You’re staying home and you need a distraction. We’re here to help.
By The New York Times
From left, “The Good Place,” “Bluey” and “Knives Out” are among our recommendations for what to watch.Credit...From left, Justin Lubin/NBC; ABC Kids; Claire Folger/Lionsgate
It is a bad time. It is a time of isolation and self-quarantine. Schools, museums, movie theaters, bars, restaurants: all closed. So you’re home, and you need a distraction. Let us help. Stay safe.
What TV Should I Stream?
Really, any episode of “Nailed It!” is going to be entertaining and pretty chill.
Adam Rose/Netflix
We have several lists of the best things to stream that are updated every month with the newest titles. Make these your first stop. And subscribe to our Watching newsletter, to get TV and movie recommendations straight to your inbox several times a week.
The 50 best TV shows on Netflix.
The 50 best movies and TV shows on Disney Plus.
Or, if you’re looking to do some deep bingeing on some classic shows you’ve always meant to watch, here’s our 20 best TV dramas since “The Sopranos.” (But also, maybe watch “The Sopranos.”)
How about some more specific lists?
From left, Stephanie Beatriz, Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Eddy Chen/Fox
Sorry, sorry. Let’s go broader. Here are some ideas organized by category or mood.
Comforting TV shows for stressful times.
The 30 best international TV shows of the 2010s.
The 18 best TV shows for vicarious travel thrills.
Need a laugh? (Of course you do.) Here are 15 binge-worthy sitcoms.
Alternately, here are the 10 funniest movies on Netflix.
12 recent Netflix series worth streaming, including an addictive docuseries about cheerleading, a horror-fantasy show based on a comic book and a documentary about what animals do at night.
Can you give me something that will make me feel good? I just need a laugh or something mindless.
Something feel-good? Spend some time in the fictional world of “Schitt’s Creek.” Yes, the Rose family lost all their money, but now they’re learning how to function like regular people, and there’s something comforting about their struggles.
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading the main story
A laugh in dark times? The stakes are high in “The Good Place” — the fate of humanity hangs in the balance — and yet the ragtag team fighting to save us all are gloriously, painfully human (even though some of them aren’t, technically). This show strikes a great lowbrow/highbrow balance.
Oh, something mindless? The latest reality dating show sweeping the internet is Netflix’s “Love Is Blind,” in which strangers form relationships from one-person pods, and see each other only after they’re engaged. Beware, though: Despite the silly set up, you may find yourself emotionally invested.
Thanks for reading The Times.
Subscribe to The Times
What about movies?
Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig in “Knives Out,” a murder mystery directed by Rian Johnson. Claire Folger/Lionsgate
That’s a big question! Well, first, you should consider starting with one of the following:
The 50 best movies to stream on Netflix.
The 50 best movies to stream on Amazon Prime.
Our aforementioned list detailing the 50 best movies (and shows) to stream on Hulu, including this year’s best picture Oscar winner, “Parasite.”
And here are some recent movies, including “Birds of Prey,” “The Invisible Man" and “Emma,” that have hit digital platforms very early, as a result of all movie theaters being closed for the foreseeable future.
Some of last year’s Oscar-nominated movies are now available to stream, rent or purchase, including:
“The Irishman,” “The Two Popes” and “Marriage Story,” on Netflix.
“Knives Out,” “Uncut Gems,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “1917,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Little Women,” “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” are available for rent on iTunes, Amazon and other digital video platforms.
If you’ve always wanted to learn about world cinema but haven’t had the time before, subscribe to the Criterion Channel and watch the works of Fellini, Kiarostami, Truffaut, Bergman, Tati, Kurosawa, Denis, Varda, Renoir …