I thought it would be fun to post recent Netflix (or other streaming services) shows that we’ve enjoyed. Here are a couple on Netflix and Amazon Prime that I’ve liked recently.
Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame) (Netflix) – The story of a Tokyo detective who travels to London to find a Yakuza member and bring him home. You’ll probably like it if you like crime dramas with a clash of cultures theme. Kelly MacDonald is really good, as usual. You won’t like it if somewhat graphic portrayals of violence or subtitles, since half of the show involves events happening in Tokyo.
Sex Education (Netflix) – A teen comedy about a young man whose mother (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist, who decides to do some therapy of his own. It’s good dumb fun, with the usual suspension of disbelief when 25 year-olds play teenagers (though, in fairness, there seems to be less of that here than most.) If you don’t like hearing about sex and teens, avoid it like the plague. The sountrack is really good, too.
Fleabag (Amazon) – This is hardly a new discovery and it’s on everyone’s best of lists. My comment is that if you, like me, were turned off by the first episode, give it another shot. I’m glad I did. The Phoebe Waller-Bridge hype is real. What a talent.
Killing Eve (Amazon) – This is a spy vs contract killer drama/comedy starring Sandra Oh as the middle aged spy and Jodie Comer as the contract killer. Watch it if you like clever dialog and a really interesting take on an old trope. Avoid if sociopaths and violence bother you. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the showrunner for the first season and wrote some of the episodes, and it shows.
Please feel free to share what you like and why you liked it in the comments.
Update: I forgot to mention the other reason I liked Fleabag – it ends after two seasons, leaving you wishing for more. There are so many streaming series that go on for season after season long after I’ve lost interest.
germy
Was there some controversy about abusive behavior on the Fleabag set?
geg6
I love Dead To Me and the Kaminsky Method. Both are funny and tragic and have great acting.
Renie
I loved Mindhunters. It shows the beginning of the FBI behavioral analysis unit in the 1970s. While watching you will recognize some of the serial killers of the past. Its focus is on the FBI side of it rather than the criminal/violence. Two seasons have already aired but a third season is up in the air due to the producer taking on another project.
Sister Golden Bear
An enthusiastic second for “Killing Eve,” both Oh and Comer are stellar — and my new lesbian crushes.
Probably Not an Asshole mistermix
@germy: I’ve only heard of issues with a plot point that involved a relationship with a priest, which even a hater of the catholic church like me didn’t find problematic.
AM in NC
I second recs for Sex Education, Fleabag, Mind Hunters, Dead to Me, and Killing Eve. I’ve also really enjoyed Dark on Netflix. It’s a German series that deals with time travel and has a tricky plot, but is is also very character-driven, with many complex characters interacting at different ages with each other. I am watching it for the second time now with my husband, who is also really enjoying it.
Probably Not an Asshole mistermix
@geg6: I liked the Kaminsky method. Need to watch Dead to Me.
@Renie: God, yes, Mindhunters. About as close to perfect TV as you can get. The “Silence of the Lambs” vibe, Bill, Holden and Wendy’s interplay. I’m gutted to hear that Season 3 is on hold.
Phylllis
Dr. Foster on Netflix was quite the roller coaster. Just finished rewatching season 6 of Endeavour on Amazon Prime, which was terrific–and even better with all the scenes that PBS inexplicably cuts.
jeffreyw
watching Cardinal on Hulu it’s a cop show set in Canada
it’s pretty good
Vikings Amazon prime there like five or seven seasons depending on how they count them
we’ve enjoyed Vikings
stumptown is a quirky show on Hulu
dmsilev
If you’re anything of a space nerd. _For All Mankind_ (Apple TV+) is worth a watch. Alternate-history version of the Apollo-era space race where the starting point is a non-dysfunctional Soviet moon program manages to beat Apollo 11 by a couple of weeks.
(also for space nerds, the post-credits scene from the last episode is great)
MomSense
I just binged The Stranger in Netflix. Good acting and an intense story. I hadn’t read the novel so I had no idea what was going to happen.
schrodingers_cat
I liked Made in Heaven on Amazon Prime last year. And Marvelous Mrs Maisel.
jeffreyw
watched Tom Hardy in taboo on Hulu it was pretty good
also on Hulu Castle Rock pretty good
das Boot is on Hulu it’s a series we liked it
also look for gentleman Jack on Hulu
MomSense
Not shows, but if you can watch East Side Sushi and The Music Never Stopped. Two small movies that are so good. Totally different but both have great characters and acting.
