One thing we can assume is true about the past year and a half: You’ve probably spent a whole lot more time binging television.
Maybe you’ve gotten your pastry thrills with The Great British Baking Show, pulled heists with Lupin (yikes, skip that English-language overdub!), and rolled around in the immoral dirt of Succession. You’ve fallen in love with Fleabag, revisited Grey’s Anatomy and The Sopranos, and kept up with your remote co-workers who were obsessed with Schitt’s Creek or Ted Lasso or Tiger King (remember that one?).
But no matter how much you watched, you didn’t catch it all. Team Lemonade has put together a list of the lesser-known fan favorites that have kept our spirits up in these unprecedented times.
Some of this is prestige television. Some of this is total trash! But all of it is worth a stream.
Peep Show (Hulu)
Customer Experience Expert Pat Daly says he revisited this British buddy comedy “for the 24th time” during quarantine. It’s bleak and hilarious—and what more can you really ask for these days? “Peep Show gave me the cringe-y social discomfort I’d been craving all throughout quarantine,” Daly affirms. “When you couldn’t go out, it was the next best thing.”
The Repair Shop (Netflix)
“Expert craftspeople from all over England come together in an impossibly idyllic workshop to repair and restore an endless parade of keepsakes, antiques, and cherished heirlooms,” explains UX & Product Writing Lead Jed Baker, comparing the show to a mash-up of The Great British Baking Show and Antiques Roadshow. “The tales and people behind the items are touching, the artisans are extremely charming, and the restoration processes are fascinating.”
How to With John Wilson (HBO)
A bizarro documentary series that takes straightforward topics—like ‘scaffolding,’ or ‘small talk’—and runs off in completely unexpected and heartfelt directions. Nathan Fielder, of Nathan for You fame, produced this series, and there are similar levels of social awkwardness at play here. “The show is a celebration of boundless curiosity and of careful, creative observation,” says Editorial Lead Scott Indrisek. “Wilson is a lovable oddball who basically has recorded his entire life. We get to reap the benefits.”
The Floor is Lava (Netflix)
“The Floor is Lava is based on the childhood game of the same name. It takes what you used to imagine you were doing as a kid and cranks it up to 10,000,” explains CX Squad Lead Matt Scarpino. “Although they don’t use real lava, the stakes are still high: The winners receive $10k and a lava lamp! The contestants are goofy, the obstacles are insane, and it’s clear the show doesn’t take itself too seriously. Perfect if you’re bored and want to watch some overly cocky bro smack his face and fall in lava.”
Hustle (Amazon)
Implausible and over-the-top, each episode of this British series focuses on a different con. The ragtag gang, led by the stylish Mickey Bricks, practices crime with a conscience. Hustle‘s plotting is delicious and unpredictable, and there’s just the right amount of camp. It’s like Ocean’s Eleven mixed with a soap opera.
Money Heist (Netflix)
More crafty crime! “Money Heist is the gift that keeps on giving,” promises Compliance Specialist Charlotte Abin. “Each season takes you on an amazing, adrenaline-rush journey with an eclectic group of people trying to rob the biggest banks in Spain. Not only will you fall in love with every character…you’ll actually be rooting for the people who are robbing the banks and taking loads of hostages.” [EDITOR’S NOTE: Lemonade doesn’t not support bank robbing, except of the fictional variety.]
Love Island UK (Hulu)
“If you think The Bachelor is too scripted and miss old school Real World seasons, you will love this show,” says Talent Acquisition Specialist Eliza Holsten. “Each episode allows you to take a break from all the craziness in your life, as you watch the most ridiculous people do challenges to ‘fall in love’ in beautiful Majorca. You’ll learn the different accents from all around the UK, and British slang that you never knew was missing from your life—I highly recommend watching with subtitles…”
Detroiters (Hulu)
Two old friends run a local advertising agency with equal parts optimism and ineptitude. Detroiters turns a satirical eye on the ongoing gentrification of the “gritty” Motor City, and is also a spotlight on the chemistry between Sam Richardson (Richard Splett of Veep fame) and former SNL writer Tim Robinson.
