A few months before the COVID pandemic erupted in early 2020, my wife Sandy signed us up for Netflix, a streaming service. She immediately dipped into its vast catalog of offerings, but I didn’t. This was predictable, since, for years, I’d been watching very little TV. However, when the pandemic halted the activities that until then had shaped my life significantly — such as going to concerts, movies, museums and restaurants — I was in need of high doses of entertainment. So, I turned to Netflix and HBO, another streamer, in order to fill the gaping void. (We already were HBO subscribers, because Sandy loves Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.) I’m damn glad that I did. Man, it became a five-to-seven-nights-a-week ritual, which has continued to this day, for Sandy and me to watch an hour or two together of one series or another, or sometimes a movie instead.
And the selections available to us expanded luxuriously about a year ago when we decided to give Jeff Bezos some needed cash by becoming members of Amazon Prime, one component of which is Prime Video, a streamer supreme. Around that time, too, we transitioned from HBO to HBO Max, as Max offers shitloads more series and movies than traditional HBO does. Holy crap, my mind was and remains blown by the nearly infinite mass of scripted, ad-free visual content a few clicks away from me. Though the world in many ways is a nightmare, its streaming realm is f*cking miraculous.
It was a good move on my part, at the start of my infatuation with streamers, to begin compiling a list of the series that Sandy and I jointly watch on television. After all, in a way the list is a partial record of our lives. The list also includes the series that she and I have viewed individually, but there aren’t many of those. Well, I ain’t lying when I say that the list has become really long. The number of productions that we’ve seen in tandem absolutely astounds me: 87, comprising limited series and also multi-season series of which we’ve taken in one or more seasons. Yup, though I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the tube, I’m a freaking streaming addict nonetheless. I haven’t partaken of scripted fare to this extent since I was a kid ages ago, when I feasted regularly on innumerable network-television series: Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, and Peter Gunn, to name but a few.
A good indication of the strength of my addiction (and Sandy’s too, it must be noted) is the fact that, as a team last month, we polished off every episode of Mo, A Very English Scandal, Entrapped, and Wednesday. We also devoured season one of The White Lotus and the first two seasons of Catastrophe (we’ll watch the remaining two seasons in February). I liked all the shows, one especially so.
The standout is Catastrophe. It initially ran on the United Kingdom’s Channel Four, ending in 2019. Prime Video started carrying it somewhere along the line. A rip-roaring rom-com that isn’t all fun and games, Catastrophe tells the mid-life tale of Sharon Morris, an Irish lass living in London, and Rob Norris, an American who hails from Boston. At the start of the show, Rob is in London on business. Friendly, frisky and 40-ish, Sharon and Rob like what they see in each other when they meet by chance in a pub, and lose no time in getting it on, repeatedly, over the next week. Rob then returns to the States where, some weeks later, Sharon phones him to announce that she is pregnant. Well, though they barely know one another, Rob moves to London, Sharon decides to have the baby, Rob proposes to Sharon, who says yes, and a married couple they become. A few hours after the wedding ceremony concludes, the unborn child silently proclaims that it is ready to meet the world ahead of schedule.
I won’t say any more about the plot. I will add this, though: Catastrophe (created by, written by and starring Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, who, as best I can determine, were/are not romantically involved) leaves me breathless. Its eight or so principal characters are beautifully drawn and played, its dialogue whip-smart. The show, however, is not for anyone who isn’t up for getting drenched with candid sex talk and robust sexual situations, all of which, mind you, Catastrophe presents with a twinkle in its eye. Catastrophe truly is something else.
So, that’s the latest on the TV-viewing front from my abode. Seeing that Sandy and I always are on the lookout for series and movies to watch, we’d love to learn what you recommend, on streaming services or elsewhere. Thanks!
Yeah, Another Blogger 
Thank you very much, Neil. I remember that you recommended The Kominsky Method; M and I enjoyed that a lot.
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“Catastrophe” is a good one.
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Neil, it is amazing how fast streaming services have become an everyday part of our lives and I love it too!! For now we have only Netflix but been tempted by many of the other services. Our first foray into Netflix was through friend’s recommendation of Breaking Bad … since then we seem to have seen most of their series programmes. You have me hooked by your description of Catastrophe! Happy Viewing!
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Hi Annika. What are your opinions about Breaking Bad?
