COVID-19: 77 shows to binge online while staying at home

Crime Shows

Peaky Blinders: Not your typical gangster show by a long shot — Peaky Blinders is about family, heartbreak and sacrifice. It’s 1919 and Thomas Shelby heads the Peaky Blinders (including his brothers and Aunt Polly), a Birmingham gang known for sowing razor blades into their caps. Cillian Murphy as Tommy, their unexpectedly sympathetic gang leader, will rip at your heartstrings with those sad blue eyes. Available on: Netflix

Defending Jacob: We’re cheating a little here, because this one doesn’t release until April 24, but we just cannot wait to get our hands on this little miniseries. A crime drama based on the book, ‘Defending Jacob’ stars Chris Evans (who, according to early reviews, ‘shines as an overprotective dad’) and Michelle Dockery as a married couple whose son gets charged with murder. Available on: Apple TV+ (April 24)

Luther: The volatile DCI John Luther wrestles with personal and professional turmoil, investigating crime in his own twisted way. A fantastic nail-biter where good is bad and bad is good and moral righteousness is thrown out the window. Idris Elba shines in one of his most emotional performances. Available on: Netflix

Good Girls: Three women turn their lives upside down when they become embroiled in a life of crime. Christina Hendricks, Retta and Mae Whitman are insanely addictive to watch in this tense crime comedy where absolutely nothing seems to go right. Available on: Netflix

Killing Eve: Bored spy Eve (Sandra Oh) and psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) run this three-season thriller, which sees them play an obsessive game of cat-and-mouse. Created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (‘Fleebag’) and based on the books of the same name. Available on: OSN, with season 3 dropping on April 13 in the UAE

Broadchurch: Irritable detective Alec Hardy and reluctant partner Ellie Millier (Olivia Colman) investigate the murder of a young boy in a small coastal town, which prompts wide-spread media attention and creates ripples in the tightknit community. Disturbing, gripping and elevated by stellar lead performances. Available on: Netflix

Goliath: Washed-up attorney and ambulance chaser Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thornton) reluctantly agrees to take on a wrongful death case to seek revenge against his former firm, but what he and his ragtag team discover is far deadlier. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Boardwalk Empire: Enopch Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the treasurer of Atlantic City during the Prohibition area, plays both sides of the law as he befriends politicians and gangsters alike. This gets the attention of the federal government. The award-winning series went on for five seasons before HBO ended its run. Available on: OSN

Search Party: Search Party, often described as ‘weird’, is a relatively unknown but acclaimed dark comedy crime show about four self-absorbed 20-somethings (including Alia Shawkat) who are on the hunt for a missing young woman. The show’s third season is set to release in May. Available on: OSN

Power: James ‘Ghost’ St Patrick, a rich New York nightclub owner, leads a double life as a drug kingpin. Power, starring Omari Hardwick, has been running since 2014 and released its fifth and final season in August of last year. Available on: StarzPlay

Deadwood: In the late 1800s, people flock to the town Deadwood, South Dakota, in hopes of getting rich, but find themselves in a virtually lawless place, surrounded by crime and corruption. This multi-award-winning HBO show stars Timothy Ollyphant and Molly Parker. Available on: StarzPlay

Dramas and Thrillers

The Americans: Two Russian spies are married with kids, but they must pretend to be Americans while living in Washington, DC, in order to spy on the government. This critically acclaimed spy thriller is set during the Cold War and stars Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in the lead. Available on: StarzPlay

Baghdad Central: Set in 2003 Iraq, which is occupied by a US-led coalition, ‘Baghdad Central’ follows former police inspector and troubled father Mushin Al Khafaji, whose daughter has gone missing. In order to solve her disappearances, Al Khafaji must decide which lengths he’s willing to go to. Starring Palestinian-American actor Waleed Zuaiter. Available on: StarzPlay

Home Before Dark: Inspired by reporting by a real life 9-year-old journalist, this thriller follows a young girl who returns to a lakeside town where her father once lived and unearths a cold case that had been long buried. Available on: Apple TV+

Chernobyl: It felt like everybody and anybody was talking about this award-winning historical miniseries when HBO released it last year. ‘Chernobyl’ documents the nuclear disaster of 1986 - one of the worst in world history - and the dangerous cleanup efforts that followed. Available on: OSN

