The time between Christmas and New Year’s — AKA Gooch Week — is a glorious time. While many use it for getting on the piss or lounging by the pool (very valid ways to spend Goochmas), my preferred activity for the most wonderful time of year is to lie on the couch and consume copious amounts of television.
You know, all of the shows that have evaded your busy schedule from the year? The time is now, my friends.
So, if you feel like you’ve fallen into a boredom void this Gooch Week, here are seven shows that I — a television enthusiast and former writer for a television magazine — will personally be binging during this festive season.
Before you say it, I know some of these are not exactly new shows on the streaming scene but I’m a busy gal, okay?
Paperdolls
From the moment I saw the trailer for Paramount+’s new series Paperdolls I was IN. The story follows a group of girls in the early 2000s as they audition to become a part of a reality television series following the rise of a new girl group called Harlow. While it seems like a dream come true for these five immensely talented and gorgeous gals, the series looks at the dark side of the entertainment industry and the way that young women can often be taken advantage of during their pursuit of fame.
As you’d expect of a series about popstars, Paperdolls has an absolutely killer soundtrack and an incredible display of the very best of the 90s and early 00s fashion. But the best bit? It’s an Australian production full of amazing Aussie talent.
The five stars of the series — Emalia, Courtney Clarke, Miah Madden, Courtney Monsma and Naomi Sequeira — are truly triple threats who make the entire series believable and compelling.
Although the series is ~entirely fictional~, one can’t help but draw some uncanny similarities between the plot of the series and the girl group Bardot who rose to fame through the 1999 reality series Popstars. Especially when the series is based on the book that former Bardot member Belinda Chapple wrote called The Girl in the Band: Bardot — A Cautionary Tale.
Must have been a strange coincidence, hey?
You can watch Paperdolls on Paramount+.
Mr Inbetween
I admit, I’m incredibly late to the party on this one but if you haven’t seen Mr. Inbetween, it’s time.
Mr Inbetween is without a doubt one of the best comedy-drama series I’ve ever seen. It follows the story of Ray Shoesmith (Scott Ryan), a loving father and hitman for hire as he goes about his business in the Western suburbs of Sydney.
The series expertly navigates between Ray’s two vastly different worlds honestly and effortlessly making Ray the most morally questionable yet lovable hitman one can imagine.
The dialogue is fast, snappy and authentic. The action is dirty and scrappy. But, there’s also so much humour to be found throughout the little discussions Ray has with his boss Freddy (Damon Herriman) or his best bud Gary (Justin Rosniak).
It’s got everything, I’m telling you. If you only watch one show on this list, please make it Mr. Inbetween which you can watch on BINGE.
The Buccaneers
If you’re a fan of Bridgerton or The Gilded Age but feel like you never get a big enough hit of regency realness, The Buccaneers is the series for you.
The series — which is based on the unfinished novel by Edith Wharton — is set in the 1870s and follows a group of young American ladies as they make their debut in the tightly-laced London social scene. While the fun-loving gals are determined to marry well and set themselves up with a title and a good future, they can’t help but feel out of place in the UK scene, which requires them to be seen and not heard.
The series stars Kristine Frøseth (Looking For Alaska), Alisha Bow (13 Reasons Why), Josie Totah (Other People), Imogen Waterhouse (The Outpost) and Aussie actor Aubri Brag (Dive Club).
You can watch all of season one (with season two on its way!) on Apple TV.
The Mare Of Eastown
The Mare Of Eastown was another series that people went absolutely nutso for back in 2021 — and for good reason too.
It’s a crime-drama limited series set in a small town in Pennsylvania. It follows detective Marianne “Mare” Sheehan (Kate Winslet) as she investigates the murder of a teenage mother. Mare knows everyone in town, and while that can come in handy, her personal relationships can make her job increasingly difficult. Especially when the town begins doubting her detective skills following the disappearance of another young woman a year prior.
Outside of her work, Mare’s personal life is struggling too. Her ex-husband is remarrying, her daughter is keeping secrets and she’s struggling to find any time for herself amidst the mess.