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It’s brilliant, although I had to close my eyes for certain scenes! Better Call Saul was even better, also enjoyed, if that is the word, Ozarks! To the other side watched lots of other great series; The Kominsky Method, Grace & Frankie, Atypical, the Korean The Extraordinary Attorney Woo to name but a few! I reckon I need to write a post about my ‘series addiction’! 😂😂
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Great selections, Annika! Check them out, Neil. 🙂
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Have you seen some of these, Jennifer?! They talk of misspent youth – perhaps more misspent adulthood!😀😀
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I haven’t seen the Korean one, but perhaps I should! So many shows, so little time… 😁
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I do occasionally get hooked on Netflix we watched Pale Blue Eye at the weekend. I have a tough time with some series. If they go on too long, or the main characters start losing their appeal, having too many relationships with each other. I lose interest. Game of Thrones started out as amazing but by series Seven I couldn’t be bothered.
I’m the same with book series. I think if the writer/screenwriter is writing just because they are on to a winner, it show in the plot line. The best series are the unexpected ones where the quality of the writing is outstanding, and the storyline carries you along.
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Hi, and thanks for adding your thoughts. My wife and I started watching a mini-series called Marcella last week. After four episodes, I’d had enough. The show just didn’t seem good enough to watch any more of it.
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I’ve never gotten into the streaming services. Maybe!
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Be careful, one or more of them may hook you one of these days!
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Hi Neil, Nothing cosier than watching TV with partner/friend of an evening, viewing whatever appeals to you. ‘Im indoors and I have slightly different viewing taste, but we both love travel and nature docs and some foreign (French and Danish) series with sub-titles. And we love a good comedy…HI is also a football addict, so that’s when I catch up on my reading…Happy watching! x
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Hi Joy. If you have Netflix, have you watched “Somebody Feed Phil”? It’s a food/travel documentary series, in which Phil goes to different places in the world to sample the local cuisines. I like it quite a lot.
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We’re also with Netflix and also have Disney. As a family we like discovering series from the past that we somehow missed and watching a couple of episodes each night.
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That’s a good way to spend family time. Which series from the past have you watched?
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We like a bit of drama, good characters, plausible-ish storyline and something with a heap of series so we don’t have to have the “what are we going to watch” dilemma. Currently we’re working our way through Bones. Yes, we were some of the few dozen folk on this planet that didn’t catch it back when all the plot references were relevant🙂
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Years ago, when I subscribed to cable, I had HBO and Cinemax. Ever since dropping cable, I do not have either, nor any streaming services. However, I do have a YouTube addiction–so there’s that.
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YouTube is incredible. Billions of things to watch and listen to. I watch a fair number of jazz videos — live performances that have been filmed and that eventually land on YouTube.
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Yes, the musical variety is endless.
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Sharon Morris is brilliant! She also directed and stars in Bad Sisters, which I believe is streaming on apple tv (another streamer , ad free for you haha) But really, do check out Bad Sisters, you and your wife will devour this one (and it’s only a limited series!!)
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Hi. Thanks for stopping by. Sharon is really talented — I read about her on Wikipedia. She’s very accomplished as a writer and an actress.
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Thank you for the recommendation of “Catastrophe”. I have Netflix and HBO. I watch them more than my husband😉 “White Lotus” at HBO is a good show. My husband and I both enjoy Yellowstone and 1923 too.
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Howdy June. We’ve watched season one of White Lotus. We plan to watch season two pretty soon.
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The 2nd season is even better, Jennifer Coolidge had amazing performances. Oh, I can’t say more here🤫 Enjoy! And please let us know how you think.
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No advice from me, Neil, as I am too busy to watch TV for hours!
Joanna
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TV is very pervasive. I tip my hat to those who pay it little mind.
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Thank you!
Joanna
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I have Amazon Prime, but never have watched any of their series. Since writing about Lawrence Durrell, I’ve learned about Gerald Durrell, and the series called The Durrells in Corfu, which I intend to try. Otherwise, I don’t subscribe to any of the streaming services; in after-work evenings, I’d rather read or write.
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We loved The Durrells in Corfu!
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Thanks for the recommend!
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Reading and writing are excellent pursuits. You know what you like!
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I think streaming would’ve changed our approach to consuming entertainment with or without the pandemic, but the transition was certainly accelerated. Can’t imagine waiting a week for the next episode anymore, let alone suffering through commercials. The subscription fees are well worth avoiding both. If I had to choose just one service I’d go with HBO Max for its massive library of series and movies. We will try “Catastrophe” – thanks, Neil. We are currently a half-season into “The Flight Attendant”, which is a surprisingly complex thriller. Didn’t get that impression from its trailer.
