With shelter-in-place orders worldwide, it’s never been a better time to curl up on the couch and loss oneself in a TV show. That’s what we’re doing.
Some TechCrunch staffers are watching perennial favorites like The Wire or The West Wing or Gilmore Girls. Others are trying new shows like Devs or McMillions. The Covid-19 pandemic hit at the height of TV show production. There has never been so much good content available and now many of us are stuck at home with nothing but our TVs and Netflix.
We polled TechCrunch’s staff and what follows is an eclectic mix of viewing suggestions. And yes, most of us are watching Tiger King, too.
Netflix
Tiger King
“Most documentaries I watch are educational. I’m not sure what this one is, but it’s wildly entertaining. Stories like this are so crazy that they must be real.” Travis Bernard – Senior Director, Membership
“7-ep docu-series, that’s part big cat zoo doc and part dateline on steroids.” Jason Kopeck, Event Manager
“It’s so bad that it’s fun to watch. I just can’t believe people like this exist.” Safa Aliabadi, Sr. Event & Digital Advertising Partner
Dirty Money
“Docu-series about embezzlement and money related fraud.” Robin Julius, Lead Software Engineer
The West Wing
“It’s classic and still relevant in the global landscape.” Neesha Tembe, Startup Battlefield Editor
MST 3000
“Srsly? The best cry-laugh hysterical comic viewing of trash movies.” Jeff Taylor, TechCrunch Partner Relations
Ozark
“Jason Bateman drama/thriller about a big-city family displaced to middle of nowhere Missouri to launder money after a terrible run-in with the Cartel. Truly terrific.” Jordan Crook, Managing Editor
“Compelling plot line and good character arcs.” Megan Rose Dickey, Senior Reporter
Gilmore Girls
“When the COVID-19 news won’t stop, sometimes you just need to fill your home with the fast-talking Gilmores to melt your cares away. I understand more quippy references on every rewatch and I also realize how smug an asshole that Luke Danes is.” Lucas Matney, Reporter
Broadchurch
“Great for binge watching.”Safa Aliabadi, Sr. Event & Digital Advertising Partner
Valhalla Murders
“Iceland kills! Watch a great murder mystery through the lens of Icelandic values.” Jeff Taylor, TechCrunch Partner Relations
Hulu
Devs
“Tech + terror TV series from director Alex Garland (Ex Machina)” Sarah Perez, Senior Writer
Little Fires Everywhere
“Enjoyed the book and now seeing it on film. Washington and Witherspoon are great.” Sarah Perez, Senior Writer
One Tree Hill
“Truly terrible television that is 13/10 on the nostalgia scale.” Jordan Crook, Managing Editor
High Fidelity
“Twist on the Nick Hornby novel set in Brooklyn Record store.” Ron, Writer
11.22.63
“An adaption of Stephen King’s eponymous novel, 11.22.63 takes you back to the ’60s and adds a sci-fi spin to it. What if you could go back to 1960, spend three years there, find the killer of John F. Kennedy and prevent the assassination. Would the world be a different place?” Manish Singh, Writer
Breeders
“Show about parenting with Martin Freeman.” Yashad Kulkarni, Executive Producer
Vanderpump Rules
“Reality show focusing on the lives of servers/friends that have all worked at SUR restaurant, spin-off from Real Housewives of BH (Lisa Vanderpump).” Jason Kopeck, Event Manager
HBO
High Maintenance
“This show tells fantastic stories. Each episode focuses on a character loosely connected to an NYC-based weed dealer. It’s a fun episodical show with a lot of heart. This is a show to keep in your back pocket. Have an hour and need an easy break? High Maintenance.” Matt Burns, Managing Editor
McMillions
“On one hand, this would have been a much better documentary than docu-series, there’s just not enough source material and its too reliant on modern day interviews. BUT the story is simply insane and the show does a great job of showing how FBI agents get creative to nail investigations.” Lucas Matney, Writer
The Wire
“I always meant to watch it but never seemed to have the time. It’s realistic with the system as the villain, they hired local actors from the neighborhood.” Emma Comeau, Director of Events
“Okay, The Wire. It’s widely cited as the best TV show ever made and I’m not one to argue. At its basic level, the show follows the life of Baltimore-based drug dealers and the police detectives trying to take them down — but there’s so much more to it.” Matt Burns, Managing Editor
Westworld
“The first two seasons were amazing, and so far the third season doesn’t disappoint. What better way to embrace a pandemic than an apocalyptic AI thriller?” Travis Bernard – Senior Director, Membership
Amazon Prime
Grantchester
“Cozy ’50s murder mysteries starring a handsome, heavy-drinking vicar with PTSD. The murders are almost always more morally ambiguous than they first appear…” Devin Coldewey, Senior Editor
Black Books
“Who doesn’t want to watch an alcoholic, useless bastard run a used book store with his two friends? It’s good, it’s light, and if you drink heavily while watching no one can judge you.” Alex Wilhelm, Extra Crunch Writer
Father Ted
“A bit like Firefly this doesn’t have enough seasons, but Father Ted is one of the funniest bits of TV I’ve ever seen. A must watch if you like to laugh.” Alex Wilhelm, Extra Crunch Writer
Case Histories
“Dark adaptation of Kate Aktinson’s private detective character, Jackson Brodie.” Ron Miller, Senior Writer
George Carlin – Life is Worth Losing
“George Carlin, nuff said.” Robin Julius, Lead Software Engineer
Showtime
The L Word
“It’s super queer and I’m queer so it’s great.” Megan Rose Dickey, Senior Reporter
Homeland
“Claire Danes and Mandy Patankin. Roller coaster, watch it from beginning on Prime. Damien Lewis is in it too.” Yashad Kulkarni, Executive Producer
YouTube
Mobile Suit Gundam 0079
“Before anime became notorious and full of problematic tropes, there were shows like this one that are plain excellent and just HAPPEN to have giant robots in them. The 49-episode show was condensed into 3 movies for the US market, which aren’t commercially available, but can still be found!” Devin Coldewey, Writer
Canal+
Le Bureau des Légendes (The Bureau)
“Like everyone, I watch a ton of American TV shows. But Le Bureau des Légendes is by far the best written French TV show I’ve watched. It deserves one of top spots with my favorite American TV shows (Mad Men, The Sopranos…). Le BDL is an incredibly well-documented show on secret services, geopolitics and high-stake moral decisions.” Romain Dillet, Senior Writer
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