Updated August 17, 2020 Originally posted: August 5, 2020
If you’re stuck at home and with free time on your hands, this is a perfect time to binge watch. And since you’ve probably already seen all the popular good shows, I’m going to present some other quality shows that may have not caught your attention.
There is a lot of great television out there. There is also an overwhelming amount of crappy TV out there too. But that’s true for all art and always will be (and that’s a topic for another post). There are plenty of guides out there for the well-known shows like The Wire, The Americans, Breaking Bad, and so on. This is my list of shows to stream that may have slipped below your radar.
All of these suggestions require subscriptions, but most of the services offer free trials of at least a week, so if you play your binging cards right, you can game the system at least long enough to decide if you want to invest more of your time and your money.
What I Look For…and What I Don’t
Before I get to the recommendations, a few things you should know:
For me to recommend a show it has to have an interesting plot, superior writing (dialogue), and be well-acted. Good cinema-photography is almost as essential. I like having interesting things to look at, which is part of the reason I’m partial to Historical Fiction and Science Fiction.
I like things that educate me, either because I learn new things or think about something in a new way. For that reason among others, I’m not a fan of action shows or movies. Those must be exceptional for me to recommend one. Lack of realism (why can’t the bad guys ever shoot straight or hit anything with an automatic weapon?) requires too much suspension of belief. The dialogue is predictable and often painful. None have made this list.
I’m not a big fan of murder (detective) shows either. They just seem kind of macabre to me, not to mention over the top in their own way. I enjoyed the Inspector Morse series, but seriously, the murder rate in that fictional Oxford rivals that of East Baltimore. None of those made it either.
What Makes a Superior Series
I strongly prefer self-contained series. I like when characters and some plot aspects carry over from year to year but each season tells its own story (like The Wire).
I do not like cliff-hanger series. First, because there is the chance the show itself may not get renewed (The OA, Travelers, etc.). Netflix shows in particular often don’t make it past two seasons. Secondly, I may have enjoyed the first season or two but had my fill of the premise and don’t want to be strung along for another season (or ten)
There are many shows with interesting concepts that run their course after one or two seasons and after that I feel trapped and cheated. They are stringing me along so I can get a resolution [The Man in the High Castle for example, which should have been only 2 seasons]. Not everything needs to be resolved in a season, but if the main conflict is not then it’s got be exceptional for me to recommend it. More on all this in at the very bottom of this page (with spoilers)
There are a lot of excellent Foreign Shows and I have included several. You can probably watch the dubbed versions, but I believe it is a much better experience to read the subtitles and listen to the original actors. You might even pick up a little of the language along the way. Finally, I have not included much information about the shows themselves. If you’re interested in that, Google is right next door, but if I think a show (or movie, book, etc.) is going to be worth watching (reading), I prefer to know as little about as possible beforehand and get to experience it all fresh from the start.
and Finally…
None of these shows is violent or overtly sexual. A couple may be objectionable and are so noted in the descriptions.
For most of these shows you’ll know by the end of the first episode if it’s your thing or not. All of them score well over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and almost as high on Metacritic (which I prefer – Rotten Tomatoes scores seem grade inflated).
There are several shows here with episodes that are 30-minutes or less which means you could easily binge a whole season in an afternoon. Those have been noted – all the other shows are approximately one-hour long.
The picture accompanying each suggestion links to the show. The Hyperlinked titles take you to the Wikipedia page for the show.
