The 7 Must-Binge Shows To Watch This Winter

You won't be able to stop at one episode.

By
AARP (Warrick Page/MAX, Patrick Harbron/Disney, Gilles Mingasson/Disney, Netflix, Getty Images)

Summer outings and after-dinner strolls are a distant memory. On long, dark nights, it’s time to get cozy under a soft throw and binge a compelling show. My favorite outfit is a pair of flannel pajamas and a snack of warm, freshly made popcorn. Here are recommendations that will suit all tastes: from comedy to sci-fi, suspense, history and travel. Warning: you won’t be able to watch just one episode at a time.

The Pitt, HBO Max, Season 2

Get ready for more chaos in the ER! After an Emmy-winning first season last January, this medical procedural drama stars Noah Wyle, who you’ll remember from his 11 seasons on the show ER. Taking place in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, this show’s unique premise is that each episode spans just one hour of the traumas, cures and fascinating relationships between the doctors, nurses, interns and medical students.

Medical experts have praised the show for its accuracy and realism. The script also dives into the financial struggles of today’s hospitals. It’s hard to name a favorite character among the ensemble cast, but Nurse Dana Evans, played by Katherine LaNasa, is unflappable and maternal, smarter than almost everyone on the show. Will Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch, who spearheads the ER’s leadership and soul, continue to excel at every medical procedure while maintaining a (usually) calm demeanor? Tune in and see.

Abbott Elementary, ABC and Hulu, Season 5

This feel-good mockumentary sitcom takes place in a West Philadelphia school. It was created by and stars Quinta Brunson as an idealistic, optimistic teacher who never gives up. It expertly mixes humor with profound takeaways about a neglected school with the most dedicated teachers despite the constant challenges. There are funny staff squabbles and a wacky principal who is more focused on her social media presence than academic curriculum. There’s also romance and fighting the bureaucracy. Each teacher is cleverly realized as individuals with their own strengths and quirks. If only Barbara Howard, played by Sheryl Lee Ralph (who also sings – she starred on Broadway in Dreamgirls), had been my kindergarten teacher!

All Her Fault, Peacock

If you loved Sarah Snook in Succession, watch her star in a new suspenseful suburban thriller whose all-star cast includes Dakota Fanning and Jake Lacy. It’s set in Chicago when a mother tries to pick up her son, Milo, from a playdate, only to have a stranger answer the door, claiming she’s never seen or heard of him. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Andrea Mara, dark secrets begin to unravel and there are multiple plot twists, turns and surprises. Warning: could be anxiety-provoking for some.

The Reluctant Traveler, Apple TV+, Season 3

If you loved Eugene Levy in Schitt’s Creek and his many hilarious movies, tune in to his unique, offbeat and once-in-a-lifetime travels to Louisiana’s Cajun Country, India, Korea, Ireland and more. In the third season trailer, he claims his mission is to “complete his own bucket list before kicking the bucket.” As a royal watcher, my favorite episode is “Living the Royal Life in the U.K.,” where he gets a private tour of Windsor Castle with the Prince of Wales and shares a beer with him in a local pub. “It doesn’t get much better than that,” Levy comments. I got hooked on this show in the current season, and now I’m bingeing Seasons 1 and 2 to follow him around Europe and Costa Rica.

Only Murders in the Building, Hulu, Season 5

True fans call this show OMITB. By now, all ten new episodes have been released, so binge this popular show starring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. Once again, these quirky neighbors, once strangers, unite as obsessed true-crime murder investigators. This time, the victim is Lester, the doorman of the luxury Arconia apartment building. His widow is played by Dianne Wiest. Just follow the clues in this funny, smart comedic, whodunit.

The Beast in Me, Netflix

Netflix calls this new show a “cat-and-mouse” thriller. Homeland star Claire Danes and The Americans star Matthew Rhys are together in eight thrilling episodes from the creator of The X-Files. The plot teams up Aggie, a reclusive, grieving writer who has tragically lost her son, and her growing obsession with her new neighbor, Niles, a mysterious, wealthy real estate tycoon with a dark past. Someone might be a murderer, but who knows? First impressions are often misleading, and sometimes they’re not.

The American Revolution, PBS

History fans will flock to noted documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’s six-part, 12-hour documentary released to coincide with the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence. Stream it on PBS.org or the PBS app. Eight years in the making, the series explores America’s founding, examining how 13 British colonies rebelled, gained independence after an eight-year war and created a new form of government. Burns examines both the virtues and contradictions of the Revolutionary War and how the United States was born.

 

Candy Schulman’s essays, health, and travel pieces have appeared in AARP, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Next Avenue, Oldster, Parents, Travel & Leisure, among others. She is a creative writing professor at the New School in New York City and a private writing coach. Learn more at www.candyschulman.com.