Suddenly, it seems that all show-watching has turned into “binge watching.” Whether it comes in the form of spending an entire Saturday losing yourself in or simply keeping a few episodes of the on in the background while cleaning at home, what was once an occasional indulgence has now become a commonplace occurrence. No complaints: inhaling multiple episodes of a streaming series in one go is a total luxury—and luckily, there are plenty of high-quality shows to keep us entertained.
We binge watchers have evolved from gourmands to gourmets. My own personal binge-watching journey began in the early aughts, when my laptop and I would travel with a small binder of DVDs. Dead time on flights or quiet escapes to my hotel room were filled with a constant vitamin drip of 22-minute, brightly-colored comedy.
It was bliss. Since then, a great deal has happened in what we used to call TV. The streaming era has opened up nearly everything and anything that’s ever been on the small screen to an endless offering that can be consumed on demand.
How do you decide what’s worthwhile among all the options? A truly binge-worthy show must be highly engaging and able to withstand countless replays—but like most things, it’s up to you to figure out your own rules. To help, here’s a list of some of the very best shows to binge watch of all time, from eternal classics to recent favorites. Whatever your binging style, there’s bound to be something to explore, revisit, and watch from .