Sharp Objects: If you loved Gone Girl and you’re ready for another twisty ride, ‘Sharp Objects’ is another one of Gyllian Flynn’s novels that has been adapted to the screen! The psychological thriller follows crime reporter Camille Preaker, who returns to her hometown after treating her mental illness in order to solve the murder of two young girls; however, she has to reckon with her own demons, too. Available on: OSN

The Morning Show: Starring Jennifer Anniston and Steve Carrel, this drama series takes a deep dive into the people who wake America up every day, and looks at the challenges that morning television staff come up against. Available on: Apple TV+

This Is Us: Get those tissue boxes ready. ‘This Is Us’ seems to be a series that took everyone by storm in 2016 (it’s still on air), doling out heartbreak in joy in equal measures. The family drama flashes between past and present to reveal the differing experiences of three siblings, and their complicated history. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

SCI-FI

The Mandalorian: A space western from the world of Star Wars featuring an adorable baby alien and a stoic warrior? Sign us right up! Featuring Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, this Disney Plus Original is the series we didn’t know we needed until we watched it. If you’re sick of the Skywalker saga but want to dig deeper into the myth of the larger Star Wars universe, ‘The Mandalorian’ checks all the boxes. Season two couldn’t get here any sooner. Available on: OSN

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Set in the 24th century, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ stars Patrick Stewart in a career-defining role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commander of the USS Enterprise-D. The beauty of the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is that it envisioned the best of humanity, combining it with high-stakes space adventure and complex sci-fi stories. And once you complete watching ‘TNG’s’ seven-season run, you can hop on to ‘Star Trek: Picard’, season one of which just concluded on Amazon Prime Video. Available on: Netflix

Altered Carbon: Set in a future where consciousness is digitised and stored in ‘stacks’ implanted into the spine, prisoner Takeshi Kovacs returns to life in a new body and must solve a murder to win his freedom. Cyberpunk sci-fi at its best, ‘Altered Carbon’ is a mind-bending and overwhelming ride where technology meets lofty ideals, and no one’s safe. Available on: Netflix

Avenue 5: What happens when a space cruise ship for the rich and the spoilt gets thrown off course and can only return home in three years? Watch Hugh Laurie play the exasperated ship captain as he tries to take control of a chaotic space cruiser in this brand new HBO sci-fi comedy. Available on: OSN

The Expanse: The disappearance of a rich-girl-turned-political-activist entangles the lives of a police detective in the asteroid belt, the first officer of an interplanetary ice freighter, and an earth-bound United Nations executive. Watch ‘The Expanse’ for painstaking character development and an intense emotional rollercoaster, and before you know it, you’d have binged through four seasons. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Fantasy shows

The Witcher: The fan-favourite book/video game series arrived on Netflix last year with none other than ‘Superman’ actor Henry Cavill in the titular role. Perfect for those looking to fill the ‘Game of Thrones’-shaped hole in their lives, ‘The Witcher’ follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutant monster-hunter. Available on: Netflix

Kingdom: ‘The Walking Dead’ meets South Korean feudal history in this zombie fantasy series. While strange rumours about their ill King grip a kingdom, the crown prince becomes their only hope against a mysterious plague overtaking the land. Available on: Netflix

Locke & Key: Still grieving their father’s death, three siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home filled with mysterious, reality-bending keys, giving them a look into their father’s past. Based on the comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, ‘Locke & Key’ is part coming-of-age story and part supernatural fantasy and its as engaging as they come. Available on: Netflix

Good Omens: What better way to spend your self-isolation days than watch the bungling of the Armageddon by an angel-demon duo? Based on the award-winning fantasy novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett, ‘Good Omens’ makes for a delightfully wicked watch. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: As the timid Gelflings realise their overlords, the Skeksis, are exploitative, taxing essence-suckers who are destroying their world Thra, three Gelflings inspire a brave rebellion. A prequel to the cult 1982 Jim Henson film, ‘The Dark Crystal’, this series needs to be watched for its gorgeous world-building and the intricate puppetry work that’s guaranteed to blow your mind. Available on: Netflix

Black Sails: Made to be a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Black Sails’ is an epic, pirate adventure set two decades prior to the events of the book. Follow Captain Flint as he brings on a younger crew member and they fight for the survival of New Providence island. Available on: StarzPlay

TEEN SERIES

On My Block: This teen dramedy and earnest coming-of-age show follows four young residents of a rough inner-city neighbourhood in Los Angeles, where they navigate friendship, love and survival amongst a gang rivalry. These fresh-faced actors will have you in splits as often as they will get you reaching for the tissue box. Available on: Netflix

