, even when we could have done multiple in a row.
Tiger King: Obviously everyone seemingly watched it. We liked it in that there was a major entertainment factor (it’s insane), but we were both kind of glad when it was over.
The Crown: We worked our way through The Crown and each loved it. It’s a great show to watch on your own or with a partner. Mike is a history nerd so each episode would send us down a rabbit hole of researching what happened, how close the episode was to the truth, finding pictures of the real people and reading actual documents. It was beautifully done and interesting.
Silicon Valley: Now we’re watching Silicon Valley! I watched a bit of the first season when it first came out but it’s been a fun show to zip through. Super light and funny and the episodes are super short!
‘Never Have I Ever’ on Netflix. It’s so funny!
‘The Last Dance’ also on Netflix. It’s incredible and so well done; you don’t have to be a big fan of basketball to enjoy it.
I second the recommendation for “The Last Dance.” My husband and I have been watching it and we’re loving it! Agree that you don’t need to be a huge basketball fan to enjoy it.
Loved that the show has Kelly from Saved by The Bell in it as the mom! Alexa and Katie on Netflix…
I started Killing Eve and became obsessed after the first episode. Highly recommend!
Waco!
If Mike is a history nerd, HBO’s John Adams! The acting is incredible and the struggles of 18th century America helps to put our current situation in prospective.
Never Have I Ever on Netflix and Zoe’s Extraordinary playlist on Hulu are great!
I can’t wait to watch Little Fires Everywhere, but I want to make sure I read the book first!
http://alexagmarsh.blogspot.com/
The Durrells on Corfu on Amazon Prime. You have to get through the first couple of episodes because the kids are horrible in the beginning, but it is charming and the scenery is gorgeous. Quirky characters, lots of animals, and a love story. And it’s based on a true story!
Couldn’t agree more! This show just got better and quirkier every episode!
Hi Carly! These all sounds great, I think I want to start McMillion$ with my husband. I am currently watching Outer Banks (without him), and we are watching The Last Dance Michael Jordan documentary together- even if you’re not particularly a sports fan, it’s amazing!
If you guys haven’t already, I highly suggest you and/or Mike watching the Bon Appetit Youtube videos! I treat them like episodes of a cooking show and stream them on my TV and they’ve been the perfect thing for quarantine – there’s so much content! I feel like “Pastry Chef Attempts to Make Gourmet Girl Scout Cookies” was the gateway video into my obsession, and now all the chefs are my favorite people on Instagram too.
Ozark!
My husband and I cannot get enough of “What We Do in the Shadows”. VERY adult humor but it’s hysterical and much needed levity for the times we’re living in.
My boyfriend and I have been watching Dead to Me! The second season just came out. I am never a fan of scary shows/movies but somehow this one is suspenseful but still has tons of humor to keep it light-ish. We binged the first season in one night!
Such a good time to be binge-watching TV! I can’t say I agree with you on Little Fires Everywhere though. Though I do think, too, that the kids were casted well I just couldn’t take Kerry or Reese’s characters by the end. I loved the book and thought Celeste Ng was so nuanced in her writing but there was nothing nuanced in the show, to me. Just my opinion though!
I thought it was just me. I loved the book, but didn’t understand why they changed so many of the details for the show. It’s a great show on it’s own, but if you are one who likes it to follow the book, you might be disappointed.
I agree! I had a really hard time with Kerry’s character along with some of small changes from the book. I much prefer the book.
Thanks for sharing this list – adding McMillions to our watchlist!
Some shows we’ve been enoying:
– Never Have I Ever – I love anything Mindy Kaling does, and this is no exception. It’s legit LOL funny, and it’s so endearing to see the cultural quirks of Indian families – SO relatable!
– Outer Banks – It’s a little cheesy at times, but it’s a fun Goonies-meets-Dawsons Creek show. Although it’s definitely set in coastal South Carolina (not NC), which bugged me a little, hah!
– Unorthodox – It’s heavy but so beautiful, based on a true story of a woman who left her ultra orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, NY. Only four episodes so a quick watch.
– The Americans – My fiance had never seen this series so we’re rewatching. It’s just as good as I remember!
Would you believe I have NOT watched Tiger King? haha! I may watch it at some point, but without being a hipster, I tend to not get eager to do/see things that go viral. (Maybe I *am* a hipster… oh no.)
Gilmore Girls however has been on my to-watch list for ages, so I’ll make sure to watch that soon! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Julia x
http://www.juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.com
We just finished Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime. I also purchased a subscription to MasterClass and I’m enjoying watching the “masters” teach.
I’m in the middle of Hollywood and am loving it! Also Jim and I watched Outer Banks together… I thought he’d totally bawk at it but he ended up getting hooked.
xo,
Britt
http://www.basicbritt.com
‘The Stranger’ on Netflix is an amazing show! It is based in England and has a mystery component. I highly recommend it if you need a good show to binge watch once we started it was impossible to stop till the end of season 1.
We loved McMillions!! Right now we’re watching Schitt’s Creek- short episodes, and very light & funny! Perfect As an escape for the times.
I second Schitts Creek. SO funny, but it takes a few episodes to get into it. My husband and I loved it! When we finished that, we watched Upload on Amazon – ashamed to say we literally watched the entire season in one day. Highly recommend!
Carly, have you watched Younger? My husband and I loved it!
I second this…Younger is so fun and it’s short seasons and episodes makes for a fast binge. So cute and funny!
I finished Little Fires Everywhere and I can’t wait to watch the series. I love how you have favorite shows that you watch solo and with Mike too.
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
I love Gilmore Girls (it takes me right back to childhood whenever I pop it on) and The Crown!
