What to watch next?
July 27, 2021 10:20 AM Subscribe
Need a new show and had luck here before!
Recently adored Lupin, Queen's Gambit, Call My Agent, I May Destroy You, Halt and Catch Fire (esp. final season) recently. Can do cheesy if done well (This is Us, Friday Night Lights.) Not generally a fan of sitcoms, though The Good Life was good enough. Really wanted to love Ted Lasso but I thought it was only OK -- too sitcomy/contrived maybe?)
Did not like Normal People despite loving the book. No to Bridgerton. Any other ideas? Old shows are OK too!
NO or very little violence or crime. I just can't take it. International options also very welcome! :)
Recently adored Lupin, Queen's Gambit, Call My Agent, I May Destroy You, Halt and Catch Fire (esp. final season) recently. Can do cheesy if done well (This is Us, Friday Night Lights.) Not generally a fan of sitcoms, though The Good Life was good enough. Really wanted to love Ted Lasso but I thought it was only OK -- too sitcomy/contrived maybe?)
Did not like Normal People despite loving the book. No to Bridgerton. Any other ideas? Old shows are OK too!
NO or very little violence or crime. I just can't take it. International options also very welcome! :)
Fleabag! 2 seasons, 6 episodes each = a full story from beginning to end.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:31 AM on July 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:31 AM on July 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
The Detectorists
posted by Balthamos at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by Balthamos at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2021 [10 favorites]
Hacks on HBO Max. Only problem is there's only 10 episodes and they're only ~30 minutes.
posted by mskyle at 10:45 AM on July 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 10:45 AM on July 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
Lodge 49. Tragically canceled after two seasons but there's enough closure.
posted by dfan at 10:49 AM on July 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by dfan at 10:49 AM on July 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
Derry Girls is great.
I agree with Schitts Creek, but I didn't like it the first time I tried it - mostly because I couldn't stand Chris Elliott in it. I decided to give it a second chance and watch some more episodes, and Elliott becomes less important. I think it also took a while to find its feet.
If you're up for non-fiction, I've fallen in love with Time Team on Amazon Prime. It's a UK show that focuses on archaeological digs. It features Tony Robinson of Black Adder (also a great show - though if you give it a shot, I'd skip the first season).
posted by FencingGal at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I agree with Schitts Creek, but I didn't like it the first time I tried it - mostly because I couldn't stand Chris Elliott in it. I decided to give it a second chance and watch some more episodes, and Elliott becomes less important. I think it also took a while to find its feet.
If you're up for non-fiction, I've fallen in love with Time Team on Amazon Prime. It's a UK show that focuses on archaeological digs. It features Tony Robinson of Black Adder (also a great show - though if you give it a shot, I'd skip the first season).
posted by FencingGal at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Seconding Hacks. If you have HBO, I also recommend Starstruck.
Since you have Apple TV+, check out Dickinson and the Morning Show.
posted by ejs at 10:57 AM on July 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
Since you have Apple TV+, check out Dickinson and the Morning Show.
posted by ejs at 10:57 AM on July 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
Patriot (Amazon)
High Maintenance (if you have HBO Max through Amazon, you can also watch the two seasons of webisodes that were originally on Vimeo)
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:23 AM on July 27, 2021
High Maintenance (if you have HBO Max through Amazon, you can also watch the two seasons of webisodes that were originally on Vimeo)
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:23 AM on July 27, 2021
Catastrophe
Episodes (about a British couple who move to LA to work on a sitcom...so a sitcom about a sitcom, thereby cancelling out its sitcom-ness, sorta)
Crashing (about some young Londoners squatting in an old hospital; an early show created by the amazing Phoebe Waller-Bridges, who went on to make Fleabag. It was a little hard for me to understand given the accents and slang, but it's pretty clever)
I didn't quite get into these, but a couple Canadian shows you might check out: Kim's Convenience and Corner Gas
I also didn't get into it, but Pushing Daisies stars Lee Pace (from H&CF), and has a lot of fans
I'm a big Halt & Catch Fire fan, that last season, wow...a similar vibe to that season might be the great Six Feet Under, about a family running a funeral home
posted by Bron at 11:24 AM on July 27, 2021
Episodes (about a British couple who move to LA to work on a sitcom...so a sitcom about a sitcom, thereby cancelling out its sitcom-ness, sorta)
Crashing (about some young Londoners squatting in an old hospital; an early show created by the amazing Phoebe Waller-Bridges, who went on to make Fleabag. It was a little hard for me to understand given the accents and slang, but it's pretty clever)
I didn't quite get into these, but a couple Canadian shows you might check out: Kim's Convenience and Corner Gas
I also didn't get into it, but Pushing Daisies stars Lee Pace (from H&CF), and has a lot of fans
I'm a big Halt & Catch Fire fan, that last season, wow...a similar vibe to that season might be the great Six Feet Under, about a family running a funeral home
posted by Bron at 11:24 AM on July 27, 2021
I really enjoyed Succession to the point where I binged like a maniac. I am now having serious withdrawal symptoms and don't know what to do with myself. It has funny moments for sure but it's not a sitcom. I'm almost begging you to watch it.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:04 PM on July 27, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:04 PM on July 27, 2021 [7 favorites]
If you liked 'Halt and Catch Fire', the quasi-parody version 'Silicon Valley' is really something! When it gets rolling it's the funniest thing ever (or since 'The IT Crowd', which is also very funny, but thick on the awkward-English-style which is not for everyone).