Probably Not an Asshole mistermix
@dmsilev: Oh, cool, I think I have that on my new iPad and it’s right up my alley. Thanks
@MomSense: Thanks, just added it to my watch list.
@schrodingers_cat: I like Mrs Maisel, I’ll check out Made in Heaven. Thanks
JPL
@geg6: Season 2 of Dead to me should be sometime this spring. Ozark is next month and Bosch should return sometime this spring on Amazon Prime. I do love Titus Welliver.
Gotta say I sure love binge watching in the age of trump.
Eolirin
@AM in NC: Dark is really great, but you have to really be in to the kind of show it is, I think. And I don’t want to say too much past that because understanding what kind of show it actually is takes a few episodes. I’d also recommend watching it in the German if you can manage the subtitles. The native performances are very very good.
James E Powell
Patriot on Amazon. I just finished Season 1. Strange show, hard to describe, never seen anything quite like it. Laughed. Made me want to go to Luxembourg even though the Luxembourg scenes were filmed in Prague.
hitchhiker
Babylon Berlin is astounding. Germany between the wars, with zero reference to USA. Beautifully acted and shot, with many fascinating characters played by actors you’ve never heard of.
Succession sounds like you’d hate it (Rupert Murdoch-esque billionaire family drama, who GAF, right?) But it’s hilarious if you like snark with humanity sneaking through.
Messiah is a bit of a mindfuck. It’s carefully made, in such a way that you can’t be sure if the main character is the anti-christ, or the 2nd coming, or a lunatic, or a terrorist, or a pawn of some bigger scheme, or maybe some combination of those. My meta observation, watching it from one of the least-churched cities in America, is that it would be fun to discuss with the millions of youngs who have minimal exposure to biblical themes & memes. How do they process what’s happening?
Deadwood, because cocksucker. Also it helped me understand the visceral hatred the mountain west has for rich guys from the coasts. And it’s great tv.
Unbelievable, story about (1) a girl in her first apartment out of foster care who is raped at knifepoint, reports it, is disbelieved, is forced to change her statement, is charged for making a false statement, somehow goes on with her life … and (2) the cops who, in the process of tracking down a serial rapist in a different city, find evidence that she was telling the truth. This is a women-centered piece that would be impossible to watch if you didn’t know there was some redemption coming.
ETA, thank you for this thread!
Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA)
Herrens Veje – Danish series about a priest and his family — generations of men before were in the priesthood, and the family deals with the pressure of that legacy along the fallout from life with their overbearing alcoholic patriarch (played by Lars Mikkelsen, who’s great in everything he does).
Norsemen – a Norwegian comedy, a cross between Vikings and The Office, with a little bit of Monty Python.
Both are two seasons.
Barbara
@Sister Golden Bear: I think Comer is outstanding but I don’t really like the Oh character. It is also hard for me to see how they keep it from devolving into the same plot line over and over. I will look at the first recommendation. I am just pathetic with keeping up on this sort of thing. I still read more than I watch.
Barbara
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA): Where are they found?
Kineslaw
Cheer on Netflix really sucks you in. I enjoyed it significantly more than I expected to, as have everyone I’ve talked to about it.
Blown Away was also an excellent competition show on Netflix. 30 minute episodes and all they show is the glass blowing. Some of what the artists created was incredible.
Barbara
@hitchhiker: As my daughter said, it isn’t really enjoyable but it is rewarding.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA):
Now that’s intriguing!
@hitchhiker: I think I’ve watched Deadwood all the way through three times. When I first watched the final season with George Hearst, I spent his first episode doing that “Who is that?” thing in my head. Could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I saw it was Major Dad
Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA)
@Barbara: Netflix. (Sorry — couldn’t edit my post to add that.)
Peale
The Ghost Bride out of Malaysia has been engaging so far. In Family we Trust out of Thailand is surprisingly good. I hope Sex Education ends after next season. There’s only so Long I can take these unresolved season endings. From China, everyone I know who’s watched it got into the Untamed but it starts rather tediously and doesn’t take off until ep 8 or so. I’m on 6, so they’d better be right.
viki streaming has the final series of the HIStory gay* anthology series, a comedy called Make Our Days Count. Was a great capstone for what was a groundbreaking series.