Lately I’ve been watching Fargo (on Hulu), Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and a lot of movies from when I was a teen. Last week I watched Easy A again and really enjoyed it.
You and Mike ARE me and my spouse. This list is great!
My partner and I have started watching the Sopranos! Edie Falco is AMAZING and the writing is great (didn’t expect to laugh so much!). The New Jersey setting is definitely a plus 🙂
My family is doing the same! My mom and sister have both seen it, but I never have. It’s been really enjoyable so far!
The Morning Show on Apple TV is fantastic! It didn’t get the hype Big Little Lies got but equally as good. Ozark is amazing too. Dark and messed up but so good. Breaking Bad is my all time fave!
My husband and I have watched so many of the same shows, too! In addition to McMillion$, Tiger King, and The Crown, we also went through Waco, all three seasons of Fargo, I got him caught up on Better Call Saul, and we throw on an episode or two of Parks and Rec for lightheartedness.
Have you ever watched Mad Men? It’s my favorite series of all time, and I can’t recommend it enough! 🙂
Thankfully my husband and I are both working now- I’ve been (I’m a teacher), but he’s back now, so we have reduced our TV time over the past two weeks. But like you, my concentration has been all over the place. I am having a difficult time reading for pleasure, but I’m hoping that once the warm weather really hits, I’ll have more motivation!
if you like The Crown you’d probably like Downton Abbey! Not as historical but fun to watch!
Currently obsessed with Outlander (Netflix). It’s making not being able to travel really tough. Scotland is now at the top of my travel list. It took a few episodes for me to get into, but now I’m hooked.
Also highly recommend Never Have I Ever (Netflix). Mindy Kaling is involved, and it’s as funny and spot-on as you’d expect for her.
Zoe’s Infinite Playlist (Hulu) is also very sweet and fun to watch. I liked it a lot more than I was expecting.
Succession on HBO – dry humour about a fictional family loosely based on the Murdochs
Never Have I Ever on Netflix – light and delightful
The Last Kingdom on Netflix – history + very handsome star
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix – campy/horror/b-movie/but also light show – surprisingly fun (I hate scary stuff and didn’t find this scary)
Riverdale on Netflix – but only season one
Good Omens on Prime – delightful, quirky, a bit fantasy (it’s about an angel and a demon who live on earth and team up to save it from the big celestial war between Heaven and Hell) but it’s not really “religious” – David Tennant is amazing in everything he does
Carly I must compliment you for always including a relevant photo in your lifestyle blog posts.
It makes absolutely no sense when bloggers include 6 outfit photos from a trip and then the actual title/content of the blog is work from home tips. So cheers to you!
I am loving little fire everywhere too, and agree they choose character perfectly.
I started watching billion yesterday. Maybe will read normal people before watching it.
You HAVE to watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix. I just finished it last night. It is such a good, funny, light-hearted show.
If you like Naked & Afraid, I recommend The Last Alaskans on Hulu. It’s about the people who live in the Alaskan wildlife preserve and their struggle to survive in total wilderness, we’re seriously hooked over here. A bonus, they’re clothed HA!
So interesting!
OMGoodness… Gilmore Girls… I LOVED it when it was originally on, but now I find it deeply troubling. Many of the characters are truly terrible people.
My husband and I just finished Waco on Netflix. It’s crazy! We are now watching The Last Dance, it’s incredible!!
If you like American History, you & Mike should watch Turn! It is an AMC show on Netflix about George Washington’s spies during the Revolutionary War – it’s a bit of a thriller, but so so good!!
Schitt’s Creek has been my favorite binge-watching alone. With my husband, we’ve watched Designated Survivor (only the first season, I couldn’t stay awake through the second), Tiger King (only because Jeff Lowe lived near us for a while), Outerbanks, and we’re now on Quantico. We have never really watched a TV series together and we’ve enjoyed having something to look forward to each night!
Great Recommendations! I also love “Gilmore Girls” (I am from on of the towns it is based on) and could watch over and over. “Parks & Rec” is another one of my favorite background shows. “Superstore” is another favorite comedy that lightens the mood.
I am currently in the middle of McMillion$ and am LOVIN it (pun intended).
“Outer Banks” was a good binge worthy show. Wasn’t what I was expecting but now I NEED season 2 to know what happens. I’m also half way through “Big Little Lies” now that it’s been added to Hulu and think they did a great job adapting it from the book.
I am looking forward to starting “Never Have I Ever” next! It’s a Mindy Kaling show, who is the best.
I recommend “Self-Made” – only 4 episodes, but powerful.
I LOVED Normal People on Hulu. I had tears running down my face multiple times. It was so beautiful and moving. I did not read the book. It felt authentic and the actors were off the charts amazing.
Carly – You need to watch Schitt’s Creek! It is quite possibly the cutest, funniest show ever! You will fall in love with David. He is so awesome!
Dead to Me is really good and we are enjoying Community right now. Fun and light-hearted.
Very well written 🙂
Loved Little Fires Everywhere and Normal People, thank you Hulu!
Netflix has a show with Ricky Gervais called “After Life.” There are two seasons and 12 episodes total. It’s set in a small English town and follows a grieving widow reflecting on his life after the loss of his wife to cancer, and how the town comes together to support him. It’s beautifully acted and hits the core while being very entertaining with some laugh-out-loud moments. So glad I gave this show a try <3. Also "Dead to Me" on Netflix–such a good dark comedy!!
I’ve been watching an unhealthy amount of streaming content since my school year ended! Tiger King, Never Have I Ever, Waco, and Documentary Now! on Netflix are all great. I wrote about them in my latest post, but since then I’ve finished Unorthodox on Netflix and it’s the best show I’ve seen in years. Emmys for sure.
Clare
http://www.claredaly.co/