If you're like millions around the world, you might currently be reading this in your home where you're self-isolating, quarantined, or under house arrest. It's a scary time out there, but if you aren't actively sick, what you might currently be, is very actively bored. Let's face it, being cooped up at home all day is a slog. But thankfully, it's 2020, which means there is no shortage of entertainment available on all manner of streaming platforms. As such, below is an eclectic TV roundup of shows I have recently watched that may keep you somewhat entertained as we all #QuarantineAndChill in our best efforts to #FlattenTheCurve. Stay safe, and hit me up in the comments if you need any personalized recommendations to keep you going through the Coronapocalypse.
Hillary: If you've read the blog, you know that I did not react well to the 2016 election. So this recommendation is for people who like political documentaries, wanted Hillary to win, and are mad that Trump is currently killing us all due to his incompetence. Directed by Nanette Burnstein, it’s certainly a bit of a hagiography, but it’s a comprehensive overview of Hillary Clinton’s life, from birth and student government (obligatory Wellesley shoutout!) to her global role as a political powerhouse and feminist icon. Each of the four episodes tackles a particular phase of her life, while juxtaposing it against phases of the 2016 campaign, which is a very compelling narrative structure. For someone like me, who only really paid attention to Hillary in this decade, it was a fascinating look at her early life and her particular brand of feminism, and the political tribulations that have had such a lasting impact on her legacy. I never understood all the Hillary hatred in 2016, but this documentary finally put me in the shoes of the conspiracy theorists and weirdos who saw her as some sort of corrupt, emotionless harpy. It’s a valuable and unvarnished look at a complicated woman, and while she isn’t going to break down in tears on camera, she will explain herself to you with conviction. It also provides great insight at what goes on behind the scenes of a political campaign. Did I still tear up at the end when they showed a clip of her concession speech? Sure. But the documentary does end on a hopeful note, suggesting that despite everything she went through, she kick-started a revolution that will have reverberations for years to come.
McMillions: This six-part documentary is what you need to binge if you’re looking for a real-life mystery with a host of colorful characters, FBI shenanigans, and a story that feels so unbelievable that it just has to be true. Written and directed by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, this is the tale of the McDonald’s Monopoly game that ran from 1989 to 2001, and featured the chance to instantly win a million dollars if you found the winning game piece. However, it turns out that almost none of the million dollar prize winners were legitimate. The FBI got an anonymous tip that some of the winners were related to each other, even though they didn’t share the same last names, and as they started to dig into this, they uncovered a vast and sprawling web of deceit. The documentary is part mystery, part screwball comedy, thanks to Special Agent Doug Mathews, who is the most gung-ho FBI agent you’ll ever meet and seems in dire need of some Ritalin. It’s a wacky show and each episode ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you begging for more, so it’s the ideal binge watch. Get to it.
Sanditon: One would think this show would be right up my alley, given that my home is littered with Jane Austen paraphernalia that my friends have sent me over the ages (on successive Christmases, I have received Austen candles, band-aids, post-it notes, and an action figure wielding a quill). However, Sanditon was her unfinished novel, a work in progress before she died, and I thought watching it would amount to nothing more than watching a piece of fan fiction. However, then my friend Maggie told me to give it a shot, citing the fact that there might be some scenes involving wet male torsos. And for eight episodes, I returned week after week, weirdly addicted to some very campy fan fiction that would make Austen audibly groan in her grave. Written by Andrew Davies, you can see how he’s turning the flimsy framework of the first 12 chapters penned by Austen into a re-hash of Pride & Prejudice, complete with seemingly arrogant hero, penniless but witty heroine, and rakish supporting characters who are ready to ruin any naive girls that want to attend a ball. The plot twists are insane and more suited to a gothic romance than a Regency drama. And the ending is just...well, you’ll see. Overall, if you’re a fan of period dramas, this will scratch that itch, but don’t expect a quality plot. This is purely a Coronavirus binge - you would skip it if you had other things to do, but damnit, you’re stuck indoors, so you might as well.