(your list is very similar to our list, and I'm trying to think of other projects in this mode).
Not at all in this mode but something that we kinda liked is 'Lady Dynamite', with a caveat that it's intensely weird and over-the-top.
posted by ovvl at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2021
(your list is very similar to our list, and I'm trying to think of other projects in this mode).
Not at all in this mode but something that we kinda liked is 'Lady Dynamite', with a caveat that it's intensely weird and over-the-top.
posted by ovvl at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2021
I highly recommend Sex Education (Netflix). Gillian
Anderson is a sex therapist and her slightly shy and awkward high school aged son finds himself offering sex education and talk therapy to his befuddled classmates. It is sweet, funny, touching, and clever, and the characters are well rounded and sympathetic.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:34 PM on July 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
Anderson is a sex therapist and her slightly shy and awkward high school aged son finds himself offering sex education and talk therapy to his befuddled classmates. It is sweet, funny, touching, and clever, and the characters are well rounded and sympathetic.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:34 PM on July 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
I feel like you'd like Upload on amazon prime. "A man is able to choose his own afterlife after his untimely death, by having his consciousness uploaded into a virtual world. As he gets used to his new life and befriends his angel (real world handler), questions about his death arise."
Also, I do love Pushing Daisies. It's kind of.. lame? but in the sweetest way.
posted by euphoria066 at 2:41 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also, I do love Pushing Daisies. It's kind of.. lame? but in the sweetest way.
posted by euphoria066 at 2:41 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Not sure if/where streaming, but:
Catastrophe
Togetherness
Back (and Peep Show)
posted by rhizome at 3:24 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Catastrophe
Togetherness
Back (and Peep Show)
posted by rhizome at 3:24 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Out of your list, I've only seen (and enjoyed for the most part) Call My Agent, so take this recommendation with a grain of salt: Casual. On average it falls more on the drama side of the dramedy line, but there are some great, lighter moments as well. Like most shows, its quality waxes and wanes a bit.
posted by sardonyx at 3:32 PM on July 27, 2021
posted by sardonyx at 3:32 PM on July 27, 2021
oh man peep show is so good. as are fleabag and hacks and succession. i just watched the first episode of bloodline last night and am excited to start the second in a few minutes.
posted by missjenny at 6:47 PM on July 27, 2021
posted by missjenny at 6:47 PM on July 27, 2021
Nth'ing: Catastrophe (genuinely made me laugh more than any other show, ever), Fleabag, Succession (also begging you to watch this), Hacks, Schitts Creek, and Bloodline.
Peep Show is one of those shows that I know is good, but I find it too cringey to watch more than an episode at a time.
I'm American but have been living in Australia the past few years, which has introduced me to some local comedy gems like: Rosehaven, Fisk, and Utopia. Not sure if those links will work outside Aus; the last show, which is like an Aussie Yes Minister, is on Netflix in Australia at least.
You said no to violence, but maybe you're okay with mysteries and noir given some of the shows you've liked? If so, the scandi noir DNA (only 1 season) was very good, Borgen (many seasons) is an absolute classic & highly recommended, The Killing is also classic/must-watch.
