7 Binge-Worthy Shows to Watch During Quarantine

Over four months into quarantine, we’re running out of things to do. We’ve mastered the art of making the perfect banana bread and focaccia, we’ve learnt morse code, we’ve tried yoga. And finally, we’ve reached the end of the million ideas we had to occupy our time.

It’s time to finally give in, grab some popcorn, and open up Netflix - for we have for you seven must-watch shows to see:

1. Anne With an E (IMDb rating: 8.7/10)

If you’re looking for a small town, simple show to lift your spirits, look no further. Adapted from the famous classic novel Anne of Green Gables, the series takes place in the small Canadian town of Avonlea. Here, Anne, an imaginative, flamboyant, and talkative young orphan comes into the care of brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Over the course of three seasons, we see Anne grow from a wild, colourful adolescent into a strong minded and yes, still colourful young woman, as she navigates through friendships, love, and responsibility.

Besides the amazing sets and wonderfully gripping storylines, the show expertly touches upon issues like racism, bullying and feminism in.

However, begin this 27 episode long series at your own risk - once you start, we doubt you’ll be able to stop.

2. Money Heist (IMDb rating: 8.4/10)

For those who despise subtitles - this show makes them worth it. The Spanish series revolves around - you guessed it - a heist, led by the criminal mastermind ‘El Professor’. However, this is no ordinary heist, for they plan to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. It involves keeping several people hostage for days on end and manufacturing their own currency notes, amounting to billions.

Narrated by a character given the code name Tokyo, what sets this series apart is its strong Spanish as well as female perspective. The show intricately explores the many group dynamics and entanglements, as well as how their tightly knit bonds crumble as time passes.

Not only is this show one of the most gripping and eventful ones you’ll find, with a new surprise at every turn, but every character has been meticulously created and analysed, adding to it depth and dynamism rarely seen.

3. Tiger King (IMDb rating: 7.6/10)

We’re sure you’ve seen talk of this true crime documentary all over social media, but if you somehow missed it, read on.

Based on the (unfortunately) real life private zoo owner and tiger breeder Joe Exotic, the series documents the complex connections between several big cat conservationists (in this case, Carole Baskin), and zoo owners and collectors like Exotic, who is now in jail on 18 charges of animal abuse and two counts of murder for hire for his plan to murder rescue organisation owner Carole Baskin.

Besides painting terribly captivating portrait of Joe Exotic, the series also opens the eyes of its viewers to the plight of animals in zoos, and the laws for private ownership of exotic animals in several states across the United States.

Within its first 10 days of release, the show had been viewed by a staggering 34 million people - so if our words don’t convince you, let the fact that it is one of Netflix’s most successful releases ever do the job.

4. Designated Survivor (IMDb rating: 7.5/10)

This political thriller series begins in the most dramatic way possible, when a low-level cabinet member Tom Kirkman is forced to become the President after a shocking terror attack results in the death of the President and almost all of the Cabinet.

He assumes the role of President in a shaky government with few allies. Through the seasons, Tom Kirkman learns on the job and deals with his lack of experience as he and FBI agent Hannah Wells look to find out the truth behind the conspiracy to destroy the government.

Designated Survivor is a show that starts with a bang, and the constant suspense and drama at every corner doesn’t seem to cease. With almost every episode ending in a nail-biting cliff-hanger, we doubt you it’ll take more than a week to finish all three seasons.

5. Jane the Virgin (IMDb rating: 7.8/10)

After so many thrillers, let’s move on to something lighter - a telenovela style show about Jane, who, though a series of unlikely events, gets pregnant as a virgin. Be warned, while this series may be less serious, it’s all the more dramatic. The mock soap opera style of the show means the most ridiculous events take place - love triangles, murders, kidnappings, crime rings - the last probably lasts a few more pages.

However, even all the drama has a light-hearted element to it, and when the protagonist is as loveable as Jane, one can’t help but fall in love with the show.

Through its five seasons, the show maintains the same flare, hilariously dramatic narration, and emphasis on the bond between Jane and her family. It also manages to discuss several relevant issues such as immigration, feminism, working as a mother, and so on.

This is a series we could talk about for hours, but hold on, let us watch a few more episodes of it first.

6. Peaky Blinders (IMDb rating: 8.8/10)

The best crime dramas, it seems, are British - Sherlock, Broadchurch, Bodyguard, and of course, Peaky Blinders. This period drama set in Birmingham in England, the series follows the exploits of a fictional family based loosely on a real gang in the 1890’s.

The show takes place in the direct aftermath of the First World War, in 1919, where the gang, headed by bright but cruel Tommy Shelby, who is determined to become the only player in the book-making market, using several - to put it lightly - unsavoury methods to do so.

While he tries to fulfil his ambitions, his family is also being pursued by a detective and policemen, Major Chester Campbell who himself is ready to do anything to catch the family.

The show acquaints you with characters you begin to love, only to put them in all sorts of danger and make your heart beat at speeds you didn’t know possible. Along with being one of the most captivating shows to see right now, it also features several strong, well-written female characters - something we love to see in any show.

7. The Good Place (IMDb rating: 8.2/10)

Last, but definitely not the least, and my personal favourite, we have The Good Place - a sitcom style show that is somehow capable of making you laugh till you cry, come to love demons (yes, literal demons), and question your entire existence and moral beliefs - all at the same time.

It revolves around Eleanor Shellstrop, a dead, crass, and very average (though leaning towards below-average) woman, who finds herself in the ‘Good Place’ - a heaven like version of the afterlife. The twist - she didn’t go to the ‘Bad Place’ only because her identity was mistaken.

Watch Eleanor struggle to conceal her true identity as she learns moral philosophy and how to be a good person - with many hilarious twists along the way.

Every character on the show is hilarious in their own unique way, from over-the-top, posh Tahani to Jason, a dim-witted but kindhearted drug-dealer. They make you ponder over many questions that are relevant today, but in a light-hearted, subtle manner.

The monotony of quarantine has gotten to a lot of us, and we miss the outside world. However, these shows let you experience worlds beyond the one we live in and stories that we would never actually see play out otherwise.

So sit back and watch Tom Kirkman deal with terrorists, Eleanor deal with demons, Jane deal with drug lords, lovers, and family, and Joe Exotic deal with Carole Baskin - and maybe you’ll begin to feel grateful your life isn’t quite as ‘interesting’ right now!

Hope you enjoyed this story!

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Written by Tishya Doraiswamy

Content Writer @ Skyshot Media

Instagram: @tishyadoraiswamy