Self-contained Series In very rough order or recommendation:
The Expanse
The Expanse [Amazon] 4 seasons (and counting) – Science Fiction Space series based on the best-selling books of the same name by James S. A. Corey. Both the books and the series are excellent, and the series is faithful to the books. The casting is perfect. Be patient with this one, it doesn’t start to hit its stride until the second season, but unlike most series this one just keeps getting better. Like the books, there is an ongoing story arc, but each season is a self-contained story as well. [10 Episodes per season]
My Brilliant Friend
My Brilliant Friend [HBO] 2 seasons (out of 4) [Italian w/subtitles]- Like The Expanse, a series based on a book series. This series is even more faithful to the critically acclaimed books by Elena Ferrante. Like The Expanse, the casting is perfect. Also like the Expanse, it has an ongoing story arc, but each season is self-contained [8 Episodes per season]
Wolf Hall
Wolf Hall [PBS Masterpiece (through Amazon)] 1 season (out of 2) – Historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell, a major player in the court of King Henry the VIII, based on the award winning trilogy by Hilary Mantel. A well-done adaption but not thorough – the first season is only six episodes and covers the first two books (which are well worth reading or listening to – the audio versions are exceptional). The third book, The Mirror and the Light, was just published this year and BBC has confirmed it will be adapted for TV.
BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman [Netflix] 6th and final season recently released. Adult animation about a washed-up TV star who happens to be a horse. Witty writing, constant clever sight gags, good ‘acting’, all while covering ethical dilemmas. Think The Simpsons during it’s best seasons. I’m watching this now and only in the middle of Season 2, but I’ve seen enough to recommend it.
Of all the shows I fully recommend here, this is the one that comes closest to being a comedy. There are several reasons for that which I hope to explore in a later post, but basically humor is such a personal thing that I hesitate to make or take recommendations on ‘funny shows’. This one has the kind of humor I enjoy, for better or worse.
Russian Doll
Russian Doll [Netflix] – 1 Season (at least one more to come) – Groundhog Day type fantasy comedy/drama starring Natasha Lyonne. Self-contained season. This one you might take a couple episodes to get in to. [8 30-minute Episodes]
Fleabag
Fleabag [Amazon] – 2 Seasons only – Difficult to describe, but well done all the way around – numerous awards and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Created, written, and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridges based on her one-woman show first performed in 2013.
Be patient with this one. I didn’t feel it really hit its stride until the second season when Andrew Scott’s role became bigger. Fortunately, you can watch the whole series in under 6 hours. Adult comedy. [6 30-minute Episodes per season] {Sexual Situations and Inuendo}
After Life
After Life [Netflix] – 2 Seasons (at least one more to come) – Funny, poignant, and insightful. Only above average reviews, though I wonder if some of this is just backlash at Ricky Gervais for not playing nice at the Golden Globes. If you enjoy Gervais’ humor (Original The Office, Extras), then you’ll most likely enjoy this. If you don’t, then give it a miss. And if your nor familiar with his brand of humor, you will in the first 15 minutes. [6 30-minute Episodes per season]
Deutschland 83, 86, & 89
Deutschland ’83 & Deutschland ‘86 [Hulu] 3rd and final season (Deutschland ’89) upcoming – [German and English w/subtitles] This is the first of four German shows to make this list. Comedy/Drama about a young East German recruited to be a spy in West Berlin. Corresponds to actual historical events. [8/10 Episodes]
Dark
Dark [Netflix] – 3 Seasons only [German w/Subtitles] My second German show is an odd one. It’s like a German Stranger Things without any of the cuteness [Macaroni and cheese vs. Hearty German Stew according to one review]. The music is sinister to the point of almost being over-the-top at times. The plot revolves around time travel but in as plausible a way as a time-travel plot can be. It becomes very complicated in the 3rd season (I found this character guide and this plot guide helpful), but I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying things will become clear by the end of the last episode. [10/8/8 Episodes]
On-Going Series in no particular order
Babylon Berlin
Babylon Berlin [Netflix] – 3 Seasons with a least one more to come [German w/Subtitles (three in a row). Sort of like a mystery version Cabaret without the singing. Loosely based on the books by Volker Kutscher. I only read the first book but based on that the TV show is a vast improvement. A Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run) project; Set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in the late 1920’s. [8/8/12 Episodes]
Undone
Undone [Amazon] – 1 Season (with at least one more to come) – Gorgeously animated in a realistic style. A SF/Fantasy comedy/drama involves the main character being able to do some kind of weird Blly Pilgrim type time-travel thing. [8 24-minute episodes]
Messiah
Messiah [Netflix] – 1 Season (with at least one more to come) – I debated about this one. I’m not sure it qualifies for ‘under the radar’, and while I find the concept fascinating, I can’t see how the show is going to resolve the main issue (is a guy mysteriously appearing in the Mid-East appearing to perform Jesus-like miracles real or fake?) in a satisfactory way. But I appreciated the unique premise and spiritual aspects to give it a qualified recommendation. [10 episodes]
Others – worth a mention:
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica [SyFy] – This is an old one from 2004, not the really old one from 1978 with Lorne Greene…and fans of that show seem to hate this one for some reason.
