NOW is the Perfect Time to Watch Some Great TV
By Jeff Thomas
Looks like we will all be at home til the end of this month. Stay hydrated, exercise, meditate, communicate, read, and do you. In my case that means write. You might paint or draw. But after that you are probably going to watch TV. Streaming services offer the best options. Netflix is the biggest fish in this pond. Did you know HBO is offering free streaming this month? With so many choices and so much time you might be tempted to just surf. But if you want to really enjoy the time that you spend watching TV, you should check out my top 5 list.
All you have to have is a smart TV and the internet.
- OZARK – This is the best series currently available. It is bingeworthy. You might lose some sleep, and gain a few pounds though because the show is addictive. Ozark- Is this what crack was like? You just can’t get enough of it.
Description: Created by Bill Dubuque (“The Accountant,” “The Judge”), this drama series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner who relocates his family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Ozarks. With wife Wendy and their two kids in tow, Marty is on the move after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe. While the Byrdes’ fate hangs in the balance, the dire circumstances force the fractured family to reconnect.
Available on Netflix
Watch the Season One Trailer
https://www.netflix.com/title/80117552
- The Wire – This older series from HBO stars New Orleanian Wendell Pierce. It is a realistic look at the inner-city drug trade. Set in Baltimore, the story grabs you from the first episode and compels you to watch the next episode. You’ll probably gain a pound or two, cause you might cut your workout short to watch another episode. Even if you have seen a season or two, now is a chance to see the entire series in all its splendor.
Description: This series looks at the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users. Other facets of the city that are explored in the series are the government and bureaucracy, schools and the news media. The show was created by former police reporter David Simon.
First episode date: June 2, 2002
Final episode date: March 9, 2008
Number of seasons: 5
Available on HBO Go or HBO NOW
- Queen Sono I have only seen four episodes, but this is an incredible look at modern day Africa, from an African perspective. The show stars the gorgeous and sexy spy, Pearl Thusi, who is an African superstar. This show will make her an international star. Just workout harder tomorrow because you will want to see Thusi in just one more episode. Seeing Africa from ghe ground might change your perspective on the continent.
Description: A highly trained South African spy takes on her most dangerous mission yet while facing changing relationships in her personal life.
First episode date: February 28, 2020
Number of seasons:1
Available on Netflix
- Orange is the New Black. Another oldie but goodie. This look at prison life for women is like life – funny, sad, complicated, scary, shocking and soothing- all at once. It is a great series that will entertain you. You will not be sucked in and fiending for another episode, but you will enjoy each one that you see.
Description: Piper Chapman is a public relations executive with a career and a fiance when her past suddenly catches up to her. In her mid-30s she is sentenced to spend time in a minimum-security women’s prison in Connecticut for her association with a drug runner 10 years earlier. This Netflix original series is based on the book of the same title. Forced to trade power suits for prison orange, Chapman makes her way through the corrections system and adjusts to life behind bars, making friends with the many eccentric, unusual and unexpected people she meets.
First episode date: July 11, 2013
Final episode date: July 26, 2019
Available on Netflix
- Street Food. This is the food I look for when I travel. Local, authentic, delicious and maybe a little dangerous. The foods that locals eat daily make me feel like I truly visited the place. My most fond memories are often the different food I ate when I travelled to a place. This show not only explores the food but the people that cook it and the scenes surrounding their lives. Be Careful. Visually stunning this show makes you want to get out and grab a bite.
The creators of “Chef’s Table” take to the streets in this half-hour series. “Street Food” brings viewers to some of the world’s most vibrant cities, where the rich culture of street food is explored. From the hawker stalls of Singapore to the food carts of India, episodes highlight the stories of perseverance and culture that bring life to various countries’ cuisine. Nations visited include Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.
First episode date: April 26, 2019
Available on Netflix
Some of my others include Ballers and Succession on HBO
Planet Earth and Dear White People on Netflix.
BLACKISH is my favorite show on over the air TV
These should get you through the next 30 days.