MattF
@hitchhiker: I just watched a bit of Babylon Berlin… and wow. Thank you.
laura
Fleabag OMG a perfect jewel of a story arc! Pitch perfect. I’ve been Maiseling when insomnia strikes and binged Mindhunters because when you grow up with the Zodiac Killer and had your junior high classmates kidnapped and scattered around your hometown it becomes the fabric of your life -like cotton only more purient.
Kelly
Another thumbs up for Kaminsky Method.
delk
Chef & My Fridge (Netflix)
A Korean game show/cooking show. Chefs compete head to head to make a dish for a celebrity. The catch is the celebrity’s refrigerator is removed from their residence and brought to the studio as is and the chefs have to use what is in it. Lots of joking around and good natured digs at each other.
MomSense
Occupied and Nobel on Netflix. Both Norwegian series.
Kathleen
@hitchhiker: I’ve been wanting to watch Babylon Berlin. I’m addicted to Succession. The writing and acting are superb, but I have to admit the best part is seeing how scared, miserable, and sometimes incompetent rich powerful people can be. I also liked the Loudest Voice (based on Gabe Sherman’s book about Roger Ailes) on Showtime for that reason.
Mercuria
So many excellent recommendations already: Fleabag, Mindhunters, Killing Eve, the Stranger, Mrs Maisel, Dead to Me, Gentleman Jack, Cardinal…I found them all so good. I will add the others to my queues.
Two I have not seen above, I believe both can be found on Hulu: “The Detectorists”, created by Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from the Office-UK), is so sweet and funny, just a quiet gem of a show; and “Better Things” starring Pamela Adlon, about a divorced mom of 3 daughters, very well done, sometimes cuts to the bone, other times laugh out loud funny. For Brit-Mystery lovers: Vera and Shetland on Britbox (maybe elsewhere, as well?).
Brachiator
I strongly disliked this show initially, but kept hearing great things about it and so continued to watch it. I get tired of shows in which everyone, from the protagonist to supporting characters are jerks. But the show won me over with its writing and acting, and its increasing depth and incisive (and funny) observations of family dynamics, and I was cheering for it by the end of second season.
I don’t have time to watch much of anything, but here are a couple of shows I follow:
The Expanse (Amazon). The best science fiction show out there right now, and just a damn good show, period. Humanity is taking baby steps to explore a hostile universe. A space opera with consistently engaging characters. I also am quite taken with the show’s vision of future human societies.
Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access). Detect a trend here? Yeah, I love sci fi, and it is good to see Picard back again. I think that he was a great choice to build a show around. But I also like that the show’s creators are trying to balance nostalgia and new themes and characters and make the show not just standard science fiction, but more a drama with a deep science fiction background.
YouTube. I have been dipping into YouTube to see full episodes of random old TV series, such as The Saint and Have Gun, Will Travel. And a fascinating British TV show from the 50s called Mark Saber (and sometimes Saber of London), featuring a one-armed detective. The actor who plays Saber, Donald Gray, actually lost his arm during WW2 combat. I was not deeply familiar with early Saint episodes or this British series and a couple of others, but I am struck at how gritty a lot of 50s tv is, not just warm, whitebread Happy Days stuff.
ETA: I don’t currently have Netflix, but I may have to relent. A number of shows sound really interesting.
PsiFighter37
Sex Education is a great show and a really good mix of both humor and heart. Just finished the most recent season of it and Big Mouth…guess it shows you what tickles my entertainment bone – puberty-stricken teenagers…
Jager
The Kaminsky Method
Kaminsky asks Norman, “How’s your daughter doing?” Norman answers, “She’s one Coors Light from the first circle of hell.”
NotMax
First season of Sex Education was a goofy diversion. Second season moved with alacrity into “Let’s open the seacocks on this vessel and see how long it takes to sink” mode. YMMV.
Sticking strictly to items which are recent arrivals, heavily qualified recommendations –
Thieves of the Wood (Netflix). Slow-burning class friction historical drama with a rich menu of characters, albeit ultimately (and plot-wise inevitably) a downer.
