The best TV shows to watch on Binge

Mare of Easttown follows a vape-toting Kate Winslet (playing Mare, natch) as she investigates a murder in her small town near Philadelphia and reckons with her own suppressed past traumas. It's a thrilling whodunnit that masterfully layers lived-in character vignettes to build addictive twists and turns. The accent work alone is garnering accolades, but tune in for stand-out performances from Julianne Nicholson, Evan Peters and the legendary Jean Smart, who provides some much-needed giggles as Mare's ice cream-hoarding mother. Watch before it absolutely wipes the floor at the Emmys this year.

Watch the trailer here.

This series made waves in 2022 by shouting a big "Aloha" from a luxury Hawaiian resort with a star-studded cast that included Jennifer Coolidge, Molly Shannon and Connie Britton. After a highly lauded first season, the show is back for season two and is set in a breezy Italian resort. It's still a funny whodunnit, but the plot seems far more sinister this time around.

Watch the trailer here.

It cleaned up at the 2020 Emmys, so what’s all the fuss about? Succession follows the Roys, a wealthy American family known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world (sound a little… familiar?) The patriarchal head is Logan Roy (played with intense stoicism by British actor Brian Cox) and then there are his slightly messed up kids, Kendall, Roman, Siobhan and Connor. The performances here are truly outstanding (especially from Aussie Sarah Snook) and the story toes the line between fierce drama and dirty satire. Plus, season four is right around the corner.

Watch the trailer here.

I May Destroy You is created by writer, co-director and exceptional rising star Michaela Coel, who plays an emerging author on the up in London. Horrifically, she begins to realise a black-out on a boozy night led to a sexual assault. Dancing a fine dramedy line, Coel’s searing take goes deeper on consent and the systemic structures that allow for abuse. Also examining racism and class, her character Arabella says she came to feminism late because she was “too busy being Black and poor”. It’s powerful stuff, but also gleefully romantic in spots.

Watch the trailer here.

They called it Skins for a new generation, but Euphoria dared to go where Skins couldn’t go – it surpassed its sex-fueled hype to make a poignant allegory about a teenagers relationship with love, sex, drugs and trauma. Euphoria also has the incredibly talented Zendaya as its lead, alongside a host of other skilful young actors. The first season follows Rue, a teenager who has just returned home from rehab and struggles to keep clean and live a normal life. 

Watch the trailer here.

This series has all the trappings of a hard-hitting crime drama: gloomy colour-grading, sullen detectives and spikes of adrenaline that keep you coming back for more. Add some of Stephen King's supernatural touches and you've got yourself an utterly watchable horror thriller. Even if you aren't usually inclined to pick up a spooky-ooky fantasy tale you'll be busting to know what happened to the small town and its inhabitants in The Outsider. Anchored by a tangibly weathered Ben Mendelsohn as a grieving lead detective, the series follows an investigation into the weirdly brutal killing of a child, with the main suspect (Jason Bateman) spotted with suspicious blood around his chompers, to extraordinary ends. Cynthia Erivo also swoops in as a show-stealing, neurodivergent investigator with fascinating memory skills.

Watch the trailer here.

This underrated riot of a show is available in its entirety on Binge. Famously based on Lisa Kudrow's own experiences with comedy writer's rooms, The Comeback stretches the mockumentary form to its tragi-comic limits. Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish, a TV star of the golden-era of sitcoms who is fighting to stay relevant in a new world. The show takes place in seasons filmed literally, and for the purpose of the story, nine years apart – with Valerie appearing in raw footage collected for reality TV purposes. Co-created by Michael Patrick King (who you may know from a little show called Sex and the City), The Comeback will have you laughing and wondering how the hell we think common pop culture tropes are okay at the same time. 

Watch the trailer here.

Imagine if the original Gossip Girl wasn't so blindingly white and private school teachers had Instagram? Well, you're in luck: that's exactly what the 2021 reboot is all about. It's supremely silly, but so was the original tale of a pack of wealthy Upper East-siders and their elaborate teen microdramas. This version of Gossip Girl follows a far more diverse cast through said dramas though: there's a pair of long lost sisters with feuding dads, a potential polyamorous throuple brewing and a pack of exceptionally young teachers trying to take the students down a peg. Rather than the multi-season arc of wondering who the eponymous Gossip Girl is, here we're lead to believe it is the teachers keeping the blog alive from the first ep. Truly wild.

Watch the trailer here.

