TV series | Bookshelf Fantasies

Binge-watching during the pandemic… well, it passes the time! I’ve actually watched some great TV over the last several months, and now I need some fresh ideas.

So hey, why not turn to the hive-mind for suggestions? I’ll tell you what I’ve loved, and hopefully, you’ll tell me what to watch next. Deal?

So far, my best binges have been:

Harry Potter movies
Fast & the Furious movies (yes, I have a teen-aged son…)
Jane the Virgin
Gilmore Girls
Schitts Creek
Derry Girls
Harlots
Veronica Mars
The Witcher
Never Have I Ever
Dead To Me
Hollywood
Sex Education

I don’t like to watch:

Police procedurals
Hospital procedurals
Crime, violence, gangs, drug cartels (so despite my son’s best efforts, I’m not going to watch Narcos or Queen of the South)

Series I’ve started but haven’t finished:

Anne with an E: I enjoyed the few episodes I watched (only 3 or 4), but just haven’t been in the mood to continue
The Vampire Diaries: I watched devotedly through season 6, then walked away. Should I go back?
The Umbrella Academy: I watched three episodes of season 1, but I don’t really see myself continuing.
The Outsider: I loved the book, and I thought the few episodes I watched were really good — but I just don’t think I’ve been in the right mindset for something this dark.

I’ve been thinking about watching Cursed, and I’ve been told I should watch Succession. Meanwhile, I’m watching season 1 of Supernatural in bits and pieces, but don’t feel hooked yet.

So….

I’m open to suggestions! What have been your favorites binges during your months at home? What should I bump to the top of my to-watch list?

All ideas are welcome — ready, set, go!

You may have already seen me mention that my newest TV kick is watching Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a new show on NBC that debuted in January this year. Remember January? Back when we could actually leave our houses?

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a total ray of sunshine in these gloomy days, and I’m loving it to pieces. Here’s the trailer, to give you a taste of what it’s all about:

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Zoey is a super-talented engineer at a tech company in San Francisco. She’s close to her family, and torn up over her father’s degenerative disease. A weird encounter with an MRI machine during an earthquake gives her the power to hear people’s secret emotions as songs.

Does it make sense? Well, no. But that’s okay. Just go with it. Because it is just too cute to bother poking holes in the plot.

Not only does she hear songs, she sometimes experiences these musical messages as full-on song and dance numbers — which only she can hear or see. And, as she learns, some of these songs demand action — either she reaches out to try to help the person singing to her, or she’ll hear the song everywhere she goes.

Like I said, logically, realistically, scientifically, it doesn’t make any sense. But who cares? The show is charming and upbeat, often moving (I’m not crying! You’re crying!), enthusiastic, entertaining, and just plain fun. And don’t we all need some fun right about now?

Here are an assortment of terrific musical moments from the nine episodes that have aired so far:

A teeny clip of a great group number. Whoo!

Lauren Graham! Just amazing as Zoey’s high-powered but secretly lonely boss.

Oh my geeky musical theater loving heart. A perfect moment to mark the arrival of a tech guru. (You can quit after the song ends — the rest is talking.)

I love the action in this one.

This father-daughter number totally brought on the tears.

Love the choreography.

Super silly.

Another great dance number.

A terrific number by an incredibly talented cast member… and one of the only songs that’s happening IRL in the show, not just in Zoey’s head

One more tearjerker.

Okay, this is just scratching the surface, and there are so many more that I can’t find decent videos for (including an amazing version of Fight Song performed completely in ASL).

Look, what else do you have to do during these long days of sheltering in place? Give Zoey a chance! And if you’ve watched the show, tell me — what have been your favorite musical numbers so far?