Aeronauts (Prime). Victorian era elevated scientific premised adventure. Beautiful photography.
Ares (Netflix). Bizarre secret society pulling the strings behind the scenes in Holland. Got the impression the writers had pooled their resources to order magic mushrooms in bulk before sitting down to pound out the scripts. Erratic but watchable.
NotMax
@NotMax
Italics fail. Fix.
First season of Sex Education was a goofy diversion. Second season moved with alacrity into “Let’s open the seacocks on this boat and see how long it takes to sink” mode. YMMV.
Sticking strictly to items which are recent arrivals, heavily qualified recommendations –
Thieves of the Wood (Netflix). Slow-burning class friction historical drama with a rich menu of characters, albeit ultimately a downer.
Aeronauts (Prime). Victorian era elevated scientific adventure. Beautiful photography.
Ares (Netflix). Bizarre secret society pulling the strings behind the scenes in Holland. Got the feeling the writers had pooled their resources to order magic mushrooms in bulk before sitting down to pound out the scripts. Erratic but watchable.
MomSense
@Mercuria:
Detectorists is one of my all time favorites. The characters are just – I love them.
opiejeanne
The Detectorists. A slow, sly little comedy, and after the second episode it picks up speed. Starring Toby Jones (he played the smug Percy Alleline, briefly head of MI6 in “Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy”) and MacKenzie Crook (the pirate with the wooden eyeball in “Pirates of the Caribbean”).
We loved Norsemen, but only the first season.
JPL
I enjoyed Modern Love on Amazon Prime, just for a break. The acting is terrific.
ellie
Fleabag made me very anxious and I stopped watching after one episode.
Omnes Omnibus
@hitchhiker: Babylon Berlin is amazing. I also loved Occupied; the third season went places I did not expect.
While looking for something else, I discovered The Adventures of Captain Alatriste, a Spanish series based on a Spanish novel (I had read the novel back in the ’90s and was pleasantly surprised to find the series).
NotMax
@James E Powell
Yes, an under the radar gemlet which have been pushing on people for quite a while. Second season even better than the first, IMHO. I summarize it as James Bond minus the T&A and gee whiz gadgetry, if written by Salvador Dali.
(BTW, the lead actor’s American accent is astonishingly impeccable. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. First caught my eye as an actor to be on the lookout for in the delightful Butch & Sundance-esque Aussie series Wild Boys, also now available on Prime.)
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: Thieves has been just to slow for me to get into
Ares. Well, let’s just say I agree with all aspects of your take on it.
Frankensteinbeck
For the cartoon lovers:
Duck Tales is an absolute must. While it did not make me invest as much emotionally, it is higher in quality than Friendship is Magic at every level. An utterly fabulous cartoon. I thought Glittering Goldie was a perfect and insurmountable character until they introduced Della, who is even better.
She Ra (Netflix) highly recommended. Great characters, almost entirely female cast, solidly good and you invest in the characters. I cannot believe that it made me care about what should have been the biggest crack ship that became canon in animation history.
DC Super Hero Girls (Netflix) This isn’t that new, but I only just found it. Adorable. Incredibly, brain-explodingly cute. Real cute, not forced big eyed unconvincing fake cute like you’re used to from children’s cartoons. Barbara ‘Babs’ Gordon’s combination of spastic bubbleheadedness and hypercompetent, devious genius should rightly be cartoon legend.
Owl House (Disney) Just started. Hilarious. Yes, it’s always charming to see a 12 year old girl go “Trapped in Hell apprenticed to a dark witch? YES, PLEASE, SIGN ME UP!” Mostly, though, it’s just relentlessly, side-splittingly funny.
Omnes Omnibus
@Omnes Omnibus: Find a typo and FYWP won’t let me edit. Argh!
Mnemosyne
We’ve been binging “Schitt’s Creek” so I can get caught up before the series finale airs soon.
If you want something funny, humane, and NOT BLEAK, this is the show for you. The lead characters start off as shallow, annoying people, but they learn and grow from their experiences to become better people.
Another Scott
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We don’t stream anything. (Amazon occasionally reminds me of all the great shows we’re missing on Prime. Meh.)
OT:
OhpleaseOhpleaseOhplease…
Cheers,
Scott.
