April 19, 2021

Binge-Worthy!

By Leah Chiss

I gaze below into the ballroom. Holding the skirt of my gown, I make my way down the grand staircase. In the center of the room, people dance to the twinkly tones of the string quartet. Laughter fills the air; glasses bubble with champagne; and ladies gossip about me, the belle of the ball…

The credits scroll across my computer screen, and with that, the final episode of my latest binge is over. I shut my computer, realizing it is three am. I am not wearing a fabulous gown in a ballroom; I am wearing sweatpants in my bedroom. I need to get sucked into a new show.

This past year in quarantine, I often turned to TV for entertainment. Some of my favorite shows to binge-watch were period pieces like Downton Abbey and The Crown. However, I watched a range of shows from New Girl to The Great British Baking Show. Just when you feel like you have watched every entertaining show, there are new ones you haven’t yet discovered. Here are some of my recent favorites…

Downton Abbey is a British period drama about the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants. The series follows the family and their staff through World War I, the Spanish Flu Epidemic, the decline of the British aristocracy, and more. Downton Abbey is one of my favorites because of all the twists and turns, the romance, the interesting characters, the music, the dresses, and the jewelry. I recommend this to anyone that wants to escape to a completely different time period. Downton Abbey is available on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.

The Crown follows the real life of Queen Elizabeth II from 1947 to the early 1990s. If you are someone looking to learn more about the royal family then this is a must-watch. There will be two more seasons that follow Queen Elizabeth and the royal family into the 21st century. It is available on Netflix.

One of my favorite shows is New Girl. It follows Jess and her life with three male roommates she has never met before: Nick, Winston, and Schmidt. This show is hilarious with quirky, loveable characters, and it’s available on Netflix.

For anyone looking for suspense, action, crime, and detective work, I recommend Psych. This show takes place in Santa Barbara, California. It follows fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer and his best friend Burton Guster as they take on murder cases, burglaries, and more, often without police permission. Despite its focus on crime, this show is funny. It is available on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.

Lupin is another show with crime and action. When he was a teenager, Assane Diop’s father died after being accused of a crime he did not commit. Twenty-five years later, Assane takes inspiration from the French novel Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar, as he avenges his father’s death. The show ends on a cliffhanger, but more episodes are coming in 2021. Lupin is available on Netflix.

The Great British Baking Show might seem like a strange recommendation. However, this show is relaxing to watch. U.K amateaur bakers create delicious masterpieces in every episode. I like getting to know the competitors and watching their progress. Warning: don’t watch this show when you are hungry! The Great British Baking Show is available on Netflix.

As the seasons change, it is a time of new beginnings. For those of you who are looking for a new binge-worthy show, I hope you are inspired by these recommendations. In 2021 when more people are vaccinated, we can look forward to getting out more in the real world. In the meantime, when you need a break from studying for finals, it’s okay to escape from reality for a while.

Edited By Brooke Star