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Hi. The sheer volume of series and movies instantly available to us is mind-boggling. And many of them are very good. It’s a golden age, in that respect.
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My husband uses Netflix a lot….he uses a VPN to access Netflix in other countrys’ programmes. I haven’t watched recently…cricket commentaries from South Africa and rugby six nations on the box took priority.
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You’re a sports addict!
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Same, same, same! Streaming has been nothing but a blessing for us, especially as we live in rural Maine and don’t have as many cultural opportunities as you do. Add podcasts and a fabulous library and I feel as though I have plenty of access to the world of stories and ideas. Very grateful. Right now, we are watching two excellent series: The Last of Us on HBO and Poker Face on Peacock, yet another streaming service.
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Thanks for the tip about The Last Of Us. We’ll look into it.
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My list of shows continues to grow but I watch at a pretty slow pace Neil. Rainy weekends are excellent for binge-watching though, as long as there aren’t 12 seasons to get through 😉
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Right, shows with many seasons are daunting. Theoretically I’d like to watch Breaking Bad and also The Wire, but each has about 60 episodes.
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Same here with all the streaming. We are seriously considering cutting DirecTV though navigating all the subscriptions that one really wants is a bit dizzying. And yes, Ioved Catastrophe, and The Kominsky Method. Derry Girls was a hoot too….and Longmire, Ozark…and, gosh….the list is long!
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We’re spoiled by so much good entertainment! But I don’t feel guilty about it.
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Me neither! Hubby and I get lots of laughter and enjoyment, particularly on weekends over bowls of popcorn and perhaps a libation too!
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We’ll have to check out Catastrophe. I could use some robust sexual situations. 🙂
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Catastrophe is loaded with them, among other things!
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Glad you are enjoying. I don’t have streaming.
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There’s loads of good stuff on “regular” TV too.
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Me too! Streaming is now part of life, but at the expense of regular TV and movie attendance. I don’t think I spend more time in front of a screen, just different ways.
It was interesting to read your watching choices. I think we would have to get the Plus version of streaming services so we could watch multiple screens at once.
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You make a really good observation: “Streaming is now part of life, but at the expense of regular TV and movie attendance.”
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We don’t have good internet – or a TV – on our farm, but whenever we spend a week in the city, my husband and I end up binge-watching a series. Our favourite so far is Derry Girls, watch it if you can.
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Hi. I’ve seen Derry Girls. It’s great!
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We’ll try Catastrophe. We just watched an interesting film with a good cast: “Genius,” either on Netflix or Prime–not sure. Colin Firth, Jude Law, and Nicole Kidman, based on a true story about the relationship between famed editor Maxwell Perkins and Thomas Wolfe, whose raw talent Perkins helps shape. Sad, though.
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Hi, and thanks for the tip. We watched and enjoyed another movie you once recommended — Yak In The Classroom is the title, I think.
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I’ll look for Catastrophe, sounds interesting. Maggie
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Hope you like it!
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Same here. And I LOVED Catastrophe.
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Catastrophe is a strong show –good writing, good acting, compelling characters.
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Thanks for the recommendation, Neil, I wouldn’t have checked “Catastrophe” out otherwise, but sounds really good the way you describe it.
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I think you’ll like it!
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Netflix and other online streaming services were also a lifeline for me during the pandemic lockdown. The series, even the limited series, can be quite addictive. I save them for the weekends when I can stay up until midnight.
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With streaming, there’s so much good entertainment waiting for us. I look at articles now and then about series. I’ve discovered and watched many series because of these articles.
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Have you seen happy valley. If not then start at the beginning absolutely brilliant
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Thanks for the tip.
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I must try catastrophes. I never would have expected it to be a comedy with that fierce title
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It’s not purely a comedy, but it surely has lots of laughs.
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I enjoyed the White Lotus quite a bit though I must admit partially for the scenery. I’m a sucker for any series set in a tropical paradise or the Italian Riviera. English countryside is nice too. Lately I’ve been watching Detective Morris – which isn’t a new series but one I never saw before!
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Thanks for the tip. Have you seen “Unforgotten”? It’s a very good detective series, from Britain.
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Once you’re hooked on streaming there’s no going back to regular TV!