The Dangerman
A lot of interesting suggestions here. Thanks.
Going back to standard TV, has anyone else been disappointed in the last season or so of Modern Family? It started off brilliant, got even better, but … it’s gone a season or 2 too long or they fired the original writers or something.
Just got back from the store. Final total was $49.49. If I was in Vegas, I’d put down a few dollars, but I’m not, so … oh well. Besides, I’m feeling the Chiefs today. Boo me Bay Area people, but I’m not even feeling that close a game. I think the line stayed stable at 1.5 (the O/U went up a bit; it was way low at the start), but I just feel a non-exciting game coming.
Mnemosyne
FOR ARIZONA JACKALS ONLY!
Mark Kelly needs you to sign his nominating petition to run for Senate against Martha McSally, and you can do it online:
https://apps.azsos.gov/apps/election/eps/op/
jeffreyw
netflix – Hotel Beau Sejour
it’s a police procedural – murder mystery with the victim as the main character she helps to solve the case, sorta
NotMax
@Another Scott
If it’s your bag, Prime is also a treasure trove of obscure and semi-obscure 30s, 40s and 50s films.
Sonoran
My I recommend Barry (two seasons on HBO, horrific, touching, hilarious) and GLOW (3 seasons on Netflix, loved these women).
Emerald
Thanks for the heads-up about Fleabag. I gave up on it after only the first half of the first episode. If everybody’s that hot on it I will try it again.
Loved loved Loved Norsemen, and they are doing a third season. However, they killed off my favorite character at the end of the second season, so I will watch with some element of sadness and hope for flashbacks. But I admit that I can’t wait to see how they mess up the raid on Lindisfarne, which I assume will lead off the season.
Babylon Berlin is fantastic. Really captures the atmosphere of between-the-wars Berlin, although that nightclub is way out of line for the period. So well done, however, that ya don’t care. Highly recommended.
Just finished Messiah. Recommended. Very fun ending.
Big shout out to Shtisel on Netflix from Israel. Excellent family drama in an ultra-orthodox community in Jerusalem. In Hebrew and I know I detected Yiddish. Will Akiva ever get married? Great stuff! New season coming!
Loved Dark too—far superior to Stranger Things—and I agree on watching it in German, but it might take two viewings to get what’s going on. Worth the time though.
Russian Doll on Netflix, but I think everybody already knows about that one. Again, watch through the first half of the second episode. They’re only 30 minutes. Fantastic.
Trapped on AP. More Scandanavian crime but this time in Icelandic. The lead character is not your standard leading man type, which I like. The second season has neo-Nazis, and one of them says, “Next thing you know we’ll all be speaking English in our own homes.”
I enjoy The Last Kingdom on Netflix, but I had read Bernard Cornwell’s books. They do a good job of capturing the books, and Cornwell writes good history. Probably pretty close to what life with Alfred the Great was probably like.
Of course, The Man in the High Castle on AP. It’s finished now and worth every second of time viewing it.
OK. I’ll shut up. Thanks everybody for all the suggestions! I am adding to my already extensive list of binge-worthy series. Gad. I find myself just not watching too many movies anymore. (Enjoyed Tolkien, however, but not so much The Aeronauts on AP. Great production values but thin thin thin story.)
Percysowner
@Kineslaw: I loved Blown Away. I haven’t heard of a renewal, but I’m hoping for one. You are right, the creations were amazing.
Emma
This is all on Netflix:
Galavant: still so mad that ABC canceled this after 2 seasons, this was major bonding time for me and my mom. If you like Mel Brooks, but with music (Alan Mencken!), you’ll like this.
Luna Nera: I’ve only watched the first episode so far, but it’s an interesting take on the whole “persecution of witches” trope, in that the scientists actually want to show lay people that it’s not witches that cause sickness and death.
Into the Badlands: I watched the first season back when AMC premiered it, and it was truly ground-breaking for Asian American media. If you like wushu with a hint of very sweet romance, you’ll like the first season, at least, since I haven’t watched the later seasons yet.
Going to break this up into chunks, because I don’t want FYWP to eat my comments for being too long.
jeffreyw
@Brachiator: Have you looked at Altered Carbon? Netflix 1 season but they are going to do another – due out 27 Feb
Sebastian
Witcher (Netflix)
Barry (HBO)
Expanse (Amazon)
Sebastian
@jeffreyw:
yessss. Altered Carbon is the shit. A must for every cyberpunk fan.
