Suddenly, it seems that all show-watching has turned into “binge watching.” Whether it comes in the form of spending an entire Saturday losing yourself in a series or simply keeping a few episodes on in the background while cleaning at home, what was once an occasional indulgence has now become a commonplace occurrence. No complaints: inhaling multiple episodes of a streaming series in one go is a total luxury—and luckily, there are plenty of high-quality shows to keep us entertained. We binge watchers have evolved from gourmands to gourmets.
My own personal binge-watching journey began in the early aughts, when my laptop and I would travel with a small binder of DVDs. Dead time on flights or quiet escapes to my hotel room were filled with a constant vitamin drip of 22-minute, brightly-colored comedy. It was bliss. Since then, a great deal has happened in what we used to call TV. The streaming era has opened up nearly everything and anything that’s ever been on the small screen to an endless offering that can be consumed on demand. How do you decide what’s worthwhile among all the options?
A truly binge-worthy show must be highly engaging and able to withstand countless replays—but like most things, it’s up to you to figure out your own rules. To help, here’s a list of some of the very best shows to binge watch of all time, from eternal classics to recent favorites. Whatever your binging style, there’s bound to be something to explore, revisit, and watch from beginning to end—on repeat, if desired. My main advice? Have fun. (And if you’re looking for something entirely different—an entirely different type of binging!—check out our list here.)
What I love most about *The Crown*, especially the early seasons, is that every shot looks like it cost a million dollars. Playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan’s illustrious stab at the inner workings of the most famous, insular, and once-powerful family on the planet never doesn’t look like the real deal. Excellent acting aside (Olivia Coleman’s Queen Elizabeth, Emma Corrin’s delicate Diana, Matt Smith’s callow Prince Philip, and Gillian Anderson’s decisively unflappable Margaret Thatcher remain standouts), this show’s set design, cinematography, costumes, and writing keep us hooked as we watch the mighty Royal House of Windsor slowly devolve. *The Crown*: 6 seasons, 50 episodes, Netflix
Once a year, I’ll make Julia Child’s boeuf en daube. Essentially, it’s a richer beef stew, made in a Provençal style that involves ungodly amounts of fat and an overnight marinade in Burgundy wine. *Atlanta* and *Succession* are the equivalent of this dish: every bite is rich, layered, and wholly satisfying. Following a rapper and his cousin-manager as they navigate the peaks and pitfalls of new stardom, this satire explores contemporary fame, media, and art while also offering a thorough examination of family and friendships, embracing the profound, silly, and touching in a single shot. The only issue with *Atlanta* as a binge-watch is that it’s almost too rich, a complaint I wish I had about more series. Whether you watch one episode or a whole season, you’ll come away satiated. *Atlanta*: 4 seasons, 41 episodes, Hulu
The most quotable series since *Seinfeld*, *30 Rock* is a show you can consume by the bowlful. Tina Fey’s NBC sitcom about a harried showrunner (Fey) who must contend with an unruly cast (headed by Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, a just-this-side-of-sane version of himself), impending middle age, and a domineering boss (Alec Baldwin). Razor-sharp without ever taking itself too seriously, *30 Rock* is a joyous send-up of New York, the changing TV business, and the combustible egos that fill both. Fun fact: Donald Glover, *Atlanta*’s creator and co-star, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, was plucked out of NYU as an undergrad to write for this show. *30 Rock*: 7 seasons, 139 episodes, Hulu
This show is a salve. A mother-daughter duo making their way through life’s tiny trials and tribulations in the imaginary northeastern town of Stars Hollow will heal what ails you with its sweet (but not saccharine) writing, deft pacing, and relatable characters. There are boys, men, grandparents, and local color, but Lorelei and Rory Gilmore are the twin suns of this solar system—and their love, humor, and rat-a-tat dialogue delight. They overcome peer pressure, sexual dynamics, and family dysfunction. Oh, and fun fact: Taylor Swift’s song “Champagne Problems” is about Rory’s relationship with her college boyfriend, Logan. *Gilmore Girls*: 7 seasons, 153 episodes, Netflix
It’s difficult to express to non-millennials just how huge this show was in its time. (There was even a Brooklyn rock band, called Previously On Lost, that literally wrote songs detailing the show’s plot lines.) A network TV show causing this kind of stir in 2004 was a bit like Lacoste becoming—and then remaining—the hottest thing in fashion for five seasons. Though nominally about the passengers of a downed airplane trying to survive on a mysterious island, the show introduced a new kind of appointment television that swam with the media currents developing on social media and online, and leveraged its mysteries, melodrama, and mega budget into a celebratory, ubiquitous, fan-favorite miasma. *Lost*: 6 seasons, 121 episodes, Hulu
Speaking of melodrama: the Bridgerton clan needs no introduction. Eight siblings navigate London society in *Bridgerton* with plenty of gossip and romance (and by “romance” we mean some of the most PG-friendly dirty sex that Netflix has ever produced) thrown in for good measure. One of the great joys of this series is how unseriously it takes itself, providing its puerility and lasciviousness without great amounts of moral baggage. No, it’s not Julian Fellowes’s *Downton Abbey*, nor does it want to be. *Bridgerton* is too busy having fun—and we can’t help but join in. *Bridgerton*: 3 seasons, 24 episodes, Netflix
Worth it for the memes alone (if you can resist filling up your Instagram “favorites” folder post-viewing, you’re a stronger person than I am), the most sophisticated network comedy to grace the airwaves this millennium is also its most bingeable. “The story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together…” is really all about the actors playing that family—an ensemble cast featuring Jason Bateman, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter—doing the absolute most with Mitchell Hurwitz’s inventive plotting, wordplay-ridden dialogue, and astoundingly sympathetic characters. The later seasons developed by Netflix (Fox aired the original) are skippable, but the original three seasons are nothing short of perfection. *Arrested Development*: 5 seasons, 84 episodes, Netflix
