The Best TV Shows to Binge and Where to Watch Them – November 2018

Now that Daylight Saving has passed, the holiday season has begun in earnest. Not only does that mean more darkness outside, but also more time spent inside bingeing food and television alike. While holiday specials are all well and good, this is also the perfect time to take stock of what shows fell through the cracks and what shows to watch to prepare for their return midseason.

Take, for example, the long-awaited returns of both “True Detective” and “Deadwood.” Both HBO dramas have been off the air long enough that a refresher course is needed. Besides, it’s never a bad thing to revisit Ian McShane chewing up the scenery in 1870s South Dakota. IndieWire has compiled an eclectic mix of series ranging from beloved shows that were canceled too soon and irreverent comedies to sci-fi escapist fare and suspenseful thrillers.

Many of these on the list are available on streaming services you may already have: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or HBO Go. In some cases, a cable or other streaming subscription might be required such as for YouTube Premium, CBS All Access, or Acorn TV. Fortunately, with a binge, subscribing for one month is enough to determine if that’s to your taste.

What makes for a good binge? IndieWire has created a rough guide for easily digestible binges that can be accomplished during a weekend or over the course of a few weeks.

Some criteria for IndieWire’s curated list of the best TV shows to binge:

• Commitment: Fewer seasons and an easy entry point. First or second seasons are great for this. Comedies with shorter runtimes also work, but if a whole series has just finished, that might be a good time to start also.
• Tone: Lightweight often works best – we’ve binged “Black Mirror,” and our state of mind afterward was not pretty – but sometimes brisk, engrossing storytelling can offset heavier material.
• Availability: It needs to be readily watchable somewhere.

With all this in mind, IndieWire has compiled the list, which can be accessed in the gallery above or simply click here.