Amazon, Netflix, BBC, Showtime, FX
Picture it: It’s 9 a.m. on January 1. You’re awake, begrudgingly, after a night of champagne and fun. It’s the first day of 2019 and…you’re not leaving your couch. Been there, and that’s why we’re here to help. These are the best shows to watch while recovering from ringing in the new year.
Start 2019 off right with these shows that are not only good, but also easily bingeable in a day’s time. We’ve broken down where to watch, how long it’ll take you and what you’re getting yourself into with a little (spoiler-free) plot description.
Netflix
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Where to watch: Netflix
How long is it: 4 episodes, all under an hour each. Roughly 4 hours total.
What’s it about: Chef Samin Nosrat takes viewers around the world to explore the four components of cooking: salt, fat, acid and heat. Who knew there were so many kinds of salt and each have uses for which they’re better suited for?! Careful if you watch hungry!
HBO
Getting On
Where to watch: HBO
How long is it: 18 episodes total, half hour each. 9 hours total.
What’s it about: Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash and Laurie Metcalf star in this shockingly human and very funny comedy about the medical staff at a geriatric extended care facility. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh some more and then when you get to that series finale…the tears won’t stop.
Netflix
Big Mouth
Where to watch: Netflix
How long is it: 20 episode total, half hour each. 10 hours total.
What’s it about: Nick Kroll and John Mulaney headline the voice cast of this hilarious coming-of-age raunchy animated series. If you’ve been wondering about that meme of Maya Rudolph saying “bubble bath,” tune in.
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FX
Pose
Where to watch: FX
How long: 8 episodes total, one hour each. 8 hours total.
What’s it about: From creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, Pose is set in the late 1980s as the AIDS crisis rages and tells the story of a group of LGBTQ people with the world of African-American and Latino ball culture as the backdrop. The cast includes some well-known names like Evan Peters, Kate Mara, Billy Porter and James Van Der Beek, but the show puts the spotlight on many of its transgender cast members including Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore and Dominique Jackson. It’s easy to go into this show and think it’ll be nothing by drama and despair, but Pose crafts a colorful world full of vibrant characters that make it a must-watch series.
Killing Eve
Where to watch: Hulu
How long is it: 8 episodes, one hour each. 8 hours total.
What’s it about: You don’t know what BBC America’s Killing Eve is about yet?! Sandra Oh stars as Eve Polastri, an MI-5 officer who, through several events, becomes one of the prime agents tasked with bringing down an assassin dubbed Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Oh and Comer are beyond great in the series.
John P Johnson/HBO
The Comeback
Where to watch: HBO
How long is it: 21 episodes, most a half hour each. Roughly 12 hours total.
What’s it about: Lisa Kudrow stars in and co-created this unflinching look at fame and the entertainment industry. You’ll meet Valerie Cherish, a sitcom star of yore who welcomes reality TV cameras into her life as she takes on a new role in a bad sitcom. You’ll believe Val is a real person by the end of your binge. Season two came out roughly 10 years after season one.
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Amazon
Homecoming
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
How long is it: 10 episodes, half hour each. 5 hours total.
What’s it about: Julia Roberts on TV! She plays Heidi Bergman, a caseworker at a live-in facility designed to help soldiers readjust to life after deployment. Or at least that’s what it’s supposed to do…The series jumps around in time (not in an annoying way) and also stars Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James, Shea Whigham, Alex Karpovsky and Sissy Spacek. The worst part of the series? The wigs. That’s it, that’s the bad part.
Showtime
Kidding
Where to watch: Showtime
How long is it: 10 episodes, half hour each. 5 hours total.
What’s it about: Jim Carrey returned to TV and reunited with his Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director for this dramedy about a Mr. Rogers-esque character dealing with some very heavy stuff. His son has died, his marriage has fallen apart…and Mr. Pickles has to keep on being Mr. Pickles. The cast also includes Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Cole Allen and Catherine Keener.
Netflix
The Final Table
Where to watch: Netflix
How long is it: 10 episodes, an hour each. 10 hours total
What’s it about: Top chefs from around the world compete in an Iron Chef-like competition to get a place at “The Final Table” alongside some culinary masters. Each episode the chefs are tasked with creating a signature dish from countries around the world.
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Netflix
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Where to watch: Netflix
How long is it: 11 episodes, roughly an hour each. 11 hours total.
What’s it about: This isn’t the Sabrina Spellman of your youth! Kiernan Shipka stars in this adaptation of the hit comic book of the same name. Sabrina’s a half-witch, half-mortal (that part hasn’t changed) who lives with her two aunts, played by Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis, but there aren’t glittery spells and magic fingers here. These Spellmans are members of the Church of the Night and worship Satan as their dark lord. Get ready to tell everyone Madam Satan (Michelle Gomez) is your favorite TV character.
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