Listen: the violence, sexual assault, incest, dragons, and zombies in this medieval fantasy are not for everyone. But it’s hard to argue with HBO’s record-breaking 44 million viewers (for the last season, which is not even one of the good seasons). What made viewers commit, dive deep, over the show’s fashions—and return for more—were the surprisingly deep characterizations and Shakespearean themes. Oh, and the fact that these concepts were executed with top-tier actors (Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Kit Harington), unbelievable sets, memorable special effects, and plenty of shocks along the way. Each episode is a tantalizing treat. *Game of Thrones*: 8 seasons, 73 episodes, Max
Every now and then, when chatting about the ins, outs, and impossibilities of dating in New York City, someone will say—with exasperation, a laugh, or an eye roll—something like: “This is why they made *Sex and the City* about it.” Whether viewed as a romp, a relic, or a route to commiseration, the series about four friends trying to find love (or at least a good lay) in the world’s most competitive concrete jungle has stood the test of time. Beyond the addictive plot, unparalleled walk-ons, solid laughs, and dirty puns, this show excels at pacing. Producer Darren Star knows how to get the story where it needs to go, bopping from lover to lover, breakup to breakup, block to block. He does it in style, too—the costumes by Patricia Field are, without exaggeration, iconic—and binge-worthy on their own. (And, if you really want to keep binging, you can: there are also two full-length films and *And Just Like That*.) *Sex and the City*: 6 seasons, 94 episodes, Max
I feel badly for anyone trying to write a limited series comedy after *Fleabag*: Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s show about a witty and wounded single woman navigating tragedy, family, and one very hot priest (Andrew Scott), hit the small screen like a tiny typhoon. While it might be possible for American television to produce something as tender, original, intimate, and profound, we have yet to see it. (The closest we’ve come, I believe, is *Insecure* or *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* also on this list; or maybe *Dead to Me*—not on this list, but it’s worth a watch.) The binge-ability of this little miracle is a direct product of Waller-Bridge’s wit and the wonder of her talent: every time you watch it you will see, hear, or learn something new. *Fleabag*: 2 seasons, 12 episodes, Prime Video
Issa Rae’s five-season HBO comedy *Insecure*; if you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? It’s right up there with *Fleabag* and *Atlanta* in terms of relatability, sexiness, wit, and binge-ability—but also has the distinction of featuring an almost entirely Black cast (including Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell, and Yvonne Orji). Covering themes of friendship, empowerment, and personal growth, it follows two LA besties as they overcome their “adulting” struggles—in work, relationships, sex, friendship, apartments, culture, you name it—to ultimately become the most authentic versions of themselves. The soundtrack is on point (Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Sza), the fashion is inspiring, and the dialogue is hilariously, realistically sharp. Plus, it’s a joy to see Los Angeles—often overlooked, downplayed, or ridiculed on modern TV—depicted through such a fond lens. It’s all so memorable that you’ll probably find yourself watching (and singing “Broken Pussy” to yourself) again and again. *Insecure*: 5 seasons, 44 episodes, Max, Netflix, Prime Video
Right up there with *Gilmore Girls* and *The O.C.* is hands-down one of the best shows to revisit if you’re going through a breakup or trying to make sense of a life change. Or, if you just want to soak up love-triangle melodrama featuring Rachel Bilson, James van der Beek, and Joshua Jackson set to a nostalgic, late-’90s-early aughts soundtrack. *The O.C.*: 6 seasons, 128 episodes Hulu, Prime Video
Centering on a woman who starts to sell pot in order to afford the lifestyle she and her kids have become accustomed to after her husband dies, *Weeds* is 100% a testament to the amazing talents of Mary-Louise Parker: She’s captivating, hilarious, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Fans of *Fleabag* and *Dead to Me* are sure to be more than satisfied. *Weeds*: 8 seasons, 102 episodes Netflix, Prime Video
The Upper East Side is a fierce place, especially when it’s your hometown. The ultimate book series turned TV series centers on a group of Manhattan socialites whose lives are chronicled by a mysterious onlooker who informs everyone of everyone else’s business. Suffice it to say, there’s no guilty pleasure quite like *Gossip Girl* (except maybe another contender for this list). *Gossip Girl*: 6 seasons, 121 episodes Netflix, Prime Video
Nobody on television will make you feel as good as Leslie Knope does: head of the parks and recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana, Amy Poehler’s character takes bureaucracy and office politics and turns them into a charming, hysterical adventure. The ensemble cast (including Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, and others) is delightful; you can’t not love the endlessly hilarious cameos by everyone from Fred Armisten to Michelle Obama. Fans of *Parks and Recreation*, *The Good Place*, and *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*: take note. *Parks and Recreation*: 7 seasons, 125 episodes Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube
Loosely based on the story of Mark Wahlberg’s rise to fame, *Entourage* follows a group of 20-somethings from Queens who accompany their celebrity friend (Adrian Grenier) to LA and live a life they’re unaccustomed to: being part of the Hollywood elite. Though it takes place in the mid-2000s, it feels both timeless and historic—a glimpse into a world that no longer exists, but feels just out of reach. (And Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold—reportedly based on real-life agent Ari Emanuel—is unforgettably hilarious.) *Entourage*: 8 seasons, 96 episodes Max, Prime Video
