From the streets of Derry to a groundbreaking kids’ tea-time drama, our first volume of box set binge recommendations is packed full of bingable TV treats
1. DERRY GIRLS
Lisa McGee’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy, Derry Girls, sensibly opted to say goodbye in its third series, but we were sad to see it go. Derry Girls was rare in the landscape of modern situational comedy, first for its heart and humour, and second for its exquisite reflection of a specific time and place.
Chronicling the path to peace in Northern Ireland alongside Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle, and their wee English fella, James, Derry Girls injected the heartbreaking years of Northern Irish violence and segregation with the newly emerging hope of peace. It celebrated the best of Northern Irish culture, humour, and togetherness while never shying away from troubles. In the process, it became a modern TV classic, leaving us begging for more.
2. THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST
Epic documentaries are rare nowadays, especially those that run for three two-hour episodes. But anyone familiar with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his longtime collaborators, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein, will know that “epic” and “detailed” are bywords for Burns’ work. Here, Burns unpicks and then stitches together a complex tapestry of US history relating to immigration, the War in Europe, antisemitism, and race from the early 1930s to the post-war period.
No stone is left unturned as Burns explores two sides of the same coin: one rooted in segregation and a belief in America first, and the other in compassion, bravery, and a need to protect. Meanwhile, the dark history of Eugenics and psychological discrimination and oppression sees the UK and the US shoulder at least some of the responsibility for the horrors of Nazism. The US and the Holocaust is documentary filmmaking at its most powerful and urgent.
Box Set Binge (Volume 1)
3. STRANGER THINGS
Stranger Things is undoubtedly one of the most beloved and successful Netflix shows, and it could be argued that it helped create the streaming giant.
The Duffer Brothers’ sci-fi gem is, in essence, a Stephen King-inspired story of a small American town plunged into darkness, with the local kids in peril, coupled with classic Dante-inspired monster horror and Spielberg-esque cinematography.
As we watch Millie Bobbie Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, and Noah Schnapp mature from teens to young adults, Stranger Things shifts from coming-of-age fantasy to pure horror.
The Duffer brothers looked back on their childhood and teenage years, drawing on elements that inspired them as kids and weaving them into a tapestry of science fiction, nostalgia, and pop culture.
The result was the resurrection of a TV format that had failed to ignite in Eerie Indiana decades earlier, a science fiction horror built on nostalgia. Unlike the 50s nostalgia present in Eerie, Stranger Things was firmly rooted in the 80s, encouraging new generations to bathe in a neon glow of Walkmans, synth-pop, and imagination.
In the Duffer brothers’ world, the kids’ only weapons were their bikes, and their only means of communication were a landline and a walkie-talkie. It appears that this was also comforting for Generation Z, who eagerly lapped up the Duffer brothers’ 80s-inspired dream.
4. EERIE INDIANA
Eerie Indiana’s legendary status was established over just 19 episodes alongside Omri Katz. By blending enthralling science fiction, fun fantasy, and classic monster horror, Eerie pays homage to Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone. Here, each gloriously dark and delicious tale is set in a world of weirdness and wonder created by Jose Rivera, Karl Schaefer, and the indomitable Joe Dante.
The result is one of the shortest-lived but most innovative children’s TV shows ever made.
Box Set Binge (Volume 1)
5. SEX EDUCATION
Over four fabulous seasons, Laurie Nunn’s beautifully written show helped shape a brand new landscape in teen drama. Taking inspiration from Skins, Charlie Bartlett, and a range of John Hughes films, Sex Education would combine edgy teen drama with a wealth of comedy and emotion, blowing the doors off the continuing teen drama genre.
Tackling sexual anxieties, first-time sex, masturbation, role play, kink and more, no sexual practice was off limits in this devilishly brilliant slice of TV. However, the real genius lay in Sex Education’s ability to seamlessly integrate its sex talk with a genuine affection for its characters.
From the gentle, frustrated and endearing Otis (Asa Butterfield) to the sharp, loving and proud Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and the spikey, worldly-wise Maeve (Emma Mackey), Sex Education not only understood the fears, apprehensions and questions many teens watching had; it enabled safe, humorous and tender discussions.
Nunn’s comedy-drama is Fast Times at Ridgemont High for millennials, and while it falters slightly toward the end, it has rightly earned its place in TV history.
6. SLOW HORSES
Based on Mick Herron’s novels and adapted for TV by Will Smith (The Thick of It), Slow Horses isn’t just one of the best TV shows of the past five years; it’s one of the most bingeable. Packed to the rafters with humour, grit, espionage and action, Slow Horses is electric TV. The series starts with River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) fucking up his promising MI5 career in a bungled operation. As a result, River finds himself banished to the arse hole of MI5, Slough House, a place where shit intelligence officers go to shuffle paperwork for the rest of their careers. River is joined by a troupe of failed spies, including the spikey and brilliant 70s throwback Jackson Lamb, played by the outstanding Gary Oldman.