Avenue 5: Armando Ianucci is one of the smartest British TV writers around, so I will watch anything he does. Thus, I was insanely excited for his new HBO show, Avenue 5, set on a spaceship in the future when space tourism is pretty common. We meet a group of people who are on an 8-week trip to Saturn, until something goes horribly wrong and changes the ship’s trajectory. Now, their voyage is going to take three years. Oops. It’s a solid premise, but the comedy can be a bit broad and run-of-the-mill. Where it excels, of course, is when the characters start to have total meltdowns. There’s nothing better in an Ianucci sitcom than when someone is panicking and the full force of their vituperative wrath comes out to play. Plus the show deploys Hugh Laurie (my favorite British comedy actor but known to most Americans as the dramatic actor from House) to his best possible effect. I can’t spoil it, but rest assured that each episode contains some new revelation about his character, which is always a treat. While I am less enamored of other aspects of this show, I’ll keep coming back for him. Like most comedies, this show is struggling to find its footing in the first season, but each episode contains a nugget of comic brilliance to make it worth your while. Just this morning I watched the eighth episode and burst out laughing as things went completely haywire for 30 minutes straight. It’s a great watch if you’re panicking and need to expand your vocabulary in terms of things to yell at your phone as you get the latest breaking alerts regarding global pandemics. Isn’t that what we all need right now?
Hillary: If you've read the blog, you know that I did not react well to the 2016 election. So this recommendation is for people who like political documentaries, wanted Hillary to win, and are mad that Trump is currently killing us all due to his incompetence. Directed by Nanette Burnstein, it’s certainly a bit of a hagiography, but it’s a comprehensive overview of Hillary Clinton’s life, from birth and student government (obligatory Wellesley shoutout!) to her global role as a political powerhouse and feminist icon. Each of the four episodes tackles a particular phase of her life, while juxtaposing it against phases of the 2016 campaign, which is a very compelling narrative structure. For someone like me, who only really paid attention to Hillary in this decade, it was a fascinating look at her early life and her particular brand of feminism, and the political tribulations that have had such a lasting impact on her legacy. I never understood all the Hillary hatred in 2016, but this documentary finally put me in the shoes of the conspiracy theorists and weirdos who saw her as some sort of corrupt, emotionless harpy. It’s a valuable and unvarnished look at a complicated woman, and while she isn’t going to break down in tears on camera, she will explain herself to you with conviction. It also provides great insight at what goes on behind the scenes of a political campaign. Did I still tear up at the end when they showed a clip of her concession speech? Sure. But the documentary does end on a hopeful note, suggesting that despite everything she went through, she kick-started a revolution that will have reverberations for years to come.Sanditon: One would think this show would be right up my alley, given that my home is littered with Jane Austen paraphernalia that my friends have sent me over the ages (on successive Christmases, I have received Austen candles, band-aids, post-it notes, and an action figure wielding a quill). However, Sanditon was her unfinished novel, a work in progress before she died, and I thought watching it would amount to nothing more than watching a piece of fan fiction. However, then my friend Maggie told me to give it a shot, citing the fact that there might be some scenes involving wet male torsos. And for eight episodes, I returned week after week, weirdly addicted to some very campy fan fiction that would make Austen audibly groan in her grave. Written by Andrew Davies, you can see how he’s turning the flimsy framework of the first 12 chapters penned by Austen into a re-hash of Pride & Prejudice, complete with seemingly arrogant hero, penniless but witty heroine, and rakish supporting characters who are ready to ruin any naive girls that want to attend a ball. The plot twists are insane and more suited to a gothic romance than a Regency drama. And the ending is just...well, you’ll see. Overall, if you’re a fan of period dramas, this will scratch that itch, but don’t expect a quality plot. This is purely a Coronavirus binge - you would skip it if you had other things to do, but damnit, you’re stuck indoors, so you might as well.
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