TV Show Review, When in lockdown

Lockdown Binge: TV shows that got me through

Jan

Lockdown was the way of life for most of 2020 in Melbourne, including now – much the same as it was across the world. We had to get creative about how to spend all the extra time at home. There was the walking, cleaning, baking, reading, video calling, craft projects and home repairs. What next? It’s no surprise that a lot of us turned to Netflix as a safe haven from lockdown blues. With an infant at home, I was also up at odd hours in the night. Netflix kept me company when I couldn’t get back to sleep. Here’s the top 5 binge-worthy TV shows I watched on Netflix (Australia) over the last few months – fair warning that there maybe a few spoilers. If Netflix isn’t your cup of tea, maybe I can interest you in this post instead: 3 reasons why air-fryer cooking is obsessively good.

Schitt’s Creek

Where to begin with this one. Let me start by saying that it deserves all the Emmy awards it got this year – every single one. It’s a fantastic watch for when in lockdown because there’s 6 plentiful seasons with 80 episodes. The Canadian sitcom begins with a super-rich family becoming bankrupt and being forced to move to the only asset they are left with – a run down, remote town which they once bought as a joke – Schitt’s Creek (great play on words with the Schitt, right?!), .

Schitt’s Creek will have you chuckling and laughing the whole way through. All the characters are unique, well written and complement each other so well. My favourite is David – played by Daniel Levy, who is in fact one of the writers of the show. David is sarcastic, entitled and loves his designer clothes. His constant bickering with sister Alexis (Annie Murphy) is priceless, and will bring back memories of your own sibling rivalry.

Each episode of the show is original and entertaining. It’s an easy watch for good a laugh after a stressful week.

A decorative image with the cast of Schitt's Creek - the Rose family. Alexis and Moira are sitting on a bed, while Johnny and David are standing next to them.
Schitt’s Creek cast – the Rose family. Credit: Flickr

Emily in Paris

This feel-good American comedy drama is pretty new to Netflix. Emily (played by Lily Collins), who is a Chicago-based marketing executive, is the star of the show. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime – to move to Paris and work at a marketing firm that’s just been acquired by her American employer. She doesn’t speak French, but she thinks that’s a minor detail. Emily is bubbly, ambitious and a social media queen. Everyone likes her. Everyone except her new French colleagues, that is. She will have you hooked as she battles to win over her devil-wears-Prada French boss. And you’ll find yourself rooting for her chance at romance with the handsome neighbour, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo).

Emily in Paris has the right mix of romance, drama and comedy. Chances are you’ll even pick up a few hints on social media marketing. It’s a great binge watch with 10 episodes – so won’t take ages to get through either.

A picture of the roofs of Paris, at dusk, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Roofs of Paris

Umbrella Academy

Umbrella Academy is a brilliant superhero fiction mixed in with science fiction, action, drama and dark comedy. At the center of it all, is a family of adopted children who all have different superpowers. Then there’s time travel – a lot of it too! The story begins with the death of the father, which reunites the now adult children.

The 2 seasons and 20 episodes will have you engrossed because the plot thickens at every turn. The sibling rivalry on this one makes David and Alexis (on Schitt’s Creek) look like well-behaved kittens – which is really saying something! Both seasons have the siblings trying to ward off an apocalypse with the cause of it right within the family. Then there’s the house butler (sort of) who is a talking chimpanzee. And the mother whose actually a robot – and a very lifelike one at that.

Umbrella Academy is riveting. It’ll have you you guessing who the villain is right to the very end. The only problem was the ‘unfinished’ ending in season 2, which leaves you craving to find out what happens next.

A black umbrella with a u-shaped wooden handle
A black umbrella

Selling Sunset

I’m not typically in to reality shows but something about Selling Sunset reeled me in (don’t judge me!). It’s about a group of real estate agents working for Oppenheim Group, a real estate brokerage, in Los Angeles (LA). Sounds pretty basic and boring? Not at all. All the agents are stunning, ambitious women who sell multi-million dollar properties to super-rich buyers, some of whom are celebrities. I was drawn to the show at the start, just to look at the luxurious mansions, often with great views of LA sunsets (hence the name of the show, I’d imagine). Another thing that had me gaping was the size of the commissions the agents made – quite often much more than my annual salary in a single deal! Now that’s living the dream, right?!