But far from being quiet, Slough House, under Lamb’s unconventional leadership, is at the forefront of clandestine operations, spy rings and the ghosts of past exploits. Apple TV+ and See-Saw have assembled a truly stellar cast for Slow Horses, and over the course of the first three seasons, the dark comedy, action, and intrigue delightfully build into one of the most addictive shows of recent years.
From Jack Lowden to Gary Oldman, Jonathan Pryce, Freddie Fox and Kristin Scott-Thomas, Slow Horses is far more than just a satisfying spy romp; it is a sublime slice of TV worth the Apple TV+ subscription fee alone.
7. TITANS
Following hot on the heels of the underrated Gotham, Titans finally gave the Teen Titans an adult makeover. Here, DC Comics classics such as “Death in the Family” and “The Red Hood” would be amalgamated into a dark, brooding, and violent slice of comic book entertainment that finally laid the 1960s comedic Robin to rest. It is therefore interesting that Titans has never received the credit it was due for the quality, diversity, or brilliance of its four-season run.
As with many DC shows, the reason lies in internal wrangling at Warner Bros., with the DC Universe platform launched only to be scrapped later. At the same time, HBO Max wasn’t available in most international territories, including the UK, with Titans suffering long delays in arriving on Netflix worldwide.
But despite the problems behind the scenes, this is one DC show well worth your time, as the Teen Titans face a range of classic enemies over four exquisite, action-packed seasons.
8. CHARLIE BROWN AND PEANUTS
First published in various American newspapers in 1950, Charles M. Schulz’s Charlie Brown and Peanuts have become one of the most famous comic strips ever produced.
In creating the Peanuts gang, Schulz mixed intelligent comedy with childhood’s innermost fears, joys and anxieties, challenging a series of old-fashioned views of child psychology along the way. Over the years since Charlie Brown first appeared in print, 18,000 comic strips have been translated into over 21 languages in 75 countries. But the TV specials truly cemented Charlie, his dog Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang’s place as a cultural phenomenon.
Since 1965, over 45 specials have been produced, many earning the title ‘legendary’ for bringing the world of Charlie Brown to life in glorious technicolour. Of course, it all started with the fabulous A Charlie Brown Christmas, which remains a family favourite fifty-nine years later. But now, with Apple TV+ on board, a new world of Charlie Brown stories and adventures is opening up for a whole new generation, including the fabulous Welcome Home, Franklin.
9. GRANGE HILL
Phil Redmond’s Grange Hill didn’t just reinvent the classic children’s tea-time drama; it joyously tore up the rulebook, delivering fun, gritty, and bold TV drama that understood the kids it was talking to.
Until Grange Hill, comprehensive state schools had been largely absent from TV, with working-class kids rarely seen unless they were committing a crime in a police drama. The school gates of Grange Hill opened in 1978 and remained open for 30 years as each new generation of kids explored hard-hitting themes from abuse to addiction, HIV, and grooming.
However, while Grange Hill dared to tackle big social themes with its young audiences, it never lost sight of the fun, humour, and joy of the playground, too. Watching Grange Hill now is a revelation as you realise just how cutting-edge this kid’s drama was and still is in the landscape of children’s TV.
Delve into the world of Grange Hill with the Sausage on a Fork podcast – Click Here.
Box Set Binge (Volume 1)
10. GAME OF THRONES AND HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
Based on the book series by George RR Martin, Game of Thrones would transform and forever redraw the boundary between television and cinema with a show that took the 16:9 TV in the corner of your room into unexplored territory.
Game of Thrones was event-viewing as it built a world unlike anything seen on TV, while re-igniting the public’s love of historical fantasy through intrigue, sex, violence, sumptuous character design, and stunning effects. Like many shows, its ending may have faltered in the eyes of many, but no ending would have been perfect for a show that left such a lasting mark and rich, dramatic legacy.
As Game of Thrones came to a close in 2019, many wondered whether the media firestorm it had generated had been fully extinguished; after all, the final season of the blockbuster show was, and still is, hotly debated as one of TV’s biggest anticlimaxes. Therefore, when House of the Dragon was announced, a fair bit of scepticism was mixed with the excitement of a new beginning in King’s Landing.
Thankfully, some of that scepticism was put to bed just three episodes in, as the trademark mix of betrayal, intrigue, medieval politics, and power that made Game of Thrones fascinating found a fresh voice through a host of exceptional new characters. Performances writhe with the same fearless energy as its predecessor, with Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Ewan Mitchell, Emma D’Arcy, Tom Glynn-Carney and Co absolutely spellbinding.
11. THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY
Based on the Dark Horse comic series, The Umbrella Academy arrived on Netflix with a bang in 2019. In its first season, The Umbrella Academy turned the superhero genre on its head with its eccentricity, energy, killer gags and endless charm as we were introduced to Vanya/Viktor (Elliot Page), Luther (Tom Hopper), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Diego (David Castañeda), Ben (Justin H. Min), Number 5 (Aidan Gallagher), Lila (Ritu Arya) and Klaus (Robert Sheehan).
Far from being the first TV show to experiment with the superhero format in this way (Sheehan’s sublime performance in Misfits comes to mind), The Umbrella Academy presented a similar aesthetic with a Netflix-sized budget.
Following its inventive and delightfully sharp first outing, Season Two felt like a modern, violent take on Quantum Leap, yet was equally built on the academy’s ability to weave comic violence, dark humour, and action with social themes ranging from black civil rights to women’s equality and LGBTQ+ freedoms.
The show may have faltered slightly in its third season, but its fourth and final season would see us bid an emotional goodbye to characters who earned their place in TV history. Many hated the ending offered, but for me, it was everything The Umbrella Academy was built on, as it threw us a final curveball that wrapped up everything with a rare and resounding finality.
12. I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS
What do you get when you cross a John Hughes movie with Stephen King’s Carrie before adding a sprinkling of Stranger Things? The answer might be found in the Netflix comic book drama I Am Not Okay With This, a deliciously dark comic book adaptation from the same universe as The End of the F***ing World. Here, we find the story of a teenage girl struggling with grief, awkwardness, acne, emerging sexuality, and some troubling latent superpowers.
Still reeling from her father’s suicide, Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis) is not exactly living the teen dream as she battles with her recent relocation to a small town, arguments with her mum and a best friend, Dina (Sofia Bryant), who may be something more. Meanwhile, Sydney’s weed-smoking geeky neighbour (Wyatt Oleff) happens to fancy the hell out of her. But the cherry on top of all this teen angst is her emerging telekinetic powers, over which she has little control.
There is nothing new in the notion of superpowers interfacing with puberty; it’s a mainstay of the comic book origin story. But it’s rare to see these stories placed into the hands of a teenage girl, and even more rare to find them dovetailed with the coming out process.
I Am Not Okay With This felt fresh, new and sharp in an ocean of competing titles, helped enormously by the casting of Sophie Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, yet Netflix pulled the plug, and just like Lockwood & Co. and a host of other YA titles, we were left wondering what could have been.
13. OZ
OZ was the opening chapter in long-form drama at HBO, and like any good book, it was a chapter that left you desperate for more. Many will argue that OZ set the template for modern TV drama and invented many of the patterns and beats we are now accustomed to in binge-worthy TV. Less discussed is OZ’s revolutionary role in LGBTQ+ representation.
Oswald State Penitentiary wasn’t afraid of showing us male nudity, gay sex and homophobic violence; its narrative was laced with grit, social commentary, and unflinching drama from the first episode. And while bathed in stereotypes we now largely reject, OZ would bring gay sex and love into the living rooms of a new generation and chip away at the 80s and early ’90s barriers of censorship.
14. THE WONDER YEARS
If you can name a better coming-of-age TV show, I would love to hear it, as The Wonder Years is, in my view, one of the finest coming-of-age TV dramas of the 20th Century.
Over six seasons, each delightful 30-minute episode steals our hearts as it explores the complex dynamics of family life against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America. Far more than mere nostalgia, Kevin’s journey from boy to man is set within the politics, social, and cultural changes of 1960s and 1970s America, as the American Dream began to face the reality of public protest, political corruption, the fight for freedom, social liberation, and the arrival of greed.
15. THE MANDALORIAN
Unlike the mediocre finale to the third Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian felt fresh, innovative, and rooted in George Lucas’s vision.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian draws inspiration from the Saturday children’s matinees that influenced George Lucas’ original vision by blending science fiction with a classic Western visual style.
However, the real genius lies in exploring a post-imperial world following the Return of the Jedi. Here, Pedro Pascal’s bounty hunter sits in a universe where Imperial forces are still very much alive on the fringes of the galaxy, and a small Yoda-like green “child” offers them a power that could once again overthrow the fragile democracy of the rebellion.
Offering us a kaleidoscope of characters and monsters, many of whom sat in the background of the original Star Wars films. The Mandalorian is a love letter to all those magical, wondrous Kenner figures who had no clear backstory until now.
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