10 TV Shows to Binge Watch on NOW TV

Have you got a long weekend coming up where you just want to relax and watch television? Sometimes it’s nice just to do nothing, settle down with some nice food, a couple of bottles of wine and get right into a good box set. But if you’re anything like me and my hubby we can never decide what to watch! It takes about an hour just to find something. So to help save you time here are my top 10 TV shows to binge watch on NOW TV this weekend.

The Flight Attendant

This series stars Kaley Cuoco (Penny from Big Bang Theory) and is a fast-paced dark comedy thriller. It starts when Cassie, a flight attendant, wakes up after a one-night stand and finds the man dead in bed next to her. She also has no memory of what happened! But she doesn’t do what any normal person would do, which would be to ring the police. She tries to hide the fact that she was ever there and sets out to find out who did it herself. I thought this was a really good show. There are a few twists and turns and a lot of laugh out loud moments. It kept me guessing until the penultimate episode when both me and hubby realised what was going on. Plus it ended where they could quite easily make another series.

1 Season / 8 Episodes

45 minutes each

Score: 8/10

Prodigal Son

Starring Michael Sheen and Tom Payne, this is a detective series with a difference. Malcom Bright (Tom Payne) is a profiler for the New York Police Department but the twist is his father (Michael Sheen) is a serial killer who is serving a life-sentence in prison. After the first episode I thought this was going to be quite a ‘samey’ show with each episode featuring a murder and Malcolm solving it quickly with the help of his father. That does happen BUT it’s not really the main plot line. The real storyline is about getting to know Malcom and his father (Dr Martin Whitly). The series leads you on a discovery of how Dr Whitly got caught and how it affected his family, especially Malcolm. It kept me wanting to watch the next episode and I was left wanting more after the first series. And I absolutely loved Martin Sheen in this – he steals the show. A firm addition to my TV shows to binge watch. There is a second series but unfortunately it’s not out on Now TV just yet.

1 Season / 20 Episodes

40 minutes each

Score 9/10

Stella

Ruth Jones (Nessa from Gavin & Stacey) stars in the title role of this very easy to watch comedy series. Set in Wales, it tells the story of Stella, a 40-something divorced woman with 3 kids, and her love for teenage boyfriend Rob Morgan. Add in some other excellent comedy characters such as Rhian, Auntie Brenda and funeral assistant Bobby, and you get a TV show that’s really funny but also quite poignant at times (there were a couple of occasions where I cried!). Some of the characters come and go over the 6 series, and a couple of them (Alan and Karl) were a real miss. This made the last couple of series a little lacking but still worth watching to see how the story played out.

6 Seasons / 57 episodes (it actually says 7 series but one of them is only one xmas special.

44 minutes per episode

Score 8/10

True Blood

If you love vampire shows then True Blood should definitely be one of your TV shows to binge watch. It’s like a grown-up verson of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with lots of gory bits and quite a lot of naked sex. It stars Anna Paquin (Sooki Stackhouse) and Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) and follows telepathic waitress Sookie’s infatuation with Bill the vampire. Set in Louisiana, True Blood is billed as a ‘darkly funny vampire drama’ and I can’t argue with that. There are also werewolves, witches, shape shifters and faries threaded into a plot that’s sometimes a little hard to follow … so you need to watch carefully. I loved 5 series out of the 7 but felt it veered off course somewhat for the last two. But if you really love vampire/supernatural type shows then this is definitely one to watch. Plus I have to say, the whole thing was worth watching just for the character of Eric (who became my favourite).

7 Seasons / 80 episodes

50 minutes per episode

Score 8/10

Mount Pleasant

Starring Sally Lindsay and Daniel Ryan as the main characters (Lisa & Dan), this light-hearted comedy became a firm favourite of mine. It centres around the lives of Lisa & Dan and a cast of characters who live in a Manchester cul-de-sac. It’s a down-to-earth comedy that mainly features characters over the age of 30 and also includes the wonderful Bobby Ball. Bianca the sexy housewife and Denise the ditsy secretary also make this a joy to watch. If you’re looking for something that’s not hard to follow and will make you smile then this is the one for you.