While the mystery itself has compelling twists and turns, the real gem here is how every character is a fully-fledged complex human. Meanwhile, the feeling of being stuck and the bleakness of this little town echoes through the dimly lit cinematography.
A soon-to-be-classic!!!
You can watch The Mare Of Easttown on BINGE.
Last Stop Larrimah
If twisty-turny true crime is your favourite type of genre, you’ve got to check out Last Stop Larrimah.
This Netflix documentary follows the genuinely baffling disappearance of a bloke called Paddy Moriarty who went missing from the outback town of Larrimah in the Northern Territory on December 16, 2017.
The thing that makes it all so strange is that Larrimah — a town with a pet crocodile, one pub and no police station — is home to only 11 residents. As you’d expect, they all know each other pretty damn well.
In the two-episode series, we discover that while Paddy was a bit of a larrikin, he was also a bit of a shit-stirrer and quite a few of the residents didn’t feel too fondly towards him. From there, the director Thomas Tancred investigates the other townspeople, questioning whether they could potentially have had anything to do with Paddy’s disappearance.
Even without finding out what happened to Paddy for sure, Last Stop Larrimah is a fascinating case study of some interesting characters in this true blue Aussie town.
You can stream Last Stop Larrimah on Netflix.
Bump
Bump is another soon-to-be Aussie classic. It all kicked off when an ambitious teenage girl called Olly (Nathalie Morris) found herself having a surprise baby whilst still in high school after getting pregnant from the very first time she had sex. Super unlucky, hey?
With a baby on the way, Olly and the baby’s father, Santiago ‘Santi’ Hernandes (Carlos Sanson Jr.) have to find their feet as they finish high school and navigate being young parents.
Season Three saw the series jump ahead five years to when their daughter Jacinda (Ava Cannon) was starting school. And now, Season Four time-jumps by another two years. This time around, Olly is attempting to make her career dreams come true whilst balancing motherhood.
And, as you’d expect, it’s not fkn easy.
You can watch all the season of Bump on Stan.
The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City
If you thought this list would be reality-show-free, you are poorly mistaken, my friend.
For as long as I’ve worked at PEDESTRIAN.TV my wonderful boss has been begging — nay, pleading — for me to watch The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.
You see, he is a huge Housewives fan. He’s seen every single season and iteration of the dumpster-fire-turned-television-show. While I’ve seen a season here or there of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, I’m more of a Below Deck kinda gal.
But this merry season, I have been assured that if I want to be entertained whilst letting my brain smooth over, The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City is the way to go.
With only four seasons, it’s much less of a load than Beverly Hills which has 13. And, the drama is out of this world. Take for example, in Season Two when cast member Jen Shah was literally arrested for fraud while the cameras were still rolling. You just can’t make that shit up.
Plus, it seems like the women really just love being housewives. Instead of the drama being manufactured, it genuinely feels like they’re all in on the joke and leaning into the drama.
We love to see it!
You can watch Seasons One to Four of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City on Hayu.
Well, there you have it, seven shows that I will be powering through during this long-awaited Gooch Week. However, if the many great streaming options or the ham-induced hangover is leaving you in a state of perpetual choice paralysis, I’ve got another good option for you too.
PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION on 9Now takes the difficult decision-making out of the equation for you. Streaming chaos 24/7, there’s always something to watch that’ll help you zone out, disassociate or ride out the festive season.
Although the livestream slaps, you can also watch PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION shows on demand.
While I’m still making my way through the hoards of content on the channel, my favourite show so far is tied between Murder House Flip — a series that’s like The Block for true crime fanatics who don’t mind living in a home that was once a grizzly crime scene. And Release The Hounds, a show where people attempt to outrun a pack of dogs to win some cashola.
Incredible content, if you ask me.
Anyway, that should do you for Gooch Week. Happy watching everybody!!!
The post Plan On Rotting On The Couch This Gooch Week? Here Are 7 Shows To Watch appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
