When the season finale of Stranger Things dropped, Netflix briefly crashed as millions worldwide tried to stream at the same time.
However, what if you haven't had time to stay up to date with every single show taking over the Internet during any given week?
And to make you feel further out of touch, the 2022 Emmy Award nominees have been announced, and it's not just the big hits like Succession and Squid Game that could sweep the floor.
So why is everyone raving about Severance? Should you bother watching Hacks? And who is Barry?
Here's your (spoiler free) guide to the best shows on television you feel like you should have seen by now, but haven't gotten around to yet.
You can use these links to jump between shows:
- Succession
- Ted Lasso
- The White Lotus
- Hacks
- Only Murders in the Building
- Euphoria
- Barry
- Dopesick
- Severance
- Squid Game
- Ozark
- Stranger Things
- Yellowstone
Succession
The show, in a sentence: The prestige HBO dramedy follows a toxic family-run media and entertainment conglomerate as siblings fight for control of the company amid uncertainty about the health of their cutthroat father.
Why should I watch it? It might seem slow at first, but hang in there. Succession is like Shakespeare in the way all the storylines culminate into a web of power and betrayal that will leave you somehow rooting for the most morally grey characters on television. It's also one of those rare shows where every part of the production is simply perfection. The casting is impeccable, the acting ruthless, and the script is equal parts cutting and hilarious. It's no wonder Succession is leading the Emmy Awards with 25 nominations.
How many seasons are we talking about here? There are three seasons of Succession with a fourth one currently in production. Each season has roughly 10 episodes, all about one hour long.
Okay, I'm sold. Where can I watch it? Binge
Ted Lasso
The show, in a sentence: An American college football coach is hired to manage a British soccer team.
Why should I watch it? Ted Lasso sounds like it's about sport, and it somewhat is, but it's about so much more than that. It's a charming comedy but also a heartfelt drama featuring, yes, sports but also friendship and romance. The show is Apple's breakout hit, becoming known for its kindness and positivity and the way it expertly tackles toxic masculinity.
How quickly can I tick this off my list? Ted Lasso's a half-hour comedy and there's only two seasons containing around 10 episodes each, so relatively quickly.
Sounds good. Where did you say I could watch it? Apple TV+
The White Lotus
The show, in a sentence: This satirical comedy drama centres around a fictional luxury Hawaiian resort, The White Lotus, and follows a group of holiday-makers and the resort staff who must cater to their every whim — with disastrous consequences.
Why should I watch it? Because it's cheaper than a trip to Hawaii. But really, The White Lotus is a satire about wealth and privilege that is deeply unsettling and often scatological yet completely addictive.
How long will it take to knock this over? So far there's only one season containing six one-hour episodes, but a second season featuring new resort guests is in the pipeline.
Where can I watch it? Binge
Hacks
The show, in a sentence: A legendary stand-up comedian is forced to team up with a young comedy writer, who's been cancelled online, in a bid to reinvent her act so she doesn't lose her Vegas residency.
Why should I watch it? The often rocky mentorship between comedy great Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) is the centrepiece of the show. On paper, the two sound like a pair of unlikeable characters, but mixed together they pull off a staggering feat of chemistry while sharply commenting on what it's like to be a woman in comedy.
I'm intrigued. Is it quick? It is. Hacks is a half-hour comedy consisting of two seasons of only 8-10 episodes.
Where can I watch it? Stan
Only Murders in the Building
The show, in a sentence: This black comedy whodunnit follows three strangers, who share an obsession with a true crime podcast, as they partake in some of their own sleuthing when there's a suspicious murder in their apartment building — and make their own podcast along the way.
Why should I watch it? Because everyone either has their own podcast or has thought about making one, making Only Murders in the Building a good dose of meta-murder fun that packs some real heart. It's both elegantly charming yet completely self-aware as it pokes fun at true crime addicts who think they could solve a murder themselves if only they were on the scene from the start.
How established is it? There's currently only two seasons of 10 half-hour episodes, and it's been renewed for a third season.
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Euphoria
The show, in a sentence: This teen drama centres around a recovering teenage drug addict (played by Zendaya) who struggles to find her place in the world alongside her friends as they experience trauma, drugs, self-harm, family, friendships, love, and sex.
Why should I watch it? So you can understand the countless memes that flood the internet after each episode is released. Euphoria divides viewers as its subject matter is hard to watch, yet it's visually gorgeous as the characters – who are put through the ringer – wear their best outfits to chemistry class.
Sounds… intense. How many seasons are there? There are currently two seasons of Euphoria with the episodes between 45 minutes to one hour.
