Binging Time: Your Guide to the Best Shows to Watch on Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, CBS and More

‘11.22.63’ (Hulu)

If you’re not feeling like hunkering down with a good Stephen King novel, you can still enter his imagination via this limited series based on his novel of the same name. James Franco is recently-divorced English teacher Jake Epping, who is given a means of traveling back in time to 1960 and put on the path of preventing the assassination of President Kennedy. The results are not what he expects. In expressing the appeal of the project for himself, Franco told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a unique storytelling device where the main character really becomes an ambassador for the audience to highlight different things about the past and what he’s looking at. But then, in addition to that, what the character Jake has to do is, he has to fit into the past. He’s not of that time. People did things differently back then. He is essentially doing what I do as an actor when I play a role. He is taking on different colloquialisms or different sayings of a period. He is dressing in a different way. He is behaving in a different way. Because he is trying to fit into the past. And so as an actor, playing somebody who essentially is being an actor himself, I don’t know, it was just fun.”

‘Altered Carbon’ (Netflix)

Anthony Mackie (Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) plays a prisoner who has been in cybersleep for 250 years and is revived in a new body and given the task of solving a bizarre murder in order to win his freedom. Two seasons so far and Mackie’s character of Takeshi “Tak” Kovacs was played in season one by Joel Kinnaman, the idea being that in the future consciousnesses can be transferred to different bodies. Very cool stuff.

As Mackie explained to Good Morning America, “When Altered Carbon came around, I was really blown away. I really love sci-fi. I love futuristic fantasy. I saw the first season, but I’d never read the source material. I’d never read the books. So when I learned about it, I was just intrigued. So I went back and watched the first season again. And I realized there was something different I could bring to the character.”

‘The Boys’ (Amazon Studios)

If you like your superheroes dark and twisted, check out the eight episodes of this series making up season one (a second is currently in production). It’s a world where superheroes are not only everywhere, but big business in corporate America. It’s funny, action-packed, bloody and thoroughly addicting. As to what drew him to the concept, showrunner Eric Kripke tells us in an exclusive interview, “It’s a reflection of, and an opportunity to comment, on the world we’re living in. It’s about where celebrity and politics intersect. And it’s about mass media and how politicians and corporations use media and entertainment to manipulate the common guy into doing things that are completely against their own self-interest. It’s about the 99 percent versus the 1 percent. It’s about #MeToo, authoritarianism and its creep into American society disguised as entertainment. It is just so endlessly about our world. That’s what drew me in.”

‘Daybreak’ (Netflix)

It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets a zombie apocalypse and it works on pretty much every level. Colin Ford is 17-year-old Josh Wheeler who is in search of his missing girlfriend, Sam Dean (Sophie Simnett) in a post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. He and a group of misfits try to embrace this new reality and fight off those who prefer the chaos as well as the zombie-like Ghoulies. Admittedly it sounds so bizarre, but it’s such a fresh take on the material. Added bonus: Matthew Broderick is actually a part of the show. Ten episodes in all were produced.

‘Dollface’ (Hulu)

Kat Dennings, late of Two Broke Girls, plays Jules Wiley, a web designer at Woom, a wellness company. After being dumped by her longtime boyfriend, she has to figure out how to “re-enter the world of women” while repairing friendships she abandoned years earlier. And deal with an imagination that’s kicked into overdrive.

‘Fleabag’ (Amazon)

First aired on the BBC, the series sees Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the title character, described by Amazon as “an unfiltered woman trying to heal, while rejecting anyone who tries to help her and keeping up her bravado all along.”  There are a total of 12 episodes so far, spread out over two seasons. Phoebe is also the creator/writer of the series, and her writing will also be represented on screen this November in the James Bond film No Time to Die.

‘For All Mankind’ (Apple TV+)

An alternate history series that looks at what would have happened if Russia reached the surface of the moon before we did. While that one-sentence premise may sound a little dry, the exploration of the impact of America’s attempts to catch up with the Soviet Union is fascinating in terms of the impact on Women’s Lib and race relations. A fascinating cast combined with the writing talents of Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander). Ten episodes so far, with another batch of 10 on the way.