You may also like Broadchurch and Years and Years.
posted by jacquilinala at 7:07 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Peep Show is one of those shows that I know is good, but I find it too cringey to watch more than an episode at a time.
I'm American but have been living in Australia the past few years, which has introduced me to some local comedy gems like: Rosehaven, Fisk, and Utopia. Not sure if those links will work outside Aus; the last show, which is like an Aussie Yes Minister, is on Netflix in Australia at least.
You said no to violence, but maybe you're okay with mysteries and noir given some of the shows you've liked? If so, the scandi noir DNA (only 1 season) was very good, Borgen (many seasons) is an absolute classic & highly recommended, The Killing is also classic/must-watch.
You may also like Broadchurch and Years and Years.
posted by jacquilinala at 7:07 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Since you’re open to international options, I’m recommending the “gateway drug” for Korean dramas: Crash Landing on You. The plot is well constructed, the supporting characters and the leads all have great arcs, and I found it to be compulsively watchable. There are a few fight scenes but, by American standards, the violence is minimal.
posted by kbar1 at 11:19 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by kbar1 at 11:19 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
No idea if it’s available where you are but Flowers, starring Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt, was great and seemingly little known. Sitcom-like but dark, and also very touching.
posted by fabius at 5:25 AM on July 28, 2021
posted by fabius at 5:25 AM on July 28, 2021
Oh, and I Hate Suzie , starring and co-written by Bille Piper, was good last year. “Gazing into the eye of the celebrity storm with frenzied style, I Hate Suzie is a ruthless satire on stardom that is effortlessly carried by Billie Piper's manic performance.“
posted by fabius at 5:29 AM on July 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by fabius at 5:29 AM on July 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
I watched and loved both Loudermilk and The Kominsky Method recently.
posted by cooker girl at 6:53 AM on July 28, 2021
posted by cooker girl at 6:53 AM on July 28, 2021
Lots of great suggestions above that I won't duplicate. Here are some others.
You're The Worst - watching terrible people being mean to each other is not normally my jam, but for some reason the humanity in this show really came through for me.
Mythic Quest - on the surface it's a zany workplace comedy, but it develops a lot of depth. Both seasons so far have a great standalone episode (although when one is walking dejectedly at night in LA, one does not shamble past both Cole's and Casa Vega. I know it's fiction, but come on...).
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is admittedly cheezy, but it's a lot of fun if it works for you, and it has a pretty impactful emotional arc underlying it.
What We Do in the Shadows has comic violence and gore, not gritty/realistic. Not sure how you'd feel about that, but it's a fun watch.
GLOW is about the origin of women's pro wrestling in the 80s.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:27 AM on July 28, 2021
You're The Worst - watching terrible people being mean to each other is not normally my jam, but for some reason the humanity in this show really came through for me.
Mythic Quest - on the surface it's a zany workplace comedy, but it develops a lot of depth. Both seasons so far have a great standalone episode (although when one is walking dejectedly at night in LA, one does not shamble past both Cole's and Casa Vega. I know it's fiction, but come on...).
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is admittedly cheezy, but it's a lot of fun if it works for you, and it has a pretty impactful emotional arc underlying it.
What We Do in the Shadows has comic violence and gore, not gritty/realistic. Not sure how you'd feel about that, but it's a fun watch.
GLOW is about the origin of women's pro wrestling in the 80s.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:27 AM on July 28, 2021
Atypical
For All Mankind
Sweet Magnolias
Girlboss
If you're OK with the crimin' in Lupin, maybe you'd like something like Leverage
posted by willnot at 4:29 PM on July 28, 2021
For All Mankind
Sweet Magnolias
Girlboss
If you're OK with the crimin' in Lupin, maybe you'd like something like Leverage
posted by willnot at 4:29 PM on July 28, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
I can't recommend Alton browns cutthroat kitchen enough. Seriously just try one episode. It's fricken fantastic.
Also, little known but adored, the king of all game shows, is taskmaster. I watch on youtube. Season 10 is a perfect starting place. 5 comedians try to hilariously impress a gruff and no-no sense taskmaster to earn his points. Assisted by a dinky Excel guy everyone loves to dunk on.
posted by bbqturtle at 10:30 AM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]