Where can I watch it? Binge
Barry
The show, in a sentence: A hitman, lonely and dissatisfied with his life, travels to Los Angeles to kill a target when he finds a new sense of purpose when he joins an acting class.
Why should I watch it? This black comedy is somewhat of a hidden gem as critics have praised almost every part of it, from its originality to humour, characters and performances, particularly Saturday Night Live's Bill Hader, who has won two Emmy Awards for the show.
How many seasons? There's currently three seasons of Barry, but they only consist of eight half-hour episodes.
Where can I watch it? Binge
Dopesick
The show, in a sentence: Dopesick chronicles the origins of the current opioid epidemic in the US, told through intersecting story strands ranging from the wealthy Sackler family who developed and sold the lie of the supposed non-additive oxycontin, and the lives of people the drug destroyed.
Why should I watch it? The show, based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America, is a sombre but enraging dramatisation of greed and deception that will make it hard to look away.
How many seasons? There's only one season so far consisting of eight episodes roughly an hour long.
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Severance
The show, in a sentence: This science fiction psychological thriller follows an office employee who agrees to a "severance" program in which his non-work memories are separated from his work memories.
Why should I watch it? Not only is it fun to watch Parks and Recreation's Adam Scott in a serious role, but everyone is calling Severance one of the best and most mind-blowing shows on television — and it lives up to the hype. It's also a good gateway into science fiction if you haven't spent much time with the genre, as the performances, storyline, cinematography and musical score have all earned Emmy Awards.
This sounds wild. How long will it take to watch? There's only one season with eight episodes so you'll be up to date in no time.
Where can I watch it? AppleTV+
Squid Game
The show, in a sentence: This South Korean survival drama revolves around a contest where 456 players, who are in deep financial hardship, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children's games to win millions in prize money.
Why should I watch it? When Squid Game captured the cultural Zeitgeist in 2021 and toppled Bridgerton to become Netflix's most successful launch, it was for good reason. Among the incredible performances and simple but effective plot, Squid Game is a brutally honest critique of capitalism that forces us to question our morals alongside the characters.
Okay, I'll finally watch it. How many seasons are there? There's currently just one season with nine hour-long episodes.
And where did you say I could watch it? Netflix
Ozark
The show, in a sentence: A financial adviser drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss.
Why should I watch it? At first, critics prematurely labelled Ozark a Breaking Bad rip off. But in a world of prestige crime shows, Ozark stands on its own two feet as a smart, dark crime drama with a killer location, solid characters, and a premise that is both bonkers and believable. Plus, it stars Arrested Development's Jason Bateman playing a nuanced mess of wit, warmth, and darkness.
How long will it take to watch this? It's pretty hefty, with four seasons consisting of (usually) 10 episodes around an hour-long each. But Ozark is a completed series, so you won't have to wait to find out how it all ends.
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Stranger Things
The show, in a sentence: When a young boy vanishes, a small town in Indiana in the 1980s uncovers a mystery involving terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.
Why should I watch it? So you can understand the Kate Bush hype. But really, while Stranger Things starts with the vanishing of Will Buyers, it becomes so much more over the course of four seasons. It's a science fiction series, but also a coming of age story, conspiracy thriller and adventure tale – all with a hefty dose of 80s nostalgia.
How long will it take to watch? Look, with four seasons, it's long. But if you become a fan of the show, you'll be delighted by the blown out length of the episodes in season four, which is capped off with a 2.5 hour season finale.
Where can I watch it? Netflix
But the Emmys snubbed some shows. Are they still worth watching?
Absolutely.
When the 2022 Emmy Award nominations were released this week, there was immediate outrage that Yellowstone barely got a look in.
Even Sydney Sweeney, who earned two nominations for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, told Variety: "I was cheering for Yellowstone. I feel like Yellowstone got snubbed."
So what's all the fuss about? Yellowstone follows the conflicts along the shared borders of a large cattle ranch, an Indian reservation and land developers. There's currently four seasons of Yellowstone, so it's well established and will keep you busy.
Meanwhile, Midnight Mass was another crowd favourite that featured nowhere on the list of Emmy nominations. The horror miniseries centres on an isolated island community that experiences supernatural events after the arrival of a mysterious priest.
Stranger Things fans were also outraged to find out actors Sadie Sink and Millie Bobby Brown missed out on nominations.
But it's worth mentioning that shows need to be released between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022, to be eligible for this year's Emmy Awards, meaning Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 missed the cut — but there's always next year.