Selling Sunset is full of drama and Christine is often at the thick of it. The first episode starts with a new agent, Chrishell, joining the group. Christine seems to have it out for Chrishell from the start – a clash that continues across the 3 seasons and 24 episodes.

Selling Sunset isn’t your everyday reality show. Yes, it’s got drama and plenty of it. But you can also learn a thing or two about the real estate game of selling luxury living to the affluent.

Sunset in Los Angeles, showing lit up buildings and roads
Sunset in Los Angeles

Good Girls

Good Girls will have you giggling and full of suspense, right to the very end. It’s an American comedy-drama of 3 working moms going rogue in order to provide for their families. It’s a serious story in that sense but one that’s easy to relate to (obviously just the working parent part, not the crime!). Annie (played by Mae Whitman) is my favourite character. She’s irresponsible and reckless but always has the snarkiest things to say.

The 3 moms attempt a heist on a local store, thinking it will be a one-time thing. To their dismay, it then leads them to a series of crimes, as accomplices to a gang leader – Rio (actor Manny Montana). Despite the light-hearted comedy in the show, it also conveys an important message – once a criminal, always a criminal. Which is the fate of many people who commit a crime out of necessity and then find themselves with no way out.

The 3 seasons and 34 episodes of Good Girls will keep you entertained. You’ll be laughing, gasping, biting your nails and hoping the girls aren’t biting more than they can chew.

A picture from the Good Girls TV show - Annie and Ruby are sitting at a cafe table with half empty glasses, smirking at someone standing in front of them
Good Girls TV show. Credit: Flickr

Lockdown living is pretty tough and at times you just need something to take your mind off it. These are the top 5 shows on Netflix (Australia) that helped me get through the last few months. They helped me take a break, laugh a little and de-stress to keep going.

What TV shows did you binge recently? Did you like any of the above?

© Jan Perera 2020. All rights reserved.

Published by Jan

Working mom by day and blogger by night, from the land down under in Melbourne, Australia. Jan On The Blog is a lifestyle blog with a little bit of everything because variety is the spice of life! :)

52 thoughts on “Lockdown Binge: TV shows that got me through”

      2. Omg Jack Whitehall is hilarious! Sometimes I think the dad is funnier 😂 I reckon Schitt’s Creek is right up your alley. It’s super funny too.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I just started watching Schitt’s creek! Its amazing!!

    I absolutely lovvvvedddd Emily In Paris!! Gabriel 😍😍😍
    Binged through that show pretty quickly!

    I am now watching Girl Boss, I think you’ll like it too. Again, its small.. just 13 ep. 1 season!

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    1. Schitt’s Creek was gold! And plenty to keep you going for a while too.
      I adored Emily in Paris. Hahaha I can’t believe she took that long to give in to Gabriel! 😂😍
      I’ve watched Girls Boss. It’s pretty good!
      Waiting to try Enola Holmes.
      I reckon you’ll like Dynasty. Seen it? Full of drama but super entertaining!

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      1. Yes!! I just started so I have a while to go!
        Yes but she didnt want him to cheat… even though it was Paris!
        But lol the cliffhanger
        Im almost done with Girl Boss! I like her 🙂

        Enola Holmes is aaammazing! You have to watch it!

        Nope I havent watched Dynasty.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. lol I know, I know 😋 but all that chemistry from the start! Argh, I know. I hate cliffhangers. Like, are you seriously going to keep us in suspense this whole time?!😬🤷🏻‍♀️😂
        Nice! It’s a bit of a long movie so I wanted to find the perfect time to watch it in one go.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Selling Sunset 🌅 —I love the show. I could just about watch any episode and it makes me fall asleep (in a good way lol)

    On a side note: I always end up having a dream or two about living on those mansions.

