What show should I watch next?

November 26, 2020 3:21 AM

Little to no violence, please, but beyond that, I'm open. LOVED Succession, This is Us, Mad Men, Veep, Fleabag, Friday Night Lights, The Wire (back when I could handle more violence). Didn't love: Mrs. Maisel, West Wing, Sopranos. Ideas welcome!
posted by heavenknows to Media & Arts (43 answers total)

The Queen's Gambit.
posted by Coaticass at 3:25 AM on November 26, 2020 [21 favorites]

If you loved Succession, have you checked out Peep Show, co-written by the same writer and starring a pre-Oscars Olivia Colman?
posted by johngoren at 3:48 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Halt and Catch Fire. (Season 1 is just OK, but it gets much better in Season 2 & onwards.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:31 AM on November 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

The Crown
posted by Tandem Affinity at 4:36 AM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

If you enjoyed Veep, and you have a passing familiarity with UK politics, you should definitely watch The Thick of It, which was Veep's creator's previous project.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:39 AM on November 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

the queen's gambit, ratched, and schitt's creek if you haven't already seen those!
posted by megan_magnolia at 4:42 AM on November 26, 2020

Another vote for Schitts Creek - it took a few episodes to get into, but so worth it. Ignore the terrible name.
posted by JJZByBffqU at 4:47 AM on November 26, 2020 [10 favorites]

Ted Lasso.
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 4:48 AM on November 26, 2020 [11 favorites]

Twenty Twelve and its sequel series W1A.

Alpha House has a similar style to Veep; I also second Johnny Assay's suggestion of The Thick of It, and add old-but-good Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister.

Blackadder. Four seasons, each in its own historical era, some cartoon-style slaps but definitely no gore.

The Thin Blue Line, another Rowan Atkinson gem which satirizes the police as a bunch of pompous idiots. No violence in this one either, except for one scene where the campy junior officer punches a fascist.
posted by basalganglia at 5:19 AM on November 26, 2020

Given the creator and/or thematic overlaps of Succession, Fleabag and Veep then seconding 'Peep Show' from the above (loads of back catalogue too which should be a bonus if you take a shine to it).

If you do give Blackadder a shot can I strongly suggest not starting at Series 1? There is no story overlap so depending what takes your fancy start in the Regency Era with Blackadder III or WWI era Goes Fourth. (I'm a big fan of Blackadder, but if started at Series 1 I would not have watched more than 5 minutes.)
posted by Gratishades at 5:25 AM on November 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

+1 million for the Halt and Catch Fire rec. Just the best show that only like 17 people have watched. Billions is Succession, but fun. Better Things is a woman-centered show that also flies under the radar— often makes me laugh out loud and cry in the same ep. Ditto the gone-too-soon GLOW on Netflix. Time to revisit teen classics like My So-Called Life or Freaks and Geeks? Or new ones like Sex Education, PEN15, or Never Have I Ever?
posted by kickingthecrap at 5:25 AM on November 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

Friday Night Dinner (UK Channel 4), maybe Russian Doll (Netflix)
posted by crocomancer at 5:27 AM on November 26, 2020

Treme, from HBO, set in the Treme section of New Orleans after Katrina. It is by David E. Kelly (of the Wire) and interweaves characters and their stories over time. It only lasted a couple of seasons but I was mesmerized, especially for the depth and subtlety of stories the character experience and their different interwoven perspectives as they tried to pull their lives and families together. Not much violence, more poignance. The quality of the acting is outstanding.
posted by citygirl at 5:59 AM on November 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

Six Feet Under
Halt and Catch Fire
The Great
The Good Wife


Since you liked Veep you might also like Difficult People which has a similarly sharp sense of humor
posted by forkisbetter at 6:26 AM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

Letterkenny.
posted by flabdablet at 6:29 AM on November 26, 2020

FYI, Letterkenny has regular plots involving fist fights, but no blood or gore or anything like that.
posted by cooker girl at 6:35 AM on November 26, 2020

Response by poster: OMG so many good suggestions! I ADORE Peep Show, but already seen it. I didn't love The Crown at the start, but think I might like this more recent season. Didn't love Better Things for some reason (maybe the taint of Louis CK?) And LOVED Glow -- am so sad there are no more episdoes. Have seen Blackadder but could do with a rewatch. Marking so many of these as to watch, and open to more suggestions!
posted by heavenknows at 6:45 AM on November 26, 2020

Big Little Lies (some DV, so may be triggering)

Little Fires Everywhere

The Secrets She Keeps

Parks & Rec

The Office (both US and UK versions)
posted by essexjan at 6:55 AM on November 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

I’m rewatching Community, which is really good and currently streaming on Netflix. I also love The IT Crowd. And I really loved Churchmen, a French series about young men training for the priesthood, but I don’t think it’s free anywhere now.

However, I hated Madmen and loved Mrs. Maisel, so maybe I’m not someone you should listen to. I did love Friday Night Lights though and was annoyed by West Wing, so we have some overlap.