What I enjoy about Netflix is that they opened up the global offerings. So many excellent shows from Spain, France, Nordics, Japan, Korea etc. The Heist, Call My Agent, Lilyhammer, Midnight Diner, Attorney Woo … to name a few.
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You’re absolutely right. It’s been eye-opening to watch the “foreign” shows.
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great , Neil; they should have an Oscar for the most dedicated viewers: if so, Neil, you and Sandy would be in the running 🙂 as for me, I loved ‘Lost’ on network TV and watched EVERY episode; recently on HBO I’ve been watching ‘White Lotus’ and ‘The Last of Us’ —
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Hi. We’ll investigate The Last Of Us. Thanks!
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We loved “Catastrophe” and are big Sharon Horgan fans. I’m so happy you liked it, too! I don’t know whether you knew this, but Rob Delaney’s 2-year-old son died of a brain tumor in the middle of the “Catastrophe” run. It made me love Rob even more.
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I didn’t know about that. It’s incredibly sad. What a f*cking world.
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I used to not be a big tv watching person, maybe a few shows I would catch when I could. Then I had my son in 2014 and there was lots of time spent on the couch nursing for a couple of years and then my streaming addiction really took off, moreso starting in 2018-2020 I’d say. I noticed how truly tied to the tv I had become and am trying to wean myself off. I took January off of streaming and it went well so I’m trying to continue into February, though I’ll bust up Grey’s Anatomy when it returns later this month. I do find myself scrolling on my phone when I’m needing mindless entertainment and I find myself realizing I just need to let myself be bored and not do anything—or maybe go to bed.
If you haven’t streamed The Americans yet, do it! Trying to figure out what else to recommend…The OA, Santa Clarita Diet, Call My Agent, Cable Girls, Valeria.
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Thanks for the tips. I love Call My Agent, but haven’t seen any of your other picks.
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I am so out of this conversation. Total dud here: PBS, MSNBC, that’s it with the TV. HOW do you find time to write all these good things and still watch all these shows? I’m planning that for my next life. Write on. Watch on, but don’t quit writing on.
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Hi Fran. Do you get a news channel, based in Paris, called France24? It’s very good. Their news anchors speak in English.
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Once you get into the rabbit hole of streaming services it’s very difficult to get out.
If you ever decide to watch a horror show I highly recommend watching The Haunting Of Hill House.
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Thanks for the suggestion. Here’s a spooky sci-fi mini-series you might like: Katla. It’s set in Iceland.
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Ooh thanks.
I’ll definitely give it a watch.
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Thanks for the recommendation. Most of the shows I’ve loved, I’ve seen because someone told me they liked it. I’ve been streaming for a long time. I first signed up for Netflix back when that meant they would send you a DVD in the mail. I tried to give up cable TV back then. Got myself a digitial antenna, turned a computer into a TV, and subscribed to everything. It’s much better than having cable, and I’ve never turned back. And plus, f*** Comcast. That’s a nice benefit of it, too. The downside was, although there seemed to be millions of things to watch, it was all crap. But that was equally true about cable. Then came the pandemic … and I guess at least the pandemic was good for something. Now, there’s so much good stuff on TV. It’s overwhelming.
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Hi Jeff. I agree that there’s an overwhelming number of good shows to watch. And with there being so many streaming services (a new one every week, it seems), there’s vast opportunities for actors, directors, writers, etc.
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Your experience mirrors my own! We usually watch a couple of episodes of the series-du-jour with supper, then turn the TV off for the evening. A series we like right now is For All Mankind, an alternate-history of NASA from Mercury to the quest for Mars.
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Hi. I looked up that show a minute ago. It’s on Apple+, which we don’t subscribe to. It’s totally amazing to me how many quality shows are available these days, including some on network television (The Good Doctor, for instance).
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Hey, Neil, we always have Netflix and Prime, and periodically stream Disney plus, Apple TV and Paramount plus. Having lots of choices is great. We liked Catastrophe too!
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There are SO many quality shows out there, it’s unbelievable.
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Yep, we’ve come a long way since the days of Bonanza! And yes, poor Mr Bezos needs all the help he can get so we got Amazon Prime too.
Our current favourite show is Murders In The Building starring Steve Martin and Martin Short. So good, yet on another service still, Disney Plus.
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Those two guys are very funny, and have had long, successful careers. Years ago, Martin Short was a cast member for a year or two on Saturday Night Live. He was hilarious there.
