When you need a comfort show or something bingeworthy (2024)

Buongiorno!

The last time you heard from me I was hitting publish from a hotel room in picturesque Baveno, a town on the shore of Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy. I don’t share this to brag or to give a false impression that I’m a wealthy jet-setter — I’m far from it! I share this with you, my patient and generous subscribers, to explain why it’s been a minute since you had an email from watch this: feel that in your inbox. (If you’re reading this on the app and you’re not yet a subscriber, please make my day and subscribe!)

Since my last post, my family and I realized a lifelong dream of traveling throughout Italy together, and I left my trusty laptop at home. It was so good to unplug a bit from technology and my to-do list; however, during the trip (thanks to my niece lending me her laptop) I was glad to be able to send you the first post in a series where I will be pairing music with film and TV: Films to go with your Spotify Daylist.

In case you missed that one, here it is:

Since I’ve been back, I started a new part-time gig, so it’s been challenging to carve out the proper time for lengthy streaming let alone writing about it. All of that said, thank you (especially to my paid subscribers) for your continued support.

I’m currently working hard on a lot of future posts to share with you, and I look forward to getting back to sharing more recommendations and reviews!

I would still love to hear what you would like to see in this Substack newsletter, so please feel free to tell me via the short survey below (I promise, this will be the last time I ask you to complete this survey — a few of you have already done so, and I thank you for that!)

Start Survey

🥁 🥁 🥁 MY NEXT REVIEW WILL BE…

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you may have recently seen the clues I shared to hint at my next review. If you didn’t see the stories, or if my clues were too cryptic, I am excited to reveal that in anticipation of Season 3 which debuts later this month, my next review will be on Seasons 1 and 2 of The Bear!

While I revisit this award-winning dramedy (streaming on Disney+ in Canada if you want to watch or re-watch along with me), I thought I’d share some other excellent re-watches that I tend to revisit from time to time, along with some entertaining shows that you can start binging this week.

***P.S. — If you’re reading this in your email, you’ll have to click on it to read it in the app or on the web, as this particular post is a bit too long to fit into Substack’s email format.***

Share watch this: feel that

THIS WEEK’S RECOMMENDATIONS:

Did you know…that re-watching your favourite shows is good for your mental health? Scientific studies have proven that it can make you feel safe and less lonely, and help you decompress and recharge your batteries for the next day.

Lately, with all this rain, I’ve been in the mood to binge something light or re-watch something great, so with this in mind, the following recommendations will give you something to watch, re-watch, or binge while we all wait for consistent summer weather!

1. CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO (2024)

A relatively short binge (4 episodes), Conan O’Brien Must Go brings viewers what many Conan O’Brien fans love the most — “remotes”.

Maybe it’s his lanky stature, ginger pompadour hair, talent for improvising, or his eccentric, gregarious personality — or all of the above. Still, there’s something hysterically funny about Conan O’Brien interacting with people on remote shoots outside of a studio — in the streets, at a restaurant, on a boat, or in any other public place — especially if it’s outside of North America.

In Conan O’Brien Must Go, Conan travels to Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland to visit fans who appeared as guests on Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan, the companion podcast to his wildly popular podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.

In his well-honed self-deprecating style, Conan often makes himself the butt of the joke while visiting these interesting locales. His hilarious interactions with fans and strangers he encounters in this comedic travel show give viewers a unique perspective of the four countries he visits. He wears some excellent costumes, too.

Watch for: The expertly written intro (spoken perfectly by German filmmaker Werner Herzog), Conan getting insulted by a Viking, Conan’s homage to Robert Eggers’ film, The Lighthouse, and Conan hanging out with Argentinian cowboys.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Crave, Amazon Prime (with Crave Channel)

2. REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SALT LAKE CITY (2020-)

If you’re a Bravo fan, you’ve likely already seen this, in which case, perhaps it’s time to re-watch season 4! If you’re usually skeptical of or averse to reality shows — especially those that focus on the wealthy 1% — I urge you to reconsider and settle in to binge all 4 seasons of this dramatic, entertaining guilty pleasure. Just don’t focus on the obscene wealth and you’ll love it.

Of all the Real Housewives franchises, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is one of my favourites. Like all Real Housewives casts, the women of Salt Lake City, Utah never fail to bring the drama, host fabulous parties, engage in gossip and high-pitched arguments, and get wrapped up in multitudinous misunderstandings. The difference here is that the dramatic storylines of these particular wealthy women are set in a unique corner of America where Mormonism reigns supreme. It’s fascinating to watch this cast navigate their religious beliefs and lifestyles amid fraud, tequila, black eyes, internet trolls, fashion shows, and The Sundance Film Festival.

Watch for: Jen Shah’s scandal in season 2, Heather’s discovery about Monica in season 4, the fabulousness of Meredith Marks and her son Brooks, and Heather Gay’s journey as a self-described “bad Mormon”.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Amazon Prime (with a StackTV or Hayu subscription)

3. THE TRAITORS (2022-)

Another binge-worthy reality show series that will keep you highly entertained is The Traitors. With franchises from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., this show is based on the Dutch series, De Verraders, and it provides viewers with laughter, mystery, adventure, and an opportunity to psychoanalyze people from the comfort of their couches. Contestants, who are a mix of “regular” people and popular former contestants from other reality shows travel to a luxury home or (in the case of the U.K. and U.S. franchises, a large castle in the Scottish highlands) to compete to win a cash prize in this game of deception.