Nthing The Queen’s Gambit and Blackadder. For the latter, I agree that the first series isn’t nearly as good, but it does have its moments.
posted by FencingGal at 7:12 AM on November 26, 2020

I realize you said "little to no violence," but I wonder if you might like the first season of Patriot. Yes, it is about a very covert agent trying, absurdly, to foil terrorism, but that plot is, I would argue, almost besides the point. It's really about folk music and Luxembourg and family and depression and corporate life and it is so weirdly, darkly funny and oddly sweet and thoughtful? So I mean....if you have a tolerance for a small amount of violence (but not as much as you might think given the concept), I would check it out.
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 7:45 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Club de Cuervos is kinda like Succession with soccer.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:01 AM on November 26, 2020

I’m shocked that we’ve gotten this far in a television recommendation thread and The Good Place hasn’t been mentioned five times already.

Seconding Ted Lasso and Queen’s Gambit.
posted by ejs at 8:06 AM on November 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

Detectorists is really well done.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:06 AM on November 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

Seconding Patriot but I can only speak for the first 4 episodes. It was never on my radar because of the name. It is SO not what I thought. It does have some violence but never like full-on fight scenes and it is not front and center. Beautifully filmed, intimate and so funny.

Flaked & Happy Endings might hit the spot.
posted by i_mean_come_on_now at 8:24 AM on November 26, 2020

Rita! So addictive, and one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable parts was seeing how things work in schools (and elsewhere) in Denmark. Copenhagen is officially on my most-want-to-visit list for post-COVID life.
posted by SinAesthetic at 8:25 AM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

For mindless soapish drama, A Million Little Pieces hits a similar target as This Is Us, also Gilmore Girls.
posted by theora55 at 8:45 AM on November 26, 2020

We have really similar tastes. +1 to Big Little Lies, Good Place, Happy Endings, Schitt's Creek, Six Feet Under and a bunch of other shows recommended above. I also enjoyed Shrill and Crashing (the Pete Holmes one on HBO).
posted by thebots at 9:06 AM on November 26, 2020

Derry Girls
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 9:10 AM on November 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

Nthing The Queens Gambit
posted by kathrynm at 9:16 AM on November 26, 2020

I'm a fan of Succession, and I just loved On Becoming a God in Central Florida. All the acting is great; Beth Ditto and Théodore Pellerin are amazing. (Sad to see they say it's cancelled now having been renewed pre-COVID.)
posted by BibiRose at 10:44 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

I've had Los Espookys recommended and want to watch it myself, but copyright licensing means it's not easily available in my legislative enclave.
posted by k3ninho at 11:33 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Third for Halt and Catch Fire.
posted by ominous_paws at 11:40 AM on November 26, 2020

Fleabag feels like the outlier amongst all of those programmes however I recommend "I May Destroy You" by Michaela Cole. Also Chewing Gum by her too. Chewing Gum is funnier along the same lines as Fleabag however I think Michaela "got there first" but didn't get the same hype because she's black*

*all views are my own
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 2:09 PM on November 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

Lodge 49 is delightful
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 4:06 PM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

If you have Hulu, consider watching Younger. When I first heard the description of this show, about a 40 year old woman passing as 26 in order to get a job in publishing, I couldn’t relate, so I dismissed it. But I recently had some down time with limited access to Netflix and Amazon Prime, so I decided to watch an episode. I’ve now watched all 6 seasons and plan to re-watch it (after I complete The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit).
posted by kbar1 at 5:33 PM on November 26, 2020

Putting Veep in that list throws me off because the whole show is people being awful to each other, which is delicious but totally different from, say, This is Us.

But if that's your thing I'd add It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:47 PM on November 26, 2020

Party Down was a good comedy that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
posted by fabius at 5:15 AM on November 27, 2020 [5 favorites]

I'm really enjoying Kim's Convenience right now--it's a sweet little Canadian show about a Korean family who run a store in Toronto.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:00 AM on November 27, 2020

Baskets. It’s wonderful and keeps getting better as it goes along.
posted by MetaFilter World Peace at 1:48 PM on November 28, 2020

The Good Fight
posted by AceRock at 7:10 AM on December 1, 2020

I'm watching Virgin River because literally everyone at my workplace is, and I want to join in the conversation.

It's a lot more fascinating than I anticipated, but I'm only about five episodes in.
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:42 PM on December 2, 2020

Yeah I just marathonned Virgin River and it's enjoyably lightweight but also PTSD/Grief counselling 101 at the same time. (I believe this is what fanficcers call hurt/comfort?) The show's threads here are sadly underpopulated IMO.

Someone here recommended the Montreal-set Can you hear me? (on Netflix). Which I am enjoying so far, two episodes in.

French series Call my Agent is awesome. A dramedy(?) with major star turns from a different French actor every episode.
posted by Coaticass at 4:00 PM on December 2, 2020

*On rereading the question, Can you hear me? may be too harrowing (at times) to meet your criteria.
posted by Coaticass at 7:40 PM on December 2, 2020