DOWNTIME
DEC. 2024
Our Year End Binge List
Evergreen
BY OPENING ROUND
There’s no shame in devouring the good stuff. We’ve put together a list of our favourite binge-worthy TV shows a good, healthy ‘no things’ day in your near future.
“English Teacher”
Season One on FX
‘English Teacher’ feels like a breath of fresh air. The show follows a gay english teacher in Austin, Texas and takes a new look at the slate of issues in the American education system with levity and irreverence.
“Somebody Somewhere”
Season One on HBO
An ultra-charming, heartfelt, indie series that is short and unconventionally sweet. The show provides a slice of life of a Kansas-based woman navigating family, loss, trauma and finding relief where she least expected to.
The show is a semi-autobiographical drama that revels in a singular performance from series lead Bridget Everett.
“Dark”
Seasons 1 - 3 on Netlflix
This show has been described as ‘the most mentally exhausting thing on tv’ but there is no question that the mental labor required to follow this bending narrative pays off over and over again.
‘Dark’ might be the most convoluted time-travel story in recent years (challenger: Foundation) but its 94% score on rotten tomatoes speaks for itself.
“Agatha All Along”
On Disney+
High-octane, family-friendly and witchy as hell. The highly anticipated follow-up to Marvel’s re-entry into the world of television - Wandavision -became an instant cult classic upon its summer 2024 arrival.
“Three Body Problem”
Season One on Netflix
It doesn’t get more high-concept than ‘Three Body Problem’. The show boasts the same creative team behind Game of Thrones and manages to execute an incredibly complex adaptation of a 2008 novel by the Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin.
Watch this if you’re not afraid of putting your brain to work while you escape into a new world (or two).
“Station Eleven”
On HBO Max
The miniseries examines the preservation of art and humanity in a gruesome environment with critically acclaimed performances across the board.
The show is a semi-autobiographical drama that revels in a singular performance from series lead Bridget Everett.
Watch this if you want to see one of the most beautiful stories about the end of the world.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
Season One on Amazon Prime Video
There is a seemingly unlimited number of spy shows at any given time, but this one is our favourite of 2024.
The latest iteration of the ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ franchise went through a number of significant changes in development, but the finished product strikes a funny but prestigious tone. This series showcases two of the most charismatic actors on deck and finds the fun in every single second of its eight episode run.
The show also boasts an incredibly strong rotating cast of guest actors including: Micaela Cole, Parker Posey, Sarah Paulson and Ron Pearlman
Notable alternates: Slow Horses, Black Doves, The Americans.
“Fleabag”
Seasons 1 - 2 on Amazon Prime Video
No binge list would be complete without Phoebe Waller-Bridges’ massively successful two season run of the deeply cynical, completely offside, sardonic comedy ‘Fleabag’.
The entire series runs less than 8 hours and feels like a complete story that doesn’t miss a beat from start to finish.