    Great post✨I love the way you reviewed all of them. It sparked my interested, might check out a few xx

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    1. Thanks for the lovely words Shahrin! Selling Sunset really was good, despite the drama. And you’re right, those mansions were to die for!
      Watching anything good at the moment?
      Let me know what you think of any others you end up watching ☺️

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      1. Watching a drama called “Life” in bbc. But mostly binge-watching “The Real Housewives Of Atlanta”. The pettiness is to die for😂

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  7. I really enjoyed Emily in Paris and am currently watching Umbrella Academy 😊 Queen of the South is another that I could not stop watching and I’m glad I caught it when there were already 4 seasons.

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    1. How are you liking Umbrella Academy so far? I did see bits of Queen of the South (hubby went through a binge phase on all the narcos shows 😂) – it did seem full of nail biting suspense. I don’t know if those are based in real life, but pretty well written scripts isn’t it?!

      Like

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  8. How good! Sounds like we’re into similar shows 😂 Mum and I loved Schitt’s Creek! I’m glad I persevered with it as initially I wasn’t sure I’d like it but loved how it was super quirky and unique.
    Big fan of Good Girls although I feel a bit lost with the latest season… will have to watch the remaining episodes to see where it finishes though, really enjoyed the first two seasons. Definitely going to check out Emily in Paris, a few friends have recommended this to me so will make a start 😍 also keen to check out Selling Sunset – I’m a sucker for a little bit of reality tv. Thanks for sharing! xx

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Haha look at that, we do seem to like the same shows. Yay! Schitt’s Creek really was gold. Who was your favourite character? David was so good!
      I hope you get to finish Good Girls.
      And if you’re in to reality you’ll love Selling Sunset! It’s amazing how much drama those girls can conjure up 😂🤷🏻‍♀️
      Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts Chels ☺️

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      1. Have you watched the Santa Clarita Diet or Dead To Me? I also loved those ones 😂
        David was awesome in Schitt’s Creek, I also liked Moira haha. They all had their positives I reckon which made it that much more worth the watch 😊
        Always down for a bit of drama haha, will let you know once I’ve watched a couple of episodes. Keep up the great blogging 😁 x

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Pingback: The Outstanding Blogger Award – Crispy Confessions

    1. It was pretty good wasn’t it! Can’t wit for the next season ☺️ Watching anything new lately?
      I watched Enola Holmes and it was fantastic! 😍

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  15. ‘Good Girls’ is on Netflix in Australia? I didn’t know it was on Netflix overall, I’ve wanted to check that show out, but once I get hooked onto something, that’s it! So I’ve been avoiding binge-marathons recently. Nothing bad happens to them, right? I know a movie with a similar plot, women who are struggling with finances who decide to start robbing banks to help them out and things don’t end well for them. You’re from Australia nice! What’s it like over there? In Melbourne.

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    1. Yes, it is on Netflix Australia. Haha I’ve been down that binge road many times and try not to get too into anything. It doesn’t have a tragic ending luckily.
      Melbourne is just getting out of lockdown so we are making the most of our new normal lives. Also it’s summer time for us so trying not to get burnt by the heat 😬
      How’s things where you are?

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      1. Phew ok, then I’ll check the show out once school is done. I think it’s on the Netflix for my area too. Congrats on getting out of lockdown, how are the cases there? Wear plenty of sunscreen.

        I’m from Hawaii and things are not too good here, our mayor is making travel restrictions hard and we’re back in triple digits again (like 100s). Gosh I hope they don’t shut down our mall again!

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      2. That’s great. Let me know how you like Good Girls.
        Thanks we’ve had a really long period of lockdown so pretty thankful to have some form of normal again. Case numbers have been zero for about 2 weeks now (touch all kinds of wood!) – hopefully that continues.
        Oh no! That sucks 😔 I really hope things improve there. But Hawaii! What a gorgeous place to live. Stay safe xx

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I’ll let you know for sure! Zero in terms of cases?!?!?! That’s incredible. What has Melbourne been doing to keep the numbers low?

        Thanks Jan, I hope things get better too. Same old people getting impatient with the virus and people traveling in and out of Hawaii. It is a beautiful place to live. I’m sure Australia is nice too. Stay safe as well!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Well we’ve had a really long of period of lockdown where we mostly had to stay at home. Partly because we had a pretty severe second wave. But I think it’s those strict lockdown rules that worked.

        Hope things improve there xx

        Liked by 1 person

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