Top 10 Pandemic Binges – Our Recent TV Streaming Recommendations

The past year has been weird.

One of the ways we have coped with the craziness and the lockdowns and the isolation of the pandemic era has been by losing ourselves inside great TV shows.

Without many social engagements, we wind down almost every evening with a bit of binging before bed. We have always loved to binge quality shows – and especially during this past year we’ve sought out shows that bring us joy, laughter, or hope.

By sharing some of our favorites, we hope that we can bring some joy into your “Netflix and Chill” evenings too.

Here’s our top ten list of shows that we’ve gotten into during the past year, in rough order.

Do you have some favorites that we might have missed? If so – let us know! We are always looking for more great shows to add to the queue!

Video Version

Our Top Ten List…

#10 – The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

A historical chess drama sounds dull, right?

But we really love shows that put effort into capturing a certain time and place (like Mad Men), and The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix does an absolutely spectacular job of recreating the competitive jet-setting chess world of the 1950’s and 1960’s.

A young orphan girl rises from obscurity to world-class chess prodigy, and even if you aren’t into chess the drama and action along the way is riveting.

Definitely worth watching!

#9 – The Great (Hulu)

Another boring sounding concept – a historical comedy about Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia.

But when friends (the Glamping Guys) raved to us about this show, we had to check it out – and wow!

We’ve discovered that we really enjoy shows like this that take a historical setting, but add modern language and music and story elements to mix together something altogether new. Dickinson on Apple TV+ does this well, but The Great is just a complete thrill.

Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are absolutely amazing as the leads.

Huzzah!

#8 – Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

We are both proud Trekkies, and are usually down for anything Star Trek related. This year we’ve enjoyed Picard, and season two (and now season three) of Star Trek Discovery.

Discovery in particular has been fun to watch evolve. The first season was too dark, but the second season was MUCH better (especially Captain Pike), and the third season that we are finishing up now manages to capture some of the charm of The Next Generation, my personal favorite Trek iteration.

If you are a Star Trek fan – definitely check out Discovery!

#7 – The Mandalorian (Disney+)

The first live action TV show filmed in the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian is the flagship show on the Disney+ network – and even if you are not a Star Wars fan it is absolutely amazing TV to watch.

And if you want to be really blown away, watch the behind-the-scenes “Making Of” features that show how they basically film on a holodeck, letting the creators bring to life locations that would be absolutely impossible without a blockbuster movie budget.

And the end of season two?!!? Any Star Wars fan will be standing up to cheer!

#6 – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)

How did this show pitch ever get made?

A young woman working at a Silicon Valley tech company is getting an MRI when an earthquake hits, and afterwards she discovers that she has developed a super power allowing her to hear the songs in people’s hearts that reflect their inner feelings. These songs manifest by the people actually singing to her – with big broadway caliber musical numbers that only she is aware of.

Crazy right? (And reminiscent of the musical bits in every episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

Here is an example:

But it absolutely works – and the show tackles some deep issues and emotional storylines, while radiating so much love and positive vibes that you can’t help but cry at some times, and cheer at others.

Audaciously fun TV like this is absolutely magic!

Just do yourself a favor and buy the series or watch on commercial-free Hulu. The long commercial breaks on regular NBC absolutely destroy the rhythm of the show.

#5 – Zomboat! (Hulu)

Another crazy concept…

What if there was a zombie apocalypse caused by a highly contagious virus, and the heroes chose to escape on a canal boat chugging along at walking speed.

This is just zany fun, and struck very close to home as we made our way to Florida via our boat to seek refuge from the pandemic.

It is a super quick binge, and worth it.

The trailer is hilarious:

#4 – How To With John Wilson (HBO)

John Wilson is a documentary film maker in New York City who seems to have spent years just filming the world around him, observing the little details that most people would miss.

And in this new series on HBO, he weaves all this footage together into stories that are both compelling and beautiful.

Such perceptive documentary filmmaking, odd, and fun.

This is a real treat – watch an episode or two, and just soak it in. Once you get over the “what the hell am I watching” reaction, you will be loving it.

Give it a try – trust us (unless you’re offended by male genitalia, this one goes full frontal)!