JPL
@Emerald: When the Man in High Castle was first released I saw one of the episodes the same day I saw the USA girls sing about the troops killing them over there for trump. I had the worse nightmare of my life and jumped out of bed. Of course, the nightmare continues.
Sonoran
@Mnemosyne: Done, thanks.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I loved Fleabag so much I’m going to watch Killing Eve, and Olivia Coleman is so fucking good– so evil in such an understated (usually) way– that I’m tempted to watch The Crown, which I’ve heard is really good but there’s just so. much. TV. now…..
The Favorite is also a reason to watch Olivia Coleman in just about anything. IMHO.
ETA: I loved the first season of Barry Everybody talks about Hader and Henry Winkler and they are fantastic, but I’d like to put in a word for Stephen Root, one of my favorite character actors, even just doing the voice of Bill on King of the Hill
Emma
@Emma: Carole and Tuesday: this one’s cheating, because I haven’t actually watched it yet, but the art, musicality, summary, and just general style of this series looks so attractive.
Violet Evergarden: same as above, although it looks much more serious in outlook.
Next in Fashion: Project Runway, if they had actual professionals competing. If you don’t like somewhat arbitrary critiques (“too commercial” alongside “I could see this in my closet!”), then don’t watch, but if you can ignore that and just enjoy the nice contestants (except for the dudebro in the first ep, they really are) and pretty clothes, then it’s good.
Crazy Ex Girlfriend: another major milestone in Asian American media, and the songs are awesome.
Percysowner
The Witcher is a fun fantasy. If you like Rom Coms, Always Be My Maybe is great. Grace and Frankie season six just went up this month for comedy.
Sebastian
I also enjoyed The Last Kingdom on Netflix a LOT.
Emma
@Emma: Nailed It: maybe kinda obvious, but I sure as hell laughed my ass off. I especially like the Germany and Mexico series.
Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father: for people who like British humor. Goofy comedian son drags Tory dad around SE Asia in season 1, then Tory dad drags goofy comedian son around Eastern Europe in season 2, then cool mom joins in the last season.
The Big Family Cooking Showdown: OK, I admit I really only put this one on here because I think Tommy Banks is cute.
The Witcher: I only started this at first because I was bored. I’d never read the books nor played the games. But damn, it actually turned out pretty good, and I even figured out the timeline by episode 8!
JoyceH
Lately I’m wanting to watch very soothing things, so I watch Bob Ross or Monty Don on Amazon Prime. And when I want something more action-packed, I stream Stargate: Atlantis. For when you want to get out of the galaxy entirely.
PsiFighter37
@Sebastian: I’ll be honest – I only watched a few episodes, and it was hard to watch because the lead character is the same guy who played the Republican presidential candidate in House of Cards – so it was a bit jarring. I may revisit it, although the initial plot line that I saw from the first couple episodes wasn’t super-compelling.
Another Scott
@NotMax: We mainly don’t watch a lot of TV. I watch the BBC News. We occasionally watch Love It or List It. J watches tennis, and the Red Sox in the season.
That’s about it.
It is great that there’s a universe of choices now that those of us who grew up with 3-5 channels could never dream of back then, but there’s only so many hours in the day.
Maybe once we are able to retire. Maybe…
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Mo MacArbie
I’ve been watching the Chicago White Sox. Admittedly, the last several seasons have been a bit trying, but they’ve really augmented a cast that was already starting to grow into their roles. I think they’ve addressed their pacing problems by fielding what should be a pretty good starting rotation. They’ve also said farewell to that controversial host.
Emerald
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Really, The Crown is excellent, and if you’re an Olivia Coleman fan (me,me!) you must watch it!
Next season should be the Diana years, and I’m hoping Olivia will return for it! Ought to be epic!
