Image Source: Unsplash- Marques Kaspbrak
How many nights have resulted in you scrolling on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus, almost endlessly, to try and find the next perfect bingeable TV series? I can safely say that I am someone who cannot commit to a long series, due to forever being away for work, but also not being able to find a show worth the 100 episodes to dedicate time to. Not only that, but I can barely watch an episode without feeling myself fall asleep, where I then have to rewatch the episode again, just to remember what is happening.
It is super vital in this day and age to challenge the bingeable short-form content of TikTok, to keep the interest of the viewer, and hook you from the opening. Not only can switching off and immersing yourself in a good show relax you from the daily rituals of life, but it can also become a form of bonding in your personal relationships. I think we all crave that appeal, like that of a good story, and to be honest, that isn’t always happening often for me as I would like.
From a quick browse of these sites, and from reflecting on my most recent watches, I can confirm that a lot of my go-to shows are from a ‘limited series’. A limited series, in a nutshell, is a complete story that provides a narrative without ongoing storylines and multiple seasons.
Think ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, back in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period drama featuring Anya Taylor-Joy, becoming a household name, and receiving widespread critical success. Think, ‘I May Destroy You’, Michaela Coel’s interesting and unique black comedy, which explores many important topics, including consent, race, and millennial life.
Within this similar category but drastically different in its style, is British black comedy and hit, Baby Reindeer, which was adapted from Richard Gadd’s autobiographical ‘one-man show’. This was also a very successful show back in 2024, which gave a lot of recognition and awards due to its complicated portrayal of human experiences, including stalking, gender, and sexual identity, and harassment.
On a lighter note, and one I can say I have watched a number of times already, based on Dolly Alderton’s hilarious and real-life account, is “Everything I Need To Know About Love.” This series has become a source of comfort for me, and one I watched during 2022, a year where I fell in love with life again, after feeling subsequently lost in life from the breakdown of some personal circumstances and relationships. I really felt like this show depicts the complications of friendship and love in a way that is hard to explain in words.
Lastly, my most recent watch, and one which stimulated my mind to write this short piece, is Amazon Prime’s ‘The Girlfriend’. It is a psychological thriller starring Olivia Cooke and Robin Wright, which demonstrates the importance of ‘every side has a story’. It explores the complicated nature of mother-son relationships, obsession, grief, and class, using the dual perspective approach to create a sense of the unreliable and keep the viewer guessing.
I can agree with most of the online acclaim that this show was addictive and binge-worthy, and included that uncomfortable tension I craved in a good show. It stopped me from scrolling on my phone and compelled me to find more shows that have the same effect.
This was written by our contributing writer, Megan Evans.
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