#3 – Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Remember Karate Kid? Wax on, wax off?

Take the same characters (and actors), and fast-forward 34 years.

And now – tell the story from the perspective of the original movie’s villain, the bully whose life has been going downhill ever since that unforgettable kick to the face.

The old rivalries reemerge, there is a new generation of kids, lots of karate, and a kicking retro soundtrack.

But it isn’t just an action show. This is a deep dive into how people can change, and grow, and become better.

And it is also completely badass.

This series launched as part of YouTube’s ill-fated premium service, so hardly anyone saw the first two seasons. But now Netflix has acquired the show, and just released three seasons worth of awesomeness. It was so good, we binged it all in just a few days.

Check it out!

#2 – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

What would happen if a British Premier League Football team hired an American college football coach who knows absolutely nothing about soccer to lead their team?

That is the setup for Apple’s Ted Lasso – but it absolutely is not the point at all. This isn’t a show about sports, it is about heart and teamwork.

Ted Lasso is warm hearted and amazing – and this is perhaps the biggest surprise show of 2020 for us. Funny, and heartwarming.

You can not help but fall in love with Ted Lasso.

#1 – Schitt’s Creek (Netflix)

Schitt’s Creek has been around for years – six seasons.

We watched it when it first came out – and gave up immediately. We hated the first episode – the characters are totally unlikeable.

But this year, as the series came to a close, our social media was flooded with people absolutely raving about this show. And it swept the Emmy’s.

So we gave it another try – and though we struggled to get through the first season – by the middle of the second season we were hooked. And by the third, it had became our favorite antidote to the Covid blues.

The core premise of Schitt’s Creek is that an ultra-rich family who looses everything and they are forced to live together in two motel rooms in a quirky rural town that they hate. But these people begin to grow and evolve – and over time you grow to absolutely adore every single one of them.

We are so glad we went back and gave Schitt’s Creek another try. The final season ends perfectly.

This is some of the best TV comedy ever made.

Kiki’s Picks:

Believe it or not, our cat Kiki loves to watch TV almost as much as we do.

But she has extremely different taste in shows than we would normally pick, so we are often fighting with her over who gets the remote.

Her favorite binges are shows like “Videos for Cats to Watch – 8 Hour Bird Bonanza” – but we have a hard time following the plot.

So when we want to watch together, we settle for shows like these…

Tiny World (Apple TV+) & Tiny Creatures (Netflix)

Both of these new nature documentary series feature absolutely amazing cinematography, filming the world from the perspective of the tiniest creatures.

Each episode of Tiny Creatures on Netflix tells a scripted story, and the animals are actually trained and the scenes composited together to generate drama.

Tiny World on Apple TV+ is actually filmed on location with real wild animals, and some of the shots they capture are just awe inspiring.

If you love nature – both of these shows are very worth a watch. Kiki recommends them!

So, What Are Your Favorites?

We’ve of course watched and loved many other shows this past year – and we could probably list a dozen more that we would enthusiastically recommend – like Defending Jacob (Apple TV+), or The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), or Teenage Bounty Hunters (Netflix), or Dickinson (Apple TV+), or Old Guard (Netflix), or Upload (Prime Video), and so on…

But the ten listed above stood above the rest, and really helped us make it through the past year.

What shows have been getting you through the pandemic?

Share your favorites in the comments here – we are always looking for new shows to watch!

Geek Notes: How Do You Stream So Much While Mobile?!?

Streaming while living technomadigcally can be a challenge.

Fortunately – our day job running The Mobile Internet Resource Center means that we have gotten extremely proficient at keeping connected, and we have ample data plans and equipment so that we usually can binge all we want on the big screen, even in 4K resolution.

For us – binging might actually be work. We have to test mobile internet gear and data plans after all, and what better way to do so than by streaming a series in high res!

For anyone who wants to learn our tips and tricks for streaming on the go, we have an extensive guide you should check out:

Video Streaming Over Cellular & Wi-Fi: TV, Movies & Entertainment on the Go

And to find data plans that support ample streaming, check out our guide and recently updated video:

Top Cellular Data Plans for RVers & Cruisers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint

And our personal mobile internet setup:

Technomadia’s Mobile Internet Setup