Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your preference), summer is behind us. For a lot of us, fall ushers in our least favorite things: school, unfavorable weather, seasonal depression. So, how does one combat end-of-summer blues? With television of course! Fall isn’t great for a lot, but it is great for TV! And with Netflix, HBO, Crave, Hulu, the illegal streaming site that’s giving your laptop malware, the options are endless. So I want to guide you, with a curated list of binge-worthy TV shows. To be honest, I’m about to drops a couple of gems. Like, I’m really about to put y’all on right now. I’m talking new, old, finished, unfinished, the famed and the obscure, comedies, drama, even some anime. I’m doing this because you’re my friends, and I care about you. Friends don’t let friends watch bad TV (unless it’s bad reality TV because we all know bad reality TV is actually pretty good). You’re welcome.
Random Acts of Flyness
I don’t want to say too much about this because I think part of the experience is going in the dark. However, what I will say is that Random Acts of Flyness is one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. And I have impeccable taste. It paints the black experience with a brush that’s both intoxicating and sobering. It’s colorful, fantastical, and inventive. It’s definitely a trip. An awesome one. Absolute flyness.
Still Skeptical? The first episode is available on HBO’s Youtube channel. You will be hooked. And you will thank me later.
Bojack Horseman
I have such a deep love for cartoons. The one thing I love more than cartoons? Adult cartoons. There’s something so satisfying about watching a cartoon depiction of a pink cat or a child saying the word “f*ck”.
Bojack Horseman has the range, hunny! It jumps effortlessly between high and low culture, with perfectly timed gags, jokes, and references. Man, oh, man is the humor sharp. And thank God it’s so funny because this show’s subject matter can hit really hard, and very close to home. This show is the first thing to ever speak to that deep, dark existential hole we’ve all found ourselves falling into. It’s also very fun! Really, I promise, it’s a good time. How a show can be interchangeably and simultaneously wacky and heavy is a true mystery to me.
Big Mouth
Speaking of cartoons saying the f-word: Big Mouth is a pre-pubescent masterpiece. Big Mouth makes me nostalgic for those awkward days of puberty that I’d usually rather not revisit. This is not a show for the faint of heart. The f-word doesn’t even begin to cover the shock value. Nick Kroll and the writers really took advantage of Netflix’s creative freedom. It covers a range of topics, from masturbation to menstruation, in honest, graphic, lurid detail. The results? Sheer hilarity. I don’t think there’s a truer depiction of growing up.
Chewing Gum
Chewing Gum is consistently bright and brilliant. Michaela Coel, who is the creator, writer, and star of the show, has the ability to turn a seemingly basic, everyday situation into the most hilarious and absurd scenario. The main character, Tracy is awkward and hilarious. She’s also deeply and sweetly human. Chewing Gum is an underrated gem.
The Good Place
The Good Place is absolutely heavenly. You’ll get why that’s funny if you watch it. And you should. Just when I felt like TV was nothing but troupes and remakes, I came across The Good Place. The story is fresh, the cast is fantastic, and just when you think you know exactly what’s going on, they hit you with a twist. Then things get even better.
Hunter X Hunter (2011)
For anyone unfamiliar with anime, there is often a plethora of categories one would rank an anime on. The story, animation, characters, soundtrack, and voice acting are the major ones. Hunter X Hunter is one of the few anime that seems to excel on every front, and it does so effortlessly. This story has substance, range, heart, and imagination. Subbed or dubbed, Hunter x Hunter is a must-watch.
Russian Doll
I have a huge crush on Natasha Lyonne. Actually, more accurately put: I have a crush on her characters. Just when I couldn’t be more in love with her as Nikky from OITNB, I met Nadia. Natasha Lyonne’s performance in Russian Doll is so exceptional. So much so, that I have to remind myself often that this person is fictional. That, coupled with cutting dark humor and an entertaining premise, Russian Doll is one you shouldn’t miss.
Ramy
Ramy follows an Egyptian-American in New Jersey, as he walks the line where the Muslim and American-millennial experience intersect. I haven’t seen the portrayal of a Muslim-American family done like this, because characters like these are seldom allowed to be so nuanced. Ramy is a hilarious family show about a family never fully shown on television.
Tuca & Bertie
Tuca and Bertie has humor and heart. It’s an ode to female friendships and solidarity. It covers such a range of sensitive scenarios and emotions with sincerity, in just one short season. The two main characters, like all of us, are just figuring it out. And watching them do so in their wacky world is thoroughly enjoyable to watch.
The Handmaid’s Tale
I shouldn’t even have to put you on this one because you should already be on it. Adapted from the critically-acclaimed novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is a cautionary one. Both brilliant and terrifying, let’s just say I’m glad I don’t live in Gilead. The Handmaid’s Tale will have you on the edge of your seat.
Euphoria
Euphoria is so much more than a hot, heavy, glitter-filled reel of teenage life. Euphoria is a show of the times, for the times, having already set fashion and beauty trends that we’ll be seeing for years to come. Visually captivating, this coming-of-age show reminds us that being young ain’t easy. Yet, it somehow makes us nostalgic for those days.
For more on Euphoria, check out our interview with Euphoria’s costume designer here.
A Black Lady Sketch Show
A Black Lady Sketch Show is the sketch show we needed. There’s not much to say other than it’s exceptionally funny, modern, and original. You will breeze through this with ease and be left wanting more at its end.
Enjoy with caution and have a Hot Girl Fall! Or whatever Meg said.
By: Vanessa Fajemisin
Cover Photo: Joe Colombo
