As the awards season ramps up, the small screen is in an itty-bitty bit of a dry spell.
Sure, there is prime time TV, but that comes and goes, taking a week off here and there as it pleases while audiences are forced to wait and develop hobbies. And heavy hitters like HBO still have a few month before they roll out their big guns like Westworld, set to return in the near future.
Don’t like that answer? Well how about the fact that there is another year (yes, year) to wait until new episodes of Game of Thrones, Big, Little Lies and True Detective.
So while we all have to wait patiently for zombie ice dragons, robot cowboys, housewives with a score to settle and whatever the hell awaits for us behind the thin facade of cop drama, we have good old Netflix to get us through the rut.
Here is a small list of goodies to binge to make the wait a little more bearable:
The Toys That Made Us
Only four episodes, this clever mix of animation, sketches and interviews behind the mad geniuses behind your favorite playthings is both highly entertaining and educational. Did you know Barbie was based on the German call girl “Bild Lilli” doll? Or that Battle Cat was originally part of the Big Jim line, just painted green and given a saddle? He was morphed into He-Man’s steed due to a lack of funds to give the barbarian a proper horse.
The show covers Masters of the Universe, Barbie, G.I. Joe and Star Wars. Check it out.
The End of the F**cking World
Based on the comic by Charles Forsman, the Brit series follows James and Alyssa, two teens so disillusioned it makes Heathers look like a rom-com. James is a budding serial killer and Alyssa in a borderline sociopath. Together they hit the road, setting forth on a path that grows darker and darker with each episode.
If the premise doesn’t get you, the Spotify playlist should. It’s friggin’ brilliant.
Oh, and each episode is only 20 minutes, so it’s binging for beginners.
Dark
Netflix’s first German-lingo series is a sci-fier about the town of Winden, a small spooky little spot on the Earth where children have begun to disappear. As events unfold, dark truths of the town, its inhabitants and its terrible past begin to come to light.
Featuring a little horror, a little thrill and a little time travel, this brilliant series is ten episodes deep that forces you to pay attention. It’s not for the passive viewer.
Godless
Michelle Dockery, Jack O’Connell, Jeff Daniels and Merritt Wever star in this limited series that offers folks a good, old-fashioned Western.
In the spirit of Seven Samurai, the story follows Roy Goode, a former outlaw on the run from his one-time employer (Daniels). While hiding out, he happens upon a small town made up almost completely of women due to a mining accident. The ladies take a shine to the scoundrel and protect him from his former boss. Badassery ensues.
Rotten
So…need to go on a diet anytime soon? If so, good news…
Take a deep dive into the hidden evils of the food trade. The entire series is filled with surprising revelations that will make you question every crunch. It is a look at an industry that has squeezed out the family farmer and turned every fruit, veggie and meat into a billion dollar industry. It is a hard truth to stomach, but compelling to watch.
