I discovered a cool meme recently, The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge, hosted by Long and Short Reviews. The topic for March 31 is TV Shows I Binge-Watch(ed). Here they are, and maybe you’ll find something new-to-watch here!
1 / Jessica Jones (Season 1)
Why I binge-watched: the “neo-Noir” tones, a Marvel Comics hero rediscovering confidence, great friendships, Krysten Ritter as Jessica, David Tennant as Kilgrave, and Melissa Rosenberg’s screenwriting.
2 / Stranger (Seasons 1 and 2)
Available on Netflix. A public prosecutor teams up with a cop to fish out the corrupt, while their two departments remain at loggerheads. Realistic but still marvelously uplifting.
3 / The Good Place
This is a rib-cracking hilarious show created by the wonderful Michael Schur, about a bunch of misfits who land up accidentally in The Good Place (= Paradise) in the afterlife. Plenty of twists and turns!
4 / Dublin Murders
Never a dull moment as two detectives investigate a child’s murder deep in the woods. Based on Tana Fench’s book, this was a superbly directed fast-paced show. Oh, but that ridiculous ending – can we undo it?
5 / Kamisama Kiss (Seasons 1 to 4)
Gorgeous anime about a kitsune enslaved to a minor land god. The kitsune was once a nefarious demon, but has forgotten his memories under a curse.
6 / Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple/ Hercule Poirot
You have to give it to Dame Christie – murder, she could write. My own personal favourites are Five Little Pigs and The Pale Horse.
7 / Case Histories (Seasons 1 and 2)
This is a BBC-televised version of Kate Atkinson’s detective novels. Detective Jackson Brodie cannot ever turn down a case for missing girls, and boy, does that lead him from one hole to another. Jason Isaacs gives a helluva performance.
8 / Pride and Prejudice (BBC 1995)
This version of Austen’s masterpiece to rule all other versions. As a treat, here’s a funny video:
9/ Anne of Green Gables (1987)
Anne Shirley, the memorable, the wonderful Anne with an E. I binge-watched Anne’s journey from an orphan to a Green Gables family member to Princeton teacher and then returning to her home and her roots.
10/ Parnell and the Englishwoman (1991)
Parnell was an Irish Nationalist Party statesman. His scandalous affair destroys his career and disables the Irish independence movement. An old, yellowed 1991 BBC version of the book by Hugh Leonard is available on YouTube.
11/ Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is one of my favourite books ever. To see it televised in a 7-part show by Toby Haynes was a dream come true.
12 / Peter Wimsey Mystery Series (1970s/ 1987)
The BBC series based on the books of Dorothy Sayers star Ian Carmichael/ Edward Petherbridge as Peter Wimsey, and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vale. Oh, what a treat it was. Watch on YouTube: Murder Must Advertise; Strong Poison; Five Red Herrings; Gaudy Night; Have His Carcase; and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club.
13 / The Revenants (2012+)
In a small French town, people who have died are suddenly re-appearing and want their old life back. No one’s sure of what to make of them – are they a miracle or are they monsters? Very beautifully shot, amazing score, and great blend of supernatural mystery and horror.
14 / Thank You (2007)
Thank You is a 2007 Korean drama. A single mother struggles to raise an HIV-positive child in a backwaters village. Then a jaded, almost maniacal, doctor walks in, and then it’s all about redemption and new beginnings. You can watch it on Youtube.
15 / Miss Phryne Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
Watch Miss Fisher solve improbable mysteries with considerable aplomb in the early Jazz era (1920s-30s) Australia. Special kudos to Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, who makes lots of faces at Phryne.
16 / Once Upon a Time
I spent hours on Once Upon a Time. I ask myself why. It started off so well, so much promise, all those beloved characters from fairy tales coming to life, without seeming [too] childish. I loved the Sheriff, Gold and Hook, and even Regina. And then the show just went ON AND ON.
17 / Game of Thrones
George R. Martin leads us in a merry dance of who will be king and how, who is on whose side, and what everyone’s willing to sacrifice in the game of thrones in his seven-book series. Every time a GOT season ended, a Stark died. Here’s a favorite scene from the show:
18 / True Blood
The show was better than Charlaine Harris books it was based on. I could never decide between the Eric and Bill camps. Though I needn’t have worried, Sookie ends up with neither of these vampires. The see-sawing got old after a while, but those first few seasons were a binge.
19 / North and South
Class struggles abound as the industrial revolution zooms through England, as do labor strikes and lockouts. North and South is a truly exceptional adaption of a truly exceptional 1855 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Special thanks to Richard Armitrage, about whom the less said is more.
20 / Jane Eyre (1996 BBC)
Jane Eyre, although written in 1847, still draws both readers and producers alike to its brooding mystery and idealism. I have seen most versions (1943, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2006, and 2011), but my personal favourite is the 2006 BBC version with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson.
Alright, tell me about shows YOU have binge-watched on. Need something new to watch!
32 replies on “Wednesday Weekly: 20 TV Shows I Binge-Watch(ed)”
I liked True Blood, but it went on and on, you’re right. I loved Jessica Jones very much. That was great writing. Once Upon a Time was great when Hook was bad, everyone wasn’t trying to hook him up with Emma and Regina was bad. But it did tend to go on and on and seemed like it never really went anywhere.
Yes! Hook was brilliant in Once Upon a Time. I used to ship Hook/ Emma, and then they just took that ship and drowned it. Ended up becoming a crazy mess.
Several of these are favorites of mine! Jessica Jones, The Good Place, Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones.
I knew it – great minds think alike! 🙂
The Good Place was amazing!
I enjoyed the first several seasons of True Blood, too.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-tv-shows-i-binge-watched/
Thanks for coming by! I loved Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones. I’ve put my toe in on Blue Bloods… cause I’m a Sellick fangirl. I think I need to really start that one from the top to get into the characters. I’ve also heard some excellent things about Jessica Jones…thanks for adding to my list!