The Serpent (Netflix)
“The Serpent tells the true story of infamous 1970s serial killer Charles Sobhraj, and the young Dutch diplomat who stops at nothing to bring the killer and his allies to justice,” explains CX Specialist Phoebe Present. “Don’t trust charming, handsome strangers when they offer you jewels or a ‘luxurious’ stay at a Bangkok apartment building…”
The Circle (Netflix)
Billed as a “social media competition,” this reality show “is the ultimate game of Instagram versus reality,” says Talent Acquisition Associate Dipa Amin. “Basically, whoever can become the top ‘influencer’ will win. Since the players can only see each other’s profiles and communicate via messaging, they can choose to be whoever they want. Along the way, there are mind tricks, relationships formed and broken, and twists that you don’t see coming.”
Catastrophe (Amazon)
This dramedy about a one night stand that turns into marriage-with-kids can often hit a bit too close to home. It’s a show about parenting, but the children are almost always off-stage. This is must-see TV for anyone who knows what a glorious mess married life can be (especially when tiny humans turn everything upside down).
Normal People (Hulu)
“On the surface, Normal People is a basic boy-meets-girl story, but after just one episode it proves itself to be much more than that,” Phoebe Present says of this serialized adaptation of Sally Rooney’s buzzy novel. “Between the stellar acting, writing, and gut-wrenching emotional depth, this was one of the best new series I saw last year. All the gorgeous Irish accents just make the show even better. This is one of the only instances I’ve come across where the film or TV adaptation was better than the novel.”
The Goes Wrong Show (Tubi)
“Each episode of the show features a new play the (fictional) Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society attempts to perform live—and things always go wrong, hilariously so,” says Qun Wei, Lemonade’s Head of Growth Data and Analytics. “I find this show particularly therapeutic when the world around you seems to be going wrong too. Even though everything you can think of goes wrong, they always carry on and never give up.”
Never Have I Ever (Netflix)
“If To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Mindy Project had a child, it would be Never Have I Ever,” says Compliance Specialist Laura Jones. “It’s pure comfort food and teen dating shenanigans, but at its core it’s about a girl who just lost her father and is overwhelmed by grief. The characters are all very easy to root for, and the show is sweet without being (overly) cheesy.”
Workin’ Moms (Netflix)
“Workin’ Moms is a genuine depiction of the type of motherhood that we rarely see: the often dirty, thankless pieces that are necessary, but difficult and sacrificial,” says Matt Morris, Insurance Operations Senior Associate. “The characters aren’t perfect—in fact, they do a lot of things that are very questionable— but that’s what makes them relatable. It’s equally hilarious and distressing.”
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet (Apple TV+)
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet might sound like a fantasy epic about orcs battling trolls. But it’s actually a comedy about daily life at a video game company, with shades of Silicon Valley‘s cutting humor.
“It’s not just your typical workplace comedy,” CX Specialist Stephen Piersanti says. “You’re pulled into the world of an egocentric game developer portrayed by Rob McElhenney (of It’s Always Sunny… fame) and his quirky, dry, absurd sense of humor. What caught me off guard after binging both seasons is the heart at the center of show.”
& A BONUS, FOR THE KIDDOS…
There’s only so much Mr. Rogers and Paw Patrol you can watch… and CoComelon is scientifically proven to ruin parents after 25 minutes. So what’s a kid to stream?
Head of Insurance Operations and Lemonade parent Ventrice Lam recommends Waffles + Mochi: “There’s fuzzy puppets for the babies, and Michelle Obama with celebrity chefs for the parents.”
Workforce Manager Stephanie Lopez, meanwhile, says that Bluey is on constant rotation at her house. “It follows a family of dogs that like to play pretend,” she says, “and the parents are so relatable.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS…
Jeez, you really have a lot of free time! Well, Team Lemonade says you can’t go wrong with Children’s Hospital, Gomorrah, Kim’s Convenience, Dead to Me, Hacks, Atypical, Mrs America, or the Japanese anime Demon Slayer…
Did we leave out your favorite show? Do you disagree with any of our binge-worthy selects? Let us know!
And hey, while you’re sitting on the couch already, you might as well take the time to check out renters, homeowners, pet health, or life insurance, right? Click below to get started.