Remember the olden days, when we would eagerly await our favourite weekly television program, blocking off the time slot and shushing everyone in the vicinity so we wouldn’t miss a thing, getting up from the couch only during commercial breaks? Then we would wait a WHOLE WEEK, and sometimes even summer hiatus, to see what happened next?
I don’t miss those days.
Now it’s all about the binge watch, and do we have some excellent binge-watching recommendations for you! If you haven’t seen these series yet, block off the weekend, grab a glass of wine and some snacks, and get ready for some quality programming!
The Crown
Not just for Anglophiles and followers of the British Royal Family, this series, which begins with the illness and death of King George VI and the subsequent coronation of his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, is a fascinating look into the early days of the longest-reigning British monarch. The show provides insight about Queen Elizabeth II’s struggle between duty and family life, as well as the difficulties in being a young, and woefully under-educated woman in an incredibly powerful position. By turns educational and informative, and marvellously glamourous and gossipy, The Crown is breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly acted.
Spoiler alert: despite marital strain, I am pretty sure that Elizabeth and Philip are in it for the long haul.
Better Call Saul
Remember when we were all binge-watching Breaking Bad, the show that will forever make us grateful for universal health care, and not having to become crystal meth kingpins just to pay for cancer treatment? Remember when it was all over and we had nothing left to live for, television-wise?
Well, get your remote ready and pop some corn, because you’re about to enjoy the prequel series to end all prequel series. If you were wondering exactly how Saul Goodman became the sleazy, ambulance chaser that he is in Breaking Bad, this show gives you the goods: the transformation of Jimmy McGill, small-time con artist and law intern, to Saul Goodman, lawyer to the criminal world of New Mexico.
My all-time favourite Breaking Bad character was Mike the hitman, and happily, there is a lot of Mike in Better Call Saul. He’s just as badass as he was in Breaking Bad. Also featured are Tuco, Uncle Hector, and Gus Fring, pre-fried-chicken-empire.
Master of None
Never have I seen such an original comedy series. Master of None is the brainchild of Aziz Ansari, of Parks and Recreation fame. This realistic series follows aspiring actor Dev through his experiences in New York City, touching on casual racism, dating and sexual relationships, rape culture, and family ties. Each very heavy topic is dealt with in a humorous way, which doesn’t in any way detract from the seriousness of the underlying issues. In fact, this series will make you think and re-examine the way you look at the world, while being eminently entertaining.
The best episode, in my opinion, is the one that deals with parents and the sacrifices immigrant parents make for their children.
Jane the Virgin
At the age of 13, Jane promises her grandmother that she will save herself for marriage, and ten years later she has honoured that promise. Still a virgin, she goes for her annual Pap test, where the doctor – distraught for personal reasons – accidentally inseminates her instead. Jane the virgin is pregnant, and the web that is woven between the characters is complex and delightful.
Satirizing the Latin American telenovela, Jane the Virgin is wonderfully addictive and like nothing else you’ve seen before. I turned on the first episode and then surfaced hours later, unable to stop watching. For fun, try to explain the relationships between the characters to a neutral party (in my case, that was my husband). “And that woman is the other woman’s lover but also her step-mother.” A true candy-like pleasure that will leave you wanting more.
Mr. Selfridge
Selfridges is a shopping institution in London, and Mr. Selfridge is the story behind the founder, Harry Selfridge. If you like period drama, this show is for you. It’s a gorgeous spectacle of clothing and set design, and the story line is quite fascinating. The popularity behind Selfridges was the marketing machine that went behind it, and Harry Selfridge was the first to implement this in England. His goal was to make shopping fun, rather than a dull chore, and this series showcases that.
As in real life, everyone has an interesting story: the shop girls are all living their own private dramas, Harry juggles the store, his family, and extra-marital affairs, and the store’s investors want more than just financial returns. There are fun historical moments, like the opening of Woolworth’s and appearances from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ernest Shackleton. The show stars Jeremy Piven, who is delightfully flamboyant.
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