Before we begin: Nicole Kidman storming around New York in long winter jackets is camp excellence and should have it's own runway category on Ru Paul's Drag Race. The Undoing is a surprisingly entertaining thriller that uses the tension of Kidman's eyeballs and the spluttering of Hugh Jackman's gorgeous jowls to great effect. It follows some supremely wealthy adults as they deal with a graphic murder that has eyebrow-raising proximity to all of their lives. There are intense conversations in sparse New York mansions, truckloads of scandalous lie-reveals and a thread that you just can't stop pulling until you find out exactly what happens. And when you find out... Look, come back to us. We'll talk.

Watch the trailer here.

Superheroes? Haven’t we seen it all? Not quite yet. The television “remix” of the famous 1986 DC graphic novel is helmed by Damon Lindelof (known for his work on The Leftovers and Lost) and gained a suite of 2020 awards including outstanding limited series. The show takes place 34 years after the events of the graphic novel, but in the same altered reality where superheroes are outlawed from society. There are new characters and a very timely storyline about racial injustice. Regina King is, as always, outstanding.

Watch the trailer here.

Issa Rae is the brains behind this funny and whip-smart comedy series which focuses on two female protagonists; listless but justice-seeking Issa (played by Rae) and head-strong career-driven Molly (played by Yvonne Orji). Their friendship is stellar and is one of the best parts of the show, which follows the two as they navigate relationships, career and the Black female experience in Los Angeles. 

Watch the trailer here.

Sons of Anarchy writer Misha Green takes the reins of Lovecraft Country, a rollicking adaptation of the Matt Ruff novel that recasts the weird tales of author HP Lovecraft, which are alarmingly chock-full of racist tropes, through an African-American lens. Set in the heart of segregation in the ‘50s Jim Crow era, Birds of Prey breakout Jurnee Smollett and When We Rise lead Jonathan Majors are fab as reluctant Scooby Gang sorts. Investigating surreal occurrences X-Files-style, their misadventures are goofy fun. Sadly the show hasn't been picked up for a second season, but you can enjoy the entirety of the first on Binge right now.

Watch the trailer here.

You may know Bill Hader from Saturday Night Live or from his bit parts in numerous Seth Rogan-adjacent films of the past two decades, but with Barry, Hader truly comes into his own. The talented comedian writes, directs and stars in this HBO dark comedy series that follows a former army-vet-turned-assassin that decides to leave his dark past behind to try his hand at acting. The show is incredibly bleak at times, but also supremely funny at the same time. Side characters, including Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank and Henry Winkler’s Gene Cousineau, are outstanding.

Watch the trailer here.

If you’d rather ignore the political climate in the US, Emmy award-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ tour de force Veep might be a… funnier take. Created by Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, The Death of Stalin) this political satire follows the day-to-day dealings of US vice president Selina Meyer and her (somewhat inept) staff. The show hilariously satirises the nuances of everyday American politics – and the insults thrown around would make even the most vulgar sailor blush.  

Watch the trailer here.

Co-created by Glee and American Horror Story’s Ryan Murphy, Pose is a drama series about New York’s Black and Latino LGBTQIA ballroom culture scene in the 1980s. The show is both glamorous and heartfelt, showcasing sharp dialogue, a brilliant soundtrack, and, naturally, lots of dancing and drama. Billy Porter and MJ Rodriguez lead the cast. 

Watch the trailer here.

It isn't often that an American spin-off of an Aussie or Kiwi show goes well (we're looking at you US Kath and Kim), but this one is an exception. What We Do in The Shadows manages to nail the casual comic timing of the Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement film while adding its own signature spin on the share house of selfish vampires. Natasia Demetriou as Romani vampire Nadja who is eternally frustrated by her dim-witted male vampire housemates is a standout. As are the roster of surprising guest stars (Tilda Swinton, Wesley Snipes and Evan Rachel Wood to name a few). 

Watch the trailer here.

Ah! The old faithful. If nothing is scratching your itch turn to the golden tones and pleasant pace of The Great British Bake Off. Binge stocks the latest seasons and many, many spin-offs (Canada, celebrity etc.) for you to bliss out to. Watch as a bunch of polite British people gently compete to make batches of cupcakes, biccies, brownies and more under the firm-but-kind eyes of the judges. Hosted by Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas in its recent iterations, the GBBO is given a mildly surreal comic undertow too. Deeply relaxing viewing.

Watch the trailer here.