I’ve heard Jessica Jones gets a bit slow/ draggy in the later seasons. But that first season was so good. I stayed up late night to watch all episodes at one go. Hope you do watch it!
I forgot about Jessica Jones and True Blood. They are really good shows I’ve binged a few years ago.
Haha, yes, this list goes several years back, probably all the TV shows I have binged on till date. Thanks for stopping by!
The Good Place was another I binged. Two friends suggested it to me, but it was almost all the way through the second season at that time. Ran through those first two seasons so fast!
Also, my 19-year-old LOVES her anime. She and her BFF will spend a whole weekend running through shows.
My post
Ooh, Good Place is one show that manages to stay good through all 4 seasons. Everything about that show, I love to pieces.
And I hope you’ll introduce Kamisama Kiss (I kissed a God) to your family. It’s so beautifully drawn, great music, and so darned funny too!
Oh my word, you have so much here!! I’ve actually not watched any of them, but I’ve heard really good things about many (especially “The Good Place” which my neighbor and walking buddy is binging on currently). I love all things Marvel, too, so Jessica Jones is on my list. There are a few more you listed that sound intriguing. My TV watching schedule is filling so quickly this week!
Thanks for visiting earlier, and welcome to the Wednesday blogging challenge
I am so glad I could add to your list 😇 I kind of went on a rampage, and listed every single show I had EVAH binge-watched. But I had a blast. Wednesday Weekly is all kinds of fun. 🙂
I always wanted to see Case Histories, but it isn‘t available where I live or only synchronized. I am a huge Jason Isaac‘s fan.
Peter Whimsy — great books as well! Murder Must Advertise is great and Busman‘s Honeymoon.
Definitely camp Eric! I hate Bill, always did, even in the books.
Yes, Eric was awesome… though in those first few seasons, Eric had a terrible hair-do, so in those days, it was Camp Bill for me. 😂
Jessica Jones was geat. I liked Trish too (although she got on my nerves at times with decisions she made). Come to tihnk of it, I never finished the latest season. Ackk!!
The revenants- oh my gosh I LOVED that show. So moody, so mysterious… I want to go back and watch it again!!!
Miss Fisher’s I’ve only watched the first one but need t get back to it. I want to make some time to binge.
You know, I have only watched the first season for Jessica Jones. So I don’t know much about what Trish ends up doing 😝. But that first season was such a blast! Same for Revenants, spot-on about the Moody and Mysterious! And Miss Fisher gets repetitive after the first two seasons, but the visuals make up for it.
I’ve been wanting to go back and watch Anne of Green Gables for a while now. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid.
I just rewatched it, and it was the perfect antidote for the pandemic times. 😊
I shall look for The Good Place – I think I would like that.
I’ve watched a few of these from your list. I love the BBC version of P&P. I’e watched all the Jane Eyre adaptations – I can’t resist. Also the Revenants which was really compelling. GoTs – binge watched the whole lot in about six weeks. What else have we been watching *scratches head* we decided to watch all of Peaky Blinders, gangs and bloodshed maybe not for everyone. I watched the Bridgertons – but I did have some issues with it (although I would probably watch on. We watched the Serpent which was excellent and totally compelling. Can’t think of anything else for now although I’m sure there’s been more.
Lynn 😀
You and I have a lot of similar tastes in TV shows! I think you’ll definitely like The Good Place — it’s one of those shows that starts and ends at the right note and the right moment. Watch till at least Episode 3 of First Season, and then you’ll be totally hooked.
I liked Peaky Blinders, though I didn’t binge-watch it. And Bridgerton, while it had some great moments, was decent but not the binge-fever I wanted it to be. 🙁
I hadn’t heard of Serpent, but it looks promising. Thanks, I’m definitely going to check it out.
That is an amazing list and I love those selections, though I’ve seen bits of maybe two of them. (You’d think I’d at least have watched a season of Game of Thrones, but… I haven’t. Kind of afraid that if I started, I’d look up at the end and be like, “Wait, what month is this? And why do I have a beard down to my knees?”)
Haha, it’s highly possible. Whenever a new Season would start, I would wait for all the episodes to be released, then binge-watch over the weekend. I would come out looking like a truck slammed into me, waiting impatiently for the next instalment. 😀 But now you can have it ALL in one go, that’s something to always look forward to.
The only ones I have watched here are Case Histories, and the Peter Wimsey mysteries (both series). We are currently watching all 5 seasons of Babylon 5 for the second time (almost done with that), Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and working our way through the Poirot episodes. Also in the middle of Wolf Hall.
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TracyK at Bitter Tea and Mystery
I didn’t binge-watch Wolf Hall like Poirot, but that show is excellent, esp. since I loved the book. I hadn’t heard of Babylon 5, must be excellent if you’re on your second watch — definitely going to look it up, thanks!
So many of my favorite mysteries are here! Throw in Pride and Prejudice and GOT and it could be my list of great shows. Terrific list. Welcome to the Blog Hop.
Thank you, this is such a fun meme, lots of very cool prompts. 🙂
If it’s got murder, I’m in! I love crime/detective shows. I’ve read most of the Tana French books so I want to watch the series. Will add Case Histories to our list. If you haven’t watched The Bridge (Swedish) or The Tunnel (same premise as The Bridge but French), I highly recommend both.
I hadn’t heard of Bridge/ Tunnel. These look fabulous, thanks for letting me know!
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorite book adaptations.
I just recently watched Case Histories and I really got into it. I wish there were more. 🙂
I love Case Histories and would so love that series to continue! So good to meet another Case Histories fan 🙂
There aren’t enough of out there. If only one day. 🙂