High School Music: The Musical: The series: Set at East High School — the same school from the famous movie franchise - this new Disney+ series revolves around the members of the drama club and their faculty, who are gearing up for opening night of the school’s first-ever production of ‘High School Musical: The Musical’. How meta. Available on: OSN

Teen Wolf: Love werewolves and cheesy teen angst? You’re in luck. Teen Wolf follows the broody-but-ernest Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) and his hilariously slapstick best friend Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O’Brien), who find out what happens when you mix werewolf mythology and high-stakes highschool drama. Think typical coming-of-age stuff, but amped up to a hundred with the help of mild gore. Available on: StarzPlay

13 Reasons Why: This series executive produced by Selena Gomez got a lot of flack for its graphic depiction of suicide (and rape), and has since edited its first season in attempt to be more responsible. ‘13 Reasons Why’ is not necessarily a show for younger audiences -- but rather, a warts and all look at how a high school can become a breeding ground for sexual assault and violence. It’s hit or miss, with its approach often being questionable, but it definitely generated a lot of buzz so far. Available on: Netflix

The OC: Who would have thought that The O.C. would trend on Twitter in 2020? So many iconic scenes, so little time! And according to a new viral tweet, the show is still at top of the ‘teen drama’ list for so many fans, nearly 20 years later. Expert brooder Ryan Atwood arrives from the wrong side of the tracks to the wealthy neighbourhood of Orange County. Cue unlikely friendships, epic romances and unforgettable fist fights. Available on: StarzPlay

Dawson’s Creek: Wanna go even further back? Dawson’s Creek started airing in 1998 and ran until 2003. In it, best friends Dawson and Joey experience the trials and tribulations of adolescence in their own ways, and later find their friendship tested. Available on: OSN

Looking for Alaska: Showrunner Josh Schwartz (The OC, Gossip Girl) returns with this miniseries, based on John Green’s popular debut novel. When Miles ‘Pudge’ Halter enrolls into a boarding school in pursuit of his ‘Great Perhaps’, he falls in love with Alaska Young - but tragedy strikes and reorients his life. Available on: OSN

Feel-good and comedy shows

Ramy: The son of immigrants, Ramy is a first generation Egyptian-American living in New Jersey, is on a spiritual journey defined by inner conflict. Caught between his cultural identity and the lifestyle of the millennial generation, Ramy ping-pongs between both sides of himself. A comedy starring stand-up comic and actor Ramy Youssef. Available on: OSN

Dickinson: In this coming-of-age historical comedy drama, budding writer Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfield) goes up against constraints of society - particularly as a young woman - as her imagination grows larger than the box she’s put in. Available on: Apple TV+

Melissa & Joey: This sitcom is like the revival of the ‘90s greats. Melissa Joan Hart (‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch) stars as Melissa, a politician who finds herself in custody of her niece and nephew when her sister goes to jail. Unable to cop with being a new ‘mommy’, she hires the male nanny Joey (yep, Joey Lawrence from Brotherly Love and Blossom). Available on: OSN

Insecure: Issa Rae’s comedy series ‘Insecure’ looks into the friendship of two black women, their messy love lives, and the series of daily uncomfortable experiences they have to navigate. This HBO show, now in its fourth season, has been widely lauded by critics for its sharp insight and honesty. Available on: OSN

Fresh off the Boat: Set in 1990s Florida, ‘Fresh off the Boat’ follows a Taiwanese family adapting to life in America. Narrated by their eldest rap-loving son Eddie, the show is brilliantly cast with Randall Park and Constance Wu stepping into the shoes of the young parents. The sitcom began airing in 2015 and is ongoing; however, despite its success, Eddie Huang, whose memoir inspired the show, is not a fan of its portrayal of Asian-Americans. Available on: OSN

Alexa & Katie: A high school sitcom with a sentimental backbone, Alexa & Katie explores the bond between two best friends who are up against massive challenges — Alexa deals with cancer, while best friend Katie deals with her own anxieties and a struggle with money; but the two girls always have each other’s backs, no matter how tough life gets. Available on: Netflix

Black-ish/Grown-ish/Mixed-ish: Black-ish has done so well that it now has not one, but two spin-offs. The original series follows an upper middle-class black family made up of parents Andre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) and their four young children. Grown-ish follows their daughter Zoey (Yara Shahidi) to college, while Mixed-ish is a prequel about Rainbow’s story growing up in a mixed race household in the 1980s. Available on: OSN