After a small number of them are secretly chosen by the host as “the traitors”, the rest of the cast, known as “the faithful”, work together to solve this mystery and vote the traitors out of the game, while also participating in team challenges to increase the prize pot. The tricky part is, that everyone is actively pretending to be one of the faithful.

What I love about The Traitors is that it doesn’t pretend to be more serious than it is. It’s campy, funny, ridiculous, and unpredictable — and its hosts are often as entertaining as its contestants. Case in point: Alan Cumming who hosts the U.S. franchise.

Watch for: Alan Cumming’s wardrobe, interactions between your favourite reality show stars, surprise twists, and cunning gameplay.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Crave, Amazon Prime (with Crave Channel)

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2006 - 2011)

Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream (1990) was a nonfiction book by H.G. Bissinger that told the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas. Bissinger’s book inspired actor/writer/director Peter Berg to co-write and direct a 2004 film of the same name, as well as this TV series.

You might not expect me to recommend a show about American football, but Friday Night Lights (the TV series) introduced me to so many great actors, and it’s just a really good show — it goes deeper than football.

Although I knew him first from the 1996 series Early Edition, Kyle Chandler was re-introduced to me as Coach Eric Taylor, and in my opinion, this casting choice is on par with some of the best — it even rivals the choice to cast Jon Hamm as Don Draper. There is a very high chance you will watch this show and fall in love with Coach Taylor and/or his wife Tami Taylor (played by Connie Britton), as the fictional couple’s relationship is a key ingredient in making this such a great show, as these two actors give passionate and authentic performances.

This series also introduced me to Jesse Plemons, Taylor Kitsch, and Patrick J. Adams, all great actors still doing excellent work today. And for anyone re-watching, you’ll remember that Friday Night Lights is known for one of the best motivational mantras in television history: “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”!

Watch for: Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton giving great acting and excellent chemistry, Tim Riggins a.k.a. Canada’s own Taylor Kitsch looking fine and acting even finer, stirring emotional moments, Jesse Plemon’s character Landry stealing your heart, and action-packed football scenes.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Crave, Amazon Prime (with Crave Channel)

Share

DEXTER (2006 - 2013)

Driven by great writing, dark comedy, a dash of camp, and Michael C. Hall’s acting chops, Dexter is an entertaining thriller/dramedy that is finally back on Netflix (Canada). If you haven’t seen it, it’s a great binge. If you don’t have time for multiple seasons, at least make it through the first two, which in my opinion are the best.

Adapted from Jeff Lindsay’s first novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), this entertaining dramedy/thriller follows blood-spatter analyst Dexter Morgan as hides in plain sight helping Miami Metro Homicide solve crimes during the day while committing his own highly orchestrated crimes at night.

Watch for: One of the best opening sequences to a TV series ever, Michael C. Hall’s excellent voiceover throughout, Debra Morgan (played by Jennifer Carpenter) — a strong character with a big heart and a hilarious vocabulary of swear words, and unexpected moments that will shock and surprise you.

Also watch for: Keith Carradine, Colin Hanks, Jimmy Smits, Charlotte Rampling, and John Lithgow who all play key roles throughout the series.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Netflix Canada

Post-binge recommendation: You can follow up your Dexter binge by watching Dexter: New Blood on HBO (find this on Crave or Amazon Prime with the Crave Channel).

SIX FEET UNDER (2001-2005)

Post-Sopranos and pre-Succession, there was Six Feet Under — in my opinion, one of the best-ever TV dramas about a family. It was filmed in the early 2000s so there are some dated moments here are there, but in general, Six Feet Under is a timeless show that asks its viewers to think about life, death, family, and relationships while falling in love with its cast of dysfunctional but loveable characters.

Speaking of Michael C. Hall, before Dexter, he was introduced to me first as David Fisher, the middle child of Six Feet Under’s central family, The Fishers, who own and operate a funeral home set in Los Angeles, California. Anyone who can go from playing David Fisher to Dexter Morgan deserves all the awards, and if you watch, you’ll see what I mean.

In almost every scene of this series, viewers will get to enjoy excellent writing and amazing acting, particularly from its main ensemble cast. The list of talented actors in the entire cast is too long for this post, but at the heart of the show is Peter Krause’s performance as Nate Fisher, the prodigal son who comes home. Viewers will also be treated to performances throughout the seasons by the likes of Kathy Bates, James Cromwell, Lili Taylor, Jeremy Sisto, Ben Foster, Catherine O’Hara, Rainn Wilson, and one of my favourites, Joanna Cassidy as Margaret Chenowith.

Watch for: A cast of very talented actors who will definitely make you feel; deep, poignant, and darkly witty writing; the amazing vintage home the show is set in, and the final episode, which is one of the best series finales ever filmed, in my opinion. This series also has an excellent opening sequence.

Also, watch for: well-known actors who were not as famous then as they are now — was this the California equivalent to Law and Order for acting gigs? To name a few: Dean Norris (Hank from Breaking Bad), Anna Gunn (Skylar from Breaking Bad), Sandra Oh, Justin Theroux, Josh Radnor (Ted from How I Met Your Mother), Chris Pine, and more.

🇨🇦 Where to Stream: Crave, Amazon Prime (with Crave Channel)

Happy binging and re-watching!

Heather

Leave a comment

Share

Share watch this: feel that

Streaming and rental sources listed are limited to the services and websites I subscribe to and/or have access to (in Canada) at the time of publishing. Feel free to search your streaming and cable services for these titles.