Probably Not an Asshole mistermix
I had to step away for a bit but thanks to everyone who put in suggestions. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising how our tastes overlap. I saw someone mention Blown Away – my daughter got me into that – what a great show, kind of the opposite of the hyped up cooking competitions (less drama, incredible talent). Also sounds like I should watch Babylon Berlin. As the strict anti-royalist around here, I watched the Crown just to see Olivia Coleman, who I’d watch read a phone book in the middle of the street in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Emma
Oh wait, can’t believe I forgot to mention Patriot Act! Hasan Minhaj has truly come into his own with this. He also posts the full episodes and Youtube exclusives on, yes, Youtube.
eclare
Cheer on Netflix, from the same people who did Last Chance U. Amazing doc. Also I just watched the Taylor Swift doc on Netflix, she is done being quiet.
NotMax
Not the type of fare I would normally tune to (extreme violence with a capital V in flashing red neon) yet with but little internal protest kept on with it all the way through to see where it was going – all 4 seasons of Banshee are on Prime. Weakness: messaging gets more and more in your face blatant with each season. Strength: some of the secondary characters (including some of the nasty ones) are fascinating character studies.
Originally from Starz, just so you know what to also expect, exposed flesh-wise.
eclare
@hitchhiker: Unbelievable was the best thing I saw last year.
Catherine D.
@JoyceH:
I hear you! I binged through Gardener’s World on Britbox last year and felt much calmer.
NotMax
@Catherine D.
Can’t recall at the moment whether it is on Netflix, Prime, or both but you might enjoy Greenfingers.
Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA)
A couple more: BoJack Horseman, Netflix.
There She Goes, Britbox — a comedy (!) about raising a child with a severe mental disability.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@AM in NC: just started Dark and am really enjoying it. My daughter recommended Rain if I like Dark. Loved Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black. Also call the Midwife for the snarky nuns and 50s/60e fashions. If you can get past the fact that it’s probably not totally historically accurate The White Princess and The Spanish Princess show history from a more (admittedly upper class) female perspective ( being used as bargaining chip and arguments over dowries, also the historical effects of epidemics) The Spanish Princess actually devoted at least a little time to the forced conversions of non-Catholics by the Spanish crown and the reaction of the English and English court to the black courtiers Catherine of Aragon brought with her from Spain.
jeffreyw
Netflix all:
Sacred Games
The End of the F***ing World
Queen of the South (Narcos as a telenovela)
Peaky Blinders
Amazon Prime:
Mirzapur
Get Shorty
The Widow
soup time
Professor T on PBS, French w/subtitles. Crime/police drama with mix of goofy and intense characters.
Also on PBS, Modus, a Swedish crime/police drama.
On Prime: Fortitude and Trapped. Both filmed in Iceland, amazing scenery. Police/crime dramas, with a smidge of horror in Fortitude.
For a half hour of very light escapism, on PBS are Travels by Narrowboat, and Cruising the Cut. Both very similar to each other with delightful rural English scenery, pubs, boats, and ducks.
For the last six months I’ve been limited to Prime and PBS, but no shortage of good shows. I’ve seen many of those listed in up north comments, but have added a few to my list.
NotMax
@soup time
For old school TV, Man in a Suitcase on Prime mostly holds up surprisingly well. Freelance American ex-intelligence agent. Plus looking back at the fashions and decor is kind of a hoot.
One could devise a drinking game around taking a slug (or a sip, per preference) every time a brown telephone is shown on screen.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@soup time: cool. I needed some new series and these sound perfect
J R in WV
There’s a whole lot of interesting sounding shows listed in this thread. We don’t have the robust web connection to be able to watch lots of drama streaming, we barely manage to see the news shows and live Impeachment shows.
When the stream stops, we never know if that’s the end of the feed for us, or only a 15 or 20 second stall. Sometimes it restarts right where it stopped, sometimes it gets wild and we wind up with really strange mismatches between the audio and the video.
But many thanks for these suggestions, anything to distract me from currrent events right out of 1935 Europe… I’m using GoComics to watch favorite strips from the long ago, and it’s working!!
WhatsMyNym
@J R in WV: I’ve had success streaming with Roku on slow DSL.
ETA: 1 to 1.5 Mbps.
Probably Not an Asshole mistermix
@J R in WV: Netflix and Prime streaming on phones or iPads allows download of episodes if that helps. I’m not aware of any big screen devices that do it. I’ve done it while traveling when you can’t trust your Internet connection.
jeffreyw
@Probably Not an Asshole mistermix: And you can cast them to tvs via chromecast, with an Amazon Firestick, or ROKU many smart tvs have screen mirroring capabilities for iOS or android
Catherine D.