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Wow, you’ve been watching a lot of TV, good shows by the sound of it. We’re working out way through Star Trek Voyager right now, never saw it before, and just finished Midsomer Murders, Season 24. Gotta keep up with the Barnabys you know!
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Hi. 24 seasons is amazing. That’s a popular show.
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You know the BBC, they stick with things that work. It’s not the most exciting TV show, but it has drawn us in.
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I can’t give you and streaming advice, as the only films or series we watch either come in through our TV antennae, or on DVDs from the library. That being said, we have binged on a number of series, including Poirot, Miss Marple, or Foyle’s War. We also love film versions of Jane Austen. Compared to you, we are dinosaurs. 😊
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Hi. It sounds as though you watch some BBC productions. If it’s available on DVD, a BBC series you might like is Unforgotten. It’s a detective/murder mystery show.
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We love BBC productions. Thank you for the tip, I will check it out.
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Always on the lookout for a good watch. Just finished up Saul. We mostly watch flicks around here with some pro wrasslin thrown in. I cant believe how blind the ref is in that sport.
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I used to love pro wrestling when I was a kid. Back then, some of the big names were Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil, and Haystacks Calhoun.
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We will have some high brow conversations on our brewery tour.
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My husband and I stream Amazon Prime (music and video) as well as Acorn and Netflix. As you say, it is a wonderful service. Thanks for the recommendation of “Catastrophe”. We will check it out soon.
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Hi Lynne. Catastrophe agreed with me very well. The two main characters are quirky, likable, and pretty complex.
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My reaction to the pandemic and being stuck in the house was watching livestream concerts and music. So I was downloading Mandolin, Veeps, Nugs and whatever else. That came to an end once I was out and about again.
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Hi Ken. I can tell from your blog articles that you have been getting around a whole lot.
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Catastrophe…man, oh, man. I can’t think of a bigger nightmare than getting knocked up by someone I was just having “fun” with and then trying to get together after the fact. COULD work out. Probably not. But the show sounds great!
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When I wrote this article, I’d seen two of the four seasons. Now I’ve seen all four. Overall, Catastrophe is a winner.
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I don’t stream…yet….but we do have traditional cable (basically worthless, hence the amount of time I spend watching HGTV) and Netflix. I’ve discovered some fun shows on and as an Amazon Prime member, I have to figure out how to watch it’s TV too. It sounds as if you are having a wonderful time watching the shows! TV was a lifesaver during the pandemic.
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I just learned about a three-part documentary on Netflix called Five Came Back. It sounds very good. It’s about directors who went to World War II frontlines to film the war. I plan to watch it.
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That does sound good, thanks for telling me!
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I’ve recently watched The Boys and let me tell you, it was a great surprise how wonderful it was. At first glance, it looked like a typical superhero movie. But then you realise it’s more about exploring the dark side of humans, and how everyday Joes and Jills would act if they had superpowers. That has to be the best series for me that I’ve watched in 2023!
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Hi. Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely check it out. I’m continually blown away by the enormous number of good-quality shows waiting for people to watch them.
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Catastrophe was SO good! I loved the snappy reparteé—and the serious treatment of real-life problems. My newest favorite has to be Cunk on Earth, a 5-short-episodes Netflix mockumentary about the history of Earth, hosted by a young female news anchor for whom a little knowledge is a hilarious thing. I don’t know how the pundits she interviewed kept a straight face. You may not be able to either!
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Thanks Cindy. It’s now on our to-be-watched list!
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Hubby and I really need to branch out. Here’s we’ve been rewatching all of Frasier for the third time. Eventually we’ll have to take the plunge and splurge for a streaming service.
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Hello there. Believe it or not, Frasier is being revived. I read that the new episodes maybe will become available later this year.
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Whoa! What?! Really? Wow.
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Just read all about it. Thanks for that heads up!
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Thanks … will have to look for ‘Catastrophe”. We are really into watching series and usually have 3-5 going at any one time. One we love after just 4 episodes is ‘Poker Face’, on Peacock here. We liked ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ and ‘Your Honor’. We also enjoyed ‘Tammy & George’.
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Hi Denise, and thanks for the recommendations. Appreciated!
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You always have really good recommendations, Neil. I really liked Dahmer on Netflix, if you can stomach the content 🥴
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Hey, Kathy. Netflix has SO much content. We’re watching a three-episode documentary series on Netflix now. It’s about World War II. It’s called Five Came Back.
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