Drop What You're Doing and Start Binge-Watching These British Shows
I'm not saying television is my religion or anything, but it is a persistent and omnipresent force in my life. I mean, there's nothing better than wasting my time eating Chinese food and watching a variety of random episodes of random shows. I've been doing this for years and years now, and we don't need to get into specifics or anything, but trust me: I've had a lot of time on my hands, and I've watched a lot of shows. Because of this, I've discovered a bunch of gems.
One of my favorite things to look out for are British TV shows, both old and new. They always stand out — British television seasons are shorter and therefore all the more easier to binge; they're not shy about profanity, nudity, and all that other stuff I like; and, they're often wonderfully diverse. There are the old standards of British telly — Downton Abbey, The Office, and The IT Crowd — but there is so, so much more out there. Ready to waste away your nights and weekends yet? Here's my guide to the best British shows to binge-watch on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon.
—Additional reporting by Quinn Keaney
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If You Want to Simultaneously Feed Your Obsessions With Fifty Shades of Grey and True Crime
Well, let me clarify: if you want to see hunk extraordinaire/real-life talented actor Jamie Dornan — aka Christian Grey — playing a charming, murdering creep, kind of like he's alluded to in 50 Shades of Grey, please, please watch The Fall. It's a fantastic show with fantastic acting, and both Dornan and costar Gillian Anderson are phenomenal. Also, thematically, it's all serial killers and feminism, so what's not to love?
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If You Thought Twilight Should've Been a Little Less Sparkly
You definitely have to watch Being Human. Sure, it's a little campy, but it's ridiculously easy to watch. Not to mention, Aidan Turner — yes, I'm still talking about the star of Poldark — is utterly engrossing, especially with his natural Irish brogue. Turner is a vampire, and he lives with a ghost and a werewolf, and they journey through what I like to call #SupernaturalProblems, all while fighting for their humanity. Get it? Being human. You'll zoom through the first two seasons in a week, I promise.
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If You Wish Bridget Jones's Diary Had Been Turned Into an Adorable, Really Addicting Show
Lovesick (formerly Scrotal Recall) is a whole lot of fun. After Dylan (indie singer Johnny Flynn) receives news from his doctor that he has an STD, he writes out a list of every woman he's ever slept with. Each half-hour episode onward focuses on his attempts to reach out to his ex-flames in the present day as he makes his way down the list and gives us flashbacks to what their past courtship was like (and more often than not, why it was a failure). It's reliable and formulaic, and Dylan's best friend is hot, funny, and basically the fictional man of my dreams.
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If You Like Shows With Hot Mess, Foul-Mouthed Youths
First, congratulations on being great. Second, check out oldie-but-goodie Misfits. It follows five teens who have been sentenced to community service for a variety of antisocial behaviors, who are then imbued with character-specific superpowers after some weird, freak storm. Seasons one and two are some of the finest television I have witnessed in my 27 years, and that's, like, saying something. It's abrasive, heart-breaking, and wonderfully poignant about how terrible youth and young adulthood can be. It's also very clever.
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If You Think College Was the Best Four Years of Your Life
If you've had enough of all these damn superpower shows, but you're still waiting to bring some bedraggled teenagers onto your television screen, look no further than Fresh Meat. It follows a group of freshman roommates in their first year of college and does a lot to redefine what the word "shenanigans" actually means. Season two hits a sweet spot between cringe-y and wonderful, and the emotional resonance between the characters is deeper — and also way more bizarre.
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If People Joke That Your Phone Is Glued to Your Hand
Black Mirror will probably be your jam (and it might scar you, just a little). It's an anthology, so basically all episodes are thematically linked but with new characters, new faux realities, etc. It's essentially a show about how technology has the ability to affect our way of life and turn us into sad, loveless monsters — but in the best way! Although sometimes, it gets a little too real, and I have to cleanse my palate with a show made entirely of fluff. And ice cream. A huge pint of ice cream.
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If You Could Use Some Dark Comedy in Your Life
Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars in this incredibly inventive series about a woman coming to terms with the death of her best friend as she struggles with running a business, awkward hook-ups, and handling her Type A sister and deranged stepmother. It's a little bit of a downer, sure, but for every scene that makes you want to cry, there's a scene that will have you crying laughing (like when she breaks up with her boyfriend after he catches her masturbating to a video of President Obama, for instance).
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If You Worship Beyoncé
Chewing Gum is delightful in a wacky sort of way, following Tracy (Michaela Coel), a 24-year-old virgin trying to navigate her love life while hiding it from her extremely strict and religious mother and older sister. If that doesn't hook you, Tracy is obsessed with Beyoncé, which should be reason enough to watch.