Bingeable TV Shows (of the last two years)

Hey friends, hope quarantine is going well for you all. Lately with all this free time on my hands, I've found that my go-to picks for streaming are TV shows with only 1-2 seasons of 6-10 episodes each. They're perfect for when you don't have the attention span for a full movie, but you're also reluctant to sit down and watch a longer-running TV series because you'll get caught up in that whole "next episode... next episode" downward spiral. With these shorter shows, you can binge across 1-2 nights and then move on with your life.

Thanks to streaming platforms, we have more choices now than ever. (Have you all noticed that the phrase "now more than ever" is being overused now more than ever?) So, here are some of my picks for new shows that have come out in the last two years (2019-2020), listed in chronological order of their release dates:

• Sex Education - Netflix: 2 seasons, 16 episodes
• This show about British teens and their various sexual problems is quite funny and heartfelt. Their outfits are largely terrible.
• Bonus: The cast is charming and hilarious in interviews, especially Ncuti Gatwa and Emma Mackey, who play the best friend and love interest of Asa Butterfield's protagonist, respectively, and love to rag on poor, pale Asa.

• Russian Doll - Netflix: 1 season, 8 episodes
• This show low-key blew my mind. In a non-Fleabag year I think it could have done well with awards but, what can you do. I actually want to revisit this sometime to pick up on all the clues and Easter eggs I might have missed before.

• Pen15 - Hulu: 1 season, 10 episodes
• Two 30-somethings play themselves as 13-year-old 7th grade outcasts, surrounded by actual 13 year-olds. I don't know how they made this work, but it does. Get ready for some mild cringe (nowhere near the levels in the movie Eighth Grade, fyi).

• Shrill - Hulu: 2 seasons, 14 episodes
• This show works best as a fun showcase for Aidy Bryant, although it's maybe not as edgy as it could/should be. 
• Bonus: The soundtrack is awesome. Two stand-out songs for me are "How To Love" by Lil Wayne and "Goodie Bag" by Still Woozy, both from the S1 episode "Pencil" (featuring my favorite love interest of the show, Lamar! I pray he gets more airtime in S3, assuming it gets renewed).

• Ramy - Hulu: 1 season, 10 episodes
• This show about a millennial Muslim-American fuckboy-type of guy is a little uneven but definitely depicts a unique perspective that we don't get to see much of on TV. Best episodes are the ones centered on Ramy's sister and mother (ep. 6 and 7, respectively).
• Bonus: S2 coming in May! 

• Tuca & Bertie - Netflix: 1 season, 10 episodes
• From the designer of Bojack Horseman, this show was never quite as funny as I wanted it to be, but the art and voice work of Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish were pretty great.

• Looking For Alaska - Hulu: 1 season, 8 episodes
• If you've read the book or any other of John Green's novels, you'll like this miniseries. Be prepared to cry a lot in the last two episodes, though. Like, a LOT.

• High Fidelity - Hulu: 1 season, 10 episodes
• Did we really need a gender-bent version of the 2000 John Cusack movie? I honestly don't know why anyone thought to develop this, but it is pretty enjoyable and rests largely on Zoë Kravitz's capable shoulders.

• I Am Not Okay With This - Netflix: 1 season, 7 episodes
• This is a very cool take on a superhero origin story. The teen protagonist is prone to angsty outbursts and not communicating with others, but there's real depth in her backstory and I can't wait to see what comes next (assuming it gets renewed!).

• Never Have I Ever - Netflix: 1 season, 10 episodes [Added 5/1/20]
• I stayed up until 2 am watching all of this in 1 night. It is a goddamn delight. I relished in all the diversity and may have cried just about every episode. 

• Normal People - Hulu: 1 season, 12 episodes [Added 5/15/20]
• If you're looking for a horny yet highbrow quarantine show that is equal parts moving and erotic, boy have I got the show for you. I recommend watching no more than 3 episodes at a time, because they are quite emotionally intense, and for the love of god, do not watch this with your family.

BONUS: The following TV shows did not start in the last two years but had some terrific second seasons released in the last two years. Starting with, of course:

• Fleabag, Amazon Prime (2016-2019): 2 seasons, 12 episodes
• Honestly if you haven't seen Fleabag already are we even friends?? Shout-out to Irene who doesn't have Amazon Prime but keeps promising me to watch this.

• Derry Girls, Netflix (2018-2019): 2 seasons, 12 episodes
• IMO this show is hysterical. I love these high school losers who manage to get into the stupidest shenanigans, with the backdrop of the Northern Ireland conflict in the late '90s. Teens be teening.

•  Barry, HBO (2018-2019): 2 seasons, 16 episodes [Added 4/10/20]
• HBO released some TV shows for free during the month of April, so I took advantage. Barry is brilliant, subtly biting, and always surprising. Well done, Bill Hader.