@NotMax: Oh, I’ve seen that!
karen marie
I don’t have time to read the comments but wanted to toss in my two picks for Netflix that I haven’t seen people talking about – Daybreak (post-apocalyptic comedy – really terrific! Sadly, I believe it was not picked up for another season) and Dead To Me (amazing show! So well done. I am on the edge of my seat for the next season!). Both of them are really well done, very entertaining. I am surprised I haven’t seen chatter about either of them on the twitter.
karen marie
@soup time: If it’s the same “narrowboat” show I saw, I’m surprised anyone would recommend it. The one I saw, the guy never talked about the boat or much of anything except his own emotional drama. I kept waiting for more and finally gave it up.
Pittsburgh Mike
NetFlix:
Russian Doll — must watch. Really, do it.
I’m Sorry — fun comedy about suburbs. The cast makes this great.
Crashing — by, and with Phoebe W-B. Weird show about a bunch of people all living together in an abandoned hospital, IIRC. If you liked Fleabag, you’ll probably like this.
Schitt’s Creek — grows on you — multimillionaire family loses all in a Madoff-like scam and has to move to a town the father bought for his son as a joke some years ago. Pleasant, though not as brilliant as the rest in this list.
Amazon Prime:
Catastrophe — great show by and with Sharon Horgan — American guy knocks up Irish gal in London. *Every* character in this show is wonderful.
Not currently streaming (but returns periodically to AMZ or NetFlix):
In The Loop — by the same guy as did Veep. Slightly fictionalized movie about the run-up to the Iraq war.
Pittsburgh Mike
@karen marie: Dead to Me *is* great.
Brachiator
@jeffreyw:
Another reason for me to get Netflix.
BretH
Can’t believe no one mentioned The Night Manager, with Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston and … Oh yes, Olivia Coleman.
Bob7094
@soup time:
“Professor T on PBS, French w/subtitles. Crime/police drama with mix of goofy and intense characters.”
Um, It’s set in Flanders, that’s Flemish/Dutch. Kinda strange at times, but good.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@BretH: and Indira Varma, for a bit…
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Pittsburgh Mike: Catastrophe is awesome. Lived Carrie Fisher in it too.
Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937
Lots of great suggestions. I’ll throw in something totally different – ‘corner gas’ on amazon prime. A stupid comedy from our northern neighbor CBC, set out in their midwest. Very dry humor. Its probably something that’s run there for years but new to me.
Mercuria
@MomSense: I’m always glad others have found and loved this program. It’s on my very short list of perfect shows. it deserves a wider audience.
artkqtarks
@hitchhiker:
I agree that Babylon Berlin and Unbelievable are great.
Babylon Berlin is enthralling as well as visually stunning.
Unbelievable can be difficult to watch because of the subject matter. Some people may want to stop watching after the first episode. I would strongly recommend to continue watching at least until Merritt Wever shows up in the second episode.
I also highly recommend Alias Grace, a lesser known TV show based on a Margaret Atwood novel. It is a miniseries with only six episodes and is available on Netflix. Sarah Gadon who plays the titular character is amazing and I don’t understand why she is not a bigger star.
As other people mentioned, Schitt’s Creek grows on you, even though it appears like just a stupid comedy when it starts.
I also like The Good Place.
The second season of Fleabag was great. I liked the first season, but I did not quite love it. The second season was amazing.
I also liked Homecoming, which is also available on Amazon Prime.
NotMax
@Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937
Sadly, Corner Gas (the live action series) has currently been taken off the free roster at Prime.
NobodySpecial
I loved the first season of Babylon Berlin, but haven’t gotten to the second season, the curse of having too much on my plate.
I finally got around to watching Season 2 of Lost In Space, and the highs are as high as the first season (and admittedly, the lows are as low). It’s pretty family friendly, and the dangers in each episode will probably come off as too corny to any reasonably functional adult, but Parker Posey just absolutely kills it (in all senses) as Dr. Smith. Genuinely horrifying one moment, tragic the next, and every scene with her you get the feeling of a rat in a cage, trying desperately to leave. She deserves awards for it.
karen marie
@Pittsburgh Mike: I’m so glad someone else watched it!