Okay, we’re in the Bay Area and under semi-lockdown until at least the first week of April, and we’ve run out of things to watch. Usually we pick a series and watch one episode each night with dinner, or record current series on the DVR and watch those, but we’re all caught up with our usual current stuff and finished watching the stuff on our backlist. So we need something new.
**What we’ve watched and liked:
**Watchmen series
I Am Not Okay With This
Good Omens
Evil
Doctor Who
Westworld (Season 1)
The Outsider
Castle Rock (Season 1)
Constantine
Agents of SHIELD (up until they ended up in space and we lost interest)
The Gifted
The Runaways (Season 1)
Most of the Marvel Netflix series (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist Season 2)
House
**What’ we’ve watched and haven’t liked:
**Westworld (Season 2)
Castle Rock (Season 2 - though we only got a couple episodes in and might give it another chance if it gets better)
Supernatural (though again we only made it a few episodes into season 1 - I’d like to give this another chance)
The Magicians (couldn’t make it past the first episode - too dark)
Legion (ugh)
Daredevil (just couldn’t get into it. Too many fights in hallways)
Iron Fist Season 1 (ugh)
**Some things we’re considering:
**The Runaways (Season 2)
Avenue 5
Umbrella Academy
I’m probably forgetting a few. In general, we like smart stuff (but not too convoluted - Westworld Season 2 kind of lost and bored us) with a supernatural, psychological horror, or superhero focus. It can be very dark, but can’t be completely grim (as in, there has to be some kind of hope or goodness and a bit of humor. I don’t think we’d like The Boys, from what I hear of it).
Any suggestions? Bonus points for telling me what you like about your picks. Thanks!
A while back I started watching “A Series of Unfortunate Events” on Netflix with my grandson. It didn’t take him long to lose interest, but I’m really enjoying it. It’s two episodes per book in the series, and stylistically it is very similar to the Jim Carrey movie from about ten years ago. But the format gives them a lot more room to stretch out and do it right. And NPH makes a great Count Olaf.
Wentworth is an Australian series, about 7 seasons, that is a better acted and more dramatic Orange is the New Black
It is a great series because it contains one of the greatest TV villians I have ever seen, the Freak.
I’m getting high mileage from Da Vinci’s Inquest, a Canadian series that ran from 98 to 05 about a coroner and the police officers he works with in Vancouver.
Little gore and violence and lots of character development and interesting plots, usually dealing with social issues. Very good actors and the stories are told with interesting overlaps and unexpected twists. I think all seven seasons are online. I used to watch it once in a while and found it online not too long ago. It’s great for late-night viewing when you don’t mind falling asleep. Weak tea or powerful sleep aid? You decide.
Fleabag on Amazon Prime (one and done season). Longmire on Netflix. Bosch on Amazon Prime (5 seasons) Prime Suspect Case Histories on AP Black Mirror on Netflix
Might not be quite what you’re looking for but Kevin Nealon’s youtube channel “Hiking With Kevin” is pretty amusing. Each episode features Kevin hiking and shooting the breeze with a friend. His hiking partners include Dana Carvey, Patton Oswalt, Hillary Swank, and Kristen Bell.
I just finished The Hunters (Amazon Prime) and really liked it.
You could also take a look at Orphan Black. I thought that show was done amazingly well. I know I didn’t finish the entire thing, but I couldn’t tell you why. I must have gotten sidetracked and forgotten about it. I certainly didn’t stop watching it, at least not on purpose.
Stranger Things - 80s nostalgia, great cast
Schitt’s Creek - funny, great cast, characters slowly evolve
Give Umbrella Academy a chance. I liked it at first, but I lost interest.
Episodes - funny, great cast
Comedic show (not really a sitcom, not a “dramedy”) about grownups living in the real world. It’s absolutely fantastic; my favorite show I’ve streamed on any streaming service.
Basic plot is that a single guy travels to England for business, hooks up with a woman he meets in a bar, and then several weeks later (back in America) he gets a call from the one night stand he barely remembers that she’s pregnant. They decide to make a go of it, so he moves to England.
I’m surprised you haven’t already watched Stranger Things on Netflix, which would seem to be right up your alley.
Black Lightning is on Netflix. It’s a CW superhero show, but is separate from Flash/Green Arrow/etc. It’s darker and has little of the goofiness of the CW superheroes, but is lighter than the Marvel Netflix shows.
Another vote for Schitt’s Creek. Season 5 (the one that ended with Cabaret) was amazing. However, keep in mind that it’s a very specific type of humor (very dry) and if you don’t like it after a half season or so, you’re not going to like it. Think Christopher Guest type movies, but without the slapstick angle.
Also, don’t avoid it just because Chris Elliot is in it, his part is small enough and main cast all have such big personalities, it’s not a problem if you don’t like him.
I think the series “Outlander” is excellent. It’s about a woman who is suddenly transported back to the Scotland of 1746. Romance and high adventure ensue. Kilts galore.
The acting, plotting, and dialog is really first class, and the main character is a woman, so you could almost consider this a feminist drama. The first four seasons are on DVD, with each season filling four or five full disks, so there’s a lot of binge watching available. I consider the entire series to be fascinating.