‘The Good Fight’ (CBS All Access)

This spin-off from The Good Wife, picks up one year after that series ended its run. Following a financial scam that destroyed the reputation and finances of lawyer Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie) and her mentor/godmother Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), the two of them are forced to start at the bottom of a pre-eminent Chicago law firm where they’ll have to work their way up. Needless to say, the series follows their attempts to do so, with three seasons behind them and a fourth scheduled to gear up in April.

‘Grace and Frankie’ (Netflix)

It’s The Odd Couple for the older generation. Jane Fonda is retired cosmetics mogul Grace Skolka and Lily Tomlin is Francis “Frankie” Bergstein, a hippie art teacher, who, despite the fact they never got along particularly well, are forced to live together when their husbands (played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) announce that they’ve been having a secret long time relationship with each other. Awkward! Six seasons of 78 episodes so far, with a seventh and final one still to come.

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Hulu)

As dystopian futures go, this one — from the novel by Margaret Atwood — has certainly gotten around, moving from novel to film, then opera and, most recently, the television series on Hulu that furthers the story. At the outset of the series, Elisabeth Moss is the handmaid in question (named Offred) in a future where fertility is a rarity. Those who are, are forced to live as concubines for the totalitarian rulers of Gilead, which has arisen in what had been part of the United States. The kind of show that binging was created for! Three seasons and a total of 36 episodes so far, with a fourth season on the way and a sequel series in development.

‘Harley Quinn’ (DC Universe)

If you’ve been wondering what Kaley Cuocohas been up to since the end of The Big Bang Theory, you can find her — at least vocally — as the foul-mouthed and genuinely psychotic ex-girlfriend of the Joker who is determined to prove to the world she’s a supervillain in her own right. F-bombs galore throughout the 10-episode first season of this animated series.

‘Hunters’ (Amazon Studios)

The setting is New York City in 1977, the focus on a team of Nazi Hunters who have uncovered the truth: hundreds of escaped Nazis are living in America. In response, they set out on what becomes a bloody quest for vengeance and justice, but what they discover along the way is a conspiracy that’s far-reaching involving new genocidal plans of the Nazis. Leading them is veteran actor Al Pacino.Ten episodes make up the first season. No word on whether or not there are plans for a second.

‘Interrogation’ (CBS All Access)

A true-crime series based on a case that spans more than 20 years in which a young man was charged and convicted of brutally murdering his mother. He continues to fight to prove his innocence after being sentenced to life in prison. Says CBS All Access, “With all episodes dropping at once, viewers will see the day of the crime and then follow the evidence like a cold case detective, abandon the linear narrative and determine their own investigative path by watching the episodes leading up to the finale in any order.” Ready to binge anyone?

‘The Kominsky Method’ (Netflix)

Here’s some real star power: Michael Douglasand Alan Arkin are featured in this comedy from producer Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory, Mom). Michael is Sandy Kominsky, a formerly successful actor who now works as an acting coach in Hollywood; and Alan is Norman Newlander, Sandy’s agent and friend. Together they try and figure out life as they’re getting older. Two seasons and 16 episodes have been produced.

‘Killing Eve’ (Hulu)

A truly acclaimed action series starring  Jodie Comer as psychopathic assassin Villanelle, and  Sandra Oh as Eve, the woman charged with hunting her down. Both fiercely intelligent, they engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse with a mutually growing obsession with each other. Sixteen episodes making up the first two seasons are available now, with seasons three and four announced.

‘Little Fires Everywhere’ (Hulu)

A three-episode miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, that follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who turn their lives upside down. It’s based on the bestselling novel by Celeste Ng. As far as Reese is concerned, TV has certainly become a haven with not only this show, but HBO’s Pretty Little Lies and Apple TV+’ The Morning Show.

‘The Mandalorian’ (Disney+)

Anyone who may have been unhappy with the sequel trilogy in the Star Wars saga may find some hope in this Disney+ streaming series. At a convention, series creator Jon Favreau detailed, “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. The series depicts a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” Anyone who reads that and just sees gibberish will likely skip this one, but it’s so good. And it gave the world a wonderful gift in the form of “Baby Yoda.” Season one is available, with a second in production.

‘The Man in the High Castle’ (Amazon Studios)

Another alternate history series, this one based on the novel by Philip K. Dick which postulates what would have happened if Germany and Japan won World War II and took control of the United States. A fascinating exploration of power and the efforts of the oppressed to overcome the forces holding them down. From beginning to end this show is available for streaming, four seasons and 40 episodes.

‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ (Amazon)

For the uninitiated (and you should absolutely get initiated as soon as you can; the first three seasons are currently available for streaming now), the show stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a New York City woman in the ’50s who has everything she’s ever wanted — the perfect husband, two kids and an elegant Upper West Side apartment just right for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life takes an unexpected turn and Midge discovers a previously unknown talent — one that changes her life forever — for standup comedy. The show chronicles her professional and personal journey. From Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls.

‘Messiah’ (Netflix)

A controversial one. Mehdi Dehbi is Al-Masih, a man who appears in the Middle East and quickly begins to gain followers who come to believe that he is Jesus Christ returned to Earth. Their belief is reinforced by apparent miracles, all of which begins to allow his sphere of influence to expand. Enter the CIA in the form of Michelle Monaghan‘s as case officer Eva Geller. Ten episodes in total.

‘Modern Love’ (Amazon)

This anthology series about romantic relationships in the modern world, which stars, among others, Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel, and Jane Alexander, features episodes consisting of unlikely friends, a love that resurfaces, a marriage at its turning point, a date that might not be a date and an unconventional new family — all of which have been inspired by the “Modern Love” column of the New York Times. Eight episodes ready for binging while we wait for season two.

‘The Morning Show’ (Apple+)

The premise of The Morning Show has Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) running a news program of that name that has exceeded expectations and has been credited — rightly or wrongly — for changing television. But then her on-air partner of 15 years, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell), is fired for being part of a scandal involving sexual misconduct. Suddenly Alex finds herself fighting to keep her job as the show’s top news anchor, but also has to deal with the rivalry of aspiring journalist Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), who she believes is trying to “overthrow” her. Ten episode first season available now, with a second in production.

‘Shrill’ (Hulu)

Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant plays Annie, an overweight woman determined to change her life, but is not all that interested in changing her body. Says Hulu, “Annie is trying to to start her career while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent and a perfectionist boss.” Executive producers are Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks. Two seasons so far consisting of a total of 14 episodes.

‘Star Trek’ (CBS All Access)

For any Trekkies or Trekkers out there, the Star Trek franchise is thriving on CBS All Access in a number of ways. For starters, there are two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, a prequel to the original William Shatner/Leonard Nimoy series of the 1960s; 10 episodes of Picard, with Patrick Stewart reprising his Star Trek: The Next Generation role of Jean Luc Picard; and a series of “Short Treks,” which are adventures running about 15 minutes in length. Several more series (at the very least) are in the creative pipeline. Nearly 55 years on, they’re all still going where no one has gone before.

‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ (Amazon Studios)

Fans of author Tom Clancy have seen his character of CIA analyst Jack Ryan brought to life by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt For Red October, Harrison Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, Ben Affleck in The Sum of All Fears, and Chris Pine in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Most recently it’s been John Krasinki’s turn in the Amazon series, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. The series is described as a reinvention — but with a modern sensibility — of the unexpected Tom Clancy hero (first introduced in print back in 1984). In it, Jack Ryan is an up-and-coming CIA analyst who finds himself thrust into dangerous assignments. Sixteen episodes over two seasons currently available, a third coming our way.

‘UnREAL’ (Hulu)

Co-created by Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, UnREAL gives a fictitious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos surrounding the production of dating competition program, Everlasting. If you’re a fan of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, you really need to check this one out. Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer star. The entire series — consisting of 38 episodes — is available for binging.

‘The Witcher’ (Netflix)

Netflix describes the show as follows: “The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia [Henry Cavill], a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorcereress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile continent together.” It’s all inspired by a series of novels and short stories created by Polish writer Andrzel Sapkowski, who decided he wanted to take the idea of a fairytale, but make it decidedly real. Renewed for a second season.

‘You’ (Netflix)

In the tradition of Norman Bates and Hannibal Lekter, a new serial killer you’ll love to hate is Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley), a sociopath, psychopath and bookstore manager who, in season one, stalks his way into the life of aspiring writer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and turns it upside down without her even realizing it. Season two brings Joe to California where he tries to start everything all over again. Two seasons of 20 episodes can be binged any time you want to be freaked out. Season three is in development.