Funny old month January isnt it? This year more than ever I have wanted to spend January indoors and on the sofa rather than out and about. I am not ashamed to say that I have spent many an afternoon or early morning bingeing TV programmes and now even have a list on notepad of trailers I have seen and think “oooh that sounds good”. Back in 2015 binge-watch was word of the year according to the Collins Dictionary and who knew back then how much bingeing we would end up doing in the past couple of years?
So if you are wondering what to watch this weekend here is my current list of binge worthy TV to get you through January.
After Life — Netflix
Season 3 was released this week and is so beautiful it is possible to binge it in an evening. In fact it is virtually impossible not to binge it in one go. It’s poignant, funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming, uplifting and will reduce you to tears all in the space of ten minutes. I am no fan of Ricky Gervais but this is extraordinary. It follows the story of Tony who is grieving the loss of his wife, Lisa. Tony spends some time reflecting on a park bench and it has become such an integral part of the show that Netflix have teamed up with CALM and donated 25 benches to Councils around the country, each one inscribed with a line from the show. The hope is that people will sit and think, or chat to others sitting on the bench. A truly beautiful initiative.
The Bay — ITV
Another series on its third season (the other two are still on ITV Hub so if you havent seen them and really want some binge worthy TV one weekend you could do the whole lot). A six part crime drama it is set in Morecambe and follows Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong who works for West Lancashire Police. If you have watched since day one you will know that there internal conflicts for Lisa so nothing is ever straight forward. If you like crime drama this is an easy watch.
Dope Sick — Disney+
This is a drama but very much based on real life events surrounding America’s Opoid addiction crisis. It follows the court case involving the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, and how their suggestion that Oxycontin was not likely to be abused was incorrect, and in fact thousands of users became addicted to the drug with disastrous effects. This isnt light viewing as real lives were devastated by these events but its a superbly portrayed drama and I do love things like this.
The Landscapers — Now TV (Sky Atlantic)
This is another drama based on real life events, this one staring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis. They play Susan and Christoper Edwards who became the focus of an investigation when two bodies were found buried in their garden. I dont want to give you too many spoilers but its an extraordinary story. And does leave me wondering if any of our neighbours might be capable of the same.
Rules of the Game — BBC
I havent watched this yet but a lot of people have said it is superb. Equally I have seen people saying it is too complicated but Maxine Peake doesnt do rubbish (did you watch Anne on ITV recently? That was a harrowing watch but she was extraordinary) so this is going on my list to binge this weekend. It tells the story of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of an employee years before. I will let you know what I think.
If you have any other series to add please let me know and I will do another post in February!