Fun

What to Binge Watch This Holiday Weekend

Tuesday November 22, 2016

It’s shaping up to be a rainy weekend in the Bay Area. It’s really too bad that there is all this amazingly good TV coming at you at the same time as offices are closed and all this rain is making you stay indoors. What to do, what to do.

Oh, right, prepare a decadent cheese plate, make room for some Thanksgiving leftovers, and never leave the sofa. The weather requires it!

Here’s my scattered list of what to watch this weekend. I think this’ll keep you in sweats and yoga pants for at least 36 hours. In which case: mission accomplished.

******************************************

 

British movies and dramas are exploding in the US, and for good reason. The rules! The formalities! The grace! The sharp undercuts! Are all a welcome reprieve from our own disorderly, confusing times. If you haven’t already gotten into it, The Crown on Netflix is a good place to start. Once you’ve fallen for Elizabeth and Margaret, head on over to Amazon for The Royal Night Out in which the princesses celebrate V-E Day by sneaking out of Buckingham Palace for an evening of glittery dresses, antique cars, and romantical hijinx. (And based on real events!) It’s as delicious as it sounds.

If you like all that, but want a bit more modern British times, then look no further than Catastrophe on Amazon. American boy, British girl, babies and inappropriateness ensue. If you like to play it old school British sitcoms, check out Gavin & Stacey. The main characters are adorable, but you’ll stay for James Corden and Ruth Jones playing love interests/sworn enemies.

Or maybe you’re just in the mood for some good girl-led dramas and comedies. Obviously, Gilmore girls is returning to Netflix beginning November 25th, in case that hasn’t been on your calendar for months. Might I also recommend Good Girls Revolt on Amazon — basically if Mad Men were instead about all the women in the office suddenly realizing, “wait wait wait, the men make HOW MUCH MORE THAN ME.” Based on a true story and lawsuit involving your hero Eleanor Holmes Norton and Newsweek magazine.

Speaking of girl power, in extra super terrific news, did you know PBS made a new Anne of Green Gables miniseries starring President Bartlet as Matthew Cuthbert. It’s all true, and basically the stuff dreams are made of. (What are the odds I can get Bean obsessed with Anne Shirley?) Also in the old-timey North Americana vein, my recent guilty pleasure was The Age of Adaline. Surprisingly heartfelt! Starring Blake Lively sadly swishing about in awesome period dress with the grace and wisdom of an octogenarian. She really pulled it off.

Recent political events have put the spotlight on news organizations, and so binge watching movies and documentaries about the grand old media institutions might just put the warm fuzzies back in your heart. Spotlight is an excellent place to start if you haven’t seen it yet. If you want to meet the faces behind all the news stories you’ve been reading, Page One (on Hulu) about the New York times is a fascinating nerdfest. If things are getting a little too heavy for a holiday weekend, might I suggest Very Semi Serious instead? Profiling the cartoon division of The New Yorker, and the band of sweet misfits who make up their army of cartoonists. If you just want to see pretty things and interesting people, then Bill Cunningham New York is your must-see.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!

 

Tags:
Fun, Television

2 Responses to “What to Binge Watch This Holiday Weekend”

  1. Search Party on TBS. It’s a new show and I am only 2 episodes in. Looks promising.

       

    11/22/2016 at 3:04 pm

  2. Thanks for the rec!

       

    11/22/2016 at 5:50 pm