7 seasons / 53 episodes

45 minutes per episode

Score 9/10

The Affair

I’d seen this series listed on NOW TV for quite a while before I actually watched it. To be honest the premise of a man having an affair didn’t float my boat. But after the first episode I was hooked. The difference between this and other shows that deal with extra-marital affairs is that this one featured more than one viewpoint. Each episode gives you the storyline from Noah’s (Dominic West) point of view and then you get the same storyline again (in the same episode), but from Alison’s (Ruth Wilson) point of view. This makes for a really interesting show, seeing how each person viewed the exact same situation. The storyline follows Noah and Alison and the lives of their families as their affair plays out. It definitely had me gripped and I thought the end was really well thought out. Actually, maybe I want to binge watch this again this weekend!

5 Seasons / 53 episodes

50 minutes per episode

Score 10/10

Gavin & Stacey

If you love comedy then you’ve probably seen Gavin & Stacey. But it’s something I’ve watched more than once so it had to go on my list of TV shows to binge watch. Centering on the lives of Gavin, Stacey, Nessa and Smithy this show is my happy place. If you haven’t seen it yet, it takes you from Gavin & Stacey’s first meeting to them getting married and beyond. Although this programme is entitled Gavin & Stacey, I feel the real storyline is about Nessa and Smithy and their totally dysfunctional relationship. They’re just much more interesting characters. Although the whole cast of characters work really well together. Set in Essex and Wales, the show is full of comic moments but also a couple of moments that (like Stella) were quite poignant. It’s a show I never get bored of watching.

3 Seasons + 2 Christmas Specials / 21 Episodes

30 minutes per episode

Score 10/10

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair

I was drawn to this murder-mystery series because it starred Patrick Dempsey of Grey’s Anatomy. He plays writer Harry Quebert, who is accused of the murder of a young girl who disappeared decades ago. Harry is sought out by former student Marcus who needs help with his own writer’s block. Marcus then becomes involved in the investigation. You’re kept guessing almost until the end on whether Harry actually did it or not. I really enjoyed this series and it was great to see Patrick Dempsey playing someone who wasn’t so clean cut. A really good whodunnit adapted from Joel Dicker’s acclaimed novel of the same name.

1 Season /10 Episodes

45 minutes each

Score 10/10

Big Little Lies

Again, like The Affair, I wasn’t immediately drawn to this series. I’m not that keen on Nicole Kidman. But the plot sounded interesting so I gave it a go. And I’m really glad I did. Starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley, the drama sees the seemingly perfect lives of three upper-class mothers fall apart. Set in California, this drama tackles domestic violence and the fall-out from it. Also starring Alexander Skarsgard (Eric from True Blood) each episode moves the plot forward nicely. The beginning of the second season follows on from the end of the first one, so you get to follow the story which digs a little deeper into some of the other characters. It does make you feel that you never really know what’s going on in people’s lives.

2 Seasons / 14 Episodes

45 minutes per episode

Score 8/10

Fortitude

I was in two minds whether to include this in my list of TV shows to binge watch as it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But I really enjoyed it so I thought why not. This one is set on the edge of the arctic circle, in a small town that has never experienced a violent crime, until now. The first episode starts with a man being killed by a polar bear and two children finding something buried under the ice. Fortitude features an excellent cast including Stanley Tucci, but my favourite character is Sheriff Dan Anderssen played by Richard Dormer. He plays the type of character who is so quirky you never quite forget him. The show itself is definitely weird and although it’s billed as a Drama there’s a sci-fi feel to it, especially in the second and third seasons. It did keep me wondering what was going on and was full of twists and turns. But if you don’t like your dramas with a bit of weirdness then maybe give this a miss. I did feel like the third season lost it’s way but I had to watch it to the end. I watched Fortitude about a year ago and it has certainly left a lasting impression on me … although I can’t work out what impression! Let me know if you watch it, I’d love to know what your thoughts are.

3 Seasons / 25 Episodes

45 minutes per Episode

Score … this is a tough one …. 7.5 / 10

So those are my TV shows to binge watch this weekend … although some may actually take you more than a weekend. These are all ready to watch on the Entertainment section of NOW TV. If you don’t have NOW TV already they usually have a 7 day free trial so you could get a couple of these tv shows watched before you decide if you want to take out a subscription. It’s £9.99 for a month’s entertainment membership, which you can cancel at any time.

If you’re looking for entertainment that doesn’t involve watching television then check out this monthly subscription box full of crafts, puzzles online courses to keep you busy.