Binge-watch. Verb. To watch a large number of television programs (especially all the shows from one series) in succession.
—Collins English Dictionary
The multitudes who love television must count their blessings. Ever since The Sopranos debuted in the late nineties and brought in its wake a so-called new Golden Age for the medium, there has been a plethora of quality programming to satisfy every taste.
TV watchers now have a world of cable and streaming services to entertain them, and a concurrent explosion of artistic talent has emerged to fill the need for content on the hundreds of TV channels.
There is a vast new universe to discover, and dozens of shows with top-notch writing and acting, compelling storylines, intriguing premises and alternate realities.
Shows To Watch
Here’s our admittedly very limited list of the shows you can binge-watch if you missed them the first time around:
Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Taken from Marvel Comics, it stars Krysten Ritter as a former costumed superhero who suffers a life-altering trauma at the hands of a super villain and is reduced to working as a private eye. Thirteen episodes available.
The Leftovers (HBO)
Consistently ranked among the critics’ top-10 lists. Follows a group of characters after a Rapture-like event that results in the disappearance of 2 percent of the world’s population. You can watch the first two seasons, with 20 episodes.
Casual (Hulu)
Well-received dark comedy about a divorced woman who moves in with her brother (who runs a web-based dating site) and his teenage daughter. The second season has begun, but you can still catch the 10 episodes from the first season.
Veep (HBO)
Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus finds another winner as the vice president (and eventually, president) of the United States. She presides over a colorful and generally inept crew of assistants. Sharp political satire has drawn critical praise. The fifth season has just ended, and there are 48 half-hour episodes available for streaming.
House of Cards (Netflix)
Kevin Spacey is ruthless and ambitious Frank Underwood, who in the course of 52 episodes, reaches the White House. The show has been renewed for 2017.
The Path (Hulu)
A family drama about a man who suffers a crisis of faith after joining a cult-like group called The Movement. Recently completed its first season and has been renewed for a second.