Mozart in the Jungle: This half-hour comedy series is as uproariously funny as it is unexpected in its brilliance. Gael Garcia Bernal is genius as Rodrigo De Souza, the eccentric, egotistical and high-energy maestro who stirs things up at the New York Symphony, building a bond with the ambitious oboist Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke). Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Superstore: ‘Superstore’ makes for good light watching. America Ferreira (‘Ugly Betty’) stars as Amy Sosa, a Honduran American single mother and employee of the Cloud 9 superstore, who works her way up to a major promotion. The single-camera sitcom follows the hodgepodge staff of the store and all the eccentric personalities at play. Available on: OSN

Bless This Mess: Newlywed Mike (Dax Shepard) and Rio (Lake Bell) pack up their bags and leave New York City to enjoy a quieter life in rural Nebraska. Or so they think. Available on: OSN

The Big Bang Theory: Love it or hate it, the Big Bang Theory managed to stay on air for a whopping 12 seasons. Some have taken issue with the show’s portrayal of geeks — and women — but others have fondly grown up with physicists Leonard and Sheldon, their coworkers Raj and Howard, and their neighbour Penny. If you start watching now, you’ll be kept busy for quite some time. Available on: StarzPlay

Community: Community is a hilarious combination of eccentric characters, outrageous comedy and witty social commentary. Lawyer Jeff (Joel McHale) has his degree revoked, prompting him to join the Greendale Community College, where he meets a multicultural cast of students and faculty. Starring Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole Brown. Available on: Netflix

Frasier: Sometimes we yearn for a timeless sitcom to revisit. Frasier aired in 1993 and ran for 11 seasons, wrapping up in 2004. Psychiatrist-turned-radio show host Frasier Crane and his producer Roz, competitive brother Niles and their grouchy dad Martin feature. Not to mention, live-in nurse Daphne. A stellar ensemble cast with humour in the least expected places. Available on: StarzPlay

Succession: This messy comedy drama follows the Logan family, who control the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. Their life gets even more dysfunctional when their father steps down from the company. Available on: OSN

Family Friendly

Ghostwriter: We might be showing our age, but we grew up on the original Ghostwriter and can hardly believe there’s a reboot in 2020. In this fantasy series aimed at young viewers, a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and begins to release fictional characters into the real world, while four kids try to solve the case. Available on: Apple TV+

Full House: In the classic sitcom from the 90s, Danny is a widower who is raising his three little girls after the sudden death of his wife. But he has help from his musician brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis, and his best friend, comedian Joey Gladstone. Available on: Netflix

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Will Smith stars in a fictionalised version of himself in the top-rated sitcom. In ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, Smith moves in with his uncle’s family only to find that his working-class background more often than not clashes with the upper-class sensibilities of the family, and hilarity ensues. Available on: Netflix

No Good Nick: A regular family of four find their lives turned upside down when a young, street-smart grifter shows up on their doorstep, claiming to be a distant relative, but is actually there on what seems like a revenge plot. Available on: Netflix

Stuck in the Middle: Harley Diaz, a young genius and the middle child of her family, uses her creativity and technical know-how to stand out from her six siblings and deal with her busy parents. Available on: OSN

Just Add Magic: Kelly Quinn and her two best friends, Darbie and Hannah, find Kelly’s grandmother’s cookbook in the attic and discover some strange recipes, which actually turn out to be recipes for magic spells. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

MasterChef Junior: Food reality TV shows have a way of bringing the whole family together, because what can be a better unifying force than food? In ‘MasterChef Junior’, children aged eight to 13 display their culinary skills in front of some of the most famous chefs and food critics. Available on: OSN

DOCUSERIES

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness: If there’s one thing that’s caught the people’s imaginations after the coronavirus pandemic, it’s this wild docuseries. Following the extravagant life of zookeeper Joe Exotic and the community that rose up to take him and the industry of big cat breeding down, ‘Tiger King’ is full of twists and turns. Available on: Netflix

Lorena: Lorena Bobbitt made headlines all over the world in1993 when she attacked her husband with a knife. Twenty-five years after the case of Lorena and John Bobbitt, executive producer Jordan Peele investigates. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Cheer: Prepare to be surprised by the high-stakes drama and intrigue of a high-school cheerleading squad. The six-part series follows Texas’s Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team as they prepare to compete in the annual National Cheerleading Championship. Available on: Netflix

