Fairygodboss Favorites: What You Need To Binge-Watch Over the Holidays
Amid all the holiday hustle and bustle, we're hoping you get at least a few hours to yourself to rest and recuperate. And what better way to spend those hours than catching up on all the shows you've been meaning to watch, but haven't yet gotten around to?
If you're spending the holidays at home, complement this list with your coziest blanket and fave snacks. If you're traveling, fire up your laptop and let the lazy-reindeer games begin. Here are the Fairygodboss staff's top binge-worthy picks for the 2017 holiday season:
"American Vandal": "If you binged on 'Serial' and 'Making a Murderer,' you need to watch this mockumentary ASAP. It’s a satirical take on the true crime genre, focusing on the investigation that ensues following a ridiculous high school prank. While the story is absurd and hilarious, the series is so well done — with incredible acting, you actually become totally invested in the whodunnit plot line."
— Sam, Fairygodboss Editorial Director
"The Leftovers": "Captivating, elegiac and at times utterly strange, 'The Leftovers' follows the families in a suburban town following a bizarre worldwide event during which millions of people simply and instantaneously disappeared. This HBO series is on a book by Tom Perotta, shepherded by JJ Abrams (Lost!), and with great performances from Carrie Coon, Justin Theroux and Liv Tyler among others. The story is appealing on so many levels and in so many ways that everyone should give it a try — just make sure you have time set aside to get through all three seasons!"
— Romy, Fairygodboss President & Co-founder
"For anyone who enjoys the more cerebral element of crime shows (think the BBC’s ‘Sherlock’), ‘Mindhunter’ is for you. It’s a serial killer-centric show, but 96% of the action — in the first season’s eight episodes, at least — occurs post-crime. Set in the 1970s, ‘Mindhunter’ follows three agents in the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit on their quest to figure out the making and psyche of so-called 'sequence killers.' It’s based on a true story — which, I know, eye roll, right? — but in this case is true. This is the team who made the distinction between murderers and serial killers, who as recently as the 1970s (!) didn’t have a name. Plus, the character development of its main protagonist, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), is worth a watch in its own right."
— Liv, Fairygodboss Editorial Associate
"Madam Secretary": "For policy and government geeks, or just people interested in the workings of government and global diplomacy at the highest levels, this show about an unlikely and charismatic Secretary of State satisfies those who have been hurting for something since the 'West Wing' days. Plus, Tea Leoni is a strong female lead!"
— Georgene, Fairygodboss CEO & President
"Great British Baking Show": "This show is so wholesome and pure, you’ll forget it’s even a competition. Whether you’re obsessed with baking or not, you’ll find yourself halfway through a season in no time. The British grandma you wish you had is one of the judges, and it is hosted by two hilarious English women. Pro tip: make sure you have snacks handy — you’ll be drooling over the fresh-baked creations."
— Casey, Fairygodboss Customer Success Specialist
"Shetland": "Scottish crime drama — DI Perez and his partner solve crimes on what should otherwise be a peaceful though untamed land. The setting is so stunning the characters so real, it’s hard not to binge."
— Katy, Fairygodboss VP of Sales
"Arrested Development:" "Easily my go-to when I’m not sure what to watch. This family puts the fun in dysfunctional. With it’s dry humor and sharp wit, 'Arrested Development' carries jokes from episode to episode and never misses a beat. A throwback to the early 2000s, some of the jokes don’t hold-up particularly well — fair warning!"
— Mary, Fairygodboss Director of Business Development and Partnerships
“I have never so eagerly looked forward to my 80s as I did while watching 'Grace & Frankie.' You’ll no doubt ricochet back and forth between which of the two titular characters you adore most, both played as they are to sheer perfection by powerhouses Jane Fonda (Grace) and Lily Tomlin (Frankie). But Brianna (June Diane Raphael) is maybe the low-key star. It’s impossible to watch this Netflix series without feeling cheered. Not to boil everything down to a trite, ‘Full House’-esque moral, BUT this show is really about 1.) sisterhood and 2.) the idea it’s never too late to start over. And the screenwriting is some of the quickest and wittiest I’ve encountered."
— Liv, Fairygodboss Editorial Associate
Alias Grace: "This show is based on a book by Margaret Atwood (think, 'The Handmaid’s Tale'), which tells the notorious true story of a woman, Grace, who is convicted of murdering Thomas Kinnear and his housemaid in the mid 1800’s. It’s equal parts creepy and captivating, as Grace retells her version of the events that resulted in the double homicide and landed her in a psych ward."
— Casey, Fairygodboss Customer Success Specialist
Westworld: "A futuristic sci-fi drama set in an old western town. The participants who live in Westworld come to find that they aren’t actually 'human' but were created for the sole purpose of eliciting the most outlandish, and at times disturbing, fantasies of the people who are able to afford the experience of visiting. It’s a story of the darkness of humanity and the blurred lines of what is real and what isn’t."
— Katy, Fairygodboss VP of Sales
"If you haven’t watched 'Breaking Bad,' you must! A high school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin with a BIL DEA agent … so much action and drama!"
— Mary, Fairygodboss Director of Business Development and Partnerships
"Freaks and Geeks": "This is one of the most underrated TV shows out there! It’s a quick binge and so relatable; it’ll take you right back to your high school days. The casting is perfect — you’ll recognize almost every actor from before they were famous (James Franco, Seth Rogan, Busy Phillips & Linda Cardellini)."
— Casey, Fairygodboss Customer Success Specialist
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