I’m including it because I think it flew under the radar back in the day and it meets all my criteria.
It’s 76 episodes and does suffer the curse of some longer-running series. The plot meanders sometimes – one season in particular, assumedly because the show-runners weren’t sure if the show was going to be renewed. But overall it’s well cast and plotted enough to keep your interest.
Great if you are down for a long-term Science Fiction binge. Also available for a fee on Amazon if you can’t stream SyFy to your TV.
The Midnight Gospel
The Midnight Gospel [Netflix] 1 Season so far. I cannot even begin to describe this show. It’s an animated series set in a different dimension. The animation is often violent and occasionally R-rated, but the content is based on a podcast called The Duncan Trussel Family Hour and over the episodes covers a lot of topics such as Christianity, Enlightenment, Self-Awareness, Zen, Meditation, and Death.
I liked it and will watch it again for the content. But it’s so bizarre I didn’t feel comfortable making it a recommendation [8 episodes averaging 30 minutes] {Graphic Cartoon Violence,Sexual Innuendo, Drug references, etc.}
The Ministry of Time
The Ministry of Time [???] 3 seasons (out of 4) [Spanish w/subtitles El Ministerio del Tiempo] – This show has disappeared from Netflix since I began working on this post a while back. It is unfortunate that this is also the best Family friendly show of all those I recommend here
It looks like it may be on HBO sometime in the future. In the meantime, I think enough of it to recommend you seek it out with your own devices.
I’ll update availability when I know more.
Science Fiction Time Travel show that doesn’t take itself too seriously but isn’t a comedy. Beautifully written and acted. It’s also an opportunity to learn about Spanish history and culture (more interesting than you might think). Not rated on Rotten Tomatoes. [Season 1 is 8 Episodes, Seasons 2 & 3 are each 13 Episodes]
Never Look Away
Never Look Away [Starz/DVD] Cheating here for now (this is a movie, not a TV show) [German w/English subtitles].
I feel like fewer movies slip under the radar, but I think this one did. Set in Germany/East Germany, well-acted thriller loosely based on the life of the artist Gerhard Richter. Tom Schilling is a magnificent actor [worth checking out in the Series The Same Sky which unfortunately was left unfinished after one season]
Perhaps I’ll do a similar post on movies in the future and move this there. It the meantime this post will be updated as my horizons expand.
Thanks for reading, especially if you’ve made it this far! I plan to update this post every so often. Constructive comments are most welcome, especially pointing out spelling/grammatical errors, broken/missing links, readability issues, etc. Suggestions for shows to be considered for future updates would be great as well
BONUS: Why Good Series Go Bad
ARGH! SPOILERS AHEAD MATEY!
This section contains general discussions of the several shows. I’ll be mentioning several shows and per format they will be italicized. Shows where I’ll be discussing plot points will be highlighted in BOLD so you can stop reading before anything is given away. I’ll try to limit the spoilers as much as possible.
The modern television landscape is littered with series that had strong first seasons and then went downhill, usually slowly (The Man in the High Castle, Homeland), sometimes drastically (Westworld). If the show is good enough in other aspects (concept, writing, acting, etc.), it can often recover from a mediocre season given enough time.