Our Planet: In the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning series, David Attenborough once again guides us as we get reacquainted with our home, and find out how climate change impacts everything and everyone on Earth. Available on: Netflix

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes: One of America’s most notorious serial killers., Ted Bundy was convicted in the deaths of more than 30 women before being caught in 1978. Thirty years after Bundy’s 1989 execution, this docuseries shines a light into the mind of the criminal. Available on: Netflix

The World According to Jeff Goldblum: Each episode in the series is centred around something we love as actor Jeff Golblum pulls the thread on these deceptively familiar objects and unravels a wonderful world of astonishing connections that are both surprising and exciting. Available on: OSN

This is Football: A six-part documentary series that captures the emotions, stories, passions and triumphs surrounding the international sport of football. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Reality TV

Encore!: This new Disney+ reality web series, hosted (and executive produced) by Kristen Bell and Will Gluck, reunites the cast of various high school musicals years later to recreate the performance they originally performed. Some of musicals include Annie, Grease, the Sound of Music and High School Musical. Available on: OSN

The Circle: In this bizarre reality TV show, contestants live in the same building without meeting. They communicate through a social media platform called ‘The Circle’. The catch? They can be themselves or pretend to be someone else, fake pictures and all. Every week, they vote off the least popular contestant and in the final episode, the most popular - or beloved - cast member gets crowned the winner. Available on: Netflix

Love is Blind: It’s the reality TV ‘experiment’ that left viewers enthralled and enraged. The series explored the question: Is love blind? Contestants are thrown into pods where they speed date other contestants through a wall, until they decide they want to get engaged. That’s when they meet face-to-face for the first time and decide if they want to get married by the finale. Available on: Netflix

Back with the Ex: Four former couples agree to give their relationship a second chance while the cameras are rolling, including high school sweethearts torn apart by infidelity and long lost lovers reunited after an unbelievable 28 years apart. Available on: Netflix

Making the Cut: For lovers of Project Runway, Making the Cut — released this year — reunites hosts Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn in a new format. The duo meet 12 designers, who complete challenges and assignments, to test both their design skills and business abilities. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

Based on a comic book

Titans: DC fans’ favourite teenage superhero group’s first foray into live-action territory was a big success mainly owing to its enigmatic cast and darker approach. Join Nightwing, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy as they fight evil forces – some much too close to home for comfort – as they also learn to control their powers and trust each other. Available on: Netflix

The Boys: Just as superhero fatigue was setting in last year, Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s hyper-violent superhero satire found its way to TV screens, instantly clicking with fans. ‘Boys’ envisions a world where caped heroes have been around for a long time but have fallen to the pitfalls of greed and capitalism, and a band of misfits rise up to fight them. It’s gory, irrelevant and darkly comedic and you’ll have a blast bingeing through its eight-episode first season. Available on: Amazon Prime Video

The Umbrella Academy: ‘The Umbrella Academy’ follows an eccentric and dysfunctional superhero family, the Hargreeves siblings, as they discover shocking family secrets after the death of their adoptive father. The unusual superhero story is as splashy in its genre trappings as they come but don’t be fooled by all the wackiness, there’s enough plot to keep you hooked through its action-packed season one. Available on: Netflix

Daredevil: The best of the Marvel-Netflix TV shows, all three seasons of the now- cancelled series are pure gold. Matthew Cox in the lead role totally owns Daredevil, playing up the tortured, double-life antics of his lawyer by day and vigilante by night character. Watch this show for top-notch action and a fully-realised storyline that at once stayed true to its comic book source as well as elevated it. Available on: Netflix

The Punisher: Following the character of Frank Castle, a former soldier looking to avenge his dead family, ‘The Punisher’ is decidedly the most violent of the Marvel-Netflix TV shows. If you enjoy anti-hero stories with a heart, you cannot go wrong with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Available on: Netflix

Legion: The trippy, mind-bending X-Men story you didn’t know you needed. David Haller is a troubled young man diagnosed as schizophrenic, but after a strange encounter, he discovers special powers that will change his life forever. Available on: StarzPlay

Doom Patrol: A re-imagining of DC’s most beloved group of outcast superheroes, ‘Doom Patrol’ is surprisingly funny and affecting. Meet Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl and Crazy Jane, as they are led by modern-day mad scientist Dr Niles Caulder, and set out to save the world. Available on: StarzPlay